Ava is a twenty-two-year-old Irish expatriate teaching English to wealthy children in Hong Kong. She enters a non-committal living arrangement with Julian, a British banker who provides her with a luxury apartment and financial security without emotional intimacy. When Julian leaves for a months-long business trip in London, Ava begins a relationship with Edith, a local lawyer. Ava struggles to reconcile her desire for Edith’s genuine affection with her reliance on Julian’s material status, leading to a tense love triangle defined by class hierarchy, linguistic precision, and capitalism.
Readers interested in the intersection of wealth and modern romance find a cynical observation of how money governs human connections. The narrative offers a cold look at the transactional nature of relationships and the way people use language to hide their vulnerabilities. Someone finishing this book gains an understanding of how power imbalances shape identity and communication. It appeals to those who enjoy dry irony and characters who prioritize intellectual defense mechanisms over emotional honesty.
Inward-looking; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Empathetic Explorer. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 2020
- Language
- EN
