"You're allowed to want the romance parts without the sex parts. Or the sex parts without the romance parts. All of those feelings are valid. You're deserving of a relationship in whatever form you want it."

I have many amazing things to say about this book and I don't know where to start so just bear with me okay?! Okay.

First, this was my first queer romance and let me tell you, I'm obsessed. I laughed, I cried, I cringed from second-hand Charlie embarrassment. The writing just made me so happy. I'm gonna try to break it down.

Charlie. Beautiful, nervous, romantic, asexual Charlie. I adore Charlie. Okay, the love had to grow because at first I didn't understand him. BUT THEN HE STARTED BAREING HIS SOUL AND OH MY GOD I FELL IN LOVE. I understood his journey to asexuality so well, the confusion and the heartache, and the acceptance. The words I needed to hear to move into acceptance of my asexuality were in this book and it felt like I was seen for the first time since looking up "define asexual" a year ago. This is the first openly ace fiction I've read and I just felt so validated and loved and whole and worthy.

Dev!! Ughhhh sweet, amazing Dev. Let me tell you a secret that isn't a secret if you read any of my other reviews of hetero romance novels. I usually cannot stand the back and forth, will they, won't they, miscommunications and misunderstandings that happen in typical romance novels. It just feels so arbitrary and can we please use different devices to move our plot forward?? And maybe I am just an overly communicative person, but when characters actively try to misunderstand each other it drives me absolutely BANANAS. So while the back and forth and will they, won't they still happened in this book, I understood it. I think Dev's mental health was portrayed beautifully; because while I see my asexuality in Charlie, I 100% see my depression in Dev. I understood his despair and his unhealthy coping mechanisms (physically and mentally). I understood the stories he had to convince himself of to keep him safe (or what he felt like would keep him safe). It's a process, a lifelong process and I was happy to see that he understood that and that he chose his health AND his worth of being loved.

Parisa was just all around amazing. Kudos to her for being the bad ass bitch I hope to be. Jules, Skylar, Ryan, Daphne. ANGIE! I just loved the diversity of race, sexual orientation, gender orientation, and mental health spectrum that was presented in this beautiful book.

One more thing. There was so much talk about Happily Ever Afters and I honestly loved the conclusion that Dev and Charlie came to. It can hard to commit to someone forever OR let go of someone when you need to. I think this book explored how to be open to love of all types and I really appreciated it so much. The quote from Skylar towards the end of the novel sums this up well. "I don't know if I'm going to love Rey for the rest of my life, but I know right now, I can't imagine a future where I don't love them. And for me, that's enough."

Also, super pet peeve-y and it picky (and this doesn't affect my star rating at all), the illustration of Dev on the front drove me nuts! He's always described as having glasses and he doesn't have them in the picture. Oh well.

Overall, such an amazing read. 4.5 stars only because I do feel like it dragged on a little at the end.