The pacing is a little off toward the end (at one point, it seems things progress day by day, then suddenly we're told months have passed), but it's a good time.

It's a little ambiguous (probably purposefully) whether Onyeka dislikes the scrutiny her natural hair gets or the abundance of it she has. The progression she had with her hair was portrayed naturally, and I liked the spotlight on the different hairstyles.

I might read book two as the Solari business is ramping up. 

the golden shower scene was enough for me

 This series is still really cute, but I can see it getting repetitive (or maybe I was just exhausted by the amount stuffed into this volume).

Nishimura makes another friend in a way that feels natural, and you can see actual progress with her growing friendships.

 

I fully intended to drop this at page 100. The dump of character descriptions, dry narrative, and Ross’s mother, who didn’t really sound like one to me hadn’t caught my interest.

But then that girl got shot, and I kept reading. The rivalry between Ross and Noelia was also good. For the longest, there was more tension between these two than Devroe before he took the lead.

While I liked Devroe's consistency in trying to get Ross to open up, the romance was more in the background.

When the actual heists took place, I found the motivation to continue. I felt for Ross’ heavy guards and want for companionship despite the line of work she was born into. She grew up isolated and forced into thievery. But as a character, she was boring.

I don’t think I’d have regretted dnf’ing, but I’m glad I stuck around to see it get better. The ending chapters were fast-paced and fun. Ultimately, this will appeal to readers who love plot-driven stories as opposed to character-driven.