A Beginner's Guide to Forever is a cute and fairly quick read about Alessia, the head of a non-profit working on projects around the world to help others and Hart, who comes from a wealthy family and is an investor. They meet one night by chance, and then fate throws them together some time later when Alessia is looking for an investor for her project in Africa, and Hart's family is the investor. Hart seems instantly smitten and invites Alessia to meet him all aroung the world so they can spend time together. Alessia is more hesitant, concerned about their fairly significant age gap and the probablility that they are at very different stages in their lives.

I liked Alessia's determination to bring good to the world. I liked Hart's persistence in seeking Alessia out and arranging time to spend together. Having said that, I didn't really get a feel for why they liked each other. Their connection didn't feel substantial to me. In addition, it didn't feel completely realistic that they could both just jet set whenever they wanted to meet up. I did enjoy that the author chose a story line that was unique in terms of Alessia's work. I did find myself skimming here and there as the story line didn't keep me wholly invested at all times. Overall it was an ok read.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this book to review.

This was a fun romance novel, and I enjoyed it a lot. I am looking forward to reading more by this author.

Alessia is working on her organization, helping to educate girls on underdeveloped areas, her work is her life, she is always on the go, from her place to LA, where she barely stays in, up to Africa in order to establish a new school, she doesn't have time for a new relationship especially after how her last one ended.

Hart is a billionaire whose work takes him all over the world, he and Alessia seems to always bumping into each other no matter where they are located.

Alessia is ten years older than Hart which makes her hesitant to start a relationship with him, seeing as she is so ready for the next step but he might not be.

I loved how Alessia is older and knows what she wants, with an already established business.

I enjoyed all the traveling they did and how they were forming slowly a relationship but I wish they didn't have so many back and forth, they were always one step forward two back and that didn't give them time to spend together and see them in a daily basis.



* I received an ARC and this is my honest opinion.

Just magical and so well written. A book you can fall into and fall in love with! The characters and story are absolute perfection and something everyone needs to pick up and fall head over heels for.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC opportunity!

This was just fine to me. I felt myself struggling to get into it entirely, and im not sure why. . The characters fell a little flat for me, and i really wasnt bought into their chemistry, or really lack there of.

The biggest redeeming quality was the reverse age gap. I loved that she was 37 and he was the younger one, and that dynamic is so rarely showcased.

It’s a beautifully layered tale about breaking your own rules and opening yourself up to love where you least expect it. Honestly, I wanted to live in their world a little longer as it’s that addictive and heartfelt.

This book was just not my cup of tea. I ended up DNFing at around 56%. The relationship between the main characters was just ehh and it kinda felt forced to me.

A Beginner’s Guide to Forever isn’t your typical billionaire romance, and that’s exactly what makes it stand out. Kendall Ryan takes a swing at something more grounded and emotionally layered here, and I really appreciated the direction she went in.

The story follows Alessia Moore, a 37-year-old nonprofit executive who’s building schools for girls in Nairobi, and Hart Winthrop, a 25-year-old with family money that could make or break her mission. The age gap could’ve easily leaned into cliché, but Ryan handles it with real care. No tired tropes, no awkward cougar dynamics, just two adults navigating timing, power, and purpose in a way that feels genuinely thoughtful.

The international settings are a standout. From the heart of Nairobi to other hidden corners of the world, the locations feel rich and purposeful, never just aesthetic filler. You can tell Ryan did her research, because each place feels specific and real, like it’s shaping the characters rather than just decorating their story.

What really hooked me, though, was how well the book balances romance with real-world tension. Alessia’s love life isn’t just about chemistry, it’s tangled up in ethical dilemmas, personal responsibility, and the lives of the girls her work impacts. There are real stakes here, and that depth makes the romance even more compelling.

That said, the third act stumbles a little. Some plot lines – especially around nonprofit politics – lose steam just as they start to get interesting, and a few conflicts wrap up a little too neatly. I also would’ve loved more dimension from the side characters, especially given how strong the leads are.

Still, this book left me impressed. It’s a mature, emotionally satisfying story about love, purpose, and what happens when those things collide. If you like your romance with global settings, moral complexity, and a hero who actually respects the heroine’s work (imagine that), this one’s worth your time.

We love a reverse age gap novel. I really enjoyed the first half of this book and it did fall off slightly for the 2nd half (in my opinion) but it was generally enjoyable. Would recommend for a nice holiday, romance read.

Thanks to Netgalley, Kendall and the publisher for a copy of this book.

This was a wonderful book, I didn’t want it to end. It was engaging, interesting, and a beautiful love story: I loved the main characters and found myself trying to find time to read more often so I could keep going. I’m going to search for more books from this author because I loved the book so much.

What's not to love about a Kendall Ryan book? This is an age-gap romance with an older heroine (Alessia) and younger hero (Hart). Alessia is a successful business woman and I just loved that she was confident enough to take a chance and go for what she wanted. It was a beautifully written slow burn and I just loved every minute of it.

Man of her dreams or just a man to pass the time with. When Alessia meets Hart there is an instant attraction - however - with her being 37 and he only 25 she does not know how to handle him. But with a wonderful storyline and beautifully written characters Kendall Ryan takes her readers on an emotional journey of finding love when you least expect it. The pages will turn quickly and the smiles will be in abundance.

I devoured this book in one sitting!
A fluffy and light romance with an age-gap trope.
The first encounter pulled me in right away, I couldn’t stop reading after that. Hart gave me butterflies. The way he cares for Alessia and carries himself with such confidence around her was just adorable.

I could really feel Alessia’s hesitation too. It’s so relatable. As women, we all have our own insecurities. Even when we say we don’t care about what people think, those rude comments can still sting.

I love how strong and capable she is in her career, but when it comes to love, she’s so unsure. It felt real and honest. The plot flows nicely, and their story is actually pretty inspiring. I finished this in one sitting.

If you like “the idea of you”, then read this book!

The premise and age gap trope had me hooked right away. It was a fun read and I loved the travel and luxury aspects but unfortunately the characters lacked chemistry at times for me! I did like that they were flawed though. I also appreciated the humanitarian efforts and the discourse surrounding this.

Thank you Montlake and Kendall Ryan for letting me read this! I’m looking forward to diving into more of Kendall’s work

Thank you to Montlake Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC of this novel, all opinions are my own.

A fun quick romance that follows Alessia , a 37 year old who runs a nonprofit which through out the book is focused on building a girls school in Nairobi and Hart Winthrop a 25 year old trustfund baby, the pair meet and start a romance that spans the globe. I enjoyed this book, i appreciated Alessia as a character, she is strong and independent and after spending her 30's in a relationship that ultimately didn't give her what she wants she is putting her wants and needs first. Hart is an absolute sweetheart.

The romance while sweet did fall a bit flat for me, a lot of the bonding between the pair through the phone/email and thus we didn't get to see them connect as much as i would have liked. The time they did spend together, especially later in the book became a bit repetitive with Alessia having concerns about their age gap and Hart soothing them temporarily only for them to repeat it in a new city.

The side characters could have been fleshed out a little more but given it is a short novel it might not have been feasible. The only two that seemed to get significant page time were Alessia's best friend Scarlet and Hayes, Hart's (evil) cousin. Would have loved to see more about Hart's friends and Alessia's assistant Joslyn.

All in all this an easy read with a good message and a sweet romance.

This book started out cute. I was intrigued by the opposite age trope. It was a miss for me though. I found it slightly strange how she kept talking about him like “his boyish grin”. Overall, it just wasn’t for me. Thank you @NetGalley for the arc.

I just finished a great book. A Beginners Guide to Forever by the amazing Kendall Ryan is out this summer. Pick it up! This is one you won’t want to miss!

Great Summer Read! Fun traveling and romance story! Gorgeous cover drew me in immediately! Love a good age gap….makes things interesting.

Alessia Moore has dedicated her life to her work, she is heading up a nonprofit that is in the process of raising funds to build a school for young girls in Nairobi. But with giving so much of herself to her work it has become the only thing she has to focus on, she doesn't have a love life or much of a personal life... and that is something that secretly bothers her. She's hoping that it's just that Mr. Right hasn't come along, and not because she is just destined to be alone. Then she meets him... but he comes with a whole host of complications.

A Beginner's Guide to Forever is a wonderfully written age-gap romance that is destined to leave your heart happy and put a big smile on your face! Alessia leads a busy life that leaves little time for love, so much so, she has began to doubt that she'll ever really find time for it. But then Hart Winthrop happens and he changes everything, some things being good and some things being complicated bordering bad. But we quickly learn that these two have what it takes to work through it all and make our dreams for a happily ever after real. I loved watching these two dance around one another and find a love that both doubted was possible. It was such a beautiful and heartfelt fall. I loved every minute I spent with them and was quite sad when I flipped the final page, I just wasn't ready to let them go! Highly recommend!

I requested an advanced copy of this title from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving my honest and unbiased opinion.

*Thank you Netgalley for the Arc*

potential spoilers but it’s chapter one!

Sadly I wanted to DNF this book almost instantly but decided to keep pushing through. When the main characters both meet in CHAPTER ONE and are clearly going through relationships problems and you offer for her to go back to your room?! immediate ICK, that was such a fast turn off for me. I am all about banter but that just screams creep. The banter didn’t seem to fit the environment for me.

I just felt like everything seemed forced, the chemistry was off and the constant self doubt and age gap issues that kept coming up weren’t for me.