
I surprised myself by liking this one rather a lot. Contemporaries aren't my favorite and I am really tired of the whole "in the closet" trope, and so I probably would not have read this if it weren't a group read. But I found both of the characters relatable - Noah was stuck in a rut, but he was working on himself and trying really hard to be a good person and contribute. And I totally get why Adrian pushes him to change. It isn't just for his own happiness or the relationship - it is to keep Noah from smothering himself out of misplaced sense of duty.
I also liked that they both had jobs they cared about and were good at. I pretty much saw how the job situation would work out
with Noah becoming a staff archeologist for the gaming company
from nearly the beginning of the book, but I appreciated that
Noah left on his own terms rather than being outed - I was kind of braced for a huge drama and relieved it was Noah's decision and not a deus ex machina.
The author did a good job with the families and coworkers too. They seemed like real people.