The Naked Fisherman by Jewel E. Ann Series: Fisherman #1
Published by Self-Published on September 30, 2021
Format: ARC
Genres: New Adult, Romance
Amazon
It's official.
I'm eighteen and a young woman with endless possibilities on my way to reunite with my mom in Colorado after five years apart—she had a little weed incident in Nebraska.
At the airport, she springs the news on me ... she's leaving for a month of job training. And me? I'm left on my own in the basement she's renting from the fisherman, aka her landlord who lives upstairs.
He's ten years older than me. Never wears a shirt. And makes it hard to remember all the things I learned at Christian Academy.
Did I mention he’s also my new boss?
The Naked Fisherman is yet another entirely unique story by Jewel E. Ann, filled with flawed and complicated characters. The beginning of the book is rather lighthearted, so I was quite surprised by how emotional it actually is.
The story follows 18-year-old Reese as she grapples with her faith, Mommy issues, sexual awakening, and new adulthood. Reese is directionless when she relocates to Colorado to live with her mom and hopefully mend their fractured relationship. It’s unbelievable to me that after a five-year separation, her mom, Rory, would wait until Reese arrives to casually mention that she’s leaving town for a month. Not off to the best start, but Reese won’t be left alone. Fisher, Rory’s landlord, lives upstairs and has promised to look out for Reese. It only takes a hot minute before she develops a crush on the 28-year-old construction company owner, and I can’t blame her. Reese is one huge helping of shirtless, testosterone-laden yumminess.
This coming of age story reminded me of all the insecurity and uncertainty that comes with quasi-adulthood. My heart ached for Reese and her growing pains. Understandably, Reese’s immaturity frequently shows. It’s that quality in particular that made it challenging for me to picture a healthy partnership with Fisher. For his part, Fisher is less than forthcoming at times, and that plays on her insecurities.
While I’m all for an age gap romance, I couldn’t help but wonder what an 18 year-old girl who is confused and inexperienced could offer a successful 28-year-old man. 10 years is a big age difference, but had they been 25 and 35 it would have been easier to root for them. Reese simply needs more life experience to bring to a relationship.
Jewel E. Ann’s books are rarely black and white. Therefore, even though I sensed that Reese and Fisher’s relationship was doomed from the start, I was invested in being proven wrong. There’s a lot of sneaking around, and the prospect of Fisher and Reese getting caught creates added excitement. I loved their chemistry and banter. Reese must tackle some big decisions in the latter third of the book and it is totally absorbing. I also enjoyed Rory and Reese dealing with some of their mother-daughter issues.
I’m eager to follow Reese’s continued journey in the conclusion, The Lost Fisherman.
Recommended for fans of:
Forbidden romance
Age gap romance
New adulthood
Religious doctrine
Sexy carpenters
** I received an early copy to voluntarily read and review **
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About Jewel E. Ann
Jewel is a Wall Street Journal & USA Today best selling author with a quirky sense of humor. When she’s not saving the planet one tree at a time, you can find her role modeling questionable behavior to her three boys, binge-watching Netflix with her husband, and writing mind-bending romance.
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I totally get what you mean about a ten year age gap between an 18 year old and 28 year old. I know it happens and probably works, but I kind of like my age gap romances between someone who is at least over 21. I think you grow and learn so much between 18 and 23.