plus honestly @dianahayes the whole overnight soak thing always slips my mind too, canned's just easier.

Ugh, that really stinks! I totally get the frustration. You did the whole rooftop thing the "right" way, paid your money, dealt with the upkeep, and then watch your neighbor get a better deal with way less hassle. It sounds like your payback period just keeps moving like a goalpost, which has to be maddening. Honestly, your inverter breaking twice would have me pulling my hair out, that's the kind of hidden cost nobody talks about upfront. I feel for you, man, the shared model really does take away the headache of being your own repair person.

Is the ticking clock actually adding tension or just making every scene feel like a checklist? Tbh, I've been there. Cut a subplot once because someone said it dragged, then the main romance felt fake. You traded one problem for another, but that's how notes work sometimes. The real question is which version bugs you less. If the tight draft still feels like your story, keep it. If not, maybe the first reader just wasn't your audience.