Outdrawn

By: Deanna Grey

Narrated by: Sondra Symone, Julienne Irons

Length: 10 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

It isn't always lonely at the top.

Noah Blue's finally got her foot in the door. After clawing her way to the top of the charts with her webcomic, she's garnered enough attention to earn a full-time position at a comic company relaunching their cult classic comic: Queen Leisah.

Queen Leisah is predicted to be an instant bestseller with movie deals already in the making. There's nowhere to go but up . . . as soon as she gets one person out of her way.

Sage Montgomery has always been the best artist in every building she's stepped foot in. Raw talent's gotten her webcomic to the top of the charts every month for the past eight years. Sure, her career has plateaued but that can be fixed with a big, mainstream comic.

She was promised full creative control over Leisah. Instead, she got a shared credit with the one artist who's been breathing down her neck since college. The one artist who has a fighting chance of being better than her. Sage and Noah have to work as a team-or, at least appear to work as a team. They thought the hardest part of the relaunch would be drawing together. But that's easy in comparison to resisting their feelings for each other.

Contains mature themes.

©2023 Deanna Grey (P)2024 Tantor

Friends to Lovers

This was such a cute story! It takes a little time to get to the lovers part, but when it does, it’s so beautiful. I loved reading how their relationship progressed. They went from fighting against each other, to fighting for each other. Definitely a must read!

Good Read

I loved the story line. Noah voice wasn't my favorite at times, loved the book overall

Good story

I liked the story line, I do wish it took a little bit longer for them to realize their feelings for each other but that’s just a personal preference, it wasn’t very high angst. There was like 3-4 spice scenes and they were pretty good, not a super spicy book but just enough. I liked the way the characters were open with what they wanted it and weren’t shy about it.
The narrator for Sage honestly just ruined this audiobook for me 😭 I really struggled to finish it. I feel bad because I don’t like leaving negative reviews but she was pretty monotone and her voice for Noah (or any voice she did other than Sage) was horrrrrible. It was a scratchy voice but also every word had the same pitch/tone. Like she was just reading it rather than giving the person a personality. The narrator for Noah did a pretty good job, to me the voice didn’t completely match the character though (again, just personal preference :) )

Worth the wait

I loved it! Definitely worth the wait. Spicy when it needed to be all the while staying sweet and reassuring

A Riveting Rivals-to-Lovers Sapphic Romance

Outdrawn by Deanna Grey is a sweet, slow-burn, rivals-to-lovers romance set against the backdrop of the comic industry. It follows two talented artists, Noah Blue and Sage Montgomery, whose longstanding rivalry comes to a head when they’re forced to collaborate on a high-profile relaunch of the cult classic comic, Queen Leisah. Their journey from professional adversaries to romantic partners is full of tension, banter, and emotional growth, making this an engaging read for fans of workplace romance with a sapphic twist.

The premise immediately drew me in. Noah, fresh off her big break, is thrilled to be leading the Queen Leisah project—until she finds out that Sage, the one artist who’s been her biggest rival since college, is sharing credit with her. Sage has always been the best, but her career has stagnated, and she’s banking on this project to get back on top. Their workplace tension is palpable, but it’s not just limited to their professional lives—both are also competing on the side in an indie comic competition. The stakes are high, and the clashing egos are real.

What I really loved about this book was the character development. Both Sage and Noah are fully realized characters with their own insecurities, ambitions, and emotional baggage. Watching them slowly learn to trust each other, lean on each other, and open up was a joy. Their chemistry was undeniable, and the banter and tension between them were perfectly executed. Despite being rivals, their connection felt natural, and it was so satisfying to see them slowly let their guards down.

The slow-burn romance was filled with some great tropes—rivals-to-lovers, workplace drama, and even a bit of found family. There’s also some steamy and sweet romance that balances well with the emotional depth of their relationship. I found myself invested not just in their romance, but also in their individual journeys as artists and people. Both characters were relatable, and I appreciated how the story explored their personal growth alongside their romantic relationship.

While I started the audiobook, I had trouble connecting with the narrators, which took away from my initial experience. However, once I switched to the paperback, I thoroughly enjoyed the story. I’d recommend this book to anyone who loves a well-written, emotional, and fun workplace romance, though maybe the audiobook won’t be for everyone.

This is a delightful, character-driven romance that will appeal to fans of slow-burn, rivals-to-lovers stories. Deanna Grey has crafted a wonderful romance that feels both sweet and meaningful, and I’m excited to read more from her

The voices

The voices made it hard too get into the book she made the character not seem as sexy as the books cover they seem like butch women or men Virtual voices would have been better

New Narrators are needed

These narrators suck. They made the story a hard read. Both voices were horrible and didn’t fit the characters at all. These characters were supposed to be young black girls. They made them sound weird and much older then they were characterized as.

Enemies to lovers Inc.

I loved this book and really enjoyed the storytelling by Deanna Grey. I’ve read it like 5 times at this point. I really enjoy the pacing also.