i genuinely think it was homophobic of my professor to assign this to me mid-breakup and i will never forgive him for this

I think I would have really enjoyed this if I read it at my own time, at my own pace, etc. But at the ridiculously breakneck pace my professor assigned? While coming off of two tech weeks??? No sir I don't think I processed any more than 20% of the novel. Which really bums me out because I HAVE read Rushdie before and adored it AND I literally wanted to read this even before my class (it's been on my tbr since January 2021) but alas. Does Rushdie have shorter, less convoluted books? I might give one of those a try.

Actually this is the perfect romance book. No like really lets think about it:
- gay
- two compelling leads who are already great on their own
- but their lives are missing a certain something something that unbeknownst to them, they'll fill perfectly for each other
- like they fit into each other like puzzle pieces
- they're just so so sweet
- really good side characters (there was a whole CHILD and i was never once annoyed at her)
- also the side characters also got their little story arcs
- which is important to me because while romance is so nice and lovely i love love love all types of love and obviously you need that little support network
- the third act conflict was actually really really well done. im like so impossibly impressed because this is the author's first romance novel right and like there are PROS who haven't perfected the formula yet
- also i like that the emotional climax doesnt JUST depend on the romance. its like more than that
- good angst
- good fluff
- good smut
- you did it
- amazing

I can't believe I'm saying this but the movie was way better. Anyway, SUPER amazing for those without ANY background in this time period at all. Sadly it is my major so for like 40% of the book I was like dude how dumb do you think I am of course I know about Adalberon's Three Orders model lol

you CANNOT have a second chance romance without telling me why they broke up in the first place. also, i completely LOATHED the narration in this - it read so fucking juvenile even for new adult, but also so annoyingly millennial at the same time (even tho the text CONSTANTLY insisted they’re all gen z and like…… no they’re not. gen z doesn’t talk like this are you ok), and the nonstop pop culture references were unbelievably annoying and made me literally see red. KIAN made me wanna rip my hair out. the one redeeming in is that, while the 3rd act conflict was (as always w many many romance books) wayyy too fast, i liked how it tied with the plot and also kian’s (annoying ass but still) personality. but anyway im really bummed that i didn’t enjoy this more or less at all

Ok actually idk abt my rating bc i'm so mixed on this. Bc like some parts were so hard-hitting and emotional and i was like WOW but then also like.... everything is SO SLOW and also i did have to speed-read parts bc like it was for class & i was behind. anyway i think the depressing book girlies would love this. Also the ending?

Cop out sorry. Like Nyasha's breakdown at the end was so emotional and i was about to start crying at the library but then Dangarembga was like "ok the story's over <3" BESTIE.

anyway the sequels? we might be reading

This really could have been like 30-50 pages shorter and it would have been completely fine

Very strong start! Like really really good! But I didn't like how possessive Brendan became (he was so sweet at first!! and he kinda kept it throughout but definitely not enough to override how "ok dude calm down" possessive he was), nor just like... how generally, never-endingly horny they were? And as always I WILL be complaining because there could have been so many other things for the third-act conflict but it was just like nope so many shenanigans that we'll just breeze through in the last 35 pages. However, I would die for Piper. Anyway we will be reading the sequel.

Sadly I feel like I didn't enjoy this AS much the second time around (probably bc i spread it out over 6 months) but by that i mean like... 4.75 not 5 lmao. STILL a masterpiece mwah mwah mwah