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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
My Kind of Trouble was a very fun enemies to lovers good time.
Harmony had a rough time to life after her dad was betrayed by a former business partner. She pushed through and found her calling: scamming bad guys in small towns. It has all built up to her latest job, avenging her father. When she gets there though, things aren't as smooth as normal, including an unexpected roadblock of the local librarian, Preston.
This was a really enjoyable book and I loved the autism representation as an autistic person myself. I found that harmony tred a very fine line of being likeable and manipulative, and it didn't always work for me personally. I could have done with one or two more twists and mini successes in the plot to keep it exciting but I'm very glad I read it.
Harmony had a rough time to life after her dad was betrayed by a former business partner. She pushed through and found her calling: scamming bad guys in small towns. It has all built up to her latest job, avenging her father. When she gets there though, things aren't as smooth as normal, including an unexpected roadblock of the local librarian, Preston.
This was a really enjoyable book and I loved the autism representation as an autistic person myself. I found that harmony tred a very fine line of being likeable and manipulative, and it didn't always work for me personally. I could have done with one or two more twists and mini successes in the plot to keep it exciting but I'm very glad I read it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism
Minor: Addiction, Bullying
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
Such a fun book! I was immediately intrigued by the main male character being autistic, as I am also autistic. I was also intrigued because the plot gave me the same vibes as the tv show Leverage, which I love. The characters are loveable and I absolutely adored Harmony's character. I especially love Preston's little sister and how precocious she is. I am also obsessed with how fiercely Preston will fight for his sister. He is a quiet man, but he will fight to the ends of the earth for her.
Harmony is a conwoman who has come to this small town in California to finally get revenge on the man who stole her father's music-streaming algorithm and ruined his life. She is all set to take him down with a fake music festival, but the final piece she needs is the cooperation of the man who owns the property she wants to use for her fake music festival.
Enter Preston, autistic librarian and piano teacher who is overwhelmed with fighting book challenges while also raising his 4th grade sister. He doesn't have time for romance, and he definitely doesn't have time for the beautiful festival promotor who speeds into his life.
But when they start to work together, they learn they might be able to help each other. As they get closer, feelings begin to develop.
Such a fun book! I was immediately intrigued by the main male character being autistic, as I am also autistic. I was also intrigued because the plot gave me the same vibes as the tv show Leverage, which I love. The characters are loveable and I absolutely adored Harmony's character. I especially love Preston's little sister and how precocious she is. I am also obsessed with how fiercely Preston will fight for his sister. He is a quiet man, but he will fight to the ends of the earth for her.
Harmony is a conwoman who has come to this small town in California to finally get revenge on the man who stole her father's music-streaming algorithm and ruined his life. She is all set to take him down with a fake music festival, but the final piece she needs is the cooperation of the man who owns the property she wants to use for her fake music festival.
Enter Preston, autistic librarian and piano teacher who is overwhelmed with fighting book challenges while also raising his 4th grade sister. He doesn't have time for romance, and he definitely doesn't have time for the beautiful festival promotor who speeds into his life.
But when they start to work together, they learn they might be able to help each other. As they get closer, feelings begin to develop.
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I had never heard of this author but the synopsis of 'my kind of trouble' sounded promising. Own-Voices autism rep; Yes please!! I absolutely loved this story and can't wait for everyone to meet Preston and Harmony.
Preston and his little sister are both autistic but their autism presents in different ways. And I thought that was really well done. His sister is selectively non-speaking and he does not push her to speak. He gives her space, love, kindness and understanding. And he also has her back and fights for her accomodations at school for example. I love how conversations about the education system were included. It's flaws pointed out.
Preston is a librarian and is fighting bookbans. I love how the conversations about censure, bans and all that stuff were full of facts. Preston is really pissed, has a strong sense of justice and really hates how people are wanting to change a safe space and take away acces to authentic representation and validation. He really makes a good case! And eventhough he hates public speaking, he is willing to do it to keep the library a safe space for all!
Harmony has troubles of her own. As a conwoman she is always lying and getting people to slip up and do what she wants them to do. Preston however is not the easy mark she thought he would be and that makes for hilarious (internal) dialogue. I loved the chemistry between the two main characters. And I loved the dual POV. That way the reader really gets to know both the main characters!
Was the ending a bit dramatic, sappy and convenient? Yes. But I did not mind. It's a romcom!! Througout the story I genuinly did not know how the story would end. I had no clue if Harmony would go through with her con, and if she did how she would pull it all off. It kept me on my toes and it made me want to keep reading. A relaly fun experience!
The plot just was really well done! It was not predictable in the way most romcoms are. The con element really added some fun and surprising things!
The only downside for me that is was subtly hinted at that one of the main characters might be demisexual. In one of the authors posts on Instagram it said the book had demi rep. But it was never mentioned and that was a bit of a bummer. The sapphic side romance was really sweet tho!!
If you love autism rep, justice, fat rep, a queer (sapphic) side romance, music, books and a unprobable friendship turned romance, this is absolutely the book for you!
Preston and his little sister are both autistic but their autism presents in different ways. And I thought that was really well done. His sister is selectively non-speaking and he does not push her to speak. He gives her space, love, kindness and understanding. And he also has her back and fights for her accomodations at school for example. I love how conversations about the education system were included. It's flaws pointed out.
Preston is a librarian and is fighting bookbans. I love how the conversations about censure, bans and all that stuff were full of facts. Preston is really pissed, has a strong sense of justice and really hates how people are wanting to change a safe space and take away acces to authentic representation and validation. He really makes a good case! And eventhough he hates public speaking, he is willing to do it to keep the library a safe space for all!
Harmony has troubles of her own. As a conwoman she is always lying and getting people to slip up and do what she wants them to do. Preston however is not the easy mark she thought he would be and that makes for hilarious (internal) dialogue. I loved the chemistry between the two main characters. And I loved the dual POV. That way the reader really gets to know both the main characters!
Was the ending a bit dramatic, sappy and convenient? Yes. But I did not mind. It's a romcom!! Througout the story I genuinly did not know how the story would end. I had no clue if Harmony would go through with her con, and if she did how she would pull it all off. It kept me on my toes and it made me want to keep reading. A relaly fun experience!
The plot just was really well done! It was not predictable in the way most romcoms are. The con element really added some fun and surprising things!
The only downside for me that is was subtly hinted at that one of the main characters might be demisexual. In one of the authors posts on Instagram it said the book had demi rep. But it was never mentioned and that was a bit of a bummer. The sapphic side romance was really sweet tho!!
If you love autism rep, justice, fat rep, a queer (sapphic) side romance, music, books and a unprobable friendship turned romance, this is absolutely the book for you!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Homophobia, Sexual content, Transphobia, Lesbophobia
Moderate: Misogyny, Violence, Car accident, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, Abandonment
Mother of MMC had a car accident and died. (in the past, off-page)
...
MMC has a toxic relationship with his ableist father who abandoned him when he was a kid. (In the past, off-page)
...
Father of the FMC was an alcoholic and died. (In the past, off-page)
...
There is one instance of violence. A sidecharacter wants to hit a DragQueen who came to do storytime at the library. The MMC steps in and gets hit instead of the DragQueen.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I'm in stuck in the middle with this book. While I loved the plus-size, autism, and LGBTQ+ representation in this book, I really didn't care for the FMC. I get that Harmony is not supposed to be the most likeable character given the fact that she's a con-woman but aside from that I didn't really connect with her either. Preston was amazing and I love everything about him but especially the way he cares for his sister. What a man! I did end up enjoying the story but I have a feeling this one won't be super memorable for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The story of a conwoman who is trying to revenge her late father’s betrayal but gets caught up in the charm of a small town and especially its curly-haired librarian and starts to wonder if all that scheming is worth it…
Very much appreciated representation of a plus-size fmc and an autistic mmc. The characters were sweet and had some relay cute moments with each other and also the towns-folk. I’m a big fan of young characters in novels and I wish Lacey would‘be had even more page time. However, he con-plot line was quite stressful to me and made it harder for me to fully dive into the story, as for me it felt very unrealistic (fair point though: i’m mostly not reading books to read about entirely realistic things either).
[special thanks to Netgalley and Alcove Press for providing me with an arc]
Very much appreciated representation of a plus-size fmc and an autistic mmc. The characters were sweet and had some relay cute moments with each other and also the towns-folk. I’m a big fan of young characters in novels and I wish Lacey would‘be had even more page time. However, he con-plot line was quite stressful to me and made it harder for me to fully dive into the story, as for me it felt very unrealistic (fair point though: i’m mostly not reading books to read about entirely realistic things either).
[special thanks to Netgalley and Alcove Press for providing me with an arc]
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Violence
I got this as an arc on Netgalley and it will come out in October. Oh Harmony. Oh Preston. Oh babies. Good fat rep, and good autism rep. Although it's not a queer book, the secondary smaller queer subplot was extremely well done too.
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A rare 5 ⭐️ review from me but I really enjoyed this gender swap homage to “The Music Man” Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
✅ A curvy FMC
✅ Realistic Autistic representation
✅ Non ableist approach to disability
✅ Diverse characters
✅ Romance with the right amount of spice
Other than the book being very predictable there really was nothing to complain about with this book! I read it in a few hours because ai couldn’t put it down. I enjoyed reading autistic characters who were not simply defined by a stereotyped quirk or being stuck only in their needs. It also showed representation of two autistics who had similarities but also differences which was refreshing.
I loved how it tackled the very real issue of parents trying to ban books with queer or POC characters and why it’s so important to have them available to those who want to read them. It also had the cheeky references to classic books which get a pass from such people despite content that would make their toes curl if they actually opened a book.
I can’t wait for this book to come out . I have put it in my calendar to remind me when it does so I can continue to tell folks about it.
While it’s probably in the Romance or NA genre officially, older YA readers would be very content reading it if they are of the age to handle some light spice.
My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars and I rarely round up.
⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again
✅ A curvy FMC
✅ Realistic Autistic representation
✅ Non ableist approach to disability
✅ Diverse characters
✅ Romance with the right amount of spice
Other than the book being very predictable there really was nothing to complain about with this book! I read it in a few hours because ai couldn’t put it down. I enjoyed reading autistic characters who were not simply defined by a stereotyped quirk or being stuck only in their needs. It also showed representation of two autistics who had similarities but also differences which was refreshing.
I loved how it tackled the very real issue of parents trying to ban books with queer or POC characters and why it’s so important to have them available to those who want to read them. It also had the cheeky references to classic books which get a pass from such people despite content that would make their toes curl if they actually opened a book.
I can’t wait for this book to come out . I have put it in my calendar to remind me when it does so I can continue to tell folks about it.
While it’s probably in the Romance or NA genre officially, older YA readers would be very content reading it if they are of the age to handle some light spice.
My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars and I rarely round up.
⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing a free ebook in exchange for an honest review.
"Drawing her into a kiss she wanted more than she deserved."
'Harmony arrives at a small town intent on going forward with a con to take away all the money she can from Travis, the mayor and the man who stole her dad's livelihood. All she needs to do is get the town on her side and persuade the tall, geeky, and admittedly strange librarian to allow her use of his land. Easy, right? Wrong. After a case of mistaken identity, an interrupted meeting that could have cost the librarian his job and that little pesky thing called feelings getting involved, Harmony discovers that this small town has so much more than she bargained for. Will she be able to carry out the con, or will she give into breaking the rules she never breaks?'
Excuse me whilst I go and scream into the abyss about this book.
Dramatics aside, there are so many reasons this was a five-star read, and I'm about to get into every single one. So buckle up, buckle down, grab yourself a snack, and get ready for an extensive list of reasons you should buy and read this book.
THE CHARACTERS:
We'll start with Preston because I was obsessed with him from page one. I was already excited about the fact that this book had autistic representation, but when I realised we were also getting representation from someone who had been forced into masking, I was even more obsessed. As a neurodivergent girlie, I love to see it in books and characters, and L.A Schwartz did not disappoint. Preston was believable, relatable, and the most adorable character in the entire book. From the way he treated his little sister to the way he looked after everyone around him and advocated for the teenagers of the town, Preston was the Clark Kent superhero this book needed and he didn't even need to turn into Superman!
Harmony as a character was funny, witty, and smart as hell, using her own ability to manipulate men as a way to earn money AND give back to the people affected by one person's greed. A modern day, plus size, female Robin Hood if you will. She cares so deeply for people, from immediately jumping to the defence of a teen being bullied by adults to immediately researching autism as soon as she discovered Preston and his little sister had it. She handled his overstimulisation beautifully and, despite lying at first, really did her best to be as upfront as possible with the people around her.
Lacey. Lacey is Preston's younger sister, and she is the embodiment of adorability. She loves the stars, struggles to make friends, but tries anyway and is selectively mute. I loved that the author was able to write the nuances between male and female autism to such a good degree, making Lacey completely realistic and, frankly, one of the best characters in this entire book.
Other honourable mentions are Nina, Alice and Will - all of whom were absolutely wonderful in their own individual ways.
REPRESENTATION:
Too often, I read books by people trying to represent multiple minorities, disabilities and sexualities without ever understanding how to do it kindly, gently, and with heart. The author blew this out of the park. From the autism moments - the meltdowns, the not understanding social cues and stimming to the representation of sapphic relationships, the author did not fail in this book. I loved that we got to see cis people advocating for trans rights, that people's minds were changed throughout the book regarding sexuality and beliefs and the gentle, kind representation of plus-size women. Preston taught Lacey to own her autism. He stood up for her in every way she needed him to, yelling at teachers, teaching her that consent is not just about touching and showing her that no matter what poeple thought of her 'additional needs' she was loved completely. Harmony owned her looks, her body, her sexuality and her brains. She was unashamedly herself in every situation, even when people thought she was being too much or too annoying. To see two teenage side characters engage with the stumbling over first love and the difficulties of being LGBTQIA+ in a small town was so heartwarming and rendered me speechless at times. The author couldn't have done a better job with representation if she tried.
STORYLINE:
I am obsessed with this storyline. I wanted to know what was coming next, how Harmony would beat the bad guy, AND get to fall in love at the same time. I lived for the scenes where we got to see Harmony interact with Lacey or where Preston was reading out loud to the children. Nothing in the storyline of this book was left to chance. Every single scene, moment, and sentence felt purposeful and meaningful. Nothing was there as a filler. The creativity of the premise of the storyline was interesting by itself but inlcude impeccable characterisation, beautiful writing, and a never eneding twist and turns backstory, and you have a book worth every penny. And this book is worth every penny.
THE CHEMISTRY/SEXUAL TENSION
I left this one for last because seriously, I have so much to say. Let me preface this by saying that this book was definitely an 18+, with mature scenes and subjects being covered.
To begin with, Preston had a wonderful sense of right and wrong. I knew he would be attentive to consent from the get go because of how he treated Lacey when she was being bullied, but in every scene where he was being physical in any way with Harmony he checked in with her every step of the way. He reassured her, checked that what he was doing was ok, and only moved forward when he had explicit consent. I loved seeing this represented in a book. I love seeing people have the right conversations, the right boundaries, and explicit consent in romance books, and this so delivered on that.
Beyond that, the chemistry between these two was butterfly inducing. Not only did Preston compare Harmony to a Rubens painting (OMGG!!?) but he went on to spend paragraphs talking about how beautiful she was and the way her smile lit everything up and hyperfocusing on her and the dresses she wears. Throw in the fact that he calls her 'sweetheart' without even realising it, and you have sizzling chemistry coming from Preston. Harmony was attracted to him from the beginning, but she was a tougher nut to crack. However, I loved that she finally gave into her attraction to him after getting to know him on a personal level. Getting to know his personality before getting to know his body (wink wink, nudge nudge).
"Let's see how articulate you are in a minute"
The physicality between these two was on fire. The first kiss scene was absolutely phenomenal. All the little details of their first kiss made for an absolutely phenomenal scene that had me putting the book down so I could recover. At first, it seems this kiss scene is a one-off. They avoid each other, and they are embarrassed and shy. But then she finds him in the back of the library and, per every reader girlie's dreams, they end up getting a little spicier than a first kiss between the shelves. Too often sex scenes in semi public spaces are cringe and a little OTT, but this scene was the perfect mix of sweet and spicy. The way he spoke to her, his tone of voice, and her reactions to him were all so realistic. That is what I loved most about the spicier parts of this book - they were realistic. Too often romance books hyperbolise sex scenes and make them into something real sex is not, further romanticising certain kinds of sex in relationships. This book did the opposite. Instead of romanticing a super activie/virile sex life, the author romanticices emotional intimacy AND physical intimacy - including the all important note that physical intimacy does not exist properly outside of emotional intimacy.
CONCLUSION
To conclude this essay that I could turn into a dissertation, this has been one of my favourite reads of the year so far. If I could recommend one romance book that combined all the elements this one does, I would recommend this every time. I preordered a phsycal copy almost immediately upon finishing the ebook.
Easiest five stars.
"Drawing her into a kiss she wanted more than she deserved."
'Harmony arrives at a small town intent on going forward with a con to take away all the money she can from Travis, the mayor and the man who stole her dad's livelihood. All she needs to do is get the town on her side and persuade the tall, geeky, and admittedly strange librarian to allow her use of his land. Easy, right? Wrong. After a case of mistaken identity, an interrupted meeting that could have cost the librarian his job and that little pesky thing called feelings getting involved, Harmony discovers that this small town has so much more than she bargained for. Will she be able to carry out the con, or will she give into breaking the rules she never breaks?'
Excuse me whilst I go and scream into the abyss about this book.
Dramatics aside, there are so many reasons this was a five-star read, and I'm about to get into every single one. So buckle up, buckle down, grab yourself a snack, and get ready for an extensive list of reasons you should buy and read this book.
THE CHARACTERS:
We'll start with Preston because I was obsessed with him from page one. I was already excited about the fact that this book had autistic representation, but when I realised we were also getting representation from someone who had been forced into masking, I was even more obsessed. As a neurodivergent girlie, I love to see it in books and characters, and L.A Schwartz did not disappoint. Preston was believable, relatable, and the most adorable character in the entire book. From the way he treated his little sister to the way he looked after everyone around him and advocated for the teenagers of the town, Preston was the Clark Kent superhero this book needed and he didn't even need to turn into Superman!
Harmony as a character was funny, witty, and smart as hell, using her own ability to manipulate men as a way to earn money AND give back to the people affected by one person's greed. A modern day, plus size, female Robin Hood if you will. She cares so deeply for people, from immediately jumping to the defence of a teen being bullied by adults to immediately researching autism as soon as she discovered Preston and his little sister had it. She handled his overstimulisation beautifully and, despite lying at first, really did her best to be as upfront as possible with the people around her.
Lacey. Lacey is Preston's younger sister, and she is the embodiment of adorability. She loves the stars, struggles to make friends, but tries anyway and is selectively mute. I loved that the author was able to write the nuances between male and female autism to such a good degree, making Lacey completely realistic and, frankly, one of the best characters in this entire book.
Other honourable mentions are Nina, Alice and Will - all of whom were absolutely wonderful in their own individual ways.
REPRESENTATION:
Too often, I read books by people trying to represent multiple minorities, disabilities and sexualities without ever understanding how to do it kindly, gently, and with heart. The author blew this out of the park. From the autism moments - the meltdowns, the not understanding social cues and stimming to the representation of sapphic relationships, the author did not fail in this book. I loved that we got to see cis people advocating for trans rights, that people's minds were changed throughout the book regarding sexuality and beliefs and the gentle, kind representation of plus-size women. Preston taught Lacey to own her autism. He stood up for her in every way she needed him to, yelling at teachers, teaching her that consent is not just about touching and showing her that no matter what poeple thought of her 'additional needs' she was loved completely. Harmony owned her looks, her body, her sexuality and her brains. She was unashamedly herself in every situation, even when people thought she was being too much or too annoying. To see two teenage side characters engage with the stumbling over first love and the difficulties of being LGBTQIA+ in a small town was so heartwarming and rendered me speechless at times. The author couldn't have done a better job with representation if she tried.
STORYLINE:
I am obsessed with this storyline. I wanted to know what was coming next, how Harmony would beat the bad guy, AND get to fall in love at the same time. I lived for the scenes where we got to see Harmony interact with Lacey or where Preston was reading out loud to the children. Nothing in the storyline of this book was left to chance. Every single scene, moment, and sentence felt purposeful and meaningful. Nothing was there as a filler. The creativity of the premise of the storyline was interesting by itself but inlcude impeccable characterisation, beautiful writing, and a never eneding twist and turns backstory, and you have a book worth every penny. And this book is worth every penny.
THE CHEMISTRY/SEXUAL TENSION
I left this one for last because seriously, I have so much to say. Let me preface this by saying that this book was definitely an 18+, with mature scenes and subjects being covered.
To begin with, Preston had a wonderful sense of right and wrong. I knew he would be attentive to consent from the get go because of how he treated Lacey when she was being bullied, but in every scene where he was being physical in any way with Harmony he checked in with her every step of the way. He reassured her, checked that what he was doing was ok, and only moved forward when he had explicit consent. I loved seeing this represented in a book. I love seeing people have the right conversations, the right boundaries, and explicit consent in romance books, and this so delivered on that.
Beyond that, the chemistry between these two was butterfly inducing. Not only did Preston compare Harmony to a Rubens painting (OMGG!!?) but he went on to spend paragraphs talking about how beautiful she was and the way her smile lit everything up and hyperfocusing on her and the dresses she wears. Throw in the fact that he calls her 'sweetheart' without even realising it, and you have sizzling chemistry coming from Preston. Harmony was attracted to him from the beginning, but she was a tougher nut to crack. However, I loved that she finally gave into her attraction to him after getting to know him on a personal level. Getting to know his personality before getting to know his body (wink wink, nudge nudge).
"Let's see how articulate you are in a minute"
The physicality between these two was on fire. The first kiss scene was absolutely phenomenal. All the little details of their first kiss made for an absolutely phenomenal scene that had me putting the book down so I could recover. At first, it seems this kiss scene is a one-off. They avoid each other, and they are embarrassed and shy. But then she finds him in the back of the library and, per every reader girlie's dreams, they end up getting a little spicier than a first kiss between the shelves. Too often sex scenes in semi public spaces are cringe and a little OTT, but this scene was the perfect mix of sweet and spicy. The way he spoke to her, his tone of voice, and her reactions to him were all so realistic. That is what I loved most about the spicier parts of this book - they were realistic. Too often romance books hyperbolise sex scenes and make them into something real sex is not, further romanticising certain kinds of sex in relationships. This book did the opposite. Instead of romanticing a super activie/virile sex life, the author romanticices emotional intimacy AND physical intimacy - including the all important note that physical intimacy does not exist properly outside of emotional intimacy.
CONCLUSION
To conclude this essay that I could turn into a dissertation, this has been one of my favourite reads of the year so far. If I could recommend one romance book that combined all the elements this one does, I would recommend this every time. I preordered a phsycal copy almost immediately upon finishing the ebook.
Easiest five stars.