Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with an egalley of this book to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
I was super excited to read this next installment for Undone. I loved Freddy in the first book and I needed to know his story. And Corinne did a fabulous job with his story! While you could read this book as a stand alone, I really do insist you read the first book to get more context on the characters from this book and relationships with their friends.
Matt Fredderic does two things well: hockey and sex. His future hangs on him graduating from college. But his learning disabilities, which have not been dealt with, have continuously haunted him. I really love Freddy's set up. It truly shows how people can slip through the cracks and get by with grit and determination. Corinne addresses the learning disabilities with truth and honesty. She also shows how men can struggle with their emotions. Freddy is a people pleaser who doesn't feel he's worthy of love. My heart hurt for him for this entire book. He had no one to turn to, despite having friends and family. His need to feel loved is extremely prominent in the book. I was absolutely invested in him and his future. I wanted to jump in and help fight his battles. I wanted to show him he was worth so much more than he has told himself. I don't think I've ever been so emotionally invested in an MMC in a romance book as I was with Freddy.
Ro Shariff is also a people pleaser and a romantic. Her on again, off again relationship with her boyfriend is toxic and a abusive. But she can't seem to break away from it, despite his gaslighting and treating her as if she is always the one in the wrong. She struggles to feel seen and wanted for just who she is. She's lonely and a bit lost. But her heart is just so big. I love how she fought for Freddy this whole book. She made him feel seen and loved. Add to that her ability to infuse great banter into her stories and it was just so amazing to read! Plus her characters are so well developed. There wasn't a time I didn't understand or find the characters believable. This really added to the plot development and kept the story moving forward.
Corinne infused into this book a rawness you rarely see in romance books. The relationships between the characters are emotional and relatable. She also writes grief and healing very well. She builds the relationship with Ro and Freddy on raw feeling. It's a slow burn that is wroth every word written to get there.
Do I need the next story now? Yes, yes I do. It's going to be hard to wait, I will be honest. But I know Corinne will give that story what it needs and I'm excited to see what happens. If you want to read stories with heartfelt emotion, strong character development, and relatable situations, pick up Corinne's books!