Reticent Hawke (The Hawke Family Second Generation Book 2) by Gwyn McNamee – Review by Tara Johnson Barnes

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

Reticent Hawke is the Second Book in The Hawke Family Second Generation Series. This is a forbidden romance, older woman, friends to lover’s story told from multiple POV’s. The story centers around the characters of Jude and Angelina. Jude was not born into the Hawke family but was adopted by them, so he is considered family. He had a rough childhood which has left him traumatized and weary of human touch. Angelina/Angie is a member of the Hawke family and is 12 years older than Jude. She is the only person who has been able to reach Jude and the only person that he feels comfortable with. Angie and Jude feel a very strong connection and bond between them that goes beyond being family. They are intensely attracted to one another and find it hard to work through the feelings they have towards one another.

This book was beautifully written and took me on a rollercoaster ride of emotions. The characters of Jude and Angie were instantly lovable and relatable, and the storyline hit close to home for me. As an older woman who met, fell in love, and married a younger man I can fully understand society’s view of this type of a relationship. It is socially acceptable for older men to date younger women but not necessarily the other way around. My husband is fifteen years my junior and even I struggled with the age gap and how society would view our relationship. The author did a wonderful job of writing about this reverse age gap romance. I found myself rooting for Jude and Angie to be together. This book has angst, drama, passion, family, hope, romance, tension, and love. I loved this book and cannot wait for the next one in the series! I highly recommend this book!

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