Just Like That

Written by Cole McCade

Narrated by Kirt Graves

“The romantic longing, themes of bravery and confidence, and moments of cozy domesticity shine in this May-December romance” —Publishers Weekly

Summer Hemlock never meant to come back to Omen, Massachusetts...

But with his mother in need of help, Summer has no choice but to return to his hometown, take up a teaching residency at the elite Albin Academy—and work directly under the man who made his teenage years miserable.

Professor Fox Iseya.

Forbidding, aloof, commanding: psychology instructor Iseya is a cipher who’s always fascinated and intimidated shy, anxious Summer. But that fascination turns into something more when the older man challenges Summer to be brave. What starts as a daily game to reward Summer with a kiss for every obstacle overcome turns passionate, and a professional relationship turns quickly personal.

Yet Iseya’s walls of grief may be too high for someone like Summer to climb…until Summer’s infectious warmth shows Fox everything he’s been missing in life.

Now both men must be brave enough to trust each other, to take that leap.

To find the love they’ve always needed…

Just like that.

Carina Adores is home to romantic love stories where LGBTQ+ characters find their happily-ever-afters.


Albin Academy
Book 1: Just Like That
Book 2: Just Like This

• Language: English
• Publisher: Harlequin Audio
• Release date: Jun 30, 2020
• ISBN: 9781488209130

Cole McCade

Cole McCade is a New Orleans-born Southern boy without the Southern accent, currently residing somewhere in Seattle. He spends his days as a suit-and-tie corporate consultant and business writer, and his nights writing contemporary romance and erotica that flirt with the edge of taboo--when he's not being tackled by two hyperactive cats.

Reviews for Just Like That

[Karen He · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Rating: 4.5 stars
Audio: 4.0 stars

This is a beautifully written and heart-touching love story between the former student and teacher.

Summer Hemlock had a secret crush on his icy psychology teacher, Professor Fox Iseya when he was a shy teenage boy at Albin Academy. Years passed, and he'd been back to the school as a new TA of Fox. An unexpected kiss at their reunion has planted a seed of love in them.

Summer used the excuse of the one-brave-thing-per-day challenge to win Fox's kisses as a reward. Along with the accumulated kisses, touches, and intimacy, their feelings for each other had been growing quickly, while the dark side of Fox had been unveiled inevitably too. The agony of his beloved wife's accidental death made Fox build himself thick walls to block him from the outside, and frightened him from feeling love again. But Summer's intrusion had shaken the foundation of those thick walls and forced Fox to really face his loss, his life, his love, and his future.

In the beginning, Summer was the one who needs guidance from his former teacher Fox to become braver and stronger. But as the story goes on, the situation has been reversed, Fox becomes the one who is vulnerable and needs the care from Summer's softness and tenderness to be brave enough to face the fear deep down. I really love this kind of mutual redemption plot. The language is very beautiful too.

The narration for this book is clear and smooth, but maybe a bit flat I think. 

故事發生在一所寄宿制的貴族男校。生性柔弱內向的Sammer回到母校擔任助教，他的上司正在他學生時期暗戀多時的冷漠的Fox Iseya教授。兩人因為Summer一個賭氣的親吻開始了一場"勇敢挑戰"的遊戲。每當Summer做出勇敢的行為，Fox就要獎勵Summer一個親吻。隨著親密接觸的機會不斷增加，兩人的感情也迅速升溫。儘管如此，Fox依然堅持與Summer的關係只是短暫的。Fox對愛的抗拒來源自與多年前的喪妻之痛。因為曾經失去，所以不敢再擁有。

故事表面上是作為導師前輩的Fox引導Summer變得勇敢，實際上是溫柔體貼的Summer治愈Fox冰冷受傷的內心。典型的互相救贖文。

學院背景下，角色的談吐和獨白非常優雅，內心描寫細膩動人。唯二缺點是：前期節奏過於緩慢；Fox的內心掙扎有時讓人覺得他在無病呻吟。但總體來說還是不錯的，我非常喜歡作者的語言。

朗讀部分說實話是有點失望的，朗誦者的演繹雖然也是清晰流暢，但感覺比較平坦，感情少了些。