Book Review: Problematic Summer Romance
Here’s my review of Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood. Don’t forget to leave a comment if you’ve read it too, or if you plan to read it. And be sure to check out today’s writing prompt.
Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood is a great summer read that had the right amount of emotional depth and character-development without ever getting too heavy or intense. I would recommend picking it up if you enjoy unique scenic vacation settings, witty banter, slow-burn age-gap romances, or if you simply need a pleasant distraction from the current world for a few hours.
This is the first age-gap romance novel I have ever read, and I think Hazelwood did a good job developing the main male character without making him come off as a total creep. If their age gap wasn’t constantly on his mind and acting as a barrier for him, that would have been problematic for me. His insistence on trying to stay away from the main female character reinforced the more romantic and classic trope that you can’t really help who you love and connect with in life, even if it’s somewhat inconvenient. It also made the emotional longing in the book seem more genuine and less hormonally and immaturely charged and creepy.
Hazelwood did a good job developing the main female character too, who is young and working through some trauma and figuring out life (as we all are every day to some extent, regardless of our age) but still knows what and who she wants. I appreciated that she was complex. She was smart yet never dull or boring. And she was vulnerable when she needed to be but wasn’t overly sensitive and insecure or whiny all the time.
The side characters in this novel (including the dog) were also well-developed and had their own distinct dramas and personalities, which made the witty banter and overall plot of the novel come to life in a more vivid way. As you read the book, you can’t help but wonder which of the side characters will become main characters in the next book of this series. And you might feel encouraged to pick up the first book in the series next, if you haven’t already.
I also found the setting of the novel enjoyable to read about. I could really picture myself where the characters in this novel were and enjoyed that the setting was romantic yet realistic. And that it allowed me to escape into a gorgeous fictional villa in Italy for a little while.
Overall, I appreciated how this book offered me a bit of pleasant escapism, as I tend to read intellectually dense or emotionally heavy reads most of the time. And that it never felt hokey or forced. So far, it’s my favorite new release summer read of 2025.
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Today’s Writing Prompt
Writing Prompt: Rustic Italian Villa
Write a scene that takes place at a rustic Italian villa.
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