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Cocky Hero Club
Handsome Devil: A Hot Age Gap Romance
There are exactly 2,716 miles between my home in Boston and my best friend in Las Vegas. When she calls me to let me know that she’s about to get married and needs me at her ceremony in five days, how could I refuse?
Just one problem. These winter storms have all the flights cancelled.
Luckily for me, I’m not the only person desperate to get to that wedding. Kirsten’s dad, whom I’ve never met, is waiting outside my apartment, willing to drive me across the country so neither of us miss the wedding.
By New York, I learn that Henry James is the smuggest British man I have ever met.
In Chicago, he makes me question every single life choice I’ve made.
It’s in Denver that we finally break the forbidden rules between us.
By the time we reach Vegas, my best friend may never want to speak to me again—because I’ve fallen head over heels for her dad.
Just one problem. These winter storms have all the flights cancelled.
Luckily for me, I’m not the only person desperate to get to that wedding. Kirsten’s dad, whom I’ve never met, is waiting outside my apartment, willing to drive me across the country so neither of us miss the wedding.
By New York, I learn that Henry James is the smuggest British man I have ever met.
In Chicago, he makes me question every single life choice I’ve made.
It’s in Denver that we finally break the forbidden rules between us.
By the time we reach Vegas, my best friend may never want to speak to me again—because I’ve fallen head over heels for her dad.
195 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 21, 2025
About the author
Sara Cate
64 books22.4k followersSara Cate is a USA Today best-selling author of steamy romance and sexy book boyfriends. Although she writes a wide range of tropes, Sara is best known for her age gap and taboo romances. One thing you can expect from her entire collection is heaps of steam and plenty of angst.
Living in Arizona with her husband and kids, Sara spends most of her time reading, writing, or baking.
Find out more at: www.saracatebooks.com
Living in Arizona with her husband and kids, Sara spends most of her time reading, writing, or baking.
Find out more at: www.saracatebooks.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 424 reviews
October 8, 2022
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶
🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧
What an entertaining little read!
Laila’s best friend Kirsten has made the spur of the moment decision to elope in Vegas and her bestie has to be there. Unfortunately all flights from Boston are cancelled thanks to inclement weather.
Kirsten also needs her dad Henry to be there to walk her down the aisle. So she convinces him to drive himself and Laila across the country.
The climate outside Henry’s Subaru is snowy but inside it’s downright arctic. Laila wants to hate him for being an absentee dad, especially when his biggest reason for going is to talk his daughter out of this rash decision.
But like they say there a thin ass line between love and hate and these two not only blur those lines, they burn the damn thing to ashes.
At times I found Laila annoying, perhaps it was easier to take Henry’s side because we’re the same age. Other times I appreciated her brash, I don’t care what anyone says, I’m gonna do what I want attitude. I do love a strong woman if only she could take that chip off her shoulder and idk think about someone other than herself for a change.
Honestly the best part about this was the narrators. More precisely Will Watt, holy fucking smokes can you say sex on a stick? Well at least his luscious British accent. Pretty sure he’s my new favorite narrator.
🌶🌶🌶
🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧
What an entertaining little read!
Laila’s best friend Kirsten has made the spur of the moment decision to elope in Vegas and her bestie has to be there. Unfortunately all flights from Boston are cancelled thanks to inclement weather.
Kirsten also needs her dad Henry to be there to walk her down the aisle. So she convinces him to drive himself and Laila across the country.
The climate outside Henry’s Subaru is snowy but inside it’s downright arctic. Laila wants to hate him for being an absentee dad, especially when his biggest reason for going is to talk his daughter out of this rash decision.
But like they say there a thin ass line between love and hate and these two not only blur those lines, they burn the damn thing to ashes.
At times I found Laila annoying, perhaps it was easier to take Henry’s side because we’re the same age. Other times I appreciated her brash, I don’t care what anyone says, I’m gonna do what I want attitude. I do love a strong woman if only she could take that chip off her shoulder and idk think about someone other than herself for a change.
Honestly the best part about this was the narrators. More precisely Will Watt, holy fucking smokes can you say sex on a stick? Well at least his luscious British accent. Pretty sure he’s my new favorite narrator.
August 2, 2021
Huge appreciation to Dr. Henry!! It isn't very often I can get into a doctor story, but I knew that if anyone could, it would be Sara Cate. Age-gap, flirty road trip *wink wink* and a delicious British accent. What's not to love??
A road trip cross country to your besties wedding in Vegas should be fun but not when your car companion is your besties dad. Laila just wanted to hop on a flight to see her bestie get married in a shotgun wedding and then come home but that is not how her week played out. Being stuck in the car with the hottest dad EVER is not only infuriating for Laila but it is impossible not to like him. She wasn't supposed to like him, she was just supposed to tolerate him long enough to get where they are going. All that changes with each mile as Henry becomes nothing like the mean she was expecting and more like a man she wants to get to know better.
Henry doesn't know what he expected going on a road trip with someone who is 19 years younger than his 39 years old, but this is not it. He just wants to get to Vegas to stop this marriage that his daughter is rushing into but keeping his eyes and opinions to himself around Laila is proving to be impossible. She is nothing like he first thought and with putting everything on the line for the last 21 years to make sure his daughter has the life she deserves he has never once stopped to think what could happen if he finally let someone in for longer than one night. Before Henry knows it, Laila has stuck a claim to a part of himself, he never thought anyone could reach.
A four-day road trip to Vegas should not lead to complicated emotions and feelings for the last person you could have ever expected but that is exactly what happens as Laila and Henry venture to Vegas.
For such a short story this book really packed a punch. Not once did I feel like the story was rushed or that I was going to be missing the emotions that usually come with a longer story. Handsome Devil was steamy, funny to the point of tears at times and just all-around good story about finding love in the unlikeliest of places.
A road trip cross country to your besties wedding in Vegas should be fun but not when your car companion is your besties dad. Laila just wanted to hop on a flight to see her bestie get married in a shotgun wedding and then come home but that is not how her week played out. Being stuck in the car with the hottest dad EVER is not only infuriating for Laila but it is impossible not to like him. She wasn't supposed to like him, she was just supposed to tolerate him long enough to get where they are going. All that changes with each mile as Henry becomes nothing like the mean she was expecting and more like a man she wants to get to know better.
Henry doesn't know what he expected going on a road trip with someone who is 19 years younger than his 39 years old, but this is not it. He just wants to get to Vegas to stop this marriage that his daughter is rushing into but keeping his eyes and opinions to himself around Laila is proving to be impossible. She is nothing like he first thought and with putting everything on the line for the last 21 years to make sure his daughter has the life she deserves he has never once stopped to think what could happen if he finally let someone in for longer than one night. Before Henry knows it, Laila has stuck a claim to a part of himself, he never thought anyone could reach.
A four-day road trip to Vegas should not lead to complicated emotions and feelings for the last person you could have ever expected but that is exactly what happens as Laila and Henry venture to Vegas.
For such a short story this book really packed a punch. Not once did I feel like the story was rushed or that I was going to be missing the emotions that usually come with a longer story. Handsome Devil was steamy, funny to the point of tears at times and just all-around good story about finding love in the unlikeliest of places.
January 6, 2023
3 stars
Roadtrip romance, age gap, and best friends dad. This had all the great makings of a romance I love but this one fell a little flat for me. I liked it, but I wanted to love it.
Roadtrip romance, age gap, and best friends dad. This had all the great makings of a romance I love but this one fell a little flat for me. I liked it, but I wanted to love it.
Audio book source: Audible
Story Rating: 3 stars
Narrators: CJ Bloom & Will Watt
Narration Rating: 4 stars
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Length: 4h 43m
June 8, 2022
Fun and spicy!
Lots of great tropes: Best Friend's Dad, Road Trip, virgin heroine.
It was a good time while at the dentist's office.
4 stars
3 on the spice scale
Lots of great tropes: Best Friend's Dad, Road Trip, virgin heroine.
It was a good time while at the dentist's office.
4 stars
3 on the spice scale
May 8, 2021
YUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUMMY.
What a fun and steamy road trip adventure romp- with that perfect dash of Sara Cate age gap taboo. Sexy best friend’s dad/swoony British doctor and much younger, innocent heroine? UHM yes please- this kind of story is my reader catnip. And, I really enjoyed it!
This is a super fast paced read- and our characters fall into each other quickly,, but Sara Cate builds substance in their connection over the course of their unexpected roadtrip to see her bestie/his daughter get married unexpectedly in Vegas. Despite the short timeline of the story (it’s less than a week), the chemistry is both sweet and super sexy- and towards the end has some great emotional punch.
Henry is a delicious leading man- a nice guy with a bit of grumpy edge and some baggage from the choices he’s made to do right by his daughter. And in this case, that includes not hurting her by giving into his attraction to her best friend, a girl 18 years his senior. But, after supporting her in an unexpected heartbreak along their road grip and her pained confession about her sex life cause him to slowly start to give in to his attraction. And, Laila is the perfect foil for him- sweet, innocent, optimistic, but also mature for her age. She’s been waiting for her prince charming, and she finds him in the last place she expected, the father of her best friend that she’s not always liked.
Their emotional tension adds a bit of angst, but for the most part the story is pretty sweet and low drama- we have ample swoon, and we have ample sizzle. And, because of the way Sara Cate sets up the narrative, our story is 90% solo time between our couple- which really creates for a more rich chemistry and character arc, despite it being a shorter book and taking place over only a few days.
All in all, a really fun and enjoyable read! No one does age gap like Sara Cate, and I loved getting to see her write one that is more sweet and on the lower end of the drama range (at least for her). The ending was super adorable, and I definitely read the book in one sitting.
What a fun and steamy road trip adventure romp- with that perfect dash of Sara Cate age gap taboo. Sexy best friend’s dad/swoony British doctor and much younger, innocent heroine? UHM yes please- this kind of story is my reader catnip. And, I really enjoyed it!
This is a super fast paced read- and our characters fall into each other quickly,, but Sara Cate builds substance in their connection over the course of their unexpected roadtrip to see her bestie/his daughter get married unexpectedly in Vegas. Despite the short timeline of the story (it’s less than a week), the chemistry is both sweet and super sexy- and towards the end has some great emotional punch.
Henry is a delicious leading man- a nice guy with a bit of grumpy edge and some baggage from the choices he’s made to do right by his daughter. And in this case, that includes not hurting her by giving into his attraction to her best friend, a girl 18 years his senior. But, after supporting her in an unexpected heartbreak along their road grip and her pained confession about her sex life cause him to slowly start to give in to his attraction. And, Laila is the perfect foil for him- sweet, innocent, optimistic, but also mature for her age. She’s been waiting for her prince charming, and she finds him in the last place she expected, the father of her best friend that she’s not always liked.
Their emotional tension adds a bit of angst, but for the most part the story is pretty sweet and low drama- we have ample swoon, and we have ample sizzle. And, because of the way Sara Cate sets up the narrative, our story is 90% solo time between our couple- which really creates for a more rich chemistry and character arc, despite it being a shorter book and taking place over only a few days.
All in all, a really fun and enjoyable read! No one does age gap like Sara Cate, and I loved getting to see her write one that is more sweet and on the lower end of the drama range (at least for her). The ending was super adorable, and I definitely read the book in one sitting.
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May 24, 2021
2.5
That blurb really hooked me. But I think someone else wrote the book because the writing didn't match.
The good:
-This had some funny moments so the rating is mostly for that.
-The heroine was very endearing
The bad:
-average story with bad execution
-flat hero (I don't see where the cocky part was)
-bad writing
I think I had the most issues with the writing. There's a lot of telling not showing, stilted sentences and juvenile narration. It took me out of the zone a few times so I couldn't really enjoy it because of that.
Safety:
That blurb really hooked me. But I think someone else wrote the book because the writing didn't match.
The good:
-This had some funny moments so the rating is mostly for that.
-The heroine was very endearing
The bad:
-average story with bad execution
-flat hero (I don't see where the cocky part was)
-bad writing
I think I had the most issues with the writing. There's a lot of telling not showing, stilted sentences and juvenile narration. It took me out of the zone a few times so I couldn't really enjoy it because of that.
Safety:
August 27, 2021
I was surprised how much I like this book. Rtf
March 15, 2023
Книга сподобалась, читається швидко і легко. Цікава, весела, гаряча!
Генрі дуже класний! Лайла теж сподобалась. Вони ідеально пасують одне одному.
Генрі дуже класний! Лайла теж сподобалась. Вони ідеально пасують одне одному.
April 26, 2022
Imagine your daughter setting you up to be with her virginal best friend.
This book wasn’t the greatest, but it wasn’t the worst…..
Is it sad to say that I even found the smut scenes comical as well?!?!
2.5 Stars
This book wasn’t the greatest, but it wasn’t the worst…..
Is it sad to say that I even found the smut scenes comical as well?!?!
2.5 Stars
May 18, 2021
ARC received in exchange for an honest review
4 road trip stars
ᴛʀᴏᴘᴇs:ᴀɢᴇ-ɢᴀᴘ,ʙᴇsᴛ ғʀɪᴇɴᴅ's ᴅᴀᴅ,ʀᴏᴀᴅ ᴛʀɪᴘ,ғᴏʀᴄᴇᴅ ᴘʀᴏxɪᴍɪᴛʏ,ɢʀᴜᴍᴘʏ ᴀɴᴅ sᴜɴsʜɪɴᴇ
ʜᴇʀᴏ: ғɪᴠᴇ sᴛᴀʀs
ʜᴇʀᴏɪɴᴇ:ғɪᴠᴇ sᴛᴀs
ᴀɴɢsᴛ:ᴍᴏᴅᴇʀᴀᴛᴇ ғᴏᴄᴜs
ʜᴜᴍᴏᴜʀ:ᴍᴏᴅᴇʀᴀᴛᴇ ғᴏᴄᴜs
sᴛᴇᴀʏ sᴄᴇɴᴇs:ʜɪɢʜ ғᴏᴄᴜs
ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀs ᴅᴇᴠᴇʟᴏᴘᴍᴇɴᴛ:ʜɪɢʜ ғᴏᴄᴜs
ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀs ᴄʜᴇᴍɪsᴛʀʏ:ʜɪɢʜ ғᴏᴄᴜs
ᴘʟᴏᴛ ᴛᴡɪsᴛs:ʟᴏᴡ ғᴏᴄᴜs
This was a quick,fun,sexy and engaging read.Less focused on drama and more focused on the MCs and the attraction they have for each other at the moment.The book timeline is a 5 days road trip to Vegas and a day and night there and I absolutely loved how Sara created such amazing chemistry and storyline in a short time.
The age gap and best friend’s dad were done exceptionally well.Even though the story’s timeline is short,There wasn’t insta love and attraction at first sight, again considering the whole book except the epilogue takes place in less than a week.Henry’s internal struggles with being attracted to his daughter’s best friend who’s 18 years older than him kept the angst element high.What I really love about well-written age gaps is when the MFC who is considerably younger than the MMC is mature beyond her years and can match her man in every way.I also loved the grumpy and sunshine trope, how Laila was all hearts and flowers in contrast to Henry who saw all facts and valued being rational over being emotional but in the end, they were both on the same Happily Ever After page.
Plot: Laila has to take a 5 days road trip with Mr. Grumpy AKA her best friend’s dad to get to the said friend’s wedding in Vegas. They have nothing in common.She’s the 21 dreamy-eyed girl who still believes in fairytale and is saving her virginity for someone special.He’s the serious,experienced surgeon who’s determined to make it to Vegas in time and stop his daughter from making the biggest mistake of her life.However, the younger curious girl taking the trip with him proves to be more than just a distraction.
March 6, 2023
Історія сама по собі неймовірна, але мені здається, що якщо порівнювати таке з реальним життям, то це малоймовірно 😅 Мені ще було ржачно з того, як Лайла переживала, що Кірстен буде проти, хоча вона буквально сама сказала "Трахни мого батька, якщо хочеш" 🌚
Сара Кейт не розчаровує гарячими історіями 🔥
Сара Кейт не розчаровує гарячими історіями 🔥
Read
May 3, 2021Cover Reveal coming May 20
Release day May 23!
Will also be available on audio!
Release day May 23!
Will also be available on audio!
March 11, 2023
Rating: 4/10
Hot: 1,5/5
Length: 1 h 19 m
Tropes: girlfriend's father, age difference, virgin, insta love, Grumpy × Sunshine, road trip, one bed
TW/CW: 15+ years age difference
Якщо коротко, то нудотно та блювотно, бо занадто солодко.
Ця книга у стилі "дорожня пригода", але то настільки нудно та передбачувано, що книжку хочеться викинути.
Персонажі настільки ніякі, що бумажні кукли у моєму дитинстві мали більше характеру та пригод.
Hot: 1,5/5
Length: 1 h 19 m
Tropes: girlfriend's father, age difference, virgin, insta love, Grumpy × Sunshine, road trip, one bed
TW/CW: 15+ years age difference
Якщо коротко, то нудотно та блювотно, бо занадто солодко.
Ця книга у стилі "дорожня пригода", але то настільки нудно та передбачувано, що книжку хочеться викинути.
Персонажі настільки ніякі, що бумажні кукли у моєму дитинстві мали більше характеру та пригод.
June 4, 2022
Handsome Devil is a steamy road trip novella featuring Laila and Henry. Laila’s best friend is getting married in Vegas and wants Laila to come. However, the weather is bad and flights are down so her only option is a road trip to Vegas with Henry, her best friend’s dad. These two start off on the wrong foot but things quickly develop into more and these two realize they can’t fight the building attraction they have.
The steam was top tier, as always from this author. I appreciated how well she developed the connection between Laila and Henry in such a short time. The epilogue was soooo sweet and I’m happy Laila and Henry allowed themselves to be together! Highly recommend!
TROPES: best friend’s dad; British hero; virgin heroine; road trip; novella
The steam was top tier, as always from this author. I appreciated how well she developed the connection between Laila and Henry in such a short time. The epilogue was soooo sweet and I’m happy Laila and Henry allowed themselves to be together! Highly recommend!
TROPES: best friend’s dad; British hero; virgin heroine; road trip; novella
May 4, 2021
This was some kind of word wizardry I still can’t wrap my head around! Sara Cate turned a five-day road trip into a HEA and I have zero doubts of its potential!
Listen, I’m not a newbie at age-gap *romances*, a more fair assessment would probably be more like I’m a summa cum laude, and I can tell you with the utmost of certainty, that what Sara just accomplished in this story is not the norm. You gotta have serious skill to pull off what she just did so I’m gonna need everyone to do a slow-clap standing ovation for this woman! K, thanks.
Since I’m not the reviewer who gives away the plot, there’s not much more I can share with you except to tell you that the story is easy to read, entertaining and sexy in all the right places, very well developed and unfolded and I couldn’t get enough! Now go do the thing!
US: https://amzn.to/2ReQWfx
UK: https://amzn.to/2RSqs3f
CA: https://amzn.to/3eSFb7k
AU: https://amzn.to/2RZsgrn
Listen, I’m not a newbie at age-gap *romances*, a more fair assessment would probably be more like I’m a summa cum laude, and I can tell you with the utmost of certainty, that what Sara just accomplished in this story is not the norm. You gotta have serious skill to pull off what she just did so I’m gonna need everyone to do a slow-clap standing ovation for this woman! K, thanks.
Since I’m not the reviewer who gives away the plot, there’s not much more I can share with you except to tell you that the story is easy to read, entertaining and sexy in all the right places, very well developed and unfolded and I couldn’t get enough! Now go do the thing!
US: https://amzn.to/2ReQWfx
UK: https://amzn.to/2RSqs3f
CA: https://amzn.to/3eSFb7k
AU: https://amzn.to/2RZsgrn
April 18, 2022
This was a really good quick read. Super hot if you are good with the taboo of the best friend’s dad, which I am. Very satisfying HEA. I was not totally sold on the I also felt like we didn’t get to know much about Laila other than her cheating bf and that she was his daughter's best friend. Where was she from? what about her family? What happened with her career etc? Lots of mysteries about the heroine that could have been solved with a few more descriptive sentences. But all in all I liked the story and and it was very hot and sweet.
April 10, 2023
Невеличка, весела і гаряча історія, яка дуже легко й швидко читається.
Через непередбачувані обставини Лайла змушена їхати на весілля своєї найкращої подруги з її батьком, якого вона недолюблює. Але під час поїздки вони пізнають один одного краще і між ними спалахує пристрасть.
Не скажу, що мені не сподобалося, бо було цікаво і весело читати. Просто чогось не вистачило, було забагато 🔞 і мало розвитку їх відносин, а персонажі недостатньо розкриті.
А загалом, це хороша книга на один раз, для проведення вечору.
Через непередбачувані обставини Лайла змушена їхати на весілля своєї найкращої подруги з її батьком, якого вона недолюблює. Але під час поїздки вони пізнають один одного краще і між ними спалахує пристрасть.
Не скажу, що мені не сподобалося, бо було цікаво і весело читати. Просто чогось не вистачило, було забагато 🔞 і мало розвитку їх відносин, а персонажі недостатньо розкриті.
А загалом, це хороша книга на один раз, для проведення вечору.
October 3, 2021
3.5
Few weeks ago i read a post ...
An author's husband found out about this book and loved it so much, the author shared the fact to let Sara Cate know.
It was funny and it made me wanna read the book.
And i'm glad I did it because I really liked it!! 😍
It surely didn’t help my Daddy Kink but who cares !!
I enjoyed it too much. 😏😏
The story is fast paced and easy to read.
It's hot but there are also some emotional moments.
It was for me the perfect read after a month full of "heavy" readings.
So i definitely recommended it 😌
Few weeks ago i read a post ...
An author's husband found out about this book and loved it so much, the author shared the fact to let Sara Cate know.
It was funny and it made me wanna read the book.
And i'm glad I did it because I really liked it!! 😍
It surely didn’t help my Daddy Kink but who cares !!
I enjoyed it too much. 😏😏
The story is fast paced and easy to read.
It's hot but there are also some emotional moments.
It was for me the perfect read after a month full of "heavy" readings.
So i definitely recommended it 😌
January 7, 2023
HANDSOME DEVIL
● Henry (39) & Laila (21)
● Henry is a British surgeon
● Henry has 21-year-old daughter - Kirsten
● Kristen is getting married in Vegas and flights are canceled
● road trip - Boston to Vegas
● Henry wants to stop Kirsten’s wedding since he thinks she is making a bad decision
● virgin heroine
● best friend’s dad's romance
● 18 year age gap
● Henry (39) & Laila (21)
● Henry is a British surgeon
● Henry has 21-year-old daughter - Kirsten
● Kristen is getting married in Vegas and flights are canceled
● road trip - Boston to Vegas
● Henry wants to stop Kirsten’s wedding since he thinks she is making a bad decision
● virgin heroine
● best friend’s dad's romance
● 18 year age gap
Audiobook source: Audible
Narrator: Will Watt & CJ Bloom
Length: 4H 43M
May 23, 2021
4 Stars Good
I get it was short buttttt it was all too fast and honestly Laila was just too forward for lack of a better word, idk, she just didn’t do much for me but Henry, he was soooo sexy!
I get it was short buttttt it was all too fast and honestly Laila was just too forward for lack of a better word, idk, she just didn’t do much for me but Henry, he was soooo sexy!
May 31, 2022
what WAS THIS AND WHY DID I READ IT.
short lil novella that a booktok tik toker recommended (MISTAKE). it’s a dual pov between a hot surgeon (henry) and his daughter’s best friend - whom he has to road trip ACROSS country with to attend his daughter’s wedding in vegas. his goal? STOP THE WEDDING. what he doesn’t expect is to kindle a friendship with his 21 year old daughters best friend - laila.
laila’s personality is … flat. there is no substance or depth to her besides the fact that she is a virgin and picks shitty men. WHOOP DE DOO LAILA. she starts having intense conversations about the topic with henry (who if you forgot, IS HER BEST FRIENDS DAD). if you ever catch me talking about that topic WITH ANYONES DAD - take me out.
in the 4 day trip (or so) henry and laila go from nothing, to acquaintances, to lovers (oh yeah they do it in a car). AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY’RE BOTH IN LOVE - no no no no. instant love isn’t for me and NO WAY. also the daughter pushing the two of them together HOPING her bff and dad get together??? no freaking way.
i finished but i don’t know why i did.
short lil novella that a booktok tik toker recommended (MISTAKE). it’s a dual pov between a hot surgeon (henry) and his daughter’s best friend - whom he has to road trip ACROSS country with to attend his daughter’s wedding in vegas. his goal? STOP THE WEDDING. what he doesn’t expect is to kindle a friendship with his 21 year old daughters best friend - laila.
laila’s personality is … flat. there is no substance or depth to her besides the fact that she is a virgin and picks shitty men. WHOOP DE DOO LAILA. she starts having intense conversations about the topic with henry (who if you forgot, IS HER BEST FRIENDS DAD). if you ever catch me talking about that topic WITH ANYONES DAD - take me out.
in the 4 day trip (or so) henry and laila go from nothing, to acquaintances, to lovers (oh yeah they do it in a car). AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY’RE BOTH IN LOVE - no no no no. instant love isn’t for me and NO WAY. also the daughter pushing the two of them together HOPING her bff and dad get together??? no freaking way.
i finished but i don’t know why i did.
June 1, 2021
3.25 ⭐️ i don’t know what is it about me but i keep reading dilf romances 😭 theyre just so good and addicting and feeds my love for dilfs. this book was super cute but it had some minor issues. some dialogue was a big cringy and i thought the characters were very immature for their age. the hero is almost 40 but his personality & attitude was pretty immature. overall i loved that it was a quick read and it was quite enjoyable!
June 13, 2022
short. spicy. excellent.
July 16, 2025
Okay, I have been struggling recently to really get hooked into a book recently (i.e., starting a book, getting an uncomfortably distance into the book, then stopping cuz I’m not in the mood for it). This book, however, snatched me RIGHT out of that rut. It immediately grabbed my attention (guess I was really in the mood for a steamy yet cozy age gap 😆), and kept me cackling and grinning all the way to the end! LOVED Henry (and, GUYS, his voice -Will M. Watt- is SO. FREAKING. HAWT!!), and Laila was so perfect together with him too 🥰. Definitely recommend the audio and book for this!
July 20, 2022
an ok best friend's dad road trip romance.
May 28, 2023
I have a very healthy relationship with my father.
November 2, 2021
DNF’ed.
As someone who joined wattpad for one direction smut at the age of 13, I can only say that this was written in a similar manner as some of the fanfics back in 2012.
The dialogue was atrocious. It felt like I was reading something written by a very horny teenager. The pacing was off, the protagonist spoke and thought like a child and not in a “oh she’s carefree and youthful” kind of way, but in a “She has a mental capacity of an 8 year old” kind of way.
I am usually a sucker for age gap romance books, and since it’s one of my favourite tropes, I can ignore a lot of flaws in the book, but this was just unreadable.
As someone who joined wattpad for one direction smut at the age of 13, I can only say that this was written in a similar manner as some of the fanfics back in 2012.
The dialogue was atrocious. It felt like I was reading something written by a very horny teenager. The pacing was off, the protagonist spoke and thought like a child and not in a “oh she’s carefree and youthful” kind of way, but in a “She has a mental capacity of an 8 year old” kind of way.
I am usually a sucker for age gap romance books, and since it’s one of my favourite tropes, I can ignore a lot of flaws in the book, but this was just unreadable.
February 6, 2022
3.5 ⭐️
A bit fast in the time line especially when taking into account they had never met before but I still believed it and enjoyed it. A good story and nice characters. An entertaining read overall.
A bit fast in the time line especially when taking into account they had never met before but I still believed it and enjoyed it. A good story and nice characters. An entertaining read overall.
December 31, 2022
“Don’t play with me, Laila.”
“The only thing I’m playing is the jukebox,” I reply, leaning toward him.
He snatches me by the waist and pulls me against him, holding me between his knees. “I know you’re just trying to make me jealous, little girl.”
“But you have no reason to be jealous. I’m not your girl—”
He shuts me up with his lips against mine. I let out a muffled yelp just as his tongue slides into my mouth and I melt in his arms.
I am a fan of Sara Cate to an extent. I say to an extent because her most recent works have failed to invoke in me the kind of emotions that I came to expect from her stories from the point where I initially discovered her books. Released in May of 2021, Handsome Devil had much going for it when I encountered the blurb; huge age gap between the main protagonists, with the hero being the father of the heroine's best friend.
Told in first person from both the male and female protagonist's view, Handsome Devil begins when 39 year old Henry James receives a call from his 21 year old daughter Kristen that she is getting married, and that too to a guy she just met three months back. Henry's guilt complex runs deep when it comes to his daughter since he had missed out on most of her childhood and formative years. When Henry is "forced" into taking Kristen's best friend Laila along with him for the wedding, the forced proximity factor along the journey proves to be a test for both Laila and James in many ways.
Laila might be determined to keep the relationship with her boyfriend alive, but when the ugly reality smacks her on the face, it drags her self esteem down in a way Laila never thought possible. Given the attraction that she feels towards Jame, no matter how wrong she might perceive it to be, Laila's rationalization is simple; might as well learn from the best about what she had been missing out.
To give credit to James, he does try in earnest to keep Laila at bay. But the reciprocation of the attraction on his part makes it impossible towards the end, and it is not long before these two start heating things up, both in their car and at motels along the way. Laila finds in James a man who has the ability and patience to fulfill her in ways that she never thought possible, while for James, Laila is the missing piece to his soul that he never saw coming.
While I enjoyed the novel, I felt that things were a bit more rushed between the main protagonists than is usual for novels from Ms. Cate. But then the story is also shorter in length than what she usually publishes. Nevertheless I enjoyed seeing both James and Laila grow into more well rounded and happier people, the resultant effect of the love and soul-deep connection that is forged to life between the two. The epilogue which shows the happy couple one year on was the icing on the cake.
Recommended for fans of age gap romances. This one features a British hero who makes your senses hum!
Final Verdict: Handsome Devil is the kind of feel good, low angst romance that many a reader would love, especially for those who love age-gap tropes!
Rating = 4/5
For more reviews and quotes, please visit A Maldivian's Passion for Romance
“The only thing I’m playing is the jukebox,” I reply, leaning toward him.
He snatches me by the waist and pulls me against him, holding me between his knees. “I know you’re just trying to make me jealous, little girl.”
“But you have no reason to be jealous. I’m not your girl—”
He shuts me up with his lips against mine. I let out a muffled yelp just as his tongue slides into my mouth and I melt in his arms.
I am a fan of Sara Cate to an extent. I say to an extent because her most recent works have failed to invoke in me the kind of emotions that I came to expect from her stories from the point where I initially discovered her books. Released in May of 2021, Handsome Devil had much going for it when I encountered the blurb; huge age gap between the main protagonists, with the hero being the father of the heroine's best friend.
Told in first person from both the male and female protagonist's view, Handsome Devil begins when 39 year old Henry James receives a call from his 21 year old daughter Kristen that she is getting married, and that too to a guy she just met three months back. Henry's guilt complex runs deep when it comes to his daughter since he had missed out on most of her childhood and formative years. When Henry is "forced" into taking Kristen's best friend Laila along with him for the wedding, the forced proximity factor along the journey proves to be a test for both Laila and James in many ways.
Laila might be determined to keep the relationship with her boyfriend alive, but when the ugly reality smacks her on the face, it drags her self esteem down in a way Laila never thought possible. Given the attraction that she feels towards Jame, no matter how wrong she might perceive it to be, Laila's rationalization is simple; might as well learn from the best about what she had been missing out.
To give credit to James, he does try in earnest to keep Laila at bay. But the reciprocation of the attraction on his part makes it impossible towards the end, and it is not long before these two start heating things up, both in their car and at motels along the way. Laila finds in James a man who has the ability and patience to fulfill her in ways that she never thought possible, while for James, Laila is the missing piece to his soul that he never saw coming.
While I enjoyed the novel, I felt that things were a bit more rushed between the main protagonists than is usual for novels from Ms. Cate. But then the story is also shorter in length than what she usually publishes. Nevertheless I enjoyed seeing both James and Laila grow into more well rounded and happier people, the resultant effect of the love and soul-deep connection that is forged to life between the two. The epilogue which shows the happy couple one year on was the icing on the cake.
Recommended for fans of age gap romances. This one features a British hero who makes your senses hum!
Final Verdict: Handsome Devil is the kind of feel good, low angst romance that many a reader would love, especially for those who love age-gap tropes!
Rating = 4/5
For more reviews and quotes, please visit A Maldivian's Passion for Romance
July 7, 2021
AMUSING & STEAMY FORBIDDEN ROMANCE!
Handsome Devil is a quick & sexy read; grab this one if you love reading about heroines who fall for their best friend's dads. Henry is moody & definitely not fun when Laila starts the trip with him in Boston. Somewhere between there & Las Vegas these two connect in more ways than one! This one had me laughing a few times & it was definitely filled with lots of sexy and entertaining moments between the hero & heroine.
I will say that this one was not a deep read so if you're looking for something quick, easy and slightly forbidden....this is your book! This book was less than 200 pages, I recognize that it's not easy to dive too deep into your characters when it is a quick read. I enjoy books with plot or character depth but sometimes I just really prefer to read a simple and enjoyable book. This was one of those times.
Handsome Devil is a quick & sexy read; grab this one if you love reading about heroines who fall for their best friend's dads. Henry is moody & definitely not fun when Laila starts the trip with him in Boston. Somewhere between there & Las Vegas these two connect in more ways than one! This one had me laughing a few times & it was definitely filled with lots of sexy and entertaining moments between the hero & heroine.
I will say that this one was not a deep read so if you're looking for something quick, easy and slightly forbidden....this is your book! This book was less than 200 pages, I recognize that it's not easy to dive too deep into your characters when it is a quick read. I enjoy books with plot or character depth but sometimes I just really prefer to read a simple and enjoyable book. This was one of those times.
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