I love Aiden Bates and his books but I can truly say this is his best so far. It’s realistic, the slight angst is necessary and not too over-the-top. I adore Mal and feel like his character has true depth. And the humor had me doubling over at times. The first ten to fifteen minutes are a bit boring, but as soon as it picks up, it picks up and nothing is unnecessary or boring after the fact. Definitely give this a go.