The best thing I can say about this book is if you love forbidden elements then please please go into this as blind as possible.

4 ⭐
I didn’t want to fall for this… but I did. Hard.

Halley met him on a night full of silence, sorrow, and stars,a night she never meant to be seen.
Bruised and bone-tired from a life of neglect, she was seventeen and just trying to breathe.
And then… Reed found her.

He didn’t ask questions.
He didn’t push.
He simply saw her,really saw her for the first time in her entire life.

He called her Halley, like the comet.
She called him Reed.
And her best friend?
Well… she called him Dad.

From that moment on, something shifted. Something dangerous.
Something forbidden.

Now, if you’re like me and hear “age gap romance” and immediately scream 🚩 — I get it.
I ran toward this book with every hesitation loaded and ready. Seventeen and thirty-four? Best friend’s dad?? The potential for disaster was immense.

But Jennifer Heartmann didn’t write this as a scandal. She wrote it as a salvation.
Because here’s the thing: they don’t act on their feelings until Halley is an adult.
This isn’t about lust.
It’s about two broken people who recognize the ache in each other and fight it, hard, until they no longer can.

"You just had to be so perfect. My white knight. My rescuer. You had to be everything I’ve dreamed about, every wish I’ve made on falling stars and birthday candles and pennies in mall fountains, and you had to make me fall in love with you."

That line? It wrecked me.

Their connection is soul-deep. The angst? Relentless.
The passion doesn’t explode right away—it simmers. It waits.
And by the time they finally give in, years after the first encounter,it’s not scandalous.
It’s inevitable.

Set in the 1990s, this book is dripping in nostalgia. The music, the atmosphere, the emotional weight of a time before phones and filters, it all made me feel like I was there. It wasn’t just a backdrop. It was a heartbeat.

And even now, with Halley grown and the years stretched between them, Reed’s name still lingers like both a wound and a wish on her lips.

Because some love stories?
They don’t fade.
They haunt.
They burn.
And they never quite let go.

Fair warning: If age-gap or forbidden romances aren’t your thing, or if you’re sensitive to taboo themes, this probably isn’t the book for you. But if you can handle the angst and complexity, it might just break your heart in all the right ways.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

I'm really behind on my ARCs, so I ended up actually listening to a finished copy of this book on audio from my library. Let me start by sharing that I really like Jennifer Hartmann's writing. Lotus is a wonderful book, and I want to read more by her. However, this book was just alright for me.

This is an age gap romance where a 17 year old girl meets a 34 year old man at a party. She lies to him about her age (saying she's 21) and it seems like there is an instant lust/attraction between the two of them. However, when the man finds out she is 17, he is disgusted by his attraction and berates himself for being such a nasty, gross, disgusting person. Repeatedly.

They end up having a couple of other chance encounters, but then things get really sticky when Halley finds out that Reed is actually her best friend's dad. Whoops! And because Halley comes from a very abusive family, her best friend's mom has taken her in, and now Halley is essentially her best friend's "sister". So of course Reed and Halley can't avoid each other now.

I liked the writing in this book, and Jennifer Hartmann does a good job of pacing stories and building interesting characters. However, there is a LOT of repetition around the "should we shouldn't we" of the age gap. And it got a bit tired for me. Also I'm not sure if this really was a "true love" story, or more immature lust/obsession on both of their parts. The sex scenes are descriptive to a point where I even felt a little off put imagining the two of them together. But also the way they have sex it's almost like Reed is trying to not have emotions or get attached and it feels pretty empty at times, so I'm not sure why Halley was so in love with him, unless it was almost a twisted seeking a stable father figure she never had sort of thing.

Anyway, that is probably too much detail, and I don't think it's too spoiler-y because this is being marketed as an age-gap romance. If you like Jennifer Hartmann and age gap, you'll probably like this. If you don't like age-gap and you haven't read anything by Hartmann, I'd recommend reading one of her other works instead.

I loved this book. It was so emotional and addictive. It was my first from this author and I will definitely be going back for more! Thank you so much!

Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books for an arc of this book.

Jennifer Hartmann never misses. Admittedly, this isn’t my favourite trope, but the angst and pining really won me over.

Halley and Reed are our main characters, who meet by happenstance at a house party. They are immediately drawn to each other. They almost leave together, when Reed is accidentally filled in on just how old Halley is.. or isn’t.

They then find out that they’re connected in more ways than just that one night encounter - Reed is Halley's best friend's dad. Here starts our mutual attraction, pining, and angst. The love between these two was intense, and we were constantly in a “will they, won’t they?” back and forth.

I really liked the found-family with Halley and Tara’s family, and thought that the way that Reed was so torn and conflicted with his feelings for Halley was understandable. My only issue was the third act conflict. I knew that it was coming, but I didn’t like how it played out. Tara was so frustrated with Reed and how he was a monster, but made it all about what she had gone through. I just thought it was a bit of a reach in why she was so upset.

I would 100% recommend to anyone looking for a forbidden age-gap romance.

This started a bit slower than some of the titles I have read previously from JH. But once it got going I really enjoyed it! The dynamic between the two the angst and of course Hartmann making your cry is part of every staple JH book!

3.5 stars
I’ll start off by saying that age gap usually isn’t for me, especially if the girl is underage. I took a chance on this book and was pleased that it didn’t fall into some of those traps. However, at 16+hrs, it just became bogged down in repetitive angst and drama. The book as a whole nailed the beginning and ending. I would have just liked it more if it had been shorter or had more external plot.

Rating: 4.25/5

- forbidden romance (best friend’s dad)
- age gap (he’s 17 years older)
- 🌶️🌶️.5/5
- dual pov

Oh, how I’ve grown to love a toxic, messy, complicated, completely forbidden romance. Older delivers it all.

Halley and Reed meet unexpectedly when she’s seventeen, and the connection is instant. But once Reed finds out her age, he distances himself. Everything shifts after a heartbreaking incident involving Halley’s abusive father, and she ends up moving in with her new best friend, Tara, and her mom. The twist? Reed is Tara’s dad (but her parents are separated).

Their forbidden romance builds slowly, through quiet moments, stolen glances, self-defence lessons, and how they understand each other like no one else. They try to resist what’s growing between them, but the tension eventually breaks. When they finally give in, things become even more complicated. Note that Halley is nineteen at the time and feels much older after everything she’s endured.

Eventually, Reed is forced to choose between Halley and Tara, and he puts Halley first. It’s a painful decision that damages both relationships for him. But it proves how far he’s willing to go for the person he loves. It's not a linear path, but they finally get their HEA years later.

So, if you’re craving a story filled with forbidden longing, angst, and that delicious push-and-pull dynamic, Older is one to add to your list.

[arc review]
Thank you to NetGalley and Bloom Books for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Older releases May 6, 2025

Halley lives off of life’s fleeting moments — it’s hard not to, when her entire life at home has been faced with endless hardships. When things drastically escalate with her abusive father, Halley’s guardianship is transferred to her best friend’s mother. The only downside? Her best friend’s father just so happens to be the older man whom she shared a fleeting moment with the previous summer.

I was not expecting this book to end up so… aggravating? It felt like it <u>never</u> wanted to fully commit to being a taboo/forbidden romance, which resulted in unsatisfying character arcs all around. The fact that Reed and Halley barely even reached a HFN by the last chapter was exacerbating, and by that point, I was content with them going their separate ways.
I truly had such high hopes in seeing Halley build her confidence and love someone deeply when finally given the opportunity to do so, but the conflict really fumbled everything.
There also wasn’t enough substance to convince me that Halley and Scotty actually had such a “close” friendship.

I'm a fan of Jennifer Hartmann, but this one took me awhile to get into. Started off slow and a lot like every other taboo romance novel I've read lately. Eventually I was glad that I kept reading and didn't DNF - Hartmann is very much her own brand in this space by the end of books, but at the beginning I was rolling my eyes a lot. I did end up liking it and do recommend, but I would tell people to temper expectations and be patient.

Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. I appreciate it!

🌟 5
🌶️ 3.5
🎧 4.5

✨ NetGalley ARC ✨

🌊 Age Gap // Taboo Romance
🌊 Daddy issues (literally)
🌊 Single Dad // Father figure
⚠️ dark themes, bad home life
🌊 Slow Burn 🔥
🌊 Workout montage // teach me to defend myself (“That looked more like foreplay than fighting.”)
🌊 Tensionnnnnn simmering tensionnnn
🌊 Pining // Unrequited (kinda required but ‘shouldn’t’) love
🌊 Well earned “f it” moment

Beautifully written! The authors tone, writing style; aside from WHAT the story is about, is written is great. I had to compliment that separately.

My heart ached for so long with the ebbs and flows of this story, the relationship building brick by brick, moment by moment, and before you know it you’re cemented in their love, however taboo, however you would disagree with the circumstances (esp in real life). And even though Reed wasn’t perfect, he felt realistic, what Halley needed in so many ways.

“A beautiful, forsaken mess.”

X

Went into the book completely blind and I was somewhat pleasantly surprised. Though usuallu not a big fan of age-gap romances, this one hooked me. Though there were some problematic parts to it, and perhaps too much trope trauma dumping, I still wanted to know how it all would wrap up and enjoyed it overall.

Jennifer Hartmann can do no wrong! Loved this age gap, best friends dad romance sm <3 listened to the audiobook and it was SO GOOD

"No one’s ever stood up for you like that before, haven’t they? No one‘s ever fought. And that’s bullshit. You deserve to have someone in your corner, fighting like hell for you. For your honor, you’re worth. I want to be that person. I’ll be that guy … even if that’s all I’ll ever be.”

This was a really great age gap and taboo romance. I really like Halley. She had an awful childhood with an abusive father and a mother who didn’t care. I loved how her best friend Tara and her mother Whitney took Halley in. The chemistry between Halley and Reed was perfect. It made for a great story that Reed ends up being Tara’s dad. I loved all of the mutual pining we get and the steamy scenes perfect. At times I found Tara and Halley’s relationship annoying since it seemed like Halley was way too mature for Tara at times. That being said, I loved how the story and relationship developed between Reed and Halley and I loved the ending!

Read if you like:
Dual POVs
Age gap
Forbidden romance
Mutual pining
Best friend’s dad
Forced proximity
Protective hero
Slow burn romance
Taboo romance

A forbidden age-gap, slow-burn romance packed with angst

Halley is a young woman who’s had a tough start in life. From abuse to neglect, she’s been wandering through life searching for a way out—until she meets Reed at a house party.

I usually find age-gap romances a bit tricky. On one hand, I can see the appeal and chemistry, but they often feel a little off to me. Add in the forbidden element—he’s her best friend’s dad—and I was worried it would cross into creepy territory. But it absolutely didn’t.

The chemistry between Halley and Reed felt genuine, and Reed’s efforts to keep his distance made the story even more compelling. Their connection was too powerful to ignore, and the relationship was written with care and depth—never sleazy.

The slow-burn tension and will-they/won’t-they dynamic made it completely addictive. And the way the author goes into detail about how these relationships affect those around them too gave such great context to the other characters in the book.

Jennifer Hartmann is one of my favourite authors. Every book of hers hits differently, and I’m so glad I finally picked this one up. It’s been on my TBR for a while, and the new edition print was the perfect excuse to dive in.

If you’re usually unsure about age-gap romances, I’d still recommend giving this a try—it really exceeded my expectations.

Trigger warnings: This book contains scenes and references to child abuse and violence.

The tea ☕️

❤️- Age gap romance
🚫 - forbidden romance
💔 - child abuse and violence
🔥 - slow burn
🌶️ - 3/5

Ｅｂｏｏｋ Ｒｅｖｉｅｗ
🌟🌟
Older by Jennifer Hartmann.
I have read a few books by Jennifer Hartmann, with all different difficult tropes, but this age gap, forbidden romance, is different. I don't think I can get past the fact that the female lead is 17 and the male character is 30-something. I'm 31 and I can't even imagine a love interest being 17. Just my opinion, so I'm going to DNF at 20%! I know it's fiction, but I can't get past the huge age gap. Sorry!

Thank you, NetGalley for the ebook in exchange for my honest review.

4 stars! If you love books with lots of angst and age gap, specifically the best friend’s dad trope, then this one is for you! Emotional rollercoaster frrrr

This was a wonderful read and romance. The relationship was never forced and seeing the natural progression of these characters really helped to immerse me in the story.

read if you looove…
✨best friend’s dad
✨angst & hurt/comfort
✨set in the 90’s
✨forbidden//age gap

OOOHHHH the tension. the yearning. the angst. the “I know we shouldn’t but I want to.” this one was absolutely delicious. I finished this book in less than 24 hours because I just had to know where these two were going. I was so captivated by this one and I couldn’t put it down. this was my first Jennifer Hartmann, and it definitely won’t be my last.

I feel like I never know what to expect when I start a Jennifer Hartmann book (with this only being the second so far). But she always takes us on such a rollercoaster of emotions, this one was no different.

We follow Reed and Halley, and we get that instant forbidden love.

At a party, Halley lies about her age. Makes herself a little bit older. Reed’s trying to find his daughter. He meets Halley out back by the water, they have a long conversation, and had they not been interrupted - it would have gone much further.

Coming from an abusive household, Halley moves in with her best friend and her mom. The guy she just so happened to lie about her age to months previously? Well yeah, that ends up being her best friend’s dad.

I want to say she’s 16 at the start, but the two have such a strong connection. Their relationship (the physical aspects) happens after she’s 18. So I can see this potentially triggering some people. Even the best friend ends up hating her dad when it gets out and has claims that he groomed her growing up. So, you know, it’s different for everyone.