Rhodes was just as perfect as I knew he'd be. I've been looking forward to his book ever since I read Mad Love. He's the fun guy who always pushes people in his group to not shy away from going after what they want, except he had no clue how to approach things when it came to his own love life. He was so far gone for Elle but had no idea how to take that next step, not knowing how she might react and unwilling to risk losing her. However, he was determined to wait for however long it takes to make her his. I honestly loved how sweet, supportive, and thoughtful he was. The way he always let his emotions show made me love him even more. He always hyped Elle up, being her biggest supporter, always proud of her and making sure she knew there was nothing she couldn't achieve.

His bond with Levi was so heartwarming. Reading about his thoughts when he first found out about becoming a father and what that meant for him and Elle to being the best dad to Levi, I just felt like the raw feelings and emotions he expressed made me connect with him more.

However, I feel like the situation with the cheer team, especially Lisa, went a bit too extreme. Both Rhodes and Elle were in their 30s, known to be best friends by the world, and Elle was Levi's godmother, and they were close to each other's family and friends, so the whole not being seen with any players rule seemed too unrealistic given their situation. I felt like it was given too much focus to maybe stir up the forbidden aspect. Moreover, Rhodes could've easily spoken to the respective people to establish their friendship to avoid this drama.

I did feel like initially Elle seemed flippant or not too mindful of Rhodes's feelings, which were hurt when she randomly pushed him away because of her job or disappeared when the lines started to blur a bit. Although they'd been best friends for 13 years, I sometimes felt like Elle was being unfair in a few situations over the years. I did like their dynamics once they got together, but at first, things were too awkward between them, which was mostly on Elle's part.

I did, however, like Elle's journey throughout this book. From her trying to be the version of herself that was acceptable for her parents to slowly learning to start owning up to the things that truly brought her joy and made her her. It took time, and she had conflicting feelings about not wanting to disappoint her parents but also wanting them to see and acknowledge the version of herself that she wanted to be. I liked the conversations she had with them and how she slowly learned to set her boundaries, communicate, and work on building a much healthier relationship with them.

Levi was literally the cutest kid, and I couldn't get enough of him. He was such a ray of sunshine whenever he was present and left me with a huge smile. The bond he had with Elle felt so pure and natural because she'd been a part of his life from the beginning and loved him with everything she had. I also loved the way everyone doted on Levi and his adorable antics.

The romance is built gradually, set in motion when Rhodes and Elle finally cross some lines that change things in their friendship and make them question the pact they made all those years ago. This was also the moment that Rhodes realizes that he no longer wants to keep waiting for things to align for them but put in the effort to make sure she knows his feelings and that he's willing to wait for her to get there. Both had spent years pining after each other, but the timing was just never right.

I did like the flashback scenes that gave more insight into Rhodes and Elle's relationship over the years. It helped me connect with them better, see how their feelings for each other kept evolving with time, and also understand the conflicts both of them faced when it came to their feelings for each other.

The spice was oh so amazing, and I don't know how these two survived this long. Once they'd crossed that line, there was no going back and no holding back from exploring each other the way they'd always dreamed of. I loved that Elle wasn't shy; part of that reason was also the emotional connection she had with Rhodes, which always adds more to the intimacy for me.

The side characters in this series are honestly so amazing, and the found family aspect is heartwarming. The guys from the single dad players group are basically family with the way they were in each other's business, teasing, supporting, and meddling. The entries in the single dad playbook have been something that I always enjoy reading. The girl gang was also such an amazing group who were always present for Elle, and that meant so much for her when she'd had to doubt being herself for so long. Also, Rhode's parents were brilliant, and I loved the bond with Elle too.

I'm so excited to read Bowie's book next because he's the quiet one, and I want to learn more about Becca too.

Thank you to Willow Aster and Valentine PR for providing me with the ARC in exchange for an honest review.