Reviews

I like it when I can identify with a book and also when a book sets me pondering. This book ticked both boxes for me. As a young person, I had a few crushes on somewhat older women and never really thought about what the mutual attraction might feel like to them. Since listening to this book, I will be thinking about that.

This was a well written book that, for me, was a little long on the angst but delivered an interesting and thought provoking story. It was certainly steamy. I think I could have used a little more development of the relationship outside the sexual chemistry to make it believable that they would last and desire to be a couple but, other than that, I felt the story to be quite plausible. I felt the reaction of Quinn's parents and Maya's fear of her son's reaction to be especially believable parts of the storyline.

As per usual, Angela Dawe did a stellar job with the narration and had me rewinding just to hear certain bits.

brynk's review

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medium-paced

2.75

lezreadalot's review against another edition

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4.0

Maya would be equally exquisite in the city. She could easily eclipse the most breath-taking places in the world.

3.5 stars. This was just missing a teensy bit more of what I needed to make it a truly effective romance, but it also succeeded in so many other ways, making this such a charming read. Bliss can be pretty hit or miss for me, and this has happily landed squarely in the 'hit' pile. It's an age-gap romance between Maya, an older divorcee, and Quinn, the daughter of her next door neighbours.

I really liked where this began and where it took us. It's a 'one-night-stand turns into something more' sort of romance, but they don't see each other for ten entire years after their night together, so it's also a second chance. Quinn is confident and flirty during their first time, while Maya is vastly more reserved and hesitant, given how much older she is and the fact that she's never before been attracted to a woman. The seduction ended up feeling just right for me; just enough pushing on Quinn's part, and when Maya capitulates, it feels joyful and natural. Just like it feels natural that she's later determined to never see Quinn and never speak of that night again, even though they were both so moved by it. What I like best about this is that when they meet again years later, they're both living their lives and moving on, even though they think of each other often. Quinn has had several relationships, has genuinely fallen in (and out) of love in the intervening time. Maya has a fulfilling family life with her son and grandson, and is actively trying to date other women. So the fact that they still come back together and feel this irresistible pull to each other is way more compelling to me than if they'd pined for each other for ten years. They come back into each other's lives and it's clear that absolutely no one else will do. So I loved that about it, and the slow, halting journey they took towards being together. Sometimes I read an age-gap and I can't fathom how these two people will last, but Maya and Quinn had genuine chemistry that I really liked.

I really do wish that the time span in the present-day period had been longer, though. It would have definitely felt more impactful then. I wanted to see more of them building a foundation, since this is the first time they're actually getting to know each other in a romantic sense, and not just as neighbours with a huge age gap. Really liked the way the third act played out, even though it felt like the tension got resolved a bit too quickly. I didn't love everything about the writing, and there were a few word choices that had me squinting. (I want someone to sit me down and explain exactly what they mean when they say 'post woke'.)

Listened to the audiobook as read by Angela Dawe. I've been listening to a fair amount of her books lately, and I don't feel burnt out at all. She just performs so well, without being too dramatic or overdone. Her Maya voice is one of my favourites in her repertoire. And this is one of those cases where the narration really elevated the text; I might not have given this such a high rating, if I'd read it physically. I do appreciate Bliss's books, because even though she revisits certain themes and topics a lot, like age-gaps, her books always have enough originality, and enough of a down-to-earth charm amidst the taboo, and that often makes me really like them.

“You remembered.”
“Some things are impossible to forget.”

banrions's review against another edition

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3.0

This was… fine. Mostly good. I didn’t love it the way some other reviewers seemed to. I think my disconnect was with the character, Quinn, and not… totally buying into the romance, because of that.

I have a complicated, almost love/hate thing with the age gap trope in romances. I straight up hate them 9 times outta 10 in hetero romances, especially if the man is the older one in the dynamic and especially once they get over 20 years difference. (When Quinn is asking if Maya thinks older men who date women are pervs, trying to get her to be into the idea, I snorted and said “yeah” out loud.) I’m much more susceptible to them in sapphic stories, but when they do get to be such large gaps of like 20+ years, sometimes I’m not as into it. I spent a lot of this book being like, “no Maya, your instincts that this is weird are right lol” and I think I figured out where this one slightly rubbed me the wrong way. Quinn being so into older women, like only going for romantic prospects that are like 20+ years older than her, it being like, her Whole Thing, alllllllllmost felt fetishistic? juuuust slightly, to me. Maybe not quite that, but it was enough to rub me the wrong way, just the slightest bit, and I never quite got over that, especially in the initial impression of her when she was 24 and seducing Maya in the beginning. I didn’t like her, much. Her cockiness wasn’t charming, to me, and while she mellowed out at 34 when we spend most of the story with her, i never connected with her as much. I also thought she got over both her breakups with Rachel and (especially) Morgan really fast.

Maya, however, was lovely and I really liked her. The voice that narrator, Angela Dawe have her was absolutely intoxicating to listen to, though it surprised me almost that Maya’s voices and Quinn’s weren’t switched, initially. I kept thinking in the first few chapters that they were, and it took me a sec to realize that.

This was a perfectly serviceable and mostly fun time, and I think others will likely enjoy it more than I did.

jennabeebs79's review against another edition

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4.0

I'm always a sucker for age-gap romances and when Harper Bliss writes one, I'm all in! In this book, we met Maya and Quinn on a hot summer's day when Quinn, then 24 was staying with her parents for the month. Maya, a recent empty-nester was easily charmed by the millennial and against her better judgement spent a wonderful night of passion with her.

Fast forward ten years and the two met again. Neither had spoken of their forbidden night but all those feelings and emotions came tumbling back. Maya and Quinn needed to first accept their feelings for one another and then get over how their families would react to their relationship. This book was cute and spicy and a perfect read for a warm spring day!

I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

becloseau's review

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emotional 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? No

3.25

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