Series: Alondra Valley #3
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥
Release Date: December 2nd, 2022
Add to Goodreads | Amazon.in (Available on KU)
CW: mentions of cancer, death of a loved one, infidelity (past), mentions of adoption, difficult relationship with parents
Elle’s too young for me, though.
Too vibrant and cheerful to be saddled with a grumpy widower and two little kids.
Besides, she’s only here for a few months before she moves on to follow her dreams.
And there’s no way we could be together even if she were staying.
It doesn’t seem to matter how often I remind myself of all the reasons why we can’t, or shouldn’t be together, my body won’t listen.
Ever since Elle moved in, all I can think about is her. All I want is her.
She restored order to my home. She got my kids to smile and laugh again. Even I’m smiling more.
For the first time since my wife’s death, I feel alive, hopeful.
I already said goodbye to my childhood sweetheart, my wife, and the mother of my children.
And I know I have to let Elle go; I’m just not sure if I can.
I was really excited to head back to Alondra Valley and hang out with all of our old friends. And Jenna Hartley delivered an emotional and beautiful story that is equal parts heartwarming, sexy and absolutely forbidden. But that’s what made this story so much fun to read and enjoy!
In A Love Like That, you’ll find:
✨ widowed single dad
✨ two cute and precocious kids
✨ gorgeous small town vibes
✨ age gap of thirteen years
✨ all kinds of forbidden!
✨ she’s his late wife’s younger sister
✨ forced proximity
✨ roommates to lovers
✨ wiiiiide open door scenes
Almost every trope in this book got my attention when Jenna announced it and I can happily say that it delivered on everything in the best ways possible. Tristan and Ellie are forced into living together when she comes back home after her time away goes south and she doesn’t want to live with her difficult mother. Ellie offers to babysit Tristan’s kids while he’s at work and given that she’s their aunt, the excitement is clear. But the more time Ellie and Tristan spend together, around each other and in the same house…things start to change. The attraction is practically instant, while acting on it takes them a little time.
“You are the moon, guiding me out of darkness. Giving me light and hope. You brought me back to life, Elle.”
A Love Like That tackles some pretty hard topics, but the biggest one is obviously grief. I admire the way Jenna handled that topic and how she wove that into the story so seamlessly. There was never any doubt about how Tristan or Ellie felt about the person they lost, but it was also the thing that kept bringing them back together. While I didn’t instantly feel the sexual connection between the two of them, I will admit that the surface-level relationship they let everyone else see was easier to grasp. But Ellie and Tristan were such a good match with their opposing personalities, wants and desires. I liked that it was a matter of slowly giving into that one thing that you want more than anything else.
All in all, this book brings the heat, the tears and ALL of the feels, so prepare for the rollercoaster of emotions!
Thanks to Jenna Hartley for generously providing me with an advance copy. I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
anna reads here 