A very well-realized slice of life, even if the journey is a little derivative, Like a House on Fire tells the story of Merit, who is at the cusp of turning forty, unfulfilled by her stable, but mundane life as a stay-at-home mom, decides to give her passion for art and career one last chance.

Lauren McBrayer's sleek, heartfelt writing does the heavy lifting; the protagonist is flawed but also relatable and endearing. As the sapphic romance blooms, the chemistry is rightfully evident, and the banter is as fun as what one would expect from a romance novel (even though this is not quite marketed as one). As someone who have studied architecture in the past, I particularly enjoy the believable depiction of their roles as practicing architect/designer (so much office/client gossip!).

Ironically, once the romance peaked, my enthusiasm for Like a House on Fire actually waned slightly. As mentioned by another reviewer, the premise is evidently inspired by Carol by Patricia Highsmith, with a similar age gap dynamic, and sexual exploration of two women who had previously identified as straight. Like a House on Fire goes down the expected story beats when it comes to the protagonist's awakened sexuality: scenes of new found passion, lust for life, as well as the guilt and anxiety choosing between following her heart, or her duty maintaining her motherhood and her loveless marriage. The ending in particular, feels like it has left all the juicy bits off page, to arrive at a happy ending without really depicting the 'how'.

Overall, I still really enjoy Like a House on Fire as it stands, particularly for its overall presentation. Even though the last 30% is very much 'been there, done that', lacking the freshness evident at the start, I still find this to be a fast, enjoyable experience.

**This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!**