How to Date a Younger Man

Okay, so…..can I just say, YUM?! ‘Cause, daaang…Griffin is delicious! How to Date a Younger Man is a slow burn, swoony, age gap romance with lots of fun, flirty, and emotional aspects sprinkled throughout. Griffin and Layne have insta-chemistry. From the minute Griffin gets his hands on Layne (calm down, this is a slow burn romance, remember?…he was a massage therapist when they first met), their attraction to one another only grew over the course of the story. And by grew, I mean 4 years worth of growth. Yeah, 4 flipping years! Now, granted, they both needed those 4 years to not only mature (*ahem* Griffin), and realize that age is just a number (*cough* Layne), but they formed a tight and close friendship that I think made the story even better. Griffin was a great character! I loved how laid back and caring he was. Yeah, his age may portray him as some young stud, wanting to seek out women’s greener pastures. But he never acted like it. So to feel like Layne constantly held that over his head felt totally wrong. She was also constantly hung up on their age difference. To certain types of people, I can see a 10 year age difference being a hard pill to swallow. And as for Layne, her age-insecurity continually prevented her from getting over that last hurdle. But once she finally let go and allowed herself to accept Griffin for the kind of guy he was and not what she thought he should be, did Layne finally find happiness and what she’d always been searching for. I really, really liked this story! The title doesn’t quite match up to the storyline, as there’s not much “dating” involved between the characters….remember, slow burn. But the cover?….omg, YAASSS! If I wasn’t already a huge fan of the author, I’d be one-clicking this book so fast JUST BECAUSE of the cover. HAWT! This standalone romance is a sexy and entertaining quick read. The progression of the storyline flows smoothly along with the development of the characters. It’s the perfect summertime read for those wanting an enjoyable romantic escape.

Umm, I'm going to need to nominate Griff is one of the top three book boyfriends that Kendall Ryan has ever created because this guy was everything Layne didn't know she needed. Seriously, the guy was swoon-worthy and I need to tip my hat off to him for his unbelievable patience and perseverance when it came to Layne. I wouldn't say he actively pursued her over the four years that their story plays out in the book, but he was consistently present--one of the few constants in Layne's life that she could count on, even when she didn't fully realize that he was exactly what she wanted and deserved. I absolutely adored Griff, and while there were many moments where I was rather frustrated with Layne, I totally get that sometimes, you need to kiss a frog or two before realizing that the perfect guy has been right there in front of you for years. Le sigh. Ryan's How to Date a Younger Guy is a four-starred charmer of a read.

Kendall Ryan is one of my go-to authors and I was really excited about this friends-to-lovers/older woman, younger man story. Layne is a very successful and independent woman. She owns her own law firm and when the story begins, she's in her mid-30's and has really started thinking hard about wanting a family and specifically a child. The biggest problem with that is she is terribly single. Griffin is 10 years Layne's junior and is the brother of her best friend. When we start, he's fresh out of school and is working as a massage therapist. As we progress, he ends up with a career in architecture. He's caring, a loyal friend and extremely attractive. Griffin has always had a thing for Layne, but can he get her to put their age difference aside and focus on how they feel about one another instead of always using the age gap as a crutch? There's no doubt that Layne has feelings for him too, but she has so many hang-ups about all of it that she may end up sabotaging herself in the end. I loved Griffin in this story. He was a great friend, was supportive and he never got overbearing and pushy even when he could have. There were things I really liked about Layne too, the fact that she was so independent and was a career woman who still wanted to have a family were huge pluses for me. The one thing that ate at me was the fact that she kept the age difference front and center for so long. I understand it could be a concern, but to me age is just a number and if your feelings are there and the person makes you happy, you should at least explore it! This was another really enjoyable read.