Idk if you answered this but when do You think ethan fell in love with mc? Alternatively, when was the ah-ha moment 🤔
My answer is so controversial. I don't think it was until book 2.
C4: baby Ethan, Ethan realises there's more to MC so takes an interest
C5-9: His feelings develop resulting in the PITA to try to distance himself from MC
C10: Ethan acts on feelings and we get the best chapter in Choices
C11-14: Keeps acting on his feelings, becomes aware of how deep this goes
C15-17: Definitely starts feeling more for MC. Acknowledges he's fallen for her. He's thinking of a future, of asking her out or giving it a shot until Naveen pulls off the cockblock of the century.
Buuut he still isn't in love with her. He cares for her deeply sure, but he's still not the absolutely whipped fool we see in the later part of book 2. I think he misses her a lot in the Amazon, comes back realises he still can't ignore his feelings but then working with her sends him over the edge.
In the Pictagram and Leland Bloom chapters, he's starting to realise she isn't just some doe-eyed intern, she's willing to challenge him and he starts to see another side to her.
Honestly, I don't think you can be in love until you know someone for who they really are. I think those chapters help cement that and he sees her through new eyes.
Then the stuff with his mom in c7 makes him see her again through a different lens. She's his touchstone, his support and he's willing to lean on someone for the first time probably ever when it comes to his family.
By chap 8 and the whole chicken madness, he's definitely in love. And I think that's the point where he's already acknowledged and he's willing to admit it to himself on some level hence why he cracks and kisses her. And everything he does after, like comforting her in c9, telling the entire world he's not single and the whole of c11 and c12, everything is about MC and not him anymore. It's a whole new Ethan.
And then there's some shaky (re)writing and idk what the hell happens in the last few chaps, but we're sort of getting back to an even keel with the rehab stuff where he's really leaning on her, and there's no doubt he's totally in love.
I've written essays shorter than this, Dom 😂. Honestly, sorry and for answering late. But I loved the question so much 💖