Ali Hazelwood, you menace. You absolute master of spice and emotional destruction. I finished Problematic Summer Romance and immediately had to go lie down in a dark room with a fan on my face.
Let’s just start here:
💥 Age gap (she’s 23, he’s 38)
💥 Brother’s best friend
💥 Second-chance adjacent
💥 A literal destination wedding
💥 Slow burn so good I almost combusted
💥 HE IS IRISH. I REPEAT. THE MAN HAS AN ACCENT. RIP ME.
“You okay?” I ask, cautious.
“Yeah.” A deep inhale. “Yeah. I just wanted to listen to you exist.”
Ma’am. Jail.
Here’s the thing. I’ve read Bride. I’ve read The Love Hypothesis. I’ve read Check & Mate. I’ve read Deep End (bless you, Ali, for that one). And while every single one of them is perfect, not one of these books is the same. But if you handed them to me with no cover or name attached? I’d still know. Because the writing? The chemistry? The way Ali builds tension and makes me laugh and scream into a pillow? It’s all so her. In the best way.
Now, yes. The man is wealthy beyond reason. She is not. And sure, she might be working through some very real dead parent issues. And possibly some anger struggles. But the way Ali handles it all is chef’s kiss. The emotional depth? The banter? The “go to your room” moment that lives rent-free in my brain? I blushed so hard I had to check if my headphones were still connected and it wasn’t playing loudly for my elderly lyft driver to hear.
And don’t even get me started on the burn. The sloooooow, teasing, perfect, agonizing burn. I had to sit with my feelings for a full 24 hours before I could even attempt to form coherent thoughts. Honestly, I’m still recovering.
Bottom line: if you love a slow burn, off-the-charts chemistry, emotionally intelligent (and also emotionally damaged) characters, and an accent that’ll ruin your life in the best way, this is it. This book is for you.
Ali Hazelwood does not miss. Ever. Not once. Not even a little.
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