This is now the second Cathy Yardley book I’ve read and I really have to make time in my reading schedule to dive into her backlist. Her voice is sharp and funny and I love how she writes her MCs and the way her characters communicate like adults, no game playing. Well, no mind games, at the very least. Her author’s voice really works for me and this book just hits perfectly on every note. 

First of all, rare is the romance that features MCs in their 40s and 50s. Here, Maggie is a 48-year-old divorced single mom, her kid just gone off to college, at loose ends and basically hibernating from the outside world. I adored Maggie in all her grumpy, cantankerous glory. Maggie takes no crap, gives no fucks, and five years out of a toxic marriage to a husband who by all counts, sounded like a misogynistic prick, she is living her life for herself, on her own terms. Men and dating are off the table. 

Aiden, a retired nurse turned full-time caregiver to his mother, is 50. He’s never married and is resigned to a life where he gives and gives and gives to his family, without expecting anything in return. His family is legitimately awful, with his hypercritical mother, an absent brother who doesn’t want to deal with any of it, oh, and his brother also happens to be married to Aiden’s ex-fiancée who chooses to blame Aiden for the demise of their relationship. 

Both Maggie and Aiden happen to be gamers and meet online, playing online video games and after an initial confusion about their identities, finally meet. Much of the book is very slow burn and while the two develop a close online relationship, they don’t actually meet face to face until about the 40% mark. From there, their friendship deepens, with Aiden relying on Maggie’s help to get around when he fractures his foot, which leads to them spending more and more time together. 

However, Maggie has sworn off men and relationships and Aiden has a lot of family drama to contend with. So, it’s reasonable that these two people can totally just maintain a platonic relationship and not let romantic feelings get in the way! I kid. Obviously, their friendship leads to a slow burning (verrrry slow burning) romance. I think the reason the slow burn in this book works so well is because both Aiden and Maggie are older, they have lived a life full of experiences and heartbreak and grief. They understand the cost of impulsively jumping into things. Also, they’re both at a point in their life where they each know who they are and refuse to settle for people who won’t accept them exactly as they are. 

This book employs several tropes and micro-tropes that I love. First of all, this is a classic grumpy/sunshine romance: Maggie is the eternal grump, swears like a sailor, and is unapologetically, authentically herself. What you see is what you get, take it or leave it. (Maggie would urge everyone to leave it, to be perfectly honest, she doesn’t mind being alone, hates social situations where she has to make awkward small talk with near strangers, and would genuinely rather hide out in the guest room with the dog than mingle with the other guests). Aiden for his part, isn’t so much a sunshine hero as he is calm and even-keeled, always willing to shoulder the blame for things that are nowhere near to being his fault, inherently kind and compassionate. I would describe him as more good-natured than perpetually cheerful. 

Secondly, in the latter part of the book, there is a scene when the two attend a wedding that plays into a particularly favorite micro trope of mine. This is when one of the MCs goes into absolute feral beast mode to protect the love interest from being hurt by someone. In this case, it’s Maggie going full-on scorched earth to stand up for Aiden in a scene that is so full of righteous fury and indignation, I literally startled my puppy awake by clapping with glee. 

I should also add that Aiden is bisexual and in a frank discussion with Maggie, it is revealed that he is also demisexual, meaning that he only feels sexual attraction with people he has formed a strong emotional bond with. It is a revelation even to Aiden who has lived much of his life hiding who he is because of his awful family and his previous two relationships, both of which ended badly. 

There are a lot of heavy themes in this book, from difficult family relationships to caregiving for an ailing parent to a toxic marriage but all of that is balanced beautifully by the slow growing relationship between Maggie and Aiden. These are two people who have mostly given up on the idea of romantic relationships and watching them slowly fall for each other and grapple with the idea of being emotionally vulnerable and laying it all out is so incredibly sweet to see unfold. 

I will also add that the book isn’t heavy on steam, there are basically two sexy times scenes, the first is slightly more graphic than the second one which is very vague. But they are also incredibly charming, with two people finding so much joy in expressing their feelings for each other with their bodies. It’s sexy in its own way and sweetly funny and tender. 

I absolutely adored this book, adored watching these two fall in love, the way they communicated so directly with each other but also took such care of each other, and found in each other a sense of safety and comfort and belonging, and above all else, unconditional love and acceptance.  

Grade: A

Content Notes: toxic family, toxic past marriage, toxic past relationships, queerphobia, nonconsensual outing, disowned by family; 

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