Incredibly self-indulgent 4 stars, because this was very gender-affirming and very hot. Although the pacing was a bit rushed(and I would’ve liked some more backstory on the characters outside of their relationship), there were still a couple of sweet moments in-between the sex scenes, and I really liked the way gender was handled within the context of the romance. There’s also a bit about unlearning shame (in the context of internalized queerphobia) and that was dealt with tenderly.

I like the quaintness of the setting, too. E.E. Ottoman’s descriptions can be very pretty and add a positively mundane quality to the scenes the three main characters have together. The plot isn’t heavy in this novella, so there’s plenty of vibes throughout.

I did notice an influx of typos/grammar errors in the last 4-5 chapters though??? Second half could’ve done with another round of edits.

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pre-review:
surprised this doesn’t count as erotica tbh