Between law school, influential parents trying to control every aspect of her life, and planning a wedding for her best friend Ryan, Teagan just needs a bit of stress relief – something she definitely isn’t getting from her now ex-boyfriend of five orgasm-free months. It wouldn’t be so bad if summer weren’t around the corner, with its endless string of parties, weddings, and family gatherings that are far easier to endure with a plus one.

Heath can’t seem to break his dry spell – four months and counting, with no end in sight. It wouldn’t be so bad if the last time he’d had amazing sex wasn’t the summer before, with the one person who wishes it had never happened (and absolutely hates his guts). He’d do anything to get Teagan back in his bed, even propose a completely absurd idea when he learns about her own five-month streak of unsatisfying nights. A situationship – just sex, no feelings, no talking, no sleepovers. Purely physical release to help them both cope with the chaos of their lives. Neither of them wants a relationship, and the fact that they can barely stand being in the same room eliminates any chance of catching feelings. Foolproof, right?

Teagan didn’t pull any punches! Right from the start, I found myself covering my mouth, muffling a shocked “Dang!” at how sharp and merciless she could be when she let loose. I knew instantly I was going to love her. She’s as raw and real as any fictional character I’ve come across in a long time, and it was such a refreshing change! Honestly, I kind of wanted to help Lenny gather up the shattered pieces of his pride after the absolute annihilation she delivered – and that was just within the first couple of pages!

There was one initial cringeworthy moment that cast Heath in what could definitely be considered a “douchebag” light (Teagan’s label, not mine). Early on, there’s a scene where Teagan is really drunk after a party, and Heath tries to take her home to sleep with her. It’s blatantly obvious just how intoxicated she is – she’s stumbling, swaying, and can barely stand upright. The next morning confirms it even further when she wakes up disoriented in Heath’s apartment, unable to remember how she got there or whether anything happened between them. While it’s revealed that nothing did happen, the reason why isn’t exactly because Heath took the high road, which leaves a sour taste in your mouth about his character and the kind of morally questionable person he might be.

This was definitely the kind of book where you sit back and just watch the drama unfold. The characters weren’t exactly relatable, so it felt more like tuning into a reality TV show about privileged rich kids – it actually gave me a bit of The Real World vibe. Their problems seemed so extreme, but only within the confines of their bubble. Don’t get me wrong – towards the end, with Teagan’s big reveal, she did embody the struggles so many teenage girls and young women face, especially when it comes to the pressure from parents or society to be perfect. But up until that point, it was more like watching from the sidelines with a bucket of popcorn, thinking, “You’re living a life the other 99% can only dream of, and you’re still not happy?!”

While I truly appreciated the ruthlessness of Teagan’s character, I couldn’t help but find her consistently hypercritical. Setting aside the very real struggles she faced as a Black woman and focusing solely on her wealth and privilege, she often looked down her nose at her friends for their choices and lifestyles – as if she herself was truly struggling. The thing is, she chose not to use the money her parents gave her. She chose not to accept help, even when Jeremy pointed out that her parents could easily pay for her apartment once she moved out. And let’s be honest, the opportunities she was afforded – though she succeeded through her own merit, intellect, dedication, and determination – were only easily made available to her because of who her parents were, opportunities that many equally intelligent but less privileged people couldn’t even dream of.

I understood her drive to push herself and prove her independence, but much of her fear and turmoil felt self-inflicted. She had the chance to talk to Heath about her feelings after the abortion, but she didn’t. She could have opened up to her parents about what she was going through, but she chose to keep it all bottled up. Her parents were far from perfect, and the unhealthy pressure they placed on her and her brothers was evident, but Teagan made a lot of her struggles about being adopted rather than simply having overbearing parents. Granted, her parents fed into those insecurities with how they described “saving” her, so there was some validity to her feelings – but even so, not all of her reactions felt entirely justified.

As for the spice of the book, E.M. did not hold back when it came to how often Teagan and Heath slept together in this book. Considering the situationship was the premise, that made perfect sense. But finding out later that they had such a deeply connected past – having dated from seventh grade all the way through high school – I felt like the depth of their relationship and emotional connection was hidden for the majority of the story. It gave the wrong impression of the characters, making it seem like their connection was purely lust that slowly morphed into feelings, which made their story feel a bit shallow.

Knowing how much they loved each other and everything they had been through, I almost feel like a prologue would have completely shifted the perception of the entire story. It could have created stronger, more relatable characters from the start, instead of presenting Heath as just a womanizer and Teagan as cold and emotionless. This lack of early emotional connection might even be a driving force behind many DNFs, especially for emotional readers who need that deeper connection to stay invested in a book. Without that foundation, their relationship came off more like a toxic pairing rather than a rekindling of something meaningful.

Speaking of which, the toxicity of the relationships in this story was absolutely off the charts. I couldn’t help but feel bad that Brett was essentially the embodiment of everything wrong with the world – and how blatantly ignorant he was of that fact. It felt like the author used him as a vessel to air some grievances, and honestly, I didn’t disagree with a single point Teagan, Heath, or Jeremy made about him. I completely agreed with Jeremy’s perspective that just because you’ve known someone for a long time doesn’t mean you’re obligated to remain friends. People grow, change, and evolve, and that growth inevitably impacts the environment around them, including who gets to share their space.

When we’re young, love and friendships feel unconditional, but as adults, motives, incentives, opportunities, and personal gains start to drive our connections. We’re more focused on what’s in it for us than on the purity of the relationships we form. The impact this has on relationships can be profound, yet people rarely take it into account.

Their group of six may have experienced life together, sure, but they also had their own individual worlds that remained largely disconnected. Problems at home, work, school, love, and loss – they all kept these parts of themselves separate. And as the saying goes, “Those who grow together, stay together,” but by isolating those elements of their lives, they unintentionally grew apart.

The one moment that was truly heartbreaking was when Rowan fell apart. For the first time in the entire book, you got a glimpse of a beating heart beneath the tough façade. And suddenly – perhaps for the first time ever – Teagan actually seemed human.

Overall, Situationship is a book that will succeed if you know all of the spoilers; otherwise, it will only triumph if readers make it through the entire story. By rearranging the setup and giving more background and depth to the characters at the beginning – before readers can cement their perspective of them – E.M. Wilson will find even greater success in the future. This was a good start, but I would love to see how she continues to grow as a writer.