Reviews

At the start of this book I thought there was no chance that Frey and Renato would end up together, but outside of the stressful hospital environment and with some time to actually get to know each other, they ended up being a wonderful fit. I'm pretty much always a fan of enemies-to-lovers romances, and this one had me rooting for Team Frey before I got to know Renato better. From an outside perspective I can absolutely understand why Renato wasn't the most liked doctor, but once I got to know his soft underbelly it was hard to go back to seeing him as a jerk who couldn't be redeemed. Renato was harsh, sometimes to the point of making others fear him, but everything he did was intended to give his patients the best treatment possible while under his care. He also carried a deep hurt from losing his husband that he'd never fully allowed himself to process and used his grumpy persona as a mask to protect his heart. I wasn't expecting Frey of all people to be the one who cracked open his defenses, but their fiery clashes softened into something much sweeter once they gave each other a chance. I was pleasantly surprised by how balanced their relationship was between steamy chemistry and heartfelt conversations, and I could see each man growing and changing into better versions of themselves along the way. I also absolutely adored Rex, and seeing the way Frey and Renato interacted with him sold me on the seriousness of their relationship long before they expressed their feelings out loud. The two of them went through a moderate amount of angst as they learned how to be partners and lovers--Frey and Renato were by no means perfect and they got things wrong just as often as they got things right, but I could see genuine remorse every time they screwed up and they always made an effort to resolve things. All in all I was really happy with how their story ended, and it felt like an authentic and hopeful start to a sweet future together.

**I voluntarily read an ARC of this book. This review expresses my honest thoughts and opinions.