Gus was going THROUGH it. I thought Catholic guilt was a thing - apparently nothing like Greek Orthodox guilt holy smokes. He had no forgiveness for himself at all, how he had changed as a man over the years.

Decca was an interesting character as well. It was easy to see why she was suited to Gus.

Seeing a marriage convenience trope in modern times was fresh. And not in a “I need to be married to get my inheritance” way. It was a fresh twist. And it addressed the “we need to consummate” rigmarole well, so it allowed Gus and Decca to work through their issues and tension within the marriage. And it was HOT. A slow burn inside a modern marriage - huh. I mean, they both crushed on each other hard. But working through issues to finally break down the walls and be completely openly and utterly honest was where the true story was.

This author is new to me. The was she addressed death was beautiful. It was from both scientific and spiritual study. The main family owns a mortuary. Decca met her friends through university at the “body farm”. Gus is a priest. Death is a constant presence. But it was all so beautiful.

This author has a different style than Sierra Simone, but no less adept at incorporating sex, religion, morals, death in to a cohesive story.

There were trigger warnings about on page death care. I personally found it fascinating. But I can absolutely see how it would be difficult for some to read.

Thank you to the Author Agency and the author for allowing an advanced copy to provide this review.