riatambekar In Problematic Summer Romance, Ali Hazelwood takes one of the most eyebrow-raising tropes in romance, the age-gap and serves it sizzling hot, with a side of self-awareness and Sicilian sunsets.
At the center of this steamy drama are Maya Killgore and Conor Harkness. If those names ring a bell, you’re not wrong, Maya is Eli Killgore’s much younger sister, and Conor is his closest friend and business partner, both introduced briefly in Hazelwood’s “Not In Love”. But here, they step into the spotlight with all the tension, chemistry, and complexity you could ask for.
Maya is 24, bold, blunt, and done waiting around. Conor is 38, emotionally constipated, and doing everything in his power not to be the guy who gets involved with his best friend’s younger sister. He’s also painfully aware of the 14-year age gap, the professional power imbalance, and the mess that could unfold if he gives in. So naturally, Hazelwood locks them in the same place: a sun-soaked wedding in Sicily.
The plot unspools across two timelines the present-day wedding festivities and flashbacks to a near-romance that sparked three years ago. Back then, Conor put a firm stop to things. Now? Maya’s grown, bolder, and not at all interested in pretending the attraction doesn’t exist. What follows is a delicious slow burn, filled with flirty insults, deep conversations, and a not-so-quiet war between restraint and desire.
Hazelwood handles the age gap with surprising nuance. The book doesn’t glorify it or sweep the discomfort under the rug, it names the awkwardness and lets the characters wrestle with it in real time. Conor is all caution and guilt. Maya? She’s over the tiptoeing. Her approach is direct: she asks the hard questions, pushes past polite discomfort, and forces Conor to acknowledge what’s simmering beneath his buttoned-up exterior.
But it’s not all unresolved tension. There’s genuine emotional connection here. Maya challenges Conor’s carefully ordered life, he, in turn, respects her enough to actually listen. Their chemistry isn’t just about heat (though, let’s be clear, there’s plenty of that) it’s about balance. Maya brings levity and spontaneity. Conor brings depth and care. It works, even if it probably shouldn’t.
And then there’s the setting. Sicily isn’t just a backdrop, it’s practically a third main character. Hazelwood paints the dreamiest wedding week imaginable, with sun-drenched villas, beach dinners, and enough intimate moments to make you forget the “problematic” part for a second.
Enter the supporting cast, who deserve their own spinoff series.
Maya’s best friend, Nyota, is a no-nonsense lawyer who oozes confidence and reads men like case files. She’s the kind of bestie who’ll pour you a glass of wine while also issuing a full cross-examination about your emotional stability. She’s supportive but also brutally honest, and her scenes with Maya are a masterclass in what ride-or-die friendship should look like.
And we can’t forget Tiny, the hilariously misnamed and deeply spoiled dog who manages to insert himself into pivotal moments with the same chaotic energy as Maya. Tiny is the emotional support animal we didn’t know we needed, stealing scenes and snacks alike.
Still, this book won’t be for everyone. If large age gaps are a hard no for you, fair enough. But Hazelwood doesn’t ask readers to blindly accept it, she makes her characters earn every ounce of connection. By the time anything actually happens between them, we’ve seen them build trust, unpack fears, and stumble (adorably) through their feelings.
Where some age-gap romances feel exploitative or lopsided, this one feels…mutual. Respectful. And surprisingly grounded. Maya might be younger, but she’s never portrayed as naïve. Conor might be older, but he’s never predatory. They meet in the middle, awkwardly, passionately, and sometimes painfully.
The bottom line?
Problematic Summer Romance is self-aware, emotionally rich, and undeniably hot. It explores the messiness of timing, the complications of age, and the vulnerability of falling for someone you really shouldn’t, but anyways do. If you’re into slow burns, messy dynamics, and emotionally repressed men trying very hard not to crumble, this one’s for you.
Just be warned: You will end up Googling, “Is a 14-year age gap actually that bad?”
Give it a read and let me know in the comments below if you liked the book!
