Some books I know are going to stay on my mind after reading and this is one of them. Thought provoking and sexy what's not to love

this is sad girl in her 20s literature but for like…bisexuals. thought-provoking material on sex & sexuality but not super my tastes in literature!

This is a book that I probably would have called "pretentious drivel" if I read it a few years ago, but I really loved it when I read it in April. I was hooked consistently. The writing style was deeply introspective and eerily intelligent. From the get-go, I was thoroughly invested and deeply concerned. Definitely a book I will read again. I recommend reading!

I saw a lot of reviews being like "why did the author have to make these queer women obsessed with a man??" and as a queer woman I think the answer is pretty simple. Human sexuality is odd, confounding, and rarely respectful of categorization and theoretical boundaries. It's not the way I personally would have chosen the story to go, and I would have strangled this protagonist if I knew her in real life, but I think it worked for me thematically.

I loved this book, but I can definitely see why others didn't. If find yourself frustrated when a book ends and you have to ask yourself: "What was the point?" then maybe this book isn't for you.

Frustrating and confusing read, which I think made me like it more. I will not forget about this book too soon. It is one of those novels that makes you itch, certain quotes so resonant that they seem picked from your brain before you could even think of it. Nathan still doesn’t seem all that endearing to me.

3/5


i have no idea what to rate this book so bear with me while i work out my thoughts.

acts of service follows eve as she cheats on her current girlfriend, with an open couple that’s not really a couple. think conversation with friends but like more gaslight-y. obviously nothing can go perfectly and so everything goes to shit.

i never really enjoyed the reading, there would be moments i was more intrigued and moments i was bored out of my mind. the writing is decent, thorough and well paced.

as for the storyline, besides there being no way that eve is actually a lesbian because of her blatant attraction to men (and this is OKaY, and also i know sexuality is completely up to the person), i enjoyed the conversations about relationships, power play, and queerness overall. i feel like this started out as just smut and became some sort of het fantasy novel. i wish eve, the mc, had been more unlikeable, more in your face awful, because then i could rate this higher. but you’re telling me that a good looking, white, lesbian gets offered an open relationship with a male and female and cheats on her current partner with little to no consequences…also not to mention working a little paying job, living in nyc and never once concerned for money or anything. maybe my issue is that i couldn’t relate? or maybe i’m just tired of this trope in books

once again, i enjoyed the musings on queerness, relationships, male gaze and our own thoughts on sex but found them to be too covered by a queer book that became a straight book.

bring back sex masterpieces PLEASE