I enjoyed the super-long playlist. It really added to the reading experience as a whole.

I will admit the tropes of this one gave me pause but I enjoy Shae Ruby's writing style so I gave it a chance anyway. I wasn't disappointed. The whole step-brother thing is not my cup of tea but apart from that this is an excellent angsty romance. There was a ton of depressing moments throughout that were usurped by the light when they got together. 

The angst was absolutely giving. There was so much tension at all times you could cut it with a knife. I loved their dynamic of an artist and a hockey player. Having knowledge of both I quite enjoyed the dichotomy. Even the cheesiness of them having the same birthday made me smile. 

The LGBTQ+ representation in this book is great. It included a lot of gay representation and some demi representation. I loved how Hunter and Oliver had different timelines for their coming out and acceptance of their own identities. It really displayed how while some people are out and proud from an early age, other people struggle with the concept a lot more and can have to float through a few labels before finding the one that fits. 

My only complaint about it was that it was starting to get repetitive around the 60% mark. The will they won't they started to drag on. It kind of felt like an excuse to write more and more slightly different spicy scenes. Had some of that been cut out the moment the conclusion of the book begins, it would've felt more natural and less like a potentially poor decision for Oliver and Hunter. 

I will warn you this book is incredibly spicy and has a lot of triggering moments. Please review a full list of triggers before reading because even the prologue is incredibly heavy. 

Overall I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I look forward to seeing what Shae has in store in the future!

I received this book as part of Shae Ruby's street team. My review is honest and voluntary.