First: props to Danica Nava for writing the riskiest premise for a debut rom com I've ever seen - in a market that is unkind to "unlikeable" female main characters and constantly maligns miscommunication-style plot devices, she delivers a female main character who builds a skyscraper of lies for 95% of the book. It's a bold choice, and I applaud her for it. And while I didn't mind the lies as much as I thought I might (Ember's got her reasons, and the author's note adds a lot of context here), I did find the workplace conflicts - specifically the spot-on depiction of corporate politics - incredibly anxiety-inducing. I actually set this down for days with no intention of returning to it, simply because I was stressed for Ember. That said, I ultimately pushed through, and I'm SO glad I did, because Nava rounds out this conflict so well, and delivers a resolution that feels very authentic for these characters.

I really can't get past the workplace scenes. Nava's depiction of corporate life is so surreally accurate - satirized possibly at a few points, but only barely - that I felt both deeply validated and deeply angry reading it. Also noteworthy is how rare it is to actually see working class main characters - in a market where so many of the stand-out rom coms literally feature lake houses (why?!), a female main character with her TV propped on a cardboard box and a job working at the bowling alley is so REAL. We need more!! 

This isn't going to be for everyone - the conflicts are stressful and the inner monologue leans cheesy, but I'm so grateful it exists - for its representation of Indigenous main characters, working class people, corporate chaos, and so much more.