Reviews - Older (Deluxe Edition)

1.58k reviews for:

Older (Deluxe Edition)

Jennifer Hartmann

3.96 AVERAGE

kaycee9181's review against another edition

2.75

dark emotional medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Older. A very hyped book that had beautiful writing and a lovely found family.

Let’s just get into this:
Halley never expected the older man she met one night to be her best friend’s father, but their instant connection is impossible to ignore. As their slow‑burn romance grows, they must navigate past traumas, family ties, and the taboo nature of their relationship to find healing and love.

I have mixed feelings about this one. The writing was really beautiful at times, so lyrical and emotional. And the romance really clicked in a lot of ways that I loved. They certainly seemed very connected and drawn to each other!

But the story starts when Halley is 17, and while Reed does try to create some distance early on, it still made the dynamic hard for me to get past. Halley is such a young, vulnerable character when they meet so broken in a lot of ways and I kept wishing she’d been given more space for mentorship and emotional support before a romance came into play. I’ve read other age gap romances where the FMC is at least 18–20 and those felt more balanced. Here, the power dynamic just didn’t work for me personally.

That said, there were things I really enjoyed. The friendship between Halley and Tara was so genuine and sweet, and her mom was such a standout character. The found family vibes were strong and ended up being my favorite part of the story. Watching Halley slowly find her people and go through her healing journey was truly beautiful, and I wish more of the focus had stayed there.

I’ve seen a lot of people say why are you criticizing a taboo romance for being taboo but nowhere in the content warnings or description of the book does it say this one is taboo just age gap. If it had, I might have avoided it. So here’s your warning on that!

But read this one if these appeal to you:
✨Best Friend’s Dad
✨Age Gap
✨Hurt/Comfort
✨Found Family
✨Taboo/Forbidden Romance
✨Secret Relationship

alexisreads1619's review against another edition

3.0

emotional hopeful tense medium-paced

kotka2001's review against another edition

4.75

emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

bribreez's review

4.25

emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

4.25⭐️/ 3-4🌶️

*Check trigger warnings before reading

Jennifer Hartmann has a way of bringing emotional depth to each and every one of her stories, as well as making me feel sad at what her characters go through. In this instance, Halley Foster grew up in a difficult home with an abusive father and a mother who neglected her. With her home life in shambles and looking for other outlets to numb the pain, one night Halley found herself at a house party, but one that lead her to meeting a handsome mysterious man. Reed was just out looking for someone who was at said house party, but instead found himself intrigued by the young girl by the lake all by herself. In a night that quite literally changed everything for Reed and Halley, it seemed like the beginning of a romance, until…Reed found out that Halley was actually seventeen! What started as an instant connection was then filled with complications aside from the major age difference, but realizing the man she met that one night was actually her best friend’s DAD! Jennifer brought Halley and Reed’s story to life through the musical tone of the 90’s era, angst, sadness, emotional depth, a secret romance, and more.

I’ve read my fair share of age gap romances, but this one felt a little different compared to others I’ve read before. With the heavy topics discussed in this book and everything that both Halley and Reed dealt with throughout the book, this wasn’t a spicy, lighthearted age gap romances. Halley and Reed found themselves forming a deep connection before they even became aware of how close they actually were with Reed being Tara’s dad and Tara being Halley’s best friend. To some, this age gap romance might not be everyone’s cup of tea and that’s totally understandable. The thing I want to make clear though is that, nothing happened romantically until Halley was older at nineteen years old. Still, young age compared to Reed’s age, but nonetheless she was a bit older than if she was still seventeen which in my opinion is still under the age of consent. Anyways, Halley and Reed’s story was full of angst, heartbreak, and a forbidden love that spanned years. I felt myself at the edge of my seat wondering what would happen between Halley and Reed as they got closer and especially more once they started a secret relationship. There wasn’t a moment that didn’t pass me by where I could see just how much Reed and Halley loved each other. There was so much more complex things in this story that prevented Halley and Reed from being together out in the open. As much as Halley and Reed loved each other, their romance was a journey itself that saw go through different parts in their lives, and later as they got older.

Again, this age gap romance may not be for everyone, but I think the way Jennifer Hartmann wrote this book really highlighted the significance of the bond that Halley and Reed had together. Although, Halley often said that age didn’t matter, it was just a number, I will disagree and say it does matter when one person in the party is under the age of consent. Although, in Halley’s case it was an expectation since she was nineteen going on twenty by the time she and Reed started their romantic relationship. My point being, Halley and Reed together worked because, they both considered each other their equals and did whatever they could to help each other even in Reed’s case when he took the blame for everything even when it meant Tara (*his daughter) became angry at him. Needless to say, this story was full of angst and towards the end of the book I was left a anxious mess wondering if Halley and Reed would find a way back to each other or if the story would end without a happy ending. Thankfully, Jennifer didn’t leave me hanging and wrote the end of Halley and Reed’s story with a perfect happy ending and the addition of two little kids to join their family. The way the story progressed and actually took the time to resolve matters between Halley and Reed as well as with Tara really helped in the overall story and concluding the conflict. I think Halley and Reed’s story may have started untraditionally, but as time passed, they got older, and experienced things in their lives, one thing that never changed was the love between them. If you want to read an angst filled age gap romance with heartbreak, sadness, a hit of found family, and love then I think you’ll like this book.

Content Warnings