Photo Credits: Foundry Co (pixabay), monicore (pixabay) Edited by Vaishali Title: Inevitable Author: Jenna Hartley Series: Love in LA #4 Publisher: Self-Published Year of Publication: 2021 Format: EBOOK copy (kindle app) Genre/Themes: Contemporary Romance Age Gap Romance, New Adult, Intern/Summer Boss, Father's Best Friend Review...
I brokenly recall reading a few age gap romances before now (and becoming slightly infatuated with the dynamic) but a best friend's daughter and a 20+ age gap was uncharted territory for me. Territory most may call an unmentionable, ineffable, unreadable taboo. I call it a moreish monomania; wherever and whenever I can indulge, I most definitely do. While the indecorous quality stretches limits for some, opens horizons for others and is positively fetishist for seasoned indulgers, I like to believe I'm the type of reader who easily corrals a taste for it, especially when its written with smart, honest and believable leading love interests who have a companionable, compatible and unmissable chemistry that's both irresistible and, naturally, inevitable. While I can effortlessly express a major chemistry for Inevitable, I led into this assuming it was indeed the series opener to the Love in LA series for the entire duration of my read, which it plainly isn't. Wires now uncrossed and fully clear of Inevitable's status as the fourth installment, and its novella-to-full-length-story transformation, we get a taste of the forbidden through the enticement of a father's best friend/best friend's daughter storyline. Though I am kicking myself for not starting with the book of Inception. The author seems to be a frequent indulger of the age gap trope if her leanings for this particular penchant of written courtships hold their weight, and while I did have some hiccups with the second-part development of Summer and Jonathan's romance, it exists in my romanticist mind as a solid standalone. I'm very happy I have a Hartley finish I get to call complete and completely readable. A taste of the forbidden and a taste for the gentle lures of the older man with leading character chemistry you can effortlessly fall into rhythm with and a romance that engages the trope without reducing the denomination to an anathematic cliché. I did mindfully log some very loose reading goals for my 2023 reading year, very loose let's reiterate, which, considering the state of my current reading progress and how far we've already made it through the year, I've decided to loosen even more to the point of a pseudo-goal destination. But one of those fledgling targets was to finally sample highly-anticipated writers, of which, Jenna Hartley is one. During their earlier years Sumner and Jonathan had a different kind of relationship. She was the adorable daughter of his best friend and he was the secret crush she held in the highest regard. They've always had an easy relationship, an effortless connection, but when they meet again things twist in a way that leans into the forbidden and instant non-platonic for Jonathan. And for Sumner, age looks even better on her childhood crush. The true nature of her current relationship only just hitting her, Sumner makes the delayed but abrupt decision to ditch a boyfriend who's rarely been a real partner to her. Worse, that she silently encouraged it. Like a reawakening she realises just what she's settled for, and its time for some 2.0 transformation, to give her dreams a real foot in her own reality. Finally trusting that she was making this choice for no one but herself, she pedals back, course corrects and winds up back at home in California, declining her priority choice university. A consistent 'yes' woman to her own detriment, approval seeking her way to a final point of return and yet the conflict of following her dreams and putting her passion first are separate entities for peacemaker Sumner. Luckily, Jonathan's agreed (albeit reluctantly) to be her summer boss, and in an attempt to help him find his feet again in mid-life she finds a supporter of her dream in him. She wants people to find visibility and pursuit in their life goals, but doesn't quite have the support of her closest to follow her dream of being a life coach. But with her dad worried over both his long-time bestie and his changing daughter, believing they'll rub off on each other nicely, the status quo definitely gets an unexpected upgrade. And he doesn't realise that he's the bridging catalyst that unwittingly match-makes what could possibly be his worst nightmare. As we thirst for here in romancleand there's a strong sexual connection between Sumner and Jonathan but the mutual chemistry also reaches a mental plane. Both effortlessly admire each other for who they are, who they're becoming and the qualities they have. My leanings for romance are those that can touch layers beyond the obvious and there really was such a gentle, tender and easy affiliation between the central couple. In a few ways the storyline gauged a learning curve for Jonathan as much as it did Sumner, and there was something very contemplative and down to earth in an elder man able to put his faith in the expertise of someone much younger and much less seasoned to accept the redirection he knew he needed but didn't know how to make. Jonathan's found success and satisfaction in building a legacy that paid him handsomely in wealth and a pool of material things. For all appearances, on paper and with everyone who knows him, he's the biggest success story, but after being gently quizzed by Sumner he's struggling to define what success means to him, or should mean to him outside of his practical accomplishments. All he knows is he's a disenchanted man who has it all but feels without it all and has since done an excellent job of hiding his emptiness. It's worth noting that it's Jonathan who mostly sports the doubt and the resistance, but I appreciated that he was a male love interest who actually encouraged communication with Sumner, even if he did find difficulty in being forthcoming with what he really wanted. It's always a personal pleasure of mine however, to see a hero lose himself to his feelings, waylaid by his usual cool composure and sharp confidence, wanting what's so improper to have, questioning why his desire becomes such a rebellious entity to his mind and thus Irresistibly beholden to the source of inappropriateness that he most definitely doesn't want to feel but can't help himself anyway. Always making decisions without conscious thought just to be closer to her. He's drawn to discovering who Sumner is now, hopeful for her to see more of him, flummoxed that she does and, like the swoony hero does best, he can't seem to help himself. There's a great balance of character with him; protective, powerful, intelligent, a midlife man with it all, distinguished, loving, misunderstood, caring (not the most emotionally evolved), but still sensitive enough to make the romance work. While I'm not a fan of too much relationship push and pull, the continuous back and forth does elevate the desirable tension quite nicely. Though it does become repetitive and lesser of an appeal in the second half. But desirable it really is because the chemistry kindles a feel-good albeit intense burn. There's definitely some character growth for the both of them. Jonathan with his best friend's guilt and general reluctance to take the all-in leap as he struggles to face his deepest wants, and Sumner with her people-pleasing mentality, lack of self-belief and consequently quick to put everyone before her pursuits. Jonathan may have his well remembered hesitancies and reluctances but we know where his heart and mind are since the dual POV makes a great point of characterising his feelings for Sumner. The author has a tact for dealing with the situation, the conflict, the tension and the relationship in a way that challenged but gently faced in the same sentence. The character growth didn't feel unrealistically transformative either, definitely more organised and organic, though the romance did have the potential to go so much deeper than it was which is where I found the deficit. I definitely felt the unused potential in their romance, and with the tone the second part took, it leaned into a type of difference that didn't quite make the best of the relationship for me. It was tense and angsty but with both Summer and Jonathan I lost the initial draw of the qualities I liked. Since Sumner's biggest personal arc comes from her inner conflict with agency, I was expecting more from her; I was expecting something more from the both of them. It alternatively felt a bit repetitive in lieu. Sumner also seemed to emulate previous patterning that she hoped to remedy, more specifically when she makes a decision that prioritises Jonathan over her life plans; hoping to swap schooling for the Wolf Group, which didn't seem to have any real basis in what she wanted to do. Considering her dream career path I was hoping for more self reflection from her, and more self-awareness, though I did appreciate the grounded feel of the relationship overall. Since I understood the tension between desiring change and actually making the shift, there was a realistic tension to appreciate. The acceptance storyline with the latter events of the epilogue did emulate a more realistic outcome when the truth sheds its skin and the fallen relationships are left to mend. The fallout held a believable aftermath. As aforementioned, there was certainly potential to go deeper but comprehensively we have a really lovely, pleasant read no less. A forbidden taste of the age gap with smart-sexy, intense and meaningful chemistry. I'm so glad I started here with Jenna Hartley and now that this author and I finally meet, I ungraciously welcome myself down her contemporised walkway of romance whenever the season calls. The potential between Jonathan and Sumner gets a chance to bloom but old habits can die hard just as easily as the feelings run deeper for the two of them. Sumner's finding it a balancing act to carve a new groove and because he sees the best of her and wants her to see the best of herself, Jonathan encourages her to see the belief in her dream. A well-remembered sensitivity and gentleness that teases and tends to the forming intimacy, and when the heat reaches its patiently waiting peak it was the rising release we needed. It really becomes a question of whether her fantasy man exists beyond the dream and beyond the secret desire. Jonathan shouldn't want it, but every moment with Sumner always seems to matter, always seems to mean something. The fire burns quite quickly for a burnt out businessman workhorse who's misplaced his life luster and a full time student graduate tentatively emboldened to permis a silent desire she never quite thought she could voice, in more than one way. Her coaching aspiration is to fulfill a business dream by arming women with the tools of empowerment. The desperate desire was intense, the longing and bonding uber charming, and the delayed (albeit Inevitable) gratification finally finds its purchase in an early-burning fire. Mixing new experiences with newer paths and redirection pushing them to redefine, Inevitable grounds itself with some bigger truths that trace the well-chased push of living the life you want to live and loving beyond the risk. It's a learning experience but all the reasoning in the world can't reason away how they feel for each other nor make them feel any less. Tender, convincing, passionate, sexy and seductive, this book is Jonathan and Sumner's pursuit of an off-limits courtship. I gave this book 4 stars - Content Warning/Listing: Adult language. Anxiety/panic over flying due to PTSD and a traumatic incident. An almost sexual situation with the hero and an OW. Past parents deaths by car accident. Mentions a past extramarital affair. Some violence. Smut scenes. __________________________ M Y R A T I N G S Y S T E M: ★ - 1 star: I did not like the book ★★ - 2 stars: The book was okay ★★★ - 3 stars: It was a good, solid read ★★★★ - 4 stars: A great book ★★★★★ - 5: A phenomenal read __________________________ love interacting with fellow readers, reviewers, bloggers and writers. Hearing about reader opinion is the fuel to my reader appetite, so get in touch and comment below! 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