Hey everyone and welcome to another Throwback Thursday! Every week I'll be sharing my book recommendations within a romantic trope.

Today I'm sharing the first five Age Gap stories that I loved and reviewed on the blog. It's been a while since I've talked about these books and I hope you find something new-to-you to read in this list. These stories used to feel taboo to me, but in my 'old age' I'm finding a new appreciation for them :)

If there's another book of this trope you think I'd enjoy, please let me know down below.

Signed by Marni Mann

Honestly, this was a bit of a filthy read. The hero is a grown man. The heroine is 18 years old. Their relationship is pretty secretive, but it played out in a delightful way that made these characters endearing. It was easy to forget that James was young because the author made her a very mature 18 year old. I loved this book!

Ain't Doin' It by Lani Lynn Vale

The entire Simple Man series is amazing, so you can't go wrong with any book you choose, but this one... it was special in its own way. Coke was once married to a woman who didn't fit, but he stuck it through for his daughter. Now free, he doesn't want the trouble EVER again. But trouble loves to find him and this time, Cora was the RIGHT woman for him. I really loved the dynamic between these characters and the ease in which they kind of just fell together.

Enzo by K. Webster

This story was short, but well done. Jenna was a foster kid about to age out of the system and Enzo was her caseworker. That dynamic alone makes this kind of icky, but the author did a great job keeping the creep factor to a minimum. Not every book from this author is a winner for me, but this one definitely was. There was a sweetness to the characters that worked for me.

Blackout Pt.1 by Janine Infante Bosco

JIB writes stories full of action, angst, and plenty of heart. In this one, Blackie is an addict, constantly at war with his demons. Lacey is the Prez's daughter and she knows that fight. They understand each other in ways no one else could get and despite the heartache and pain, what they have with each other is nothing short of amazing. They're beautiful together and the journey was well worth the watch. This duet shows what happened after their happily ever after and every hardship, obstacle and triumph they endure.

Destructively Alluring by N. Isabelle Blanco

An 11 year age difference doesn't mean much between consenting adults, right? This book was a sensual journey between two people who've known each other their whole lives. Dorian was absolutely obsessed with Demi and I loved it! The author rebranded so the title and cover are different, but the story is still deliciously the same.

Three Simple Words by A.J. Pine

Contemporary Brother's Best Friend Romance, dual pov

Annie
I know where to find my happily ever after—between the pages of a romance novel. It’s why I sell books, why I blog about them, and why I’ll never get disappointed by love.

So what if my brother’s best friend from high school is now a bestselling author? Or that he just blew back into town on a Harley, filling out a pair of jeans like he never did before? Or that he’s agreed to do a signing at my bookstore on such short notice? Because despite all his adoring female fans, I kind of hated his book.

Wes
The last time I saw Annie Denning, she was a senior in high school, three years older than me and way out of my league.
Now I’m her last-minute date to a wedding, and what started as a night of pure fun has turned into something more real than either of us anticipated.

Annie is my muse. When I’m with her, my writer’s block fades away, and the words finally flow.

The only problem? She wants the fairy tale—her very own happily ever after—and anyone who’s read my book knows the truth. I just don’t believe they exist.

The Pact by Karina Halle

Contemporary Friends-to-Lovers Romance, dual pov

It all started with a pinky swear…

Linden McGregor is tall, rugged, and gunslinger handsome; a helicopter pilot with a Scottish brogue and charm to spare. He’s also one of Stephanie Robson’s best friends and has fit into that box for as long as she’s known him.

But some relationships can’t be boxed, can’t be classified, can’t be tamed.

Back in their mid-twenties and tired of the competitive hit-or-miss dating scene of San Francisco, Steph and Linden made a pact to marry each other if neither one of them are in a serious relationship by the time they hit thirty.

It sounds like fun and games but as the years to thirty tick past and lovers come and go out of their lives, the pact becomes larger than life.
Sex is inevitable. Friendships are tested. Hearts are on the line.

The pact is about to change everything.

Center Mass by Lani Lynn Vale

Contemporary Single Parent Romance

Luke Roberts came to the small lazy town of Kilgore, Texas with one thing on his mind: Forgetting. He wanted to forget why he left. Forget those emerald green eyes that haunted his dreams. And forget how it felt to have his heart ripped out of his chest by a woman who didn’t like the fact that he had a child. It was something he’d been doing a damn fine job of doing, too. Until Reese smashed through every one of his defenses, and made him feel again.

Reese Doherty was just trying to do the best for her little girl. So she moved to the little boomtown nearly an hour from where she grew up to be the school nurse for Kilgore’s littlest people. That’s where she met him. The SWAT officer and the man that would change her life forever. The sexy man who liked to drive fast, and live life like it should be lived. He drove her crazy, and became something she could barely live without.

But Luke was a hero. A man used to risking his life to make the world a safer place. Something Reese had to decide whether she could handle or not. Preferably before her and her daughter became too attached.

Just when she’s ready to give him her whole heart, her world takes a huge hit, and everything she thought she knew wasn’t as it seemed.

Luke
wasn’t a quitter, though. Damn far from it, and he’d prove to her that he’d be there when the dust settled. Whether she wanted him to be or not.

Character details:

Lucas "Luke" Roberts + Reese Francesca Doherty

   Children:
     Katerina "Katy" Roberts (Lucas's daughter) — Hide Your Crazy
     Rowen Diane Roberts (Reese's daughter) — Just Kidding
     Derek Roberts — Fries Before Guys

   Luke's Family:
     Travis (father)
     Paige (mother)
     Baylee (sister) — Lights to my Siren

   Reese's Family:
     Frank (father)
     Daniella (mother)
     Tru (sister) — Charge to my Line

Flawless by Elsie Silver

I’m the face of professional bull riding—the golden boy. Or at least I was, until it all blew up in my face. Now my agent says I have to clean up my image, so I’m stuck with his ball-busting daughter for the rest of the season as my “full-time supervision.”

But I don’t need a goddamn babysitter, especially one with skin-tight jeans, a sexy smirk, and a mouth she can’t stop running.

A mouth I can’t stop thinking about.

Because Summer isn’t just another conquest. She sees the man behind the mask, and she doesn’t run—she pulls me closer, even when she shouldn’t.

She says this means nothing.

I say this means everything.

She says there are boundaries we shouldn’t cross. That my reputation can’t take any more hits—and neither can her damaged heart.

I say I’m going to steal it anyway.



I thought, with how much I loved Reckless, I should start the Chestnut Springs series from the beginning. It's good to know that so far, this author is consistent. I really enjoyed getting to know these characters from other perspectives. It was kind of surreal to dislike Winter so much here when I absolutely adored her in book four!

This is Rhett and Summer's story and it started off rough. He'd messed up his public appeal and she was assigned to fix his image. She didn't really know what she was doing and he was irritated by having a babysitter. Their negative feelings soon turned into something else and I only wanted more.

While I didn't love this story as much as Reckless and while I didn't love Summer as much as I thought I would, I was definitely entertained by this book. I want more of Rhett and his family. Their bond is something so special that I'm going to read the next book just to get another dose.


Elsie Silver is a Canadian author of sassy, sexy, small town romance who loves a good book boyfriend and the strong heroines who bring them to their knees. She lives just outside of Vancouver, British Columbia with her husband, son, and three dogs and has been voraciously reading romance books since before she was probably supposed to.

She loves cooking and trying new foods, traveling, and spending time with her boys–especially outdoors. Elsie has also become a big fan of her quiet five am mornings, which is when most of her writing happens. It’s during this time that she can sip a cup of hot coffee and dream up a fictional world full of romantic stories to share with her readers.

Visit www.elsiesilver.com for more information

The Billionaire's Trust (Covington Billionaires #1) by Erin Swann

Bill

The women in my life are all temporary. Things are simple. Charm her, enjoy her, discard her, and repeat. Once she hears my family name her focus is on the size of my wallet and she can't be trusted.
Until Lauren shows up at my doorstep one night and I am suddenly in charge of the family company. I need to save the family legacy and ten thousand jobs. I can't do it without her. She's beautiful, sassy, brilliant, and brutally honest. She can't stand me.
I need her. In my bed, in my life, as my wife. Everything's going according to plan . . . Until, she disappears.

Lauren

I fell for him as soon as I saw him last week, all of him, the full package.
Until, he sent me back to his condo to get rid of the girl--the naked one in his bed. He didn't even know her name.
Today he's the new CEO, and he's screwing up. Royally. I told him what I thought of him.
Again.
Now, he won't take no for an answer. When he makes a fairy tale proposal in front of hundreds, I can't say no. Together we have a plan to save the company.
But he's keeping secrets, and I uncover the worst one.

The Billionaire's Whim boxset by Bella Forbes

Twenty-three year old Lillian Jones can’t seem to stay employed; she always lets her temper get the better of her. Her life is a mess; her debts are piling up, she’s about to be evicted, and she’s desperate for a job. Then she gets one last a job as a personal assistant for sexy billionaire Trent Blackwell. Her independent spirit recoils at the idea of working for such a demanding, controlling man, but something inside of her melts at his command. She promises herself that she’ll do everything she can to hold on to this job, no matter what. After his father’s death, Trent Blackwell finds himself in charge of Blackwell Enterprises at the age of 32. A man of confidence, he gets what he wants, when he wants it. And the second Lillian told him off during her interview, he knew he wanted her. He’s determined to take her in hand and teach her some respect, and he knows that’s what she secretly craves. As he brings her to a new level of sexuality, they dive into a world of temptation, desire, and broken boundaries. But a scheming ex and some suspicious activity within the company mean that Trent and Lillian will need to work together if they are to save the company, as well as their lives.

Stalked by Love by Eva Winters

A Deadly Obsession

Her ~ Scorned by the one person who was supposed to love me, my mother, I made up my mind long ago that love was for the weak and it was just something I didn’t need nor desire. But, in time, what was in my mind was soon overridden by the desires of my heart.

One phone call changed everything. . .

Now, I crave a man I’ve never met. He was only meant to be, part of my job, just another voice over the phone. Could it be this voice belongs to the man I need? But, is there a difference between falling in love with him and learning to trust him?

I wonder?

Him ~ Some say I’m a wounded soul and maybe I am. Yet I want her like I’ve never wanted another. Now I’m questioning my own motives as the lines begin to blur.

It was a job. Falling for her wasn’t supposed to be a part of the plan, but once desire took hold, it refused to allow me to walk away. I had to have her. I had to protect her, even if that meant I had to become someone I didn’t want to be.

Someone has their eye on her. Someone seems drawn to her like a moth to a flame. I will stop at nothing to keep her safe from them, from harm, but at what cost? When desire turns to fixation, then, obsession. Is it possible for the cause of her problems, to also be the solution?

Today's flashback is the Sinful Souls MC by Amo Jones. This series was my first read from Amo Jones (well, it was her debut) and had me falling in love with her potential. I could feel her get stronger with each and every book. This is a contemporary MC romance series with a bit of a dark vibe. It tackles sensitive issues so it's not for everyone. But if you enjoy angst and pushing boundaries a bit, you'll be entertained. Note that the following reviews were written in 2016, so take them with a grain of salt.

Have you ever read these books? Are you interested?

1. Perilous Love

What happens when you’re the daughter of the most feared assassin known to mankind?

After having to flee her family home in New Zealand at age eight, Alaina Vance knows very little about her parents. She now lives an uncomplicated life—in her final year of college—with her hardest decision being what drink to order.

That is until she meets Zane Mathews. The sexy and domineering president of Sinful Souls MC.

Her whole world as she knew it starts to flip before her very eyes. As everything that she thought she knew was really nothing at all.

2. Intricate Love

Vicky Abrahams has a tendency to get herself into tricky situations. But after a crazy spring break with one of her best friends, she has a bigger situation she needs to deal with—Blake Rendon.

Blake is part of the Sinful Souls MC. He has never been interested in anything serious with any woman, until Vicky. This interest results in him taking time to figure out his feelings for her.

Is it too late once he does?

Has Vicky already moved on?

Tired of all the secrets that almost broke her, she has every reason to be upset. But under it all, there’s no one quite like Blake fucking Rendon.

3. Tainted Love

Kalie-Rose is that girl.
She's that girl who calmed the storm within Ade Nixon.
She attained the unattainable.
She silenced his demons with her innocence.

Ade Nixon is the Vice President of Sinful Souls MC. His Hulk-sized body covered in tattoos and piercings - along with his don't give a fuck attitude - screams, "I'll suffocate you in your sleep". And he would.

Kalie-Rose is a popular dancer living in Hollywood Hills, she dances for some of Hollywood's elite. After giving Ade her viginty on a silver platter two years ago, a wedding brings them back together. Even if only for a short amount of time.

Seduced by the Mafia by Aaron L. Speer

When Leonardo Silva came into Angel West's life, she assumed he was a fallen star sent directly from heaven. He was gorgeous, attentive and yet something gave her pause, when she wasn't weak at the knees from their passionate nights together. A burden that weighed on him heavily. The family business that he wanted no part in. He wanted her, or so he said. His touch and gaze could burn through to her core, and just when she found herself at his mercy, he disappears without a word.

Later, what returns to her isn't the same man. The destiny that he refused, has taken hold. Leonardo was now a Mafia Don. A man who would take a match to anything that got in his way and Angel learns his disappearance was not all it appeared to be. As much as he has changed, there is one thing that hasn't; the unshakable desire to make her his.

But the forces that caused him to take up the mantle as head of the Silva Crime Family do not rest. The fight for New Haven has only just begun, as has the battle within Leonardo for his very soul. Angel holds the key to the latter and she must choose whether to fight alongside him, or be scattered among the ashes of his enemies.



All of his life, Leonardo was groomed to rule. He was heir apparent to a mafia fiefdom and yet, all he wanted was to live a normal life. To be happy, find love, have children, and create a new legacy. However, destiny has a way of finding you and Leonardo learns the hard way that the very life that he ran from may be the only thing that can protect the ones he loves.


I loved Leonardo. He was kind and thoughtful, cold and lethal, a man of many contradictions. Every time he handled a situation, I got all tingly. The fact that he was created as quite the generous lover sure didn't hurt.

I liked the idea of New Haven being kind of an urban utopia. As Angel said, "This is New Haven, nothing bad ever happens here." Until it did.

Seduced by the Mafia is full of action, suspense and mystery. I was kept guessing at who the 'bad guy' truly was and I enjoyed the not knowing. Seems like Aaron L. Speer can really write anything.

Previous book in the series:

Welcome to the Speerverse. Aaron L Speer has been publishing since 2014 and has won 4 Book of the Year Awards* and the Golden Stake Award at the International Vampire Film and Arts Festival held in Transylvania**.

The Undeadly Secrets (Paranormal Romance) spans six books so far, with the latest Peace Keeper: Part Two released in 2021. Heart Breaker is scheduled for some time in 2023.

Fans of MMA romance welcomed the hard hitting Championship Collection; Undisputed, Unbroken and Unbroken 2 into the world.

2022 will see the release of his first MC offerings as part of the Rebel Souls shared world; Rebel Sacrifice and Rebel Savage

2023 will not only see the release of Heart Breaker but also his first Mafia Romance: Owned By The Mafia

Find out more here: https://aaronlspeer.com

Happy Friday!

Today I'm sharing a week's worth of what I want to read, what I want to buy (or borrow), and what may end up on my TBR.

Hopefully you find something to enjoy here too!

New Releases of the Week

Upcoming Releases for November

Other Books I'm keeping my eyes on

Not everything here will make it to my to-read list, however, I want them to :)

Book Deals under $2

These are books I've read or am planning to buy...



What are your reading plans for this weekend?