This book-I have no words. So many lessons to be learned all told in a magnificent life/love story. Much deeper than I expected and so worth reading. Make this story your next read! You’ll be ever so glad you did!

This book was so good! In A Beginner's Guide to Forever, we meet Alessia Moore a woman in her mid to late thirties leading a nonprofit in Nairobi with the goal of opening a school for girls. That aspect of the story was what sold me on picking this up. What I didn't expect was how powerful some of this book truly was. Alessia struggles with her singleness and unexpectedly meets Hart one night while in Italy. The last person that Alessia expected to show up in Nairobi was Hart - having had no contact with him since the night they met. While Hart clearly is set on having Alessia's heart, she's worried with how the age gap between them will play out and appear to other people.

There was absolutely so much to this story that I loved. I really love Hart and Alessia together. The struggles that they faced were more than just surface level relationship issues. The appearance of their relationship could have legitimate impacts on her nonprofit's progress with the school in Nairobi. Overall, I loved the balance between the jet-setting luxury with the poverty stricken village. Kendall Ryan did a wonderful job with this story. There were some minor things that I didn't love - some of the side characters didn't feel as developed and complete as I would have liked. Also, I found this book to be on the shorter side. I would have loved more of this story.

In the first chapter of this story, Alessia quoted real author Richard Bach saying, "You've sacrificed your entire life to be who you are today. Was it worth it?" That one quote packs quite a punch. It stuck with me while reading this story, and it'll stay with me long after reading this story.

I enjoyed this amazing 5 star story. It was a page turning adventure. An age gap.

Alessia knows what she wants and it’s to help the kids in Africa. She also wants kids. Comes in a much younger, rich man, Hart. They embark on an adventure. Alessia is very conflicted about their age gap. Hart needs to convince her they are ment to be together.

I enjoyed this story very much. It was a different kind of story from this author. One I binged read in a few short hours. It was addicting and highly entertaining. Bottomline this is a must read.

Standalone told in a Alesia’s POV with an HEA. I strongly recommend this story.

“He makes me feel things that I haven’t felt in ages—maybe ever.”

A Beginner’s Guide to Forever is a beautifully emotional story centered around two endearing characters, Alessia and Hart. Their easygoing charm and genuine connection made them a joy to follow. Though they clearly enjoyed each other’s company, Alessia grappled with the reality of their age difference and was determined not to burden Hart with her expectations for the future.

“You see me in ways that others don’t.”

As a reader, I found myself rooting for them to overcome their doubts and discover a path forward that honored them both. Alessia was clear-eyed about what she wanted in life—earnest, vulnerable, and full of quiet strength. She offered Hart something he had never known: the freedom to simply be himself, unburdened by the expectations that came with his prominent family background.

“With you I just get to be real. I get to be who I really am.”

Hart, for his part, was emotionally mature beyond his years, even if he stumbled now and then. Their flaws and missteps only made them more human—two fundamentally good people trying to navigate love and build something lasting.

“You are a breath of fresh air. The answer to a question I didn’t know I had.”

A Beginner’s Guide to Forever is a tender and hopeful journey, one that lingers sweetly long after the final page

Hart and Alessia are unexpected in this older women/younger man romance. Alessia is wanting to find her person and suddenly Hart shows up. He's young and really hot. She meets him then the next day goes off to Africa to her non profit job. Fast forward 6 months, she meets the stranger again and falls for him. As she tries to navigate her life, being older and liking a young man she gets in her head but sweet handsome Hart helps her out. I loved how impowered he made Alessia feel. Love the age gap reversal.

Alessia Moore, a thirty-seven-year-old powerhouse at the helm of a nonprofit in Nairobi, is tirelessly working to build a school for girls. Professionally, she’s thriving, attracting investors to support her mission. But her love life is nonexistent, and she’s starting to wonder if the one even exists for her.

When she meets Hart Winthrop, the twenty-five-year-old son of a billionaire investor poised to support her foundation, she’s unprepared for the pull she feels. Hart is confident, intelligent, and charming. But there are issues—he’s too young for her, and getting involved with him could jeopardize everything she’s worked for.

As fate takes them across the globe—from glamorous cities to hidden corners of the world—what begins as a forbidden fling grows into something neither of them expected, leaving Alessia to wonder…Should she break her own rules for a chance at something real?

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