The mystery was fine. Malcolm and Seong-Jae bickering is the real reason to read this book.

The only good thing I can say for this book is that I did like the writing. In and of itself, this book is super easy to fall into and just read and read and read until you finish the book. Or, if you’re like me, you read until you hit a plot point that completely pisses you off.

For some reason I never quite figured out, I never really connected with the main characters. They always felt just a little out of reach. I’m not sure why. But my disappointment there doesn’t even begin to cover my level of … disappointment? horror? rage? at some of the plot points this book doesn’t seem to see a problem in throwing at its protagonists.

I had a lot of problems with this book but in the interest of being spoiler free, I’ll reduce it down to this: there comes a point in this book where both Nick and Oliver finally say things they’ve held back for a long time, and the people they are talking to have reactions that make the following conversation about them in ways that they have not earned and do not deserve. It’s these conversations that completely ruined the book for me.

Thanks to Gay Romance Reviews for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

If you enjoy books where you actively want the MCs to not get together and they get together anyway, then I have a great recommendation for you. You’ll love it.

THAT WAS WILD. Hoo boy. I might change this rating to five stars later.

A WARNING. There’s SO MUCH homophobia in this, of all kinds, and roughly 75% of it comes from the main character as he … figures shit out. The book redeems him pretty well, I think. There’s a few spots where I could have used a little more in a certain way - an extra scene with Austin and his roommates, Noah and Bobby in particular. More non-sexual scenes with Liam. That kind of thing.

But I really enjoyed the “gay for you” aspect here, as it goes in a direction that I wish more GFY books would do.