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ravenslanding's review against another edition
5.0
I know, I never took me for a modern romance reader either. I enjoyed Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade so when I was searching for something relaxing to read I found myself scrolling through her other books on kindle.
This set up is not one I would have pictured myself reading. Because it is about a 40 yr old woman who is a school assistant principal and a 26 yr old guy who is a retired tennis pro. But then I thought about the absurdly common older man tropes (be they hundreds of years old or just 15 years older) and thought "Why not? Why is that ok and this is sorta edgy?"
And I gotta say, this book is escapist and refreshing and delightful--but not because an older plus size woman scored a hot young guy. It is because they spent the whole book being honest with each other. Even when it was hard.
And.
That.
Was.
Beautiful.
It was also beautiful to have an unabashedly fat female protagonist, and I feel like the deeply respectful conduct of the hero is a model for humans everywhere (but particularly men, since society apparently doesn't teach this behavior).
I also laughed out loud several times while reading, which is always a plus.
It is another 5 on the spice-o-meter.
This set up is not one I would have pictured myself reading. Because it is about a 40 yr old woman who is a school assistant principal and a 26 yr old guy who is a retired tennis pro. But then I thought about the absurdly common older man tropes (be they hundreds of years old or just 15 years older) and thought "Why not? Why is that ok and this is sorta edgy?"
And I gotta say, this book is escapist and refreshing and delightful--but not because an older plus size woman scored a hot young guy. It is because they spent the whole book being honest with each other. Even when it was hard.
And.
That.
Was.
Beautiful.
It was also beautiful to have an unabashedly fat female protagonist, and I feel like the deeply respectful conduct of the hero is a model for humans everywhere (but particularly men, since society apparently doesn't teach this behavior).
I also laughed out loud several times while reading, which is always a plus.
It is another 5 on the spice-o-meter.
aprilalwayswithabook's review against another edition
3.5
I liked it, but it also wasn't my favorite Olivia Dade. Some of the differences ended up making myle feel like her body was fetishized, and the extreme discussion about her knee pain just made *me* feel old. Their relationship was sweet though, and I liked that he didn't get any judgment from his 20s-aged friends when they got together too. There were a couple really great lines that made me download the Kindle version from the library to highlight.
llamalluv's review against another edition
5.0
What an absolute cinnamon roll Lucas is! Maybe even a sticky bun with extra icing!
I like how Olivia approached the "continued and enthusiastic consent" issue, making it a completely natural and sexy part of the relationship.
This makes me want to take up tennis, despite my two creaky knees.
I like how Olivia approached the "continued and enthusiastic consent" issue, making it a completely natural and sexy part of the relationship.
This makes me want to take up tennis, despite my two creaky knees.
hawlsreads_'s review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
alyinsx's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Really cute reverse age gap story.
Amazing banter, and sexy to boot.
Amazing banter, and sexy to boot.
cbrown_3's review
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.25
tatyanavogt's review against another edition
3.0
This one has some tropes that I'm not a big fan of and that did got on my nerves a bit in the book, but it was still fun. Just not one that I would want to read again.
shannon_white1099's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
freadomlibrary's review against another edition
4.0
Trigger warnings: fat-shaming, cheating, injuries
I wasn't sure if I was going to continue this series when I read the first book in December, but I really liked the author's writing style and was intrigued about the plot of this one. I will say right away that I am not usually a fan of age gap romances, it's just not my thing. However, I actually really liked the way this one played out! I feel like in romances like these the characters usually don't have things in common and can't really understand each other deeply, but that was not the case in this book. Obviously, they've lived very different lives but they end up connecting over things that neither would've ever imagined. I loved how they both had to confront their assumptions about age, occupation, body, etc. that they'd made about the other; I think it really made the potential for a relationship more tangible and believable for me as a reader because they had those conversations. I honestly wished this book was a little longer because I felt like some of the development felt a little fast considering the setting. At the end though, I was sold, not only in their relationship but also in the potential for it lasting which is one of my biggest issues with this trope in general. I really am liking Dade's stories. They're all like quiet, sweet, gentle and enjoyable. Hope I get to read her new book soon!
I wasn't sure if I was going to continue this series when I read the first book in December, but I really liked the author's writing style and was intrigued about the plot of this one. I will say right away that I am not usually a fan of age gap romances, it's just not my thing. However, I actually really liked the way this one played out! I feel like in romances like these the characters usually don't have things in common and can't really understand each other deeply, but that was not the case in this book. Obviously, they've lived very different lives but they end up connecting over things that neither would've ever imagined. I loved how they both had to confront their assumptions about age, occupation, body, etc. that they'd made about the other; I think it really made the potential for a relationship more tangible and believable for me as a reader because they had those conversations. I honestly wished this book was a little longer because I felt like some of the development felt a little fast considering the setting. At the end though, I was sold, not only in their relationship but also in the potential for it lasting which is one of my biggest issues with this trope in general. I really am liking Dade's stories. They're all like quiet, sweet, gentle and enjoyable. Hope I get to read her new book soon!
rosska22's review against another edition
4.0
I liked this book a lot. Tess is strong, independent, and used to doing everything on her own. When her swimsuit top gets stolen by a wave when she's on vacation, she must enlist the help of random hot dude bro who's also in the ocean, so she doesn't accidentally flash a gaggle of children. Random bro's name is Lucas, and he likes Tess immediately. She's a little wary, because she turns 40 tomorrow, and Lucas is only 26. They have a lot to overcome if they're going to get anywhere in the two weeks she's on this island vacation.
This book contains beach scenes, some tennis, several sets of dreams and aspirations, and one truly sweet love story.
This book contains beach scenes, some tennis, several sets of dreams and aspirations, and one truly sweet love story.