Read my review of the previous book in the BrewBiz series, Affogato.
This book begins on the heels of the ending of the previous in the series, though can mostly stand alone. Wren and Percy have one of the most awkward meet-cutes ever, stemming from Percy’s good but misguided intentions and heightened by immediate chemistry between the men despite the incident that could have completely prevented anything further. Wren’s heart is too big, which is a wholly separate personality trait from his aromantic status. However, that both of these men have some pretty serious baggage makes how they might explore something beyond a satisfying one-night stand a compelling element of this novel.
Miscommunication is a major theme of this book, beginning with the initial incident and continuing through false flag conflicts and leading to the major dark moment that threatens to leave both men brokenhearted. That Wren is a Deaf man and Percy is hearing has nothing to do with any of it, which would have been an easy shortcut to take for a less experienced author than Lindsey. Instead, Lindsey is excellent at highlighting individual experiences even within communities that are too often presented and perceived as monocultures. In this book, the miscommunications are first about lack of information and later a result of differing perspectives. By then, we know enough about both Wren and Percy to understand how each man reacts to the perceived hurts from a place of protecting themselves from further emotional harm. Despite these being two relatively “older” characters, grappling with self-identity can be a never-ending process, especially as lives adjust to make room for new people who become quietly essential.
With this book, Lindsey crafts a romance novel that is not necessarily about finding love on both sides. Wren’s aromantic identity may shift, but this is not a story about finding an exception to a rule. However, another way to view romance is that notion of expanding your happiness by linking it to the happiness of another person, and this book more than delivers on that element of the happily ever after. Percy doesn’t necessarily need love, but he needs someone to choose him; Wren doesn’t need to fall in love, but he needs to learn to open his heart when he finds someone who fits him in ways never expected. So, even if this isn’t a traditional romance arc, it is still a love story about finding your person, which will always look different for every character.
Disclaimer: I received a digital review copy of this book from the author.
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