The third in the So Over the Holiday's series, Bottle Rocket is both a scorchingly sexy and unexpectedly sweet, queer m/f, second chance romance where the only thing that rivals the sex is the clear, honest communication.⁠
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Leo Whittaker and Rosie Holiday had a secret relationship as teens, but very different life goals caused them to part ways after high school graduation. Theirs is a heartbreakingly strong connection, but Leo's compulsion to indulge his blow shit up, bad boy wanderer and Rosie her methodical, good girl, nester makes their teenage parting a foregone conclusion.⁠
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When they're reunited 13 years later, each has fulfilled their goals: Leo has escaped the stifling expectations of his well to do parents and built a life of nomadic adventure as an erotic artist, while Rosie has created one with the normalcy and stability she lacked in childhood, becoming a kindergarten teacher in their hometown.⁠ Despite Leo and Rosie's differences, it doesn't take long for their fundamental compatibility to assert itself. Their interactions make clear that each craves the counterbalance the other has to offer.⁠
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I liked so much about this novella, but especially the way Leo and Rosie's trust in one another creates a safe space for each to stretch into new aspects of themselves. After years subverting her needs to an ex who gaslit her, Rosie had begun to see herself as cold and boring, with an inability to give free reign to her desires, but Leo helps her access an inner recklessness & encourages her to demand her own pleasure. She learns that she doesn't have to follow an external model of what her life should look like or subvert herself to anyone. As she does so, we get A+ banter, explicit encounters with femdom, pegging, and an orgy with individuals who center each others physical AND emotional satisfaction. Leo, too, finds he doesn't have to hold back parts of himself. With Rosie he exposes his sweetness and vulnerability (also startlingly domestic jam making abilities!) and finds he's not all bold color and frenetic movement, afterall. ⁠
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While the series is new to me, the small town intimacy, the effortless inclusivity, and the witty, caring characters have me eager read the prior two books!⁠

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

CWs (courtesy of the author): explicit sex and language; discussion of divorce, cheating, and gaslighting. More information at https://smarturl.it/CWsBottleRocket

Disclosure: eARC provided by A Novel Take PR in exchange for an honest review.