Problematic Summer Romance

What’s wrong meets what feels irresistible in this sun-soaked, age-gap romance set in Italy from the Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling author of Deep End.

Maya Killgore is twenty-three, still finding her feet, and trying to figure out who she wants to be. Falling for her brother’s best friend was never part of the plan.

Conor Harkness is thirty-eight, successful, and entirely off-limits—and Maya can’t stop thinking about him.

It’s the ultimate romance cliché: older man/younger woman, grumpy biotech executive/struggling grad student, brother’s best friend/forbidden attraction. Conor knows it. Maya knows it. As Conor repeatedly reminds her, the power imbalance makes any relationship between them complicated, messy, and wildly inappropriate. He insists she forget him—especially since he’s made it clear he wants her out of his life for good.

Except clichés don’t always stay predictable… and sometimes they turn into plot twists.

When Maya’s brother announces a destination wedding in Taormina, Maya and Conor find themselves trapped together for more than a week in a romantic Sicilian villa. Against the backdrop of the Ionian coast, ancient ruins, indulgent Italian food, and hidden seaside caves, Maya starts to suspect that Conor isn’t being entirely honest with her—or with himself.

As the wedding spirals into chaos, Maya decides that a temporary summer fling in Italy might be exactly what she needs… even if it’s a deeply problematic one.

Perfect for readers who love forbidden romance, age-gap tension, destination wedding drama, slow-burn chemistry, and emotionally charged contemporary love stories, Problematic Summer is an addictive, escapist romance set under the Sicilian sun. 🇮🇹✨