I mean this in an entirely complimentary way: Network Effect feels like fanfiction.
By which I mean, it’s more relationship (not in the weird way) focused than the previous books. It has a plot that, while it stands well on its own, often seems set up almost as an excuse to develop the characters and push their strong feelings for each other into the spotlight. And it’s relationship focused in a specifically queer as hell way that I don’t associate with canon relationships in media but that is often explored in fandom - especially in the way that nonromantic relationships are given importance and the way that “important relationship” doesn’t mean “having sex”.
And I am once again having Feelings about how representation that I’m used to having to create myself, taking the canon characters and deciding to interpret them as something that I can see myself in, is all just there on the page in these books.