Thank you to St. Martin's Griffin and Netgalley for an advanced reader's copy of Isn't It Obvious, by Rachel Runya Katz! This was stunning. This has a You've-Got-Mail premise, with both main characters connected in real life and via email under other professional names/aliases. I loved the push-and-pull as the two develop a deep emotional connection and physical connection simultaneously, and appreciate how well-built their sense of trust and mutual respect is in both dynamics, so that when they ultimately (finally) discover their true identities, the resulting relationship feels earned. 

There are so many elements in this I really loved: the depiction of a mood disorder (Bipolar II) and its literal highs and lows (and how a character navigates it with the support of therapy, medication and a network of loved ones), the bi-for-bi representation (with significant time spent discussing identity, mentoring queer teens and dealing with strained family dynamics after coming out), and the intersecting racial and ethnic identities for both main characters. These characters feel so authentically lived-in, and it is so easy to root for each of them. 

I'm also delighted by how the author navigated sexual intimacy, sexual health conversations and sex language! Oral sex is sex! I feel so grumpy when characters act like they haven't had sex if they haven't yet had penetrative sex (especially when this happens in queer romances, don't we know better?!) and the way both characters call this out on page is so naturally done and so affirming. Love seeing characters discussing prior partners and STI testing on page, too. 

Not done yet with my laundry list of things I loved, because the friendships in this, particularly for Yael, are SO GOOD. One of my biggest pet peeves in romance is terrible, toxic friends we're supposed to just laugh off OR one-dimensional friendships that don't add anything to the story other than comic relief. These friendships help build out so much of Yael's personal growth (her friendship becoming REAL REAL with Gina was so beautifully done) and feel essential to the story (and I was living for Sanaa live reacting through the third act, truly). 

And ultimately, this story still manages to be greater than the sum of its parts, and I am so grateful to have spent this time with Yael and Ravi.