Showing posts with label Sugar Lake series. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sugar Lake series. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 11, 2018

Susan's Review of A Love Like Ours by Melissa Foster


A Romance with All the Right Moves!


LOVE LIKE OURS
Sugar Lake #3
Melissa Foster
Releasing Sept 11, 2018
Montlake


One wrong move, and she meets a guy with all the right ones…

Talia Dalton lives her life on cruise control. Despite her successful career as a professor, she prefers protecting her broken heart to taking chances. She’s calm, cool, collected, and steady. Until the morning she takes her eyes off that familiar road and almost runs over the sexiest man she’s ever seen. It may not be the best way to start the day, but it might be the type of shake-up she needs.

Male dancer Derek Grant has goals, and nothing is going to get in the way of achieving them. As a graduate student and the sole caretaker of his ailing father, he hasn’t much time for relationships. Then Talia crashes into his life. Sweet, pretty—and so buttoned-up that he can’t wait to help her cut loose.

For Derek, falling in love was a beautiful accident waiting to happen. And it might be exactly what Talia needs—if she’s willing to let go of the past and embrace every surprise Derek has to offer.

LOVE LIKE OURS is being published by Montlake (an Amazon imprint) and won’t be available on other ebook retailers, but you can download a FREE Kindle ereader app to read it here, or order the paperback.


FALL IN LOVE AT SUGAR LAKE
ONLY FOR YOU (Book 2)
Only $0.99




Melissa Foster is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling and award-winning author. She writes sexy and heartwarming contemporary romance and new adult romance with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page. Melissa’s emotional journeys are lovingly erotic and always family oriented–perfect beach reads for contemporary romance lovers who enjoy reading about wealthy heroes and smart, sassy heroines.



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Love Like Ours by Melissa Foster took me by surprise! I read this sensitive, emotional romance featuring college professor Talia Dalton and graduate student Derek Grant, in one afternoon. I adored Talia and Derek’s seemingly opposites attract romance, the importance of family and Mrs. Dalton’s magic love potion.

Professor Talia Dalton took one look at Derek Grant’s long hair, two- day stubble, bracelets and rings and assumes he’s not her type. She’s intrigued and turned on when she watches him dance but, runs out of the bar before his performance ends.

Their next conversation sets the tone for the novel:
“That’s what I do, not who I am.” He took a step back and said, “I misjudged you. I thought you saw beyond societal expectations and generalizations. I guess I was wrong.”

I loved that Derek wasn’t what Talia assumed; Talia was challenged to see Derek through her eyes and her experiences with him. Through conversations with Derek, she learns he is finishing up his Master’s degree in health administration; his father has early onset Alzheimer’s and he left a lucrative accounting career to care for his dad. Derek has a part time job bartending and dancing at a local bar. Dancing—yes dancing. His dancing is both a source of income for him and a source of discomfort for Talia.

Talia’s friendship and ensuing romance with Derek unfolds perfectly. Derek encourages Talia to step outside her comfort zone-they enjoying walking in the park, meeting his friends for dinner and a ski weekend. Talia understands that Derek has given up his dreams to care for his father and that being a caregiver is a 24/7 job. She encourages Derek to take time for himself- to give himself a well-deserved break.

The caregiving piece of this story and how it affects a person and their family resonated with me. One of the most touching scenes in the novel occurs when Derek and Talia visit an assisted living center. Derek’s struggle with caring for his father and trying to have a normal, healthy relationship with Talia is genuine and relatable. I could hear the struggle and frustration in his words as he tried to explain his feelings about his father to Talia. Talia asks him a very important question which told me that she loved Derek with all of her heart.

Acceptance, assumption and secret keeping are three powerful themes that Melissa Foster includes in Love Like Ours. The strength of Talia and Derek’s relationship is tested throughout the novel. I loved reading how the couple learned to communicate honestly and face their issues together. The couple’s struggles with work family and their relationship are real. The conclusion to the novel was perfect and I can’t wait to catch up with them in the next Sugar lake book!

The characters and the themes from Love Like Ours made a huge impression on me. Caretakers are truly unselfish people—they put their loved one first each and every time. Kudos for Melissa Foster for bringing the role of a caretaker to light in a sensitive, honest manner. Love Like Ours wasn’t what I expected—it was SO MUCH BETTER!

Reviewed by Susan Gorman

ARC provided by the publisher

Thursday, December 7, 2017

Susan's Review of Only For You by Melissa Foster


Love only works when your heart is in the right place. 
Hers could be right next door…


ONLY FOR YOU
Sugar Lake #2
Melissa Foster
Releasing Dec 5, 2017
Montlake


Single mom Bridgette Dalton doesn’t have time to stop and smell the roses—not even in her own flower shop. But that doesn’t mean she hasn’t noticed Bodhi Booker. Her ruggedly handsome next-door neighbor would be the perfect candidate for a no-strings fling. Having loved and lost, Bridgette’s not ready to hand over her heart…but she could use a distraction.

Bodhi has one rule: never leave anyone behind. As a special operative, he knows that each new mission is more dangerous than the last. He’s never made a promise of forever to a woman, not even to the beautiful widow who has him tied in knots. And if there were anyone who could tempt him into putting down roots, it would be Bridgette and her adorable son.

But as his next deployment nears, they make a startling discovery. Their passion, meant only for the here and now, might already be blossoming into something more…


**ONLY FOR YOU is published by Montlake (an Amazon imprint) and won’t be available on other ebook retailers, but you can download a FREE ereader app to read it HERE, or order the paperback.


GET THE FIRST SUGAR LAKE ROMANCE
THE REAL THING
Only $1.99




Melissa Foster is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling and award-winning author. She writes sexy and heartwarming contemporary romance and new adult romance with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page. Melissa’s emotional journeys are lovingly erotic and always family oriented–perfect beach reads for contemporary romance lovers who enjoy reading about wealthy heroes and smart, sassy heroines.




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Only For You captivated me from the first page! Melissa Foster’s pairing of widowed mom Bridgette Dalton with handsome, semi-retired special agent Bodhi Booker perfectly blends passion, humor and life in a small town. I adored Bodhi and Bridgette’s journey and read the book in one afternoon.

I love Melissa Foster’s characters because they are relatable, honest and their journeys are hard won. Bridgette is a hard working single mom who owns a busy florist shop. She relies on her family for support. Although, motherhood is her priority; she has definitely noticed her sexy next door neighbor. Both Bridgette and Bodhi have suffered the loss of a loved one. Bridgette’s husband died suddenly and she does not want to be left behind ever again. Bodhi‘s job is dangerous and he doesn’t want to leave a family behind if he doesn’t return home. His steadfast decision is deeply personal as his father died when he was young. Bodhi is due to report for training in two weeks. So a quick, two week romance should work for the couple, correct?

The chemistry between the couple sizzles and it’s fabulous to see Bridgette come out of her shell, realize that she can be Louie’s mom and Bodhi’s lover. Loved the caring, protective side to Bodhi in the well- written, often humorous scenes with Bridgette’s son Louie. Only For You is filled with colorful, superbly crafted supporting characters. These characters add warmth, humor and a dose of reality to the story. Adored Bridgette’s mom, Roxie, and her hand cream/love potions, five-year old Louie with his astute dinnertime observations and Zane and Ben’s conversations with Bodhi.

Only for You is a feel good book; complete with a caring, loving hero, a slightly overwhelmed mother of a precocious five- year old, her fun, zany family and a very big dog. I was captivated by the couple and their sweet, sexy romance and didn’t want the two- week time frame to end. The novel pulls at the reader’s heartstrings – because it’s obvious that Bodhi and Bridgette love each other. Can they take a leap of faith and take a chance at love?

The novel has a few surprises for the reader as Ms. Foster doesn’t write the typical happily ever after ending for this couple. The conclusion is perfect and the epilogue is FABULOUS. Louie steals the show!

Reviewer's note: Even though the novel is part of a series; it can be read as a stand- alone book. I enjoyed the first book in the Sugar Lake series so much that I pre-ordered this story. Thank you to Tasty Tours for letting Lady Celeste join the blog tour!



Reviewed by Susan Gorman

ARC provided by the publisher

Book purchased from Amazon.com



She wrapped her hand around his long fingers, and his eyes heated, never wavering from hers. She’d never met a man so intense. Her nerves were on fire as she led him toward the table where some of her family members were talking. Awareness of the significance of her decision, of the signals she was sending, slammed into her, and she slowed to catch her breath. Was she ready for this?

He put a finger beneath her chin and lifted, as he’d done at his front door, gazing thoughtfully down at her. “Would you rather I leave?” She shook her head. “No. I’m just . . . I’m good.” And she was. She’d needed that pause to acknowledge and accept what she was feeling. She was nervous, but she wanted this. She wanted him. Her smile came genuinely, and earned her one in return. “Come on.”

She became more nervous as they approached the table. Willow was practically sitting in Zane’s lap as they mooned over each other. Piper and Talia were scoping out some guy across the room, and Ben was in a heated discussion with Aurelia. She shouldn’t be nervous. This was her normal. Except normal didn’t usually include holding hands with a man she wanted to strip naked and devour.

“Well, well, well. If it isn’t the naked neighbor.” Mischief danced in Piper’s eyes as she pushed to her feet and strutted around the table in her skinny jeans and slinky little blouse. She set her hands on her hips, running an assessing eye over Bodhi.

His jaw clenched.

“Bodhi, this is my sister Piper. She works in construction and is around guys all day, which means she has absolutely no filter. Please take her with a grain of salt.”

He flashed a cocky grin. “For the record, I had a towel on.”

“For the record,” Piper said, “she wished you didn’t.”