Starred review from October 11, 2021
Ripper’s smart, sexy, and banter-filled final Love Study romance (after The Hate Project) gets the loving polyamorous ‘V’ dynamic just right. Mason Ertz-Scott balks when his uninspiring relationship threatens to get serious and instead takes his colleague Claris up on an introduction to her fashion designer husband, Diego Flores, with whom she has an open relationship. Diego and Mason immediately hit it off, and—after Mason’s friends encourage him and Diego reassures Mason that he’s interested in a real relationship—they move the giggly fun and undeniable chemistry they have together to the bedroom. Claris’s support of the men’s romance extends both to setting up a thoughtful morning coffee tray after their first overnight and inviting Mason to run social media for Diego’s upcoming show, but Mason still has trouble believing he won’t get burnt by falling in love with a married man. To make things work, he’ll have to adjust his understanding of what love and relationships can be. Healthy, jealousy-free interpersonal dynamics and social support across the board provide a low-conflict feel to the playful love story, and characterization that makes it clear that neither Claris nor Diego are angling for a threesome keeps the story within a classic romance structure despite the unconventional setup. Readers will find themselves grinning from cover to cover. Agent: Courtney Miller-Callihan, Handspun Literary.