All Grown Up

A Standalone Contemporary Romance 

Vi Keeland 

I usually am not a fan of age gap stories, but I totally loved this one! I really enjoyed the characters, the setting, and the storyline, and I could not put it down.

Valentina Davis is a thirty-seven-year-old divorcee with a twenty-year-old son. She is just trying to figure out what she wants out of her new life and to take care of herself for a change. She has not dated since high school, and her best friend, Eve is pushing her to get out there...and maybe just manipulating the situation a bit more than she realizes.

Ford Donovan only put his info on Match.com to check out their advertising for his business. But something about Valentina's profile drew him in. He could care less that she is twelve years older.

Of course, she thinks he is too young for her, but they have fun messaging until he wears her down for a meetup. And that is when it gets really interesting...

I absolutely adored Ford! He is mature for twenty-five due to his own life experiences. He is charming, sexy, witty, patient, caring, successful, and very determined. Valentina is understandably more insecure and caught up in what is appropriate and what others might think. But these two have such undeniable chemistry, that eventually she will not be able to resist. 

But these two seem to have issues being on the same page at the same time. She wants one thing, he wants another, and things keep getting more complicated. Will it truly only be a summer fling or will one of them want more in the end?

This is a forbidden idea of love due to their ages and circumstances, but these two truly worked despite it all. I felt Ford was mature and understanding, and totally swoon-worthy. He knew what he wanted and was not afraid to put her needs first while also stretching her boundaries as able. And I enjoyed Valentina spreading her wings and trying to see how different her life could be.

I loved the growth in these characters, how vulnerable they made themselves, and how they were willing to take a chance and try something new. It is also Valentina's story of coming into her own, finding confidence, prioritizing her own needs, and following her dreams. But For also has some unexpected challenges to face and deal with. So there is some conflict, emotional turmoil, and surprises, but it was also part of their growth process.

This story is about fulfillment, passion, acceptance, companionship, and finding joy in life. It makes you think that fate might really have a hand in life and that sometimes something that might appear wrong is truly right. I enjoyed the beach setting along with the city, and the side characters gave it more depth and humor. There are just so many little things about this book that made me smile, and I am still smiling a day later. It was just what I needed to get me out of a bit of a book funk. 

Valentina Davis doesn’t think she is ready to date again after her divorce, but her best friend is ready to see her happy again. Without Val’s knowledge, Eve sets up a dating profile online. Val decides to strike up a conversation with one of the responders to test the waters, and winds up forming a friendship. Ford Donavan doesn’t usually use online dating, but needs to test a marketing campaign. The woman he meets checks all his boxes and he is interested enough to give her time to become comfortable with dating. He knows she is hesitant and is willing to let her set the pace, including on when they meet face to face.

I loved the moment they put together that they actually knew each other in real life and that had to be one of the cutest first dates I’ve ever read. The age gap is a big hang-up for Valentina, though Ford is over it almost immediately. But it’s a big deal to Val and she doesn’t think she can go further than one date.

Ford was my favorite character in the book. He is so patient and confident. He knows what he is looking for and knows Valentina is exactly who he wants. I loved that even though he was in his mid-20s, he had a maturity far beyond his age. His experiences put him on a level playing field with Valentina to the point where if she hadn’t mentioned it so often I would have forgotten that there was an age gap.

These two start with a summer fling, but what should be a casual thing turns challenging. They may say they only want the summer, but there is more developing for each of them. The bigger challenge is how to get on the same page at the same time.