40-Love (There's Something about Marysburg, #2)

by Olivia Dade

This match is no game.

When a rogue wave strips Tess Dunn of her bikini top, desperate, half-naked times call for desperate, please-cover-me-kids-are-coming-closer measures. Enter Lucas Karlsson, AKA that flirty Swede in the water nearby. When he prevents her bare buoys from being exposed to fellow vacationers, even an ocean can't drown the sparks that fly.

Lucas, a former top-level tennis pro now giving lessons at the resort, fled there after the abrupt, painful end to his injury-plagued career. But he's finally ready to move on with his life--and after a few late-night, hands-on sessions with Tess, he's eager to prove he's the ace she wants.

But this match comes with challenges: She's forty, and at twenty-six, he's barely old enough to rent a car. Worse, they only have two weeks together before Tess returns to her assistant-principal life in Virginia. During that brief time, they'll have to play hard, take a few risks, and find out whether their chemistry is a one-shot wonder...or whether they're meant to be doubles partners for life.

• ISBN10: 1945836148
• ISBN13: 9781945836145
• Publish Date: 16 May 2020
• Publish Status: Active
• Imprint: Hussies & Harpies Press
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 320
• Language: English

Reviews

[layawaydragon]

Cute and refreshing and soothing. Love the chemistry and resolution.

[Berls]

After how much I enjoyed the first book in this series, this one was a little disappointing. I think I just really enjoy the Marysburg setting and the day-to-day life of school teachers and administrators... which this book lacked. 40-Love is entirely on vacation and really lacked the realism that I had loved in the previous book.

This book struggles to hold on to reality, really. We have an Assistant Principal (AP) and a school teacher who somehow can afford to take a several weeks long vacation to what seems to be a pretty exclusive, ritzy resort and eating at lavish restaurants ordering the tasting menus! I had a teacher's salary and don't see how they're pulling this off, single or not. And then the tennis coach, who Tess just happens to call upon to save her from a wardrobe malfunction, is a well-known retired (? are you retired in your 20s?) Swedish tennis pro. And, of course, he falls head-over heels for her. If you're looking for an escape-type story, this checks the boxes. It's just not what I was wanting. I enjoyed the moments where day-to-day bled in (few and far between).

So yeah, the realism is not strong with this one. That being said, I do like Tess a lot and I hope we'll be seeing a lot of her in future books. And Lucas is everything you could want in a man - considerate, really listens, supportive, hot, talented, smart, sexy accent, etc. And I love that he loves Tess's body, which is plus size. And I love that Tess is plus size and does not see it as a negative. There's some solid body positivity in this book (series really).

I'm continuing to enjoy the narration by Kelsey Navarro and look forward to listening to more of the series. She delivers distinctive characters, humor, and an easy listen!

[scarr]

Here’s the deal with this book ... I really liked the concept! Older woman, younger man; athletic guy, curvy lady. Yay representation. My issue is with the main lady - she’s kind of annoying about the age difference and her nicknames for genitalia was gag-me-with-a-spoon bad. I totally get the body self consciousness, but like youre 40 not 100. I liked her otherwise. No complaints about the main guy.

Ps. This is one of the few romances that include a period love scene. I would like to see more - note I did not say more graphic - period-positive content in romance novels. “Always Only You” by Chloe Liese includes frisky business whilst a period is happening. Again I’m not asking for a blood bath, I just think it’s realistic and intimate to acknowledge people with uteruses have periods. It’s healthy and normal. End rant.