So, this was pretty different than her previous books and was darker, had more angst, and a lot more spice. I really liked it but I could see how this being so different from her previous books would not go over well with some people. It's missing her signature romcom touch and while I still really liked it and enjoyed it, I can see others not really caring for it. I didn't care for Rue's POV being in first person and then Eli's POV being in third person, as it made for a clunky book and I had to keep switching and it felt odd to me. Other than that, I thought this was really good. I really liked Rue and Eli, from how they met to how they traded terrible stories to how they connected via their rough upbringings and their meet cute (which was less cute, and more scary but interesting too). Rue was obviously much more closed off and detached and didn't want anything to do with anyone, while Eli was much more sunshine and sweet and fell for Rue hard and fast. I loved this juxtaposition about them, an opposites attract sort of situation. Add the layer of Eli's company taking over Rue's, and the villain twist, and it made for a wild ride with the rivals and forbidden aspect of it. I love Ali Hazelwood's writing style, and I was really happy to see that she turned up the spice in this one. This book discusses heavy themes like child neglect, food insecurity, trauma, grief, and more. Ali Hazelwood did a great job with these subjects, and this is definitely different than her other books where these heavier themes were not part of them. I don't know, but for me personally, Ali Hazelwood could write anything and I know I would love it. This was no exception!