Problematic Summer Romance Review: When Does an Age Gap Romance Become Problematic?

Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood

Lacey Christiansen

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August 2, 2026

Table of Contents

Problematic Summer Romance Walked Into My Life Like…

There are summer romances, and then there are summer romances that arrive with a built-in ethical question mark.

Problematic Summer Romance practically dares you to ask whether a 23-year-old woman and a 38-year-old man can have a happily-ever-after without the age gap becoming the elephant lounging poolside in Sicily. Add in a brother’s best friend, a destination wedding, a gorgeous Italian setting, and enough yearning to power a small city, and you have the makings of a romance that knows exactly what its title is promising.

But did the story actually deliver on the promise of its cover? And more importantly, did the “problematic” part feel genuinely problematic, or did Ali Hazelwood convince me to put my skepticism down, have a glass of something cold, and enjoy the ride?

For me, the answer was a little more complicated than I expected. But complicated in the best possible way: with plenty of banter, absurdly lovable characters, and a summer escape I was very happy to take.

*Spoilers will be hidden and labelled so you can choose to read or skip.

Hype Meter

Goodreads: 3.81 | StoryGraph: 3.91

My Take: Correctly-hyped

Skip to the Review

Judge Problematic Summer Romance By Its Title

The palette grabbed my attention, but the composition of the cover of Problematic Summer Romance held it. Not showing faces is an unusual choice for an illustrated romance cover. The line created by the legs in the image moves the eye both across and down the page, leading to the checklist-style title. Repeating colors loop the eye back to the top of the page only to notice more details the second time through.

Color Story

Bright and fresh, the peach and turquoise sing of summer sand and sea!

Typography Notes

A fun, loose handwritten style typeface laid out in all caps like a checklist gives the text an energetic feel. The gradient pink effect doubles down on the summer vibes.

Genre Signals

The colors and the text scream summer and romance. The illustration confirms it.

Hidden Details

The setting is illustrated in the background. The island, Isola Bella, in particular, is mentioned in Problematic Summer Romance.

Mood Check

According to the cover design, I’d expect something light, flirty, and fun.

Beyond the Dust Jacket

The ebook of Problematic Summer Romance has the same cute illustrations inside as the print book. Delightfully well formatted and easy to read.

Did the design affect whether I bought the book?

I’m sure it played a role, but I don’t actually remember downloading the book 🤔

Story Snapshot

In Short

During a destination wedding in Sicily, 23-year-old Maya pursues a summer fling with her brother’s 38-year-old friend Conor, despite their problematic age gap.

From the Publisher

The Instant #1 New York Times Bestseller!

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.

Lines I Highlighted

“You built a nice adulthood over the ruins of a shitty adolescence,” my therapist once said, and I enjoy the mental image of it. The idea of life as something I could choose, cultivate day by day, curate and nurture. Being mindful, instead of reactive.

Characters I Followed Into Battle

Maya is a fierce young woman who is technically a genius, lost her parents as a teenager, and was raised by her 14-year-older brother, Eli.

Conor is Eli’s long-time best friend, who has a crappy family but great friends, loads of money, and a conscience. He adores Maya, but finds the age difference “problematic.”

You may recognize some of the characters in Problematic Summer Romance from the first book in this connected series, Not in Love.

Lines I Highlighted

Honestly, he’s not my type. Too overworked. Too incapable of letting go. Too single-minded. Too much of a dickhead. And for the last three years of my life, I’ve been in love with him.

Writing Style Notes

What does Ali Hazelwood put in these books? How exactly does she lace them with crack?

There is so much yearning! And it is coupled with the most unhinged banter. Seriously, these characters are all super smart and funny. I want to be everyone’s bff.

Hazelwood makes these characters wait out a pretty slow-burn but keeps the sparks crackling and the pace snappy.

The previous book’s storyline is woven in and high-level recapped, but not retold in full, so you can still go back and savour the other love story in all its glory.

Lines I Highlighted

Instead of picking up my calls, he would reply with texts that made something very clear: he was there for me, but he’d rather wire me a million dollars than have a five-minute conversation with me.

Themes Living Rent-Free In My Head

You don’t have to be defined by your past or your family or genetics. Your choices and behavior make you who you are.

Who you believe yourself to be can and does impact the relationships you allow yourself to have.

Friendship is an important basis for romantic love, but not the only determining factor.

Is age just a number? Are all age gap romances problematic or is it more nuanced than that?

Lines I Highlighted

“Of course I fucking want you. You are stupidly beautiful, and too fucking smart for your own good, and I refuse to go there, Maya.”

What Landed For Me

What Worked:

Third-Act breakup tension without a third-act breakup. Brilliant!
Adorable characters and animal friends
Gah! The humor. Be prepared to snicker to yourself repeatedly.

What Didn’t Fully Click:

Conor’s accent could have been accentuated more through spelling and word choices to provide dialogue cues. I kept forgetting he was Irish.

Overall:

Super fun summer read!

Lines I Highlighted

I have never wanted anything as desperately, as ungovernably, as persistently as I want you. Not a single goddamn thing. Not my dead mother back. Not revenge. Not the well-being of the people I love. Not professional success, not even my own happiness. Absolutely nothing has consumed me as mercilessly as you have.

Intentional Reading Reflection

Deep into summer territory, Problematic Summer Romance was a timely read. I was in the mood for something easy to read that would be fun and light-hearted. This delivered! I was pleasantly surprised that it was a part of a series I had previously started, which made the journey all the more satisfying.

Read Problematic Summer Romance for a quick mental getaway or if you’ve parked yourself somewhere (a beach, a mountain, a park) on a lovely summer day off. Pairs well with Prosecco and fresh fruit.

Lines I Highlighted

Conor, who holds out his bottle to me. “Have some water. It’ll calm you down.” No. It’s always water this and water that, but when I try to drink the blood of my enemies–”