This book had so many things going for it. It had mystery, childhood friends to lovers, slow burn, traumatic pasts and even a writing style that felt unique and engaging. I was READY to fall in love with this one. 

But holy AIRBALL, did we drop it. 

The MMC is the heart of this book. He was missing for 22 years, hidden away underground and cut off from the world. Watching him rediscover the world was endearing and even occasionally funny. He carried this story and their entire fucking romance. 

I usually root hard for a flawed female lead. I'll give her more grace than most but this one had me rooting for the OTHER WOMAN in the story. We've got a man who was literally imprisoned underground for two decades and SOMEHOW he's doing all the emotional labor of their relationship. H'e bringing vulnerability, effort, even growth and she's leaving her fucking doors unlocked after a LITERAL home invasion where they didn't catch the guy because 'it's fine'. Spoiler alert. It was NOT fine. 

Then there's the 'finally together' moment. And after all that, what should have been this meaningful moment between two friends who found more in each other, we got generic, factory standard smut. It was NOT a culmination of two broken people finding solace in each other (though neither did their entire relationship so IDK why I was surprised). Their entire relationship was just lust. Shallow lust-seriously shallower than a kiddy pool. More like a splash pad. 

This could have been something really beautiful. The bones were there.