I am a big fan of age gap romances and really loved the premise of the FMC’s love interest being her best friend’s father. Unfortunately, I felt like this was a miss for me. The pacing of the novel threw me. There were lots of time jumps that occurred, some weeks/months apart and there was no thorough explanation regarding what happened/how these characters moved through that period apart from each other.

I did enjoy the inner turmoil Reed was going through when it came to acting on his feelings for Halley. That was well done, especially when he was considering the repercussions this would have on his relationships with Tara and Whitney. In regard to the slow burn aspect, I didn’t necessarily consider it one. The feelings they had for each other were pretty obvious to the reader and each other. Halley & Reed were also physical within the first few chapters even though the relationship didn’t fully progress again until later in the book.

I also really enjoyed the fact that Tara didn’t automatically pin the blame on Halley when her relationship with Reed was revealed, but chose to blame him instead. That was a very refreshing take that I don't think I've seen before. Overall I didn't hate it, but it fell a little flat.

This book was hot.

It threw me off a little because of her being underage in the beginning.

But by the end of the book I was rooting for them

UNREAL. I think that Jennifer Hartmann has a knack for tearjerkers because I was unhinged during the last 20%. This was a beautiful age-gap forbidden romance that was done so beautifully it felt like it was written in the stars. As long as you are good with 17 year age gaps, then I think this is 100% the move. I will be purchasing the re release in May!

💔 “He called me Halley, like the comet. I called him Reed. And my best friend? Well…she called him Dad.”
📸 OLDER by Jennifer Hartmann is the kind of story that lodges itself into your chest and refuses to leave. It’s heart-wrenching, forbidden, achingly tender—and beautifully written.
The connection between Halley and Reed is instant, but their slow-burn journey is packed with every ounce of angst you could crave. I felt every moment—every ache, every stolen glance, every whispered word of devotion they tried so hard not to say.
✨ Reed is the kind of hero who sees you. The kind who helps you heal without trying to fix you. Halley’s resilience and love for photography made me fall for her immediately. Their shared scars—literal and emotional—brought me to tears. And don’t even get me started on Gideon Frost’s narration in the audiobook 😮‍💨… voice crush for days.
The ONLY thing I wish? That we had more of them together. I would give anything for 50 more pages of warmth, healing, and the happiness they *earned.*
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ // A must-read if you love:
✔️ Forbidden Age-Gap
✔️ Best Friend’s Dad
✔️ Slow Burn
✔️ Healing from Trauma
✔️ “He sees me” energy 😭
🎧 Audiobook rec: A+++ performance from both narrators. You will cry.
💬 Have you read this one yet? Let’s sob together in the comments.
#OlderJenniferHartmann #JenniferHartmann #ForbiddenRomance #AgeGapRomance #BestFriendsDad #SlowBurnRomance #HeartbreakingLoveStory #HeFallsFirst #EmotionalRomance #ContemporaryRomance #RomanceBooks #BookReview #RomanceBookstagram #RomanceReaders #DarkRomance #NewAdultRomance #BookRecs #VoiceCrush #GideonFrost #AudiobookRomance #EmotionalReads #literaryhavocreviews #Sourcebooks #BloomBooks

“Falling for you has been the easiest thing I’ve ever done,” I confessed through the anguish. “Everything else? Painful. Torturous. Difficult beyond belief. But loving you…” The anger died out, flatlining to a dead pulse. “Effortless.”
-Halley

I’m not gonna lie, an age gap romance has to be done right or it isn’t good at all. This was done so incredibly well and I loved every single minute of it.

Reed Madsen alter my brain chemistry for the better, and Halley was the embodiment of strength and courage in times of hardships.

I’m not gonna lie, I was really worried they wouldn’t get there happily ever after but I’m so glad they did because I would not have been happy with the ending. They are two people who healed each other in really difficult times, yes, he is 17 years older than her but age is just a number lol.

Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Tropes:
✨ best friends dad
✨ age gap
✨ slow burn
✨ DV survivor
✨ he calls her comet

5 Pierogi Stars⭐️, 5 It’s My Favourite Stars⭐️, 5 Wonderwall Stars⭐️, 5 Hoppity Stars⭐️, 5 Bones Stars⭐️, 5 He Sees Me Stars⭐️, 5 Morning Glory Stars⭐️ 5 Oasis CD Stars⭐️, 5 Photograph Stars⭐️

Spicy Level: 🌶️🌶️/5

I have never had such difficulty assigning a "word" to my star rating that I have had for this book! There are just so many things that stood out, made a mark that I wanted to "immortalise" in my review and I just couldnt decide... SO I decided instead of just picking one. I WILL JUST USE THEM ALL!

I know I probably shouldn’t have liked this. It’s a taboo romance with a significant age gap (Halley is 17 when they meet but she lies about her age and says shes 21 and Reed is 34) so given I am BASICALLY the same age as the MMC, there was a part of me that kept going, would I ever be okay with this? Would I be attracted to a teenager? And I still don’t really have an answer… but damn, this book got me. And I mean there are definate "<25 year old" actors I find ATTRACTIVE...

𝙎𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨:
Halley Foster is in a very abusive household with a very neglectful alcoholic mother and a physically abusive father. One night, she is locked out of her house and so she decides to go to a house party, but instead ends up just sitting in the lake. Reed Madsen finds her in the lake looking for someone and they strike up a very philosophical and metaphorical conversation and have an instant connection. They end up fooling around a little and just as they decide to take things further, it comes out that she is 17 and not the 21 she told him. A couple of months go by and both of them can't get each other out of their minds. One day her dad gets violent, and after breaking her arm Halley moves in with her best friend and her best friends mom. Soon she realizes that this man who she keeps having encounters with is none other than her best friend's father. So now she's put in a situation where she has feelings for him, he has feelings for her, but there is no way that they can be together.

𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙁𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨:
Firstly if you pick up a book labelled taboo, you can’t get mad when it’s actually taboo, do not get upset by the age gap. I get it... this is not a book for everyone. The age gap is a little daughting but its stated right from the start what you are dealing with, so if this is not your cup of tea - do not read it... BUT while there is this gap you should know Reed never sexualises Hayley’s youth. Their first connection was based on a lie where he believes she IS OLDER, and I appreciated that nothing physical happened between them until she was over 18 after he found out her real age. And Reed never sexualised her being young. It wasn’t written to be creepy or gross, it was written as two people caught in something bigger than themselves.

This book physically wrecked me. I was sitting in a café reading with friend trying not to cry and totally failing. The last 20%? Pure emotional carnage. The whole book is fulled with the most beautuful longing, emotional pining and utter heartbreak as these two people who love each other deeply just can’t be together… it tore me up. I’ve always said that if a book can make me cry, it’s an automatic five stars... and this one did.

I adored Hayley. She’s young, but she’s had to grow up fast. Her home life has forced her to be independent, to take care of herself. She’s so hard on herself because she’s been conditioned to believe that mistakes are punishment. She’s traumatised, but she’s trying. She’s just trying to exist and make it through. I adored how much Tara and her Mom did for her, they became her safe haven, her family and it was precious how much they welcomes her into their home.

And oh my gosh Reed. He is not a perfect man, he is flawed, selfish and often doesnt make the right choices. But I loved how supportive he is. At the start Reed asked if Halley is lost, and while she might not have fully been, by the end of the book he is the one who helps her find herself. She finds her strength, her voice, her passion, her worth. That’s love and that is why this book was so emotionally impactful. It’s not about saving her, it’s about seeing her. He is one of the first people who not only supporting her, uplifts her. He Sees her and he does this over and over again. He chooses her happiness at the detiment of his own.

This was my first Jennifer Hartmann book, and I was completely captivated. The imagery, the emotion, the way she writes is like lyrical poetry. I stayed up way too late, woke up in the middle of the night to keep reading, and couldn’t look away. It had that “car crash” effect but not because it was bad but because I couldn't look away. I couldn't look away because it was raw, emotional, uncomfortable, tragic and so beautifully done.

𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▶ Forced Proximity
▶ Taboo/Forbidden Romance
▶ Best Friend's Dad
▶ Found Family
▶ Age Gap
▶ Secret Pining
▶ Touch Her You Die
▶ Slow Burn
▶ Tending to Injuries/Takes Care of Her when Sick
▶ Strangers to Lovers
▶ She Falls First - He Falls Harder

and 𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙧𝙤 𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▷ Car Sex
▷ Grey Sweatpants
▷ Nicknames
▷ Hand Necklaces
▷ Forhead Kisses
▷ Steamy/Spicy Water Scene
▷ "More"

Some people are going to hate this book. And that’s okay. But if you’re open to reading something that pushes boundaries, challenges your comfort zone, and still makes you feel everything like it did for me... Then this book might just break your heart… and then put it back together again.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Bloom Books, Jennifer Hartmann and Netgalley for the gifted copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

2.5 🌟
As a 33 year old mom....sorry, can't.
As a once 17 year old with a best friend who had a 34 ish year old dad, ....sorry, can't.

Tara was the best friend. Not only did she constantly support Hailey and held back judgement, but she also immediately went to her side over her own father. The speed at which she accused her dad of grooming and telling Hailey that it's not her fault was amazing.

I fear I have too many notes that might not be worth it. This wasn't for me.

What happened to her mom?! Did she die or literally just fall off the face of the earth because there is no way you run into your supposed-to-be in jail, dad, but not your alcoholic mother

This book was too intense for me. I know there are trigger warning but it had been a while between when I requested the book and when I actually started reading it I had forgotten the plot. Then I didn’t check them again before I started reading it. I was really excited for a big age gap
romance. However I couldn’t get through the on page abuse of the main character that starts on page one. I read romance books because the real world is horrible and I want to escape from it. This book was just too dark for me. If that stuff doesn’t bother you or you can handle it, you may enjoy this book.

After reading the synopsis of Older, I was immediately intrigued. I’ve read age gap romance before, so I’m no stranger to this trope. Though I knew a background of the story and the characters going in, I wasn’t prepared for how triggering this book would be for me.

First off, the first meeting between Halley and Reed was very weird. I think the Author was going for a “meet cute” vibe, but it didn’t deliver that way. It was just odd.

Another reviewer said Reed gives off a predatory vibe and I have to agree. The age gap with Halley being a teen when they meet (even though she lied about her age) and around the same age as his daughter isn’t “forbidden fruit”, it’s Pedo territory IMO.

Maybe if Halley didn’t come from an abusive home life, it wouldn’t be so bad. But it feels as though Reed almost takes advantage of this. It’s like he’s preying on her under the guise that he’s protective of her.

I think that this would have worked much better if Halley wasn’t in High School at the start. Even though she’s not 17 for the duration of the book, it still gives major ick.

I did really enjoy the 90’s backdrop! As a child/teen of that decade, it was the only thing I loved about this novel.

I didn’t expect to like this one as much as I did for how long of a book it was. But I love a good age gap and Jennifer Hartmann story. 4/5 ⭐️

“Falling for you has been the easiest thing I’ve ever done,” I confessed through the anguish. “Everything else? Painful. Torturous. Difficult beyond belief. But loving you…” The anger died out, flatlining to a dead pulse. “Effortless.”

Thank you to Sourcebooks/ Bloom Books and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy of Older, by Jennifer Hartmann.

Rating this a 3.5⭐️- but rounding up!!

Jennifer has QUICKLY become one of my favorite (new to me) authors I’ve recently read.

A few thoughts:
Just like her other books I’ve read so far, OLDER was really well written, and heart wrenching. Jennifer knows how to drag you through the trenches and throw your heart around, and then slowly put it back together.
🎢🎢🎢

Unfortunately- personally, I found out an “age-gap” trope is not for me. I felt weird reading this one. Maybe bc my girls are close to this age 🤷‍♀️

I don’t want to take away from the writing, so if you are into age-gap… you’re gonna eat this UP!!

I don’t usually read age gaps romances however I kept hearing good things about this book. While it does starts out slow, like a snails pace. I Love the intensity of it. Makes you want more and the story to keep going. Definitely enjoyable. But I like the Hartmann writes. GOOD READ!

I want to thank Jennifer Hartmann, Bloom Books and NetGalley.
Here’s my honest opinion about Older.

Overall score: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Dramma: 💧💧💧
Sugar: 🧁🧁🧁
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Tropes: age gap - forbidden love - best friend’s dad - slow burn - emotional scars - hurt/comfort

I loved it! No, I ADORED it!
I devoured it in less than 24 hours, and I’m usually not that fast if I have to read in English that’s not my mother language!

This is the second novel by Jennifer Hartmann I read, and if Still beating left me a little bit confused about how to feel, with Older it was love at first chapter.

That’s how age gap and best friend’s dad tropes should be dealt with: you have to feel the drama, the danger, because it’s about a relationship that can destroy everything.
It has to hurt, and that’s exactly what you get while reading Older.

There are yearning and restrain, joy and despair, hope and bittersweet delusion. Heart and mind collide in a continous emotional turmoil.

My heart was in my throat from the first to the last page. It was painful, but all the suffering was rewarded in the end.

The writing style is superb, extremely evocative.

I will never stop recommending it.

If you like angst, strong emotional pull and complex dynamics, that’s the book for you.

I received an free copy of this story from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Older by Jennifer Hartmann tells the emotional and deeply passionate story of Halley, a young woman raised in a broken home, who spent much of her life believing she was unlovable and invisible. That is, until one life-changing night, she meets Reed—a man twice her age—who carries his own hidden scars. Their shared pain creates a powerful connection between them.

Their love story is a slow burn, simmering with tension, forbidden longing, and undeniable chemistry. As they struggle to resist their feelings in order to protect the people around them, the buildup only makes their eventual surrender all the more intense and breathtaking.

I thought the character development in this story was beautifully done. Learning about Halley’s upbringing in an abusive and unloving home was truly heartbreaking, but watching her grow and find herself throughout the story was incredibly rewarding. With the support of Reed, her best friend, and her best friend's mom, Halley gradually found the strength to face her fears and become a more empowered version of herself.

I was completely captivated and devoured this book in under 24 hours. I’ve always been a fan of age gap romances, and the dynamic between Halley and Reed was irresistibly sexy and full of emotional depth. Glad it had a happy ending!

Spice: 3/5
Tension: 4/5
Plot: 4/5

In Older, by Jennifer Hartmann, a girl who has been through a traumatic childhood of abuse and a guarded man find an unexpected connection before he realizes she’s his daughter’s best friend.

Let me be very clear…Older is not a light read. It is, as Hartmann warns, not for everyone (check your trigger warnings). But for those of us who love emotional depth, raw internal conflict, and characters that ache with yearning and restraint, this book delivers in spades.

The age gap here is significant (the male main character is the father of the FMC’s best friend) and yet, the way their relationship develops is so grounded in emotional truth and mutual respect that it feels inevitable. It does still feel taboo, but this isn’t just a romance; it’s a story about timing, sacrifice, grief, and healing.

As always, Hartmann’s character work is phenomenal. You feel the weight these characters carry, especially in the complex dynamic between Reed, his daughter, and his ex. As well as those relationships between Halley and her friend and Halley and her parents. These relationships don’t serve as background noise. Instead, they add emotional richness and realism to the story. And while I would’ve loved a little more exploration of Halley’s relationship with her parents, the glimpses we do get help us understand her deeply ingrained need for love and stability.

The pacing is tight, with enough slow-burn angst and tensions to keep your heart in a vice grip, but never so drawn out that you lose interest.

If you’re someone who seeks out love stories that challenge the rules, embrace vulnerability, and don’t shy away from the ugly parts of love and family, Older will hit all the notes.

Thank you to the author for the ARC of this book. This review reflects my honest thoughts and was given voluntarily.

4⭐
3🌶️

.Age gap (16 years)
.Best friend’s dad
.Hurt/comfort
.Angsty as hell
.Found family

I think it's impossible for a book from this author to be anything but good. She has a way of conveying emotions that not many authors have.

Is this my new favourite from hers? No. I still think Still Beating and Lotus are better stories. It's good, but the age gap in the relationship didn't sit right with me. Don’t get me wrong, I do love an age gap, but I like the FMC to be a bit older. Seventeen is just too young. Legal, but still too young. And don't get me wrong, I'm all for taboo romances. It's just that I can't help but think of myself at that age. Definitely not mature enough to be with a 35-year-old (my current age). If this is not your case, then you're going to love this one.

The romance is bittersweet, angsty as they get, and somehow extremely tender. If you're like me and love hurt/comfort as a trope, here you'll get plenty of it.

The book itself was a bit long. I think it could've been cut down by at least a hundred pages. But overall I had fun reading it.

I loved everything this author has written so far. But liking and connecting to a book is subjective. I did not connect with these characters or the storyline.

From a young age, Halley had been abused by the person who was suppose to protect her. She tries to find her place in this world. Out at a party she meets an older man, Reeds, she lies about her age. Before things get too far they are interrupted. Imagine the surprise when Reeds shows up at her best friends house. He’s her dad and Halley is not the age she claims to be.

When I read an age gap kind of story, there needs to be maturity in order for it to work for me. Teenagers are teenagers no matter how it’s written. Nothing happens while she’s a teenager but she’s has mature has Reeds is. That’s where I have a problem. Others may enjoy this story but it wasn’t for me.

5/5 ⭐
2/5 🌶️

What a beautiful story of forbidden love. Older was full of angst and heartbreak and a love so profound it conquered the highest mountains. I've read large age gaps, even ones as forbidden as this one, but none have hit the way Reed and Halley's story did. It was almost tragic the way it played out and I wasn't sure how Jennifer was going to fix it... But like the true mastermind she is, it all came together for an absolutely wonderful happily ever after.

The tension and chemistry and angst between Reed and Halley was freaking E V E R Y T H I N G. It was so well written. I found myself unable to decide whether I wanted to speed read to find out how S was gonna go down, or read slowly to savor every last word of their story. I ate it up and devoured it whole, I truly couldn't get enough. She somehow wrote this age gap in a way that was never once uncomfortable, which is usually how this situation ends up (even if you're uncomfy in the best ways!).

As much as I loved Reed and Halley, I adored Whitney and Scotty too. These were two important side characters that were pivotal to their happily ever after and I thought they sacrificed a lot for Reed and Halley along the way. I would love to see Jennifer give us their stories at some point, even if it's just a short. I fell in love with them too and want to see them happy so badly.

First, I LOVE Jennifer Hartmann. I’ve read everything she’s ever written. But unfortunately this had the trope I really struggle with, which is the extreme age gap. Reed is the father of Halley’s best friend, and when they meet for the first time, it’s an instant connection, but nothing happens until she’s 18.
I KNOW Reed loved her and they had a lot of sweet moments but I still struggled with the power dynamics.

Emotionally connected age gap. I don’t typically like age gap but this one felt authentic and you could hell feeling the connection.

Of course I love Jennifer Hartmann so I will always read her books!!