Chantelle
It's the vulnerability, and the realistic character flaws, and the eccentric secondary characters, and the healthy conflict resolution, and the strong narrative voice/style, and the humour for me! So, basically all of it, okay! I also think I need an Alex in my life, as he just made my cheeks hurt from smiling, and that would be a lovely way to exist perpetually.
Also, I liked the ending and don't feel like a sequel fits the genre expectations (Romances have a HEA, so why would I read a sequel that would naturally have very low stakes after book one ended with a HEA?) so, despite how much I loved this I will not be reading the second in this series, and the reviews of #2 support me in this.
It's the vulnerability, and the realistic character flaws, and the eccentric secondary characters, and the healthy conflict resolution, and the strong narrative voice/style, and the humour for me! So, basically all of it, okay! I also think I need an Alex in my life, as he just made my cheeks hurt from smiling, and that would be a lovely way to exist perpetually.
Also, I liked the ending and don't feel like a sequel fits the genre expectations (Romances have a HEA, so why would I read a sequel that would naturally have very low stakes after book one ended with a HEA?) so, despite how much I loved this I will not be reading the second in this series, and the reviews of #2 support me in this.