Faith & Fidelity

03 · Reader evidence

What the evidence says

What readers repeatedly liked

• Emotional Intimacy. The relationship is built on shared loss and develops from friendship into love with butterflies and emotional depth; The men find kinship by drinking, talking, and easing each other’s burdens; Reviewer praises the natural progression of their friendship and how they sought each other out in dark times. Supported by 4 sources (source 1177, source 1179, source 1182, source 17301).
• Emotional. The story is filled with positive feelings, butterflies, falling in love, and fears of the unknown, handled with sensitivity; Reviewer notes the book had a lot of heart and that love overcomes obstacles; The book is described as angsty. Supported by 3 sources (source 1177, source 1182, source 17648).
• Complex Characters. Both leads have layered backstories involving grief, career upheaval, and identity questions about being bisexual or gay in non-gay-friendly jobs; Reviewer praises how Michaels showcased the inner conflict of two straight men becoming interested in men, with evident confusion in Evan’s self-loathing and Matt’s unease; The two men and their attraction and horror over their attraction felt realistic; Evan’s grief and interactions with family were spot on. Supported by 3 sources (source 1177, source 1182, source 17301).
• Friends To Lovers. A tentative friendship between the two men gradually develops into deeper romantic feelings; Reviewer describes a natural progression from friendship between the two leads. Supported by 2 sources (source 1179, source 1182).
• Explicit Heat. The consummation of the relationship is described as amazing; The book is described as hot. Supported by 2 sources (source 1179, source 17648).
• Tender. The reviewer calls it a heartwarming story of love and life; The book is described as sweet. Supported by 2 sources (source 1179, source 17648).

What readers repeatedly flagged

• Grief. Evan is grieving the loss of his wife, his first and only love, and is barely functioning day-to-day; Evan is crushed by the pain of losing his wife and is surviving but not living; Evan is mired in grief over losing his wife, unable to move past the loss, sleeping on the sofa and living in a zombie-like state. Supported by 3 sources (source 1177, source 1179, source 17301).
• Rushed Ending. The ending is sudden and abrupt, and the reviewer needed more resolution to feel satisfied given the emotional intensity; The fast resolve at the end and Matt’s quick turnaround felt too easy and left the story feeling unfinished. Supported by 2 sources (source 1177, source 17301).
• Uneven Pacing. Time flow is sometimes hard to follow and the reviewer wanted a firmer grasp on the timeline; The novel drags in places and the final chapters speed up to the point where the storyline suffers. Supported by 2 sources (source 1177, source 17301).

Where reader reactions differ

The current sources did not support a recurring split that could be reported confidently.

Individual observations

• Strong Narration. The narrator captured the emotional tone and angst, with a trembling voice suiting Evan and a sarcastic cadence suiting Matt; speed and clarity were well handled.
• Weak Narration. Variations in pitch and voices were thin, making it hard to distinguish Evan from Matt without dialogue tags, and female character voices were inconsistent.
• Character Growth. Evan seeks professional help for his mental wellbeing and communicates with his kids before reuniting with Matt.
• Flat Characters. The reviewer states the leads are not complicated characters, though they are placed in a complicated situation.
• Death. The story opens with the death of Evan’s wife, which upends his life.
• Third Act Breakup. The couple endures an incredibly emotional breakup before an abrupt turnaround and reconciliation.
• Hea. The reviewer says the characters find their happily ever after.
• Satisfying Ending. The book is described as satisfying.
• Genre Fans. Recommended as a must read for anyone who loves seeing two cops find each other and find love.
• Well Paced. Reviewer praises the pacing as great.

Reader sources

1. twimom227.com – Independent review
2. thenovelapproachreviews.com – Independent review
3. archive.underthecoversbookblog.com – Independent review
4. thenovelapproachreviews.com – Independent review
5. Reddit discussion