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Meant for the Mentor
Ava Beauregard thought that a vacation fling with a hot Puerto Rican college guy would be just the thing to get over her cheating ex. When Dillon shows up in her office, sent by the mentoring program at the local university, Ava will have to decide whether to pull back from the lines they’ve already crossed or whether falling into the arms of a young, handsome almost-stranger will be just what she needs to move on from the man who would never commit.
Dillon Narvaeza-Costa believed in fate. When he saw Ava again after two years and found himself still deeply attracted to her, he knew that destiny had given him a second chance with her. As Dillon pursues his dream of becoming an animal-assisted therapist, he’ll have to prove that what Ava thinks is puppy love is actually the real thing.
This steamy, feel-good romance is perfect for fans of Abby Jimenez, Tessa Bailey, and Andrea Simonne.
Dillon Narvaeza-Costa believed in fate. When he saw Ava again after two years and found himself still deeply attracted to her, he knew that destiny had given him a second chance with her. As Dillon pursues his dream of becoming an animal-assisted therapist, he’ll have to prove that what Ava thinks is puppy love is actually the real thing.
This steamy, feel-good romance is perfect for fans of Abby Jimenez, Tessa Bailey, and Andrea Simonne.
228 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 20, 2025
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January 12, 2026
"If a man disrespects a woman, he apologizes, or he suffers the consequences."
— Dillon.
💚 Therapist FMC
💚 College student MMC
💚 Third person dual POV
💚 Reverse age gap (She’s 39, he’s 25)
💚 Interracial couple
💚 Second chance
💚 Double date with doggies!
Sometimes I believe in coincidence. Sometimes I don’t. But after dnfing another reverse age gap book earlier because the writing wasn’t for me, and then Synthia Stone blessed my inbox with this arc ... Maybe it was fate working in a very strange way.
With both main characters firmly in their adult era, I expected a lot: healthy communication, professionalism, and mature attitudes. Both Ava and Dillon passed my internal test. They did everything on the list smoothly ... That it felt too smooth.
You see, in stories like this,, where women get labeled cougars for dating younger men while the guys get a free pass, I was hoping Ava would be more cautious. Sure, Ava isn’t technically Dillon’s teacher. She was "only" his mentor. But Ava is also a co-founder of her company, which she built with her trash ex who won’t leave them alone you’d think he’s either gay and attracted to Dillon or unable to move on (or maybe both). Ava is respected. A scandal is just waiting to happen if people found out she was dating someone she was supposed to mentor. Can you really blame me for wanting more angst? Instead, they go straight into the I wuv you phase after their reunion. I’m sorry, but what??? I think they both forgot that they’re practically strangers!
Don’t get me wrong—Dillon is nice. He’s a gentleman. He’s smart. Look at him being so responsible with his life! Not to mention, he fucks like he was trained by an island sex god. But ughhh ... He’s too perfect. So perfect that he becomes boringand that’s coming from someone who will always, always choose the nice guy over the bad boy or shadow daddy (gag) in romance books. I wish he had at least one flaw. I wish he sucked at something so he’d feel more human. Making him perfect only makes him feel like a fantasy rather than a person.
On the other hand, Ava frustrated me. The author could’ve made her the same age as Dillon and I wouldn’t have noticed the difference. She wasn’t entirely immature, but she definitely made some questionable decisions. It angered me how Ava, a successful businesswoman, let Owen walk all over her, talk to her like he was her boss instead of her partner, and let Owen’s mistress get into her head.
While I fully understand that this is how character development works but good lord, waiting for Ava to finally stand up for herself took so long that I had to take a one day break from this book because I was exhausted. As a therapist, it was ironic that Ava couldn’t see the problem right in front of her eyes. It’s like someone yelling about other people’s boats sinking while not realizing her own boat is about to drown. And that makes me sad, because I could see her potential. I expected so much from her. This wasn’t about being femdom in bed; it was about her character as a whole.
The back and forth between standing up, kneeling, then running back to Dillon made the book tiring. Honesty to me, she felt like a damsel, which is number two on my NO list. Also, having her admit she wants to be his fucktoy is a major ick. Please, woman. There are so many things in the world besides his dick size. She gave me a second hand embarrassment.
The writing itself is okay, I guess??? It flows. It’s simple. Dillon being my first Puerto Rican MMC was a breath of fresh air, but please for the love of god, stop mentioning his skin. Yes, I remember he’s Puerto Rican. Yes, I know he’s tan. Tysm.
Despite all my complaints, I have to admit the author successfully created one of the most perfectly written narcissists I’ve ever read. You’ll hate Owen. You’ll want to punch him through the screen. Ironically, he was the one who kept me reading albeit with a constant undercurrent of rage. And of course, I loved Daisy and Oscar. I’m not even a dog person, but they were absolutely adorable. Animal companions always make a book better. You can’t change my mind.
Huge thanks to Synthia Stone for the eARC!
— Dillon.
💚 Therapist FMC
💚 College student MMC
💚 Third person dual POV
💚 Reverse age gap (She’s 39, he’s 25)
💚 Interracial couple
💚 Second chance
💚 Double date with doggies!
Sometimes I believe in coincidence. Sometimes I don’t. But after dnfing another reverse age gap book earlier because the writing wasn’t for me, and then Synthia Stone blessed my inbox with this arc ... Maybe it was fate working in a very strange way.
With both main characters firmly in their adult era, I expected a lot: healthy communication, professionalism, and mature attitudes. Both Ava and Dillon passed my internal test. They did everything on the list smoothly ... That it felt too smooth.
You see, in stories like this,, where women get labeled cougars for dating younger men while the guys get a free pass, I was hoping Ava would be more cautious. Sure, Ava isn’t technically Dillon’s teacher. She was "only" his mentor. But Ava is also a co-founder of her company, which she built with her trash ex who won’t leave them alone you’d think he’s either gay and attracted to Dillon or unable to move on (or maybe both). Ava is respected. A scandal is just waiting to happen if people found out she was dating someone she was supposed to mentor. Can you really blame me for wanting more angst? Instead, they go straight into the I wuv you phase after their reunion. I’m sorry, but what??? I think they both forgot that they’re practically strangers!
Don’t get me wrong—Dillon is nice. He’s a gentleman. He’s smart. Look at him being so responsible with his life! Not to mention, he fucks like he was trained by an island sex god. But ughhh ... He’s too perfect. So perfect that he becomes boringand that’s coming from someone who will always, always choose the nice guy over the bad boy or shadow daddy (gag) in romance books. I wish he had at least one flaw. I wish he sucked at something so he’d feel more human. Making him perfect only makes him feel like a fantasy rather than a person.
On the other hand, Ava frustrated me. The author could’ve made her the same age as Dillon and I wouldn’t have noticed the difference. She wasn’t entirely immature, but she definitely made some questionable decisions. It angered me how Ava, a successful businesswoman, let Owen walk all over her, talk to her like he was her boss instead of her partner, and let Owen’s mistress get into her head.
While I fully understand that this is how character development works but good lord, waiting for Ava to finally stand up for herself took so long that I had to take a one day break from this book because I was exhausted. As a therapist, it was ironic that Ava couldn’t see the problem right in front of her eyes. It’s like someone yelling about other people’s boats sinking while not realizing her own boat is about to drown. And that makes me sad, because I could see her potential. I expected so much from her. This wasn’t about being femdom in bed; it was about her character as a whole.
The back and forth between standing up, kneeling, then running back to Dillon made the book tiring. Honesty to me, she felt like a damsel, which is number two on my NO list. Also, having her admit she wants to be his fucktoy is a major ick. Please, woman. There are so many things in the world besides his dick size. She gave me a second hand embarrassment.
The writing itself is okay, I guess??? It flows. It’s simple. Dillon being my first Puerto Rican MMC was a breath of fresh air, but please for the love of god, stop mentioning his skin. Yes, I remember he’s Puerto Rican. Yes, I know he’s tan. Tysm.
Despite all my complaints, I have to admit the author successfully created one of the most perfectly written narcissists I’ve ever read. You’ll hate Owen. You’ll want to punch him through the screen. Ironically, he was the one who kept me reading albeit with a constant undercurrent of rage. And of course, I loved Daisy and Oscar. I’m not even a dog person, but they were absolutely adorable. Animal companions always make a book better. You can’t change my mind.
Huge thanks to Synthia Stone for the eARC!
Displaying 1 of 1 review