3.5 stars
When Cruz rescues Logan from being beaten up in an alley and brings him back to the boarding house, he’s providing Logan with a lifeline and setting the two of them up for the kind of romance that neither expected and both want very much. I like the patience and care both men show each other, and I appreciate the emphasis they place on communication and understanding. I did, however, have trouble connecting with the characters as characters, rather than a collection of experiences and helpful insights into healthy coping mechanisms for those experiences.
All of the characters in this book are very, very well adjusted— which is a good thing. The fact, however, that dialog can often sound like it came straight out a therapist’s handbook is somewhat jarring. Do I think it’s true that “people who feel different, experience exclusion in one for or another, or have to focus on surviving are understandably going to arrive at certain milestones later than others?” Absolutely. Do I think it’s super plausible that this is, verbatim, how two casual acquaintances in their twenties would discuss this? Not so much. And this is fairly typical for the exchanges in the book. Though the message is on point, the way it’s delivered can be a bit clumsy, and makes this feel at times like a didactic text rather than a romance novel.
That said, I really like this series, and overall, I’m happy that Logan and Cruz got their HEA.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.