Overall Grade: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Are you looking for the perfect beach read right now? The type of book that you can layout in the sun and read, and it makes you think of summer? Do you love a reverse age-gap story with light angst, lots of story, and a smattering of steam? Then, you want to run and grab Kendall Ryan’s How to Date A Younger Man. This book is perfect for right now because Kendall Ryan entertains you with her newest book by bringing you a swoony hero and some steamy chemistry.
How to Date A Younger Man follows Griffin, a twenty-something grad student, and Layne, a thirty-something attorney. Layne and Griffin meet when he comes to give her a massage at her workplace. From the very first moment, Griffin is drawn to Layne; however, all she sees is a man too young for her. Over the course of their story, Griffin’s interest in Layne grows, while Layne struggles to see him as a potential partner. They grow a friendship first and eventually love finds its place; however, the struggle to get there will keep you turning the page.
For me, Griffin is a dreamboat. He’s all the names you call a contemporary romance hero: swoony, patient, compassionate, tenacious. Quite honestly, for much of HTDAYM, Layne seems unworthy of Griffin. His end goal is always her, but she’s so short-sighted that for much of this story, she fails to see the gem of a hero in front of her. If you want one reason to read Ryan’s How to Date A Younger Man, it’s Griffin. His characterization makes this book a romance to read.
As a heroine, Layne offers up some of my favorite qualities: she’s independent, strong, and hardworking. We love women to be represented by these qualities. However, she is also foolhardy and lacks insight because she works too hard to control every aspect of her life. Much of Ryan’s story is spent on Layne reaching a level of maturity that allows her to see beyond her preconceived notions of younger men. And the reality is that we all carry a bit of Layne in us. Oftentimes we fail to see the opportunities in front of us because our thinking is reductive. Ryan shows her readers through Griffin and Layne’s romance that, once we open our minds and stop compartmentalizing our choices, we can find a situation better than we imagined.
It’s this message that is the magic of Kendall Ryan’s How to Date A Younger Man. Besides this magic, Ryan treats us to what she does best: $exy chemistry between her hero and heroine, a story that engages you from page one to the last page, and a happy ending that will leave you with a smile on your face and a sigh in your heart. This is why I keep coming back to Kendall Ryan’s books. So…if you find yourself laying poolside or beachside and you want a quick, fun read with a tinge of angst and a happy ending that wipes it away, then Kendall Ryan’s newest romance should be on your Kindle right now.
In love and romance,
Professor A
