Jampov

This was my first book by Harper Bliss. She is renowned for erotica and steamy sex scenes, but I found that this book was really much more than this.

I chose to read it for the love story with a big age gap.
I asked myself why I like this kind of romance and my answer is that they highlight femininity in a broader spectrum, its charm has a greater variety, assuming both young and mature colors. Also, in the couple, there's a compensation, a positive influence in values, in thoughts and in actions. When the relationship is harmonious, it's truly a beautiful thing to read.

Seasons of Love is a nice, well written age gap love story between Joy, 29 years old, and Alice, 51.
In addition, there's of a touch of impossible to overcome, because Joy is the daughter of Miranda, Alice's best friend and business associate.
There's sex, there are feelings, there are difficult choices to make, and also angst.

Sex is intense and well written, even if there's much, expecially in the first part, it's never annoying.
In the first part of the novel, the main characters are alone and on holiday in southern Portugal's summer, so the situation is conducive to exploring sexually. Indeed it becomes a sort of sex feast, which is, by the way, much needed by the initially very repressed Alice to open herself back to life.

Angst is generated because Miranda, who is very important to both Joy and Alice cannot accept their relationship and it will take much for her, to relent. A good part of the book deals with this issue.

The biggest flaw of the story, in my opinion, is the developing of the feelings of the couple into love. It lacks depth and proper attention. The passage from initial sex to the feeling of love is given for granted, it's hurried and not described accuratedly. Having great time physically does not automatically provide for so much more as it's hinted here.

However, and on the contrary this is the greatest strength of the book, once it's ascertained that they love each other, they really behave coherently.

Joy is a sort of heroic character. She fights for what is important, with teeth and determination, when needed. Alice is full of doubts and insecurities, but she always does the right thing at last.
They are complementary and they positively influence each other as I was saying above. Joy's life need the solidity provided by Alice. I perceived her late youth as a little void of important things, as she refuges herself in too much wine and light entertainments.
And Alice need to come back to living, after the divorce and many years of solitude and resignation. Joy is an injection of freshness, vitality and color in her life, a spring of happiness, as her very name suggests.

I'm giving 4.5 stars (and round up because I feel happy)