Not in Love

Hazelwood is just...so skillful at the writing things I care about. She writes characters with realistic problems who are already on the road to growing into who they should be, not having to be convinced by 75% through the book that they should take the first baby steps on the road to recovery. Friends are loyal to each other, and friendships between peers and men and women feel real. Believably quirky and believably smart people interacting in believable ways. Interesting, interesting problems (professional, personal, systemic). Sex isn't a decoration but literarily a tool of developing character, plot, conflict, etc. (It's not gratuitous, though may I say–the content warning should be heeded.) Skillfuly plotted (and edited–I see you there, editor, shaping this so tightly and making every scene and paragraph count) with believably complex conflict...which is a subject in need of a verb, but I'm going to bed, so, whatever.

Anyway, I'm still processing, and since the last few books I've gotten though have been fine but also kind of meh, I'm re-reading this one instantly to appreciate how all the threads are woven together, and because I'm in the bush for a month and want to re-read something so I shall. Maybe I'll go back and re-read Bride. Just because Hazelwood is skillful and insightful and good.

I those “Hazelwood is not for me” reviews and I feel you, as that's been my chief reaction to about 8 books I started in the past few weeks. However, “Hazelwood's books are for me” might be the TL;DR of this review.

Edit: I re-read the book the day after I read it the first time I'm in the bush and there's not a lot to do, so why not re-read a book I gobbled down too quickly the first time? I also wanted to pick appart what about it worked so well for me, to wit:
-Gender relations. I love how men and women treat each other (the heroes, not the villains) with honesty, friendship, in integral community.
-Multiculturalism/multi-nationalism assumed. The interesting last (and first) names! The people in any of Hazelwood's worlds are just varied in nationality/ethnicity in a totally assumed way where nobody is a token. This matches my world (I'm an expatriate American living in the western Pacific).
-No wasted background characters, scenes, details, or conflicts, and no tropey tropes. The details are complex and interesting and exist to further the characters and plot. Anything that approaches a trope is of sufficient complexity to make me think, “Ah! This kind of poignant situation is why this devolved into tropes, but this just feels like life.”
-Honesty is sexy. What does he like about her? “incessant honesty.” What is he like, asks her friend? “Honest.” Swoon! I love, love characters who tell the truth.
-Communication is sexy. These characters know their own minds pretty well and are willing to communicate. I LOVE that.
-But also: I wish there were fewer sex scenes and f-bombs; my preference would be for fewer (or none; I'm in this genre for the emotional journey not the sex details).

OK, now I'm off to re-read some other Hazelwood. Woot!