There are a number of things I loved about this book. 
 It was recommended in my search for queer men's romance that does not center internalized homophobia, internalized misogyny or internalized femme hatred as either a major plot point or character arc and it delivers on that point. These characters run into conflicts and grow and change and none of it is about those things and that alone is a breath of fresh air in this genre. 
 I really liked Laurie, and his character arc, the way he pretended that his challenges in the relationship were about something else throughout the book, kept getting stuck and never really gets what his real concerns are. I think sometimes we want too much exposition about that stuff and I liked that he got stuck in his shit and that wasn't solved by falling in love. 
 I liked Toby so much, in so many ways fell really hard for him and rooted him on. He's so compelling and complex and in his desire and that's just lovely to witness as a reader. 
 I found the depiction of a novice dominant sadist exploring his kink for the first time to be so spot on and gorgeously detailed. It resonated so deeply for me as a dominant sadist, felt so damn true. And the kink in the book is lovely and hot and connected and beautiful. I loved the ways that the dominant gets fucked and of course that's completely aligned with their power dynamic--adored that aspect of their play so so much. 
 This is the first time I've read a romance novel where the top calls a scene, and I loved it; it was exactly right for the plot and the character arcs and the moment and I loved that it was a relief for them both and that was just part of a larger kinky story about their play. 
 So, mostly loved the book. I struggled with the stuff about class, wanted a bit more negotiation and interiority from the characters on the class differences they were navigating and the ways that impacted their relationship.