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Never Too Late #1
Gray Hair Don't Care
Everything went wrong. And then she went gray.
At 47, newly divorced makeup artist Lela Bennett is dreading her next steps. Dating. Meeting people. Not letting herself go. But then she runs into Donovan James and tries something different-sleeping with her sexy crush from college. Unfortunately, in a post-orgasm stupor, Lela confesses she was in love with Donovan all those years ago. He responds by leaving while she sleeps. The next morning, her gray hairs are practically taunting her. She knows she has to get it together. Forget men. Embrace her age. Own her gray.
Donovan James is a marketing genius, but his ex-wives will tell you-nothing freaks him out like feelings. Three years after his one-night stand with Lela, he's focused on his daughter's lifestyle company, but unprepared to meet the face of their new beauty brand. It's Lela. With stunning silver locks and new confidence, she's no longer swayed by his charms. When business starts booming, the universe seems intent on throwing them together time and again. And suddenly, two people convinced that romance was behind them are wondering if love could be what's next.
At 47, newly divorced makeup artist Lela Bennett is dreading her next steps. Dating. Meeting people. Not letting herself go. But then she runs into Donovan James and tries something different-sleeping with her sexy crush from college. Unfortunately, in a post-orgasm stupor, Lela confesses she was in love with Donovan all those years ago. He responds by leaving while she sleeps. The next morning, her gray hairs are practically taunting her. She knows she has to get it together. Forget men. Embrace her age. Own her gray.
Donovan James is a marketing genius, but his ex-wives will tell you-nothing freaks him out like feelings. Three years after his one-night stand with Lela, he's focused on his daughter's lifestyle company, but unprepared to meet the face of their new beauty brand. It's Lela. With stunning silver locks and new confidence, she's no longer swayed by his charms. When business starts booming, the universe seems intent on throwing them together time and again. And suddenly, two people convinced that romance was behind them are wondering if love could be what's next.
276 pages, Paperback
First published February 8, 2021
933 people are currently reading
4875 people want to read
About the author
Karen Booth
317 books506 followersKaren Booth is a Midwestern girl transplanted in the South, raised on 80s music and repeated readings of Forever by Judy Blume. She writes steamy contemporary romance and women's fiction. When she isn't creating fictional hunky men and the women who test them, she's listening to music with her kids, honing her Southern cooking skills or sweet-talking her astoundingly supportive husband into whipping up a batch of cocktails.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 556 reviews
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September 4, 2020Is it just me or does the dude on the cover look like Keanu Reeves?
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April 30, 2021Pleasant contemporary romance, notable for the leads both being 50 and the heroine rocking grey hair. You don't see that very often.
Want to read
August 20, 2020One thing I've been actively seeking over the last few years are more romance featuring mature characters. THIS IS IT. I need this one like yesterday! Plus that cover is so pretty 💜 I want the dress, the shoes, THE HAIR and the Keanu Reeves look alike!
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February 12, 2021
Finding love after 45+ is a curious one. I'd often imagined what I'd do If I ever divorced Mr J (it could happen).
Would I reconnect with an old BF, become a cougar, or find someone who's the same age?
Decisions, decisions.
Anyhoo, Lela is recently divorced and treading the twilight yrs of her 40s when she meets an old college BF who might have been the one who got away. They have sex, he runs, she chooses to pursue her dreams, they reconnect and love wins again.
Yay.
February 27, 2021
I downloaded this book, as many did, I imagine, because the MCs are 50-somethings. And I did appreciate that fact about the story. There's gray hair and the acceptance of it involved, more life experiences than usual for the MCs, and even a health issue or two brought up superficially. But, in general, there was not much more depth to this story than a nanny/single dad romance.
Instead of a young child that a nanny heroine would be taking care of, the 3- (or is it 4-) times divorced hero here has an adult daughter with an up-and-coming fashion business who wants to integrate the heroine's start-up makeup business into hers. And the hero and heroine, it must be said, have a past. Both in college and three years prior when they had accidentally met up again, reconnected, and then disconnected, much to the heroine's disappointment.
The story touches on divorce at mid-life, mini-crises of health and other varieties, learning to feel comfortable in your own skin, standing on your own, not being defined by youth and beauty or by romantic relationships, but it touches on these only superficially and not extremely successfully. The heroine, for example, decides to go gray to accept herself and the ageing process but that gray hair only makes her more striking and more beautiful. And she sets out, after a divorce at 47, to be financially independent in her life, but has no struggles or failures at this. It's up, up, up to the top and a booming makeup business for her in record time. And she sets out to be an independent woman with no need for a man in her life but keeps obsessing over her college crush, our hero, now her business partner as he helps his daughter in her fashion enterprise.
There is an attempt also at warning people of a certain age to watch out for their health, but even the minimal health scare in this is actually very understated and never comes close to being worrying. Everything goes along swimmingly in this 50-something heroine's life. She might as well have been a gorgeous 20-something who catches the eye of a handsome billionaire for all the depth this story has.
Instead of a young child that a nanny heroine would be taking care of, the 3- (or is it 4-) times divorced hero here has an adult daughter with an up-and-coming fashion business who wants to integrate the heroine's start-up makeup business into hers. And the hero and heroine, it must be said, have a past. Both in college and three years prior when they had accidentally met up again, reconnected, and then disconnected, much to the heroine's disappointment.
The story touches on divorce at mid-life, mini-crises of health and other varieties, learning to feel comfortable in your own skin, standing on your own, not being defined by youth and beauty or by romantic relationships, but it touches on these only superficially and not extremely successfully. The heroine, for example, decides to go gray to accept herself and the ageing process but that gray hair only makes her more striking and more beautiful. And she sets out, after a divorce at 47, to be financially independent in her life, but has no struggles or failures at this. It's up, up, up to the top and a booming makeup business for her in record time. And she sets out to be an independent woman with no need for a man in her life but keeps obsessing over her college crush, our hero, now her business partner as he helps his daughter in her fashion enterprise.
There is an attempt also at warning people of a certain age to watch out for their health, but even the minimal health scare in this is actually very understated and never comes close to being worrying. Everything goes along swimmingly in this 50-something heroine's life. She might as well have been a gorgeous 20-something who catches the eye of a handsome billionaire for all the depth this story has.
December 5, 2020
I am 300% the audience for this book. The protagonists are my age, I get their struggles and their desires. I even decided to stop dying my hair a few months back!
Donovan and Lela are best friends from college and their relationship reminds me of my own relationship with my college best friend. Their bond is immensely relatable and even though Donavan was an UTTERLY CLUELESS GIT for many years, his redemption is realistic. His relationship with his daughter also exemplifies one of the things I love about good modern romance with characters that have teen/adult children.
I was given an Advance Reader's Copy in exchange for an honest review.
Donovan and Lela are best friends from college and their relationship reminds me of my own relationship with my college best friend. Their bond is immensely relatable and even though Donavan was an UTTERLY CLUELESS GIT for many years, his redemption is realistic. His relationship with his daughter also exemplifies one of the things I love about good modern romance with characters that have teen/adult children.
I was given an Advance Reader's Copy in exchange for an honest review.
July 7, 2023
Super cute
Refreshing storyline: She’s not 23! She’s not a virgin! She doesn’t have kids! I personally like a little more heat and spice, but the slow burn over decades was very sweet. The dialogue was just a bit stunted. The heroine is always replying with very formal responses like: “Thank you, I appreciate that.” She’s very nice and deserves her happy ending — even if I personally relate more to a female main character with more oomph.
Refreshing storyline: She’s not 23! She’s not a virgin! She doesn’t have kids! I personally like a little more heat and spice, but the slow burn over decades was very sweet. The dialogue was just a bit stunted. The heroine is always replying with very formal responses like: “Thank you, I appreciate that.” She’s very nice and deserves her happy ending — even if I personally relate more to a female main character with more oomph.
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August 27, 2025Lela had a huge crush on Donovan when they were in college. Life goes on, and now Lela is recently divorced when she runs into Donovan. After a night together he sneaks off.
Three years later, Lela has a great opportunity to expand her make up brand with the help of a new lifestyle company. She meets the head of the beauty division, Echo, and they mesh really well and excited to work together. Echo believes that Lela should be the face of the company, displaying her confidence and beautiful silver hair. Echo introduces Lela to her father, who has great marketing experience and plans to work with them on the launch... Of course, her father is Donovan.
He's not convinced that having an "older woman with gray hair" will appeal to the market. It's one thing questioning a marketing strategy, but he makes some derogatory remarks that I had a hard time getting over. As the business takes off, they are thrown together more... their relationship grows, as well as Lela's relationship with Echo.
I loved Lela's confidence embracing her age, and seeing her set a great example to others, while saying hair (and other things) are a personal choice. I liked the relationship between Lela and Echo. But the romance between Lela and Donovan... it was nothing new. Misunderstandings, second chances, it's all perfectly fine and enjoyable, but for me it wasn't above a 3 or 3-1/2.
Three years later, Lela has a great opportunity to expand her make up brand with the help of a new lifestyle company. She meets the head of the beauty division, Echo, and they mesh really well and excited to work together. Echo believes that Lela should be the face of the company, displaying her confidence and beautiful silver hair. Echo introduces Lela to her father, who has great marketing experience and plans to work with them on the launch... Of course, her father is Donovan.
He's not convinced that having an "older woman with gray hair" will appeal to the market. It's one thing questioning a marketing strategy, but he makes some derogatory remarks that I had a hard time getting over. As the business takes off, they are thrown together more... their relationship grows, as well as Lela's relationship with Echo.
I loved Lela's confidence embracing her age, and seeing her set a great example to others, while saying hair (and other things) are a personal choice. I liked the relationship between Lela and Echo. But the romance between Lela and Donovan... it was nothing new. Misunderstandings, second chances, it's all perfectly fine and enjoyable, but for me it wasn't above a 3 or 3-1/2.
April 7, 2021
"Why was she hiding her sparkle? Why was she waiting for any of these things she wanted? She was done delaying her dreams, and she was over trying to make anyone else happy."
I’m forever on the lookout for emotionally satisfying stories with strong heroines over forty who are embarking on a ‘second act’ in their lives, and as my own years begin to add up, I find myself gravitating more and more towards not only characters with some miles on them, but also towards stories that make us believe it’s never too late to find true love in life. On one hand, this is a third-chance romance between two college best friends who, after losing touch for more than twenty years, run into one another and have a single night of passion that ends badly in the morning. When they see each other again some years later, their new working relationship forces them to face their past and to deal with feelings that neither of them have ever truly gotten over. But on the other hand, this is also a searingly personal tale of a woman navigating her way through middlescence, of finding herself after a lifetime of self-doubt, and of letting her natural sparkle shine even brighter. I fell in love with every word, every sentence, every page of this exceptional Gen-X romance.
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February 12, 2021
Quick (ish) Review 3.5 Stars but I always round up
There is SO MUCH that I can relate to with this book. I am the target demographic. I'm a Gen X woman who knows all the songs referenced, knows the life struggles, the questions, the doubts. The cover is stunning, and the mental image (never explicitly stated, but look at that cover) of Keanu Reeves as Donovan tripped all my switches. I was hooked. And with all that said, I'm the one who really, really, really wanted to love this, but I ended up just liking it. But I'll tell you why.
The Good: Again, spot on with the target demo. I loved, loved, loved the beginning of the book, the musical cues, the vibe, the second chance romance of it all. It was great....and then I hit a big ole record scratch of a scene where things go sideways for Donovan and Lela. More on that later. In the meantime, I adored Lela's confidence, her vulnerabilities, her taking chances and really being the one character that so many look to for guidance, yet she never became too perfect. Adored her. Her entire story arc was enjoyable, and I wanted more. Which brings me to...
The Bad(ish): It's not horrible, but I wanted more of a few things. I'm a romance junkie, and the romance was dealt a blow with that first failed reunion, and never quite recovered for me. Donovan's wishy-washy feelings never won me over. I'm not gonna lie, I wanted some big, emotional scene to make up for the record scratch of a scene, and I didn't get it. There were some opportunities for great emotional scenes through several plot points like the botched reunion, or the health scare, or the work of promoting a new makeup brand, but it didn't quite get there.
The Bottom Line: It's a gentle, easy read of a romance with more focus on Lela's journey. I wanted more, but I did like what I got, and I'll never not appreciate seeing older MCs get their chance at a HEA.
There is SO MUCH that I can relate to with this book. I am the target demographic. I'm a Gen X woman who knows all the songs referenced, knows the life struggles, the questions, the doubts. The cover is stunning, and the mental image (never explicitly stated, but look at that cover) of Keanu Reeves as Donovan tripped all my switches. I was hooked. And with all that said, I'm the one who really, really, really wanted to love this, but I ended up just liking it. But I'll tell you why.
The Good: Again, spot on with the target demo. I loved, loved, loved the beginning of the book, the musical cues, the vibe, the second chance romance of it all. It was great....and then I hit a big ole record scratch of a scene where things go sideways for Donovan and Lela. More on that later. In the meantime, I adored Lela's confidence, her vulnerabilities, her taking chances and really being the one character that so many look to for guidance, yet she never became too perfect. Adored her. Her entire story arc was enjoyable, and I wanted more. Which brings me to...
The Bad(ish): It's not horrible, but I wanted more of a few things. I'm a romance junkie, and the romance was dealt a blow with that first failed reunion, and never quite recovered for me. Donovan's wishy-washy feelings never won me over. I'm not gonna lie, I wanted some big, emotional scene to make up for the record scratch of a scene, and I didn't get it. There were some opportunities for great emotional scenes through several plot points like the botched reunion, or the health scare, or the work of promoting a new makeup brand, but it didn't quite get there.
The Bottom Line: It's a gentle, easy read of a romance with more focus on Lela's journey. I wanted more, but I did like what I got, and I'll never not appreciate seeing older MCs get their chance at a HEA.
August 24, 2023
This book hit me at the right season in life!!! I’m 34, and embracing going fully grey. This book was empowering, sexy, and affirming!
4.5 stars ⭐️
4.5 stars ⭐️
July 26, 2022
There was nothing wrong with the story but a few things just did not work for me. I did like the fact that I wasn’t reading about horny teenagers getting it on in the locker room for once but about more mature MC’s (we need more of those in the romance genre). Also, the cover is gorgeous <3
It was all just a little too sweet, too easy, too convenient, too sugary and it started to bug me a lot (but that’s just me). The entire universe was trying to push Lela and second hand Keanu Reeves together, including ex-wives, BFFs, mothers, daughters, so basically literally everbody and their grandmother.
However, it you enjoy a sweet romance with barely any conflict, struggles or drama, this one’s for you.
It was all just a little too sweet, too easy, too convenient, too sugary and it started to bug me a lot (but that’s just me). The entire universe was trying to push Lela and second hand Keanu Reeves together, including ex-wives, BFFs, mothers, daughters, so basically literally everbody and their grandmother.
However, it you enjoy a sweet romance with barely any conflict, struggles or drama, this one’s for you.
February 10, 2021
These was so much I loved about Gray Hair Don’t Care by Karen Booth the first being that I’ve read Karen’s books for many years and I have always admired the fact that she writes characters over the age of 35 and in this case into their 50’s. She’s been a champion of books geared for romance readers who want books with characters over the age 35 and I will always appreciate her for sticking to her guns and demanding these characters be seen and heard even when it hasn’t been easy for her. This book leans more towards women’s fiction even though there is romance in this book in several different ways, for several different ages of characters which was awesome. I want to point out that while the relationship between the two main characters did evolve, it was the relationships between the women in this book that really set it apart. Women who supported one another in their endeavors, women who were there for one another when they were feeling broken, and women who listened and lifted one another up, and I for one loved this aspect of this book. A story of relationships of all kinds, of life, laughter, hardships, pain, and love; Gray Hair Don’t Care is a book every woman should read and learn from.
Shortly after her marriage ended at 47, Lela Bennett is at a crossroads in her life when across the park at a wedding of some strangers she sees Donovan James, her college best friend, and the guy that pretty much ghosted her following the night they slept together. Despite the fact that Lela’s heart was broken, she moved on, changed up her life, and has had a pretty successful career as a make-up artist and she really holds no ill will towards Donovan. They gravitate towards one another and then Donovan being Donovan (and also a clueless man) leaves her again in a note. After that Lela sheds her old life, embraces her gray hair, and works to make her dreams come true. I absolutely loved watching Lela’s growth throughout this book, the fierceness that came from within, her resilience, and her take no prisoners attitude all while remaining the kind and positive person she’s always been. Always by her side cheering her on is her best friend Tammera, a celebrity chef she met when she did her make-up once, and who lives with her girlfriend, Delia.
Three years after her run in with Donovan, her new cosmetic company Lela B is taking off and the consortium that manages her brand shifts her to a new subsidiary Echo Echo which happens to be Donovan James’ daughter’s company and he works with her. They are thrust together but agree to keep things professional; he is rebuilding his relationship with his daughter and doesn’t want to screw that up and Lela is happily growing her company. They agree to maintain some semblance of a friendship and move on from their dalliances. Meanwhile Lela and Echo (his daughter) hit is off and we see this beautiful friendship and mentorship begin between them. Seriously, the relationships between the women in this book are the stuff dreams are made of.
I need to say a bit about Donovan while he is the main male character in this book, he’s not that prominent. He’s there kind of hanging out in the background, occasionally trying to push his way in front, but he just wasn’t a highly likeable character. I have no doubt he and Lela were great friends in college, but while that was going on, his girlfriend (Echo’s mother) was sitting at home fuming that he spent all his “fun” time with her best friend. He married Echo’s mom because she was pregnant, but after a few years their relationship such as it was fell apart and he moved back to the states only seeing his daughter a couple of times a year while she lived with her mother in London and went on to marry twice more to of course younger women because yes, he is that much of a cliché. He doesn’t visit his mother often because he holds resentment of how he was raised and that fact that she’s a bit eccentric. He’s kind of a mess and to be honest in much need of some therapy to figure out all of his issues, but instead he plods along trying to figure out how to right the wrongs he’s caused and how to be a better man to the three most important women in his life; his mom, his daughter and his Lela. I didn’t hate him, in a way I felt sorry for him because I feel he had spent half of his life living a half life and full of what ifs.
That all being said, I don’t think Lela would be the person she was in this book without Donovan. When he ghosted her in college she dropped out and went to cosmetology school and found a career she truly enjoyed. After their night a decade later in which he again left her, she decided to tell the men of the world to f*ck off and she set out to fulfill her dreams of opening her own cosmetic company. So while he wasn’t the best guy in the world (and believe me Lela deserves the best), he was the catalyst for her making changes that led her to finding herself and her successes. I also truly believe that even with the pain he caused her he made her happy and she loved him despite his shortcomings. We did see him work to be a better man, father, and partner so there was that, but overall Donovan James was a bit of a mess of a man. Lela though proves that it is never too late to realize your dreams professionally or personally.
Gray Hair Don’t Care is a wonderful story for women and men of all ages. Change can happen at any age, love can happen at any age, relationships of all kinds need to be nourished and not taken lightly, and most of all no matter what age, you deserve to show your sparkle! This one is going on my favorites of 2021 list for sure!
Review copy provided for a voluntary review.
Shortly after her marriage ended at 47, Lela Bennett is at a crossroads in her life when across the park at a wedding of some strangers she sees Donovan James, her college best friend, and the guy that pretty much ghosted her following the night they slept together. Despite the fact that Lela’s heart was broken, she moved on, changed up her life, and has had a pretty successful career as a make-up artist and she really holds no ill will towards Donovan. They gravitate towards one another and then Donovan being Donovan (and also a clueless man) leaves her again in a note. After that Lela sheds her old life, embraces her gray hair, and works to make her dreams come true. I absolutely loved watching Lela’s growth throughout this book, the fierceness that came from within, her resilience, and her take no prisoners attitude all while remaining the kind and positive person she’s always been. Always by her side cheering her on is her best friend Tammera, a celebrity chef she met when she did her make-up once, and who lives with her girlfriend, Delia.
Three years after her run in with Donovan, her new cosmetic company Lela B is taking off and the consortium that manages her brand shifts her to a new subsidiary Echo Echo which happens to be Donovan James’ daughter’s company and he works with her. They are thrust together but agree to keep things professional; he is rebuilding his relationship with his daughter and doesn’t want to screw that up and Lela is happily growing her company. They agree to maintain some semblance of a friendship and move on from their dalliances. Meanwhile Lela and Echo (his daughter) hit is off and we see this beautiful friendship and mentorship begin between them. Seriously, the relationships between the women in this book are the stuff dreams are made of.
I need to say a bit about Donovan while he is the main male character in this book, he’s not that prominent. He’s there kind of hanging out in the background, occasionally trying to push his way in front, but he just wasn’t a highly likeable character. I have no doubt he and Lela were great friends in college, but while that was going on, his girlfriend (Echo’s mother) was sitting at home fuming that he spent all his “fun” time with her best friend. He married Echo’s mom because she was pregnant, but after a few years their relationship such as it was fell apart and he moved back to the states only seeing his daughter a couple of times a year while she lived with her mother in London and went on to marry twice more to of course younger women because yes, he is that much of a cliché. He doesn’t visit his mother often because he holds resentment of how he was raised and that fact that she’s a bit eccentric. He’s kind of a mess and to be honest in much need of some therapy to figure out all of his issues, but instead he plods along trying to figure out how to right the wrongs he’s caused and how to be a better man to the three most important women in his life; his mom, his daughter and his Lela. I didn’t hate him, in a way I felt sorry for him because I feel he had spent half of his life living a half life and full of what ifs.
That all being said, I don’t think Lela would be the person she was in this book without Donovan. When he ghosted her in college she dropped out and went to cosmetology school and found a career she truly enjoyed. After their night a decade later in which he again left her, she decided to tell the men of the world to f*ck off and she set out to fulfill her dreams of opening her own cosmetic company. So while he wasn’t the best guy in the world (and believe me Lela deserves the best), he was the catalyst for her making changes that led her to finding herself and her successes. I also truly believe that even with the pain he caused her he made her happy and she loved him despite his shortcomings. We did see him work to be a better man, father, and partner so there was that, but overall Donovan James was a bit of a mess of a man. Lela though proves that it is never too late to realize your dreams professionally or personally.
Gray Hair Don’t Care is a wonderful story for women and men of all ages. Change can happen at any age, love can happen at any age, relationships of all kinds need to be nourished and not taken lightly, and most of all no matter what age, you deserve to show your sparkle! This one is going on my favorites of 2021 list for sure!
Review copy provided for a voluntary review.
August 25, 2023
I like the heroine and the messaging of this book better than the romance. Pushing back on ageist standards of beauty is great and Lela has the great late-in-life journey to self-acceptance, being her truest self, and going after what she wants. Donovan is kind of an immature idiot who is finally experiencing some growth at 50 that should have happened a hell of a lot sooner. God knows why Lela is into him beyond nostalgia for college, which I just don't get. He's such an asshole to her and becoming a decent person by the end doesn't mean I'm rooting for them to be together when she deserves so much better. The stars are purely for Lela being a rockstar.
November 8, 2024
I think the MMC ruined the whole book. I can't stand this type of 'second chance' years later when I quote:
"I love you, Lela. I have always loved you."
but the MMC:
- married the OW when she announced him she was pregnant from before their break-up (and after he and FMC slept together and he ran away)
- cut ties with FMC because the OW he married wanted him to.
- slept again with the FMC 20 years later but ran away when she confesses she used to have a crush on him.
- remarried two (three?) other time after his first divorce but didn't think of maybe trying to reach the FMC.
- never tried to even reconnect for at least, their friendship. Even when the ex wife tells her he clearly had feelings for her (fmc), she says he didn't reach her probably because he's dumb.
- still wanted to avoid the FMC because he's a 50 years old dude who can't deal with feelings and gave up love.
I hated that book because of him, mostly. I had hope for the FMC but she forgave him too easily on everything. She was almost the one pushing it when instead, he should have been groveling. Even when he said no to the whole thing about gray hair advertising make-up (which was kind of mean of him) he wasn't that sorry to say that to her. She was all 'girlboss' but each time they were in the same room, I felt like she was all smitten with him and still very much pining for him, even though she said she was over him.
I have no conclusion to this review except: you might want to avoid it. Save yourself, she just embraces her gray hair at 47, that's the only good thing.
- married the OW when she announced him she was pregnant from before their break-up (and after he and FMC slept together and he ran away)
- cut ties with FMC because the OW he married wanted him to.
- slept again with the FMC 20 years later but ran away when she confesses she used to have a crush on him.
- remarried two (three?) other time after his first divorce but didn't think of maybe trying to reach the FMC.
- never tried to even reconnect for at least, their friendship. Even when the ex wife tells her he clearly had feelings for her (fmc), she says he didn't reach her probably because he's dumb.
- still wanted to avoid the FMC because he's a 50 years old dude who can't deal with feelings and gave up love.
I hated that book because of him, mostly. I had hope for the FMC but she forgave him too easily on everything. She was almost the one pushing it when instead, he should have been groveling. Even when he said no to the whole thing about gray hair advertising make-up (which was kind of mean of him) he wasn't that sorry to say that to her. She was all 'girlboss' but each time they were in the same room, I felt like she was all smitten with him and still very much pining for him, even though she said she was over him.
I have no conclusion to this review except: you might want to avoid it. Save yourself, she just embraces her gray hair at 47, that's the only good thing.
Want to read
August 20, 2020
Lela Bennett, Talented Makeup Artist...
Has Just Survived Divorce...
At 47, Dating Will Be...
Like Starting Over...
But Without The Braces...
On Her Teeth...
Fate Hands Donovan James...
Her College Dream...
She Sleeps With Him...
And Makes The Huge Error...
Shares Her Old Crush...
Donovan James Is Gone...
Like The Wind...
In The Middle Of The Night...
Causing Lela To Have...
Her AH-HA Moment...
Embrace Who She Is...
Let The Gray Just Be...
Focus On The Now...
Own The Beauty Of It All...
Funny I Should Mention Beauty...
Because Three Years Later...
Donovan Is Now...
Helping His Daughter...
With Her Lifestyle Company...
And Isn't It Kismet...
A Vision Of Stunning Silver Locks...
Attached to a Confident Lela...
Is The Face...
Of The Beauty Division...
Now Those Who Make the "Rules"...
Would Think Over 50...
Means You're One And Done...
But Don't Think That...
For One Little Moment...
Because Hearts Can Still Beat...
With Those Saying...
We May Have...
GRAY HAIR DON'T CARE-February 8, 2021
GRAY HAIR DON'T CARE
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
Has Just Survived Divorce...
At 47, Dating Will Be...
Like Starting Over...
But Without The Braces...
On Her Teeth...
Fate Hands Donovan James...
Her College Dream...
She Sleeps With Him...
And Makes The Huge Error...
Shares Her Old Crush...
Donovan James Is Gone...
Like The Wind...
In The Middle Of The Night...
Causing Lela To Have...
Her AH-HA Moment...
Embrace Who She Is...
Let The Gray Just Be...
Focus On The Now...
Own The Beauty Of It All...
Funny I Should Mention Beauty...
Because Three Years Later...
Donovan Is Now...
Helping His Daughter...
With Her Lifestyle Company...
And Isn't It Kismet...
A Vision Of Stunning Silver Locks...
Attached to a Confident Lela...
Is The Face...
Of The Beauty Division...
Now Those Who Make the "Rules"...
Would Think Over 50...
Means You're One And Done...
But Don't Think That...
For One Little Moment...
Because Hearts Can Still Beat...
With Those Saying...
We May Have...
GRAY HAIR DON'T CARE-February 8, 2021
GRAY HAIR DON'T CAREhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
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April 30, 2022
I find myself torn with this book. On the one hand, I really want to like it because it features MCs that are 50+ and it was sweet overall. But on the other, I felt like I needed SO much more for the story to be complete. I didn't understand the relationship progression between Lela and Donovan; they were supposed to have been best friends for a long time, but the author told us rather than showed us that they had a history. I didn't see the familiarity and trust on the page, I was just told that they had it? I think had there been some flashbacks to their past it may have been more convincing? I'm not sure. There was also a weird health plot with Donovan's heart that wasn't really addressed, so it seemed very incomplete. I wanted to like it so badly, but it didn't do very much for me.
February 4, 2023
I’m happy to support any romance with older protagonists. This is a sweet, light, second chance romance.
The dialogue leaves something to be desired, and the author kept including passages that gave background details about the characters but did nothing to move the story forward. Case in point - there was a three page description of the mother giving her sons her final wishes, which was completely detached from the rest of the story.
So stuff like that bugged, but still it kept me engaged and I finished it. I dnf more than I used to, so if I make it to the end there has to be something redeeming for me.
The dialogue leaves something to be desired, and the author kept including passages that gave background details about the characters but did nothing to move the story forward. Case in point - there was a three page description of the mother giving her sons her final wishes, which was completely detached from the rest of the story.
So stuff like that bugged, but still it kept me engaged and I finished it. I dnf more than I used to, so if I make it to the end there has to be something redeeming for me.
June 9, 2022
He’s annoying, she’s okish… the second chance romance was nice to read about actually especially after so many years since their first time.
KU read
KU read
December 9, 2020
Joint review with Marie for wishfulromancing.
ARC kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Nothing compares to the feelings young women carry for older successful ladies, thriving in their life. It’s adoration, love and hope. We all dream to, one day, be that lady and Leni Kauffman made this dream even more exciting with this absolute gem of a cover.
We fell in love with Lela, even before reading the book and discovering her character… She is beautiful and confident, marching ahead, with her gorgeous sea of silver hair billowing behind her, as the hero watches her longingly from afar. The aesthetic of it – both the art and the message behind it, completely seduced us and made us so eager to discover Lela’s story and her romance.
The premise is equally satisfying – a love story between two mature people (both the hero and the heroine are in their fifties), of missed opportunities and longing, of growth and going after what you want, no matter the obstacles. It’s a quiet friends-to-lovers as well as a second and even third chance romance, that proves that love and happiness have no expiration date.
It’s a love story, but the romantic love between Lela and Donovan plays a secondary part to the true hero of the book – the love Lela finds for herself.
Lela’s development and growth throughout the book is truly magnificent. We first see her fresh after her divorce, a fragile, tired woman, who then forges the rejection she receives into a propelling force to move forward, to challenge herself. We watch Lela as she continuously pushes herself to step out of her comfort zone and goes for what she wants. It’s a joy to see her succeed, a brilliant, capable professional woman, spreading her wings.
Lela is such a lovely character. We adored her kindness and resilience, her positivity and openness. She felt authentic, in the way she battled her anxieties, or how she felt about herself and dealt with the realities of her age (the graying of her hair, the hot flashes before the photoshoot). While accepting herself, just the way she was, fully, she was also embracing all the other women whose lives she’d touched. She wanted to make them feel good about themselves, to empower them. “I can’t bring myself to be any other way. If the roles were reversed, I would want to be treated nicely.” Lela is a shining star.
Truly, this book is an ode to career women – from Lela with her rising business, though Echo with her challenging start-up, to Tammera’s thriving career in media. We see women at different stages of their lives, in different roles, in different areas, being successful and accomplished, and proud of their work. The men in this book play a supporting role, contented to stay in the background and let the true heroines shine their light.
While speaking of love (truly, love permeates this book) we have to mention the love between friends – which is a backbone of every story to us – of Lela and Tammera, and how supportive and caring they are of each other, then Lela and Echo’s almost familial kind of love that evolved from being business partners to a touching closeness, and finally of Donovan’s love for Echo, his daughter, for whom he tries his hardest to make up for the years they’d spent apart.
Sadly, if with each chapter, we fell more and more in love with Lela, Echo and Tammera, we didn’t carry the same feelings for Donovan. His character as a romantic hero was not as exciting as we hoped he’d be, making the romance story between him and Lela less enticing for us. It might just be that we had too high standards for Lela, as we truly fell in love with her and found that she deserved only the very best…
As well as a not up to our standards romantic hero and despite the beautiful women shining and blooming through the pages, the story itself did not fully seduce us. The writing style was not always enjoyable and the story could sometimes have had a bit more depth (even though, the simple storyline made it a very easy and nice read). In all fairness, we do have a high level of expectancy concerning modern romances so our rating might not be shared by others.
All in all, most importantly, Gray Hair Don’t Care is a story about chasing after your dreams, about fixing your mistakes, about the passing of time and growing older, and most importantly – about the many shades and facets of love.
ARC kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
“The morning after the rejection, I saw my gray hair sparkle in the light of my bathroom window and I had to ask myself, why was I trying to hide my sparkle?”
Nothing compares to the feelings young women carry for older successful ladies, thriving in their life. It’s adoration, love and hope. We all dream to, one day, be that lady and Leni Kauffman made this dream even more exciting with this absolute gem of a cover.
We fell in love with Lela, even before reading the book and discovering her character… She is beautiful and confident, marching ahead, with her gorgeous sea of silver hair billowing behind her, as the hero watches her longingly from afar. The aesthetic of it – both the art and the message behind it, completely seduced us and made us so eager to discover Lela’s story and her romance.
The premise is equally satisfying – a love story between two mature people (both the hero and the heroine are in their fifties), of missed opportunities and longing, of growth and going after what you want, no matter the obstacles. It’s a quiet friends-to-lovers as well as a second and even third chance romance, that proves that love and happiness have no expiration date.
It’s a love story, but the romantic love between Lela and Donovan plays a secondary part to the true hero of the book – the love Lela finds for herself.
“But there was no longer room in her life for regret, or pining for someone who didn’t want her.”
Lela’s development and growth throughout the book is truly magnificent. We first see her fresh after her divorce, a fragile, tired woman, who then forges the rejection she receives into a propelling force to move forward, to challenge herself. We watch Lela as she continuously pushes herself to step out of her comfort zone and goes for what she wants. It’s a joy to see her succeed, a brilliant, capable professional woman, spreading her wings.
Lela is such a lovely character. We adored her kindness and resilience, her positivity and openness. She felt authentic, in the way she battled her anxieties, or how she felt about herself and dealt with the realities of her age (the graying of her hair, the hot flashes before the photoshoot). While accepting herself, just the way she was, fully, she was also embracing all the other women whose lives she’d touched. She wanted to make them feel good about themselves, to empower them. “I can’t bring myself to be any other way. If the roles were reversed, I would want to be treated nicely.” Lela is a shining star.
Truly, this book is an ode to career women – from Lela with her rising business, though Echo with her challenging start-up, to Tammera’s thriving career in media. We see women at different stages of their lives, in different roles, in different areas, being successful and accomplished, and proud of their work. The men in this book play a supporting role, contented to stay in the background and let the true heroines shine their light.
While speaking of love (truly, love permeates this book) we have to mention the love between friends – which is a backbone of every story to us – of Lela and Tammera, and how supportive and caring they are of each other, then Lela and Echo’s almost familial kind of love that evolved from being business partners to a touching closeness, and finally of Donovan’s love for Echo, his daughter, for whom he tries his hardest to make up for the years they’d spent apart.
Sadly, if with each chapter, we fell more and more in love with Lela, Echo and Tammera, we didn’t carry the same feelings for Donovan. His character as a romantic hero was not as exciting as we hoped he’d be, making the romance story between him and Lela less enticing for us. It might just be that we had too high standards for Lela, as we truly fell in love with her and found that she deserved only the very best…
As well as a not up to our standards romantic hero and despite the beautiful women shining and blooming through the pages, the story itself did not fully seduce us. The writing style was not always enjoyable and the story could sometimes have had a bit more depth (even though, the simple storyline made it a very easy and nice read). In all fairness, we do have a high level of expectancy concerning modern romances so our rating might not be shared by others.
All in all, most importantly, Gray Hair Don’t Care is a story about chasing after your dreams, about fixing your mistakes, about the passing of time and growing older, and most importantly – about the many shades and facets of love.
“Echo turned to her, eyes full of gratitude. “I wish I could just jump ahead in life to have everything figured out like you do.”
Ah, the bloom of youth. “I really don’t have it all figured out. Not even close. That’s one of the cruel tricks of getting older. You think you should have everything figured out, but you don’t.”
“Really?”
“Really. You still make mistakes. All the time. I think the only difference is that you rebound faster. And you might care less about certain people’s opinions.”
February 10, 2021
4.5 stars
Gray Hair Don’t Care is one of those books I would love to wax poetically about. But words are eluding me. Karen Booth has written a story with Gen X women in mind. This is a third chance romance (didn't know those existed) between two college friends. While the romance is there and you are invested in the characters and what happens with them, for me, the romance was secondary. The romance wasn’t what had me losing myself in the story. Lela the 47/50-year-old heroine is who had me enamored. I found her to be empowering and someone I just want to know and have in my corner.
Donovan James and Lela Bennett were best friends in college. In fact, he was her college crush. The two even had a one-night stand in college. Eventually, the two stuck to just being friends until Donovan married someone else. Fast forward 26 years and these two divorcees run into each other again. Once again, they take a chance and fall into bed again. Just like before, Lela wakes up to find that Donovan has snuck off in the middle of the night.
47-year-old Lela is done. This recent divorcee is ready to make some changes. After noticing a few of her gray hairs sparkling in the morning light, she decides she is tired of hiding her sparkle. Lela decides to go all gray. She even decides to make a change in her working life. She's going to open her own business and create a line of beauty products for women over forty.
Three years later, destiny brings these two back together in the form of a working partnership. Lela seems to know who she is and what she wants out of life. Donovan now has to rise to the occasion and be the man who is worthy of her. Yes, I have heroine worship. Lela says she doesn’t have everything figured out. Maybe she doesn’t, but she carries herself with grace and she isn’t afraid to be herself.
I’m probably looking at Gray Hair Don't Care differently from other people. It’s classified as a romantic comedy. Yeah, there are some comedy moments. There are also life moments. I found the story real and relatable, with a touch of what could be. I hope to have Lela’s confidence when I’m 50-years-old. In my opinion, this is a book for the ages. It’s one I think every woman should read.
~ Favorite Quote ~
“Love is not blind. It sees everything.”
“Don’t put someone on a pedestal they don’t want to be on.”
“Good old fashioned emotional labor. As a woman, you’ll do a whole bunch of it in your life. Just make sure you get the men around you to understand it’s their job to do some, too.”
“Sometimes, you have to find your way.”
“I’m just a work in progress. Like everyone else.”
“Sometimes we do stupid things to protect the people we love from things we think they can’t handle.”
**Received a copy from the author and voluntarily reviewed it.**
Gray Hair Don’t Care is one of those books I would love to wax poetically about. But words are eluding me. Karen Booth has written a story with Gen X women in mind. This is a third chance romance (didn't know those existed) between two college friends. While the romance is there and you are invested in the characters and what happens with them, for me, the romance was secondary. The romance wasn’t what had me losing myself in the story. Lela the 47/50-year-old heroine is who had me enamored. I found her to be empowering and someone I just want to know and have in my corner.
Donovan James and Lela Bennett were best friends in college. In fact, he was her college crush. The two even had a one-night stand in college. Eventually, the two stuck to just being friends until Donovan married someone else. Fast forward 26 years and these two divorcees run into each other again. Once again, they take a chance and fall into bed again. Just like before, Lela wakes up to find that Donovan has snuck off in the middle of the night.
47-year-old Lela is done. This recent divorcee is ready to make some changes. After noticing a few of her gray hairs sparkling in the morning light, she decides she is tired of hiding her sparkle. Lela decides to go all gray. She even decides to make a change in her working life. She's going to open her own business and create a line of beauty products for women over forty.
Three years later, destiny brings these two back together in the form of a working partnership. Lela seems to know who she is and what she wants out of life. Donovan now has to rise to the occasion and be the man who is worthy of her. Yes, I have heroine worship. Lela says she doesn’t have everything figured out. Maybe she doesn’t, but she carries herself with grace and she isn’t afraid to be herself.
I’m probably looking at Gray Hair Don't Care differently from other people. It’s classified as a romantic comedy. Yeah, there are some comedy moments. There are also life moments. I found the story real and relatable, with a touch of what could be. I hope to have Lela’s confidence when I’m 50-years-old. In my opinion, this is a book for the ages. It’s one I think every woman should read.
~ Favorite Quote ~
“Love is not blind. It sees everything.”
“Don’t put someone on a pedestal they don’t want to be on.”
“Good old fashioned emotional labor. As a woman, you’ll do a whole bunch of it in your life. Just make sure you get the men around you to understand it’s their job to do some, too.”
“Sometimes, you have to find your way.”
“I’m just a work in progress. Like everyone else.”
“Sometimes we do stupid things to protect the people we love from things we think they can’t handle.”
**Received a copy from the author and voluntarily reviewed it.**
December 30, 2021
Lela Bennett has always had a soft spot for weddings and her old college bestie Donovan James. When those two favourite things collide it feels like fate is meddling with her.
Lela is newly divorced, 47 years old and in a bit of a life rut. Bumping into Donovan was so unexpected but he is thrilled to see her too. They spend an amazing night together and then Lela is left with a deja vu feeling when she wakes up alone, just like another night with him years ago .
Lela and Donovan were best friends in college and clicked on every level until they crossed that intimacy line and Donovan gapped it. Lela shouldn’t be surprised about him doing it to her again this time but it still hurts just as much. However, there is a silver (or grey) lining this time. It was just the kick in the arse she needed to make some changes in her life.
‘She turned to the side and the sun caught a few silver strands of hair. They glinted in the morning light. They practically sparkled. Why was she hiding her sparkle?’
After launching her own successful cosmetic line - Lela B - she catches the eye of a consortium who wants to bring her brand under their umbrella. This is a really exciting opportunity that inadvertently leads Donovan back into her life. His daughter Echo is excited about working with Lela and they form an instant bond. She knows the history between Lela and Donovan and has made him promise to keep things strictly professional.
Donovan is awestruck by how much Lela has changed since he last saw her, she is confident, successful, knows who she is and owns it. And god dammit, she is simply beautiful. He doesn’t have a great track record with relationships but being with Lela has him wanting to try for a future with her.
This was a fun, easy reading romance in the lead up to the madness of Christmas and I really enjoyed the escapism it gave me.
Lela is newly divorced, 47 years old and in a bit of a life rut. Bumping into Donovan was so unexpected but he is thrilled to see her too. They spend an amazing night together and then Lela is left with a deja vu feeling when she wakes up alone, just like another night with him years ago .
Lela and Donovan were best friends in college and clicked on every level until they crossed that intimacy line and Donovan gapped it. Lela shouldn’t be surprised about him doing it to her again this time but it still hurts just as much. However, there is a silver (or grey) lining this time. It was just the kick in the arse she needed to make some changes in her life.
‘She turned to the side and the sun caught a few silver strands of hair. They glinted in the morning light. They practically sparkled. Why was she hiding her sparkle?’
After launching her own successful cosmetic line - Lela B - she catches the eye of a consortium who wants to bring her brand under their umbrella. This is a really exciting opportunity that inadvertently leads Donovan back into her life. His daughter Echo is excited about working with Lela and they form an instant bond. She knows the history between Lela and Donovan and has made him promise to keep things strictly professional.
Donovan is awestruck by how much Lela has changed since he last saw her, she is confident, successful, knows who she is and owns it. And god dammit, she is simply beautiful. He doesn’t have a great track record with relationships but being with Lela has him wanting to try for a future with her.
This was a fun, easy reading romance in the lead up to the madness of Christmas and I really enjoyed the escapism it gave me.
February 24, 2021
*I received a free copy of Gray Hair Don't Care from Tantor Media. This has in no way influenced my voluntary review which is honest and unbiased.*
I really enjoyed this story, partly because both the heroine, Leila, and the hero, Donovan, were in their late forties / early fifties. And that really spoke to me on a very deep level.
As Leila, my hair is now all natural, and a very light silver color, so I adored her for letting her hair go natural.
The story is of friendship, romance, business, and getting older. And of course, even older people deserve romance and love in their life!
The biggest reason why I didn't give this more than four stars was that I didn't really like the narration very much - the narrator wasn't very good at switching voices, and so the changing point of view wasn't immediately visible.
I really enjoyed this story, partly because both the heroine, Leila, and the hero, Donovan, were in their late forties / early fifties. And that really spoke to me on a very deep level.
As Leila, my hair is now all natural, and a very light silver color, so I adored her for letting her hair go natural.
The story is of friendship, romance, business, and getting older. And of course, even older people deserve romance and love in their life!
The biggest reason why I didn't give this more than four stars was that I didn't really like the narration very much - the narrator wasn't very good at switching voices, and so the changing point of view wasn't immediately visible.
March 5, 2021
I’ll fully admit that I only purchased this book originally for the cover, I mean the dude looks like Keanu Reeves and I love Keanu Reeves. But The book does actually have substance the characters are charming the plot was on point and I loved how the main character embraced her grey hair it was inspiring. The love story of the two main characters was well thought out and cute. I’m kind of really into romance featuring older characters right now so this book definitely ticks that box.
June 28, 2023
3.5 stars
When Lela and Donovan were in college, they were best friends before life got complicated and they drifted apart. Now years later, in their early fifties, they reconnect but again it's not meant to be. But faith has other plans, and Donovan ends up consulting on Lela's new make up business and before too long, sparks fly again as Lela dominated headlines with her gray hair, and Donovan's heart.
This was a sweet, fun read - I appreciated reading about 'older' characters than a lot of romance books focus on and showing that you can be fifty but still young, beautiful and sexy (and with a healthy sex life). There were great messages in this book about embracing your beauty and loving your aging self. The romance was more sweet than chemistry-laden to be honest, and it was a nice second chance romance where the characters had a deep history between them that bolstered up the relationship when it turned romantic.
I did feel the story ebbed a bit about 60% through and I felt very done with the story and ready for it to wrap up.
When Lela and Donovan were in college, they were best friends before life got complicated and they drifted apart. Now years later, in their early fifties, they reconnect but again it's not meant to be. But faith has other plans, and Donovan ends up consulting on Lela's new make up business and before too long, sparks fly again as Lela dominated headlines with her gray hair, and Donovan's heart.
This was a sweet, fun read - I appreciated reading about 'older' characters than a lot of romance books focus on and showing that you can be fifty but still young, beautiful and sexy (and with a healthy sex life). There were great messages in this book about embracing your beauty and loving your aging self. The romance was more sweet than chemistry-laden to be honest, and it was a nice second chance romance where the characters had a deep history between them that bolstered up the relationship when it turned romantic.
I did feel the story ebbed a bit about 60% through and I felt very done with the story and ready for it to wrap up.
February 10, 2021
not much to say, it was nice and fast to read but just that!
March 12, 2022
I might be biased by any book that calls the gray streak I have "wickedly cool" I have to give it five stars.
April 5, 2021
Love, love, love!
Lela and Donovan were best friends in college but both had feelings they denied after their one night together. Now 30 years later they meet up again and the friendship, comfort, and sparks are all still there.
I absolutely adored this mature couple embracing their age and stage in life while still being being sexy. I also liked that parent/child relationships, past romantic relationships and friendships, and health and beauty standards were explored both with younger characters and the more mature characters.
I hope Gray Hair, Don’t Care is part of trend of mature heroes and heroine living life as adults but still enjoy a sex life and looking for love!
Lela and Donovan were best friends in college but both had feelings they denied after their one night together. Now 30 years later they meet up again and the friendship, comfort, and sparks are all still there.
I absolutely adored this mature couple embracing their age and stage in life while still being being sexy. I also liked that parent/child relationships, past romantic relationships and friendships, and health and beauty standards were explored both with younger characters and the more mature characters.
I hope Gray Hair, Don’t Care is part of trend of mature heroes and heroine living life as adults but still enjoy a sex life and looking for love!
March 28, 2021
This story is so wonderful .... so simple to read.....no mumbo jumbo.....something different and also i am sucker for middle age romance���
November 12, 2021
i actually enjoyed a decent amount of this book, but holy moly the love interest / one of the povs was an IDIOT. i hated him honestly. he’s in his 50’s now and hasn’t aged I mentally or emotionally past the age of 15, and we all know boys at 15 are never good for relationships….. the mc deserved way better than him and she knew it and yet somehow she still ended up with him…… outrageous!
plus the sex scenes were so poorly written and i felt no chemistry at all whatsoever not even a spark
so really this rating is rather generous if i do say so myself
plus the sex scenes were so poorly written and i felt no chemistry at all whatsoever not even a spark
so really this rating is rather generous if i do say so myself
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