Words can’t describe how much I love this book. I went in with fairly high expectations, as I’d seen many people raving about how amazing it was. I wasn’t disappointed.

I LOVE THIS BOOK.

I’m not black or Japanese, so I can’t speak on that rep. I’ve seen reviewers of color talking about how well racial microaggressions are handled, though.

I used to identify as biromantic asexual, before deciding aromantic fit me better. Regardless, I was so happy to read about a protagonist with that orientation, as I and others can say it’s a first. I really liked how it was addressed. The biromantic half did kind of take the back burner, though in the beginning Alice had a girlfriend. The main focus is her asexuality. There were so many relatable lines, and it managed to be informative while still very entertaining. The book talks about how sex is deemed an integral part of relationships, and why it and emotion should really be separate. I agree wholeheartedly with everything this book said.

(Seriously, I annotated just about every page. If I’d used tabs, I would’ve run out, I’m sure.)

I thought all of the characters were well-written and realistic. Alice was so relatable and I could really relate to her. Takumi was the absolute sweetest. I loved the two of them together with all my heart, and I also loved Alice’s friendship with Feenie. They fought and they didn’t talk for long periods of time, but they came back to each other in the end. I think it’s more accurate that way, and it shows how strong their connection really is.

Other things I liked:
- Alice was in college, and still deciding what she wanted to do with her life.
- She worked in a library.
- Takumi had twin nieces and they were adorable.
- The Halloween party, because of Alice and Takumi’s nerdy costumes and the very important discussion that followed a specific scene. (You’ll know if you’ve read it.)
- Alice and Ryan were great friends.
- The interior design aspect.
- This book is vey therapy-positive. Alice sees a therapist early on, and goes back a few times. She talks a lot with him, and he gives valuable advice. I think more books could follow this example.

I loved everything, okay? Highly recommended if you want a fluffy, relevant, diverse contemporary!! 😍