Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free ARC of this novel. Regardless of the way I acquired the novel, the thoughts, opinions, and views stated in this review are completely unbiased and one hundred percent my own.

I am so happy I decided to pick this book up. I knew this was a romance going in, but I was PLEASANTLY surprised by how steamy this book got. Wow-wee!!! This wasn't exactly an enemies to lovers, or even friends to lovers, but a best friend's younger sister to lovers troupe and I ate it up!

This novel dealt with so many important issues seamlessly. We watch as a group of women learn to support one another, and see a man battling through toxic masculinity that had been ingrained in him since childhood. I loved that we got to see these two characters grow in the context of their relationship and individually as people. Our male MC was a former pro baseball player, dealing with rejection from the sport and trying to outgrow his sportsman persona. Our female MC is the youngest sibling in a family who doesn't take her or her life seriously. We watch as these two support one another fervently throughout the novel.

Did I mention this novel was steamy?! And in a healthy consensual way?! What a gift, honestly. I could not swipe the pages of my kindle fast enough during those hot and heavy scenes. The writing style throughout the novel was so well paced, and engaging. Not once did I feel like an outsider or a reader, I truly felt like I was part of the story with these characters. And their love story felt real. The chemistry was there for me, and how they each feel into each other felt organic, and not forced due to circumstances or literary climaxes.

Overall this was very well done: a sweet and sexy romance, and a story of two people coming into their own authentic selves. Bravo.