Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood Summary
What’s This Book Even About?
So technically, this is a follow-up to Not in Love—but it follows a different couple. Pretty standard for romance series. I didn’t even finish Not in Love. I put it down around page 145. Kind of a soft DNF, but I skimmed it a bit just to look for Maya and Connor (aka the new couple), and found some things that made me want to come back.
I stopped reading the first one because their chemistry was… a lot. Like, “I’ve known you for an hour but you are my queen and I will kneel” level of intensity. Chill, dude. Felt like I was watching Star Wars—Anakin and Padme level energy. At one point I even wondered if this was Dune coded. Harkness… Harkonnens?? Probably not.
Meet Maya and Connor
Maya is the main character in Problematic Summer Romance. She’s 23, kinda quirky in a lowkey way. I know she’s quirky because in the first book, she finger-guns someone. That’s canon. You don’t do that unless you’re quirky.
Connor—also called Hark—is 38, Irish, and happens to be Maya’s older brother’s best friend and business partner. So yeah, it’s giving “forbidden age-gap slow burn” energy. Maya’s been lowkey (or maybe highkey) crushing on him forever. He was in love with another girl from their group, but they broke up, and now he’s just… existing. Maya comes back from abroad and things get interesting real fast.
They’re All in Italy. Of Course.
The entire group is in Italy for a wedding. Maya’s brother is getting married, and Maya’s trying her absolute best to avoid Connor. She even thought about skipping the wedding altogether just to not see him. Something happened last year—something awkward, painful, unresolved—and now she wants nothing to do with him. Except… she still has feelings.
Flashbacks start filling in the blanks. Turns out Maya and Connor had some kind of connection before, even before Not in Love. Nothing happened (I think?), but the crush was very real. Present-day Maya is trying to get over him, but he’s right there, in the same villa, probably wearing linen shirts and looking like a whole problem.
Their Dynamic Is a Mess (But in a Fun Way)
Let me just say—this man. This 38-year-old man called her a child. Twice. First, he said she was acting like a “red dye–guzzling child.” Then, “the childest brat you so love to remind me you aren’t.” I literally wanted to smack him. Flashbacks show him being sweet and supportive, but present-day Connor? Sir, relax.
Still, I’m eating this up. I love the tension, the pining, the uncomfortable silences at dinner. Maya thinking Connor has a new girlfriend (who’s actually super sweet) adds even more awkward spice to everything.
There’s one scene—she sees him laughing with that maybe-girlfriend and her stomach's like, “Hey, can we just die real quick?” and she goes, “No, in this body we endure.” Iconic.
The Writing (And Humor) Is So Ally Hazelwood
Hazelwood’s writing is peak rom-com. The dialogue is snappy, the humor is weird and dramatic in the best way. Maya’s competitive alter ego is literally called “Mayaon,” like a little monster version of herself that shows up during sports. There’s a scene where her friends kick her out of a soccer game because she’s being that competitive. Connor brings her water. She responds with, “It’s always water this, water that. But when I try to drink the blood of my enemies…”
Like, it’s violent. But cute. But funny. I love it.
Rating
I’m giving this a solid 4 out of 5 stars.
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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ First half: Perfection.
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⭐⭐⭐ Second half: A bit frustrating.
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⭐⭐⭐⭐ Overall: Still loved it.
If I had to be very picky, I’d say it’s a 3.85—but I’ll round up because of the writing, humor, and emotional payoff.
The Frustration Hits (Of Course)
Okay, real talk—I hit that classic forbidden-romance wall. The “what even is the problem anymore?” wall. Maya’s into him. He’s into her. They’re both adults. She was 21 when they reconnected. It’s not illegal. So like… what’s the holdup?
At this point, I want to yell at both of them. Especially Maya. I love her, but she’s acting like a dramatic teen sometimes. And Connor’s 38 but also kind of a child? It’s messy. And honestly, I liked the past timeline more than the present one. The flashbacks had all the slow-burn magic, while the current stuff is just stress.
Still, I Couldn’t Put It Down
Even when I was annoyed, I kept flipping pages. The writing pulls you in. There’s a cameo from one of Hazelwood’s older books (not spoiling it, but you’ll know when it happens). There’s some jealousy, some dumb miscommunication, and a whole lot of can you two PLEASE just talk to each other energy.
One scene had me crying on page 344. Full tears. I wasn’t filming, but it happened.
Final Thoughts
The ending? Weirdly perfect. I was so mad, but then one character said the exact thing I needed them to say. It dragged a tiny bit, but the payoff was worth it. I was giggling like an idiot by the final chapter.
Rating? Solid 4 stars. Maybe a 3.85 if I’m being annoying about it. But definitely 4. The first half was near-perfect. The second half frustrated me. But the humor? The writing? The emotion? Worth it.
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