Ah gosh, this was absolutely gorgeous.

"Best Supporting Actor" has become, unexpectedly, one of my favourite reads of the year, and it's also my favourite of this, (already fantastic) series. I loved it so damn much.
I inhaled this lovely, emotional book start to finish and I think I'll remain completely obsessed with it for the next two months, at a minimum.

Jay and Tag STOLE my heart and my soul.
I was obsessed with their dynamic from the start: it was electric and realistic and emotionally packed, and their chemistry was truly fabulous.
NOW, that is how you do a proper rivals to lovers arc.

Both of them started off with hating each other's guts for no other reason than an inconvenient attraction and a whole lot of misunderstandings and assumptions, but their journey towards friendship and then, finally, love, isn't immediate and it isn't easy.
Both of them have to let go of quite a lot of their initial assumptions and attitudes; they have put aside their pride and actually listen and apologize and grow before they reach that stage; and oh god, it was so beautiful and so satisfying to witness.

The way their relationship was portrayed was absolutely beautiful, and when they did finally reach that stage of mutual understanding and trust and respect and affection, oh god, I was absolutely mesmerized.

And both of them are fantastic protagonists! Flawed and complex and real, and absolutely lovable. Tag, with his pride and his sizzling charisma, his fierce protectiveness and steadfastness, and Jay, with his patience and his generosity and his absolutely gut-wrenching (and highly relatable) vulnerabilities... both of them are unforgettable characters, so vividly constructed and their arcs so realistically portrayed, I still can't believe they aren't actually real people. My mind won't accept that.

I'm not usually a fan of showbiz/celebrities romances, but I loved the fact that Tag and Jay got to know each other, properly and for real this time, thanks to the play they both star in; again, I'm utterly devastated about the fact that "Let Us Go Back" isn't a real play I can actually go and see. It seemed so beautiful.

So yes, Tag and Jay are forced into close proximity through luck, meddlesome mothers and their obvious talent, but that initial, childish antagonism soon morphs into a dynamic that's deeply caring and packed with trust and understanding.
They learn how to take care of each other, how to lean on the other in times of need, and while they still makes mistakes (and yes, both of them are still flawed: Tag's quick to anger and assumptions, whereas Jay's scarred past makes him very reluctant to trust anybody, not even the people he loves the most), they still learn from them and grow into better, happier people.

I swear I could talk about these two for hours; their dynamic was just so damned special. And the steam! It was gorgeous, and hot, and also very, very human. Some contemporary romance novels nowadays have a tendency to overlook the difficult, complex bits of a relationship, the anxiety and the vulnerability, the fear of not being enough, the ugliness and the uncertainty, both inside and outside the bedroom, and I really must thank Sally and Joanna for including it all.

Jay's anxiety and fears, in particular, were very, very relatable, and he made me tear up more than once. God, that man deserves all the happiness in the world. And we definitely deserve more, much more, mental health rep in this genre.

The writing was majestic: I really, really hope these two authors will write more books together because *chef's kiss* it was just so beautiful. Emotional, and witty and so, so vivid. I felt like I was in the actual book, and all the side characters felt like real-life people too, even the minor ones.

"Best Supporting Actor" was incredible, a gem of a book I really can't wait to re-read a few more dozen times. Sally Malcolm and Joanna Chambers saved their best for last, and I can't recommend it enough.
It could pretty much standalone, but I highly recommend the two previous books as well.

This trilogy has been an absolute joy to read, and I really can't wait for more magic, more romance, more deeply emotional journeys and fantastically vivid characters, from both, or either one, of these two authors.

Also, p.s.: I'd sell my soul to have a "Leeches" show.


Thank you GRR and the authors for the ARC. I received it in exchange for an honest review.