Running Into Trouble

by Anastasia Austin

RUNNING INTO TROUBLE is an age gap romance about a girl just starting life as a sous chef after college and the early 40’s, stubborn, but super sexy potter she runs into at the supermarket. After offering to help him cook dinner for his teenage daughter, they try to keep their distance but no matter how hard they try, they just can’t stay away from each other.

BLURB:
Daniel
When I run into Riley, who does not look old enough to buy the wine in her grocery cart without a fake ID, the only thing I should exchange with her is an apology. After I tell her about the gumbo dinner I’m sure to ruin, we end up exchanging phone numbers. And boy, am I glad to have the hot little sous chef in my contact list when my roux goes up in smoke.

Riley expected my call but I didn’t expect it to go so well. To be taken in by her and not want to let her go.

She’s half my age. Better off being friends with my eighteen-year-old daughter or out hiking with her college-age friends than dating me. Riley has her whole life ahead of her. Between my age, my college football injury, and my addiction to my pottery wheel, I’d only hold her back.

I have to let her go. Don’t I?

This is a steamy, 18+ read with a happily ever after!

Genres: Age Gap Romance, Romance, Forbidden Romance

189 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 1, 2021

About the author

Comin' in HOT with the HEA

Anastasia Austin writes new adult and adult romance with plenty of heat.
Things you should know: She's a mess without her morning coffee. She treats her cats like people (all animals, really.) She's overly reliant on gifs to express her emotions. She loves her husband, even though he's a total troll and their teenage son, even though he can't tell a joke to save his life.

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Reviews

[Mia.Mi.Jou (on hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

She's a 22y old sous chef, he's a 42y old potter with 18y old daughter. She's always trying to please everyone else and he's an old fuddy-duddy. Both are lonely and full of insecurities... and kind of perfect for each other.

As with most of the age gap romances I've read I thought it would be a very straight forward, quick read of a relationship based mostly on lust. This was not the case. It has begun with insta-something (I'd say insta-sympathy maybe), but it was definitely deeper than I anticipated. Their relationship wasn't based solely on sex, they had a deeper connection I could feel through the pages and they honestly made sense.

That said, it was a wonderful romance, with all their struggles with the age gap (each for different reasons) and their insecurities that caused awkward situations and were just adorable and oh so relatable. It was a shorter story, more on the novella side (180 pages), but it felt surprisingly complete. It might seem fluffy, but at the same time it was real and believable (even with the heroine's annoying sister), nothing over the top. It was full of heart and I really enjoyed reading it.

[Lana Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

I donno. This author seems to have written several books yet this one felt like a debut.
Way too over-explanatory with lots of endless paragraphs on how they probably shouldn'tbe together but how desperately they wanted it... It needed a lot of editing (plus checking for names switching). Feels like it could have been a good 100 pages story instead of 190.

Heroine with a martyr-personality who wanted to please everyone and didn't care for herself; a hero who was 42 yet acted like a 60 y.o.

I donno how old the author is but I'm 39, most of my friends are of different ages, from under 30 to over 50, and nobody falls asleep on a couch after a meal while everyone plays a game. Plus most of my older friends go on extremely complicated hikes, run freaking marathons in their 40s, and not even complicated injuries stop them from being generally active people.
The hero didn't like to be active outdoors - that's okay! Why make it into something that had anything to do with his age?!
All the stuff about them being in such different age categories was just clichéd nonsense.

But I generally liked the storyline and the ending so I'll give it 3 stars.

PS. I adore the picture on the cover and it already made me read two books that didn't turn out too good. Damn.

[Shelby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Riley & Daniel literally bump into each other at the grocery store. Daniel was getting ingredients to make his college-age daughter’s favorite dish & it just so happens Riley is a recent culinary school grad who helps him out. Daniel gets Riley’s number, but he never plans on using it since she’s only a few years older than his daughter, meaning there’s a 20-year age gap between them.

But kismet brings them back together & even though he’s not sure what everyone else will think of him dating a much younger woman, Daniel can’t resist Riley any longer.

Running Into Trouble was a sweet & steamy age-gap novella. I really enjoyed Riley & Daniel’s romance! Although there’s an age gap element, it doesn’t feel overly taboo. I loved that both of them had artsy careers/hobbies: Riley, a chef, and Daniel, a potter. Although this is a novella (a longer one though, at around 180 pages), I didn’t feel jipped because this felt like a complete romance. Definitely recommend if you want a shorter romance that feels like a full-length novel, especially if you enjoy age-gaps! 4/5 stars.

[Rellim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t usually mess with half stars - but this is definitely 2.5. I normally love Age Gap romance, but while parts of this delighted me other parts fell flat.

I enjoyed the meet cute, awkwardness, & banter between Danny and Riley. The cooking and pottery were interesting. Unfortunately there was a lot of repetition for such a short book and I would have liked more development of their relationship. Also, there was a light Daddy kink/wordplay thing going on. Not my thing so that also pulled me out of the story.

The ending was a little abrupt, but I did think the epilogue was cute.

[Ursala · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daniel is a 40 something year old man in above his head...at the grocery store. 

Riley is a 20 something year old woman at her wits end.

A chance meeting brings them together. 

The slow, painful, and awkward beginning of their relationship is just adorable. They both have issues with the age gap, but for different reasons. Daniel is fearful of not being able to keep up with this young beauty. Riley is worried he might see her as too young. After finally figuring it out, they are able to move past the age hurtle and be together. In nearly all adult themed books, there is no build up to the relationship. This story, the way it's told, makes it fresher. We can see the links between the two that isn't just about sex. 

Oh, but there is sex! Gripping details that aren't vulgar. Sweet scenes that make you smile. My personal favorite- no BDSM! The only "kink" are nicknames. Making this a much more realistic read. No uber rich, massively endowed, fetish loving dude. Just your regular, hardworking, well endowed dude.😉

I enjoyed being on their ride to their happily ever after.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I recommend reading this, it's such a nice spin on a predictable genre! 

*ARC provided by Booksprout for a true and honest review*

[Shelby (BookLoversHaveMoreFun) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe I don’t have a thing for older men. Just a thing for him.

Running Into Trouble was my second book from Anastasia and my favorite from her so far. I'm a sucker for anything forbidden, including age gaps, so she already won me over from that. Such a sweet, steamy, and quick read. Absolutely loved Daniel and Riley.

[Anastasia Austin · Rating 5 out of 5]

RILEY AND DANIEL ARE FINALLY HERE!

Daniel is the perfect amount of sweet, sensual and stubborn. My kind of book boyfriend! Riley is a little quirky and eager to please but she quickly learns how not to be a push over by not letting Daniel push her away.

I hope you love reading their story as much as I loved writing it♥

Fall in love today!

[Keza Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

Running into trouble was the first age gap romance I have read in a while, and TBH it was sweet and sexy. ❤

As soon as Daniel and Riley literary ran into each other it was Lust at first sight. Soon they both couldn't stop thinking about each other. Staying away isn't an option.

The age gap is an issue for Daniel but for Riley it isn't and I loved that she knew what she wanted and went for it. ❤
Daniel had some smokin hotness also just to mention.🔥
I thought these two were perfect for each other and I really enjoyed the story.
The HEA was a little tinsy bit quick but it was good all the same.

I recommend reading if you enjoy age gap romance Reads.✔

Congrats Anastasia.🎉👏

[readwithevelane · Rating 4 out of 5]

“𝑩𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒚 𝒅𝒂𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒆𝒓’𝒔 𝒃𝒊𝒓𝒕𝒉, 𝑰’𝒎 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝑰’𝒗𝒆 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒊𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒓𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝑰 𝒂𝒎 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒚𝒐𝒖.”

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice: 🔥🔥
Tropes: Age gap, single dad, some angst, minimal daddy k*nk

I wanted a light read and I'm glad this was on my Kindle because it's what I needed! This book is less than 200 pages and I had fun reading it.

Riley and Daniel run into each other at the grocery store (talk about meeting organically) and they both feel a connection. They flirt a little, exchange numbers in case Daniel needs help cooking, and go their separate ways. They cannot stop thinking about each other and the universe intervenes by continuing to have them run into each other.

I loved their connection. Even though this is an age gap, and it's a pretty significant one, I never really felt the difference. They have a strong connection and they fit so well as a couple. These two were so sweet. They had me smiling like a fool. I loved the tension and angst before they hooked up. It was delicious and really built things up.

Riley was my favorite thing about this book. I loved her attitude, the way she flirted with Daniel, and the fact that she didn't back down from what she wanted with him. My jaw dropped when she unintentionally brought out the daddy kink, but I loved it. I really love her and you could feel how much she loves Daniel.

Daniel I liked, but I was so over hearing about how old he was and that he was holding Riley back. It was annoying of him and didn't give space for Riley to make her own decisions. I'm glad she set him straight. I did love how he could tell something was wrong even when she said things were fine. He just looked at her and said so sweetly, "You'll tell me later" and then held space for her to tell him if she wanted to. It was so sweet 🥺

If you want an easy read that's got Hallmark vibes, but age gap, this is a fun one to read!

[Lindsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Age Gap romances are not my thing. I am really not a fan of this trope but I have loved everything else that I have read by Anastasia so I thought I would try it out. I enjoyed it but still thought it was a bit weird.
Riley was relatable in the sense that she had a long, grueling job. She thought she got her dream job but it was exhausting and she wasn't happy with it. She seemed like a great person though. I wasn't really a fan of her sister and felt bad that her dad didn't even want to get to know Daniel. So this story definitely has some drama in it and I can understand now why the author rated this book an 18+!
Riley was only 22 and Daniel is twice her age with a daughter that's just starting college. I just felt that it was a little weird that she was only 4 years older than his daughter but that's just my opinion. Daniel and Riley seemed to hit it off though and were not able to stop thinking about each other. They did have things in common and seemed to work well together.
I liked the fact that this didn't feel like a novella. It was a full story besides things just feeling a little rushed especially in the epilogue.

[Karly Wise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riley and Daniel quite literally run into each other at the supermarket. Daniel is stressing about the meal he is making for his daughter when he stumbles into Riley, who doesn’t look old enough to be buying the wine in her cart. He knows he shouldn’t be feeling things for a girl his daughters age, but how can he stay away when his dinner goes up in flames and his only option is to call the sexy little sous chef for help. He knows he would only hold her back, and should let her go. But that’s easier said than done.
I found Riley very relatable in the sense that she was stuck in a long and grueling job she thought was her dream job, but makes her miserable. I found her very selfish and unlikable (but I think that was the point). This book had the perfect amount of smut and drama, it made me laugh and cry, I couldn’t put it down.
Overall this was a great book, perfect for fans of:
•Age Gap Romances
•Fast Paced Romances
•Short and Sweet Romances
I definitely recommend this book!
I received this as a free ARC copy from the author via Booksprout in exchange for an honest review.

[Book Snob Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

These two literally run into each other at the grocery store. He’s wanting to make his daughters favorite food, she’s a sous chef and gives him her number. These two are both hesitant because of the age difference, him more so, but their chemistry is just not something they can fight. They try, but let’s be honest, that is easier said than done. These two were cute, sweet together and insatiable. And I love the fact that she was more the pursuer, he was more hesitant because of the age difference. She just wanted him, and knew he was it for her.

Safe read. Sweet couple, older man younger woman. Epilogue and a hea.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC from the author thru Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving my review. Daniel and Riley do no get off to a great start even if they are attracted to each other. She is closer to his daughters age and that makes him deny it. Riley does not see age, only a sexy man that she would like to get to know. She gives him chance after chance before he decides to see where this goes. They are worried about the ones closest to them accepting their relationship. But in the end, love wins out over concern I enjoyed this book

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Skye Yanovsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Age gap wonferfulness!!

No surprise I stayed up to midnight to download Running Into Trouble because I love age gap romances.

This was a particularly sweet and heartfelt romance between a 42 year old potter and a 24yr old chef who have an awesome meet-cute. There is not tons of drama but a really cute relationship between Riley and Daniel that was easy while also something they were hesitant about.

I LOVED Riley and her unwillingness to let Daniel end things “for her own good”...she was tough, strong and I loved it. This has steam, passion, and is very realistic in the portrayal of their relationship up & downs. I would highly recommend this book.

[Katiie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the cutest age gap ever!!

I loved this book so much! I wish there was more to it!! I do feel like the ending was a lil rushed.
I would have loved to see the sister coke around to Danny. I think it would have made it even sweeter then wat it was.

Also I mean I wanna kno how they made up! The sister and her!! I would have loved to see Riley stand up further for herself! I loved the force she had when she finally did tell her sister to basically fuck off for not wanting to be with a fuck boy and someone she loved!!

This was a great escape that I needed and it was truly amazing!!

Thank you Anastasia for a cute quick read🖤🖤

[MyDogAteMyBookReview · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I can validate for you” hell, if it means she’ll stay, I’ll validate the whole damn block.

I really enjoyed this age gap romance. I happen to love this trope and reverse age gap.

Riley & Daniel literally run into each other and sparks fly. They both love to create things, her with food and him with clay.

Though the attraction was instant, they didn’t act on it right away. They spent time getting to know one another.

This book has laughs, heart & steam. This is my second read of Anastasia’s and I’ll definitely read more.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

An age gap romance when Daniel and Riley literally bump into each other. I liked the development of the characters and the storyline. It was an enjoyable read with fun chemistry, and family drama that shows just exactly what’s important in their lives. I was a bit disappointed in the father’s reaction, but the fact her sister and friends helped forge relationships

I am voluntarily leaving a review for this book that I received free.

[Tiffany Levin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this age gap romance!! Daniel tries to run from Riley because he thinks he is too old for her. But she thinks otherwise. Loved the addition of her being a chef but not having the vision of what she really wants to do with her life. He helps her when she realizes “I’ve been too busy—working to please everyone else—to dream about what I want for myself. I’m not even sure I know how to dream.”

Definitely worth the read!!

[Kayla Pocernich · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a heartfelt romance between a 42 year old potter and a 24yr old chef who have an awesome meet-cute. This was a really cute relationship between Riley and Daniel. This book was full of steam, passion, and plenty of ups and downs that this couple faced being together. This was cute read and I really liked it.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Monae Doyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very quick age gap romance between a twenty-something woman named Riley who is working as a Sous Chef. She bumps into an older guy named Daniel at a supermarket.

They instantly have a connection but he is unsure if he should be with Riley since she is younger than he is. I like how she didn’t give up on being with Daniel. I didn’t like Riley’s sister who was a bit insistent on Riley not being with Daniel. This book was a quick fun story that I enjoyed reading.

[LizKat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this short and sweet story. It was so easy to fall in love with Daniel and Riley. Also I enjoyed how the author let us see how everything isn't roses and rainbows when it comes to a large age gap between a couple. Overall this was adorable and I cannot wait to read more from this author.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Melissa B · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I thought it would be a short read but it's not, Austin gives us a feel of both of the main characters and the attraction they had at their first meeting plus their insecurities.
Age gap trope that was an easy read with some slight drama.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Rachel Schembri · Rating 2 out of 5]

Needs work but cute story line

I really wanted to like this but the main character literary had zero back bone. I wish someone would of put her pushy sister in her place. The entire book she complained about these people and even says they aren’t her friends yet in the epilogue she claims they are her favorite people.

[Angelica Larsson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book that I enjoyed reading. I loved the chemistry between Riley and Daniel and to read about a woman that knows who/what she wants and sets out to get it.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Maja · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved the first person point of view of the story. This is a huge deal breaker for me. I really liked Riley and Daniel, they had very convincing chemistry. I liked the story.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Haz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daniel was twice the age to Riley but that didn't stop them from for falling for one another even if others were against it, aged gap romonce that will keep you on your toes

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kathleen Bradbury (Bulfon) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic story! Characters that will steal your heart. A storyline that keeps you on the edge of your seat and glued to your kindle! For me it was a love- hate deal as the characters face their demons. You will feel their emotions and struggles. A definite must read.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I enjoyed reading this but I dont think it will be especially memorable and I dont really see myself reading it again. But it was a sweet age gap romance with minimal drama...which was nice.

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Way too short but I loved it. 👩‍🍳🍪🍪🍪🍲

[Crystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Running Into Trouble is a quick, age gap, small town, instant spark story. Daniel and Riley were so sweet together. I liked them, and the other characters too. I will definitely be reading more from this author.