I think I liked the idea of this book way more than the book itself. The blurb and the beginning were rather promising! I enjoyed seeing a rock star character gripping with chronic pain and fatigue, and the fairly sensitive way those things were treated. Unfrotunately, I never got a strong enough feel for Max as a person beyond that. Perhaps there simply wasn't enough space for his character to shine in this short book.

I also very much enjoyed the idea of an older NB love interest, except unlike Max who was at least rather sympathetic, Eli (the LI) disappointed me in a lot of ways. He just wasn't a pleasant person, or anyone I felt like rooting for. I didn't like how they subtly tried to make their instant feelings for Max Max's problem without letting Max actually have a say in how the situation developed. Eli simply decided that this was it, the two of them stood no chance, and Max's opinion seemed to matter so little he wasn't even allowed to form and voice it. I didn't like the betrayal of confidence later with the article, and I really didn't buy the HFN. This couple just didn't work for me.

I also have a problem with how the NB rep was handled. It started promising with Max asking for Eli's pronouns as well as name when they first met, etc, but despite Eli clearly indicating he/they pronouns, Max only ever used the "he" pronoun throughout the entire book, like the other one and all it represents didn't matter. Idk, it just felt shallow to me.

Also, the pacing was honestly pretty rocky, with some scenes getting dragged out and some parts rushing past, and that didn't add to my enjoyment of the story either. It's a pity—I really wanted to like this book, since it was recommended to me by someone whose opinions I value and it sounded like just the read for me. Alas, something just didn't click.