I have previously read the three Bergman brother novels by Chloe Liese and I can definitely tell that her writing has grown since this debut. She does a great job when it comes to making characters with disabilities, mental illness, and neurodivergence relatable. The intimacy displayed within the romantic relationship is also done very well. However, Zed, the male lead, feels too domineering and overbearing. He works with Nairne, the female lead, and is in a position of power over her. There are moments in the story where Nairne does not agree to Zed's demands and he pressures her into agreeing. This is done by reminding her that he has access to her address and contact information through his connections. At other times he sort of bribes her into dates. By that I mean, he offers to take her somewhere tempting enough that Nairne agrees. In addition, there are instances when Zed becomes jealous that don't seem appropriate. She always agrees consensually, but Zed's tactics, particularly at the beginning, are questionable at best. Zed does not start on the right foot with Nairne considering he introduces himself to her with sexist and misogynistic comments in a professional setting. Nairne's acceptance of their relationship also seems to fast given her negative history with stalking and bad experience with BDSM in the past. It is mentioned that Zed reminds her of these bad experiences secondary to his sexual preferences overlapping with those of her previous partner. Their relationship grew on me despite these hiccups in the beginning. I acknowledge that the beginning of the relationship is problematic, but the further development improves greatly on it, so I was still able to enjoy the romance. Both Zed and Nairne work out a way to meet in the middle and communicate what they want from their relationship with full consent and mutual respect. Nairne has a disability, but it is never fetishized by Zed. He clearly expresses that he likes her regardless of her disability and comes clean to her about his involvement with the mafia pretty quickly. There are still other sources of conflict within the story that kept it interesting but did not involve miscommunication, which I'm sure will be great for readers that do not enjoy that plot device.

Another problem is with world building. Zed's life is unrealistic. He is a elite level soccer player, a man in a powerful corporate position, and also a man involved with the mafia. The corporate position and mafia go together, but a potential professional athlete? Professional athletes breathe the sport they practice like a full time job. Due to this, it's hard for me to wrap my head around the idea that Zed can balance a full time job and still be that good at soccer. Professional sports are stupidly competitive and I can't see him managing it all (unless he didn't sleep or had a time turner). This is just something that broke the fourth wall for me a little and took me out of the story. It's a novel, but it's still a criticism I have.

Despite the above criticisms, I enjoyed the couple Zed and Nairne evolve into. I appreciate that there are unconventional sexual preferences that are depicted in a positive light with explicit consent. There are also characters from various nationalities and cultures represented within the story including side characters that I'm hoping to see more of in the other books in the series. I think this isn't a bad romance to pick up, but I would heed the commentary above before you make a decision.