But How Are You, Really

I liked this romance. I do know that this book proved me right: never go to your five-year-reunion. (chuckle).

I received a free copy of this book and I am writing a review without prejudice and voluntarily.

Oh this book was so much fun and it hit me quite hard. This contemporary romance story hits that spot that I seek where it provides depth of characters (main and side) while also exploring very difficult topics. In this book, Dawson does a wonderful job at portraying the cycles of abuse a person can get stuck in when it's all they've known. From parents homophobia, to emotionally abusive partners and bosses, this book shows how it can inhibit a person from knowing they deserve better from their families, friends, partners, and jobs.

This story is told form a 3rd person perspective, which scared me a bit because sometimes that makes it harder to connect with the inner world of the main character (in my experience). However, I think it does a great job at giving you the insight of how Charlotte felt throughout the book. On the other hand, I kept wishing I could get more insights on how Reese (mmc) or Jackie (bff) were feeling; even though it was 3rd person, it gave me the same vibes a 1st person pov gives me where all the insight comes from the main character and their perceptions of others. It still worked and conveyed the emotions it needed to, but I do wonder if fully committing to 1st person or exploring more of what a 3rd person pov could do for side characters would've benefit this story.

In summary, this one is for the queer kids with parent or partner-related trauma who don't know how to ask for help or they feel like they are so behind their peers. This book was fun, emotional, sexy, and sweet.

Side note: I LOVE that it didn't include an epilogue. The ending was perfect! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this review copy.