Indie Author Spotlight Saturday: Rory London

Author: Rory London Title: The Outline Date Published: 07/10/2023

Read Dates: 05/08/2026- 05/09/2026
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐💫

The Outline is a single POV age gap romance. Sadie is recovering from an eight-year-long toxic relationship and is finally ready to start taking steps to reclaim her life. First step: her first tattoo! After that, she can worry about a career, going back to school, and maybe having a relationship one day. What she isn’t counting on is Renn, the much younger but surprisingly easy to talk to tattoo artist. Renn and Sadie have an instant connection, and he’s eager to persuade her to give him a chance. But Sadie and Renn each have their share of obstacles, and it’s possible that love doesn’t conquer all!

There were a lot of things I liked about this (and I plan to read more from the author), but I will say first and foremost that I wish the content warnings had been included in the book itself, not just in the online description. There are a lot of heavy themes explored in this book, and it probably would have been better for me to read it at a different time. That said, I did like the found family aspects of this. I like that it wasn’t a “love conquers all” story, that Sadie and Renn both had to do some inner work to be the right partner for each other.  The story somehow managed to span several years but also felt kind of rushed, but I did like the journey to get to the HEA. I really loved Sadie’s best friend, Zach, too!

Getting my first tattoo at thirty-four is scary, but the smile on my twenty-something tattoo artist—now that is panic-inducing.

It’s been ten months since I escaped a dead-end relationship, and now I’m worried I’m treading water. My bartending gig pays the bills, and I’ve got a devoted best friend, but everything else — School? Career? Life goals? — is still TBD. I’m hoping that a step outside of my comfort zone ( get a tattoo) will be the push I need to keep moving forward.

But from the moment I meet Renn Stoller, I know it’s not the ink that’s going to change my life—it’s the sexy, enigmatic artist behind the design.

Years stuck in a self-esteem-sucking relationship have taken their toll, but Renn’s ready laughter and confident charm make me feel smart, funny and…desirable. He may be young, but he knows what he wants—and he wants me . After wasting so much time in one unhappy romance, I’m not ready to jump into another—except nothing has ever felt as good as Renn’s hands on my body.

But just when I think it might be possible to take a chance, a forgotten letter resurfaces, and the revelation of long-buried secrets threatens to bring past heartbreaks into the present.


Sadie and Renn’s story is a reverse-age gap, contemporary romance with plenty of heart, snark, and a devoted hero you’ll fall in love with.

This book contains mentions of suicide, pregnancy complications, parental neglect and death of a parent. There are on-page depictions of verbal and emotional abuse.