Books about romance between older women and younger men

November 16, 2020 5:13 AM

I would like to read fictional or non-fictional books about romances between an older woman and a younger man. Romance is preferred but platonic/friendship based stories would be okay too. Thank you.
posted by anonymous to Human Relations (15 answers total)

Chéri is about a relationship between a 40-something courtesan and her rival's 20-year-old son.
posted by basalganglia at 5:46 AM on November 16, 2020 [1 favorite]

The Only Story by Julian Barnes is about a young man who falls in love with a woman his parents age and their life together. Not always happy though.
posted by SpaceWarp13 at 5:50 AM on November 16, 2020 [1 favorite]

Harold and Maude is a novelization of the wonderful movie about 19-year-old Harold and 79-year-old Maude. "A chance meeting between the two turns into a madcap, whirlwind romance, and Harold learns that life is worth living."
posted by belladonna at 6:09 AM on November 16, 2020 [4 favorites]

Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter by Mario Vargas Llosa comes to mind immediately.
posted by Glomar response at 6:38 AM on November 16, 2020 [2 favorites]

Chéri is about a relationship between a 40-something courtesan and her rival's 20-year-old son.

The novelist, Colette, based some aspects of the novel on her own relationships with younger men. Her husband, Maurice Goudeket, wrote a memoir of their long relationship.
posted by JanetLand at 8:12 AM on November 16, 2020 [1 favorite]

Doris Lessing, The Grandmothers . Haven't read it, not sure if romantic. There's a movie (Adore) with Naomi Watts and Robin Wright.
posted by sohalt at 8:54 AM on November 16, 2020

Isn't Terry McMillan's How Stella Got Her Groove Back the archetype of this story? (I haven't read it tho)
posted by Lawn Beaver at 10:01 AM on November 16, 2020 [1 favorite]

Until You by Jeannie Moon is an older woman with a younger hockey player. It's been a bit since I've read it, but it stands out enough that I remember it amid all of the other eight million hockey romances I read.

40-Love by Olivia Dade is part of a loosely connected series about plus size ladies (who might all be teachers?), but that one specifically is a woman on her 40th birthday and a younger pro tennis player.
posted by librarianamy at 10:29 AM on November 16, 2020

Haven't read it yet, but The Idea of You is on my reading list. I think I heard some things about it starting out as Harry Styles fanfic.
posted by Fuego at 10:40 AM on November 16, 2020

Martha Wells’ Wheel of the Infinite, a fantasy novel.
posted by clew at 11:00 AM on November 16, 2020

Tim is a lovely story. It involves a younger man with mental disabilities, so it might not be just what you’re looking for though.
posted by SLC Mom at 11:12 AM on November 16, 2020

I found this list on Goodreads, but I can’t vouch personally for most of the books, except Jenny Crusie’s Anyone But You (which I liked a lot):
Best Older Woman Younger Man Romance

If you don’t mind reading part of a series, Mary Balogh’s Someone to Trust (Westcott series) has this relationship dynamic.
posted by pepper bird at 12:56 PM on November 16, 2020 [1 favorite]

I'm not sure how easily available it is, but Rebecca Goldstein's The Late Summer Passion of a Woman of Mind is exactly that.
posted by still_wears_a_hat at 2:33 PM on November 16, 2020

You might like Child of a Rainless Year by Jane Linskold. The protagonist is 53. Her lover is not a young man, but he's notably younger than she is. The romance develops gently and plausibly.
posted by Weftage at 6:39 AM on November 17, 2020

Anais Nin: A Biography, by Deirdre Blair, includes the details of Nin's relationship and (second, bigamous) marriage to Rupert Pole. She never divorced her first husband and in fact maintained both relationships for the rest of her life.
posted by winesong at 1:08 PM on November 17, 2020