So there are things I really liked about this: the chemistry between the MCs, the humor, the way it felt very specifically rooted in place, the coffee puns, the hot sex scenes, the detailed descriptions of the way things tasted, the way they navigated consent. I especially enjoyed the flirting banter, that's what sold me on the book; the banter and flirtation felt like a 30s romantic comedy, queered. I was hoping for cheerfully queer, clever, lighthearted comedy, with an exploration of bisexuality, and lots of hot sex. 
 The book didn't end up being that, though it did deliver on the hot sex. It was more serious & dark than I anticipated, and I was taken by surprise in that regard. It was rather full of intensity and hard things and so much (too much, in my opinion) emotional baggage, that was approached from a really serious place. I am generally down for that kind of romance, if I go in expecting it. I was not expecting it to go to these places, especially given the blurb and the first bit of the novel that I read on the author's site. 
 I don't know what my reading experience would have been if I had a better sense of where the story was going from the start. What I ended up feeling was that it was two stories, two tones, that felt discordant together. Like the frothiness was too weighed down by the emotional angst and seriousness. It may also be that I was very much jarred by the (view spoiler)[ detailed description of an MCs parent's suicide (hide spoiler)], which felt unnecessarily detailed & like it wasn't attended to in the story or in his characterization. After that point in the story, I just felt weighed down, especially when it transitioned so quickly to sex. It generally felt like the story wasn't committing to either thing--the comedy or the drama--and did a disservice to both in the process. 
 Also, I didn't quite buy the happy ending. It felt like it needed more time to settle in, beyond the big gesture, given the way it felt (to me) like the MC had crossed a line. The ease with which (view spoiler)[ Rob let Brian's meanness go made me wary, especially when it was kind of excused by Brian being stressed out. Made me worry that it was the beginning of an abusive dynamic, which is not what I want to be feeling at the end of a romance. (hide spoiler)] 
 Trigger warnings: (view spoiler)[ Detailed description of family member's suicide at about halfway point. Frequent references to family homophobia and misogyny targeting an MC's interest in the arts. Frequent discussion of biphobia in queer communities. One MC is mean to the other MC in a way that felt to me like he crossed a line, and it did not feel like that was attended to in the text. Frequent references to characters running themselves into the ground til they have a heart attack or get otherwise seriously ill. (hide spoiler)]