Originally published as The Younger Man
A reckless, obsessive soccer star. A forbidden affair that could ruin her career. The locker room has never been this steamy.
The Younger Man, an epic standalone forbidden age-gap sports romance, by New York Times bestselling author Karina Halle, is live!
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Blurb
Starting over was her only option.
Forty-years old and still reeling from a public and painful divorce, Thalia Blackwood is looking for a fresh start, somewhere far away from her upside down life. When she’s offered a new job as the sports therapist for a football (soccer) team, she jumps at the chance. This is just what she needs to leave the heartbreak and shame of Manchester behind, trading it in for the warmth and hopeful vibrancy of Madrid.
He was her only desire.
Twenty-three year old Alejo Albarado is rising up the ranks in his career. As the charming forward for the Real Madrid team, Alejo’s life revolves around women, parties, and being a tabloid darling, that is until the new sports therapist joins the team.
Their passion could not be ignored.
What starts out as a strictly professional relationship between Thalia and the young Spanish player, slowly evolves into something more. Much more.
Their relationship was forbidden.
But their combustible chemistry and simmering sexual tension can only go so far—should Thalia give into Alejo’s advances, she’s at risk of not only losing her job, but succumbing to a much younger man will drag her through the spotlight again.
Alejo might be worth that risk.
Unless he breaks her heart in the process.
The Younger Man is a full-length standalone romance. Characters from Love, in English make a cameo in this book, however The Younger Man is intended to be read as a STANDALONE.
Review
5 passionate, swoony, epically romantic stars!
Oh, my heart! I’ve been through it all with this book, and I’m absolutely in love with this chemistry-filled, epic love story. An older woman/younger man sports romance with an angst-inducing forbidden twist, this book held me captivated for 500+ pages of sexual tension, chemistry, passion, angst, drama and soul-deep love, and I loved it so much.
And with a book like this, I couldn’t help but highlight my way through the book, so beware my quote-whorey review.
Against all odds, physical therapist Thalia rose through the typically male-dominated world of sports therapy to score a job with legendary English soccer team, Manchester United. But her dreams fell apart when her marriage to the team’s coach fell apart after he cheated on her. Suffering after a humiliatingly public divorce, she’s heading off to Madrid to become the lead physical therapist to one of Europe’s best soccer teams, Real Madrid, 40 years old and looking for a fresh start.
Alejo Albarado is a 23 year old forward for Real Madrid. He’s come from a poor and tragic upbringing to become one of the greats, and he is revelling in his success and his life in the spotlight.
All it takes is one glance between Thalia and Alejo and they are smitten. They keep things professional, with perhaps a little innocent flirting, but the more time they spend together, the mad chemistry between them becomes undeniable and the sexual tension builds brilliantly until they inevitably give in to it.
He pulls back just enough to stare into my eyes with this dark, raw desire. “I’m going to worship you.”
Though mind-blowing, Thalia knows that nothing can come of a relationship with Alejo, but their first encounter has only made them desperate for more, and they soon find themselves in the middle of a passionate, but illicit, affair.
“This isn’t over between us. It’s just beginning. I’ve had a taste of you. I’m not going to want anything else.”
It’s hot, passionate, and so, so easy to fall together, and I loved watching it all unfold.
“This is my favorite view,” he says to me. “You, beneath me, smiling. Don’t ever change.”
“Don’t ever stop fucking me like this,” I tell him, briefly sticking out my tongue.
His lips curl in a lopsided smile and he leans in, kissing me.
This, this, this.
I want this forever.
OMG, this love story is so, so beautiful! It’s passionate and emotional, with a soul-deep intensity that just swept me away. I swooned and fanned myself, sometimes at the same time, and I fell in mad love with Alejo and the love he has for Thalia.
“My heart,” he murmurs, “it beats for you, Thalia. Now and always. I love you. Te amo. And this love burns like the sun.”
But Thalia has insecurities and worries about their 17-year age difference, and of course Real Madrid staff aren’t allowed to become involved with players in any way, so every moment that she’s with Alejo she is putting her job on the line.
He sighs, closing his eyes. “I hate this,” he says softly. He lets his head fall to the side and looks at me. His eyes seem to dig straight into my heart. “
Why do we have to hide? I don’t want to hide.”
The secrecy adds a delicious intensity to everything, but of course it leads to drama. They have ups and downs as their romance plays out, and I ached for all that they go through. I felt it all, hurting and crying right along with them as they figure it all out.
“You’re worth it!” I yell. “You’re worth everything to me, more than the game, more than anything else I hold dear in the world. Fuck, Thalia, you are my world and everything in it. You are my sun, my heart.”
It’s such a hard situation, and a wild rollercoaster as their heads battle with their hearts, and as much as it’s a love story, it’s also a journey for Alejo, and more so Thalia, to discover who they are and what they want. And though it hurt, it’s well written and I could understand all that they were feeling, and it’s worth it for the ending that heals all the hurt and is so, so satisfying.
“My path in life leads right into your arms.”
Along for the ride is Thalia’s boss and Real Madrid coach, Mateo Casalles. Karina fans will know Mateo and Vera from Love, in English, which is still one of my all-time favourite reads, so I was in heaven seeing them again. They feature quite heavily as friends to both Thalia and Alejo, especially given the similarities in their situations, and they are just fantastic and I thought the tie-in was so cleverly done. You don’t need to have read Love, In English to follow this book, it’s just a bonus for fans, and hopefully a taste that will encourage you to go back and read Mateo and Vera’s story if you haven’t already.
I love so much about this book – the characters, the writing, the love story, the excitement of the soccer games, the Spanish setting and the chemistry, love and emotion that flows through it all. Karina has done a really wonderful job with this story, I’m still swooning!
“My heart is your heart. Your heart is my home.”
5 stars.
An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Karina Halle’s Interconnected Sports Romance
Meet Karina
Karina Halle is a former travel writer and music journalist and The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestselling author of The Pact, Love, in English, The Artists Trilogy, Dirty Angels and over 20 other wild and romantic reads. She lives on an island off the coast of British Columbia with her husband and her rescue pup, where she drinks a lot of wine, hikes a lot of trails and devours a lot of books.
Halle is represented by the Root Literary and is both self-published and published by Simon & Schuster and Hachette in North America and in the UK.
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