Reviews with content warning for Emotional abuse - Older (Deluxe Edition)

Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Older (Deluxe Edition) by Jennifer Hartmann

20 reviews

lololovesthings's review against another edition

4.5

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I completely disregarded my TBR to start reading "Older" by Jennifer Hartmann as soon as it hit my inbox. I am pleased to say that I am happy with that decision. Hartmann sure knows how to craft angst and pining! She takes these expertly crafted, complex characters full of darkness, trauma, and sadness and makes them new again. Her ability to write these beautiful, lovelorn, heartbreaking, soul-shattering compelling stories is second to none. Hartmann draws readers in, gets them sucked into the drama and the pain, only to patch them up and make them whole again with her delicate prose. I was thrilled to read Halley and Reed's stories. Some readers will have a difficult time overcoming the age gap and the forbidden aspects of this romance, which is valid, but if you've read Hartmann's other works, these tropes won't come as a surprise. The tension and instant connection between these two sucked me into their story, but it's the yearning (and let's be real, the taboo), that kept me reading. Halley's strength in overcoming her horrific upbringing was like a gut punch. She starts as a meek, timid, scared character and eventually evolves into a strong person with the tools to fight off even the worst demons. Reed is a protector above all else. There's nothing he wouldn't do for the people he loves... and that includes Halley. Their slow-burning, moth-to-a-flame type of connection makes this book worth it. I have read four of Jennifer Hartmann's books, and I can honestly say all four of them are winners, "Older" included. What a terrific book that I highly recommend reading. Please check the TWs before reading.

Thank you to NetGalley, Jennifer Hartmann, and SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

Content Warnings

miranda_luvsbks56's review against another edition

4.5

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I would get so annoyed with Halley at times where a typical teenager wants to be treated like an adult yet acted like a child…. Then again some adults still act like children. I didn’t care about the age gap. Yeah it would be super weird because how do you talk to your best friend about your love life… you know because it’s her dad and that’s yucky. I did love Whitney because she was there for everyone putting everyone first. I think that’s because of what she did to Reed. You really don’t know what you’ve lost till it’s truly gone. I would know what I would lose!!!

Content Warnings

dunndiggity's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense 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

The writing of this book is beautiful and the relationships brought to life within its pages are so vivid. My favorite and first 5 star read of 2025.

Content Warnings

submerged_animatronic's review against another edition

1.25

medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

We need a prequel origin story about the mother, and how she became simultaneously a passionate social worker and a person who supports her ex husband getting it on with a severely abused teenage girl

Content Warnings

smartcookiesca's review against another edition

3.0

emotional hopeful reflective sad tense 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

Content Warnings

chelle22's review against another edition

3.0

emotional

Content Warnings

susansantos's review against another edition

4.5

emotional inspiring sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

This was the first book I read by Jennifer Hartmann. I loved her writing because it made the story so beautiful to read and made the characters feel so real. The struggles that Haley had to face were heartbreaking, but throughout the book she had major character development. The love story of the main characters was lovely but at times heartbreaking. Not going to lie I did cry a couple times while reading! I would recommend for anyone that likes contemporary romance/age gap romance. The only reason I didn’t give a five stars was because there were a couple points where I felt it dragged. Amazing! Will be reading more by this author for sure

Content Warnings

kyras_reads's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

SPOILERS AHEAD…

🖤

Halley and Reed quite literally broke my heart 10 times over in these 430 pages. This book took me through such a roller coaster and I genuinely didn’t know if I was going to be okay there for a while.

For the longest time, I was really struggling to decide if I could find it in me to root for these two after how their relationship started. But, of course the more we got to know and love them, the easier it got to see why they fit together and that even if it didn’t make sense, they were what each other needed.

Now listen, before the good stuff, I refuse to get into the logistics of having a family with someone half your age because it’s just messy and this is fiction but if these two had been closer in age, everyone would have been all for it. I mean, their personalities were absolutely made for each other so does it really matter?

As exciting as the forbidden aspect always is, the best parts for me were the moments when they had genuine connection, not based on lust but on some deeper feeling… you knew in those moments that there was something real between them.

But the slow burn? My god, that almost killed me!

Honestly, that first “taste” was ridiculously hot and I knew from that moment it was going to be like a tsunami when they finally gave in to one another after so much time.

I loved that Reed was genuinely a good man and dad and did something amazing with his life, helping survivors feel and be stronger. He helped Halley not only overcome some of her emotional trauma but he helped her become physically stronger and capable of defending herself if she ever needed to again.

When the time came for everything to blow up, I knew it was going to be rough. And it broke my heart for both of them but especially for Halley, who lost so much already and had to give up the first stable place she had ever lived and the only semblance of family she had ever known.

The goodbye she and Reed shared had me sobbing and that’s when I knew that if they didn’t end up together, it may actually break a little part of me.

But, fortunately for me, there was still a love story to be had. I appreciate that they had some time apart for Halley to really get a chance to experience whatever she wanted to without Reed for a while, even if she didn’t take full advantage of that. When they were finally able to come back together, it felt right. It felt like they had worked out all of the things they tried for so long to pretend weren’t issues. It felt like they finally decided to stop fighting and to resign themselves to the fact that they were going to be drawn to each other no matter who or what was trying to stand between them. It felt like they finally knew they were in love and that was never going to change no matter how much space or time or adversity they had between them.

These two fought like hell to come out of their heartbreak in one piece and they earned the acceptance they got.

I may never hear Wonderwall again and not think about Halley and Reed. 🖤

Favorite quotes:

“Love is weak. Love is selfish. It’s not this fairy-tale illusion of candy hearts and paper flowers. It’s messy and painful. But it’s always worth it.”

“As much as a girl can love the next best thing.”

Tropes:

Age-Gap (17 years)

Forbidden/Best Friends Dad

Slow Burn

Angsty

BONUS:

90’s Nostalgia

Spice:

3.5 🌶️

Content Warnings

528's review against another edition

4.5

My first book from Jennifer Hartman and I'm definitely going to check out her other work.

Liked it a lot

- age gab
- slow burn'ish
They had an instant connection but the moment he realized she's only 17 and he's 34 he backed out. He denied himself a long time which I loved. I hate the whole insta love/lust thing. Especially when characters immediately throw there morals out of the window.
- traumatized heroine from domestic abuse.

Content Warnings

paperbacksandsnacks's review against another edition

5.0

emotional hopeful sad 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

I picked this book up and then didn’t put it down until hours later when I’d finished it. Are you JOKING? I didn’t sleep!

This is my first Jennifer Hartmann and definitely won’t be the last. The writing style was so so beautiful and poetic. I was emotional the whole way through, seeing the way Halley fought so hard to overcome her harrowing childhood and the way she found a family after all that time. The message of finding the joy in all the little moments (blips) was so poignant too. Capture moments always ❤️

I loved the characters so much, and I was rooting for them all. But the love between Reed and Halley was so palpable I honestly just wanted to wrap them both up and assure them it was all gonna be okay and that they’d be okay in the end. I was also so tense because I just kept waiting for their secret to be revealed and I was preparing for the heartbreak. Just super emotive and deep writing. It felt like more than just an age gap romance. Lots of beautiful quotes and life lessons within.

The warnings for this book are severe. If any theme of abuse is too much for you then I wouldn’t read this. It’s so so sad and doesn’t hide a single reality so please be careful with your hearts ❤️

*I have put adult/minor relationship in the warnings as in this book the FMC starts out being 17 (although the relationship doesn’t fully begin here) for where I live, and the state the story is set this age is legal but I wanted to just put that out there for those of you who may feel differently*

Content Warnings

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