This is such a well-done novella: it's perfectly paced, and you get the opportunity to know the hero, the heroine, AND them as a unit. Like, a masterclass in how to structure a novella. I would have liked to know a little more about Bennett's second job and how he got into it, but hey, it's a novella.

The third-act breakup though? Disappointing. What I would love to see in a grovel scene is the person who messed up naming how they did so, apologizing for it, and specifically saying how they'll change their behavior rather than a *waves hands* grand gesture. Like, it was a perfect, perfect read until someone messes up, and it's such a clear, fundamental messing up that it's astounding to me that they were like "wow why did the other person get so mad?"

This is great, though, such a lot of fun! Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for the ARC.