i liked it. i think the advertisement of a fake dating plot line is a bit misleading.. while that’s the base of the story i feel like there are so many other plot points going on that the dating aspect is almost forgotten.

i’ll start positively, because i did like oliver and luc slowly and messily falling in love with each other, it was clear from the beginning that oliver agreeing to date - fake date - luc was because he already liked him but that could be my “i’ve read too many books to be surprised by some things”. i liked oliver’s slow progression to touching luc and being intimate, i think it was natural and not rushed, a nice slow burn if you will. while the constant miscommunication was frustrating, in the end it made more sense that these characters would take things harshly or harsher from each other given the fact that they were both really hurt in previous relationships.

i don’t want to sound super negative because i did like the book but there was a lot i didn’t like about it… mainly the fact nearly everyone in luc’s circle knows he’s not actually dating oliver. while the fake good boyfriend angle is for the press it seems ridiculous to not include his friends in the charade. since we never really see luc interact with the press and there’s actually only one moment where oliver is really needed in relation to the paps.

i really, really didn’t like the causal homophobia of nearly every side character. i think every client of the charity and some of luc’s coworkers make some comment about his “chosen lifestyle” or it was implied that he could potentially lose his job for not being “a proper gay” AND not to mention oliver’s family, the anniversary dinner party was just really uncomfortable and felt very short for that heavy of a topic. i understand some family members are like this and it can be deemed “actual representation” but it really came out of no where and was over in an instant.

alex was terribly annoying and eventually became unfunny/charming or whatever he was suppose to be, it could be me personally but being “stupid” in a way of not understanding common things or sarcasm really isn’t funny and instantly infuriating, if that was his purpose to luc’s life, well succeeded but it was way over done in the book.

i think luc’s dad coming back was very pointless, i think the breakup at the end was even more pointless. i feel like the best parts of the book are when luc and oliver were alone, when they were “feeling their feelings” in the dark or being quietly supportive of each other like at the dinner with luc’s dad or the charity fundraiser but that was mostly on oliver’s part. oliver was my favorite character 99% of the time, the breakup was absolutely pointless and threw the entire timeline out the window. i am excited to read the rest of the series and i hope it gets better from here.