I only have myself to blame for going through this torture. I didn't like the first book, but with the way people talked about this series I wanted to give it one more chance. What an absolute waste of time. The only thing that kept me reading was that I was listening to it as an audiobook while I worked and with a boss constantly breathing down my back I couldn't take the time to stop it and find another book to listen to and I cannot deal with the constant noise of my office. So I was stuck with this choice for the day and I have this thing about not reading a book all the way through. 

For one, the supposed bromance *gag* bookclub wasn't even in this book other than a few scenes and like two pages talking about their current "manual". 

Moving on from that, these books are just so disgustingly heteronormative and toxic I don't know how they can be marketed as romance novels for feminists. Liv is incredibly unlikable and just drowning in internalized misogyny, which would be fine because a lot of women struggle with this, but she doesn't get any better or seem to learn anything. She gaslights and victim blames SA victims which is not okay. She's constantly telling Mack to "man up" and it's disgusting. 

I liked Mack, but that died shortly after the first chapter. Liv doesn't consent to have sex with Mack again and he says "this isn't sex" referring to oral sex and then continues without a word from Liv. That's incredibly problematic especially against the backdrop of the SA storyline. 

Circling back to the gross heteronormativity, it's also aggressively white. There's no LGBTQIA+ representation (please tell me again how the only sex that's sex can only be a penis entering a vagina) and I doubt it even passes the Bechdel test which is the absolute bare minimum to even attempt to call something feminist. Which is a valid argument for a book that claims to be progressive and feminist. 

There's also a side couple storyline of an old progressive feminist that protested the war and fought for the passing of the ERA and a very conservative ex-cop and Vietnam veteran that basically belittled the plight of women most of the book and the only thing he "changed" was he actually started  listening to women and their opinions *wow* and the old feminist just fawns all over him. 

The base of their "enemies" to lovers is so unbelievably ridiculous. He ate her Chinese leftovers after getting permission from Gavin and with no knowledge they were someone else's? So childish. Plus, the whole "I hate all men" trope is so old and played out not to mention problematic and very anti-feminist. 

Where was the chemistry?! Because I can't even see how these two would even find each other sexually attractive let alone fall in love with each other. None of these people should be starting a relationship. They need to go to therapy and work on themselves before starting a relationship like this. 

And look, I get that Liv has an issue being lied to and it's a trigger for her, I am the same way. But they BARELY know each other and Mack has gone through some trauma and didn't lie to anyone really. He legally changed his name and his father is dead...to him. This would be background stuff you would reveal to someone when it was getting serious and they never talked about anything of importance and only just started sleeping together. 

And the BIG one, the use of sexual harassment as an excuse to have the couple have an adventure that brings them together and advances their relationship is so cringe. And over the course of 2-3 weeks, they very easily bring down a millionaire rapist on a whim and it's all very tidy and clean. So ridiculous and not at all how any of this works in reality. It's a problematic portrayal.  

Needless to say, I will not be reading any more of this series and will actively steer anyone away from it.