lila's Reviews > Deal Maker

“I’m not giving up on you,” I say hoarsely, putting everything on the line for the first time since eight years ago. “I’m not giving up on us. And I’m not leaving.” I hesitate. “At least if it’s okay with you, I’d really like to stay this time. With you.”
He half laughs, his face pursed in an adorably confused way. “I want you to stay with me always,” he says hoarsely. “I want everything with you.”

imsoinloveBYE 😭✌️ this was such an unexpectedly perfect read for me and i ate up every bit of this. it gave me all the feels, from making me literally gasp with laughter in the first half to bringing me to tears several times in the second half — not because it was that angsty but because i just felt that much for the characters and their story (and because i get emotional very easily). me and books with celebrity romances (here it’s actor x model) and boss x employee romances don’t go very well together, but here it just worked.

my main reaction when i was reading this book:



i adore it when the connection between the mcs is developed so naturally and realistically, and that’s how it happened here. asa had this misconception about jude because of his own past experiences with models, and jude (who was a model himself) decided to show him that he was exactly what asa had dreaded him to be — except that backfired in such a spectacular way. the way jude pretended to be this dumb model without any braincells when he was actually such an intelligent man will never not be funny to me. asa realized in little time, of course, that jude was just pulling his leg — but he only became more intrigued by jude and that’s when he regretted his previous presumption.

there were these lil moments that shifted their mindset about each other, and the way they slowly learnt each other from inside out — it was everything to me. their simmering connection and romance was so slow-burn but when they finally came together, so worth it. their banter with each other was so hilarious, and their deeper convos just touched me in this way i can’t explain. they came to life around each other and the way they were each other’s happiness — i adored it. they saw each other, right down to each other’s souls, and it was just so gorgeous and pure and beautiful — there is no other word to describe it. i adored how their age gap wasn’t made a huge deal out of (jude is 29 and asa is 44) and i loved their dynamics so much. i truly believe these two are meant to be together forever. 🥹

“It was lovely to see him with such a big smile on his face.”
“Why was he smiling?”
Rachel speaks again and steals my thoughts away. “You.”

i adore characters who can’t get enough of each other, who are independent but also need the other person in their life — something about it hits different. i loved how witty, kind, humorous and loyal jude was — perfectly complemented by the pure warmth that radiated from asa, the gentle giant vibes, the soft heart he concealed behind his sometimes-rough exterior. i fell in love with their love. when i imagine their love, it’s just something so open and free and wild and something everyone can get enveloped in.

I smile and Billy looks up. “Are we keeping Jude now, daddy?”
Asa stares at him and me with an impossibly gentle look on his face. “I think we are, Bill. Yes.”

also billy!! 😭🥰 i’ve always talked about how much i love kids in books and this is the perfect example. he’s just so cute and adorable ugh i just wanted to squish him. 🥺 his relationship with asa and jude was just… the best, because they didn’t coddle him but just talked to him and understood him and tried to be by his side as he grew up and that’s just so sweet. the moment jude guessed the passcode to billy and asa’s house correctly (pink poo was so hilarious omg), the little boy had stars in his eyes for jude, so no wonder it all ended up working out. these three as a trio and a family >>>

this was absolutely such an entertaining, funny, snarky read filled with heartwarming and beautiful moments and i loved it with all my heart. i’m so excited to read henry’s book now because i loved him as a side character here!