The Relationship Contract by Marcella Steele is an introspective look at a relationship between an older woman and a younger man. Sofia Drake is at a crossroads. With her adult son living with his girlfriend and having just lost her job as a psychologist due to downsizing, she is at a loose end. She is head over heels in love with the gorgeous and fourteen years younger than her, Ryan Hunter. Ryan assures her that the age difference doesn’t matter, and he is even willing to put aside his desire to be a father if that means losing Sofia. With Ryan’s career taking him all over the world on behalf of his bank’s clients, Ryan makes Sofia an offer. Sofia will move to London to live with Ryan for sixty days to discover if their relationship has a chance. After sixty days, they will reassess the future.

The Relationship Contract is a sweet, compelling love story, but it is more than that. It attempts to answer questions that often lurk in the background of all relationships. Does an age difference really matter? How important are children? How much compromise is too much? Marcella Steele has done a wonderful job of creating two very different characters who love each other. I appreciated the dual perspectives in telling the story, with certain chapters narrated by Sofia and others by Ryan. This allows readers to get into the headspaces of both characters. I enjoyed Sofia’s emotional development. Much of her early angst related to her doubts, but as she grew confident in herself and her desirability, she became much more assertive. The romantic scenes are beautifully written, being sensual and seductive. This book stands alone, albeit part of a trilogy, with the author dropping excellent nuggets of background and character history seamlessly into the story. This is a lovely read that I highly recommend.

The Relationship Contract by Marcella Steele features Sofia, our snarky, cynical heroine, who's done with stereotypes and fairytale romances. At forty-nine, Sophia is rediscovering herself and is on a trip to London to meet her much younger lover, Ryan. What had begun as a vacation fling has grown into something deeper and more terrifying. Ryan wants children, and Sofia’s biological clock has run out. With so much opposition at every turn, and a hundred and one reasons why it cannot work, they decide on a sixty-day contract to test whether their relationship can survive beyond the romantic bubble of European getaways. When Ryan's ex-girlfriend suddenly drops a bombshell that threatens to shatter their carefully constructed happiness, Sofia and Ryan must decide if their love is strong enough to weather the storm.

The author opens with a hilarious recap of Book One, The Vacation Bubble, making it easy to jump straight in, though reading the series in order is well worth it. The Relationship Contract is refreshingly honest, with an authentic, vulnerable voice and sharp wit. Marcella Steele engages your senses, takes you to different cities, and offers intimate descriptions of the weather, food, and architecture that make you want to book a flight ASAP. The characters are real and relatable: Madison isn't just the stock supportive best friend; she's flawed and funny. The "Lonely Hearts Club" at Green's Books (Josie, John, and Arthur) provides both comic relief and reminders that everyone is navigating their own relationship challenges, regardless of age. It is truly a mature outlook on modern romance.