Problematic Summer Romance

Ali Hazelwood has become one of my go-to romance authors whenever I want smart heroines, witty banter, and a touch of angst. So I had high hopes for her latest novel, Problematic Summer Romance. While there’s a lot to love here (Italy, a dual-timeline setup, and plenty of tension) this one ultimately didn’t land for me. Spoilers ahead for those who haven’t read it yet.

One of the absolute highlights is the setting. A romance novel set in Italy is always a win, and Hazelwood captures the sensory details of the villa so vividly that it makes you want to book a flight immediately. The dual timeline structure also added an interesting dynamic, weaving past and present to give the love story more depth, which is something the central romance desperately needed.

That said, I struggled with the age gap at the heart of the book. Maya is 23, while Conor is 38. And while I’m not opposed to age gap romances (in fact, I often enjoy them when they’re done right), this pairing didn’t quite work. At 23, Maya felt too young for the relationship to feel balanced, and instead of exploring their dynamic in a more nuanced way, the age gap became the sole conflict. I found myself trying to dissociate from the age difference to enjoy the story, but the narrative kept circling back to it, making it impossible to ignore. If Maya had been aged up even slightly, say to 27 or 30, the romance would have felt much less jarring.

What frustrated me most was how this “big conflict” dissolved. After chapters of angst over their age difference, it suddenly became a non-issue without much meaningful resolution. The ending felt formulaic rather than earned, as if the tension had been manufactured only to be brushed aside.

I also wished Hazelwood had explored Maya’s internal conflict and her desire for a different future more deeply. There were glimpses that she didn’t necessarily want to follow the path laid out for her but those threads were tied up too neatly. Watching Maya wrestle with what she truly wanted and not just who she wanted, would have given the story more emotional weight. She also could have turned to Nyota, her friend and confidante, as a stronger sounding board for these struggles. Having Maya lean more on Nyota to voice her doubts and ambitions would have grounded her choices and provided depth to her character that I felt like was missing.

I wanted to love this book as much as I’ve loved Hazelwood’s other works, but it didn’t quite hit the same. The Italian setting and flashback structure were gorgeous, and there were still plenty of moments that made me smile, but ultimately the romance felt weighed down by an unconvincing central conflict. If you’re a devoted Ali Hazelwood fan, you’ll probably still find things to enjoy (the banter, the escapism, the charm of her writing) but for me, Problematic Summer Romance was a rare miss. And while I’m thrilled that The Love Hypothesis is being made into a movie, I honestly hope this one isn’t.