I don't mind a slow burn, but this was over 400 pages of slow burn, and I think that's why I can't rate it higher.  I loved the overall angst, the story line, the characters, but areas of it dragged and their back and fourth game got a little old.  This MMC is what I love in an alphahole MMC.  There were several redeeming qualities about this book, but I can't get extra excited about it unfortantly.  The writing was well done as well.