The main character has Bipolar Disorder. And I thought the rep was very well done. No wonder, because it is an Own-Voices story!

But I really did not like the relationship between Bobby & Elodie. It was almost toxic. Bobby is a massive workaholic. He is passionate about his work, but when he gets too stressed or frustrated he has these 'dark moods'. And he is no fun.

TW: violent sex.
One time he got home, very very stressed and aggitated. Heard the shower was on and stepped inside where Elodie was showering. He groped her and they had pretty rough/violent sex. Elodie was okay with it, but I was not. Because he was using her to get rid of his aggitation. It was not an act of love. It was a means of destressing and there was no talk about consent at all. We read it from Elodies point of view so we know she doesn't mind it. But it all felt very very wrong to me. And this was not mentioned in a Trigger Warning up front so I was shocked and felt for all those reading the scene who had been sexually assaulted before. Because I can imagine this to be very triggering even if Elodie kinda enjoyed it.

Furthermore Bobby was shitty with wording. There was terrible communication. They kept things from each other. And Bobby said she 'drove him fucking crazy' because she was so insecure. They had a big argument and hashed it out later. And he explained what he meant by that. But it was still a shitty thing to say! I'm glad Elodie got mad at him and Gilly validated her feelings. But I really did not like Bobby and his actions. He is too impulsive. And my girl Elodie deserves better than that. Because almost proposing when you never even talked about marriage is a big red flag 🚩.

It is said but not shown that communication does get better. Because Bobby joins her for some therapy sessions. But I would like to see it, not just hear it mentioned in the final chapter!

The story had a lot of time skips. The next chapter suddenly was months later. And you had no idea what happend in those months. Because of this the development of relationships felt really choppy to me. I want to see the growth. See what made them grow as humans. I think the story could have made a bigger impact if we saw more of the things that bonded them together or at least explain why we skipped a few months? Because it really threw me off. I'm sure there was a reason, but it made me connect less to the story and characters.

I did like the found family aspect of this story, the friendships and the beautiful Irish backdrop. The Bipolar rep I think was well done (with what I know). But the emotional connection between Bobby and Elodie felt off. I had high hopes for this story but am sadly dissapointed.

Ps. The wording 'crippling anxiety' is ableist. It is better to say 'debilitating'.

Not to Scale is an adventure through Ireland, not giving up, and pursuing the dream. The friendships created are fun and the writing sets the scene perfectly. It just wasn't for me.

So I haven't read the previous books in this series, but thankfully you don't need to in order to understand the story that's going on. After reading this though, I definitely want to go back to the other two books. . The author did such a great job setting the scene as it was set in Ireland. I could related to Elodie so hard in this book which just goes to show she was written as a real relatable person rather than some fantastical FMC.

Elodie has been crushing on Bobby since they started corresponding about the job and when she finally meets him in person, man the sparks really fly. That crush just continued. I love reading about Elodie navigating her way through not only the normal stresses of her job but her bi-polar disorder. I could really feel myself in Elodie with her mental health struggles and it's so refreshing to read about a FMC that struggles like that. This made her even more of a relatable character. And the way Bobby treats her as well is just a dream.

What a fun romp through the world of film making. Bobby and Elodie work in a GOT/ outlander type show. He is the showrunner and she is the newly hired art director. It is a slow burn romance, that gives us time to get to know the characters. And they real come alive. They are complex and complicated. And even in the end there is a since that they have to communicate and be present to get their HEA. Leslie OSullivan treats Elodie’s mental health journey with respect, which just makes the story stronger. Also what a love letter to Ireland. It’s a fun read. (I received an ARC)