This book was short, sweet and spicy. I loved the reverse age gap aspect and the main characters had a lot of fun with each other. The instalove aspect was definitely not my favorite and felt very rushed but the setting was beautiful and definitely set the scene. It was overall a quick and fun read.
I listened to the audiobook and loved the female narrator voice but I had a hard time with the male narrators voice during the spicy scenes.

Picante 🌶️🌶️🌶️
AFRO-LATINE Dominican MCs
Reverse age gap
Single parent/s
Dual POV
Audio read

Fun, fast paced romance. I don’t know how I would react if my teens set me up like they did Trinidad y Orlando. 😳
I loved the representation, the culture, the Spanglish!
AND the Marvel (and other superhero) references.
Enjoyed the audio. The narrators were good. Though I wished we’d gotten Trinidad’s POV in a spicy scene or two.

This was my first book by this author, just added Out Of Office to my TBR.

I love how open considerate and vulnerable the main characters were with each other it was really refreshing to read! While I’m not a fan of age gap romances. I felt this one was really well written and thought out. They both had a lot of baggage and it took a minute for them both to realize that they were what each one was looking for. If age gaps don’t bother you this cozy sweet romance is a great pick!

I read a digital arc of this book before receiving the audiobook and fell in love with the story.

With this audiobook, the voices of the narrators didn't quite match the vibe of the characters for me. I still enjoyed the story just as much though.

I went in with pretty low expectations because, honestly, age gap romances usually give me the ick—most of the time, they feel unbalanced or borderline predatory. But this one was so well done that the gap didn’t even matter. I was glued to my Kindle from start to finish!

The characters completely won me over. Brandon and Brian were such sweet, thoughtful boys. Miranda was the kind of friend everyone needs—funny, supportive, and brutally honest. Trinidad was incredibly selfless and dedicated, while Orlando was wise beyond his years in every way—maturity, emotional intelligence, and just everything.

The connection between the main characters was undeniable. Despite their differences, their compatibility and shared values shone through. I loved how they influenced each other in ways that fostered self-awareness, self-love, and real personal growth.

I absolutely loved the direct communication and appreciated that the romance wasn’t bogged down by immature misunderstandings or unnecessary back-and-forth drama.

I honestly can’t recommend this book enough!


Thank you for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook early!

I really enjoyed this spicy, age gap romance. The Caribbean culture is wonderfully woven into the story. The author does a great job balancing humor, spice, and conflicts between the two main characters. And the cover is gorgeous!!

Thank you so much to NetGalley/Publisher for the ARC!

muy caliente 🌶️

Spicy, cute, brimming with cultural. This is a quick + fun romp that will be sure to get your blood pumping!

What’s to love…
- reverse age gap 35F/25M
- single mom
- Carnival setting
- Caribbean/Afro-Latine/DR rep - tons of culture infused in the narrative
- steamy AF
- Sex positive
- Grade A tension + banter

What’s not to love…
- pacing wasn’t my favorite, at times the narrative felt rushed
- There were quite a few areas where thoughts/feelings/justifications were overexploited. It almost felt like the author didnt trust her readers to draw the correct conclusions and instead spelled out exactly how the reader should feel or interpret a certain situation
- I could have done without the constant talk about painting the shower 👀

Audio Narration: I enjoyed both the female and male narrator, although I found their pacing to be slightly different so I had to change my speed each time the narrator changed.

🌶️ - I'm sorry, I forgot to bookmark the spicy chapters - that tends to happen with audiobooks, but this is very spicy, most chapters have some mention of smex or self-play.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Books for the ALC. All opinions are my own.

A.H. Cunningham always writes a cute and spicy love story that makes you want to go on vacation. This story was really cute and quick. Bother Trinidad and Orlando were endearing characters. They honestly both seems like they needed to let loose so I think they served each other well while finding love with each other. I also think it’s funny how Trinidad’s sons are essentially the reason for this set. They knew their mama needed something different. Lol

I really enjoyed the narrators for this book as well! They did a great job making the characters come to life.

4.25/5. Releases 4/29/25.

—responsible single mom having her hot girl summer

—if the alternative is a guy named "Milton"...

—Carnival! fetes! getting away from it all truly AWAY FROM IT ALL

Heat Index: 7/10

The Basics:

Trinidad Velasquez is a 35-year-old single mom who puts her boys first at every moment; Orlando is her sons' 25-year-old mentor, and he can't possibly be appropriate for her. Milton, the man who's thisclose to committing to her, is—not that he's very exciting. When Trinidad unexpedctedly finds herself in a resort town, in the midst of Carnival, with Orlando... She can't possibly access her old self with this man. Can she?

The Review:

I have a soft spot for a girl How Stella Got Her Groove Back moment, which I feel is kind of hard to NOT think about when you're enjoying the story of a responsible woman rediscovering herself with a younger man. Unlike Stella, however, this is a true romance novel—and Orlando is a fully-realized character who exists as more than Trinidad's "reawakening trigger". Which makes him all the more likable!

To be honest, I don't think you need to be a mother, or even in your mid-thirties, to understand where Trinidad is. She's warm and gentle with those she loves and trusts... but that circle is small, and Orlando (understandably) isn't part of it. She wants the best for herself; she just isn't exactly sure what the best is, or how she can get it.

Which actually puts her in a similar place to Orlando—while he openly pursues her, he's also stuck between what he thinks he should do and what he actually wants.

One of the things you often run into with age gap romances is this idea that it's just not right because he's yoooung! And she'd oooold! Occasionally, there's also the idea that the hero might want kids and the heroine won't (or can't) provide them. I get it—but it can get kind of stale, which sucks as I generally enjoy books wherein the heroine is older than the hero.

Which is why I loved that, while Trinidad has her initial hangups about hers and Orlando's age difference (the novel deals with the kid question in a way I loved), that's really not the issue. The issue is that Orlando is in a different point in life, and the book actually illustrates what that means in terms of how he handles his emotions, how he sees the world, what he's facing.

Though this is by no means a heavy novel—it's so much fun—that sense of reality ups the stakes and makes you invest even more in these deeply likable people who just deserve love, okay? They deserve love and I wanted to see them get it.

Ms. V's Hot Girl Summer is indeed a great summer romance. I fell in love with the setting—not just the Carnival fete vibes, but the town itself. The locals! The vacation of it all! I don't want to live in a tiny vacation town, but sweeping into it in a romance novel is just! So! Good!

The Sex:

This is a hugely sex positive novel. Trinidad is an unabashedly horny heroine—you get sex toy usage on the page, and while the sex itself takes some building up to... It's both romance novel-y and tangibly real, if that makes sense. Also. Loved seeing a Specific Type of Content on the page...

Conclusion:

You want a summer romance? You've got a summer romance. This is the kind of respite we need right now. It's hot and sweet and fabulous, just like Orlando and Ms. V.

Thanks to Harper Audio and NetGalley for providing me with a copy. of this audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin audio for the free alc. I have not read a book by a.h. Cunningham that I haven't loved and obsessed with. He books are high heat and some of the best latinx books. I live her character developments, how open and honest they are. It's refreshing.

Highly recommend

5/5☆

This was a quick and spicy time about an older woman and a young get man and how they get together during a festival.