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Older

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Before he discovered my age, he uncovered my heart.

Bruised and abused, and victim to a loveless household, I shimmered with new life the moment he found me drowning my sorrows in a lake beneath the stars.

A chance encounter. An unspoken connection.

I was smitten; he was curious.

But, as everyone knew, fate could be decidedly cruel.

He called me Halley, like the comet.

I called him Reed.

And my best friend?

Well…she called him Dad.

Older is a forbidden, slow-burn, age-gap romance standalone, ending in an HEA.

436 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 3, 2024

5,059 people are currently reading
38.5k people want to read

About the author

Jennifer Hartmann

20 books11.8k followers
Jennifer Hartmann resides in northern Illinois with her own personal romance hero and three children. When she is not writing angsty love stories, she is likely pondering all the ways she can break your heart and piece it back together again. She enjoys sunsets (because mornings are hard), bike riding, traveling, bingeing Buffy the Vampire Slayer reruns, and that time of day when coffee gets replaced by wine. She loves tacos. She also really, really wants to pet your dog.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,395 reviews
Profile Image for ♥︎ Heather ⚔(Semi-Hiatus).
946 reviews3,517 followers
December 30, 2024
2 Stars for Whitney and Ladybug only.

I... had a tough time with this book. I thought the premise sounded so good and that it would be something that would check some major boxes for me but unfortunately so many things didn't work for me with this book.

The meeting between the FMC Halley and the MMC Reed was odd to say the least. She's a girl from a broken home and gets frequently abused by her father, so I guess it would make sense why she was randomly sitting in a lake fully clothed at a house party?

Reed shows up by chance looking for his daughter at this party and the two of them engage in the strangest conversation. Idk. It's like Halley is supposed to be this edgy, deep, philosophical girl? Lmao. Yeah, I get that that's what was trying to come across but it didn't hit that way.

From this one meeting and this odd conversation about 90's music bands and 'blips' in time and all the sudden the two of them feel this deep connection to the point they can't stop thinking of each other? Uh. No. It felt so superficial and didn't come across as organic or authentic to me. It just felt forced.

The fact that Halley was just 17 when they first met and Reed was 34 was pretty uncomfortable. Especially considering his daughter is the same age. It really gave off predator vibes. And then just to really twist the knife - the author constantly has the MMC brining up the fact that she is the same age as his daughter over and over and over again. Like we get it.

╰┈➤ Comet is not a cute nickname

Honestly, this was trying so hard to be forbidden/taboo and it landed as gross and ick.

╰┈➤ The fact that he gifts her a fucking beanie baby. Nauuurrr. I can't. Tell me she's a child without telling me she's a child.

No one was very likable in the story except the mom- Whitney and the dog Ladybug. I loathed the FMC. She was so selfish and inconsiderate. Whitney and her bff Tara took her into their home when she had no where else to go because of her abusive father and her drunk mother. And all Halley cared about was her own feelings when it came to Reed.

╰┈➤ Asshole. 🙄

I felt like Reed acted like a 22 year old delinquent instead of a 34/35 year old man. The whole beating up Halley's father outside of the skating rink? - what a loser. What grown ass man does that?

Sigh. I never felt a connection between these two and it just seemed so insincere, hollow and was predictable at every turn. I'm not really sure what happened with Jennifer Hartmann... maybe Still Beating was just a one hit wonder for me because I have not been impressed with any of her other books since.

₊˚⊹♡ "I know that forgiveness, growth, and understanding can be found in even the darkest circumstances. I know that love has power. Power to break and ruin, and power to rebuild." She wiped away a tear. "I know that what is meant to be, will be. You can't rush it. You can't fake it. You just need to wait for the storm to pass and pick up the pieces when the time is right." ₊˚⊹♡ ❤️‍🩹(Whitney)


💙 Best Friend’s Dad
💙 Age Gap
💙 Hurt/Comfort
💙 Found Family
💙 Forbidden Romance
💙 Secret Relationship

⋆✴︎˚。⋆ Connect with me on Instagram ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹


Profile Image for Ericka.
120 reviews4,464 followers
May 12, 2024
Wow this book was perfection.

Age gap, forbidden, omg. Go in blind. Don’t look anything up and go in blind.

I am seriously contemplating whether or not this was better than Birthday Girl. Honestly…. It just might be.
Profile Image for Christy.
4,368 reviews35.5k followers
April 30, 2024
4.25 stars

Jennifer Hartmann's writing is so good and this one was angsty in the best way. Older is one of those books that kept me hooked from start to finish.

Reed and Halley meet one night and sparks fly. He's much older than her, but she doesn't mind. Until she finds out he's her best (and only) friend's dad. Halley has had an incredibly difficult life and she's resilient. Reed truly cares for her, but knows he can't go there with her. Once she gets a little bit older, things change. With that, there is the conflict of the best friend/daughter still not knowing...

I loved both Reed and Halley. My heart hurt for them. I loved seeing them together, but I really wish we would have had more time with them as a couple. Also, shout out to Whitney. She was the best. If you're looking for an angsty and forbidden romance this is one I would recommend!
Profile Image for Maren’s Reads.
998 reviews1,664 followers
March 16, 2025
A chance encounter between Reed and Halley leads to an instant, soul crushing connection. But as the truth about their age difference comes to light, along with the fact that Reed is Halley’s best friend’s dad, the only friend she has, it becomes clear any relationship between them is next to impossible.

“My own scar pulses like it was drawn to hers, like we were in some sort of secret club together. A partner in pain. A companion in violence. Two warriors braving the storm, hand in hand.”

This is my first Jennifer Hartmann book, and unfortunately for her and for other writers in this genre, she has now set the bar incredibly high with this one. While I do tend to love a good age gap/forbidden love story already, primarily for the angsty nature it brings with it, this book is on another level. As in, the moment I finished reading, I had to force myself not to turn around and reread it immediately (does this happen to anyone else? No? Just me?)

From page one, I was completely immersed, not just in our MC’s potential relationship, but in each of their own stories and past traumas. Their connection is profound - in fact it pretty much jumps off the page at you. While each of our characters admit to a strong pull to one another, it was hard, as a reader, not to have a strong emotional connection to them too. This slower burn to the romance gives us time to get to know Reed, Halley and all of the supporting characters (including Ladybug, one of my faves) in depth, which in turn helps to ratchet up the emotional pull. The steam was perfection, never overdone, and never overpowering the story.

This is, in every way, my perfect read - flawed characters you can’t help but root for, a love story that is as broken as it is beautiful, and a book that will stay with you long after you’ve read the final page.

I want to leave you with this - this book will not be for everyone. It tows the line around age of consent and incorporates a pretty significant age gap between the MCs. However, if you are someone who enjoys these elements, or are a reader who loves amazing angst and deep pining and has an open mind to situations beyond the typical, I think you will really enjoy this one.

CW: child abuse, verbal abuse, animal cruelty (off page), abandonment

✨2024 Favorites

Read if you like:
•forbidden love
•age gap romance
•secret relationship
•all the angst
•forced proximity
•single dad
•tragic past

Thank you Valentine PR and Jennifer Hartmann for the gifted copy.
Profile Image for Capt..
511 reviews51 followers
August 11, 2024
Okay I’ve reread this again and it marinated enough in my brain to give it 3 stars 🤠

How can I say this respectfully? Halley is fucking desperate.

This wasn’t for me. Maybe I’ll do a reread down the line.

I don’t mind age-gap books but the main characters in here spent the entire book monologuing their age gap, that he’s much older, that he’s the father of her best friend, that she’s much younger, that she’s the best friend of her daughter. Again and again then repeat and again and again and again. It got tiring. Like I GET IT, okay? I got it the first time and I got it the first 78th times you guys said it. Mentioning it every chapter, every monologue, almost every dialogue is too much, it’s as if they made it their whole personality that they are in an age-gap themed book and it got totally dull to read.

What’s more the FMC, Halley has a really shitty parents and background and she survived, she’s strong but goddamn this girl was not it. She keeps humiliating and throwing herself to Reed who was also giving mixing signals even after the 60% mark. I was screaming, just fucking get on with it! Either be together or not because so far all I can see them being together is fucking misery, if most of the times the couples spend their time together in unhappiness then I, as a reader is also miserable. I was waiting for more than two happy moments where I could see that, yeah, they do belong together but nadaaaa because he is her best friend’s dad, because he is much older, because she’s much younger UGHHHHHHHHHHHH.

Also the love confession of Halley really cringed me out *shudders* what the fuck was that. She’s so desperate it’s embarrassing to read.

Reed was trying to break up with her or whatever it’s called since they’re not officially together at that point but is sleeping with each other. He is laying out all these facts about why he has to leave and honestly I’m on his side on this one. I also think that Halley is one selfish bitch. She can’t think about anyone but herself considering that it’s her best friend who practically adopted her and gave her safe space. Then for her to go fuck her dad and do everything short of begging him to choose her even when he was telling Halley the bigger picture of what will happen if they continue. Friends like her are the worst. The way her thoughts was villainizing her best friend Tara after all shit went down… Needless to say, I was not rooting for her.
Profile Image for Ashley.
567 reviews2,376 followers
January 13, 2025
"Imperfections are what bind us together. Our common thread. We're capable of screwing up, but we're capable of forgiving too. That's what makes us stronger humans."

WHITNEY. She stole the show in this book for me.

Okay, this one was definitely out of my comfort zone but I love Jennifer Hartmann and have heard so many good things so I needed to give it a go. I am SO GLAD I did because this might be one of my favorite LARGE age gap books. This was beyond emotional and Jennifer Hartmann did this so well.

"Love is weak. Love is selfish. It's not this fairy-tale illusion of candy hearts and paper flowers. It's messy and painful. But it's always worth it."

-age gap (17 years apart)
-best friend's father
-forbidden
TW - abuse
*** THERE IS ABSOLUTELY ZERO GROOMING IN THIS BOOK AND I DID NOT HAVE A SINGLE CRINGY FEELING!!
Profile Image for Violet.
428 reviews189 followers
August 7, 2024
•Age gap
•Forbidden romance
•Best friend's dad
•Dual POV
•Slow burn
•1990's setting

I really wanted to like this one but it just didn't work for me. I couldn't quite connect with the characters, it dragged on a bit too long & felt like it got repetitive. I did love the 90's era & added an extra star for the nostalgic Spotify playlist.
Profile Image for siff ♡.
167 reviews1,248 followers
December 30, 2024
and the crowd is… uncomfortable?
Profile Image for Yesmina.
530 reviews24 followers
April 14, 2024
I'm so sorry but I'm going to rant. This is for me. And this is coming out of my love and respect for Jennifer Hartmann.
First of all, I've yet to see a cover done by her and her husband as photographers that is bad. But this one is absolutely gorgeous <3

Second I know every single book she wrote, even the ones I haven't marked as "read" because they are so bad in my opinion. And I thought about ignoring this and waiting for the next release. But enough is enough. When an author uses and reuses the same creative devices, needs to be called out.

Here we go: writers use description to describe NOT to fill pages. It's so tiresome to emphasize points time and time again with packed words that have no meaning ("I chewed on my cheek and fidgeted my feet back and forth. And somehow…our toes touched. My naked, wet toes brushed the leather of his boots, and I realized we were a mere waterline apart.
Within the interplay of words and the stretch of frozen-in-time seconds, he’d moved closer to the water, and I’d moved closer to the sand.")
WTF is this? and how are you fidgeting and getting close to s.o on sand while not knowing so?

I'm fucking tired of Jenifer Hartmann trying to hit us with trauma. Every heroine needs to have dark past while being a lovely woman prone to depression.
Case in point: FMC describes herself as addicted to giving love because she has many loveless holes but then she spends the novel pitying herself, describing her life as tragic and bad, wallowing at every occasion.

And let's unpack the romantic premise, shall we: FMC is sitting like a loser outside a party. While she's a teenager (17), she's edgy and deep. The MMC comes by looking for his daughter (34 years old).
In the absolute fucking dark where the FMC can't see his face but she can know he's rugged and handsome, they have the most cringy and boring conversation:

MMC: Are you lost? FMC: No, maybe you are lost. MMC: No, shall I call you a taxi? FMC: No, maybe the person that you are looking for is lost?
MMC: I hope not, it's my daughter. How old are you?
FMC: 21 (a lie), would you keep me company because I'm feeling a bit lost? MMC: introduces himself, his job, his address and askes her if she's in college.
FMC: what I want to do is not career worthy, I'm attracted to blips and fleeting moments like things that pass without us noticing them, like a movie you hit pause to and you laugh at the weird pausing face of the actor.
MMC: Blips... fleeting moments.
FMC: omg he's repeating my words to let them sink in, now I want to know what he smells like and what sex with him would be like.

Needless to say that the rest of the story is a battle of push and pull. A battle of pointless seduction. Of course after FMC is over 18 but the forbidden element within the age gap is hammered home every time he screams internally: "she's a teenager, your daughter's best friend an abused child and she needs a bright future away from a man who's twice her age". OK WE GET IT!!!

Finally why the fuck every FMC written by Jennifer Hartman is not a virgin? Let me explain how this fact is used as a plot device. What Jennifer Hartmann does in every single book is "finding love in hopeless places" her words not mine.
In a sense, she creates stories about people who found each other eventually and after a lot of struggles.
Ok, fine but in Older, you literally played on the innocence of the FMC, on the FMC being young and meeting MMC when she was 17 and on the age gap.
But then you say she was having sex since 15 years old and she's quite experienced.

Secondly, every time a MMC of Jennifer Hartmann books ask (you're a virgin?) it would be with absolute fear and astonishment

Finally, JH will release this summer a new book via a publishing house, not independently like this one. We'll see if editors fixed the weird things she kept doing or not.
Profile Image for Vea.
335 reviews15 followers
March 31, 2024
And that my friends is how you write age gap romance!!!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 This book resonated with me on every level when it comes to age gap/taboo romance.

Halley and Reed's first encounter, though started when she was only 17 and he unaware of her age, was all consuming. Halley's difficult home life added depth to her character, and her growth throughout the story was truly remarkable. I found myself wholeheartedly rooting for her happiness above all else. Reed, as Halley's best friend’s father, was off limits in every way. I loved his character so much. His love, compassion, and care for all the women in his life was incredible.

The chemistry and tension between Halley and Reed was so strong, and their struggle to resist the connection only heightened the angst throughout . When they finally gave in to their feelings, it was electric to say the least. Jennifer conveyed their love so well, making it practically tangible. Even with all the amazing chemistry and romance, I couldn't shake the anxiety knowing the inevitable complications of their relationship. The angst was real but so worth it. This heartfelt story kept me engaged throughout, stirring up so many emotions. It definitely made a lasting impact and is one of my favorite books by this author.
Profile Image for NMmomof4.
1,720 reviews4,794 followers
April 20, 2024
3.5 Stars

Opinion Breakdown
The Good: The premise, the tension, and the characters.

The Not-So-Good: the fact that we go from the big conflict solution right into a HEA in an epilogue. It made it feel kinda like it wasn't fully resolved.

The Bad: Not necessarily bad, but the H's daughter's reaction and continued feelings were a little annoying to me.

Overall: This author has a tough job of writing the next Still Beating! Even though I tried not to, the idea of some yummy similar angst was super enticing and I know that I had my hopes way too high. I didn't dislike this or anything! I enjoyed their connection, I cried, and I liked the characters. I just think I did it to myself with setting those expectations up there. Overall, it was an enjoyable forbidden romance, and if you like the romances that sit in the grey area, this will be a good read for you! If you haven't read Still Beating yet, read this first -- then make sure to read that one 😅

Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Halley and Reed's story. They meet at a house party where Halley lies about her age and they connect instantly, only to later find out that Halley is now living with Reed's daughter and ex temporarily after getting away from her abusive father. Over time, they avoid the possibility of each other, but they can't help but have strong feelings that are hard to fight. There are some secrets revealed, some sweet and sexy times, and some angsty moments...and they get a HEA ending.

Point Of View (POV): This alternated between Halley and Reed's POV.

Overall Pace of Story: A little slow towards the end. I did find myself skimming a little, but never a lot.

Instalove: Kind of, definitely a instant connection. Not one that bothered me though.

H (Hero) rating: 4 stars. Reed. He was a good man even though he fell for the wrong person. I liked how he fought for and cared for the h

h (heroine) rating: 3.5 stars. Halley. I liked her, but I wanted her to be a little more reasonable at times for the H.

Sadness level: Moderate. I shed some tears but never needed any tissues

Push/Pull: Yes

Heat level: Good. They have some good tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.

Descriptive sex: Yes

OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: Mild

Sex scene with OW or OM: No

Cheating: No, separation spoiler tag

Separation:Yes

Possible Triggers: Yes

Closure: This ends in a good place with a cute epilogue that I would call a HEA ending. I just wish we got more time with them as an actual couple and maybe

Safety: This one should be either Safe with exception or Not safe for most safety gang readers
Profile Image for Crystal (Crystalreads2) .
945 reviews930 followers
Read
April 11, 2024

If I could give this book all the stars in the world, I would. Honestly, this book will easily be one of my top reads of the year. The author has a way with her words and storytelling. I knew by chapter four this book would be gut-wrenching yet beautiful.

Honesty, I didn't even know where to start. This review will be vague. I don’t want to give away any spoilers.

I do have a few suggestions: one, go in blind for the best reading experience. Two, have tissues at all times. I couldn't stop crying, especially the last twenty percent. As I write this review, tears stream down my face. Their love is indescribably beautiful. It's beyond words.

Haley and Reed find an instant connection from the first time they meet. It is not just any connection; it’s an intense deep into your soul connection. Halley has seen nothing but pain and abuse. She hides it well from other people. All I will say abide Reed is he sees her. I love him. Reed tries to keep a safe distance from Halley, but with each passing day, he finds it more challenging.

The book takes place in the 1990s, which I adored; it brings me back to my early adulthood. I felt like I was back in time. Plus, I love all the music references. For me, it gave me more of a connection between the characters.

This book will forever live in my mind and soul. Not only is it my new favorite book from the author, but it’s also my top forbidden and age-gap romance. I see many rereads in my future.
Profile Image for Cheyenne .
276 reviews778 followers
April 19, 2024
♾️ the new level of obsession and love I have for this book. absolutely incredible. but again, it’s Jennifer Hartmann… the best forbidden romance I’ve ever read. God, Reed and Halley have so much heart and passion - I felt like I was experiencing their love story first hand.


Go read this. You’ll devour it just like I did.
Profile Image for Jackie.
145 reviews1,190 followers
April 4, 2024
3.5/5🌟 ahhhh okay guys if you know me I am the HUGEST jennifer hartmann fan and have loved every book I’ve read, but this wasn’t my favorite 🙈 I felt like it dragged FOREVER and was missing the satisfaction of a true slow burn since 1) their feelings were obvious to the reader & to each other & 2) their physical relationship started pretty early on. I also didn’t FEEL a super strong connection between Halley & Reed 🤷🏼‍♀️. I didn’t hate it - I think the beginning was very strong & I was happy with the ending, it just wasn’t my favorite. BUT!!! jennifer is still my favorite 🩷
Profile Image for Jenn (The Book Refuge).
2,461 reviews4,245 followers
April 25, 2024
Right on the edge of my angst line. But it didn't tip me over.

Very beautiful, gut pulling forbidden romance. So good though.

I do feel like the heroine felt a bit too young and too reckless. It was hard to watch sometimes.

And once they started the sex, I felt like the rest of their connection was lost. And it was only about getting off.

4 stars
3 on the spice scale
Profile Image for Caitlin (The Love Librarian).
661 reviews1,297 followers
April 3, 2024
Older is the perfect title for this book. Halley is about half the age of Reed, the hero. I won't say what the ages are, as that is important to the overall story and how everything unfolds. So age gap aside, it also doesn't help that Halley is best friends with and lives with Reed's daughter and his ex, the mother of their child. Their connection is not ideal for anyone, including themselves. As much as they try to ignore the bond they established during their meet cute, inevitably they end up growing closer and tumble into an intimate relationship that they both know will end in them being together or being broken up and hurting everyone they love.

The forbidden nature of their relationship is what I enjoyed the most. The author had me entranced with Halley and Reed's interactions, each one purposeful and intended to build towards things turning physical and creating a "love" connection. That aside, Halley as a heroine was strong and resilient, given what she'd gone through. Both with and without Reed's help, Halley was able to become an independent, successful women in spite of circumstances that used to hold her down.

However, this isn't going to be a 5 star for two reasons: (1) the meet cute was weird. All I'll say is Reed had no reason to go back to that house party, and I couldn't get over that, and (2) though the characters became intimate and spent time together, it was under the cloak of being forbidden. When their secret blew up in their face, the ending was a bit rushed, and the epilogue was a typical time jump that shows the HEA in the future. Due to how long they weren't an actual couple, I would've loved to see Reed and Halley together more in the open, as they finally deserved. These issues aside, it was still a solid release from this author, and I'd recommend it!

TRIGGER WARNINGS (there were none listed in the ARC, but hopefully they'll be listed in the final version): domestic abuse (father is physically and verbally abusive of heroine, on page), parental neglect (mother doesn't stop the abuse)
Profile Image for Syndi.
3,441 reviews987 followers
September 8, 2024
I am blown away woth Older. Miss Hartmann certainly knows how to build the plot for forbidden romance. It has been a while since I read a really worthy forbidden romance where the characters have so much complexity to the story.

Both Reed and Halley are just awesome together. The push and pull, the plot and alll the forbidden aspect are front and the center of the story.

5 stars
Profile Image for ❥ Tracy.
435 reviews29 followers
April 17, 2024
lol i hate it 😃

I love age gap romance. It is my main food source. I inject it into my veins. I am a feral rat gnawing at my cage for a 17 year age gap.

But this made me uncomfy

First of all the melodrama transported me back to my 2008 emo phase. When this author wrote their dialogue she googled “deep tumblr quotes” and quoted them directly. These two star crossed lovers bonded instantly over their deep thoughts & love for Oasis’s Wonderwall

The age gap actually made me feel awkward. ME!! Like, after he knows she’s 17 you’d think he’d try to avoid her and never talk about the time they almost banged, bc that’s what a normal 34 year old would do. Nope, he follows her around a grocery store and continues their conversation from that fateful night

The FMC has issues. Her father is terribly abusive. She is soooo much more mature than her age because “she’s seen more in her 18 years than most adults have” (direct quote). This felt like a gross way to explain how these two could be compatible despite their age difference. Her trauma + his hero complex = true luv!

Now I’m just being a hater, but the little detail of the hero looking like Jared Leto threw me over the edge. Jared Leto, the literal alleged sexual predator. This is no longer a romance, this is a thriller. I didn’t read far enough to get there, but I’m guessing she joins his cult and he murders her with his Mark Zuckerberg look-alike buddy. Probably.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Maria Fernández.
99 reviews5 followers
April 14, 2024
4.5 ⭐️ Jennifer Hartmann eres una genia 😭 no hay libro tuyo que no me encante, son maravillosos

Porfavor háganse el favor de leer los libros de esta autora, porque son preciosos.

Este libro nos presenta mucho más que un amor complicado (la especialidad de la autora) nos da profundidad con cada personaje, tristeza por los dolores inevitables de la vida, emoción y adrenalina, protagonistas que amas demasiado y que se aman con locura entre ellos, empatizas 100%, con todos, con desenlaces necesarios agridulces pero finales magníficos 😭❤️

Jennifer es experta en escribir sobre amor prohibido (este libro no es la excepción) pero lo hace de una forma hermosa donde expresa perfectamente los conflictos de los personajes, las consecuencias realistas de sus actos, reflexiones muy conmovedoras, y por supuesto una que otra escena spicy que sabe escribir muy bien.

Juraba que le iba a dar 5 estrellas mientras lo leía pero “Still Beating” de esta misma autora tiene mis expectativas por el cielo (Porfavor todo el mundo debe leerlo) así que a comparación creo que lo más justo era darle menos puntuación, ya que sigue siendo superior en varios sentidos a este libro.

Sin embargo “Older” sigue siendo una maravilla, no puedo decir nada negativo, tienen que leerlo.
Profile Image for I’m a book mom.
67 reviews7 followers
February 26, 2025
I wanted to hate this book because of the premise alone. I’ve never cared for an age gap romance…I think it’s creepy and I assume there are deep-seated mental issues present when the gap is over 15 years. However, Jennifer Hartmann, in all of her greatness, simply knows how to speak to my heart even on a topic about this kind of forbidden love. Her writing is like alluring poetry. From start to finish, I experienced both love and disdain for the two main characters. As I always do as a romantic, I wanted love to win out, but I also had a visceral reaction of disgust as Reed and Halley’s 17 year age gap romance commenced. It is difficult for me to describe all the feelings I had while reading this book which is exactly why I loved the experience. I was swept into a wave of mess and madness and passion and darkness and then cast ashore accepting all of it for what it was…life. Life in fullness. In realness. Life isn’t meant to be lived in monochrome. The palette of life should be rainbow, polychrome, a kaleidoscope of all kinds of encounters and adventures. Life is a vivid spattering of confusion and beauty and heartache and joy. A life without color wouldn’t be worth living.

There are two things I remind myself of on a daily basis: 1. You never truly know what is going on in someone else’s life, so don’t judge. 2. Time heals.

I almost didn’t buy this book because I didn’t want to be disappointed by my favorite author, but I’m glad I did. I’m happy I gave this love story a chance. I cried over a couple that I would have misunderstood in real life. But we will only see in black and white if we don’t allow ourselves to open our eyes to seeing other perspectives, other life journeys.

Time has a way of making blurred things clearer giving the heart and mind and reality a chance to all come together as one.
How this family navigated different circumstances in this plot with empathy and understanding is a takeaway all its own.

As usual with Jennifer Hartmann, this book was quotable, so read it and collect your favorites. But this quote I will leave us with is plain and simple, a perfect reminder.
“We are all capable of screwing up, but we’re all capable of forgiving too.”
Profile Image for Jess | jadecanread.
1,044 reviews170 followers
April 12, 2024
My god, this was phenomenal. Jennifer Hartmann is so masterful in the way she can weave a love story and transport readers to a new time and space. I felt fully immersed in this 90s, I felt the angst alongside the characters, and I adored this with my whole heart.

The angst and taboo is STRONG with this one! Starting off with the age gap: she's 17 and he's 34 in the beginning. (Yes, she initially lies about her age, saying she's older , so he's not actively pursuing a 17 year old. [If it helps, the age of consent where they are is 17 as well. Just throwing this out there.])

Then add in who Reed is in her life. I was kicking and screaming (in delight) over the conundrum the characters found themselves in.

There's heartache, pining and yearning, trauma, healing, and just so much emotion. I felt like I ran an emotional marathon and went through all the feels.

I do feel like while I was rooting for the main couple, there was a certain je ne sais quoi I was itching for. They have this instant connection from the beginning and I would've loved if it ran a bit deeper. If you have two people in such different walks of life getting together, I want to see how and why they should be together much more thoroughly.

I still can't believe I haven't read JH's full backlist yet, but at this point I'm trying my best to savor her works because I don't know what I'll do with myself once I've read them all.
Profile Image for Destiney Bomberry.
378 reviews2,485 followers
April 28, 2024
I love books by Jennifer, her writing is sooo good, expected to really like this but sadly it was a miss for me
Profile Image for ApoorvaReads.
593 reviews410 followers
April 14, 2024
4.5 stars ⭐️

“His brow was wrinkled, features taut and brimming with tension. “Nothing about this is easy.”
“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.”


I screamed, cried, laughed and felt all the emotions while reading this book. what a heartbreaking beautiful story. Also have to give props to the best friend for surprising me with how she reacted when she found out about the relationship between her dad and her best friend.
Profile Image for  ~*~Princess Nya Vasiliev~*~.
1,131 reviews7 followers
March 31, 2025
Okay.. This book took me through it! Drove me insane and pissed me off to where I set up permanent residence on pissed off mountain.. Til I finally came down to grace the mere mortals with my presence once again.. In a word? LOVE.. That's the foundation on what this story is built. The different types, textures, and colors of love. Redemption and truth.

I love Reed. I love that he stays consistent in this book with who he is, what he wants, and his personal turmoil of what he knew his heart was screaming for, and the fear of what being selfish for once in his life, would bring him regarding his daughter and her mother. But sometimes the heart beats the head. And many times, the heart is just right. Love will never surrender to OUR expectations. That's not how this works. Love is not perfect. It's just real. Honestly, that's all that should matter.

Halley, I am so proud of this young woman. I could not ever imagine what it would feel like to walk even to the mailbox in her shoes, but I understand her heart. Her fear and ability to love tremendously anyway. No matter what she has had to overcome or contend with. She loves and trusts without reservations. Something I am so glad her phucked up parents couldn't steal from her soul.

Her parents?? Can I just watch them burn? Please?? What's so messed up is that there is NOTHING exaggerated about these two wastes of space who should have NEVER been blessed with a child... So many children have the misfortune to be born to such soulless people. 😢

Now, the reason why this one was not a 5 star read for me is because there were a few things here that I felt should not have been issues or obstacles in keeping Reed from being with Halley. These things came about in the last 5 chapters of this story however.. Especially when you see how this one ends for everyone, it seemed pointless the conflict, if you could call it that. Tara's reasons for being resistant to this, were for sh^t and I personally wanted to slap her for the way she treats her father during this whole process.

I also kinda wanted to hit Whitney too, when finding out that Reed was never given the full reason for why they left Charleston, and what was actually going on with Tara at the time..

If Whitney was supposed to be such a great co-parent with Reed, It doesn't make sense to me why she wouldn't have been forthcoming and transparent with him about what went down with Tara and her friend. He deserved to know that. He should have known that. HE'S HER FATHER! After all, that was part of the reason why they were leaving Charleston..
Tara IMO was just too coddled and way too selfish of a child/person..

Whitney being a Social Worker and all, navigated certain moves and choices not consistent with someone in her position or at times, as a responsible parent/caretaker as well. So there are things here that didn't make sense or ring true to me with her either.

I also didn't see why the legal aspect of Reed and Halley was brought into question to begin with, if the legal age of consent is 17 yrs of age where they were..

This made half of their worry a moot point. Halley, even as a 17 yr old and even more so as a twenty-something, was way more mature mentally than most adults. Because of her hardships and upbringing. So it was hard to see her as just a child, the way you would view Reed's daughter, Tara.

There were other things that in the vein they played out, I was not feeling. A big one is how excruciatingly SLOW this story is with allowing these characters to move to the next phase of their journey. It's like sh^t or get off the pot already. Jeez!

My definition of a slow burn is DEFINITELY not in line with what this author deems a slow burn with this story.. These are all the reasons why it wasn't a 5 star read for me.

Now, was the destination for this extreme slow burn worth it? Yes. I feel I was compensated quite well for my tears and frustrations where Reed, Halley and their circumstances were concerned.
It just should not have taken them so long to get there..

I would still recommend this read.

#HappySadSexy
#FRUSTRATINGIntenseTears
Profile Image for Vanessa Booked Up.
1,013 reviews459 followers
April 11, 2024
5 stars!

What an unbelievably beautiful story.

My Rating: ★★★★★//5
Steam: 🌶️🌶️🌶️//4

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“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.”

Friends, I’m telling you right now, this book will be EVERYWHERE! It will be hyped and hugely popular, and I’m here to tell you, it will all be 110% deserved and warranted!

Tropes:
🛼Forbidden romance
🛼 Age gap
🛼 Set in the 90’s
🛼 Hurt/comfort
🛼 Secret romance
🛼 Slow burn
🛼 Single dad
🛼 ALL the angst

Halley and Reed meet one night at a party and share an instant and powerful connection. She lies about her age but soon gets called out by a neighbor, effectively ending their evening.

Some months later, they meet again, but it’s when her best friend introduces her to her dad.

I’m going to say some big words here…this is my new fave forbidden romance/age gap story, even above BIRTHDAY GIRL. 😱 This story is so well done. The author took such care to focus on their undeniable connection, more so than their physical attraction. Don’t get me wrong, there’s still all the spice, but this book is SO MUCH MORE.

Halley comes from an abusive home. Her best friend Tara and her mom take her in and it’s the first safe place she’s ever had. This factor alone adds so much to the forbidden element of this story because Halley had so much to lose. Her best friend is also the only family she has.

Reed is fiercely protective of Halley their chemistry, bond, and attraction was so intense. I could feel it in every scene.

I went through every emotion with this book. And as soon as I finished, it was one of those where I immediately started flipping back to re-read all my fave scenes.

Older is a beautifully told forbidden romance and THE BOOK to read if your a connoisseur of these tropes.
Profile Image for Bailee Latham.
254 reviews5,127 followers
May 16, 2024
3.75 stars

Age gap, forbidden, angst, and best friends DAD. The tension that this book gave was just SO good. Different than I thought it would be, but it was still entertaining.
Profile Image for Brittany | goodreadswithb.
284 reviews42 followers
April 7, 2024
There is just something about a forbidden age gap romance that I will always love.. when two people don't fit in their world but also don't fit anywhere else because they are so undeniably meant for one another.

And Older was the perfect example of this. It made sense why they couldn't be together, why they wouldn't be accepted, why being together meant they could be hurting other people.. but it was also so obvious why these two were supposed to be together. They had that once in a lifetime connection. They understood each other. They respected each other. They loved each other. You could FEEL their chemistry in their little moments, and the big ones too. But it's always in the little moments that I fall. The stolen glances, the tension filled rooms, the electricity in their touch, and in that moment when they give into the temptation and let their desires take over.

And it's at that point when you have to ask yourself, isn't their happiness worth it? Why should two people so clearly made for each be kept apart because of circumstances that are out of their control.

I know age gap isn't for everyone, but I truly feel like Jennifer did it beautifully. While yes, there is a huge age gap, it never felt that way. Halley experienced life in a way that forced her to grow up quickly. Her strength and maturity was so admirable and that just closed the gap for me.

Reed was a man in the most impossible position, and while he may have not handled everything perfectly, I felt the turmoil in every decision he made.. and it made me love him for it, because it all felt so real and authentic.

I hope everyone takes a chance on Older.. and for all my 90s babies, I hope you love the walk down memory lane like I did. I love how Jennifer brought us right back with the vibes, the music, the story. Everything just hit differently, in the best way.
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