Like take Yumi, for example. Home girl is a classic example of toxic femininity. When Painter is in her world, she yells at him, makes him do drills for hours nonstop, and tells him he’s nothing. Then, when it’s her turn to be in the hot seat, she starts crying about how overwhelming it is to be in a different world. Like sheesh, you know who else might be able to relate to that? The guy you were shrieking at for stacking rocks the wrong way.

I thought for sure Yumi would ease up on Painter once she got a taste of how frustrating it can be to have another person’s life thrust upon you. But nope. Instead, Miss Thang decides to go on shopping sprees and eating out with friends. All while spending Painter’s money. 

So yeah, Yumi definitely rubbed me the wrong way. But Painter wasn’t much better. As annoying as Yumi was, he was equally frustrating. For the first half of the book, he rolls over every time she makes some ridiculous demand. He complains about it in his mind, but never asks her to stop treating him like a dog. Eventually he kiiiiinda stands up for himself. But by the time that happens I had basically lost all respect for him as a character.

Don’t get me wrong, the love story was cute. But as far as character development goes the payoff wasn’t quite there. Yumi never apologizes for being a total tyrant. And while Painter resolves most of his past issues, he never has that moment where he realizes he shouldn’t be pushed around. The way that he always puts others before himself is sweet, but I thought it was a setup to explore how giving too much of yourself isn’t healthy, either. And that never got addressed.