A chance meeting at a party, an instant connection, and a lie.... that spirals when two people who definitely shouldn't be falling for each other meet again and everything is put on the line if their secret gets out. Halley comes from an abusive home that she has to endure and when she's locked out of her house she decides to hang out at a party... where she meets Reed, a older gorgeous man who is twice her age who is looking for his daughter at the same party. They have an instant connection and Halley lies about her age... but before anything happens her lie is revealed and she runs off. Then after a terrible fight at her home that makes it impossible and unsafe for her to return she is taken in by her new friend Tara... Tara who introduces Halley to her dad... who happens to be Reed, the guy Halley has a connection to that she definitely shouldn't. Halley and Reed definitely shouldn't give into their feelings but being in constant proximity to each other isn't helping... and every time they're in a room together the connection is undeniable. What is Halley and Reed willing to risk if their secret is found out and just how far will they take it before it implodes in their face? As a lover of age gap romances this was a sweet slow burn one and I definitely enjoyed it. I do think that if you enjoy Birthday Girl by Penelope Douglas you'll have a fantastic time with this one. Halley has been through so much but still stays so hopeful about everything while Reed is a realist but he just cares so much. I really devoured this book and definitely loved the slow burn of it all.

Release Date: May 6, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books | Bloom Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Thank you SO much for this book!!! Man the tension was realllll in this book!! I love a good age gap, forbidden romance!

Older by Jennifer Hartmann was such a good read. It was a slow burn with a lot of tension, it was sad, and it was romantic. I have a love hate relationship with Reed he could be really stupid but also he will always have my heart.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

Jennifer Hartmann has a way of writing about intense situations with high emotional impact and endearing characters who make you be invested in their happily ever after. That is what I love about her writing...but I could do without the spice that also is included on the pages. She does a great job of writing the emotional intimacy between couples and that is what captures me.

To be honest, this book was almost too much of an age gap romance, not the number of years between but when the physical attraction began with Halley being 17 (but she lied to Reed about her age.) Halley had so much trauma/abuse from her parents and felt way older than her years. The connection to Reed seemed genuine and the two felt equal on a maturity level on some sense. But then I was hit with the reality that Halley was 17! Definitely a lot of gray moments...and Reed was her best friend's dad to add another layer.

I was really conflicted on this one between enjoying sweet moments to feeling icky when I really thought about things.

3 stars

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Well I was not prepared for this book to be what it was. At all. I very much went into this book with absolutely no context whatsoever. This wasn’t my first time reading this author and I feel like I should’ve been somewhat mentally prepared for the roller coaster this book took me on. But alas, here we are.

What a ride. What a beautiful journey. What beautiful characters. What a touching story. I don’t think there was anything that I didn’t love about this book. Halley and Reed are really something special. They're both flawed characters, but they’re characters you’re rooting for from the very beginning of the story. This book ripped my heart out and then put all the pieces back together again. Honestly, it had me wiping my tears away while I was at work. But in the end, it was so worth it. It touched my soul and will always hold a special place in my heart.

Another top read for 2025!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Upon finding out the FMC is 17 when the first spice scene happens, (and she lied to him about her age, after the fact her personality is trying to be edgy) this was a DNF for me. I personally just feel icky when any romance happens when the FMC is underage.

Finished in a day it was a beautiful story. I would have liked for her to have been at least a year older when they met. Loved the soul bond these two shared. There was a very necessary slow burn along with so much angst and longing. I couldn’t put it down I was addicted.

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https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7546269812

https://amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R30MJHD5IRAM08?ref=pf_ov_at_pdctrvw_srp

“He sees me”

First of all, thank you so much for the ARC NetGalley. This book was amazing. Jennifer Hartmann has done it again giving you all the feels and just the right amount of spice.

🌶️🌶️

Reed + Halley

-forbidden romance
-secret relationship
-best friends dad
-slow burn age gap
-single dad

yall. i am TORN IN PIECES DEADDDD over this book!! jen did it again! she took all the broken, fragile & raw pieces of my heart…THREW THEM IN A BLENDER TO BREAK INTO FINE DUST….just to someone make paper mache out of it all somehow to bring it back together. did i love this book? well…in the famous words of halley like the comet….”it’s my favorite.” 🙂🫠😭

Halley and Reed meet one night and the sparks fly! This book reminded me of Birthday Girl which I love. I loved both of the main characters. Perfect Age Gap/Forbidden romance!

Thank you NetGalley and Bloom Books for the arc of this book.

Didn’t finish this one around the 30% mark. I was struggling and couldn’t get into the storyline at all

Hartmann’s writing always pulls me in, and this was no different. It had strong emotions, good character development, and kept me hooked the whole time. I’m giving it 4 stars because it was well done, even if some of the themes made me a little uncomfortable at times.
It’s not for everyone, and I wouldn’t recommend it without a heads-up, but if you like emotional reads that push some boundaries, this might be for you.

Halley & Reed
Age Gap
Secret Romance
Best Friends Dad
Found Family
Slow Burn

A good friend told me months ago that I needed to read this, and for some reason, it's taken me until now to do so. Oh my. I am obsessed.

Jennifer has written some phenomenal books, but I think this one might just be my favourite of hers 😭

From the very start, I was captivated by Halley and Reed, needing to know more about each of them and their back story.

When Halley learns who Reed is, I was so giddy kicking my feet realising just how forbidden this one was going to be 🤭

This is the true definition of a slow burn romance at it's finest, and it shows that love is not always straightforward, but when it's real then it's definitely worth fighting for ❤️

This is an absolutely incredible read & listen, the narrators are simply fantastic. If you're on the fence about picking this one up, don't hold off like I did, dive in straight away 🥰

I will forever wish I could read this book for the first time all over again. 😭😭😭 Halley and Reeds story was beautiful!!! FIVE STARS. Bravo!

3.5 stars rounded down to 3 stars. This book was so well written and could easily be a 5 star for so many people but unfortunately the subject matter was just too uncomfortable for me. If you are not a fan of age gap romances, I would definitely steer clear of this one - this was my first and will definitely be my last of this trope.

The characters were loveable and you definitely grow attached to them, but there are also definitely moments where you want to scream at them!

Oh my gosh. The slow burn was chefs kiss and I couldn’t put this down. The way Jennifer tells Halley’s story is so well crafted that it immerses you in the character as if you are the character and I loved it. The Halley and Reed were just sooooooo perfect for each other.

Firstly, let me say that I am the worst at reading a blurb, adding a book to my TBR, then never reading the blurb again before I start the book. I like a surprise; however, in this case, it wasn't the surprise I wanted.

Who knows why, but my brain thought this was an old woman, younger man story. It was not.

In fact, it was a MUCH younger girl (17 when they meet) and him in his mid-30s. I think if the FMC had been in her mid-20s, I may have liked this more, but it gave me the ick a few times. The FMC even fails her last year of high school and has to repeat it.

I know there are heaps of people who love age gap romance, and I've enjoyed a few along the way, but this was a miss for me.

3 stars

Please check trigger warnings before reading this.

Thank you to Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love everything this author writes. It was so angsty and entertaining. I am so happy I had the opportunity to read it. Definitely a recommendation.

The first 50% of this book had me in an absolute chokehold. I was kicking and screaming and so giddy for this age gap romance. Somewhere along the way, the book took a turn….not in a negative way.. just with my emotions. I then started being pissed off at every character. All of them were gonna catch these hands….but then they flipped the script AGAIN and I ended up loving the conclusion this book came to. Not my favorite Jennifer Hartmann book, but definitely a great read overall - especially if you like steamy age gap romances.

There's very few things in life that are absolute certainties, and me reading a Jennifer Hartmann book and sobbing like a baby is one of them. OLDER exceeded all of my expectations. Very few books manage to make me cry but I just couldn't hold back while reading this. The last 30% or so had me an absolute emotional wreck - Reed and Halley's story is so heartbreakingly beautiful that I couldn't put it down despite the mess it had me in.
Jennifer is such an incredible author - her characters, her world-building, the storylines - I'll never not get excited every time she releases a new book. Now, if I could only get her to write a story for Whitney and Radley...