Part 2 is completely from Roe's POV, and is Roe and Jake's journey to finally being together, but it isn't easy. Jake is working on overcoming his childhood trauma and starting to accept his sexuality and, much to Roe's despair, starting to explore it. They are still best friends, working on even bigger projects together, and are integral pieces of each other's ever expanding families (if you don't like kids, this isn't the book for you because there's a ton). Roe is unsuccessfully trying to keep his marriage together while struggling with Jake moving on. 

After one incident too far (c'mon Jake, family is off limits), Roe is pushed over the edge and finally decides that he wants to be with Jake regardless of the consequences. As expected, they're perfect together. The difficulty is coming out as a couple when they've been, to the public, platonic for years. They are public figures, Roe is still married for part of the time, and they have their plethora of kids. Jake is also still coming to terms with his sexuality, taking small steps to being an out gay man. Being so actively involved in each other's lives helps a lot in their situation though. These two put you through it, but you can't deny the love they have for one another or their families. 

I think I was frustrated so much with Roe because of how avoidable everything was. I can chalk it up to his young age when Sandra first gets pregnant, but I always thought he was better than marrying out of obligation. We know he has feelings for Jake, and while Jake needs time to sort it out I don't think the best move was this marriage. He had a perfect example of co-parenting right there with Nikki and Jake and still made the wrong choice, which led to so much hurt. 

My major issue with this book was how the author used postpartum depression to vilify Sandra. It's a bad situation for everyone, but it's also a mental illness that doesn't automatically make you a bad mother and horrible person. Sandra was already not a great character without it, and I felt it was cheap to pin it on her depression. 

Jake and Roe finally get the happily ever after they've spent almost a decade tiptoeing around. There's so much that happens to get them to this point, but their love has never faltered. There's no Roe without Jake, or Jake without Roe. They're perfect partners in every way. I was really curious about their future moving forward after reading about so much of their lives, and went ahead and bought the epilogue novella to get some more closure on their outcome. 

Read if you like: 
• friends to lovers  
• slow burn 
• single dad    
• found family      

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