Defying Convention

This is a lovely short novel, with a sweet friends-to-lovers plot. I hovered between 4 and 5 stars just because I felt it could've been longer, with more development of both characters, but it stands really well as it is.

I think this quote beautifully expresses the way that Danny loves AJ:

“Not that he'd ever stand in the way of AJ's happiness, but he really wanted to be a part of it.”

To be honest, I have hearts in my eyes over that emotion.

The way they both view their relationship is realistic and uncommon for a romance novel - they both realize that maybe they won't be together forever, although it definitely feels like it now. I liked that.

The sex scenes were excellent, but I have to say I enjoyed all of the physical affection between the pair in this book, even before they started their relationship. They were both exceptionally cute characters.

I had absolutely no issue with the author's choice of “they” as a pronoun for AJ, the nonbinary character. Everything read very smoothly. It's always nice to encounter characters other than the cis white people who populate most fiction.

A quick and fluffy read. Recommended!