This is my fifth book by Felicity Niven and the first time I've been left so emotionally bereft at the end that I felt truly hungover. Felicity has always excelled in nuanced character studies for her female main characters, but this was operating on a different level. Where the first 20% felt almost silly, it quickly became something else entirely, and I was reeling from the emotional depth.

All that to say: Sherry Thomas readers, this one's for us. This is a level of messy, ragey chest-pain angst that felt reminiscent of Private Arrangements. It's a dual-timeline friends-to-lovers story that starts with playfully pedantic sex lessons (the "friends with benefits" set-up of historical romance), but then, with the discovery of traumatic twists, it devolves into a heady mix of hate-sex and groveling in the second half, forcing both characters to confront deeply held insecurities and fears. Please check content warnings for this one - several of the twists could be triggering for some readers.

For long-time Felicity readers, you'll be excited to know we get wonderful references back to so many of our favorite characters from the Lovelocks (I hadn't thought of Bed Me, Duke as a bit of a capsule story, but this felt fully immersed in our interconnected Felicity universe in a different way, and it was a delight).

This is going to be a knock-out for trash-for-angst readers who live for groveling and catharsis and pining. Thanks to the author for a complimentary advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review!