Love Like Ours (Sugar Lake, #3)

by Melissa Foster

[EBookObsessed]

Talia Dalton knew always knew her sisters would drive her to distraction but never did she imagine that they would literally drive her straight into a mountain of a man. When straight-laced college-Professor Talia almost runs downs a student she believed her day couldn’t get any worse, but then she sees gorgeous Derek Grant sitting in the back of her class and even her fantasy world can’t cooperate. She hasn’t been able to stop thinking of the most beautiful eyes she has ever seen and now she knows that almost hitting him with her car is as close as she is ever going to get to Derek as teachers can’t date their students no matter how tempting.

Derek wandered into Talia’s class after recognizing the sultry voice of his vehicular attacker and stayed because her teaching is as mesmerizing as her voice. It has been a long time since Derek was so intrigued by someone and he realizes he has to come clean about not really being a student since Talia is insisting on keeping him at a distance.

Neither Talia nor Derek have time for the complication of a romance but both realize they have finally met someone worth making some time for. Talia is busy with helping to get ready for her sister’s wedding while teaching her classes as well as filling in for and taking care of BFF who is down and out after surgery.

And Derek’s life is focused on caring for his father, whose Alzheimer’s is getting worse. That is why Derek is finishing up his degree so that he and his friends can open up an adult day care center so they can help aging parents, like their own who need extra attention but aren’t ready for a nursing home. But taking care of his father is time consuming and doesn’t give him the free time for romance that a woman like Talia deserves.

I really enjoy a romance where it is not the H/H who do something stupid as the conflict of the story, but how they work together to fight against some outside force trying to drive a wedge between them. Here Derek and Talia are sweet together and they both believe strongly in family. Derek feels bad that their relationship needs to center on taking care of his father but Talia loves to see Derek interacting with his father and being part of that relationship.

The only thing that makes Talia uncomfortable is the fact that Derek is an exotic dancer. When Derek realized his father needed more care and supervision, he quit his day job as an accountant and picked up a night job as a bartender and entertainer. He knows that Talia isn’t thrilled about his dancing but the money is too good and allows him the time to take care of his father and finish his degree.

This is a sweet romance and brings to light some of the hardship of the caregivers of aging parents as well as some of the painful decisions which have to be made. I enjoyed the writing and have picked up a copy of the first story in the series The Real Thing, which is currently on sale for $1.99. This series focuses on the Dalton family.

Received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.