Jennifer Hartmann’s Older is a slow-burn, forbidden age-gap romance that will emotionally gut you, then gently stitch you back together with longing, lyricism, and a whole lot of angst. If you like your love stories messy, meaningful, and morally complicated—this one’s for you.
📖 Plot Summary: A Lakeside Meeting, A Lifetime of Consequences
Set in the 1990s, Older follows Halley Foster, a seventeen-year-old girl trapped in a loveless, emotionally abusive home. One night, she escapes to a quiet lakeside, seeking solace in solitude—and finds Reed, a man twice her age who sees through her broken pieces with startling clarity.
Their connection is instant but restrained. Reed is kind, gentle, and completely off-limits—especially when Halley discovers he’s her best friend’s dad. What follows is a slow, aching unraveling of boundaries, built on stolen glances, whispered confessions, and a love that feels both inevitable and impossible.
“She watched the movie. I watched her.”
Hartmann doesn’t rush the romance. She lets it simmer in silence, in guilt, in the ache of wanting someone you shouldn’t. And when it finally ignites? It’s devastatingly beautiful.
🖤 Character Summaries: Broken People, Beautifully Written
Halley Foster is a girl with “loveless holes to fill”. She’s sarcastic, emotionally intelligent, and deeply wounded. Her home life is a minefield of neglect and manipulation, and her friendship with Reed becomes her only safe space. Halley’s voice is raw, honest, and often heartbreaking.
Reed is the kind of man who makes you question every moral compass you thought you had. He’s older, emotionally guarded, and quietly suffering. His relationship with Halley is built on mutual understanding and restraint, but his internal conflict is palpable. He wants to protect her—but he also wants her.
“Every moment with you fucking hurts,” his voice was pure grit, words cracking and breaking. “Every moment without you…hurts so much more.”
Their dynamic is electric. It’s not just about lust—it’s about longing, about being seen, about finding comfort in the most unexpected places.
🔥 Tropes That Hit Hard
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Age Gap (17 vs. 38): Taboo, tense, and handled with surprising nuance.
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Best Friend’s Dad: The ultimate forbidden fruit.
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Found Family: Halley finds more comfort in Reed’s presence than she ever did at home.
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Slow Burn: You’ll be begging for them to kiss by page 300—and when they do, it’s worth every second.
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Emotional Healing: Both characters are scarred, and their bond becomes a balm.
Hartmann leans into these tropes with emotional depth, making them feel fresh, filthy, and soulfully satisfying.
⚠️ Trigger Warnings
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Age-gap relationship (17 and 38)
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Emotional abuse and neglect (parental)
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Grooming themes (though handled with restraint and emotional clarity)
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Explicit sexual content (later in the book)
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Death and grief
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Mental health struggles
Hartmann doesn’t shy away from uncomfortable dynamics, but she also doesn’t glamorize them. The story acknowledges the power imbalance and gives both characters agency to navigate it.
💬 Quotes That Wreck You
“Life is living. If you’re not living exactly the way you want to live, then what’s the fucking point?”
“Growing old with the one you love was an underrated treasure. Aging was frightening. Death was an ominous certainty that nipped at our ankles. But the journey to that end? That was the gift.”
These lines aren’t just poetic—they’re thematic. Hartmann’s writing is lyrical, emotionally resonant, and laced with quiet wisdom.
😈 Smut Score: 8/10 Would Risk the Judgment
Let’s be clear: this book is not erotica. The spice is minimal but meaningful. When Reed and Halley finally cross the line, it’s tender, emotional, and earned. Hartmann focuses more on emotional intimacy than physical fireworks—but when the heat comes, it’s raw and real.
🧠 Critique: Not Without Its Bruises
Some readers may struggle with the pacing—Hartmann takes her time, and while the slow burn is delicious, it can feel drawn out. The age gap will be a dealbreaker for some, and the taboo nature of the relationship is never fully resolved in a way that feels morally clean.
But that’s the point. Older isn’t about easy answers—it’s about messy emotions, impossible choices, and the kind of love that defies logic.
🎁 Final Verdict: A Guilty Pleasure That’s Worth the Guilt
Older is a masterclass in forbidden romance. It’s messy, sexy, and surprisingly heartfelt. If you love tension that crackles, characters who feel real, and writing that makes you ache, this book will wreck you—in the best way.
Whether you’re here for the taboo or the tenderness, Hartmann gives you both. And she makes you want it. All of it.
Rating: 3.5/5 lakeside glances and emotional breakdowns.
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