I read this a little while ago now and I still cannot make my mind up.

When our two MCs were getting on, it was like a house on fire and I was having such a great time - the dialogue was sharp and quippy, and both of their personalities were vibrant and made for a really fast paced read. From the first few pages where Josh shows up to sleep with Ari's flatmate (with whom Ari is also sometimes sleeping, sorry Josh), I had a huge smile on my face - knowing their chemistry was going to be off the charts - something that for me is usually an easy win.

However, you know what I don't love? Characters that cannot for the life of them communicate their wants, needs, and emotions with respect for the other person. I can really respect that Ari was working through a lot, making a serious commitment to Josh was always going to be a huge challenge for her, and ultimately I loved their resolution. But so much of the back and forth in between these two was agonisingly painful - and they just continued to hurt each other over and over again. So much so, that the third act conflict felt so serious I thought we were just going to end the book without fixing things.

Overall, glad I read it - the happy moments for the two of them were so precious, particularly when they were still just best friends and NOT breaking each others' hearts.