you ever have a moment where a whole romance book just blows up before your eyes, sort of in slow motion and then BANG wow WHYYYY? That was Flawless for me. I was successfully riding this bull--an age-gap she's his publicist/babysitter romance--for almost 80% and then it bucked me right off into the atmosphere.

The landing didn't hurt as it could of, so all-in all three solid stars. I will definitely read more of this author's work as the voice, characters, and setting are so dynamic and strong. I was just MAD about some of the character choices! ! ! Also whew the chemistry between the two leads was FIRE and so were the sexy times.

Content notes: Summer is a white, cis woman in her early to mid 20s. she is a publicist/lawyer at her father's publicity firm. Rhett is a 31 year old white cis man. He rides bulls professionally and is nearing the end of his career due to various injuries but is on a hot streak. bull riding, injuries (on page and described; secondary character is hurt rather badly but is okay), drinking, troubled family dynamics, grooming of a minor leading to a secret relationship of a barely legal (18yo woman) woman-heroine, described but in the past.

Spoilery thoughts
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still with me?? Okay, so what threw me off this bull was Summer's past 'relationship' with her heart surgeon, who in her words, 'groomed' her as teen when she had a not secret crush on him. I felt so awful for Summer, this man was a complete and utter ASSHOLE who hurt and used her - including jumping on her the minute she was 18 and making her keep their relationship secret. I appreciated how the author handled this, never once blaming Summer. Summer has big regrets, and is finally coming to terms with that what happened was wrong. She does disclose this to Rhett as well, who i thought handled it well in the moment but THEN THEN there's horrible reveal where we discover, at the hospital in time of crisis, that Summer's stepsister/half sister?? is MARRIED to the surgeon AHHHH and Rhett get's so angry he calls him out, reveals her secret, and then summer gets mad that the surgeon's career could be jeopardized!? i dunno, it was all very messy and i just didn't like anyone's choices or how that plot was also sort of left dangling.

any way, still a lot to like, just not a perfect read for me and it left me a bit yelly. thankfully i was unintentionally buddy reading with my pal Leigh Kramer!