Soft DNF. This one comes chronologically second but was written last or almost last, and the stories just don’t feel the same— no shade but it’s less fun to listen with my 5yo to stories about the girls setting themselves on fire, etc.

Okay, I loved the whole Ivy Leavold trilogy— a fun gothic erotic romance with the right amount of mystery and feels with your porn— but I have to give it up especially for this bonus epilogue novella. We revisit Ivy & Julian four months after the birth of their first child, and as parents they couldn’t be happier, but their sex life just isn’t the same. Between how wildly relatable Simone has written new motherhood, without any judgments or recriminations, to actually finding a way to make things sexy again.,. I’m in awe, honestly. I usually have a hard time with new parents in romance, my own baby era was the least sexy time of my whole life, but it WORKS here. Julian pulls it out as the most sexy and supportive new dad, even the way he “messes up” is because he was trying to be considerate in the wrong way. I could only wish all new moms were so blessed in their partners.