#problematic summer Romance

[bangbangwhoa]

books I’ve read in 2025 📖 no. 059

Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood

“It’s the way you take over the space around you. You remind me constantly, loudly, indecently, of all the little things that make you you. It’s impossible to escape, and it makes me very angry.”

[togetherasap]

the serotonin released after reading any ali hazelwood book is unparalleled

[susiephone]

say what you want about ali hazelwood and her writing, but her literally calling her new book "problematic summer romance" is genuinely hilarious

[chaoticmiserablelover]

Ali Hazelwood's books bring back that comforting feeling of reading a new chapter of a fanfic that was updated.

Yes, I do not care that it is unrealistic. Somehow every main character is a genius. Somehow every love interest is a huge guy, and I love to see it.

[violetasteracademic]

//Taylor Swift- Suburban Legends

Maya and Hark- Problematic Summer Romance//

"I figured out a way to have you and also set you free."

[maddiesflame]

Problematic Summer Romance headers

like/reblog if saved © maddiesflame

[headkiss]

happy ali hazelwood day to all who celebrate

[lenoredovescovey]

Now this is romance

[marisbookshelf]

I was obsessed. I spent 80% of my time talking about problematic summer romance by ali hazelwood and in the other 20% I hoped someone would talk about problematic summer romance by ali hazelwood so I could talk a little more.

[the-beewitching-coven]

I need Ali Hazelwood’s new books to come out NOW. I need to consume some cute nerdy romance books that make me kick my feet like a teenage gal 😭😭

Any recommendations to fill my void?

[togetherasap]

i'm so happy i live in a world where ali hazelwood exists

[phantomdialogue]

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐀𝐥𝐢 𝐇𝐚𝐳𝐞𝐥𝐰𝐨𝐨𝐝 - 𝟓.𝟕𝟓/𝟓 ☆ . ݁ ˖ˎˊ˗

“Because that’s how relationships work. If it’s a good one, you let loose. You show all sides of yourself.”

Premise: Maya Killgore is twenty-three and still in the process of figuring out her life. Conor Harkness is thirty-eight, and Maya cannot stop thinking about him. It’s such a cliché, it almost makes her heart implode: older man and younger woman; successful biotech guy and struggling grad student; brother’s best friend and the girl he never even knew existed. But not everything is as it seems—and clichés sometimes become plot twists. When Maya’s brother decides to get married in Taormina, she and Conor end up stuck together in a romantic Sicilian villa for over a week. And as the destination wedding begins to erupt out of control, she decides that a summer fling might be just what she needs—even if it’s a problematic one.

Couple: Conor Harkness and Maya Killgore

Tropes: age gap romance, brother's best friend, opposites attract, friends to lovers, vacation romance, nonlinear narrative

Content Warnings: death (off-page/in the past), grief

Review Below!

Review:

Ali Hazelwood, I sign my life over to you. You can do anything you want. This is an author that has only grown so so much stronger with each book. I thought Deep End was my favorite and it wouldn’t be a competition and this came and completely wiped the floor with Deep End. Obviously when it was announced I was so so excited to see Ali’s take on an age gap romance that it much more significant than her previous books but I could not have ever expected what she would do with that specific trope and how much it would emotionally destroy me at times. The thing that really did it for me with the way she handled the age gap was how deeply rooted it was in Conor’s character. It wasn’t just a silly thing to be used for conflict but actually had real effect on the characters, Conor most specifically, because of who they are and their histories.

Conor is I believe the most unique of the contemporary Ali Hazelwood men in just how many layers he has to him. Yes, he still fits the bill for the classic Ali Hazelwood refrigerator man who is beyond obsessed with his girl. But he’s so much more than that. When I first started the book, I was sad about the lack of dual POV that Not in Love had because it was something that worked so well for me with Eli and Rue and I had assumed it would translate over to this book. However, it’s the lack of it that really allows Conor to shine and let the reader peel away all of these interesting layers about his character. 

Maya is a hoot. She is, again, within the typical Ali Hazelwood FMC framework of spunky with moments of insecurity but she also felt refreshingly different from her previous FMCs at the same time. Her anger issues and the aftereffects of her childhood, as already slightly brought in Not in Love, just really made her stand out for me. Her dynamic with Eli is one of my favorites of any “side characters” in Ali’s books but her dynamic with Conor really just makes this book shine. It feels so natural for them and really just shows how well Ali Hazelwood has done in writing two opposite characters and making them connect in such an amazing way. 

This is my new favorite Ali Hazelwood book. Hands down. No competition. It may take quite a bit of force to dethrone this one. Conor may not dethrone Jack Smith Turner for favorite Ali Hazelwood man overall but he is definitely my favorite in his writing. My truly tiniest nitpick that interferes with this book being 6 stars for me is that there is a tiny portion of the beginning of the book in which I don't think the author has a good grip on Maya and Conor's dynamic but even then, I understand why the development of that understanding had to wait so it's quite a tossup for me. I will be thinking about this book for days and dreaming of my own (hopefully less-) problematic summer romance. 

My Ratings:

Characters - 5 ☆ - believable, change and grow, memorable, multilayered, unforgettable protagonist

Plot - 5 ☆ - addictive, nonlinear narrative, satisfying conclusion, steady pacing

Setting - 5 ☆ - atmospheric, beautiful, historical, picturesque, vivid descriptions

Writing Style - 5 ☆ - beautifully-written, descriptive, original, witty

[chaoticmiserablelover]

Don't worry, girl, you're already smart and way more successful than you think. You're one giant man (who is almost as smart as you) away from an Ali Hazelwood romance.

[violetasteracademic]

Adam I want to go down on you until you pass out Carlsen

Levi I want to push her against a wall and I want her to push back Ward

Jack How do I make you come Smith-Turner

Lowe Taking it so well Moreland

Eli I'm not going to make it easy Killgore

Lukas You'll take what I fucking give you Blomqvist

Conor Ask me to go deeper Harkness

[miasbookshelff]

guys i finished problematic summer romance by my queen ali hazelwood i did indeed buy it on my kinlde as soon as i could and stayed up all night reading it its so good jack and elsie will always be my favorite tho

[hhighkey]

binge read ‘problematic summer romance’ by ali hazelwood and lowkey had me thinking about levi x younger reader/OC soooo bad the whole time

(like in the book MMC is FMC’s older brothers best friend … like Reader who’s erwin’s sister?? MMC wasn’t totally like levi but fit at times had be giggling) now i wanna write it