What I expected based on the marketing/packaging: a psychological thriller with a complex power dynamic where you can’t be quite sure who is the predator and who is the prey. What I got: a somewhat shallow attempt at litfic about a selfish, unlikable character hitting a slump and dealing with it badly, and then in the last 20% it does suddenly try to turn into a thriller, except it’s super condensed, super rushed, and doesn’t fully mesh with the 80% before it. Otherwise, the most thrilling thing about the book is its hooky first line. I don’t know if I would have enjoyed the book more if I knew more about it going in. On top of the lack of, you know, *a thriller*, the protagonist was just too frustrating. I felt like he blew pretty common things and feelings out of proportion, and constantly addressed the symptoms of his issues rather than digging into the cause and finding actual solutions. But at the same time, he didn’t really commit to the self-destructive spiral, if that makes sense? He just went with the flow a lot of the time, complaining about it a lot. And with how self-absorbed he was, I didn’t really get the chance to get to know any of the other characters, because Mark didn’t bother to really know or care about anyone. Not even Tyler, despite being supposedly obsessed with him. The book did have some good moments, specifically with the whole faculty life vibe and all those Secret History-esque scenes full of slightly pretentious but highly entertaining conversations about literature and gay murder. The prose was very clean and readable, too, keeping me somewhat engrossed even when plot and characterization failed. If at some point the future I stumble upon another novel by this author and the blurb looks interesting, I may pick it up (though I’ll take a closer look at reviews beforehand this time around).

I was a bit wary of this book going in, because while I’m fine with age gap in “these characters have just met” scenarios, I’m rarely comfortable with it when it’s more, “MC1 is the father of MC2s friend and there’s a parental undertone to the whole thing.” This book turned out to be somewhat in the middle. Nick isn’t Colton’s best friend’s dad, he’s the dad of Colton’s best friend’s boyfriend who hasn’t been in Colton’s life for that long. The point is made early on that they basically hang out as friends and are on pretty even footing, and I didn’t clock any weirdness from Nick’s side, which is a plus. Colton, however, had a little too much daddy issues for my liking and, especially early on, there were a few moments where he envied Nick’s relationship with Justin, wished for a father like Nick, etc. The vibe that created wasn’t really my thing. Combined that with how out of the blue both guys’ bi awakenings were… Well, unfortunately I wasn’t a big fan of the romance here. I did, however, really like big parts of the guys’ individual arcs: Nick adjusting to his life post-divorce, Colton healing from his injury and contending with what it might mean for his future. It was also nice to see Wes and Justin again. Much as I did while reading their own book, I wish they had *a little* more going on in their lives that wasn’t so fully about each other, but also, they are clearly so meant for each other and I swear each of their interactions made the page glow. The found family vibe the story settled into by the end is super heartwarming, and overall, I had a good time in spite of the moments of discomfort, which definitely speaks in the book’s favor.