Everything I have to say about this book could be summed up in four words: I absolutely loved it. But I’ll say more, of course, because I absolutely loved it and I have to gush over it.

This book has everything I love and more. Fake dating! Banter! Characters who are polar opposites but end up falling in love precisely because of those differences! Noticing and adoring the little things about each other! A fantastic plot with action and intrigue to complement the sweet, fluffy (and sometimes not so fluffy) romance scenes! Plus side characters to die for.

I’ll split this up into a few sections so it isn’t just an enthusiastic rambling mess, because that’s what it could so easily become.

CHARACTERS
Julian and Rafi are incredible characters. They’re so distinct from each other, and the way the author reveals their personalities through subtle details and lines of dialogue is nothing short of amazing. Within the first few chapters, you get such a strong sense of who these characters are and what they stand for, and for the rest of the book, you get to watch in delight as the two of them grow closer, trip through misunderstandings, fall apart, come together again, protect each other, and fall helplessly in love. Julian, for all his prickly coldness, is still eminently likable. Rafi is a big, warm, soft-hearted darling you can’t help but adore. They have instant chemistry from the second they meet, and there’s never a moment where the romantic tension between them slackens. It’s a whirlwind of feelings every time they come together, and with each encounter, we see so clearly how their relationship grows and matures. The pace never feels rushed or stilted; their relationship evolves organically and so sweetly, though not without difficulties. Julian’s painful past looms over the both of them, and watching him struggle with the repercussions of his trauma—and seeing his coping mechanisms as they’re gradually revealed—is heart-rending. At the same time, it’s so cathartic, knowing that Julian, deeply scarred by his experiences as he is, is at last receiving the care and love he so obviously needs and craves through Rafi, who is endlessly supportive and kind and good in just the way Julian needs. And it’s equally satisfying to see Julian, with his sharp, no-nonsense manner, deal with Rafi’s problems when Rafi can’t, or won’t. They fit together and complement each other so well, it’s just absolutely charming to watch them barrel towards their happily ever after in fits and starts.

At times, the secondary characters come close to stealing the show throughout the book. All of them are wonderful, even the antagonists. Carlos and Bo are easy to dislike, but they never cross over into comically evil characters. The little touches here and there to humanize them and explain their motivations—especially Bo’s—do excellently to keep them grounded and realistic as characters whose goals make sense, no matter how drastically they diverge from Rafi’s. Uncle Eddie is a delicious villain, dripping malice from the first second we’re introduced to his character. And yet, he too never feels cartoonish, his words and actions just understated enough to always remain believable. He serves as a fantastic antagonist to our protagonists, and though he doesn’t often share scenes with either Julian or Rafi, his oppressive presence is still always felt, never quite allowing the reader to relax, even through the fluffiest of scenes.

The other secondary characters are breathed to life with such care and easy grace. By the end of the book, Christian had stolen my heart and awoken every mama bear instinct that had been dormant in me. Amber was a fantastic best friend and voice of reason. Even characters with less screen-time (so to speak) like Cory and Aaron felt like real people with lives that continued on in the background, unseen. The author takes care to give each of her characters unique details that make them feel fully fleshed-out, even when they ultimately play a minor role in the story. It makes the story feel more real and immersive in all ways.

PLOT
I won’t say too much about the plot because I don’t want to spoil it, but the story strikes a masterful balance between angst and tragedy versus fluff and humor. The lighter moments never feel like they cheapen the darker ones, and the heavy scenes never feel out of place as compared to the happy, playful times. The buildup and resolution of the main conflict is excellent, and I found it impossible to put down the book in the last fifty pages or so (that’s not to say the rest of the book wasn’t unputdownable, just that the last fifty pages were especially so). The side conflicts with Rafi’s family were also wonderfully paced out and resolved in due time.

With the romance, each of Rafi and Julian’s dates are unique, adorable, and drive their relationship forward. It’s so lovely to see their encounters evolve from PR stunts to genuine bonding moments to real love. None of their dates feel canned or cliché, just sweet and authentic. It’s a true pleasure to watch them fall in love, one step at a time.

OTHER THINGS
Here I’ll just fire off bullet points of miscellaneous things I loved:
• The snippets of media clips and songs that we get at the beginning of each chapter. They’re a wonderful way to make the world feel even more real and complete, and I loved the variety (newspaper clips, youtube video comments, interviews, etc.).
• The glimpses we get into Rafi’s songwriting process and how Julian helps him get out of his music rut.
• The transformation of Julian’s apartment and the way it reflects his evolution as a character.
• Everything about the Renaissance Faire.
• Christian and his inner tiger. The callback to the fortune-telling that he’d obviously taken to heart genuinely had me tearing up.
• Cory!
• The camel!
• Jurafi as a ship name. Everything about it is just perfect.

All in all, this is such a lovely, angsty, action-packed, deeply romantic book that I thoroughly enjoyed from the very first page to the last. If you’ve got a few dollars to spare (only a few dollars!!), do yourself a favor and buy this beautifully sweet romance that will absolutely brighten up your day.
This book does come with trigger warnings that contain SPOILERS. Stop reading here if you want to avoid them.

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TW: Rape (mentioned), child abuse (mentioned), domestic violence (mentioned), animal death (mentioned).