I loved this. I loved everything about it. The writing is slow and evocative and beautiful in present tense third person (which always has ethereal undertones to me). There's so many lines from this that I loved, just for how beautifully the emotions were captured and expressed. I loved Charlie and Reid, and how their bonding over their divorce and Charlie helping Reid with his pitching and board games. That Charlie realizes he's queer and where so many books would make this a big plot line, Charlie barely blinks.

I also really appreciate the good portrayal of therapy in this book. That it's not portrayed as the end all solution for Reid, but that his therapist is just someone help Reid talk through things and point him in a helpful direction when he needs it. Reid's sobriety is depicted as something he is constantly working for, as opposed to something he can just check off a list.

Also a point of note: there are several women characters who are well drawn out and have good substance to them. It's something that frustrates me in MLM romances, and I just really appreciate that here there are a couple women characters that have depth and are well written here. Charlie and Chris are friendly despite getting a divorce. We don't see too much of Stephanie, but she has the feel of a character who is well drawn out.

Really, this is a fantastic follow-up to Unwritten Rules and I can't wait for the next book. (I have a speculation on who it's going to be about, but I guess we will see.)

CWs: alcoholism and addiction, anxiety, brief references to sexual assault, references to biphobia and homophobia, racism, sexism, antisemitism. Thanks KD Casey for putting a great CW list in the front of your book. Can we normalize this please?

Thanks to NetGalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I made the mistake of rating this directly after finishing it, when I was still really upset by the Grand Gesture (because that shit upsets me on a level I can’t explain). The truth of the matter is that this is a book written to show how one sided those Gestures are, that they’re more about the person doing the Gesture than they are about the person being Gestured to. And I was upset because you’re supposed to be upset (though, perhaps not to the level I was but that’s not the author’s fault).

About the book more generally though, fantastic narration. Pete Cross absolutely kills PK’s fast moving thoughts. I can definitely see how PK is that kind of narrator that can be a bit much for some people but the humor really hit me well and so (up until the Grand Gesture) I really enjoyed this. Ripper writes beautifully, and manages to maintain this level where the books are both lighthearted and funny, but also profound and moving and sweet.

The commentary on writing books and publishing and all was a little meta but interesting and I appreciated it.

This was … a book I read that I have no real feelings about one way or the other. I didn’t think Dean was as snarky as the book seems to think he is, and Kieran was sort of blah.

The book did surprise me in that Dean is endlessly patient with Kieran coming out, and Kieran is true to his word and comes out when he says he will (and in very believable baby steps) with very little drama about it. Honestly the best and most memorable thing about this book.

And that’s it. Those are all my feelings on this book. *insert shrug here*

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