If this weren't the 6th book I've read in the series, with later books tied to it that I still want to read, I would have just DNFed it. The lead character is so off-putting to me. He has an enormous chip on his shoulder, and is super immature and entitled and bitter, insecure, self-pitying, he lies constantly, manipulates, is delusional, refuses to even smile just because its asymmetrical- and all of that is *apart from his debilitating phobia, skeletal appearance, and horrendous mental and physical health!* He's barely capable of walking up a dozen stairs, but he's FINE! and No one should try to change him! *Side eye* The single thing he has going for him is an interest in fashion, which is at least something. Everything else is a flaw or detractor to varying degrees. He's all pissy at the wedding that his brother (who he's not *at all* close to) and his fiance hadn't come to him for fashion guidance, like he's entitled to dressing them just because it's an interest of his. He's very bratty to his brother *while* also blackmailing him to get his own way (strong arming Iggy into a tense homophobic atmosphere just so Arden can cruise him). He casually rats out Iggy to his brother, needlessly endangering Iggy's relationship with *his best friend* just to like, get in a parting shot at his brother. He agrees to a dinner date even when he knows full well that he won't eat any of it, just letting Iggy put in all that effort making a nice meal for nothing. He gets all indignant when he's not asked to help move a PIANO, when he sometimes faints just from standing, but like, 'how dare they not ask him!' He's just a prick really.

Iggy on the other hand literally saves lives for a living, has had his own trials but still has a good attitude, is constantly volunteering and helping people, is a good cook, physically active, a good job, honest, etc. He really could do a million times better than this wreck of a lead. The only reasons we're given for his interest are Arden's pretty eyes and delicate features. It just doesn't feel like enough to overcome all the many reasons *not* to pursue something with him. I don't buy it.

Also, it seems entirely impossible that Arden's family couldn't put 2 and 2 together about his condition, like, seriously?! How could they possibly not?? He nearly dies, his twin sister does in fact die in front of him, from *food poisoning* then he develops a new obsession about checking expiration dates, packaging seals, he carefully inspects and sniffs every little piece of food. They've all seen him do this, he lives with most of them! It's been getting worse for years, yet they all think he's just a picky eater, or doing it for attention, or to try to lose weight. You don't actually have to be a genius to work it out. (I didn't buy the parents' change of heart about his queerness either, they accepted his comeout but then kicked him out of the family when he actually dated? But then next thing welcomed his partner as a member of the family? Wth?)

It took an age before Arden made any progress at all, but he started to become a bit more tolerable at that point. He didn't initiate many of the life steps in the right direction though *, (but at least he put in some effort.) * Arden didn't admit to his reason for not eating (even when his body was literally shutting down) until Iggy figured it out and confronted him, the hospital staff stood up to his parents for him, his brother advocated for Iggy against them- Arden really doesn't seem like an adult with any agency, even apart from his phobia. Their relationship also remained very skewed, with Arden almost exclusively taking and Iggy almost always giving, (in bed and out). I don't really like that sort of uneven dynamic. It was similar in his family one too though. Arden was pretty much receiving-only from his brother who took him in, and wasn't even very emotionally present for his sister who had always been his ally and really needed his support.

Most other reviewers seem to at least feel sorry enough for Arden that they don't judge him by regular human standards or something, because I am very, very much in the minority with my distaste. To me he's just kind of a self-centered schmuck of a person though. The least appealing hero I've read in an absolute age.

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