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Summer Fling
Kate Randall is a successful, sophisticated attorney terminally jaded since the demise of her long-term relationship. Now with best friends Didi and Viv by her side, she’s savoring single life and the sweet taste of hard-won independence. As her friends navigate the poignant and amusing pitfalls of finding lasting love in their forties, she’s quite content to watch from behind a cosmo.
But when the girls drag Kate to a Pride event, sexy young singer Jordan Squire rocks the stable foundation Kate had struggled for years to build. Despite Kate’s protests, Jordan’s charms prove too powerful to resist, and they fall into a passionate summer love affair. But even if Kate can conquer her fear of repeating the past, can their relationship withstand the pressures of a significant age difference and the demands of Jordan’s burgeoning music career?
But when the girls drag Kate to a Pride event, sexy young singer Jordan Squire rocks the stable foundation Kate had struggled for years to build. Despite Kate’s protests, Jordan’s charms prove too powerful to resist, and they fall into a passionate summer love affair. But even if Kate can conquer her fear of repeating the past, can their relationship withstand the pressures of a significant age difference and the demands of Jordan’s burgeoning music career?
242 pages, Paperback
Published September 12, 2017
5 people are currently reading
58 people want to read
About the author
Jean Copeland
16 books46 followersJean Copeland is a writer and English/language arts teacher at an alternative high school in Connecticut. Taking a chance on a second career in her thirties, Jean graduated summa cum laude from Southern Connecticut State University with a BS in English education and an MS in English/creative writing. She has published numerous short fiction and essays online and in print anthologies. In addition to the thrill of watching her students discover their talents in creative writing and poetry, she enjoys the escape of writing, summer decompression by the shore, and good wine and conversation with friends. Organ donation and shelter animal adoption are causes dear to her heart. The Revelation of Beatrice Darby is Jean’s debut novel.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
August 28, 2017
3 1/2 Stars. This is the second book I have read by Copeland. I must admit, I did not care for The Second Wave. Too many flashbacks and the story never got there for me. I'm happy to say this book was much better for me. I still had some issues with this book, and I'll discuss it below, but overall it was a more enjoyable reading experience.
This is an age-gap love story between Kate and Jordan. Kate is jaded and happily set in her single life. Jordan is younger, carefree and willing to fall in love. Is there a chance these two can make it work, or will their age difference drive them apart?
I have to admit, at the beginning of the book I was not impressed. Kate and her two best friends, Didi and Viv, are suppose to be in their late 40's. But for the first few chapters I felt like I was reading about teenagers. The book was not working for me at all. Then the dialog really changes. It gets better, and I actually really appreciated the best friends in this story. They ended up being great secondary characters and gave the book a does of humor it needed.
Now on to the main characters Jordan and Kate. Jordan, is a sweetheart. Even though we are not in her head space at all, her personality radiates through her character. Jordan is the type of character you would like to know or date IRL, she was well written. Kate on the other hand, is a piece of work. She can not get out of her head for the entire book. I don't remember such a self sabotaging character in a long time. There is plenty of times I wanted to yell, "Jordan run away, find someone else!" I would like to say that I warmed up to Kate at the end. I don't know if that was the case, but I think I finally accepted who she is and just wanted her to finally be happy.
When it came to the intimate scenes, they were all fade to black. I don't have to have steamy sex scenes in all my read, but I think it could have been useful here. The characters do have chemistry together, but I think sex scenes would have helped to really show how their connection was growing.
Not a perfect book by any means, but I mostly enjoyed it. The secondary characters really helped the book along for me. If you are looking for an age-gap romance, with a little humor, this book might be for you.
An ARC was given to me by BSB, for a honest review.
This is an age-gap love story between Kate and Jordan. Kate is jaded and happily set in her single life. Jordan is younger, carefree and willing to fall in love. Is there a chance these two can make it work, or will their age difference drive them apart?
I have to admit, at the beginning of the book I was not impressed. Kate and her two best friends, Didi and Viv, are suppose to be in their late 40's. But for the first few chapters I felt like I was reading about teenagers. The book was not working for me at all. Then the dialog really changes. It gets better, and I actually really appreciated the best friends in this story. They ended up being great secondary characters and gave the book a does of humor it needed.
Now on to the main characters Jordan and Kate. Jordan, is a sweetheart. Even though we are not in her head space at all, her personality radiates through her character. Jordan is the type of character you would like to know or date IRL, she was well written. Kate on the other hand, is a piece of work. She can not get out of her head for the entire book. I don't remember such a self sabotaging character in a long time. There is plenty of times I wanted to yell, "Jordan run away, find someone else!" I would like to say that I warmed up to Kate at the end. I don't know if that was the case, but I think I finally accepted who she is and just wanted her to finally be happy.
When it came to the intimate scenes, they were all fade to black. I don't have to have steamy sex scenes in all my read, but I think it could have been useful here. The characters do have chemistry together, but I think sex scenes would have helped to really show how their connection was growing.
Not a perfect book by any means, but I mostly enjoyed it. The secondary characters really helped the book along for me. If you are looking for an age-gap romance, with a little humor, this book might be for you.
An ARC was given to me by BSB, for a honest review.
October 22, 2017
So, this is my first book by this author and I will definitely look out for her in the future. This book deals with relationships with a substantial age difference. I am a great believer in age is just a number so I was very interested in reading this book.
The two main characters are Kate and Jordan. Kate I would say was mid forties and Jordan maybe mid twenties. Kate comes across as really insecure and damaged by previous relationships. Whereas Jordan is young, free and very open to love. Hey, love can be found in the most unusual places and even when you least expect it. Yes, I'm a romantic at heart. The chemistry between the two is there but Kate is definitely wanting to travel slowly. I guess age gives us more reasons to tread carefully. Oh the benefits of youth.
This book is really well written and has many a funny moment. Kate needs to get out of her head and stop expecting the worst. I feel Jordan is good for her as well. Not everyone is out to hurt you. I think given time these two will find their path and journey it together. Enjoy!
*ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley*
The two main characters are Kate and Jordan. Kate I would say was mid forties and Jordan maybe mid twenties. Kate comes across as really insecure and damaged by previous relationships. Whereas Jordan is young, free and very open to love. Hey, love can be found in the most unusual places and even when you least expect it. Yes, I'm a romantic at heart. The chemistry between the two is there but Kate is definitely wanting to travel slowly. I guess age gives us more reasons to tread carefully. Oh the benefits of youth.
This book is really well written and has many a funny moment. Kate needs to get out of her head and stop expecting the worst. I feel Jordan is good for her as well. Not everyone is out to hurt you. I think given time these two will find their path and journey it together. Enjoy!
*ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley*
August 28, 2017
Summer Fling explores the highs and lows of age-gap relationships. Kate Randall enjoys watching her two best friends navigate the dating world but has no interest in the chase thanks to a painful breakup in her own long-term relationship. Tired of watching her wallow in self pity, Didi and Viv drag Kate to a pride event featuring the young and talented Jordan Squire. Kate is drawn to the magnetic singer and Jordan proves to be just as attracted to Kate. Jordan is unfazed with their seventeen-year age difference but Kate can’t accept that what they have together is anything more than a summer fling.
Kate is her own worse enemy in this romance. She is a bundle of insecurities. Rather than embrace this new chance at love she worries about being abandoned or betrayed once again. She feels self conscious around her young lover. She is more concerned with what others think of them as a couple than how her negative attitude impacts Jordan. Her pity party of one blinds her to everything Jordan is offering her, namely love and commitment.
Despite Kate’s insecurities there is a lot of humour and some great dialogue in this novel. I enjoyed the light-hearted banter and sarcastic commentary between Kate and her two best friends. There is nothing so blunt and honest as a lifetime girlfriend. They might meddle and force you to admit you are being a fool but they are there for you through good times and bad. The relationship between these three old friends helped to lighten the mood and offset Kate’s insecurities.
I did have an problem with the frequent fade to black love scenes. I don’t always need a step by step guide to a couple’s lovemaking but in a novel like this, when one lover is struggling to accept that the other finds her attractive or desirable a bit more detail might have made their connection feel more real to the reader. I admit to skimming repetitive sex scenes in other novels but with all her fears and trepidation, we needed to see Kate in the arms of Jordan.
ARC received with thanks from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley for review.
Kate is her own worse enemy in this romance. She is a bundle of insecurities. Rather than embrace this new chance at love she worries about being abandoned or betrayed once again. She feels self conscious around her young lover. She is more concerned with what others think of them as a couple than how her negative attitude impacts Jordan. Her pity party of one blinds her to everything Jordan is offering her, namely love and commitment.
Despite Kate’s insecurities there is a lot of humour and some great dialogue in this novel. I enjoyed the light-hearted banter and sarcastic commentary between Kate and her two best friends. There is nothing so blunt and honest as a lifetime girlfriend. They might meddle and force you to admit you are being a fool but they are there for you through good times and bad. The relationship between these three old friends helped to lighten the mood and offset Kate’s insecurities.
I did have an problem with the frequent fade to black love scenes. I don’t always need a step by step guide to a couple’s lovemaking but in a novel like this, when one lover is struggling to accept that the other finds her attractive or desirable a bit more detail might have made their connection feel more real to the reader. I admit to skimming repetitive sex scenes in other novels but with all her fears and trepidation, we needed to see Kate in the arms of Jordan.
ARC received with thanks from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley for review.
October 29, 2021
An ok read. Age-gap romance with loads of insecurities which one of the MCs faced. As it turned out, that was my biggest pet peeve; i.e. Kate was always second-guessing herself. At some point, I almost threw in the towel. My only solace is Jordan, who was just so patient and really, you can’t blame the lady when she ran out of patience and gave up altogether.
September 3, 2017
ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.
I hadn't read this author before, so wasn't sure what to expect. I'm usually
a fan of age gap romances, but this one didn't quite hit the mark for me. Most of this was due to Kate's character, she annoyed me. A middle aged woman with multiple insecurities who just could not get out of her own way when it came to trusting in her relationship with Jordan. Jordan was a great character, so much so that I thought she should move on and find someone better.
The best friends were also hit and miss. To start with they all acted like the were Jordan's age (or younger to be honest) but some of their dialogue provided a nice counterpoint to waiting for Kate to pull her head out of her ass.
I should also warn those who like to know such things that there are no sex scenes in this one. I don't usually care if a book doesn't have much/any sex in it, but it did seem an odd choice for a book with 'fling' in the title, so if that is going to annoy you, you might want to skip this one.
I hadn't read this author before, so wasn't sure what to expect. I'm usually
a fan of age gap romances, but this one didn't quite hit the mark for me. Most of this was due to Kate's character, she annoyed me. A middle aged woman with multiple insecurities who just could not get out of her own way when it came to trusting in her relationship with Jordan. Jordan was a great character, so much so that I thought she should move on and find someone better.
The best friends were also hit and miss. To start with they all acted like the were Jordan's age (or younger to be honest) but some of their dialogue provided a nice counterpoint to waiting for Kate to pull her head out of her ass.
I should also warn those who like to know such things that there are no sex scenes in this one. I don't usually care if a book doesn't have much/any sex in it, but it did seem an odd choice for a book with 'fling' in the title, so if that is going to annoy you, you might want to skip this one.
November 12, 2018
I think this is my new favourite Jean Copeland novel. One of my favourite sub genres is age-gap romance and this one seriously delivered. I started this book and read through the night to finish it.
Kate is a 40 years old, successful lawyer who's heart is still mending after her longest and most significant relationship broke down. She didn’t expect to fall for Jordan, who is not only just starting to get noticed in her music career but is also a lot younger than her.
Great third novel from Jean Copeland! The character development evolved at good pace throughout the novel and I really enjoyed Kate’s friends throughout the book especially Didi her best friend - she really cracked me up.
The love story between Kate and Jordan was one they make movies about, it was complex but you knew from the beginning these women had found their soul mates in each other.
I don’t think I'm ready to be done with this novel. Maybe a sequel? That would be something I’d get excited for.
Kate is a 40 years old, successful lawyer who's heart is still mending after her longest and most significant relationship broke down. She didn’t expect to fall for Jordan, who is not only just starting to get noticed in her music career but is also a lot younger than her.
Great third novel from Jean Copeland! The character development evolved at good pace throughout the novel and I really enjoyed Kate’s friends throughout the book especially Didi her best friend - she really cracked me up.
The love story between Kate and Jordan was one they make movies about, it was complex but you knew from the beginning these women had found their soul mates in each other.
I don’t think I'm ready to be done with this novel. Maybe a sequel? That would be something I’d get excited for.
February 3, 2018
Four years ago attorney Kate Randall had a traumatic breakup after 17 years of relationship. No wonder she is reluctant to try again and is enjoying her single status. That is, until she meets singer Jordan Squire who is sexy, kind and interested. Pity that she is almost two decades younger. Will Kate see past the age difference and her relationship baggage to give Jordan a chance?
There's no doubt that 'Summer fling' is a well written book, the characters are skilfully portrayed and the dialogues are witty and funny. My problem is that I just couldn't warm to the main characters, specially Kate who comes across to me as self-centered and immature. The conversations and behaviour of Kate and her friends seem more typical of people in their 20s not late 40s. It was frustrating to read at times. Jordan, on the other hand, is exactly the opposite. She is mature, patient and ready to commit. So much so that readers might wonder what she sees in Kate. While I understand that opposites might attract, it really didn't work for me. Having said that, it doesn't mean that other readers could enjoy this story.
Overall, an ok read if you can can put up with a frustrating main character. 3.5 stars.
ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
See all my reviews at
www.lezreviewbooks.wordpress.com
There's no doubt that 'Summer fling' is a well written book, the characters are skilfully portrayed and the dialogues are witty and funny. My problem is that I just couldn't warm to the main characters, specially Kate who comes across to me as self-centered and immature. The conversations and behaviour of Kate and her friends seem more typical of people in their 20s not late 40s. It was frustrating to read at times. Jordan, on the other hand, is exactly the opposite. She is mature, patient and ready to commit. So much so that readers might wonder what she sees in Kate. While I understand that opposites might attract, it really didn't work for me. Having said that, it doesn't mean that other readers could enjoy this story.
Overall, an ok read if you can can put up with a frustrating main character. 3.5 stars.
ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
See all my reviews at
www.lezreviewbooks.wordpress.com
December 1, 2020
I love an age-gap romance but although Kate was 17 years older than Jordan, I found her very immature. I wasn't a huge fan of the friend group dynamics between Kate, Viv and Didi - again, it felt very immature for supposedly 47 year olds.
I would've loved to have seen the romance between our MCs build a little more before they fell into bed together as I think I would've seen more of the chemistry between them.
I would've loved to have seen the romance between our MCs build a little more before they fell into bed together as I think I would've seen more of the chemistry between them.
September 16, 2017
Mmmmm......
Ok I almost stop reading this book. I not a fan of Kats...this back and forward I am to old for you was getting old. I did love Didi and Vic were so funny...I loved their antics. As for Jordan I just wanted to slap Kat for treating her the way she did. But I am glad I stayed with it because it was a beautiful ending. Part of me recommend this book...but part of me doesn't recommend this book.
Ok I almost stop reading this book. I not a fan of Kats...this back and forward I am to old for you was getting old. I did love Didi and Vic were so funny...I loved their antics. As for Jordan I just wanted to slap Kat for treating her the way she did. But I am glad I stayed with it because it was a beautiful ending. Part of me recommend this book...but part of me doesn't recommend this book.
September 12, 2017
Netgalley
First book I've read by this author. The premise sounded like something I might like.
I didn't really get into this. While I liked the main couple, Kate's friends were a lot to take and Kate herself turned more and more unlikeable throughout the book. By the time she went totally off the rails I was rooting for Jordan to run far away.
The writing annoyed me as well, but I can't put my finger on what exactly it was.
Shoddier editing job than is BSB's standard, hopefully this will be tackled before final product is put out.
First book I've read by this author. The premise sounded like something I might like.
I didn't really get into this. While I liked the main couple, Kate's friends were a lot to take and Kate herself turned more and more unlikeable throughout the book. By the time she went totally off the rails I was rooting for Jordan to run far away.
The writing annoyed me as well, but I can't put my finger on what exactly it was.
Shoddier editing job than is BSB's standard, hopefully this will be tackled before final product is put out.
April 3, 2018
An honest review thanks to NetGalley. It took me a while to get into this book, for some reason at the beginning I had to really force myself to continue reading. Though once I got to the middle I actually started enjoying the book. It was a good romantic read, but after a while the constant battle of age difference got annoying. I did really like Jordan; this was a nice simple read that though irritating at some points is a nice removal from reality for a little while.
August 31, 2017
[Note: This book was provided free of charge by the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.]
There is a scene in Failure To Launch where the male lead finds himself attacked by an herbivorous lizard and his friends reply that he must be living contrary to nature. This book reminded me that even in a novel with a group of middle-aged lesbians at its core, a book that has very few men in it at all, there will be a strong Nathanish feel to the proceedings, and when no literary fiction is free from being like me, it is probably a sign that one is living contrary to nature. If this novel, some 220 pages in its e-book form, probably close to twice that if read on paper and ink, is any indication, contemporary literary fiction likes relationship drama and exploring people with a high degree of neuroses and insecurities and anxieties who tend to sabotage their own happiness, and in that mix of bad experiences and a combustible mix of fear and longing about intimacy one is going to find characters who are much like me as a person, regardless of the contexts of their lives [1]. Whether this tendency to celebrate the anxious and timid is because such people often become writers or because they are writing for an audience of people like them or both is beyond my own knowledge and expertise.
This novel is an example of literary fiction that deals with the love lives of a group of four lesbians. Through their struggles and difficulties the reader is supposed to have some idea of what is considered to be ideal or problematic within their scene. The protagonist is Kate, an idealistic but deeply cynical lawyer who spends her whole life, it seems, either drinking with her girlfriends or involved in some sort of service on behalf of her community. This includes serving as defense counsel for one of her friends, Viv, who is obsessive about her ex-gf Maia, who broke up because she wanted to settle down and have children. Kate has been single for four years after the breakup of a previous relationship that had lasted a long time and falls for the attractive and much younger Jordan Squire. Meanwhile, her personal assistant/friend is involved in an ambivalent relationship with a married bisexual woman, and complications and drama and lots of drinking inevitably ensue. Will Jordan get her major label recording contract and go to Los Angeles? Will Kate's insecurities sabotage her relationship? This is a novel with a strong romantic edge, and a celebration of love, but it is also an example of conventions within literary fiction that make their own characters and their neuroses the most serious obstacles to their own happiness. The characters of this novel serve as both protagonists and villains, a complicated task.
There are at least a few lessons this novel can teach its reader. Not everyone will identify with this novel and its near total absence of men, but a certain segment of readers will. Even within this world, though, there is a great deal of drama, some of it at least ostensibly hormonal in nature. These characters are flawed and it is instructive that within the narrow and claustrophobic sapphic community of the novel that there are a few tendencies that are still considered to be daring or outre, namely being interested in people across a wide age gap as well as being interested in both sexes. This novel is an interesting case of the bisexual erasure that occurs within a great deal of queer literature, and a way that even among those who pride themselves on being unconventional there is still conventionality and still ways that people look down on others just as they hate being looked down upon by others. No community or person is immune from being hypocrites, and although there are a great many people who will likely have no interest in the world of this novel or the subculture it represents, there are still powerful moral lessons to be found in the way that love leads people out of their comfort zones and that there are always going to be longings that are considered beyond the pale of acceptability no matter in which communities one finds oneself. It seems such a melancholy lesson for a book that tries so hard to be optimistic about the opportunity for love.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
There is a scene in Failure To Launch where the male lead finds himself attacked by an herbivorous lizard and his friends reply that he must be living contrary to nature. This book reminded me that even in a novel with a group of middle-aged lesbians at its core, a book that has very few men in it at all, there will be a strong Nathanish feel to the proceedings, and when no literary fiction is free from being like me, it is probably a sign that one is living contrary to nature. If this novel, some 220 pages in its e-book form, probably close to twice that if read on paper and ink, is any indication, contemporary literary fiction likes relationship drama and exploring people with a high degree of neuroses and insecurities and anxieties who tend to sabotage their own happiness, and in that mix of bad experiences and a combustible mix of fear and longing about intimacy one is going to find characters who are much like me as a person, regardless of the contexts of their lives [1]. Whether this tendency to celebrate the anxious and timid is because such people often become writers or because they are writing for an audience of people like them or both is beyond my own knowledge and expertise.
This novel is an example of literary fiction that deals with the love lives of a group of four lesbians. Through their struggles and difficulties the reader is supposed to have some idea of what is considered to be ideal or problematic within their scene. The protagonist is Kate, an idealistic but deeply cynical lawyer who spends her whole life, it seems, either drinking with her girlfriends or involved in some sort of service on behalf of her community. This includes serving as defense counsel for one of her friends, Viv, who is obsessive about her ex-gf Maia, who broke up because she wanted to settle down and have children. Kate has been single for four years after the breakup of a previous relationship that had lasted a long time and falls for the attractive and much younger Jordan Squire. Meanwhile, her personal assistant/friend is involved in an ambivalent relationship with a married bisexual woman, and complications and drama and lots of drinking inevitably ensue. Will Jordan get her major label recording contract and go to Los Angeles? Will Kate's insecurities sabotage her relationship? This is a novel with a strong romantic edge, and a celebration of love, but it is also an example of conventions within literary fiction that make their own characters and their neuroses the most serious obstacles to their own happiness. The characters of this novel serve as both protagonists and villains, a complicated task.
There are at least a few lessons this novel can teach its reader. Not everyone will identify with this novel and its near total absence of men, but a certain segment of readers will. Even within this world, though, there is a great deal of drama, some of it at least ostensibly hormonal in nature. These characters are flawed and it is instructive that within the narrow and claustrophobic sapphic community of the novel that there are a few tendencies that are still considered to be daring or outre, namely being interested in people across a wide age gap as well as being interested in both sexes. This novel is an interesting case of the bisexual erasure that occurs within a great deal of queer literature, and a way that even among those who pride themselves on being unconventional there is still conventionality and still ways that people look down on others just as they hate being looked down upon by others. No community or person is immune from being hypocrites, and although there are a great many people who will likely have no interest in the world of this novel or the subculture it represents, there are still powerful moral lessons to be found in the way that love leads people out of their comfort zones and that there are always going to be longings that are considered beyond the pale of acceptability no matter in which communities one finds oneself. It seems such a melancholy lesson for a book that tries so hard to be optimistic about the opportunity for love.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
October 27, 2017
This is the first book I have read by Ms. Copeland. The story is about a May/December romance between Kate, a 46-year-old lawyer who has been single for 4 years after previously being in a relationship for 17 years and Jordan, the younger female who is an up and coming musician by night and a webpage creator by day. Kate and Jordan experience an instant physical draw and they spend the summer addressing a multitude of what-ifs in their future.
The other two main characters are Kate’s best girlfriends, Viv and Didi. Viv is single and wants to get back with her girlfriend Maia, who wishes to settle down and raise a family. Viv is extremely rich and enjoys the carefree life but wants Maia back. Didi has come of the closet in her mid-40’s and is driven to find true love.
The plot of the book is not complex, but there is great interaction among Kate, Viv and Didi. The three friends enjoy their happy hours and volunteering in support of LGBTQ fundraising events. The humor and teasing are definitely a plus.
I didn’t care for Kate’s back and forth musings regarding her “summer fling”. She constantly brings up the age difference as a major problem and vacillates between “we can’t have a serious long-term relationship” and “oh, wait maybe we can”. This constant swing is very annoying and takes away the enjoyment a reader could get from this book.
I did enjoy the end of the book. It finally helped to dissolve the anxiety caused by the yoyo of emotions caused by Kate’s insecurities.
I rate this book 3-1/2 stars out of 5.
I was given this ARC in return for a fair and honest review.
The other two main characters are Kate’s best girlfriends, Viv and Didi. Viv is single and wants to get back with her girlfriend Maia, who wishes to settle down and raise a family. Viv is extremely rich and enjoys the carefree life but wants Maia back. Didi has come of the closet in her mid-40’s and is driven to find true love.
The plot of the book is not complex, but there is great interaction among Kate, Viv and Didi. The three friends enjoy their happy hours and volunteering in support of LGBTQ fundraising events. The humor and teasing are definitely a plus.
I didn’t care for Kate’s back and forth musings regarding her “summer fling”. She constantly brings up the age difference as a major problem and vacillates between “we can’t have a serious long-term relationship” and “oh, wait maybe we can”. This constant swing is very annoying and takes away the enjoyment a reader could get from this book.
I did enjoy the end of the book. It finally helped to dissolve the anxiety caused by the yoyo of emotions caused by Kate’s insecurities.
I rate this book 3-1/2 stars out of 5.
I was given this ARC in return for a fair and honest review.
October 14, 2017
The relationship between Kate and Jordan was what one would consider to be very tumultuous. Kate drove me crazy with all the doubts and obstacles she kept putting in her way to happiness. I enjoyed her friends Didi and Viv; how they kept on pushing her to evaluate her life and ideals and realize happiness can happy between anyone no matter race, age, or gender. The author used words to build up the story in the readers mind and make them actually feel what the characters were experiencing. Thank you NetGalley, Jean Copeland, and Bold Strokes Books for allowing readers to experience this story
August 29, 2017
This is the third book I've read by author Jean Copeland and I must say, it's one of my favorites. It was a very enjoyable read and I especially liked the longtime friends and how they all backed each other throughout their lives. I loved the ending. I really thought when she got on the plane, that was it, so it was a nice surprise at the end. It’s funny, with Jean's stories I can put myself in there and feel what the character is feeling.
I highly recommend this book to anyone :)
I highly recommend this book to anyone :)
October 24, 2017
Anyone thats lost a love that they thought was "the one" will completely relate to this book. I love the way that the main character, Kate, feels vulnerable and hesitant but her heart still has some hope and deep down she wants to give love another chance. Kate's raw emotions jump off the page and right into your heart, you're rooting for her all the way to let go of the past and let her heart love again.
February 16, 2018
So here I am bluffed ... I love this book, I read it in one go. Kate and Jordan make us go through different feelings, that we really live with them. This book is really very good, very refreshing, full of humor, tenderness, and search for "the one" and immediately made me think of a very good romantic comedy. Read it you will not be disappointed 👍🏻
October 21, 2017
This reads like a pure self-insert/author fantasy.
The MC is pathologically jealous and insecure. She's also condescending and mean under the guise of humor. Just overall a giant A-hole, despite what the book tries so hard to establish. Jealousy is in no way romantic or passionate, when are romance authors gonna understand that? Also, if "falling in love" makes you act irrationally and ruin your and your friends lives, I have news for you, it's not love. Oh, and, by the way, I despise with all my being this insistence that someone cannot be happy without being in a couple.
In contrast, the LI is amazing and badass and caring and gorgeous. I don't understand what she sees in the MC (although, let's be honest, her attachment to the MC borders on unhealthy). Especially since they have nothing in common, even apart from all those problems.
Not once did I believe them in love. I kept wanting them to break up, because it is frankly the best outcome for them.
It is also so poorly written, it's honestly worse than a lot of fanfiction, with the author spelling out what the characters are thinking and feeling rather than showing it.
Not to mention the stereotypical racist portrayal of the mixed black and white best friend. (and the biphobia. and the honestly homophobic depiction of the drag queen BF. and the casual rape joke.)
The MC is pathologically jealous and insecure. She's also condescending and mean under the guise of humor. Just overall a giant A-hole, despite what the book tries so hard to establish. Jealousy is in no way romantic or passionate, when are romance authors gonna understand that? Also, if "falling in love" makes you act irrationally and ruin your and your friends lives, I have news for you, it's not love. Oh, and, by the way, I despise with all my being this insistence that someone cannot be happy without being in a couple.
In contrast, the LI is amazing and badass and caring and gorgeous. I don't understand what she sees in the MC (although, let's be honest, her attachment to the MC borders on unhealthy). Especially since they have nothing in common, even apart from all those problems.
Not once did I believe them in love. I kept wanting them to break up, because it is frankly the best outcome for them.
It is also so poorly written, it's honestly worse than a lot of fanfiction, with the author spelling out what the characters are thinking and feeling rather than showing it.
Not to mention the stereotypical racist portrayal of the mixed black and white best friend. (and the biphobia. and the honestly homophobic depiction of the drag queen BF. and the casual rape joke.)
February 21, 2022
I loved it! My actual rating is 3.7 stars.
It's basically about this big hearted, cautious, smart, gorgeous 47 year old attorney, Kate Randall who meets this gorgeous, talented, sweet, big hearted graphic designer and aspiring musician, Jordan Squire. The attraction between them is instant and wonderful.
But Kate is still struggling with learning to trust again after the disintegration of her 17 years relationship with a woman she thought was the love of her life. And that gets in the way of her desire to build something with Jordan. That and their 17 years age difference.
Honestly the book was great. I absolutely loved the friendship between Kate and her two best friends, Viv and Didi. And Jordan was just such a doll!
My rating wasn't higher mostly because of how I personally felt about some things in the book. For instance, I really wish there was a chapter or two, or ten, in Jordan's point of view. I liked the focus on Kate, it was different. But I would really have liked to get into Jordan too.
Overall it was a wonderful book. The writing was wonderful. And I'd easily recommend it to anyone looking for a good simple lesbian romance, especially if you're looking for one in the age gap trope.
It's basically about this big hearted, cautious, smart, gorgeous 47 year old attorney, Kate Randall who meets this gorgeous, talented, sweet, big hearted graphic designer and aspiring musician, Jordan Squire. The attraction between them is instant and wonderful.
But Kate is still struggling with learning to trust again after the disintegration of her 17 years relationship with a woman she thought was the love of her life. And that gets in the way of her desire to build something with Jordan. That and their 17 years age difference.
Honestly the book was great. I absolutely loved the friendship between Kate and her two best friends, Viv and Didi. And Jordan was just such a doll!
My rating wasn't higher mostly because of how I personally felt about some things in the book. For instance, I really wish there was a chapter or two, or ten, in Jordan's point of view. I liked the focus on Kate, it was different. But I would really have liked to get into Jordan too.
Overall it was a wonderful book. The writing was wonderful. And I'd easily recommend it to anyone looking for a good simple lesbian romance, especially if you're looking for one in the age gap trope.
August 31, 2017
This story is partially about three best friends in their late 40's with two of them meddling in the love life (or lack thereof) of the third. When Kate meets Jordan, Viv and Didi can't help but try to play matchmaker. There is humour and romance but I feel that a few cleverly written sex scenes appropriately placed would've enhanced the storyline between the main characters, Kate and Jordan. A pleasant summer read none the less. 3.5 stars.
I rec'd an ARC from NetGalley/Bold Strokes Books in exchange for an honest review.
I rec'd an ARC from NetGalley/Bold Strokes Books in exchange for an honest review.
June 22, 2019
I have to admit I’m a sucker for a age-gap romance, and Copeland did a wonderful job writing this one. I fell in love with Jordan she was a darling to read, as for Kate I found myself yelling at her throughout most of the story. The secondary characters were a good complement to the MC’s and I found myself laughing out loud a lot as I turned the pages.
May 9, 2018
I loved this! The characters were fun, believable and...most of all, human. With self-doubt and worry woven into a wonderful story. I don't want to ruin this for anyone, so I'm just going to close by saying get a copy. You won't be disappointed.
February 2, 2018
Kate Randall's best friends bring her to a Pride event where she meets a young singer named Jordan Squire. Kate is no longer looking for the special one since the end of her last long-term relationship, however, Jordan proves to be irresistible and they are in a summer fling. However with Jordan's blossoming music career and age difference, their relationship may not survive.
I thought that it was an okay read, not particularly memorable or tugged at my heartstrings.
There were parts I enjoyed about Kate's interactions with her friends and their friendship and times when I thought that they were slightly immature for their age.
This is the first book I've read from this author and may not be the last.
Review also posted here: https://wp.me/p4Pp9O-J3
I was given a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I thought that it was an okay read, not particularly memorable or tugged at my heartstrings.
There were parts I enjoyed about Kate's interactions with her friends and their friendship and times when I thought that they were slightly immature for their age.
This is the first book I've read from this author and may not be the last.
Review also posted here: https://wp.me/p4Pp9O-J3
I was given a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
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