Her Younger Man - Shannon Stacey (HSE #2999 - Aug 2023)

Series: Sutton's Place (Book 5)
 
Age is just a number
 
Riley McLaughlin knows he shouldn't get involved with a coworker, especially when she's also his boss's mom. But widow Laura Thompson is everything he wants in a woman, and their age difference simply doesn't matter. And though she's drawn to Riley more than she'll ever admit, Laura has never been one to jump headfirst into adventure. Town gossip has already run rampant -- will Riley and Laura give them something to really talk about?

Good age-gap romance. Laura is the office manager for the family tree business. At 48 and a widow, she enjoys spending time with her granddaughter and living the independent life she didn't have while she was married. While her marriage wasn't unhappy, everything revolved around her husband. Growing up as a preacher's daughter, she was raised to put others first - husband, children, friends, etc. - and now she can do things that make her happy. But is she ready for a relationship with a younger man?

Riley has been hired by Lane, Laura's son, to be a foreman in the family tree business. At 39, he's happy with his bachelor status. Then he meets Laura, with whom he is immediately smitten.

I enjoyed watching their relationship develop. Though equally attracted to Riley, Laura is a little slow in recognizing that he is doing more than a little light-hearted flirtation with her. He wants to get to know her better. As they start spending time together, Laura is disturbed by the number of people who comment on her "fling" with a younger man. Riley worries a bit about his boss's reaction to Riley dating Laura. It isn't long before they realize there is more than flirtation between them.

I loved how the age difference didn't bother Riley at all. He sees Laura for the wonderful, sexy woman that she is. He treats her with love and respect and encourages her to do what makes her happy. Laura takes a little longer to accept the feelings that are growing for Riley. She is so accustomed to paying attention to other people's wishes and opinions that following her desires is a little more of a challenge.

When Riley and Laura move their relationship out of the shadows, they must deal with the reactions of others. Riley's conversation with his bosses, Lane and Case, is awkward and amusing as they realize he is serious about his feelings for Laura. It's hard to talk about your girlfriend with your friends when she's their mother/aunt. He also endures vocal disapproval from his mother. I loved the encouragement and approval Laura received from her daughter-in-law and laughed at the good-hearted teasing she endured. I was less happy at the lack of support from her best friend and wanted to shake her for raising doubts in Laura's mind.

It was great to see that Riley wasn't about to let others destroy the best thing that happened to him. He has a good head on his shoulders and uses it to help Laura work through the doubts that plague her. His support of her independence goes a long way toward easing her fears. I loved seeing Laura finally stand up for what she wanted.

The epilogue was terrific as it showed their lives two years later. It isn't a traditional one, but they are clearly happy. I laughed out loud at little Becca calling Riley "Gramps" and how much he loved it.

Falling for His Fake Girlfriend - Shannon Stacey (HSE #2955 - Jan 2023)

Series: Sutton's Place (Book 4)
 
Was she too much…
or his perfect match?
 
Over-the-top Molly Cyrs hardly seems a match for bookish Callan Avery. But when Molly suggests they pose as a couple to assuage Stonefield's anxiety about its new male librarian, his pretend paramour is all Callan can think about. Callan's looking for a family, though, and kids aren't in Molly's story. Unless he can convince Molly that she's not “too much”…and that to him, she's just enough!
 
Good opposites attract story. Callen is the new librarian in Stonefield - the young, attractive, and single MALE librarian. Some older, more conservative residents aren't sure they are comfortable with that difference. Molly, a lifetime resident of the town, suggests that she and Callen pretend to be a couple to calm their fears and give them a chance to get to know him. Callen is skeptical but goes along. Neither expected the genuine feelings that resulted from their fake relationship.
 
I loved Callen and Molly. Callen is a self-proclaimed book nerd, a little shy and buttoned-up. He came to Stonefield looking for a place to make a home and future. He doesn't know what to make of the bubbly, mermaid-sweater-wearing, conversation-challenging Molly. Molly is a bit of a wild child, thanks to her ADHD. She wasn't diagnosed until she was an adult, which made her childhood challenging. Friends and family often despaired of her over-the-top personality.
 
I loved watching the relationship between Molly and Callen develop. Poor Callen was bewildered by his first conversation with her, but her empathy over his concerns about his job made him feel better. Surprisingly, her wild idea of a fake relationship proved not to be so off-the-wall. With Molly holding his hand and introducing him around at Sutton's Pub, he already saw a difference in attitudes.
 
Watching Molly and Callen together was great. Molly's outgoing personality helped Callen settle in at Stonefield faster than he would have been able to do so on his own. She understands his worry about not making it through his probationary period after he's committed himself to settle there and is determined to ease his way. I enjoyed how it didn't take long for Callen to adjust to Molly's quirks and that he thought about her constantly. Not only did they quickly become true friends, but the fake part of their relationship also didn't last long.
 
I adored how Callen used his book-nerd research skills to read up on ADHD so that he could be the kind of boyfriend Molly needed. She spent her whole life with no one else, friends or family, making that effort. I ached for Molly when her mom would make thoughtless, hurtful remarks about Molly being "too much," and her friends would shake their heads at her impulses. Callen's accepting Molly just as she is greatly impacted her. I smiled at their movie-night scene and Callen's understanding. I loved seeing how intent both were on helping each other.  Callen and Molly found themselves thinking about what it would be like to make their relationship real.
 
Then Callen's comment about what he sees as his future runs up against Molly's greatest fear, and their dreams of a life together fall apart. I hurt for Callen, whose dreams of a family with Molly turned to ashes. He wants Molly in his life but fears growing to resent her over this one issue. Meanwhile, Molly's fear of her ADHD creating problems in a family setting keep her from seeing a positive outcome. I liked how both of them got a wake-up call from comments by friends. Callen realizes that he has gained family through his relationship with Molly. And a statement from her friend Chelsea reminds Molly that things are far different than they were when she was a child.  The depth of emotion as they confessed their fears and feelings for each other warmed my heart and made me believe in their future success. The epilogue was great, confirming my belief, and providing a few laughs, too.