Pendrackon

3.5 stars. One of my all time least favorite romance tropes was the main one in In The Dark: lies and miscommunication.

I really don't understand why some people are giving this a 1 star. Just like the last book, when I got to the end, I wanted more. Great book. Thanks to the authors out there for taking a thought and building it in to a world and all the complexities that come with that. It's pretty amazing! It's sad when people can't appreciate how much goes in to it all.

This series (which began with last year's [b:The Rules and Regulations for Mediating Myths & Magic 34736638 The Rules and Regulations for Mediating Myths & Magic (The Rules, #1) F.T. Lukens https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1490892182l/34736638.SY75.jpg 55922749]) reminds me of the original Men in Black movie, in the best possible way. Magic is real, unicorn poop smells like cotton candy, pixies have their own cosmetics line, and oh yeah, the rest of the world absolutely CANNOT find out about any of this. Fortunately we have Intermediaries like Pavel Chudinov to keep the worlds separate and Intermediary assistants like Bridger Whitt to - well, mostly to mess things up, actually, but his intentions are good. It's now the final semester of high school for Bridger, his best friend Astrid, and his perfect boyfriend Leo. Everything would be fine except for the fact that Bridger's long-absent father suddenly wants be part of his life, and Bridger isn't sure how to be a good boyfriend now that his relationship with Leo is out in the open. And an annoying Ghosthunter-type reporter is nosing around town, and if she finds out the truth, everything Bridger and Pavel have been working to accomplish will be destroyed. Just your average senior year. To my disappointment, there were actually fewer encounters with magical cryptids in this sequel, although the ones that take place are memorable. The focus is more on Bridger's relationships - with Leo, with his father, and with Pavel. Bridger and Leo have a few ups and downs but I was relieved that there were more significant developments to their romance than real problems, and that almost everyone (with a few key exceptions) was supportive of their relationship. Leo still has anxiety issues, but he has developed enough confidence in himself that he doesn't engage in any (well, not much) self-destructive relationship behavior. And the growth he has experienced is apparent as he deals with his hopes for a renewed relationship with his father compared to the reality.I found the plot with the reporter, Summer Lore, less engaging than the major conflict in Rules and Regulations, but the character development, the snarky humor, and the opportunity to spend time with some delightful people in a setting with lots of LGBTQ+ rep, made the reading experience more than worthwhile. Plus a cat (sort of) saves the day! As it should always be.I received an ARC of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.