Living in her hometown of Darling Lake and owning the coffee shop she’s worked at since she was 16, Maddie has a comfortable, pleasant life—on paper. But after years of doing everything solo, she’s eager to have someone in her life who she can lean on. At the very least, she doesn’t want to have to attend her best friend’s wedding alone, which is why she signs up for a dating app and agrees to meet the first guy who messages her. But it’s not her date he sits down with her at the bar—it’s his dad. Axel is the very definition of a Silver Fox: strong and broad, with piercing blue eyes and covered in tattoos, he’s giving all the best Big Bad Wolf vibes, and Maddie has no interest in running—not when he looks at her like he wants to eat her whole.

Between Praise, Chasing the Wild, and now Latte Darling, it turns out I totally have a thing for the age gap trope, especially 15+ years. This book was HOT—scorchingly so—but it was also laugh out loud funny and super adorable. Whilst a few of MMC Axel’s actions/reactions didn’t sit right for me for a contemporary romance, he and FMC Maddie had incredible chemistry and their sweet romance definitely made me feel gooey and giggly a few times. I loved reading both Maddie’s and Axel’s POVs; I felt a strong connection with both of them, and I especially enjoyed Axel’s shoulder angel/devil commentary as he navigated his attraction to and feelings for Maddie. I really hope that I’ll get to return to Darling Lake again in the future!