I love Lydia Michaels characters, Jasper Falls, the mash up of this huge family with all these interwoven stories and how they tie together and you get to watch the other couples grow as you read about more of the family members. I start with saying that because I went into this expecting to love it like everything else I’ve read by her but this one just fell kind of flat for me.
The first chapter can be a cluster of confusion if you haven’t read any of her other books as there just so many characters introduced right out of the gate. Anyone who’s read them, though, will be elated to see past characters make their appearances (and there’s even one we love to hate in this book). From this first chapter I adore Skylar and wanted to know more about her.
Rhett didn’t pull me in right away, but his daughter certainly steals the show. She’s adorable and so sweet! Rhett did end up growing on me, but just didn’t feel as deep as the other men that Lydia has gifted us with. He does have a story, don’t get me wrong, but there isn’t as much character build up with him as I’m used to there being in one of Lydia’s books.
I’m all for a good age gap relationship but this one didn’t feel like it had any growth or chemistry. It almost had a “we exist in the same space so may as well” kind of feel vs growing to love one another. That growth is alluded to, but since it wasn’t ever really shown to us outside of the physical attraction aspect it made it hard to feel they’d grown together. This made the end feel even more rushed than the characters joke about it being, and the family’s reactions kind of understandable.
With all that said, Skylar and Addison really saved this book for me. I came for an age-gap book and stayed for the sweet bond between these two that will steal your heart!
Lucinda did a wonderful job as always and I’ll never hesitate to jump into something she’s narrated. Her voice is prefect for keeping your attention and not being abrasive at the same time. Give her a listen if you haven’t already!