She’s my best friend’s little girl. The daughter I never had. At least she was, until I kissed her on her 18th birthday. I’d just discovered my wife was cheating on me. I sought comfort in someone I shouldn’t have. I stopped, because it was wrong. Not because I didn’t want her. I’ve kept my distance. Avoided being alone with her. Until her father asks for my help. Now she’s living with me. Her father trusts me. He shouldn’t. Because I’m not sure I trust myself.
Age & Innocence #2: A series of standalones that push the boundaries of forbidden age gap romances.
This was quite an entertaining read, but the thing is, it wasn't enough.
Note: This is an age gap, forbidden romance.
Everything I Can Never Have was much better than the first book. And why? Because it was realistic. I was touched by Xavier and Sofie's experiences and struggles, and I liked how they overcome it - together.
Sofie was Xavier's best friend's daughter. Xavier, 41, had known Sofie since the day she was born. She was his son's friend and he treated her as his own daughter. But when something tragic happened to his family, he shut everyone out. His twenty year old marriage started to crumble, and he'd discovered that his wife cheated on him.
When his best friend invited him to attend to his daughter's 18th birthday, he accepted it. It was his way to somehow forget his fucked up life. He had no idea then, that on that day, a kiss would change his life forever.
Now admittedly, I liked the storyline, but the story happened too fast. There were some scenes that I felt too unimportant that maybe shouldn't have been (e.g. the hero's wife frequent interruptions, the hero's "give me time to think", etc.), which I found unnecessary and didn't help the plot at all.
Moreover, I liked the sexual chemistry between Xavier and Sofie. I was totally hooked from the prologue, and the tension between them got more and more intense. Thanks to the author for handling the age gap and forbidden aspects so well and made it convincing and believable. But, again, I would like to know them some more. You know, I wanted more conflict between them (the age gap and forbidden issues was a given) that would test how genuine their feelings for each other, not a responsibility. I wasn't much acquainted with their pasts, and I had no greater knowledge about their personal attributes to fully connect with them. Seriously, there's so much more that this story could give that I felt was missing.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. I found it emotional at times. But the problem is, it was lacking in depth and character development. However, in my opinion, a lot of communication and sharing between the main characters might fix it.
I recommend this to those who likes: M. Johnson, taboo, age gap, forbidden, erotic, dark romance, and a happy ever after.
ARC received from the author - this is my honest opinion.
"She makes me feel like I own the world, like I used to feel."
Everything I Can Never Have was an age gap, forbidden romance with a delicious slow burn that allowed the relationship between Xavier and Sofie to slowly simmer to the surface. You got to experience an intimacy forming between a couple that were totally off limits.
Xavier is finally getting out of a marriage that's been on the brink for years. At this point there's no coming back from these fractures, so he's drowning his sorrows in a bottle.
He's not in the best shape when he attends his best friend's daughter's 18th birthday. When said daughter Sofie hits on him, he didn't think his circumstances could get anymore fucked up.
Years of pining for Xavier has Sofie acting brazenly. Like seducing him over a game of Never Have I Ever and shots of whiskey. The perfect recipe for disaster.
I tilt my head back and drink down my shot in response. My heart thuds in my chest as I open my mouth to speak, because it’s now or never.
“Never have I ever wanted to fuck my father’s best friend.”
One kiss that crosses the line, and a favour to his best friend that will obliterate any moral compass. Regrets be damned.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” I murmur.
Christ, being around Sofie all the time, in her own fucking house?
There’s no way… I’m not a fucking saint, and she’s quite possibly the devil.
Do you know what I enjoyed most about this story? It was well developed and surprisingly emotional. Xavier completely recognised how bad the situation would be if they gave into their baser needs. Apart from a 20+ age gap, no person wants to screw over their best friend. Especially one who's tasked him with the care of Sofie.
There were a few twists along the way, and moments that tugged on the heartstrings. It had plenty of heat to satisfy taboo readers, but essentially it was a satisfying love story.
“You and me?” she asks.
I nod and bite her lip. “Always.”
“Perfect,” she says, and kisses me again.
ARC provided by author in exchange for my honest opinion.
*THANK YOU TO THE AUTHOR FOR GIVING ME A FREE ARC IN EXCHANGE FOR A REVIEW*
The second book in the series follows Xavier ‘Zave’ Williams (41) and his best friend's daughter, Sofie ‘Sofe’ Jenkins (18). With twenty-three years age gap, it is hard to imagine a relationship that will survive with Sofie being so young, but she is not ready to give up on something that could be great. If only Xavier wasn't so darn good at pushing people away... Overall, the book had potential. The sex was hot and I liked that Xavier was rough in bed. But other than that, the story lacked depth and I wish there was more sexual frustration, that it was dragged out a bit more instead of jumping right in. I also wished there was more personality to each character. Did Xavier even quit his last job? What was his then job? The book lacked feelings, as in it felt like I was on the outside looking in. That said, it wasn't a bad read. It passes time and is easy to read. I just wanted more. Nothing truly happened, you know?
Quick basic facts: Genre: - (Adult) Contemporary Romance (M/F) Series: - Series (Standalone), Book Two. Love triangle? - Cheating? - Triggers? - HEA? - Favorite character? - Xavier ‘Zave’ Williams. Would I read more by this author/or of series? - Yes. Would I recommend this book/series? - Unsure. Will I read this again in the future? - No. Rating - 3/2.5 (weak) stars.
I love a good age-gap romance. Everything I Can Never Have is one of the most beautiful ones of them all. This book has surpassed the author's previous books. My suggestion is to have tissues on hand.
The book starts with a bang when Xavier finds out his wife is having an affair. Done with his dead-end marriage he leaves her. Now staying in a hotel, and turned to nonstop drinking, His best friend invites him to his daughter’s Sophie birthday party and gives him a pep talk about his life.
When Xavier arrives at the birthday party he is not in the right state of mind. Sophie hits on him and they end up kissing. Xavier is now taken back by what happened. Sophie has been pinning after him for some time. But has kept her distance. Xavier fights his feelings between Sophie, getting his life back together, and dealing with his wife. After all, he doesn't want to betray his best friend.
This book is emotional and heartbreaking. With a ton of push/pull, I had whiplash. Xavier and Sophie both dealing with trauma and emotional pain. Both coping differently. Sometimes I wanted to smack Xavier for how he handles some situations. I love how the story developed and the character growth between the two. There are many twists and I didn't see coming, I love when that happens. Last not forget how steamy this book is too. As I am writing this review, I realize this book is more flawless than I thought and am changing my rating from a four-star to a five-star review. I will reread this book in the future. A must-read.
4,5/5★★★★,☆ ❝Fuck, Sofie, this is a bad idea," he hisses. I part my lips into a devilish smile. "Most of the best ideas are.❞
I really don't know what to say. Every book I read from Missy is getting more beautiful and perfect. The book contains daddy's best friend and age gap. I love both genres. I also liked the first book of the series, but it was something else entirely. Although both the characters and the events proceeded coldly in the first book, this book had the exact opposite. Especially the emotional part was dominant in this book. The first part of the book caught me in such a way that I couldn't let it go and I finished it in a short time. I fell in love with the relationship between Xavier and Sofie, even though it all happened a bit quickly. Sofie's determination, Xavier's pushing her first but not being able to resist her feelings... In the last 20% of the book, protecting Sofie from the events and always standing by her was very, very touching and beautiful. Both Xavier and Sofie were able to understand each other because they lost their loved ones early.
Being cheated on by Xavier's wife and being Aaron's best friend made him unsure of his feelings for Sofie. I can understand even though I am angry because he is not sure what he wants in this part. The sexual attraction between them was palpable throughout the entire book. And this was because of Sofie's actions. Besides all that, it was Aaron that brought me down. Although I was skeptical about his attitude and predicted that such a thing would happen, I couldn't hold back my tears. For a moment I was terrified that something would happen as Zave thought, but the situation was completely different as I thought at first. The main striking part of the book is the epilogue! It was really amazing! I loved the first book, but I fell for this. Missy surpasses the previous one in each of her books and does an excellent job ❤ ❤ ❤
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review
I really really liked book one of this series. It's a nice read - it just wasn't entirely my style. Please, don't take this review to heart - it's only my opinion, and others might enjoy this story more than I did. (i cried with book one so expectations for book 2 were sky-high) This had potential and some good moments, but, overall, it fell short of the explosive nature of book one. The twists were ok but also predictable (parts of them). I know authors hate when people say this but.... I couldn't connect with the characters. I liked Sofie, but he.... he used her to his liking. To me, there was no connection between them other than the physical one, and that is off-putting to me.
Everything I Can Never Have is a taboo age-gap romance that pushes the boundaries. Sofie is newly eighteen years old and the man she's crushing on is twenty-three years her senior. Xavier is her fathers best friend and in a rough place after finding out his wife was cheating. And staying with Sofie while her father is away proves to be a little too tempting.
The taboo aspect of this book made Sofie and Xavier's relationship that much hotter. I loved how they just couldn't resist each other when they were together and the beginning had some really good sexual tension. They definitely kept my interest focused on them and finding out how their relationship would play out and i enjoyed that.
There were times, however, that the stories pace confused me. For the most part it was a fast paces book but at times it slowed down to a point that didn't seem to make sense with what else was going on. I also struggled with the ending and the small shock that the author tossed in, which I had actually guessed what was going to happen, but when it all came to light it felt more like an after thought and was resolved a little too quickly for me to actually feel any emotions from it.
Overall, this is a hot as hell story and I recommend it for anyone looking for a steamy read.
ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed Sophie and Zave's story. It's a forbidden romance that kept me flipping the pages. It a decent plot with a twist and well-thought-out characters. I thought this book was well written. All in all, if you’re looking for a good read with an age-gap theme, you’ll definitely enjoy this book as I did.
This one was very different than the 1st one in the series, and where one was darkish the other was emotional-ish. The unconventionality that was veery present in the previous one, which was the reason I liked it so much, is toned down if not absent in this one, not that it's necessary an issue, I'm just saying 🤷♀️. Still, I really liked the realistic aspects within this story.
I know that on some levels there's improvements from the previous one, but sometimes a book you like and a well-written book are not one and the same, sometimes you just like a not-so-well-done book better.
ARC was provided by author, these opinions are my own! Ohhhh man. I loved Zave and Sophie's story... I read a lot of age gap books and this one brought in a lot of elements that made it seem unique and not the same old story for the millionth time. There were some sad parts but the love between Zave and Sophie was so sweet. The steam is steamy and romance lovers will melt over this! Be prepared to laugh, cry, fan yourself from the hottness that is Zave... Zave is an ex-lead singer of a band so he was a mega hottie right off the bat for me! I cannot wait to dive in and read more M. Johnson. So well written and engaging!
So far I'm such a huge fan of this age gap series and the way the author approaches it! Xavier finds his life and marriage spiraling downward before him. He's dealing with betrayl and lingering grief when he attends his best friend's daughters birthday party. Sophie has been in love with Xavier for forever and sees an opening to make her feelings known despite their age gap and forbidden aspect of a potential relationship. I definitely enjoyed the push and pull between these two and quickly sped through the book. There is a pretty good twist I didn't expect that also sets this book apart from others in the same trope. My only wish is it had been longer, but that's because I enjoyed the book that much!
Warning, there is a significant age gap between the H & h and it could be viewed as a scandalous …you have been warned and or happy reading.
When Xavier catches his wife cheating, he knows there is no saving his marriage. He tries numbing the pain with alcohol, but the reality is that when he sobers up he’s still in the same situation. Even though Xavier is going through a separations/divorce he can’t stop thinking of the temptation Sophie keeps throwing at him. One thing leads to another and then the twist is thrown in and that threw me for a loop. Could Xavier go through with the feelings he’s developed for Sofie or would he let her slip through his fingers?
They say that people come into our lives at the right moment and in reading this story I felt that Sofie and Xavier have each other to comfort one another. There is drama but it’s not over the top and those sexy times between Xavier & Sofie were pretty hot! Kara~ 4 Stars
This was a very short and steamy forbidden romance, and although there were plenty of feels towards the end, the constant back and forth between Xavier and Sophie just didn't work for me. Despite the fact that Sophie was only 18, she acted so much more mature than Xavier during most of the book. And I didn't feel their emotional connection at all -- they definitely had sexual chemistry in spades, but that's it.
I am excited about the next book in the series though! This author is definitely very talented & I can't wait to read more of her books!
**I received an ARC of this book and these are my honest opinions.**
I recieved an advanced review copy from the author and leaving this review voluntarily.
This is the second book in an age gap forbidden/taboo series however each book is written as a standalone.
M. Johnson knows how to do twists and turns in her stories. My emotions were definitely played with in the absolute best way while reading this.
There is a lot of teasing before Sofie and Zave get together. The author did a good job at making me feel this was a forbidden type relationship. It was fun to watch and when they finally got together I wanted to cheer.
I liked both Sofie and Zave. I liked that Sofie knew what she wanted and though she was young she acted more mature than Zave sometimes. Zave was a good romantic hero and I really felt for him and his struggles. Sofie I think was the person he needed to help him become himself again.
Definifely reccomend this for those that enjoy Age Gap romances where there is some angst. This is a dad's best friend romance.
The words use and overall review shouldn’t reflect personally on the author or any other of her series and books.
I was expecting more, I had my hopes up. But this went right to the sexual stuff. I feel there was no emotions involved. Like when I read books like this I think is better to read erotica. Like I don’t understand why many books are taking this route. Is it that its the readers who are asking for this? Because I have authors friends and they are saying readers are low rating for lack of sex scenes which is shocking they want More sex scenes less emotions :( I mean read erotica watch P O R *
Like from the start he was suffering for his marriage problems not even thinking of this young lady who he hasn’t seen for years. He went from that to wanting to jump her bones. Her, hmm she seem needy, always trying to seduce him. Also this girl who hasn’t seen this man for a couple of years. They wasn’t any angst not excitement. Sorry but I didn’t bond with both characters. Or liked the plot.
My goodness! This was not what I was expecting! Heart wrenching and extremely emotional! I think the events of the story were so tragic that the taboo relationship between them were overshadowed! Everything I Can Never Have was a passionate story of heartbreak and forbidden relationships! M. Johnson turns up the emotions with this one! Awesome story!
I am loving this series! M. Johnson has a unique ability to take a popular trope and put a spin on it that I never see coming. I loved Zave and Sophie. From the moment this book began the emotion was overflowing. I felt Zave's pain. His heartbreak and loss were so deep and so real. Witnessing his transformation from a broken man that slowly finds his way back to the man he wants to be was amazing. He stumbled, he hesitated but he never quit moving forward and when the time came for him to step up, he did just that. I adored Sophie and her fearlessness. She was brave and strong beyond her years. These two heated up the pages with their attraction and sexual chemistry. The twist. Wow, that one hit me right in the feels. I wasn't expecting such raw and gritty emotions or such powerful moments between the characters. In the end, this was another beautiful story that hit me right in the heart. I can't wait to see what M. Johnson brings us next!
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review
Everything I Can Never Have by M. Johnson is an age-gap romance. It's the second book from the Age and Innocence series.
Xavier Williams had been through a terrible loss and his marriage had been rocky since then. The revelation of his wife's affair sent him off. He was in so much pain and he felt so lost. His best friend invited him to his daughter's birthday party. That night was the turning point in his life. One forbidden kiss rocked his world. He desired Sofie Jenkins but he shouldn't have her...
The plot is interesting, easy to follow, and has a big surprise towards the end. The story is focused on the sexual attraction between the main characters and the forbidden love affair. The chemistry was evident since the beginning and the push and pull enhanced the dramatic effect. Apart from the erotic scenes that were spicy, I liked how Xavier evolved throughout the story. He managed to get his life in order and overcame his grief. Sofie was the character that stood out, she was an eighteen-year-old girl who acted more mature than everyone and she wasn't as innocent as you'd expect. What surprised me the most was that I was drawn more to the drama towards the end, it was like this big cliffhanger that you didn't know what the end would be.
It's quite different from the books I usually read and I think it was a good experience for me. I enjoyed it and I will rate it with 4 stars.
Warning: It's not the usual taboo romance with the sweet happy ending so be careful before reading it. There are a few triggers that might set you off if you are not open-minded.
The author kindly provided me an ARC in exchange for an honest review 😊
Honestly who doesn't love a good age gap story!? They're truly timeless.
This is the story of Xavier and his best friend's daughter Sophie. I really enjoyed the plot; there were some twists that I expected but the turn at the end definitely caught me off guard.
I would have liked to see a little more character development. I didn't feel very connected to them and it just felt like they were lacking some depth. For example it was mentioned several times that music was Zave's life when he was younger but didn't go into too much detail - was he the lead singer? Which instruments did he play? Was he the leader of the band? Who else was in it? I was told he liked music but I didn't really feel it. I also felt that even though it was a slow burn, it was rushed. Sophie and Zave hadn't seen each other in what seemed like years, and Sophie briefly mentioned having a crush on him when she was younger. Then it seemed the next page they were in love. The plot was strong and the book overall wqs written well, I just would have liked more depth.
This story had unexpected surprises and twists. The plot led me to believe one thing when in actual fact the truth was different to what I had assumed. I did enjoy that the story was able to surprise me. What also surprised me was Sofie's grown up outlook on life. Yes she acted like a pouty child in several situations but in others she had incredible insight into how people should live and act. Her words helped Xavier to realise that he hadn't been living life on his terms. This finally spurred him on to take back his life and live. One of the messages I got from this story was centered on how sometimes people find themselves, their real self, after living for so long in the dark. The relationship is taboo in a way but I think that both protagonists found something in each other that they needed: a person who saw them for what they really are and the relationship allowed them to be themselves.
Right from the beginning there is just something that pulled me in. Missy just has a special way of transforming stories into something completely unexpected.
Xavier and Sofie have to be some of my favorite characters as of lately. I will say in the beginning I wasn’t all that into Xavier just because he blows so hot and cold for the first half of the book. It got to be a little frustrating to say the least but this is when you start to fall in love with Sofie. She is a beautiful 18yr old who goes after what she wants and isn’t afraid to admit it or go after it. She is bold and fearless as well as handled any situation with more wisdom well beyond her years which makes this book soo much better. M. Johnson takes you on a heartbreakingly complicated journey that pulls at your heart strings and has you experience their emotions as if you were there sitting beside them (I might have shed a few tears lol).
I’d welcome you to give this book a try and hopefully you’ll be as pleasantly surprised as I was.
Xavier finds his wife has been cheating and seems to have a midlife crisis of buying a bar to get away from her and their broken marriage.
Sofie is a young woman fixing to graduate and move on to college. It’s just her and her father. However her dad needs to go out of town for a while for work and leaves her in his best friends care, Xavier. A man who has been missing from her life for a while due to a tragedy they all suffered.
Xavier struggles with his feelings for Sofie. It leaves them in a constant push and pull. Then secrets come to light. More heartbreak lies ahead. Xavier has to decide if Sofie is worth fighting for when in the past he has never fought...just given up.
It takes an uncommon person to bring this to light for Xavier and he refuses to give up on Sofie. For once he is doing the right thing and fighting. Is it too late though?
Get your tissues ready! This will be a heartbreaker!
Xavier also known as Zave, is at a critical point in his life, with his marriage and his job...When his best friend, Aaron, tracks him down to ensure his attendance at his daughter, Sofie’s 18th birthday party, he gets guilted into going🍰🍻Sofie has had a crush on Zave for years, her dad’s best friend and older than her by two decades, and now her dad is going overseas for potentially a few months and he’s left her in the care of Zave😁
This story was absolutely amazing and had me feeling just about every emotion under the rainbow, that one could feel😍 I received an advanced copy and willingly leave my honest review❤️
3.5 Stars This one was a tearjerker, and I was not expecting that! I expected pure smutty goodness (which there was) but it had genuine story to go with it. Every time that I thought that I knew what was going on, the story would go in a different direction. It wasn't quite what I was looking for in the book, because of those sort of twist, but it was a good read.
You can literally feel the spark and connection and the chemistry between characters... There was a push and pull and wanting to right but how can you fight when your stars are aligned. When you two are made for each other.
I really really loved this book. Everything was great until I discovered her father is ill and he has cancer. There is nothing much but for me it was too much personal.
I recently lost my mother due to cancer so it was a hard pill for me to swallow. If I keep that aside I really loved it and I would definitely recommend it to my friends.
I may be biased with my review 🤣🤣🤣 because it's age gap and father best friend trope.
But seriously do read and I bet you will definitely love it.
And most of all I can wait for the next student/ teacher romance.
I got an ARC which was generously provided by the author
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.