Was very close to being a 4 star, but the epilogue was so beautiful I had to bump it up for *feelings*.

I first started reading a library copy of this, but ended up putting it down and ordering one with a gift card that I had because I was enjoying it so much. And while I definitely think it was an uneven read, losing steam partway through and then chugging along until the end, it holds a special place in my heart. 

I loved the friendship and romance between Viola and Gracewood. Viola is such a loveable character, and while Gracewood himself felt a bit bland to me, the depiction of trauma and how it impacts your life and and decisions was done well enough to make him a character you could feel for. There were so many swoon-worthy moments between the two of them, and the steamy scenes were great. 

But as soon as they returned to London, things slowed down a little too much for my liking. The characters' issues/concerns/emotions began to feel repetitive, and while I appreciated that the things they were working through were not easily sorted, it was slightly grating to read because it was written too similarly to earlier iterations of them vocalising those issues. The focus on Miranda, and the sort of mad-cap turn that plotline took, wasn't particularly fun or interesting. Not horrible, but I think the book would have been better focusing on the main romance instead. 

Also, I have DNF'd an Alexis Hall book before because I found some of the humour cringey, and a few of the 'romantic' lines as well. That was true in this one still, some lines I just really hated, but not to the extent that I was dissuaded from continuing on.

Overall, my review doesn't sound that positive but like...despite my qualms I loved this book. Like clutching it to my chest, reading it aloud to my partner love. Trans joy making my enby heart smile 🥰