Problematic Summer Romance Review: The Complicated Companion to Not in Love

Is Problematic Summer Romance worth reading? Here's an honest review of Ali Hazelwood's age-gap summer romance.

8/4/20263 min read

Problematic Summer Romance Review: The Complicated Companion to Not in Love

The title alone tells you what this book is doing — leaning directly into the discomfort of its premise rather than hiding from it. Here's my honest take on Ali Hazelwood's companion read to Not in Love (check my Not in Love review first, since reading order matters here).

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Quick Answer

Yes, with the understanding that the book's central tension — a significant age gap and power imbalance between the leads — is exactly what it says on the tin. Hazelwood doesn't shy away from the discomfort her title promises, and I think the book is more thoughtful about that tension than a quick premise summary suggests.

What It's About

Set against a summer backdrop connected to the world of Not in Love, the story follows a relationship defined by a significant age gap and complicated power dynamics between the two leads. Rather than glossing over the very real tension that premise creates, the book leans into it directly, using the "problematic" framing in its own title as an acknowledgment rather than a dismissal of the discomfort involved.

My Honest Take

I appreciate that Hazelwood doesn't pretend the central relationship's power imbalance isn't a real issue — the book's title itself signals self-awareness, and I think that honesty is what keeps this from feeling like the genre's more careless age-gap entries. Whether that self-awareness fully resolves the discomfort for every reader is a fair question, and I don't think there's a universal right answer.

The self-aware framing is the book's smartest choice. Rather than pretending the age gap and power dynamics aren't genuinely complicated, the narrative acknowledges the tension directly, which I found more honest than romance novels that handle similar premises without any self-awareness at all.

Connection to Not in Love adds context, but isn't strictly required. Reading Not in Love first enriches the world and background, but I don't think it's essential to following this book's central relationship.

This won't work for every reader, and I don't think it's trying to. Age-gap romance with real power imbalance is a genuinely divisive subgenre — some readers actively seek this dynamic out, others find it uncomfortable regardless of authorial self-awareness. I think Hazelwood is writing for the former group specifically here, not trying to convert skeptics.

The prose and banter retain her signature voice. Even in more uncomfortable territory than her lighter STEM romances, Hazelwood's humor and character voice remain intact, which helps ground the book even during its more tension-heavy stretches.

What to Know Before You Start

The title is accurate — go in aware of the premise. This isn't a book that hides its central tension; it names it directly, which I'd recommend taking as a genuine heads-up rather than just marketing copy.

Reading Not in Love first adds context. They're connected, and the world-building benefits from reading in order, even if not strictly required.

This is a divisive subgenre by design. Age-gap romance with real power imbalance isn't going to work for every reader, and that's true here regardless of how self-aware the writing is.

Who Should Read This

  • Readers who specifically enjoy age-gap romance and want Hazelwood's voice applied to it

  • Fans of Not in Love who want to continue in that connected world

  • Anyone who appreciates self-aware handling of a genuinely complicated romance premise

Who Might Want to Skip It

  • Readers who find age-gap power imbalance uncomfortable regardless of authorial self-awareness

  • Anyone wanting Hazelwood's lighter, less ethically complicated STEM romances instead

Amazon link: Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to read Not in Love first? It's recommended for context, though not strictly required to follow this book's central story.

Is the age gap addressed directly in the book, or glossed over? Addressed directly — the title itself signals the book's self-awareness about its central tension.

Is this her most divisive book? Likely, alongside Deep End — both push into more ethically complicated or intense territory than her lighter catalog.

Final Thoughts

Problematic Summer Romance earns points for honesty about exactly what it is, rather than pretending its central tension isn't real. Whether that self-awareness is enough to make the premise work for you is a genuinely personal call — but I respect that Hazelwood isn't trying to have it both ways here.