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528's review
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.
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
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Alcoholism
paperbacksandsnacks's review
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
5.0
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*
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
Graphic: Alcoholism, Blood, Car accident, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Animal death, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Animal cruelty, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
bookswithvicky's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I love this story so much! It will break you.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
nikkijeanreads's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
If there is one thing you can count on Jennifer Hartmann to do, it is deliver consistent writing. Time and time again, she produces characters that bury themselves deep within your heart, where they leave you vulnerable to the weight of the trauma and heartache that accompanies them.
Older is an age gap romance that brings together an unlikely pairing, the result of a chance encounter one fateful night. As a reader, you will learn that this connection comes with extra baggage in the form of secrets, angst, and is forbidden and taboo.
While the MMC often left me feeling frustrated and, at times, angry, his redeemable qualities somehow managed to keep me cheering in their corner for a HEA.
Hartmann, a queen in the art of the slow-burn romance, held out as long as painfully possible before delivering steamy love scenes that had me tossing my opinions out the window and begging for more.
Born in the 80s, the bulk of my teenage years were spent in the 90s, and I absolutely loved the nostalgia felt while reading about items like compac discs, pagers, and beanie babies. I believe the choice to deliver this story within this decade allowed me to feel more connected as though these individuals could have been friends of mine once in the past.
Older is a great choice for those who enjoy taboo concepts, a found family storyline, have an open mind, and love a HEA.
Older is an age gap romance that brings together an unlikely pairing, the result of a chance encounter one fateful night. As a reader, you will learn that this connection comes with extra baggage in the form of secrets, angst, and is forbidden and taboo.
While the MMC often left me feeling frustrated and, at times, angry, his redeemable qualities somehow managed to keep me cheering in their corner for a HEA.
Hartmann, a queen in the art of the slow-burn romance, held out as long as painfully possible before delivering steamy love scenes that had me tossing my opinions out the window and begging for more.
Born in the 80s, the bulk of my teenage years were spent in the 90s, and I absolutely loved the nostalgia felt while reading about items like compac discs, pagers, and beanie babies. I believe the choice to deliver this story within this decade allowed me to feel more connected as though these individuals could have been friends of mine once in the past.
Older is a great choice for those who enjoy taboo concepts, a found family storyline, have an open mind, and love a HEA.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse and Domestic abuse
the_love_librarian's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Older is the perfect title for this book. Halley is about half the age of Reed, the hero. I won't say what the ages are, as that is important to the overall story and how everything unfolds. So age gap aside, it also doesn't help that Halley is best friends with and lives with Reed's daughter and his ex, the mother of their child. Their connection is not ideal for anyone, including themselves. As much as they try to ignore the bond they established during their meet cute, inevitably they end up growing closer and tumble into an intimate relationship that they both know will end in them being together or being broken up and hurting everyone they love.
The forbidden nature of their relationship is what I enjoyed the most. The author had me entranced with Halley and Reed's interactions, each one purposeful and intended to build towards things turning physical and creating a "love" connection. That aside, Halley as a heroine was strong and resilient, given what she'd gone through. Both with and without Reed's help, Halley was able to become an independent, successful women in spite of circumstances that used to hold her down.
However, this isn't going to be a 5 star for two reasons: (1) the meet cute was weird. All I'll say is Reed had no reason to go back to that house party, and I couldn't get over that, and (2) though the characters became intimate and spent time together, it was under the cloak of being forbidden. When their secret blew up in their face, the ending was a bit rushed, and the epilogue was a typical time jump that shows the HEA in the future. Due to how long they weren't an actual couple, I would've loved to see Reed and Halley together more in the open, as they finally deserved. These issues aside, it was still a solid release from this author, and I'd recommend it!
TRIGGER WARNINGS (there were none listed in the ARC, but hopefully they'll be listed in the final version): domestic abuse (father is physically and verbally abusive of heroine, on page), parental neglect (mother doesn't stop the abuse)
The forbidden nature of their relationship is what I enjoyed the most. The author had me entranced with Halley and Reed's interactions, each one purposeful and intended to build towards things turning physical and creating a "love" connection. That aside, Halley as a heroine was strong and resilient, given what she'd gone through. Both with and without Reed's help, Halley was able to become an independent, successful women in spite of circumstances that used to hold her down.
However, this isn't going to be a 5 star for two reasons: (1) the meet cute was weird. All I'll say is Reed had no reason to go back to that house party, and I couldn't get over that, and (2) though the characters became intimate and spent time together, it was under the cloak of being forbidden. When their secret blew up in their face, the ending was a bit rushed, and the epilogue was a typical time jump that shows the HEA in the future. Due to how long they weren't an actual couple, I would've loved to see Reed and Halley together more in the open, as they finally deserved. These issues aside, it was still a solid release from this author, and I'd recommend it!
TRIGGER WARNINGS (there were none listed in the ARC, but hopefully they'll be listed in the final version): domestic abuse (father is physically and verbally abusive of heroine, on page), parental neglect (mother doesn't stop the abuse)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse
books_are_written_dreams's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
slow-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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Domestic abuse
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