40-Love

There's Something About Marysburg Series, Book 2

By: Olivia Dade

Narrated by: Kelsey Navarro

Length: 10 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's summary

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 40, and at 26, 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.

©2020 Olivia Dade (P)2021 Tantor

It’s just kinda boring

To her credit, Olivia Dade is really great about delving into characters’ insecurities in realistic ways. These characters are very normal people making very normal mistakes, with more than a normal amount of pride and angst. Relatable, but not gripping. Not the escapism I’m looking for in a romance. I’ve liked some of her books in the past, but just can’t get into this one.

Curvy Girl Romance over 40

I enjoyed this read. A lot of heat and somehow before they Both, MMC and MFC fell in Love 💝 Both wounded and really didn't want to Chance of being hurt again 😔💔. Great Narration and eell written. Good listen and recommend it. 💝⭐🔥

Vacations Rule!!

Picture it, an island, palms swaying in the light wind, waves lapping on the glass like shore.
This is where our story begins! Friends on vacation, a tennis pro who likes to save topless women in the ocean... You can just imagine where our story goes from here.
There is something about Marysburg, well written, aignst, steamy, and love. Olivia Dade does it again!

Another win from Dade!

I love the main characters in this book and their story arc. They both had difficulties and faults, but they helped each other grow and see their own strengths. I love the body diversity and the nod to chronic pain and injury. Wonderful book and so glad I read it.

The gateway drug to my OBSESSION with Olivia Dade …

I picked this book out for a vacation listen and YES!!! Walk, don’t run, Olivia’s amazing storytelling wants to to be safe and easy on those knees.

All of her characters make me FALL in love and this is a couple that I come back to time and time again. The universe she creates a better version of our world, and I want friends and partners like the ones she leaves on the page.

Buy everything she’s ever written, and have so much fun reading for the first time. There will be a second … and third, and —

Well you get the idea 😏

A Perfect Summer Read *Chef’s Kiss*

When I picked up *40-Love*, I hadn’t read any of the other books in the *Something About Marysburg* series—it was just a referral for a readathon I’m doing next month. I was pleasantly surprised with this book, especially considering that the reverse age gap is sort of hit or miss for me. In my experience, reverse age gap books feature desperate or sad women who lack self-worth.

This one was different. The FMC, Tess, while a little insecure around an attractive younger man, is very self-assured, motivated, and successful. She does have some baggage from a past relationship and doubts herself as a 40-year-old having spicy thoughts about a 26-year-old. However, she doesn’t have the traditional desperation that many characters in similar positions seem to have.

*40-Love* was very fun, a great summer vacation read, and super cute. There was a little bit of spice—maybe 2 to 2.5 chili peppers out of five—but the story was really sweet and endearing, much more emotional than I anticipated. I really enjoyed this read and hope that you do too! I will for sure. I will for sure be checking out the rest of the series.

I loved the body positivity

I truly enjoyed this one. I loved reading about someone who was older than 20 and a plus size FMC. YES! The age gap and the relationship development between the FMC and the MMC was playful with a touch of some realistic challenges.

nothing

didn't like this book at all. the story was blah. definitely was missing something. more of a story line, felt like I was listening to a b budget adult film.

Not great

Started out bad and stayed that way. I didn’t like any of the characters and found it hard to get invested.

awful

Awfully awful. Just awful. Awful in every respect. I regret this purchase. It was an awful decision.