Taylor's Father

by Penelope Ward, Jessica Royer Ocken (Editor)

From New York Times bestselling author Penelope Ward comes a new, STANDALONE contemporary, forbidden romance…

Genres: Romance, Second Chance, Audiobook, Contemporary Romance, Forbidden Romance, Second Chance Romance, Contemporary

344 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 22, 2026

About the author

Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of contemporary romance.

She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor. Penelope resides in Rhode Island with her husband, son, and beautiful daughter with autism.

With millions of books sold, she is a 21-time New York Times bestseller and the author of over forty novels.

In 2014, Penelope’s fourth book, Stepbrother Dearest, became the #1 bestselling independently published Kindle ebook of the year on Amazon.com and was credited with igniting an entirely new subgenre of romance. Her 2016 smash hit RoomHate debuted at #2 on The New York Times Bestseller list. Penelope is an Audie Award Winner and three-time Goodreads Choice Romance of the Year Nominee. Her books have been featured in Entertainment Weekly and Publisher’s Weekly (Starred Review).

Penelope’s novels have been translated into over a dozen languages and can be found in bookstores around the world.

She can often be found chatting live with her readers in her private Facebook group, Penelope’s Peeps.

Reviews

[❥ KAT ❥ Kitty Kats Crazy About Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ARC PROVIDED BY THE AUTHOR...

📚'𝙼𝚈 𝚁𝙴𝚅𝙸𝙴𝚆 𝙰𝙽𝙳 𝙾𝚃𝙷𝙴𝚁𝚂'📚 can also be found on my blog:
╰┈➤KITTY KATS CRAZY ABOUT BOOKS

❀⋆.ೃ࿔*TAYLOR'S FATHER ❀⋆.ೃ࿔* Is a full length contemporary standalone romance book by author Penelope Ward. In this you'll meet Blair & Tate. Told in first person and dual POV.

Title: Taylor’s Father
Author: Penelope Ward
Genre: Standalone Contemporary Romance
Tropes: Age Gap (17 Years), Best Guy Friend’s Father
Single Dad, Forbidden, Second Chance
Protective Hero, Sassy Heroine

Of course I wanted to read this 🔥🔥 after seeing this doing the rounds on IG and that blurb, throw in my love for this authors books, I needed this book in my life..So I may have squealed a little bit when this landed on my kindle..

Going into this I did have reservations concerning Blair and her maturity levels when dealing with this much older man she meets whilst getting over a broken heart, but she really surprised me, she held her own and came across so much older and mature to the point where that gap in age ceased to exist.

She went into battle when it came to claiming Tate, he retreated, she advanced until she wore him down, they clicked from the first moment they met.

I really enjoyed this, the flirty banter pulled me in straight away, and the holiday fling got its hooks into me, smiling from ear to ear, swooning over all things Tate. This man embodied that true essence of forbidden fruit wholeheartedly, the push and pull, the age gap, the best friends father, this was such a fun read and I can’t wait for others to read this..

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[Penelope Ward]

★ ★ SALE ENDING ★ ★
Going, Going, Gone! I'm about to change the price of TAYLOR’S FATHER very soon from $3.99 to $4.99 USD. If you haven’t grabbed it to own yet, now is the time. Available to read FREE in Kindle Unlimited as well.
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/48tYHD5
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3XHgvo3
Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/4pTsgUk
Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/4a6cQYn
DUET Audiobook: https://adbl.co/4rSO03Q
Special Edition Paperback: https://amzn.to/4pz5H7L
Model Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Taylors-Father...


What You Can Expect:
• AGE-GAP
• BEST GUY FRIEND’S FATHER
• SINGLE DAD
• FORBIDDEN
• SECOND CHANCE
• PROTECTIVE HERO
• SASSY HEROINE
• SPANS FOUR YEARS

SYNOPSIS:

From New York Times bestselling author Penelope Ward comes a new, STANDALONE contemporary romance…

When my best friend Taylor gifted me a vacation at a resort owned by his grandparents, the last thing I expected was to bond with a man seventeen years older.
Tate was also vacationing alone.
He’d come to Midnight Key to clear his head and reevaluate his life.
I’d come to get over my high school sweetheart who’d dumped me.
I’d spotted the brawny, tattooed Adonis in the lobby on the first day and thought he had to be someone’s hot dad.
But then we matched on an app that paired single men and women by proximity.
The problem was? At nineteen—almost twenty—I’d lied and said I was twenty-nine.
Tate outed me on our first date, and I fessed up to my real age.
But we continued to run into each other.
And eventually we found our connection was too magnetic to deny.
While we agreed to only use first names and to part ways at the end of the trip, I’d really fallen for Tate.
I never forgot him and knew he was the one who got away.
Remember that guy friend who gifted me the trip?
Well, four years later, Taylor got married.
He’d been estranged from his dad for years, though recently they’d reconnected.
What I didn’t know was that the man I’d had that torrid affair with at the resort would be standing next to Taylor in the receiving line.
My dream man Tate? Was Taylor’s father.

[twinreadsandreds-Haley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this one!! Such a great age gap!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is predictable but good!
It’s worth reading.

[Jaz k · Rating 2 out of 5]

Safety:
She has been celibate.
He hasn’t — he had a girlfriend for a few months until they met again. After that, he left her. Don’t mention any other girlfriends or hookups — just that he never forgot about her, but thought h had moved on and didn’t want him.

[Carole Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bold, messy, and unapologetically dramatic this book thrives on its taboo twist and doesn’t blink. You’ll either clutch your pearls or turn the pages faster, but you won’t be bored.

[Kindle Crack Book Reviews Cheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know that electric, fate-filled, “this cannot be happening, but I’m not walking away” kind of connection? That’s Taylor’s Father by Penelope Ward.

Blair is a woman who knows exactly what she wants and I loved that about her. She’s confident, direct, and not playing games (except maybe the kind that make Tate blush 😉). When she has a chance meeting with Tate, the attraction is instant.

Tate is carrying emotional baggage from his past, filled with regret. He’s guarded, protective, and emotionally wrecked in ways he doesn’t even want to confront. Blair just might be the woman who truly sees him, and that changes everything.
But destiny isn’t done with them after their resort vacation meeting. Of course, the universe places them in the same orbit again, and this time it’s far more complicated, messy, and forbidden.

Penelope knows exactly how to build up tension and the feels. Just when you think you know where the story is headed, she pivots with a twist that hits hard.
I love Penelope’s books, but Taylor’s Father truly hit me in the feels. Tate and Blair’s story isn’t just deliciously peppered with spice it’s filled with heart, healing, vulnerability, and hard choices. The deliciously messy, age-gap dynamic, the chef’s kiss forbidden factor, and that relentless push-and-pull make this one absolutely unputdownable. Taylor’s Father is on my top reads of 2026 list.

[Jen Altman · Rating 3 out of 5]

After sitting on this review for over a week wanting to process my feelings, they haven’t changed. If anything, they’ve become more cemented.

I love a good age gap, taboo story and while Penelope is one of my favorite authors, this story missed the mark for me. Until halfway through, I really struggled to connect with the characters or feel any spark between them. It was very insta-lust followed by 75+ pages of the MMC repeating excuses about how she’s too young for him and her trying to seduce him.

I seriously questioned DNFing. And while I accidentally stumbled upon a spoiler, it may have been the fuel that kept me going. Also, the narration was spot on. If you’re considering this book and have the choice between audio or book, I highly recommend going audio! I found the excellent duet narration to be a saving grace to continue moving forward.

I love Penelope as an author and look forward to her future works, but this just wasn’t the book for me, and that’s ok. I have to stay true to myself and leading my followers with honest, personal reviews. ♥️

*I received a #gifted ARC & ALC in exchange for my honest feedback. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

[jada]

🙄🙄 apparently it’s secret baby and of course she is celibate while he has moved on… PASSSSSSS

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


can someone give me the safety deets

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25⭐️

Ate this UPPPPPPPP!! Two strangers meet at a resort and have the time of their lives, but part ways since they cant realistically pursue anything more with one another. 4 years later Blair is at her best friend’s (Taylor’s) wedding and then sees the handsome stranger that stole her heart only to realize… HE’S HER BEST FRIENDS DAD!!!!!

now that they finally are able to reconnect…will they be able to avoid eachother to not hurt taylor or is their temptation too strong 👀👀👀

This was so hot I had a great time

The audiobook was perfect. The voices of Andi Arndt & Jason Clarke fit the characters to a T & I was so embedded in the story I didn’t even realize it was over until I heard the credits ugh

Type: audio (thanks MLA for this ALC)
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Tropes:
Best friends dad
Age gap
Forbidden
Second chance
Single dad

[Jennifer Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5 Stars ⭐️

[NMmomof4 · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars

Opinion Breakdown
The Good: The premise, the epilogue (!), and the H.

The Not-So-Good: The lack of emotional connection I felt.

The Bad: The lack of angst. even the h's parents didn't give any pushback to their age difference!

Overall: This was cute for what it was but I do think it could've been better. I think I really wanted a better connection with their son. I felt like it was just barely there and the scenes with him were really lacking. Maybe that's because I just finished Chasing the Ring where those interactions were great making this seem subpar. I also wanted a little more angst. I didn't really feel anything with this book even though it had the potential. I'm going with 3 "just okay" stars.

Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Blair and Tate's story. Blair is sent to her friend's family resort to forget about a nasty breakup and she decides to go on a hookup app. When she swipes right and meets Tate, he realizes her lies and doesn't want to get involved with someone his son's age, even it is just a hookup. They end up spending more time together and feelings are developed and lines are crossed only to then go their own ways afterwards. Years later, they are shocked to find out that Blair's best friend is actually Tate's son. There are some secrets revealed, some big life changes, and some sweet moments...and they get a HEA ending.

Point Of View (POV): This alternated between Blair and Tate's POV.

Overall Pace of Story: Good. I never skimmed and thought it flowed well.

Instalove: Kind of, especially considering they were first together for less than a week.

H (Hero) rating: 4 stars. Tate. I liked him and appreciated how he always tried to be a good dad and man.

h (heroine) rating: 3 stars. Blair. I liked her but I also cringed a little in her pursuit of the H in the beginning.

Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed

Push/Pull: They both push away and also pursue the relationship at times.

Heat level: Good. They have some good tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.

Descriptive sex: Yes

OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: Yes the H is dating OW (for a couple months) when reunited with the h (but isn't intimate with her afterwards), and the h has OM pursuing her at this time and goes on a date with him

Sex scene with OW or OM: No

Cheating: No

Separation: Yes They are separated for ~4 years. The h said she had no other partners during this time, but the H was dating OW when reunited and suggestions that they were intimate

Possible Triggers: Yes the H is ~17 years older than the h (36/19 when meet) and unexpected pregnancy

Closure: This had a super sweet epilogue with what I would call a HEA ending they're married with children

Safety: This one is probably Safe with exception for most safety gang readers depending on personal preference

- Does Not have cheating
- Does Not have a descriptive sex scene with OW/OM
- Does have both the h and H pushing away
- Does have a separation between the h and H
- Does Not have abuse
- Does have a HEA ending

[Dali · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨ When your vacation fling turns out to be…your best friend’s father. Yes. THAT trope.

Read if you like:
💘 Age gap romance
🔥 Forbidden love
👨 Best friend’s dad
🌴 Vacation fling → second chance
🛑 “We shouldn’t” but absolutely will
💬 Flirty banter + emotional push/pull

📚 Blair heads to a tropical resort to heal from heartbreak and ends up meeting Tate — a magnetic, tattooed older man also trying to figure out his life. Their connection is instant, intense, and meant to stay a vacation memory. Until four years later… when Blair attends her best friend’s wedding and comes face to face with the man she never forgot. Tate isn’t just a guest. He’s the groom’s father.

👨‍👧 Tate is the ultimate forbidden fruit: protective, mature, emotionally guarded, and deeply aware of the complications between them. Blair is bold, persistent, and surprisingly self-assured despite her age. Their dynamic is very much push-and-pull — he retreats, she advances — and the tension between wanting each other and doing the “right” thing drives the story.

💞 The chemistry is immediate and undeniable. Their vacation fling is swoony and flirty, but the emotional weight really hits once they meet again years later. The age gap and best-friend’s-dad trope add delicious tension, making every interaction feel charged and risky. It’s dramatic, emotional, and very addictive.

👧 Side characters (especially Taylor) heighten the stakes without overwhelming the central romance. The forbidden nature of Blair and Tate’s connection keeps the tension high and the emotional conflict front and center.

✍️ Penelope Ward delivers exactly what this trope promises: banter, angst, longing, and a hero who feels like the ultimate “one who got away.” Some moments required a little suspension of disbelief, but the emotional pull and chemistry made it easy to stay invested.

🌟 Taylor’s Father is a fun, swoony, forbidden age-gap romance that leans fully into its drama and tension. If you love push-and-pull dynamics, vacation flings that turn into second chances, and protective older heroes, this one is a very entertaining ride.

📲 QOTD: Are you an age-gap romance lover… or does best friend’s parent cross the line for you? 👀

#TaylorsFather #PenelopeWard #ForbiddenRomance #AgeGapRomance #RomanceBooks

[Lidia's Romance]

DNF/Pause @ 17%
I thought I was in the mood for this age-gap trope but maybe not. So far, it’s cute (not exactly what I look for in a romance novel). They’re each traveling solo and meet at a resort. They’re flirting and getting to know each other without revealing too much about their identities. It was an instant attraction but there’s also chemistry there, even if I’m not feeling it. How have I already lost interest? I get the feeling it’s going to lack the angst I’m looking for.

[Michellelovesreading · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a 5 star book for me. I couldn’t put it down. I 10/10 recommend this book.

Stars:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice:🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

[Auntee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. Couldn’t put it down, I had to finish it in one day. A very easy read with an older, swoon-worthy MMC, and a much younger MFC. I loved these two together—I was rooting hard for them. I even teared up a few times. 5 big stars

[Anas Attic Book Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taylor’s Father by Penelope Ward
Narrated in Duet by Andi Arndt and Jason Clarke
Standalone Age Gap Romance
Thank you Penelope and Hambright for an early audiobook for review. This post contains affiliate links.

WOW. Obsessed! I didn’t expect to love Taylor’s Father by Penelope Ward as much as I did. Don’t ask me why. I should have known better. I like age gap romances, but seventeen years is a lot, especially when the FMC is only nineteen, so I was a bit worried going in. But I met my ex-husband at nineteen and he was twenty-seven, so I know a mature relationship is possible at that age.

Blaire’s best friend gifted her a week at his grandparents’ resort to help her heal from a bad breakup, and that’s where she meets Tate, the “hot dad” in the lobby. There’s an instant connection. Blaire is upfront about wanting a vacation fling, and Tate clearly wants her too, but he resists because of her age. They spend the week together, drawn to each other in a way that’s impossible to ignore, yet he never fully gives in because she’s the same age as his son. Tate is thirty-six to Blaire’s nineteen, and it’s a line he really resists crossing.

Considering Blaire’s lack of experience, she is bold, sassy, persistent, and has a surprisingly mature confidence. Tate is a tattooed veteran who missed much of his son’s childhood and carries a lot of regret about that. He knows he didn’t make his son, Taylor, the priority he should have, and that struggle adds depth to what could have just been a spicy age gap romance. With Blaire’s encouragement, he decides to keep trying to rebuild his relationship with his son, even when it’s uncomfortable and met with resistance. Their chemistry completely sucked me in, and I have to say this may have been Jason Clarke’s best performance I’ve ever heard.



Though they agree to only share first names and keep their personal lives separate, what they feel grows beyond something temporary, and Tate eventually gives in to the temptation. They fall for each other, but after the trip, they don’t reconnect.

“But what began with me being horny and bored on this trip, had turned into something completely different. I don’t want just anyone anymore. I wanted Tate. Only Tate. I couldn’t imagine wanting anyone else for a very long time….How do you go back to boys when you’ve fallen for a full fledged man?”

Four years later, they are shocked to see each other at Blaire's best friend Taylor's wedding. In the years apart, Tate followed Blaire’s advice and worked to rebuild his relationship with his son, Taylor. Now that things are finally on steadier ground between them, how does he tell him he’s fallen for his best friend?

There was something so magnetic about this book. It’s a fairly simple story with some common tropes but it just held me completely captive while I was listening and I still can't stop thinking about it.

The Narration:
Jason Clarke and Andi Arndt are two of my favorite narrators, and in duet they are fantastic. I do have to call out Jason Clarke again. The longing and desperation he brings to Tate make this one of the strongest performances I’ve heard from him. It’s honestly hard to separate my love of the story from the narration because it added so much to the emotional immersion. I will note that the duet style felt slightly pieced together in a few scenes, and their emotional tones didn’t always perfectly match in conversation, causing some of Andi’s interjected lines to feel overacted. The narration was still phenomenal, but those few occasions brought it only from 5+++ stars for narration to 5.

This is where I normally do my likes and dislikes but honestly it was kind of the whole vibe and pace of Taylor's Father I enjoyed the most. It was certainly spicy, hovering on the edge of erotica. But the last half of the book is where the emotions really kicked in. They started with great banter, but the angst and longing took over. It was so delicious, and it went on for the perfect amount of time.

I loved Taylor’s Father by Penelope Ward . If you are ever an audiobook listener, try it in audio for one of the best performances ever. Either way, I wholeheartedly recommend it if you don’t mind the age gap. Even if you do, I promise, Penelope made it work

Rating 4.75 stars, 3.75 heat


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[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Taylor’s Father by Penelope Ward—this was an age gap romance that actually made the connection feel believable and emotionally grounded. Blair and Tate first meet on vacation and share an intense, magnetic connection, but the story really takes off when fate throws them back together years later in the most unexpected way. Despite the seventeen year age difference, their relationship made sense and felt layered, with plenty of emotional depth beneath the chemistry. It’s definitely sexy, but there’s also more going on with these characters than meets the eye, which made the romance feel richer.

I did a combo read of print and audio and loved the narration from Andi Arndt and Jason Clarke. Andi perfectly captured Blair’s youthful, innocent voice, while Jason delivered that signature growly, determined alpha energy that he does so well. Their performances really brought the tension and emotion to life. I always enjoy Penelope Ward’s books, and this one was no exception—angsty, addictive, and full of heart. 💕📚🔥

[Ashley Watson · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

I ate this book up. I need more Penelope Ward in my life immediately. The banter when this couple first met had me laughing out loud and completely hooked. Tate is everything and the age gap was absolute perfection.

What I didn’t expect was how this story would unravel. It went in directions I never saw coming but it only made me love it more. The father relationship brought such an emotional layer and really pulled at my heart.

And that ending with the daughter’s full name. I was laughing so hard. Such a perfect way to wrap it all up.

[Wendy ⏃: ✦The Life of A Book Nerd✦ · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I heard Penelope Ward was not only writing an age gap but a best friend's father story, I got so giddy 🤭.

Blair is going through a break up and is enjoying a much needed vacation. At 19, she decides she wants to be a little adventurous and swipes left on the photo of the much older, tatted man she noticed at the front desk.

Tate is also vacationing at the resort. He happened to notice Blair and was surprised to meet up with her later on. The jig is up and she eventually confesses her real age, causing Tate to retreat.

But Blair is resilient and stops at nothing to prove that she is more than her age. She flirts with Tate to the point it makes him blush 🙂‍↔️. No matter how hard he fights the pull he can't deny the attraction he feels for Blair. And when they get together it's explosive af 🥵.

This story was so much more than an age gap. It was refreshing to watch the dynamic of their relationship, flirting, having fun and enjoying each other's company. They decide to part ways not knowing that years later faith will have them cross paths once more and this time things are much more complicated.

Taylor's Father was forbidden, delicious, and had all the heartfelt emotions. It's messy and a bit complicated but it's all worth it to see them get their second chance. The audiobook narrated in duet by the talented Andi Arndt and Jason Clarke was phenomenal. I couldn't get enough!

Thank you Penelope and Team for the ALC and e-ARC copies ✨.

[Frida · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5⭐️ rounding up for the audiobook.

This one was such a strange reading experience because on paper it has several things I am absolutely willing to go along with. Age gap? Fine. Forbidden relationship? Absolutely fine! Messy timing? Fine. A man with baggage and a bad track record trying very hard not to want the wrong woman? Also fine. I am not someone who recoils on principle from any of that. On the contrary, I usually eat this shit up!

But Taylor’s Father felt off to me in a way that was hard to ignore, and I think a lot of it comes down to how the book handles imbalance.

Not just the age gap itself, but the way it keeps framing that gap. Tate clocks Blair as too young almost immediately. He keeps circling back to her age, compares her to his own child, slips into this protective, responsible posture with her, and then stays in the flirtation anyway. That creates a very odd tone where the book wants the taboo charge of the dynamic, but it also keeps underlining the father-daughter optics so heavily that it never fully settles into something emotionally comfortable or convincing. The problem was never simply that he is older. It was that the book kept insisting he was the adult in the room while also asking me to swoon over how much he wanted her.

And then there is Tate’s internal monologue, which honestly wore me out.

He is constantly narrating himself like this grand, tortured, morally conflicted man at war with his own body. Warning bells. Better judgment. Endless lists of what he can and cannot do. His conscience versus desire. And listen, I enjoy a conflicted man. But here it often felt so theatrical, so overworded, so determined to make every flicker of attraction sound enormous, that it started pulling me out of the story rather than deeper into it. He has genuinely interesting material in his past, especially around fatherhood, regret, and trauma, and I actually think those parts had some emotional weight. But the way his voice is written often made him sound like he was dramatically narrating his own forbidden-love trailer instead of simply existing inside the mess.

What did work for me was that there is more going on here than just scandal bait. The strongest thread, by far, is the fatherhood one. Since the blurb already gives it away: Taylor’s hurt also gives the story much-needed emotional consequence, because he is not just an inconvenient obstacle. He is the person most likely to be collateral damage, and the book is better whenever it remembers that.

There is also a power-play current running through the romance that I found more interesting than the book fully knows what to do with. Blair pushes, provokes, and needles. Tate resists, scolds, backpedals, and very obviously enjoys the dynamic while pretending he does not (man had a spine made of wool at best). There is a bratty dominance energy there, but it stays more at the level of charged banter and fantasy tension than becoming a truly thoughtful exploration of power, restraint, or consent. So it never feels as deep as it wants to.

In the end, this was not a disaster for me. It was more frustrating than bad. There were pieces here I genuinely liked. But the central relationship never fully clicked because the emotional balance felt shaky, the age gap was handled in a way that kept making itself weirder, and Tate’s voice was so overwritten that his conflict often felt performed rather than lived.

Basically: an interesting premise, some real emotional threads underneath it, but a romance that never stopped feeling a little bit cringe.

[Kristine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went into this basically blind - well, other than having a fairly good idea of what the storyline was going to be about because of the title. This book was actually a pleasant surprise - once I got past the first 15% or so.

19 year old FMC Blair is best friends with Taylor. She goes through a break up and Taylor pays for her to go on a vacation at a resort to get away and take a break from everything. It just so happens that his grandparents own the resort that he sends her to - so that explains his ability to send her there.

Taylor's father - Tate - is also at the resort for a week to also get away. The two meet through some type of app. Where the story threw me a curve was that Tate actually does not want to sleep with Blair (well, he WANTS to but he says he won’t) because of her age - he does not want to create any problems in her life. Because of this, they spend time getting to know each other and instead of a quick hook up, they begin to build a friendship.

That is all I'm going to say because I did not know what was going to happen in the rest of the story and was surprised and intrigued when it happens (remember, I went in blind). I would definitely recommend that.

I listened to this on audio and this was narrated by the power duo of Andi Arndt and Jason Clarke. I knew I was in for a treat and I was not disappointed.

This is a quick and easy read / listen with not too much angst and pretty likeable characters.

[Jessica Alcazar · Rating 5 out of 5]

📚🎧ARC & ALC Review🎧📚 (but mostly ALC)

This story will surprise you. #betme
However you think this story is going to "travel" ... think again! :)

When a story has an age-gap of 17 years and the word father in the title, my brain tends to go down a certain path. It’s not an uncommon path and I’ve read countless stories that have gone down that path and enjoyed the heck out of them. But every once in a while, a story takes the road less traveled by these circumstances, and if it’s done well, it is gold and it is magic and just satisfies my soul. Taylor’s Father went down the path less travelled and it was gloriously done!

This is where I’d like my review to stop because honestly, I would really love it if every future reader got the “surprise” that I did while reading this journey of two people which most of society would give a side-eye to, but when fate intervened, they said f-it and brazenly grabbed on to their passion and attraction and just went for it. Their chemistry was undeniable, and not just in a sexual nature. Their chemistry allowed for a solid build of friendship and deep emotion. The energy between them was highly charged both in the “before” and the “now” and I just could not get enough of them.

It wasn’t enough that the story carried and inherent dramatic level of drama and angst with the “age-gap” and “friend’s father” circumstances, Penelope threw in some surprises for us readers that quite honestly could have turned this story into a hot mess but she’s good, really good at her craft and I could not be prouder of this story!

🎧 The listening experience of 🎤Jason Clarke as Tate and 🎤Andi Arndt as Blair was one of the best audio experiences of 2026 thus far for me. Their DUET narration brought this story to life for me in such a special way that I just could not stop listening from beginning to end. Yes, one day. Jason’s voice radiates “older male” perfectly and the gravel to his voice just makes every sexual encounter in a book he narrates drive tingles up my spine! He captured Tate’s “everything” perfectly and I know I will turn to this audiobook many more times in the future because of it! Blair is a bright, young, no nonsense chic who saw what she wanted and went for it. She’s both self-assured and vulnerable and I could not have picked a more perfect female narrator than Andi Arndt to capture all of Blair’s qualities!

This was an outstanding experience both in 📚story📚 and 🎧audio🎧 and if it was possible for me to rank it infinite stars, I’d happily do it! Thank you, Hambright PR and Penelope Ward for the opportunity to experience this story before release!

[Sharon ∞❥ is an emotional book junkie ❥∞ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐️'s

I enjoyed the older man/younger woman dynamic between Tate and Blair even if Tate was a little too hesitant and Blair was way too insistent. My heart broke when they parted ways.

But I had to roll my eyes at the later drama. Of course that would happen, of course. However, I did really like seeing that side of Tate. I didn't care for Taylor and all the "poor mes" but maybe we just needed more of his history?

The ending was really sweet and I had to laugh at the curse Blair's Dad put on Tate.

[Briana smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS WAS SO FREAKING CUTEEEEEE. oh my gosh I cried listening to the audio. PLEASE listen to the audio. it was truly so beautifully done 🥹💘 go in blind because you'll be shocked and jaw dropping not knowing!

[Jamie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lazy, cliche and misogynistic. Nothing quality here. This story has been told a million times. Too young FMC basically virginal and much older, experienced man who just had so much to deal with (boo frickin hoo).

Don’t protect the 19 yo (TEENAGER) girl from the man 17 years older than her but protect the 23 yo man from the truth. TF is that??

I’m so tired of these female writers vilifying women to lift up men. Tate’s ex had every right to “bash” him. He was basically an absentee father by choice. And then she did it again with Blair. Ewwyuck.

Way too much was conveniently explained away so a real plot never had to be developed but making hiding the truth from Taylor the only difficult element. She also jumped ahead 4 years so she didn’t have to dive into Blair’s struggles doing everything alone. Lame.

[Gianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars-Loved the tension and chemistry between these characters while on vacation...17 year age gap (yes please).

The only thing hindering a higher rating was the fact that there was such a significant underlying issue with being 'Taylor's dad' BUT let's be so real...everyone is an adult, it's not that serious.

Overall, I really enjoyed the story overall!

[warhawke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Type: Standalone
POV: First person - dual
Rating:
4.25 Stars



Blair Moynihan was grateful for the much needed vacation gifted by her friend Taylor at his family's resort. Fresh from a breakup, she wanted to let loose and pursued an attractive older man, Tate, who was on his own soul-searching retreat. The short fling left a lasting impact, especially when she discovered who Tate was. But picking up where they left off could mean hurting the one the both cared about.

I might be too old for her. I might not deserve her. But I loved her. I loved and respected her now more than ever, knowing what she’d sacrificed because of me. Yet I also understood that sometimes loving someone means letting them go.

Blair might be young, but I liked how she put herself first and went after what she wanted. Tate, on the other hand, was more cautious, weighed down by heavy emotional baggage. Their chemistry was undeniable with palpable longing from other sides.

I liked the overall storyline with the circumstances and the dilemma they faced. There were plenty of emotions throughout from amusement to dejection.

Taylor’s Father is a story of vindication and second chances. It would appeal to readers who enjoy age-gap romance.







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[Anca A · Rating 5 out of 5]

#Review: *Taylor's Father* - Penelope Ward - ARC/ALC [18+]
4.5/5✨
3/5🌶️

During one of their vacation time, Tate and Blair had an instant connection in spite of the huge age gap between them. More precisely, she was 19 and he was 36. That's why Tate was containing himself and didn't want to give into that pull he felt towards young Blair. But it wasn't enough because they simply fell into everything they felt, which lead to sharing the most beautiful time together. The bad part of this was the fact that they had a limited time together, deciding from the start to leave what they had there and then. They thought that they won't see each other again, but life was full of surprises and these two would find themselves in a pretty complicated situation when that re-encounter eventually happened. How will things turn out this time around?

Despite the fact that I'm not a big fan of such a huge age gap, I really felt like Blair was super mature, being just the perfect match for handsome Tate. I was super curious to see when things would shift between them and how will that connection end. I was expecting that they will be connected by someone they had in common, considering the title of the book🤭. What I haven't expected were a couple of surprise elements, which made this story super interesting for me and which constantly made me turn those pages. The tension between them was insane and it was still so very much present after the hiatus they had. I liked that there was a bit of angst too, which made that secret and forbidden romance everything! I love these types of elements and I enjoyed them so much in this story! On top of that, the narrators, Andi Arndt and Jason Clarke, have exuded so much emotion in their performances, which is why I've deeply felt that angst throughout this story. They made me feel everything so intensely, all that lust, that love and uncertainty. So, so good!!!

You should definitely pick up this book, if you are a fan of age gap, one night stands and surprise elements. I loved that this story had so many unexpected parts and I really liked how well these characters were together, feeling so intensely everything that was happening between them.

Thank you so much Hambright Pr and Penelope for accepting me for this e-ARC and ALC.

✨Tropes
▫️Age Gap (19/36)
▫️One Night Stand
▫️Strangers To Lovers
▫️Best Friend's Father
▫️Second Chance
▫️Secret Romance
▫️Forbidden Love
▫️Forced Proximity

[Persephone · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

Thank you so much to Penelope and Hambright for a physical copy of Taylor’s Father!

This was my first book by this author and I am pleasantly obsessed. I am typically not someone who jumps towards insta-love, because I am 100% a slow burn girlie, BUT this one was done properly. I loved both Blair and Tate. The reason why their insta-love worked for me is because their connection and their chemistry that they built in a short amount of time was a genuine connection and it felt real. Their chemistry was electric and their banter was perfectionnn. I literally couldn’t stop laughing.

Tate- god I loved this man. He was a little guarded at first but Blair was able to make him open up pretty quickly with her fun and flirty attitude, once he let his guard down it was game over. Everything about this man is deliciousssss.

Blair- I honestly love her. She was hilarious and so flirtation and whitty. She knew exactly what she wanted and wasn’t afraid to ask for it. I think I loved her so much because I saw myself her in a bit which made me smile.

I really loved this book so much, it was such a page turner. I literally couldn’t put it down! There was a plot twist that I didnt see coming at all and I loved it! I am embarrassed that this is my first book by Penelope Ward, but I am so happy that this was my first book by her, so now I need to read everything she has written.

If you enjoyed Older by Jennifer Hartmann, but you’re wanting something that’s not heavy and you want to laugh and have a good flirty time, then 1000% pick this book up!