“One day you will meet a girl who reminds you of the ocean. She will draw you to her like an ocean wave, pull you in like a rip current, and consume you like tsunami waves crashing down on your heart.”

Oh wow. This book was just…wow. So good. So so good. Lordy, I love the older man/younger woman sub trope. This one also has that “dad’s best friend” twist which makes it even steamier. And GOD is it steamy. Holy cannoli, this book was like the best slice of pie I’ve ever tasted. I haven’t read a better book in this sub trope genre. This is definitely my favorite age gap romance to date. 

We start out meeting River, a twenty year old, free-spirited young woman. Her father is very wealthy and her mother is a gypsy nomad. She lives with her father and step mother (who used to be her nanny) in New York, but takes summer vacations with her mother abroad. This summer, unfortunately, her flighty mother never showed up to Prague, their destination vacation spot. River has some major abandonment issues because, as it turns out, she lived with her mother and had no knowledge of her father until she was twelve, when her mom dropped her off on her father’s doorstep and left. River’s father used to be best friends with a man named Grayson, who was a few years younger than him, but they had a bit of a falling out when he was passed up for a spot at Grayson’s family’s company. All of this is important (and yes, a bit confusing – but read the book) BECAUSE it’s the reason our story can even take place. Grayson feels some remorse about their falling out and agrees to offer River’s father a temporary job to help with some financial troubles. Because River’s mother bailed on their vacation, she ends up crashing the business dinner between the two men. She arrives before her father though, and Grayson doesn’t recognize her…the last time he saw her she was a preteen. She’s definitely a woman now and he is completely taken by her.  And ta-da! Our story begins.

Grayson and River begin an affair after many go-arounds and arguments. They are destined to love each other, you can feel it in each of there interactions. It’s marvelous. Their romance is wild and passionate and beautiful. They both deny their feelings for so long, but it’s obvious to the audience what’s really going on in their heads. They share their love and their feelings through action, Grayson in particular. At one point he flies River to Maine because she loves lobster rolls and he wants to surprise her for lunch. This is before they’ve even slept together, too. It’s his constant thoughtfulness and care for River that makes Grayson so lovable. From the very beginning he sees her pain and doesn’t judge her for it, rather, he longs to give her happiness in any way that he can. 

When the climax occurs and things turn for the worst, it’s honestly a bit of a shock. I thought things might turn out differently, but surprisingly, it works out perfectly. It makes the story even more interesting and enticing (lol). It’s definitely not your typical, predictable romance. It’s exciting and romantic and delicious. Everyone should give this gem a chance.

“I know I’m playing with fire, but sometimes, you need to be burned to feel. And he makes me feel.”