Liz Tomforde 〈Essential – Choice〉

Zanders isn’t just a playboy with a heart of gold. He’s a man who actively dismantles his own toxic masculinity, unpacks his childhood trauma on-page, and asks Stevie for enthusiastic consent while making her breakfast. Ryan Shapiro? He’s a grumpy control freak who creates a color-coded roommate agreement, then proceeds to break every rule because he’s secretly a softie who learns her coffee order within 48 hours.

Because both Stevie and Indy are deeply competent, slightly messy women who’ve been let down by “realistic” men. The books aren’t about finding a perfect partner—they’re about what happens when a woman stops lowering the bar . The men seem unreal because our standards have been buried in the dirt. Liz Tomforde

— and why this review exists — is that Tomforde’s books have sparked a weird debate in my reader circle. Are these men aspirational or harmful ? Zanders isn’t just a playboy with a heart of gold

If you want gritty realism, look elsewhere. If you want a warm hug that challenges what you think you deserve in love—and makes you laugh at a hockey player saying “I’d like to formally apologize for not listening to your rant about overhead bin space”—buckle up. Liz Tomforde has raised the bar, and I’m scared my back will hurt from picking it up. He’s a grumpy control freak who creates a

⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5) — but that fourth star is clinging on for dear life