What an absolute EXPERIENCE it was reading this book (about a bully who terrorizes a girl he wants to bang because ~sad backstory filled with abuse and neglect and inability to express fee-leengs~) at the same time I read The Will to Change by bell hooks (a book about the devastating impact of patriarchal masculinity on men, but particularly on young men, and the transformational power of love).

Is it weird bell hooks made me appreciate this book more? Somewhere bell hooks is rolling in her grave. Maybe it’s not that deep and I’m just a horny idiot and PenDoug stan. 

If you’re going into this book thinking it’s going to be dumb revisionist history like ACOMAF Ch 54 (that’s a SJM diss, girl it’s called character fidelity) and explain away Jared’s mistreatment of Tate let me gently suggest that PD may have written a male POV retelling that makes our hero look worse. Far, far worse. 🫣 Honestly good for you, Pen Doug. Doing Bully Romance / enemies-to-lovers justice. Some of these authors claim the trope for marketability but aren’t willing to back that shit up in the text. 

Five stars for Jared’s wallet chain.