it was what i am disappointed the most. she kept on insisting the three are her main protagonist, but it definitely isn’t.
i read ur recent comment on wet sand and i 1000% agree. this was never a love triangle, and jo was never a protagonist. it was really disappointing to see the author discard him and not care to give him any further character progression.
s1 was really good, but then it started going downhill when she explored the past of ian and tj while discarded jo most of the time. then s3 started and the scenes between ian and tj was just purely sex in the bathroom, the confession on the road, and then suddenly showing them kissing on the house ian built. how can you tell that is a good writing?
im not really surprised that tj is endgame but i do find it truly devastating when you can tell where the author's heart lies. its clear that jo was never even considered an option, but just a plot device to progress ian and tj's relationship.
there is a lot more depth, history, shared trauma, and codependence between the latter two which makes it much harder for both partners to move on from such a strong relationship. i will say this is realistic - toxic relationships are the hardest to leave from and overcome. but jo was meant to represent progress and healing, and ian running back to tj just kind of feels like there was no point to jo's character in the plot at all.
jo, you are an angel in this absolute mess of a story. you deserve better than a man who refuses to show any character development