Despite my Kobo eating this book multiple times, and despite having to chase my reading across three different platforms to make it happen, my journey with Olivia and Savannah is finally at a close and I am so glad I took the journey.

Now, if you've read my reviews of Fiona Riley before, you know I adore her. The Matchmaking series (start with Miss Match) is awesome. Narratively, what we've got here is a series of redesign projects where Savannah's company has hired Olivia's company, and it's Olivia's opportunity to show off her chops. It involves a lot of travel and time away from home in multiple sites, and means they'll be spending a lot of time together (and in hotels). The attraction they feel initially strikes them both as ill timed. But as time passes...

As always, Riley brings her magic.

First, she handles family in a queer way, every time, that feels fresh and so much more representative of my real life than what I so often end up reading. Olivia, especially, in this case. She's got co-workers (many of whom are queer, including queer men) who are like family to her in her smaller business, and a sister, and some of the lines blur between friend and family and co-worker (including an ex she works with and some interesting dynamics at play there). Savannah has a nearly non-family, with only a half-brother and his girlfriend to really centre her, and—again—both of these felt like something lived and breathed to me, and really went toward their character.

Second, the sparks were off the charts here, and the slow-build/slow-burn was a really nice pacing. While the women work together, each from their own respective positions in their two companies, there's the push-pull dynamic of "mixing work wth pleasure is often a terrible idea" balanced with "yeah, but lady, my toes curl just looking at you" and every inch the tension notches is enticing along the way, and makes the payoff feel all the more special.

Third—and this one was truly appreciated—the issues the two face are born of their characters more than outside forces, though there is one wrinkle tossed in definitely came from outside, but the structure around it (not to mention the corporate legalities) made it a double-edged sword for one of the characters, which really, really worked. At no point did this feel like "If they just talked to each other, this would be cleared out," an issue that pops up in romance and often leaves me frustrated. Instead, there's a clever mix of personality, legality, and just plain fear of vulnerability between them.

Onward to Media Darling, Riley's next book...