I got an ARC for this book and I'm so glad I did because I don't think this is something that I would've typically picked up! At first glance, this book is a Marriage in Crisis trope with another man who comes in and invites a little spice into their life. That is what I was prepared for.

What I wasn't prepared for was how absolutely emotional this was and how I'd almost instantly fall for each of the three main characters in different ways. I didn't expect for this to be more plot than spice and for me to love that about it. That's not to say there wasn't spice because there most definitely was and it was most definitely off the charts.

We meet Briar first - after a brief prologue flashack from Caleb's POV. Briar is a true Stepford Wife in a lot of ways. She's a devout Christian who spends time at bible study with her mom and sister every week. She's a stay-at-home mom who keeps the house clean and takes care of her daughter. She's a loving and forgiving wife who lays in bed and tries very, very hard to conceive another child with her husband. But she's a shell of a person and she's miserable.

After that is Caleb. Caleb is a lawyer who is juggling being a good son, a good brother, a good father and a good husband - and he feels like he has to take all of this on entirely on his own. He can feel Briar slipping away from him emotionally & is terrified but doesn't want to burden her with his family issues, his loss of faith or the fact that he's questioning his sexuality. Unfortunately, this results in them not speaking much at all anymore and going to bed facing away from one another.

Enter Dean. Dean and Caleb have a rocky history, but when Dean is in need of a place to stay, Briar and Caleb are quick to open up their hearts & home to him temporarily. But Dean makes them question everything & even though he's standoffish, the couple find him quite... intriguing.

The emotions in this book were so palpable - right from page one - that I knew almost immediately that I was in for way more than I bargained for (in the best way.) You could feel Briar's discontent and disappointment in life. You could feel Caleb's ache to reconnect with his wife and simultaneously his uncertainty on how to do so. You wanted to tuck Dean under your wing and let him know how important he is. I'm a fan of Sara Cate's works, so I shouldn't have been surprised, but the way this gripped me from page one and wouldn't let me go.