File this under: books that held me hostage until I finished them in one sitting.
The banter?? The humour??
Miss Hazelwood, respectfully, how dare you.
I picked this book up with zero expectations and somehow ended up grinning like an idiot, giggling into my pillow, and kicking my feet like I was the one falling in love. Ali Hazelwood didn’t just do it again—she dragged me back into romance with zero resistance, and I liked it. Damn her.
Problematic Summer Romance is the kind of story that makes you feel like you’ve got butterflies in your stomach and a best friend whispering scandalous gossip in your ear at the same time.
Let’s talk romance: this is age-gap done right. It’s pining with a capital P. It’s slow burn, but never frustrating. Maya and Conor are magnetic in a way that feels immediate but also built on layers of tension, backstory, and that delicious sense of “we shouldn’t, but we’re going to anyway.” It’s the perfect combination of messy and earnest, and I loved every second of it.
Now, this might not be the kind of romance that plays it safe. If age-gap stories make you uncomfortable, you’ll feel that tension here. But that’s also why it works. Hazelwood doesn’t shy away from it—she leans in. The age difference isn’t a throwaway quirk; it’s acknowledged, explored, and talked through like real adults navigating real dynamics. It’s complicated, a little messy, but never careless. And because of that, the love story feels not just believable, but earned.
The pacing? Impeccable. I didn’t mean to finish it in one sitting—I had things to do, deadlines, real-life responsibilities—but none of that mattered once I started. The chemistry and internal monologues pulled me in so fast I didn’t even realise I’d finished until I hit the acknowledgments page and was mad it was over.
This is the second book in the Not in Love series, but you can absolutely read it as a standalone. The first book follows Eli Killgore and Rue Siebert in a forbidden, STEM-soaked romance. Problematic Summer Romance shifts focus to Eli’s sister, Maya, who finds herself entangled with Conor Harkness—at her brother’s wedding in Taormina, no less. The vibes? Immaculate. European summer, complicated family dynamics, sizzling slow burn—it delivers on every level.
Let’s talk setting. Taormina, Sicily? Are you kidding me?? The atmosphere is dreamy but never vague—it’s warm, tangible, romantic in the way that makes your heart ache a little because you kind of want to be there. It’s not just a pretty backdrop. You can feel the heat in the air, the summer haze, the weight of old buildings and wedding chaos and lemon trees and regrets. The city practically dares these characters to fall in love.
And the characters? Let’s talk about Maya. She’s got fire, but she’s also really raw—like someone still trying to figure herself out while pretending she already has. She’s been through therapy. She’s doing the work. And Conor, for once, is not your typical older-man fantasy template. He’s dealing with guilt, boundaries, control, and actual emotional accountability. It’s so refreshing to read a romance where people don’t just get together because they’re hot and angsty, but because they’re willing to talk through their mess and still choose each other anyway.
Honestly, I don’t have anything groundbreaking to say except: I loved this book. That’s it. That’s the review.
If you’re in the mood for a funny, emotional, swoony romance with top-tier banter and characters you’ll want to protect with your life, this one’s for you. It’s not just fun. It’s smart fun.
Better go pick up this book before I find five different ways to say the same thing in the name of “book review” and roast that last remaining brain cell. My point: you will love this book.
And if you don’t?
I will fight you. Respectfully. Maybe.