Man, I'm really disappointed I didn't like this one more. Then again, I guess I'm glad that there enough queer books out there that I don't have to pretend it worked for me just because it's the only rep. That's a deserved feeling, just like the straights.

There were a number of things I really enjoyed about it. I liked seeing two Jewish MCs, which feels rare in traditionally published romance, and some of the dialogue was clever or made me chuckle. It hit several tropes/pain points that just made it a really not enjoyable reading experience: the kind of fetishization or fixation that Noa already has for Lilah made me a bit uncomfortable, the extremely unfounded jealousy that Noa exhibits when introducing Lilah to her friends. The invasion of privacy in Lilah snooping in Noa's phone was really just a bridge too far for me, as someone who has experienced that particular invasion.

Ultimately, I guess I'm just not really sure who this book is for. I didn't ever really feel the chemistry as the relationship building was sacrificed for the sake of this side plot to kind of evoke the feeling of being in a B-movie, but there was still a shocking level of intensity to the point that Lilah had invited Noa to France with her after they'd kissed once and they were having a screaming match on their first actual date? I don't know how I'm supposed to root for a relationship where the two romantic leads have zero trust for each other from day one. It also didn't quite thread the needle of romcom and B-list horror film. I get the intention, but I don't think the impact quite hit the mark. But even though I can't think of who the audience for this book is, I'm 100% sure it exists and wish it the best.