This contemporary romance has All. The. Feelings .... both steamy and sad. TW: Parental illness

This story takes place in the same world as Hoang's first two novels and features Anna and Quan. Anna's life is unraveling - a talented violinist, she has artist block and can't complete playing a single piece. Then her long-term boyfriend tells her he's going to 'date' other women to confirm his commitment to her. If he can see other people, Anna decides she will too (although the thought terrifies her) and she signs up with several dating apps. That's how she's connected to Quan.

He's a tattooed entrepreneur recovering from a very 'personal' surgery and ready to resume 'normal activities.' He plans to do this as a one-night-stand in case things don't go well. His plans crumble when he meets beautiful and vulnerable Anna who shares his interest in Netflix nature documentaries. He's quickly pulled into Anna's world of family drama while managing a life-changing business deal. Will their love be enough to overcome the expectations of Anna's family?

All the kudos to audiobook narrators Natalie Naudus and Brian Nishii whose performances covered a vast range of intense emotions and helped me feel each one stronger than the words alone.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the advanced listening copy of this title.

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This has been a fantastic series. Of the 3, I think this is my favorite.
Quan is Khai's (book 2) brother and Michael's (book 1) cousin. Quan has had a rough couple of years. He was diagnosed with testicular cancer and had surgery. This also affected his fertility. He went from someone who was at the top of his game & someone who was called on to help, to being the one his family worried about. Now he is cured and looking to get back into the swing of things.
Anna is a violinist who had (an awesome) viral moment. Now she is dealing with performance anxiety. Anything less than perfect is a failure. Her long-term boyfriend also wants to see other people. During this time, she also starts therapy and begins to understand she may be on the autism spectrum. During the course of her life, she "masked" and became the person she thought her family and other people wanted her to be. She lost herself. She joins a dating app with the goal of having a one night stand (because the ex is "exploring things," so she should too!).
The first date becomes a second date, then a third. Quan quickly becomes the one person who understands Anna. During this time too, her father suffers a massive stroke and the women in the family become his caregivers.
This was a wonderful book about the story of discovery and learning about oneself. Anna grows so much throughout the book. This was definitely a more serious book, but also a love story. The traditional love story is there, but it was also a story about loving and accepting oneself.

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