Customer Reviews

In Love With a Younger Man

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Oh! Ms. Robinson has a HOT one! This book is a definite must have and the perfect fodder for girl's night out!!! An old topic - but Ms. Robinson has definitely done her homework on this one! Olena has it all together, a hot career, financial stability and good looks. She is without a man, good relationships and girlfriends due to her competitive nature. Readers are taken back to Olena's youth to get answers. The two men? Jason and Matthew - well, I don't want to give too much away - but I must say I would be torn also. If there is ever a female prime - an Alpha (besides myself) then Ms. Olena is it! I LOVED this book and I could not put it down. The sex = HOT, the plot = thought provoking and NOT predictable!!! Yes! I am gushing and I usually don't! GET THIS BOOK - when you re done with it - pass it onto your girls! This book is about a very controversial topic - older woman, younger man but there is also a few other topics/issues that you will discover as you read!

Overall this book was actually pretty good. I usually don't read love stories, and the cover/title was kind of a turn off. They seemed very typical. However once I started reading this book, I was intrigued. It definitely kept me guessing and wanting to read more. There were a few typos and some things that seemed as if the author was trying too hard, but all in all it was good. The reason I only gave it 3 stars was because of the ending. I was throughly dissappointed in the ending. There are tons of unanswered questions left. I did not know this was going to be a sequel, and was frankly very upset at the way the book ended. I felt like I had just wasted 2 days on something that was not very satisfying. Even if the author had decided she was going to make a part 2 to this book, she could have transitioned us slowly into an unfinished ending. But the way this was written was as if Ms. Robinson simply decided she had said enough and did not know what else to say so "I'm done". No "I will see you later, I'll be back soon, I'm on my way"...just simply I'm done-The End.
Very dissapointing.

When the Lord spoke through the prophet Isaiah in the bible; chapter 43 verse 19 he said "I am creating something new. There it is! Do you see it"? I believe that's how Olena Day felt; the need to become a new creation from the inside out. After twenty five years of regrets and seven years of putting her career first Olena "Sr. Key Accounts Manager" in the country is afforded the opportunity to take a paid sabbatical from her job.
In four weeks Olena will be on her way to discovering a part of her and aspects of life she thought escaped her; like finding someone to love her. However this discovery doesn't come without pain and heartache nor is it present without surprises that teach life lessons."In Love with a Younger Man" is an emotional ride through the heart of Olena as she decides who deserves to co-star in her life. The quick moving relationship with Matthew that satisfies all her surface emotions or the slow burning one with Jason that touches so deep she didn't realize how deep until life and death were crouching at the door.

Ms. Robinson has done it again; her gift as a writer continues to satiate the adult and the young at heart in all of us. An exhilarating read you will invite everyone you know to enjoy.

Olena Day has never had it easy with men. After her first boyfriend in high school committed suicide, Olena went off to college seeking a brand new start. Things begin looking up for her until she gets her heart broken by an upperclassman. Olena is now 43-years old and is a successful businesswoman. She just started her year long sabbatical from her job when she meets ex-football star Jason Nix. She becomes interested in a platonic friendship with Jason until she meets the sexy Matthew Harper. Matthew is a successful finance manager at a luxury car dealership and he's everything that Olena is looking for. The only problem with Matthew is that he's only 25-years-old. Can Olena put aside Matthew's age difference in order to pursue a long-term relationship with him?

Cheryl Robinson once again brought a thought-provoking and entertaining novel with In Love With a Younger Man. Robinson put a very modern spin on May/December relationships. You can see how Olena can fall in love with Matthew and will want to root for their relationship. However, you can also see Jason as the more suitable choice for Olena given his age and life experience. Robinson captured the little problems that Olena and Matthew have due to their age difference, like Matthew's preference for text messaging instead of having actual telephone conversations. This story is full of humor and some unexpected twists that could possibly lead to a sequel. In Love With a Younger Man is a wonderful contemporary story about relationships that can be enjoyed by all.

Reviewed by Radiah Hubbert
for Urban Reviews

Armed with her high school diploma, Olena Day has very ambitious plans and is headed to Howard University. She is going to earn an English degree and write the next great American novel. That is until she makes the ultimate freshman mistake. She falls in love with an upperclassman and when the relationship does not work out, she returns to Detroit. Still determined, she enrolls in another college to finish pursuing her career goals. Fast forward twenty five years and Olena is a very sucessful account executive. She is husbandless, childless and still has not written that great American novel. She reaffirms her goal to write that novel as she takes a year sabbatical from her job. In Cheryl Robinson's newest novel, In Love With A Younger Man, will Olena Day finally accomplish her goal or does she become side-tracked again?

While on a flight from Orlando to Atlanta, Olena meets former football player Jason Nix. After her encounter with him, she decides that Atlanta might be just the place to settle down. Jason, ever the gentleman, and Olena begin a relationship, a platonic one because she is determined to remain celibate. Then, one day she walks into a car dealership and meets the sucessful and confident finance manager, Matthew Harper. Initially, they do not get off on a good foot, but his persistence earns him a chance to get to know Olena better. They establish a relationship that was a lot different from Olena and Jason's. With Matthew, she puts up with a lot of things she would not tolerate from other men. Could age be a factor? After all, she is 43 and he is 25.

In Love with a Younger Man gives the reader the insight into the psyche of a "cougar"; A cougar being a women who dates younger men. She poses questions such as: Why cougars choose younger men? Why do they tolerate the immature actions of these men and can they really love a man young enough to be their son? This was an eye-opening read. I wondered aloud several times while reading this novel, "Is she for real?" and thought "I would not tolerate that, he needs to be kicked to the curb!" I think Cheryl Robinson fans will like this book. It has all the elements for an entertaining read: drama, sex and interesting characters.

Jeanette
APOOO BookClub

Finally a story about a woman who has to choose between the man she is really in love with or the man who will provide for her best in a traditional manner. The author captured all angles of relationships and leaves you with arefreshing tale of a woman following her heart instead of her mind. Great book.

I'm not good at sticking with books where the heroine is totally unlikeable (no wonder she had no friends). Was tempted to return this one to the library, but toughened it out. It does have a slow start and from the beginning Olena comes across as a pain in the butt with major issues (does she even like her parents?)
She seems to be full of me, me, me syndrome - a corporate, material success but a personal failure when it comes to what really matters in life - being there for people. Even her neice sees through her selfishness. Anyway once the two young 'suitors' come along, things start to get interesting. A classic case of age not teaching Olena wisdom ensues with how she handles her relationships. The ending was a huge disappointment and knocks off marks for what could have been a 5 star story (I give it 3.5 instead)

It was a good read. Poor Olena. I really didn't see what the hype was about as far as Matthew or Jason, because they were both cocky and full of themselves. Seems to me, at one time or another, they both put Olena down as far as her age was concerned. However, she continued to deal with both of them. I have to say, I did like the ending because there are times so much is going on and life gets so overwhelming...what more can a person say or do? I do hope there is a sequel to this story.

Like some of the other reviewers, I agree that this book started off slowly. However I could see how the author wanted to provide as much of a back story on Olena, the protagonist, as she could so that the reader would understand what made her the way she was: somewhat bitter and never lucky in love. I liked Olena in the end, but it was very frustrating that for a woman as accomplished as she was, she couldn't settle on one 'younger' man before the end of the story. Yes, there were two younger men in her life. I was rooting for Jason. The other situation was simply untenable in my opinion. Read the book. It was interesting and I wish Ms Robinson a great deal of success selling this book to someone who will make it into a film. We need more good films about mature African American women, and men.

Olena Day has paid her dues and worked hard. As a result, she's a successful businesswoman. However, her personal life has suffered. At 43, she's single, without children, doesn't have any friends, nor has she accomplished her dream of writing a novel. Determined to write a novel, she takes a year off. It's during that time that she meets possible suitors Jason and Matthew. Each man has his own pros and cons (age being a big CON) and Olena is attracted to both for different reasons. Can she handle being in love with a younger man?

I was skeptical at first as this novel started off extremely slow and didn't really have my complete interest. Olena was extremely uptight, which made it hard to attach to the story. But as I continued reading, it became better...much better, especially after Matthew and Jason appeared on the scene. At this point I was totally intrigued. I absolutely hated the way "In Love With a Younger Man" ended, though. I couldn't believe that Cheryl Robinson left the novel the way she did. I'm very excited to read the continued novel to see the outcome.


Reviewed by: Jasmine