Look, was it a well-written book? No. Was it a complex and particularly compelling plot? Also no. Were the sex scenes hot? Sure. Bonus points for being set in Australia.

I didn't realise this was just a smut book when I bought it so I guess I had higher hopes for the depth of the characters and their inner worlds, so maybe that's on me for expecting too much of a published book. Why can't we have a horny book that is also complex and meaningful? Is it too much to ask? This book tried to pack so many girl power moments into this very bare bones plot that it collapsed under the weight of its own commentary.

The sex scenes were exciting and the yearning was fun to read, but it lacked an essential queerness to the writing that made it all fall a little flat. The only gay thing in this book was the sex they were having. Read it in under 24h because the simplicity of the writing was so extreme, but it teetered just before the edge of being so simple that it felt condescending. You get away with it this time Ruby Landers!

Truly one of the all-time great modern queer romances. It's true that this book is full of lesbian yearning, but it's also incredibly hopeful in its ending which is rare for a book like this. It's a story of gender envy, the power of owning your own identity and narrative, and embracing the sexual aspects of your sexuality.

It's also incredibly hot, written in a pragmatic and delicate way that only a queer person could have written. It's a beautiful meditation on butch identity and the way that good sex and good queer friends can provide gender euphoria. It's so tactile I could feel the heat steaming off the grass and the satin of Mrs. S's skin. Truly beautiful literary fiction.

There are a lot of reviews talking about 'nothing happens' or its 'slow', but tbh I think that's a true skill issue. There is so much to dissect in this book and so much being said in every sentence. The tension is so rich and thick it's delicious.