Problematic Summer Romance

Ali Hazelwood

3.8 average· 1 review

What is wrong meets what feels right in this romance set in Italy by the New York Times bestselling author of Deep End. Maya Killgore is twenty-three and still in the process of figuring out her life. Conor Harkness is thirty-eight, and Maya cannot stop thinking about him. It’s such a cliché, it almost makes her heart implode: older man and younger woman; successful biotech guy and struggling grad student; brother’s best friend and the girl he never even knew existed. As Conor loves to remind her, the power dynamic is too imbalanced. Any relationship between them would be problematic in too many ways to count, and Maya should just get over him. After all, he has made it clear that he wants her gone from his life. But not everything is as it seems—and clichés sometimes become plot twists. When Maya’s brother decides to get married in Taormina, she and Conor end up stuck together in a romantic Sicilian villa for over a week. There, on the beautiful Ionian coast, between ancient ruins, delicious foods, and natural caves, Maya realizes that Conor might be hiding something from her. And as the destination wedding begins to erupt out of control, she decides that a summer fling might be just what she needs—even if it’s a problematic one.

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Reviews

3.8 average· 1 review

Novelust user

Oct 10, 2025

5.0

Sexy, definitely problematic, but - it works! I love how Ali Hazelwood’s writing is both intellectually stimulating, and at the same time, I don’t have to think hard. Perfect rhythm. I also have an ick for IRL big age gaps, so the fact that she was able to pull this book off & get the nuance right - v impressive.

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