My first read by Kendall Ryan. If you have an interest in age gap romance I suggest this book.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Immediate thoughts after finishing this book: I’ve missed Kendall Ryan. I’ve read (arguably) too many romance novels, but it’s been a long time since I’ve read something like this. Also, I’m still not a fan of age gap romances.

“A Beginner’s Guide to Forever” follows Alessia Moore, a 37-year-old woman pursuing her dream of building an all-girls school in Nairobi. During a trip to Italy, she meets Hart—a charming, 25-year-old son of a billionaire. Fate brings them back together when Hart and his parents visit Nairobi to consider donating to Alessia’s school. From there, the story takes off.

Pros:
- Alessia and Hart were both genuinely interesting characters. Alessia, in particular, stood out with her ambition and her drive to help others.
- The travel in this book was a lot of fun—Nairobi, London, the Maldives, NYC… reading it made me want to book a trip of my own.
- I loved that Kendall Ryan included a link to support Shining Hope for Communities at the end. It added a meaningful touch after reading so much about Alessia’s work in the book.

Cons:
- The age gap trope just isn’t for me, and since it’s a central theme, it did impact my enjoyment a bit.

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for giving me the chance to read this ahead of its release! I was pleasantly surprised and I’m definitely planning to read more from Kendall Ryan in the future.

I throughly enjoyed this book and would love to read more from this author. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC

Loved this ! a heartwarming and emotional story that beautifully captures the journey of love, healing, and second chances. Kendall Ryan’s writing is effortlessly engaging, pulling you into the characters’ lives from the very first page. The romance feels genuine and tender, with just the right balance of sweetness and steam. It's a perfect read for anyone who loves stories about finding hope and love when you least expect it. A truly touching novel that stays with you long after you finish.

*thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

Such an easy breezy light read - devoured it within a few hours.
Ryan’s writing always delivers escapism. Something we all need in these times

A Beginner's Guide to Forever by Kendall Ryan delivers a globe-trotting romance with a refreshing reverse age-gap dynamic. The story follows Alessia Moore, a 37-year-old non profit executive dedicated to building schools for girls in Nairobi, and Hart Winthrop, a 25-year-old heir. As their journey unfolds—spanning glamorous cities and hidden corners of the world—a fling deepens into something neither of them anticipated, creating an intriguing push-and-pull between two equals navigating different life stages.
While Alessia’s unwavering dedication to her non profit is admirable, her characterization felt almost too hyper-focused at times, making her internal struggles dominate the narrative. As the story progressed, this intensity unintentionally shifted the dynamic, making her seem more youthful than Hart. On the other hand, Hart exuded maturity far beyond his years, displaying immense patience and a steadfast belief in their love. If we had glimpses of his perspective, the age-gap trope might have felt more balanced instead of becoming a repeated theme.
Ultimately, this was a enjoyable quick read, and the ending beautifully wrapped up their whirlwind romance in a way that felt both satisfying and heartfelt.

A Beginner’s Guide to Forever is a lovely romance about an older woman being pursued by a younger man. Alessia is a humanitarian trying to raise money to build a school in Nairobi. Hart comes from a very wealthy family that has pledged their financial support. Kendall Ryan has written a deeply introspective story about relationships and how difficult it can be for some people to truly trust their feelings; ignoring what others think. I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this book from NetGalley. Most highly recommend.

Inside me, there are two wolves. One is jaded and cynical, the kind that scoffs at romance novels and rolls her eyes so dramatically, she risks permanent damage. The other? She’s a total softie—eats up romance like it’s her last meal, especially when it’s done well. I feel her stir every time a beautiful Lana Del Rey song plays or a nostalgic 2000s rom-com comes on screen.

Every time I start a romance novel, it’s a battle. Will I find it sweet or painfully cringey? I approach each one with cautious optimism, hoping the story will win me over and melt the walls I’ve built. Kendall Ryan did just that.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I cannot stand when age-gap romances make the age gap the sole reason two people can’t be together. Give me real stakes. Give me actual complications—ones that require maturity, communication, and teamwork. Thankfully, this book delivered.

Bringing a child into the world (or adopting one) is a huge decision. I don’t personally want kids, but I felt so much for Alessia. Her emotional journey was layered and compelling. I’ve seen real-life versions of younger men marrying older partners, only to find themselves closer in age to their children than their spouses—and resenting it. That kind of emotional realism made this story hit even harder.

This is a sweet, thoughtful romance I can’t wait for everyone to read in August. Honestly? I’d happily read three more books about Alessia and Hart.

A Beginner's Guide to Forever by Kendall Ryan, published by Montlake is a friends to lovers, age gap romance that had me up really late. Literally unputdownable, the story gives all the feels and the characters are just perfect.
I recommend this gem of a story, 4,75 stars.

Thank you to Montlake Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC of this novel; all opinions are my own.

This book explores the journey of a woman who feels like she is running out of time . Alessia is one of those characters that we hate and love because she feels very familiar like a mirror, her thoughts and insecurities are very familiar to women and her fear of all of her effort being worth it are familiar to most of us .. Her female friendships are among the reasons I adore her .The way she was so self aware about her life was great because she felt self assured in her identity till she started to feel jealous of Hart's exes .The romance I had issues with because though they were everywhere together it didn't feel like there was any emotional intimacy between them .The pacing was great and everything but why did it feel like they just are in motion where are the feelings ?

A Beginner's Guide to Forever by Kendall Ryan....

Alessia is a 37-year-old woman who is contemplating her life choices. She is professionally succeeding with her non-profit, which aims to build a school for girls in Nairobi. However, in her personal life, she is newly single and afraid she will never have the family she has always wanted. She meets Hart, a 25-year-old billionaire who is searching for himself and his place in the world...

I enjoyed this book immensely. It was a little slow, but Kendall nailed it with the pace of the story. I enjoyed how Alessia and Hart met, as well as the instant connection they had with each other. Kendall created a journey that included the perfect meet-cute, an instant connection, and all the reasons why a relationship might not work.

You are given a taste of both the couple's family and friends without it overshadowing Hart and Alessia's story. It captured the reality of what it means to be a couple, the true sense of being partners. I loved each character's journey.

A Beginner's Guide to Forever was a book you could take your time with in a warm, cozy environment, savoring it with a cup of coffee or tea. I have read age gap love stories, but never one where the heroine is older than the hero. However, Kendall wrote their journey in a beautifully slow-paced way that had you falling in love with Alessia and Hart.

The only reason I gave it four stars was that there wasn't a lot of the sexual aspect of the relationship, other than touching and kissing. However, when she did use it, you felt a sense of intimacy with the characters.

I will recommend 'A Beginner's Guide to Forever' to all my friends who enjoy contemporary romance. Kendall nailed it with this book.

Age is just a number. Try telling Alessia Moore that. Her biological clock is ticking and one of the things she wants most in life is a baby. First though she needs to find a man. Not just any man. She needs to love him, and he her, add in passion and friendship, and, the dealbreaker, he needs to want a baby too. Herein lies the problem. After a failed relationship with ’the wrong guy’ she meets the perfect guy, but he’s 12 years her junior, and no matter how perfect they may be for each other when they’re together (the conversation and the chemistry), she’s just not willing to risk it. Add in the comments and jabs from friends, family, and insta followers, and Alessia keeps her head in the business game, denying her feelings. A wonderfully entertaining slow burn, at times emotional and completely endearing. I loved this story. I loved the characters, I was totally smitten with Hartford Winthrop. He had his moments when I thought maybe he was a little immature, he’s a 25 year old man after all, but when it came down to it, he knew what he wanted, and he stuck with it. He definitely gets Brownie points for that. A great opposites attract romance with a couple of go-getter characters that won’t let anything or anyone get in the way of what they want or deserve. I loved it. I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is my honest review.

This book was extremely cute and I absolutely adored that Kendall took a real issue such as dating in your thirties and all the struggles that come with it especially when dating younger along with a real world issue such as education not being provided to girls in Nairobi. It was such a good HEA read and I appreciated that I got the chance to read this. Thank you so much!

Kendall did it again!!!! Absolutely adore this book! So much love felt throughout the story. Truly felt the emotions as you read about the characters journey. Can't imagine going through the roller coaster of emotions they felt but yet also felt like I was living them while reading this. Was sad to finish this book just because I loved it so much.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this arc.

I really enjoyed this book! It was my first by Kendall Ryan, and I’ve already added more of her titles to my TBR list.

Alessia Moore (37) is thriving professionally as the head of a nonprofit in Nairobi. She's working to build a school for girls. Her love life, however, is nonexistent, until she meets Hart Winthrop (25). He's the charming son of a billionaire investor. Though he's much younger and getting involved with him could risk her career, their undeniable connection leads to a globe-spanning romance that forces Alessia to question whether love is worth breaking the rules for.

Publication date- August 5, 2025
#ABeginnersGuidetoForever #NetGalley

Big thanks to Montlake and the author for the advance copy through NetGalley and this is my honest take!

If you’re a fan of The Idea of You, this one’s right up your alley. It’s a sweet, easy-to-devour romance with a charming age gap romance. From the very first meeting between the characters, I was hooked. Hart completely stole the show with his confidence and gentle care. The care they had for Alessia was seriously swoon-worthy.

I also really connected with Alessia’s internal struggles. Her doubts felt so genuine and relatable. Even when we act like we don’t care what others think, those judgmental comments can still cut deep. I appreciated how strong and successful she was in her career, yet vulnerable when it came to love. It made her feel real.

The story flows effortlessly, and their journey is not just romantic and it’s actually kind of empowering.

Alessia has found herself in Florence, Italy, 37 years old and fresh off a broken engagement. She runs into 25 year old Hartford, who is gorgeous and into Alessia, but just way too young. She’s flattered by the attention, but nothing comes from it.
Fast forward 6 months, and Hartford Winthrop shows up to a meeting with his billionaire parents for Alessia’s charity foundation. The chemistry is sizzling, and Alessia is unable to deny her attraction to Hart, regardless of his age.

Read if you swoon for:
*** Reverse age gap
*** Older female lead
*** Soul searching
*** Younger but mature MMC

I enjoyed this one. The romance/flirtation was of course super important, but for me, I personally identified more with the fact that Alessia was an older woman trying to seek out what her future looked like. She needed to learn to let go of all her planning and expectations, and just live her life.

This was my first time reading this author, but I would definitely read additional novels.

Thank you to Montlake Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC of this novel; all opinions are my own.

Generally, I was a bit bored of this book, so please take this review with a grain of salt as I know for a fact there are things I missed when reading this because I just wasn't into it. I was bored from the beginning and started to zone out whilst reading.

TLDR: I appreciate the real-world issues and insecurities Alessia has, I like Hart (besides his name😂) as a character and think he is a sweetie, but I think there is too much focus on the age-gap and isn't balanced well with the rest of the story.

SPOILERS BELOW:

Things I am not personally a fan of: Hot yoga and the name Hartford Fitzgerald Winthrope.

Age gap relationships have never been a favorite trope of mine, but I have recently been branching out and I read a book about a second chance romance that I loved, so why not try an age gap trope?
To be clear, it's not that I don't like age gap tropes, it's that I don't like when it is the <b>main</b> or almost only thing going on.

The main issue I have with the age gap trope for heterosexual couples, this book in particular, is when the woman is the older person of the two and they make her out to be "running out of time." I understand this is a real issue for people who want to have their own biological children, but there is a tendency to make the FMC seem almost desperate for love because of it. Men being the older one in an age gap relationship is almost always seen as sexy, but the woman being older is traditionally perceived as "weird."

That being said, I understand Hart liking that she "knows what she wants" and that is a part of what interests him in her, but I couldn't help but feel like the relationship was almost rushed, almost a bit forced, or again, maybe I just missed the point since I wasn't giving the read my all.

Hart was a paradox of a character as he seemed very mature and caring while also having moments where he showed his age of being in his mid 20s. He was very sweet and caring to Alessia and showed he was not only attentive to her needs but also facts about her.
He left with her when she was not feeling comfortable at a party, he took care of her when she was sick, he remembered things about her like how she has a Little Women quote in her office, and he has so much faith in their relationship and tries his best to be reassuring to Alessia when she is feeling insecure.

I get that Hart had his heart broken by cheaters like Mia and Sophia (maybe Alessia isn't the one for you, her name also ends with ia... jkjk😂), but it seemed like the main reasons he was attracted to Alessia was because she was stable and not after his money. Stability is important and I agree with him that he should be with someone who isn't just with him for money, but it came across like those were the main reasons he wanted to be with her. Yes, he found her attractive, kind, and I am sure there are other things he liked about her, but it was highlighted that he is impressed that she knows what she wants in this stage of her life. ✨She also bought him a water bottle✨

This book makes young women out to kind of be ditsy, shallow, and dumb. This was because of Hart's previous girlfriends and could possibly be due to his wealthy upbringing and the social circles he was brought into because of it, but I just found it to be a little annoying.

As for Alessia, she was her own obstacle and this was the main reason she annoyed me. While I agree with her about ending things with her partner if she doesn't love the person as much as she should but if she is stable and "knows what she wants" the way that Hart seems to think, she needs to stop running from everything that comes her way. I appreciate how this is a common occurrence in real life as we are often times our own worst enemy, but for some reason I just didn't like her.

Sometimes I couldn't tell if she liked Hart because she actually had feelings for him and wanted to be with him, if she was lusting after him, or because he was conveniently there and paid attention to her in a time when she was in "desperation mode" for her age. She even admits to him that one of her biggest fears is to end up alone. This is a valid fear and once that even I have on occasion, but something that she continues to run from, finding seemingly silly reasons for. She goes on about having children and finding a partner, but she literally starts the book saying how she has just ended ANOTHER engagement and eventually starts planning adoption... Going back to her biological clock, Alessia clearly isn't too pressed about having a child be hers biologically, she just wants a child/family.

As far as their relationship goes with the foundation in Kenya, I found this to be a more compelling part of the story that I wish we had more of. This obstacle was more of an interesting story than Alessia's jealousy over Hart previously dating younger women. I also wasn't a fan of how they would chat, he would kiss her, they would talk some more, then they would go separate ways.

PS. Hayes was annoying and the interaction with Mia was awkward and weird.

I feel bad and like maybe I am being too hard on this. As for scoring, maybe if I put more effort and attention into the story, I would've like it more, but as of right now I cannot bring myself to increase the score I have currently.

I love Kendall Ryan and her writing is beautiful however , this plot story line reminds me of the idea of you ! There are to many things that are similar that it out weighs the differences .

A reverse age gap? Sign me up!
I loved this book, it was a sweet and easy romance, easily bingeable!