Karina Halle's The Younger Man ARC Review

Thank you to Karina Halle and the team at Social Butterfly PR for the advance reader copy of The Younger Man.

It is so exciting to wrap up a year of reviewing with Karina’s latest and one of her greatest. Karina is so good at an emotionally, heartwrenching, age-gap romance.

Check out the Goodreads synopsis below…

“Starting over was her only option.

Forty-years old and still reeling from a public and painful divorce, Thalia Blackwood is looking for a fresh start, somewhere far away from her upside down life. When she’s offered a new job as the sports therapist for a football (soccer) team, she jumps at the chance. This is just what she needs to leave the heartbreak and shame of Manchester behind, trading it in for the warmth and hopeful vibrancy of Madrid.

He was her only desire.

Twenty-three year old Alejo Albarado is rising up the ranks in his career. As the charming forward for the Real Madrid team, Alejo’s life revolves around women, parties, and being a tabloid darling, that is until the new sports therapist joins the team.

Their passion could not be ignored.

What starts out as a strictly professional relationship between Thalia and the young Spanish player, slowly evolves into something more. Much more.

Their relationship was forbidden.

But their combustible chemistry and simmering sexual tension can only go so far—should Thalia give into Alejo’s advances, she’s at risk of not only losing her job, but succumbing to a much younger man will drag her through the spotlight again.

Alejo might be worth that risk.

Unless he breaks her heart in the process.”

Check out my more detailed thoughts…

Characters: Thalia and Alejo are the main characters of this epic love story. Both characters have gone through such hardships in their lives and they have come out the other side strong and resilient. Thalia was a wonderful protagonist. The character who really shined for me was Alejo, who was mature despite his young age. A good friend, teammate, brother, son, and lover. I do also want to mention here that if you’ve read Love in English you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the amount of screen time Matteo and Vera get.
Setting: Madrid, Spain (mostly, can’t tell you where else cause big spoilers). Karina is the master of an international setting and it was so wonderful to travel back to Madrid as its been years since I’ve read Love in English.
Pacing: This book is on the longer side but it did not feel like it at all. Maybe it’s because I read most of it by staying up to 1:30 am crying my eyes out cause this book was that good.
Romance: Karina my queen! I bow down to how good the romance was in this book. I cried at every turn when they first started to fall in love, every obstacle along the way, and the HEA at the end. I was into this relationship; mind, body, and soul.

I give The Younger Man five out of five stars.