"Boyfriends. Husbands. I don't f-cking care. I want it all. I want all the labels with you."
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I'm nothing if not obsessed with a good redemption arc.
And Cora Rose delivered. Big times.

I love that Except You started at a point where Max was well on his way to breaking the shackles his childhood had put on him

That he found Beau was destiny, and I devoured every minute of their story.
The way Max breaks through old thought patterns, and how he overcomes his panic and doubt was so wholesome, especially because Beau was always by his side. 

I'm a goner for their co-dependency. Max and Beau's dynamic is so well written, I didn't doubt it for a second.

I also appreciated a lot that most of the chapters were in Max's POV because that was the more important part of the story.

After all, Except You is about Max's redemption arc, overcoming a childhood that taught him hateful values.

Of course, I ate up the Sem and Maddie parts. I love them so much, and the need to reread Sem is ridiculously strong.
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I would like to add that this is a romanticized redemption. It's fiction. It's necessary to keep that in mind while reading. 
Cora Rose did a great job writing Except You with the empathy and respect it deserves. 
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What to expect:
• redemption arc 
• mid-burn
• strangers to friends to lovers
2/5 🌶️