I really wanted to love this story and I loved the beginning. Alessia escaped to Florence, Italy after a break up and runs into a man, Hart, who she has a great conversation with. She never expected to see him again, but fate has a way of making that happen.

While I enjoy age gaps where the fmc is older I felt like that was the main focus when it comes to Alessia. She just couldn’t get over their age gap (she’s 37 and he’s 25 when the story starts). It really only seemed to bother her and no one else and it was a fact that was repeated a lot throughout the course of this story. With fate and the meetings between Alessia and Hart plus the chemistry they had there was so much potential and I felt like this story just kind of fell flat overall. There were bits and pieces I enjoyed, but it also felt like things were missing. I also wanted more of their relationship.

Overall, I enjoyed this story but it left me wanting more.

This book is a tender and heartwarming romance that speaks to every woman who puts her dreams before her heart. Alessia Moore is fierce, focused, and beautifully flawed: a woman who built a purposeful life in Nairobi, only to crumble in the presence of Hart Winthrop, a younger man who sees beyond her armor. Kendall Ryan doesn't just write a love story; she writes a reckoning. The chemistry is electrifying, but it's the quiet moments, the vulnerability, the fear, the longing—that linger. This book reminds us that love doesn't always arrive on time, and that sometimes the bravest thing to do is to let it in. A moving and empowering read that left me breathless and filled with hope.

I love romance books that span counties and and time, and A Beginner’s Guide to Forever is definitely one of those. Alessia and Hart meet for the first time along together when Alessia overhears one of Hart’s phone calls, and while they connect they do not do anything with that until Hart randomly shows up to Alessia’s foundation meetings, after that, these two travel the globe while fate and determination brings them together over and over again. Alessia is roughly 10 years older than Hart and Hart is a billionaire, leading to some large differences that Alessia struggles to get over, however she is always willing to go along and cannot say no to Hart when he is determined to get to know her.

Hart is a complicated man, he is used to being given and asking for what he wants, girls want him cause he is rich, and yet he feels like he is struggling to understand his place in this world. He doesn’t have his life together but he knows he wants to date Alessia and gives it his all. Alessia wants a baby, she wants a family, and is terrified to ask Hart to give that to her immediately as she knows he is still younger and the pressure to have kids will be at the top of their relationship. I found her fears to be so reasonable but I also loved how much she waivered and fought them. They prevent her from doing what she wanted but she did react differently as a result and it was a nuanced way to place a character’s fears center stage in a story!

I loved this book so much, I adored it and never wanted to stop reading it!

⭐️⭐️ (2 stars)
Kendall Ryan’s A Beginner’s Guide to Forever sets out to tell a hopeful, globe-trotting romance between two people at very different life stages—Alessia, a 37-year-old nonprofit founder committed to building a better world, and Hart, a 25-year-old billionaire’s son determined to step out of his privileged shadow. On paper, it’s a compelling setup with the promise of emotional depth, real-world stakes, and rich opposites-attract chemistry.

Unfortunately, this novel didn’t quite work for me.

While I appreciated the focus on Alessia’s philanthropic mission and the attempt to address the age-gap dynamic from a female-forward perspective, the execution felt uneven. Alessia is written with admirable ambition and strong ideals, but her internal narrative fixates so heavily on age and timelines that it begins to flatten her character. Rather than feeling empowered or self-assured, she often comes across as insecure and reactive—traits that might have been compelling if explored with more nuance.

Hart, meanwhile, is undeniably sweet and supportive, but his motivations feel thin. His attraction to Alessia is framed less around emotional compatibility and more around her stability, maturity, and disinterest in his wealth. While those are valid foundations, I struggled to see what truly connected them beyond surface-level admiration. As a result, their romantic arc felt rushed and lacking in genuine chemistry.

The novel also leans heavily on telling over showing. Repeated discussions about the age difference overshadow more interesting elements of the story—such as the foundation work in Nairobi, which is full of potential but underdeveloped. The third-act conflict is predictable and hinted at so early that its resolution felt anticlimactic. Supporting characters, like Hayes and Mia, read as more plot devices than fully formed people, and some scenes (particularly involving Hart’s past relationships) veered into caricature.

That said, the writing is accessible, and fans of low-conflict romances with aspirational settings may find this an enjoyable read. It’s a sincere effort to tell a different kind of age-gap romance—one where the woman is older and in control—but for me, the emotional core never fully came together.

Final thoughts:
A promising concept with good intentions, but the romance lacked spark and emotional payoff. I wanted to feel more—more connection, more depth, more growth—but instead, I felt like I was observing a relationship rather than being pulled into it.

Normally, I find Kendall Ryan's work quite enjoyable and was very excited that she was publishing once again, but this book, unfortunately, wasn't my favorite. With them being apart and traveling back and forth it felt like they stayed the same and left little room for them to grow or develop in a way that I found meaningful. Alessia seemed to perseverate on their age difference versus all of the ways that they worked well together, and Hart was happy to allow her to focus on their age difference. I was also caught off guard to find that this was a closed-door romance, a style I typically don't read or enjoy. While I appreciate the author's writing style in general, this particular story just didn't work for me.

I so wanted to like this book, as I have really enjoyed the authors writing in the past but this book was so different to what she usually writes. I felt it to be very slow paced. A bit too sweet, repetitive and religious too for my liking unfortunately.
The characters I didn’t feel a connection to either. I really struggled with this book but what I didn’t particularly enjoy may be just the book you do!

A Beginner's Guide to Forever by Kendall Ryan is a delightful slow burn, age gap romance.
I really enjoyed these characters, fun story and swoony romance! I was so excited when I got an advanced readers copy. This book was so much fun to read. I didn't want to put it down.

Thank You NetGalley and Montlake for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Hart was definitely the standout for me: mature, kind, and emotionally open despite being younger. He really brought charm and warmth to the story. Alessia, a strong and successful nonprofit leader, struggles with their age gap and lets her doubts get in the way. At times, her reactions felt overly harsh and repetitive, which made it hard to connect with her. Still, the message about finding love at any stage of life and following your purpose was uplifting. The story tackles real world issues while staying romantic, even if some parts felt rushed or resolved too easily.

A Beginner's Guide to Forever by Kendall Ryan takes us all over the world with the adventure of Alessia and Hart. Reverse age gap is a hard trope to land and Kendall Ryan definitely took a risk.

I loved how Alessia's career as the lead of her own Non Profit provided some amazing locations and each location had a role to play. She met the Winthrop heir Hart Winthrop during a vacation in Florence where they were both trying to escape something..she didn't know their paths will cross again in Nairobi during a presentation to his family. They have a connection but she is sceptical and afraid because of their very different life states.London. California. Napa Valley. Maldives. Aspen. Hart keeps on trying to prove himself and she keeps on pushing him, till she cannot. I loved Hart. He could have been a spoiled billionaire bad boy but he is an extremely nice guy Sweet charming caring compassionate. Everything

I had the problem with Alessia. She is supposed to have a very unique and powerful career. Unfortunately, that's where her confidence begins and ends. She let their 12 year age gap under her skin despite Hart trying to assure her at every step. She is wallowing in self pity that's completely unnecessary. Hart didn't deserve her harsh reactions and steps. Her friend and family judged Hart just by his age and money..without even meeting her. It became repetitive to the point that I could no longer ignore it as just heartache. The ending was forced and way too easy. I didn't feel the chemistry at all.

I reviewed an early copy voluntarily

I love with authors take risks, and it’s clear to me here that Kendall Ryan is both pushing herself creatively, writing outside of her usual romance framework, and given some of the personal notes in the book, writing something that feels personal and meaningful to her. That, I super respect. And there’s a lot to like in A Beginner’s Guide to Forever, which is a more grounded, emotionally mature story from here that explores aging, love, and finding your purpose, all while exploring the world. Set against the backdrop of international nonprofit work, this book certainly has ambitious aims. Some of which it achieves, and others didn’t quite land with me.

Alessia Moore, a 37-year-old nonprofit leader building schools for girls in Nairobi, meets 25-year-old Hart Winthrop, heir to a fortune that could potentially save her mission’s work. Their age gap is pretty (and at times unnecessarily) central to the story, but there’s also the dynamic of two people from very different lifestyles and stages navigating a connection that’s as complicated as it is genuine.

So what works? The global settings in this are really enjoyable, and I really appreciated the research and information Kendall brings to the story. The settings are vivid and purposeful, grounding the story with authenticity and an important part of the characters’ emotional exploration as they explore (and seek to impact) the world around them. And that also amplifies the stakes when it comes to Alessia’s work. Her dynamic with Hart isn’t just about romance, but there are also implications for the important work she leads. So the plot examines real-world challenges while also staying true to it’s romantic core.

Where the book falters for me are some themes explored with Allessia and some of the pacing. Ultimately, so much of Alessia’s arc amplifies a tired cliche that I loathe when it comes to reverse age gap stories- that where an older woman (who here is actually younger than me LOL) who feels like her life is a ticking bomb and everything is passing her by. The age gap is overemphasized, to the point of distraction, and it makes Alessia feel more a cliche of women aging than the empowering exploration I think Kendall is going for here. The pacing also lags a big in the second half, conflicts are resolved too conveniently, and some promising subplots fade into the background. Hart is a sweet and emotionally available love interest. While he shows maturity beyond his years in how charming and considerate he is with Alessia, occasional moments remind you of the generational divide. He feels truly sincere and I enjoyed their chemistry, though the romance sometimes feels rushed and lacks the slow-burn payoff I was hoping for…and again I think might have been the reduction of the tension sole to their different ages. I also found the spiritual element a bit unexpected too.

Ultimately, A Beginner’s Guide to Forever is a thoughtful, ambitious romance that aims high thematically, a reach as broad as it’s global travel. Despite some uneven pacing and some characterization of Alessia, I did enjoy the romance and some of the broader themes, and I always appreciate an author’s intention to empower, even if for this it wasn’t quite that for me.

Alessia Moore is a thirty-something philanthropist who meets Hart Winthrop when pitching her school in Nairobi to his family as potential investors. After their initial meeting, Alessia and Hart keep crossing paths. Despite her initial attraction to him and his relentless pursuit of her, Alessia can't get over the fact that Hart is twelve years her junior.

On its surface, I don't dislike the reverse age gap trope. Some things about the book reminded me of The Idea of You (strong, independent older FMC pursued by younger, rich/famous MMC who is obsessed and naive to the reality of the situation) and these were the things I liked about the book. However, I did dislike the way Alessia's character fixated on the age gap and how that meant their relationship would never work. Obviously that age gap is an obstacle, especially with where these two specific characters were in their lives, but I think it could have been an element of the story without being THE main character. This was somewhat of a slow burn, and the way Alessia panicked and ran the other way every single time the relationship gained any momentum was so frustrating to read.

While a reality for many women of a certain age who are starting over after a failed relationship, the singular focus on a path to motherhood was not one that resonated with me. At times, this storyline felt like it was diluting Alessia's other accomplishments, reinforcing a message that life is not fulfilling without having children, etc. but that may be my personal childfree bias.

This was a fun read. I read it in couple of hours. Well but it was a little fur fetched for me. I am 38 so, am the same age as a main heroin,and I wouldn't call myself old or middel aged or whaterver she is thining about her self. So to be in relationship with 25 year old... I think he is little too young for her... Because he acts his age, maybe younger... But in some ocations he acts like a 50 year old .. It was cute read, I eat it up, but it felt off somehow... I am okay with reverse age gap, but he just didn't have all ducks in a row...
I think she just need better then all that... 3.5 stars from me

I was over the moon to hear that Kendall Ryan was returning to writing and could not wait to dive into A Beginner’s Guide to Forever.

Alessia Moore is a successful, thirty-seven-year-old woman who runs her own non-profit. And while she loves what she does, she can’t help notice that her personal life is at a standstill. When she first meets twenty-five-year-old Hart Winthrop, their meet-cute is kismet. While they share great chemistry, Alessia struggles with their age difference and puts the brakes on before they can explore what’s building between them. But, fate isn’t quite done with Alessia and Hart. Fate keeps throwing Hart and Alessia together, leaving Alessia wondering if Hart is the one she’ll break all of her rules for.

A Beginner’s Guide to Forever started off really well. I loved the idea of Alessia questioning her life and whether she was happy with the status quo. And when fate dropped Hart into her lap, I couldn’t have been more excited. Despite their age difference, I thought they had a lot of great potential and couldn’t wait for their story to unfold. And I love, love, loved the way fate kept throwing the two of them together.

That being said, I did have some issues with this story that were hard to look past. Let me start off by saying that I’m still pretty new to the “reverse-age-gap” genre. Usually, as long as the age difference isn’t massive, I can overlook it. However, this one just didn’t work for me. I didn’t love that Alessia kept referring to herself as middle-aged. I mean, she’s not even in her 40s yet, and at times, I felt like she was really immature. She was so wishy-washy. Instead of owning up to her accomplishments and acknowledging that a younger guy was truly interested in her, she continued playing games. Don’t get me wrong, I understood her reservations, but I honestly feel like her behavior would have sent Hart running for the hills.

My other issue with the story was the pacing and overall writing style. For me, the pacing was slower than I expected, and at times, I felt like it took forever for the story to progress. Which brings me to the writing style. While I did like the overall writing, it wasn’t what I anticipated. I felt like this story read a bit more like Women’s Fiction than a Contemporary Romance–and there’s absolutley nothing wrong with that, it just wasn’t what I was expecting.

Overall, I had a bit of a love/hate relationship with this book. A Beginner’s Guide to Forever is a slow-burn, reverse-age-gap romance that is told in the first-person point of view. And while I didn’t love this book, it had good potential and ended up being an okay read for me. I definitely feel that this will be a read that is a hit for some and a miss for others. That being said, I have been a fan of this author for a long time and will be looking forward to seeing what she’ll write next.

2.5 stars

This book started strong. It was fun and witty, and the banter was great, but then the "age gap issues" started, and I got bored.
I don't like it when in books the age gap is treated differently when the man is the older one (oh its soooo sexy!) than when the woman is the older one (weird and her inner clock is ticking!) apparently when you hit 35, you stop being attractive? interesting? you need to settle? 🫠 don't like it. it kinda ruined the romance for me because I didn't know if Alexia was with Hart because she loved him or because the clock was ticking and she needed to settle and have babies.
Also, the side characters were not fun to read.
This had a lot of potential, but it felt flat, and for me, the romance didn't work.

thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the advance reading copy.

This was a wonderfully easy read with a warm, feel-good vibe throughout. Alessia, in her late 30s, is ready to settle down—her biological clock is ticking, and she dreams of becoming a mother.
While on a spontaneous trip to Italy, Alessia meets Hart—a charming, much younger man—with whom she shares an instant connection. She brushes it off, thinking their age gap is too great. But fate intervenes when Hart Winthrop and his prominent family show up in Nairobi as major donors to her nonprofit.

I’ve never read a reverse age-gap romance before, but this was a refreshing change. One of my favorite aspects of the story was their sweet little getaways to different cities—it kept things fun and engaging.

I recommend this book to anyone looking for a feel-good romance featuring a billionaire MMC, a generous and likable FMC, and a soft, semi-clean love story. If you're looking for high heat, this one has very minimal spice—but the emotional connection more than makes up for it.

Such a quick and fun read! Older woman and hot shot billionaire younger man! Loved the story. I was expecting more spice. The primary conflict is the age gap which got repetitive.

Thanks to Montlake and NetGalley for this eARC! Opinions are my own.

This was a sweepingly emotional and swoony reverse age-gap romance that sees Alessia, a philanthropist in her late thirties meeting Hart Winthrop, a billionaire investor in his mid twenties while they're both in Florence. Later they meet again in a business meeting and what follows is a slow, very romantic courting where Hart works hard to break down Alessia's reservations about the potential future a relationship between them might have despite their hot chemistry. Good on audio and perfect for fans of Robinne Lee's book The idea of you. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review.

Truly enjoyed this read! Highly recommend it! Come out August 5th, pre-order now.

Author Kendall Ryan writes a beautiful love story. You will be cheering for Alessia and Hart throughout this book. Alessia runs a nonprofit and is building a school for girls in Nairobi. Hart comes from a very wealthy family and is twelve years younger. They meet when she is pitching his family trust for funds. Alessia is troubled with the age gap and society expectations.

This story will take you from Nairobi to Maldives to New York to California. The characters are deep, interesting and very likable. Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake Publishers for this advance read.

An age gap romance between a woman with purpose and a man with money. Alessia is 37, Hart is 25. They're drawn to each other but can they actually form a mature relationship? This hits on the age thing over and over when the real question should have been whether Hart, with all his money, is actually a multi-dimensional person. While it wasn't for me, I'm sure others will enjoy it as a light read for a lazy day.

this book was very easy to get into which I love in a romance. Hart and Alessia's chemistry was pretty undeniable and written in extremely well. I did hate the amount of times that they broke up throughout the book although I understand why it has to be that way I am not for like a second and third and fourth act break up well I did feel like the whole age difference wasn't that extreme it did take up 95% of the plot. I read this in one day and overall have to say I did enjoy it even though it was kind of corny and kind of predictable.