Only for You (Sugar Lake, #2)

by Melissa Foster

[Lynn]

I really enjoyed The Real Thing, the first book in the Sugar Lake series so picking this one up was no effort at all as I'm blown away by Bridgette and Bodhi's emotional journey to a Happy Ever After.

Bridgette Dalton, a single mum and owner of the flower shop in Sweetwater has little time for herself after working and caring for her young son. When, someone new moves into the house next to her, she can't help but notice the handsome man…Her family are supportive and suggest she starts looking for someone new since five years have passed since her husband died. Only, the new neighbour is only around temporarily and she doesn't want her son to become attached to him before he leaves for good.

Taking a break from his job as a special operative, Bodhi Booker is using the time to fix up the house he's bought his mother in Sweetwater. The next door neighbour is a woman he'd like to get to know more intimately, but with his departure looming shortly, anything more than a fling isn't possible because he's seen first hand the upset and devastation families face when a loved one doesn't come home. Something he's not prepared to do himself.

Bridgette and Bodhi's story is both heart-warming and heartbreaking in equal measures, including times of pure happiness as well as incredible sadness as the pair decide to 'live for the moment'. It's a refreshing, yet emotional journey they make, naively believing they can walk away and continue their lives when Bodhi leaves.

I'm not a fan of children in adult books but Louie is an integral and sweet addition and Bodhi's interaction with him melts your heart as well as his own.

Like a master magician, Melissa Foster always manages to bring something new to her writing with every novel she publishes and Only For You is no exception. She draws you into the narrative with multi-faceted protagonists so it's easy to become invested in their lives. Both Bridgette and Bodhi are adorable and relatable in their own way, showing courage and compassion when making difficult decisions concerning real-life issues. All this wrapped around a cosy and welcoming small town setting with well developed and lovable secondary characters.

This, like The Real Thing, is a standalone novel. If you are unfamiliar with the author's books, These Sugar Lake novels are a fabulous place to start.

***arc generously received courtesy of Montlake Romance via NetGalley***