Many thanks to my friends at @berkleyromance and @prhaudio for the #gifted copies. 

 

90’s rom-coms are still my fav.  I’ve watched My Best Friend’s Wedding approximately 9.25 million times.  Want me to quote the crème brulee/jello scene word by word?  I digress…

 

Kann has taken the premise of that beloved classic… a love triangle between two best friends and a new love interest… and modernized it with two black, asexual characters.  I think Julia Roberts would approve.  

 

What I loved:

☀️The fake dating/only one hammock trope (oh that hammock!)

☀️Joy is bold, brazen, and unapologetic.  I couldn’t help but cheer for her.  She knows who she is and won’t settle.  

☀️Fox  <swoon>  Gruff yet soft and tender.  With the most gentle (even when eager) touch for Joy.  

But where this book really shines…  the asexuality representation.

This was my first book with an asexual main character, and the look at the spectrum of asexuality was so well handled and very enlightening.  This was a different type of love story for me, yet still so deeply satisfying.  

 

My only hang up was the best friend relationship between Malcolm and Joy.  So codependent.  So unhealthy.  But towards the end, they confront those dynamics in order to grow into the future that awaits, and that I found fulfilling.  

 

Much like the main character, this book is filled with joy (and puns…lots of great puns).  It’s perfect to throw in your bag for a weekend getaway.  

🎧I found myself easily lost in this audiobook. Narrated by Adrienne Walker, she gave a distinct voice to joy, and I felt as though I was immersed in Joy’s thoughts and emotions.