Review: The only thing that’s problematic is my unhealthy obsession with this book! 

 

“Problematic Summer Romance” follows 23 year-old Maya Killgore and 38 year-old Conor Harkness—a.k.a the man she just can’t seem to get over—after they end up stuck together in a romantic Sicilian villa for over a week. Any relationship between them would be problematic, but a summer fling might be just what they need. 

 

While this book can be read as a standalone, I suggest reading “Not in Love” beforehand, as it not only teases Maya and Hark’s relationship, but also establishes some of the character dynamics. I love how “Problematic Summer Romance” builds off of Eli and Rue’s love story to develop Maya and Conor’s. It was also really fun to reunite with some of my favorite characters from “Not in Love” and see what they were getting up to. 

 

I enjoyed how this story shifts between the past and the present to showcase how Maya and Conor’s relationship started, ended, and was rekindled. What ultimately drove them apart was Conor’s concern for the power imbalance in their relationship, which results from their difference in age. He fights his feelings and puts distance between them under the guise that he is protecting her. I loved watching Maya, who is so sure of herself and her feelings, help him realize that he is worthy of love. The tension born of their initial hesitance to pursue something “forbidden” and their charged back and forth are the driving forces of this story! They also made the moment Maya and Conor gave in to their chemistry that much more satisfying. 

 

This is definitely the romance of the summer!