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What a ride 'Unsticky' is — the protagonist you really follow is Grace Reeves, a twenty-something fashion assistant who’s drowning in debt and miserable in love. She gets dumped by her boyfriend Liam, and that embarrassing moment leads to an encounter with Vaughn, an older, wealthy art dealer who offers her a startling plan: be his companion/hostess and sign a contract to be available to him, in return for money, clothes and a monthly allowance. Grace accepts out of desperation and curiosity, and the novel explores how that arrangement warps her sense of self, her friendships, and what she thinks love might be. Vaughn functions as the other main figure — not a traditional hero, more a controlling, enigmatic man whose offer propels the plot. Their relationship is transactional at first, then messy and emotionally complicated: the contract has an end, they separate when he terminates it, and that rupture prompts Grace to confront what she really wants. Secondary players like her boss Kiki (who is brutal but influential) and exes like Liam push Grace into choices that feel very modern and morally gray. The story doesn’t sugarcoat the uglier bits of power and money, and I came away thinking about how messy grown-up choices are — it stuck with me for days.
Grace Reeves is the clear protagonist of 'Unsticky' — a young, broke fashion assistant who takes an offer from Vaughn, an older, rich art dealer, to be his paid companion. That agreement, written as a contract with money and clothes in exchange for time and availability, is the engine of the plot. Over the course of the book Grace navigates humiliation, friendships that fray (especially around secrets about the arrangement), and personal growth; Vaughn is alternately cold and oddly tender, and when their contract ends they drift apart before any eventual reckoning. If you like morally messy romantic fiction, this one’s for you.
Vivid and a little uncomfortable, 'Unsticky' centers on Grace Reeves as the primary protagonist — a fashion-world junior who’s chronically behind on bills and emotionally off-balance. After being publicly dumped by her boyfriend, she meets Vaughn, a much older art dealer who offers her a paid ‘arrangement’: attend parties, be his hostess and be available to him as needed in exchange for a generous stipend and designer clothes. Grace signs a contract, thinking it’s a shortcut out of debt, but the novel charts how that choice reshapes her relationships and self-respect. Vaughn is the other central figure; he’s not a neat romantic lead — he’s controlling, charismatic, and has his own vulnerabilities. Their dynamic slides between business and something resembling affection, yet power imbalances are always present. Eventually the contract ends, they separate, and the aftermath forces both to reckon with whether what they had was real or just a carefully negotiated performance. Reviews and read-throughs often call the book a modern 'Pretty Woman' with teeth, and I agree — it’s sharp, messy, and oddly sympathetic to two flawed people.
I dove into 'Unsticky' thinking it would be a cheeky take on rich-man/small-girl tropes, and the protagonists surprised me. Grace Reeves is the focal point: young, debt-ridden, working her way through the fashion world while making choices that are sometimes self-sabotaging. Vaughn, the older art dealer, is the other central figure — he proposes a formalized relationship, complete with money, clothing allowances, and a written contract. The narrative doesn’t linger on romance clichés; instead it tracks consequences: Grace becomes part of Vaughn’s social orbit, misses important personal events under pressure, and strains friendships and family ties. Structurally the book plays with power and agency — Grace signs up for a six-month (ish) arrangement that gives her financial breathing room but costs her autonomy. When Vaughn pulls the plug on the contract they separate, and that separation forces Grace to examine whether she’s in love or simply used to the trappings of wealth. By the end they’re left to decide if affection can survive the terms of a deal, and the aftermath felt realistic to me: messy, a little infuriating, but honest.
Reading 'Unsticky' I felt pulled between outrage and sympathy for the protagonists. Grace Reeves is the main viewpoint character — a 23-year-old trapped between aspiration and debt who accepts Vaughn’s proposition to be his paid hostess and companion. Vaughn is the older, complicated counterpart whose offer gives Grace designer clothes and cash but also a loss of control. Their relationship begins contractually and grows into something ambiguous; when Vaughn ends the contract they separate, which becomes a turning point for Grace’s self-awareness and choices. The book spends a lot of time on the fallout: friends judge, bosses manipulate, and Grace has to pick up the pieces and figure out what she really wants. I finished it oddly moved, not because everything was neat, but because the characters felt stubbornly human.