So much love for this book! I was feeling down when I picked it up, and the romance cheered me up so much. Always love reading Carina because of the HEA guarantee.

I really enjoyed this age gap m/m romance because I thought McCade handled the power dynamics really well. I’ve read others by him with interesting power dynamics as well and it seems to be something that he just maneuvers in interesting ways. Fox and Summer exchanges kisses once a day and this ratchets up the romantic tension slowly throughout the book, which I loved. The book has a sweetness to it, which I really appreciated.

Emotional, intense and powerful story about a professor and his former student- now a teaching assistant. Summer and Fox are interesting characters, created by author Cole McCade with great passion. Looking forward to reading more from this author.

I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Just Like That by Cole McCade Summer Hemlock, a newly appointed TA at Albin Academy, and Fox Iseya, a veteran psych teacher who Summer is training with.

The tension between the two was so good! They have a history, with Summer being one of Fox's previous students. So that's where the kind of will they/ won't they comes into play. But not really because there was no realationship when Summer was still a student (thankfully!).

There was also a game element. Once a day, if Summer breakes out of his comfort zone and is brave, he gets one kiss from Fox. I loved this aspect and honestly wish it was a bit more prevalent.

Summer and Fox's relationship arc was well conceived. Although it did have that thing that I feel a lot of romances have; both characters thinking the other deserves better and having that "threaten" the relationship.

Thanks to NetGalley for the Arc... even though I got to this so late, I ended up listening on Scrib.

As part of the Carina Adores, Just Like That is a gorgeous, atmospheric, and lyrical addition to the line. I've never read Cole McCade before, so it was a real treat to find a new-to-me writer and enjoy him so much.

The story centers on Summer who returns home and to the very school he once attended to be a TA to professor who both intimidated and fascinated him as young man. Albin Academy is a kind of school for wayward boys who brought by parents in need of an intervention to help their sons.

Professor Fox Iseya, a formidable personality, has been mourning the loss of his wife for 20 years. Despite this emotional isolation, he is attracted to Summer. A scorching kiss sets off a challenge - for every risk Summer takes, Fox rewards him with more kisses, each one drawing them deeper into shared intimacy. This game quickly spirals out of control as the attraction that simmers beneath the surface reaches a boiling point that refuses to be denied.

The writing is absolutely lovely. I love description and detail, so this type of narrative suits me. However, I also know many readers go into a contemporary romance searching for plot and immediacy and might be put off by the prose. I was not. In fact, I gloried in it. There is a haunting, gothic quality to the atmosphere, and the romantic elements are so movingly described, I felt emotionally hung over when I was done with the book.
There's something enormous about this love story and that is such a wonderful feeling in which to get lost as a reader.

Relevant tropes include age-gap, second chance and a bit of hurt-comfort, as Fox breaks out of both his grief over his wife and his feelings of inadequacy for being involved with a man so much younger than he is. I am looking forward to the other installments in this series.

ARC provided by NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

An absolutely lovely romance.

In Just Like That Cole McCade spins a tender and emotional story. The characters are deep and intricate, and their relationship is wonderfully complex. With the added bonus of Cole McCade’s truly beautiful writing, Just Like That is a moving story I won’t soon forget.

Oh, Professor Fox Iseya ❤️

I really enjoyed this MM romance about said professor and his formal pupil, turned teaching assistant. It was quite adorable and tender with a tension between the two characters that was electric to read.

At the start, I thought this was going to be D/S erotica but it quickly evolved into a swoon-worthy romance. A delicious read.

This is a fine novel, not something necessarily new but it does provides an interesting look into grief, starting over, and finding love again. Like most romances there were definitely some parts that seemed implausible or required suspension of disbelief. Also, based on the underlying context of the story, some aspects didn't really make sense or weren't explained well, which stalled the narrative and the evolution of the relationship, leaving me with more questions than answers. That said, the writing style is accessible and the story will appeal to romance fans.

This book wasn't for me. I wanted to try a new author because I had heard good things, but I didn't particularly care for he story or the pacing. You might but I dont need to read anything more..

Summer Hemlock is an alumnus of Albin Academy, and he crushed on Professor Fox Iseya during all of his years there. Now, because his mother is getting older and needs some help around the house, Summer has returned to his hometown… and to Albin Academy as Professor Iseya’s TA. Summer is almost painfully shy and socially awkward, and he’s nervous about working for Fox.

Fox Iseya is an intimidating figure. He comes across as stiff, detached, and unapproachable, and when Summer arrives at Albin to be his TA, Fox becomes uncomfortable with the attention Summer devotes to him. One day, Fox challenges the shy Summer to do something brave every day, and is surprised that the first brave thing Summer does is confess his lifelong crush. Fox is even more surprised when Summer kisses him and proposes his reward for his daily bravery would be another kiss…one kiss…every day.

Soon, the kisses turn into something more, and Summer and Fox’s relationship begins to turn romantic. It’s not that simple, though. Fox is still in mourning from losing his beloved wife to a car accident years ago, and he’s not sure if he’s ready to let that grief (and guilt) go. Also, he’s never imagined himself as gay, so his feelings for Summer are confusing.

Now, the men must decide if they can get past that grief and confusion and help each other to be brave.

I love May/December love stories. They’ve always appealed to me, so when I read the blurb for Just Like That, I grabbed it up. I have to say, at first, I had a difficult time with it. It felt as if it was moving at a snail’s pace, and there was nothing particularly interesting happening. I actually put it down for several days, then came back to it. You guys, I wish I’d have never put it down because it turned into fantastic book! While the first half dragged along, the second half was amazing. I’m so happy with it, and I was very moved.

I’d like to start with Summer and Fox. I admit, I didn’t have much of a connection to either of them at the beginning, but by the end, I was in love with both of them. I felt Summer’s shyness and social awkwardness. At one point, he must deliver the lecture, and he can barely speak or even look at the class. That’s exactly what happens to me if I’m expected to speak in front of a group of people. This did leave me with of of the few of the issues I had with the story. I had a hard time reconciling Summer’s painful shyness with the almost brazen way he acts with Fox. He was so brave in confessing his feelings. In fact, he was occasionally downright pushy. Summer wanted those kisses, and he was going to get them come hell or high water. I think that was an interesting choice by the author. Fox’s feelings for Summer were confusing and somewhat frustrating. Does he have feelings for Summer? Can he get over his grief? Is he gay or bi? Will he or won’t he? Those questions are part of what dragged. Still, Fox tore at my heart. His grief was almost a character unto itself because it was always so present.

Next, I want to talk about the McCade’s writing style. It was damn near poetry. The details provided made Just Like That play like a movie in my head. I could see their faces. I could feel their agony. There was such beauty in every sentence. For example:

“He loved this difficult, strange man of subtle whims and irascible tempers, this quiet creature who tried to be a statue of graven stone but was instead all steel and sharp edges, and every time Summer’s heart bled with the cuts it only filled that much deeper with the slow-growing love he hadn’t even realized was creeping up on him with every day, every kiss that made him hope more and more that Fox could ever…Could ever feel something for him.”

The absolute ache in those words destroyed me.

The chemistry Summer and Fox share was palpable. Their pull toward each other was so obvious and deep. To me, it actually burned. Their first sex scene was so hot (and very nearly filthy), but it was actually beautiful. I used the word “poetic” already, but that’s pretty much the only word that comes to me. Listen to this:

“Then weight–God, he loved Fox’s weight atop him, loved those moments when Fox lost control and pinned him to the desk or against a wall, loved this moment when his world narrowed down to heat and hardness moving over him with absolute dominance and control, Fox settled between his legs and the wet rasp of cloth to cloth, cock to cock, fire to fire as Summer arched, writhed, surrendered himself to the feeling of Fox crushing him with the caged power writhing under that taut skin.”

And it goes on. The entire scene is a bit long, but every single line was perfection. It needed to be long to capture all the feelings the men shared with one another.

After that, the book begins to move rather quickly. There was some…conflict? Fox battled with himself over Summer, the way his wife died, and the guilt he felt. There was also an action scene that kept me on the edge of my seat. Of course, there’s the HEA. After everything they had gone through, Summer and Fox deserved it. It brought everything together without being too wordy, and it completely satisfied me.

You guys, I cannot recommend Just Like That, enough. This is a fantastic way to begin a new series, and I cannot wait until the next installment. Do yourself a favor and pick this one up.

I had very high hopes for this book, and had heard great things from some of my friends. But unfortunately, I really didn't gel with this book. I can't say it was the book's fault, I guess it was just not my personal taste.

I felt like I got thrown in the deep end with this book, because there was this immediate attraction that started before I even had the chance to get a proper first impression of the characters, and this means that I really failed to see the chemistry between them, because I didn't feel like I got to know them very well. Personally, to enjoy a romance, I need some build-up between the characters, and I just missed that here.

I guess I also just don't tend to enjoy age gap romances very much. That's not to say it was problematic - it's just a personal preference.

Overall, I just didn't end up liking the characters very much, and the writing style didn't really work for me. I would still recommend this book if it sounds like your jam, but it unfortunately wasn't mine.

This is my first Cole McCade book, but since Just Like That is the first book in the Albin Academy series, I can pretty much promise it won't be my last. Yet, I have to be honest, I wasn't quite sure how I felt about Fox and Summer by the time I finished.

I guess my real issue was that the premise felt so unlikely. Fox intimidated Summer, yet Summer made the first move. Something extremely brave for someone as unsure of themselves as Summer seemed to be. There were a couple other things that I found contradictory to the personalities of both Fox and Summer, but these two characters still managed to draw me into the story. I wanted Fox to find love again and I wanted Summer to be that person.

The next book in the Albin Academy series is Just Like This.

This was a fascinating and engrossing age-gap romance story that I couldn't get enough of. The characters and their storyline made this one hard to put down.

DNF at 15%. I thought the premise was interesting - a former student returns as a TA for the professor he always had a crush on. However the writing style didn’t work for me. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advance reading copy.

3.5 stars

It’s hard to rate a book that is well written but just doesn’t touch or capture you as much as you’d expect, harder still when it’s a favorite author. All the wonderful aspects of Mr. McCade’s writing were present in Just Like That. The plot and setting was interesting, the characters endearing if a bit off center, the writing smooth and descriptive, and the emotions on full display. Although I loved the pieces of this May-December romance with a reimagined professor-student/ mentor-mentee dynamic, I was never quite pulled in the way I am by most of this author’s works. Was it good and worth recommending? Absolutely. Did it leave me enamored? Not so much.

This author has a way of capturing all the nuances of a character’s experiences and emotions, so much so that they often seem flayed open for the readers. That was certainly true in Just Like That. Though I know descriptive prose isn’t all readers’ cup of tea, it never feels wasted or inaccessible in Mr. McCade’s books. Rather, in Just Like That, it took a high brow psychology professor and teaching assistant, and gave life to their feelings, picking out points I never considered but that were very relatable. I liked the unique start to Fox and Summer’s physical relationship and I enjoyed the way that grew into a solid, supportive emotional connection on page. I also liked the resolution of the story. It felt complete without being rushed. So while I can’t say I fell head over heels for characters or the story, I did enjoy it and really liked the writing.

Unfortunately this wasn’t a huge hit for me. I really enjoy Cole McCade’s writing but I felt like there was nothing new to this story. The purple prose was a bit much too. The older man with the long hair has been done a few times by McCade that I found myself rolling my eyes. I was disappointed that I didn’t like this but I think it is a story that is well written and will resonate with others.

This is a beautifully written love story between a student and his professor that manages to be sweet and genuine and emotional all in one. But beyond that it’s also something much, much more. It’s an intricate and depply personal look at what it is to be human, and truly accept yourself for who you are. It’s a story about self-discovery and inner strength and not apologising for being who you are. It’s filled with compassion and hope, and is honestly everything I would want in a male/male romance from an own voices author.

Summer and Fox also make a great pair. Their relationship is full of tension and sexual chemistry that oozes from the page, and doesn’t let up the whole way through. I liked the dynamic between them, the push and the pull and how they bring out the best in each other, even when neither of them know it. Summer suffers from anxiety, yet Fox is able to get him overcome his shyness in order to express his passion – while Fox is still grieving the loss of his wife, emotionally stunted. Summer brings out his ability to love again. As a whole, it just feels right – even with the age gap. There’s an intimacy that’s hard to write about. And man is it hot too.

Wonderful characters, wonderful writing.

I enjoyed this one overall. Summer is a former student of Fox Iseya, but now he’s back with the goal to take over Iseya’s position when he retires at the end of the year. This is a May-December, slow-burn m/m romance, but it also touches a lot on grief, anxiety/panic attacks, and figuring out who you want to be (no matter the age). I really appreciated how the author wove all these themes together – it never felt like too much. I genuinely cared for the characters and I wanted them to not only be together, but just be okay. Finally, I LOVED that there are tons of trigger warnings in the beginning of the book!!

This was a delightful book. The characters were incredibly well built-out, and there was just enough angst to be both anxious and hopeful for the couple. I look forward to seeing more from Albin Academy and Fox and Summer.

So I made it about 2 1/2 hours of the audio for this book and I had to stop. This is my fourth attempt at reading a book by Cole and while in theory I should love all the tropes he writes because they are my jam, but his writing style of purple prose just does not work for me. In the case of this the relationship between Summer and Fox made me deeply uncomfortable because the kissing contest starts off with a non consented kiss and even though it is addressed the next day it did not sit well with me. Nor did Summer being like well I can see that you want to do this so why should you say no right now made me more uncomfortable.

So I will not be finishing this book