Domestic Service is the sweet story of Simon, a super awkward tech billionaire, and Colin, a broke grad student who left a crappy family situation in the American South, to build a new life.    The story is set in my home of Seattle, so I’m pre-disposed to love anything set there.  I was part of the tech industry for a long time, so Simon’s character felt very real to me. It’s interesting to imagine the private lives of the higher-ups in the tech industry, realizing they might not be quite as perfect and idyllic as they appear to be. 

The best part of Domestic Service was watching both men grow and change over the course of the story.  Simon was eventually able to acknowledge that his own insecurity caused him to put other people on pedestals, and using that as ammunition to beat himself up.  Colin was able to come to terms with his rage at his mother, who essentially abandoned him to be with her abusive church-pastor husband. 

Both characters needed to heal and accept certain parts of themselves before they could be in a healthy relationship, and I loved watching it happen, and loved seeing them get the happy ending they deserve.

Ella Fenn is really talented, and I can’t WAIT to read her next book – but I’m not sure how I’m going to wait until October of 2022 to read it!

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