When I Met Elena

by Desiree Span

When surfer Matthew meets sophisticated Doctor Elena, it's like he's caught the perfect wave. He's not into dating, and she's moving to London so even though Elena is way out of his league, there's no reason they can't have some fun till she leaves, right?
But the first impassioned ride on that amazing wave ends with an abrupt crash when Elena runs off in tears, leaving Matt with unanswered questions and a bruised ego.
What appears to be the end of one passionate night is actually the beginning of two people struggling to find each other in a vast sea of grief, loss, and insecurities.

Will they be able to reach the shore together, or will they drift apart and lose each other forever?

Genres: Contemporary Romance, New Adult, Steamy

339 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 25, 2023

About the author

Desiree Span is an emerging voice in contemporary romance and women's fiction, with novels praised as "must-reads," "heartbreaking," and "captivating."

Born in the Netherlands to a Dutch father and a Caribbean mother, she was raised with the best of both cultures and surrounded by a mix of languages, traditions, and perspectives that continue to shape her storytelling. Her stories draw readers in with emotional depth, multicultural characters, and the kind of settings that stay with you. Her protagonists are deeply human—flawed, complex, and each facing their own struggles as they fight to earn the love and happily-ever-after they deserve.

She holds a master’s degree in English and Education and another in Film and Performing Arts. When she’s not teaching English, Desiree is working on her next novel or enjoying a cozy moment with a hot chocolate and a good book.

Reviews

[Bente van Harskamp]

2.75⭐️

I have never read a romance novel solely from the male’s pov. I realised this is not for me, because I couldn’t really connect with female main character Elena. And Matthew gave me the ick most of the time. So I had a hard time caring where the book was going to go.
It also made Matthew a really well-rounded character and Elena stayed a bit flat. Elena’s storyline is super interesting and could have made for some nice character development. Now the book just fell flat for me.

[Meka 🌸]

Although it varies from my usual genre I found myself enjoying the way this was written. Both main characters have their own separate trauma to work through and it was depicted nicely.

I did have a hard time connecting with Matthew at first, but as they grew and developed I came to love everything about it.

[J. Rose Black]

A down-to-earth romance with a diverse cast

Matthew was a little hard to like at first. The epitome of slackerdom, he’s a hot surfer-nerd who loves comic books and works as a fry cook.
But he also takes care of his kid sister. And his niece. He’s the apple of his foster mom’s eye, a hero to his younger sister, the most reliable worker at the restaurant, and more. He carries his trauma but, in the beginning he’s not even particularly aware. He’s on autopilot - accepting that this is all he can ever be.

Elena is stuck in her own rut. She’s never been able to let go and move on from the death that turned her world upside down. They start with finding a bit of solace in the other to finding a love worth fighting for.

No billionaires here, this is a family living hand to mouth and doing the best to support each other. “A reverse Cinderella” that finds its stride and goes the steamy distance.

Pair with sangria for a sweet self-date. ❤️

[Imperfect.reader]

This story has some triggers that include loss of spouse, loss of parent, and addiction of a parent. If your into reverse age gap trope this is for you. This is also from the MMC point of view which is not seen often in books so I found that to be refreshing. Although this book has some very heavy topics it will make you laugh,cry, and sweat with all the spice. All good books in my opinon make you go through a roller coaster of emotions. Matthew is a carefree surfer that works on the beach. He meets Elena in the hospital after his sister gets into a car accident. This is about two people from two different worlds that have an unmistakable connection. That have to learn how to grow and move past their trama. Thank you for the ARC and allowing me to give my honest opinion.

[Krista]

Reading a book from his point of view was quite refreshing! Matthew has so much self doubt, but he is such a good guy! Taking care of his sister, niece and foster mom. When his sister ends up in the ER he meets Elena. She's been a widow for two years and hasn't figured out how to move on. They both bring so much to the table and watching them interact and try to figure their stuff out was such an enjoyment. Great story!!!

[a Jasmine Blanton]

Ok so hear me out. Family problems, dead husbands and foster kids. And let’s not forget the spice. This book was chefs kiss 🙌🏼🙌🏼

[Ms.Sophia Firewall]

this story put me through laughter, sadness, grief, heartbreak and contenment. A beautiful adult coming of age story, love the maturity in it.

[Brianna Vafiadis]

I honestly enjoyed this book so much. I read it in about a day or two. It was funny and adorable with a little smut here and there. The spice level was about 2 or 3 out of 5. I love that it was his POV. He made me laugh every time we heard his thoughts, only because I feel like that is how men are nowadays and act all cool and calm on the outside.

I did get emotional towards the end and it really spoke to me. You will experience all the emotions reading this novel. Desiree, I hope I get to read more from you in the future because this was close to a 5 star for me. Absolutely love your writing style and cannot want to see what else you have in store.

[Skylar]

3.5 - 4 ☆
Damn. This novel is written so beautifully. Everything Matthew feels, the reader feels as well. Such a wonderful, but yet heartbreaking story. I love the usage of multiple languages (such as Spanish for certain conversations, or that one Dutch proverb). I feel Matthews pain, and Elena's grief.
Is this a story I could recall in a couple of years? Probably not. But maybe that is a good thing, that I can read it all over again like it is the first time reading it. And enjoy this awesome story once again.

Quotes;
♡ "But if there's one thing I'd learned in life, it's that it's useless to get yourself worked up about things you can't control. In other words: life's shitty, so don't give a shit."
♡ Why do all people I love end up hurting me?
♡ Sometimes it seems like everything is going down the drain at the same time, but when you least expect it, things turn around for the best.

[Tanya]

He is a surfer and she is a doctor who may not have much in common yet they may have a connection. They have one night but she runs off in tears and he is left unsure what is going on. What will they do? Will they get back in touch with each other? Can they mend it all? See how they get on
I received an advance copy from hidden gems and I want to review

[Michelle (Read Momma Read)]

Trigger warnings: loss of a spouse, loss of a parent, child abandonment, and addiction.

This book follows Matthew and Elena; two people in different places in their lives, both going through a transitional stage in life when their paths cross. I really enjoyed this book! There’s some really good spice but also some very heavy topics. I thought the author did a great job of telling their stories and keeping the heavy topics real but lightening it up with love and spice. I really enjoyed this story and was rooting for Matthew and Elena!

Thank you to Hidden Gems Books for my ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Reg Hancock]

This is one of the rare books that haunt one or stay with one long after reading and not because it is scary but because of its beauty and nostalgic, evocative, emotional pull. Matthew is 22 and a grill cook in a beachside diner with little ambition other than taking care of his 17-year-old sister, Noelle, who has recently given birth to Zoey who also dotes on her uncle Matt. He doesn't know the father yet though has provided for his sister since he was 18. His drug addicted mother abandoned them when he was 12 leaving them to foster homes but they were taken in by a loving Lorraine who is his real mom in his heart. After his sister has a car accident he meets a gorgeous green eyed doctor Elena in the hospital and this serendipitous meeting launches this gorgeous romance between the 30-year-old widow Elena and the super model looking Matthew. Despite the awful pdf download of my arc which restricted the boldness and style of font I totally enjoyed this steamy tale from beginning to end and thank goodness for the epilogue. Will def be looking for more from this writer. Voluntarily reviewed an arc.

[ReneMigsVA]

When I Met Elena was such a wonderful story. I absolutely loved Matthew—his fatherly devotion to his sister and her baby, his beautiful heart, and the way he nurtures the people he loves. Despite his troubled past, watching him grow and open himself up was incredibly rewarding. A steamy one-night stand with Elena turns his world upside down, and I was hooked from there.

Elena was just as captivating. Grief-stricken and torn between moving on and risking her heart again, she felt so real and relatable. Watching these two circle each other, slowly falling in love, was emotional and deeply satisfying. Their journey gave me all the feels, and this is definitely a story I’ll be adding to my rereads list.

[Linda]

The book blurb gives a good description of this story. There's a bit of an age gap between the characters but it differs from the norm in that the FMC is older and financially well off, while the younger MMC is pretty much just getting by while supporting his sister and baby niece. I enjoyed this romance which I found to be engaging and emotional The writing is great and the story is interesting. Elena and Matthew are believable characters with a genuine connection and I really cared about them. I was very happy with the way it all turned out!

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving review.

[Shara Castaneda]

*read for arc

I enjoyed reading this book on my free time . If you like a little spice level but not too much in the books you read , this book is a great option. This book took me on a roller coaster of emotions , that i didn’t want to put it down .

I like Desiree’s writing style and cannot wait to see what else she comes out with .

[Polly Wants Pages]

This was a fun and steamy read about a golden retriever hero who falls first. Matthew and Elena discovering their happily ever after amidst the mess of real life was a refreshing read.

[Angie Hardy]

It was a good book I really liked it. I was given an arc and i choose to give a honest review.