Reticent Hawke: A Billionaire Reverse Age Gap Best Friend’s Older Sister Forbidden Romance by Gwyn McNamee
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Good morning. What a way to start a book, Hehe. I am in love with this series having read the prequel and book one I had been counting down the days until this book finally came out and I had a chance to read it. Jude and Angelina were mentioned in the previous books but not in depth. Finally, we get to see inside Jude’s world and discover why he is so recluse and the heartbreak of his first ten years of life before the Hawkes rescued him.
Jude had been a Hawke for twelve years, and from the very beginning Angelina had stolen his heart. After a life of nothing but pain and fear he had finally found someone that made him feel safe, accepted, and cared for. Angelina is the eldest Hawke second generation, her coffee shop is thriving, but the problems start stacking up quickly in her world. Allie, Jude’s best friend and Angelina’s younger sister, is suddenly more unreliable than ever. Always late, missing and not showing up where she should be when she should be. Fear and worry force Jude to text Angelina and be in the same room with her for the first time in two years. She is the literal dream girl that chases away his nightmares and yet that is all she can ever be, in his dreams. Everything about him captured Angelina’s attention and like Jude it has only grown with the years. Cassius of course once again rears his handsome evil face when Falco Enterprises purchases the space the Hawkes have wanted for years. To make matters worse, they plan to open a coffee shop, just down the street from Angelina’s, Hawkes Daily Grind. Taking place roughly four months after book one, the previous idea of an art gallery/studio comes up by Isaac. What if they have a grand opening the same day or shortly before to steal the attention away from the Falco coffee shop. Only problem, the space is across from Angelina’s and is Jude’s space for his dream of owning a bookshop only it has been three years since the lot was purchased and still nothing has been opened or even shows signs of something to come.
Will Jude ever get the courage to finally tell Angelina how he feels about her? Why has Allie been disappearing? Can Jude overcome his fears and finally live the life he wants to have? Once again, the talented Gwyn McNamee has captured my heart from page one leaving me on the edge of my seat as I rush to the end to find out how it all ends. The ever-evolving world she has created, how it continues to grow revealing more information and secrets along the way. The depth of the characters and how deep their pain and trauma go. Her ability to show the vulnerability of each character and them overcoming their trauma to find the life they crave and deserve leaves you with the feel good when you reach the last page. Can’t wait for book three to see what the Hawkes will face and overcome next in Relentless Hawke, October 26th, 2023. Who captured Cassius Whitakers cold black heart?

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