This author is a word musician. I love this way of storytelling, it elevates a narrative above an average level, composing all the little and big parts into a beautiful flowed symphony.
There is never just a simple romance, there are always unexpected layers.

“Rian Falwell has a problem. And his name is Damon Louis.” Isn’t that a fact!

So, this story is about Rian the art teacher who got a degree in fake smiles, never learned to socialize, and Damon the football coach, who despises fake smiles, both work at the Albin Academy. They don’t like each other but have to work together to help a student who ditched classes and looks more and more exhausted.

Unraveling Rian was mesmerizing, the journey of discovering the adopted Damon and his history was as mesmerizing and palpable Two souls finding a belonging, dang that was breathtaking.
They don’t just make love, they created art.
The whispers, the murmurs, the little gestures were *gasp* impressive.

Belonging... oh my heart, the yearning so palpable.
Beautifully written journey, all those impressive sentences, this author excels here.
The characters are excellently developed, the plot is well thought out!
What is a beautiful love story without a hea, don’t worry it has a very satisfying happy ending.

“But if you try sometimes …you might just get what you need.”

3.5 stars

Just Like This is our second installment in the Albin Academy by Cole McCade.

Rian Falwell the art and dance teacher at Albin Academy comes face-to-face with the gym teacher and football coach Damon Louis when a mutual student starts sliding in football practice attendance, a mandated part of his scholarship. It soon becomes clear that the student has been playing the two teachers off on each other with lame excuses. Clearing up this issue should be easy enough but Albin Academy is a private school where children are sent by their rich parents to be forgotten. Until Rian and Damn have concrete proof something legitimately wrong or against the school rules is actually going on, his parents and even the student himself should be left out of it. To top off the tangled web of the school administration's decree, Rian and Damon can't help the wrenching antagonism that occurs during each and every one of their encounters. The two teachers agree to work together to help solve the mystery of what is going on with their student and provide support (or protection) if needed. But each interaction leaves them both feeling raw, and challenged, and vulnerable. Will they be able to get over their own issues to finds and help their student with his own?

I will preface my review by saying I have not read the first book in the series, Just Like That. I do feel that I lost some context and deeper meaning with backstories and character overlap, so... I will recommend that readers read the series in order. Overall, this book could be a stand-alone BUT, again, I felt I was missing a small piece of the puzzle.

For fans of angsty push/pull, this will be right up your alley. Rian came from a very elite white upper-crust family that allowed for him to be handed many things. However, Rian, as he grew up, decided being handed things was not as fulfilling as earning your accolades. Further that Rian had a bad habit of constantly trying to "fix" all his partners, well he came away with quite the angsty chip on his shoulder that he was working off in solitude at the Academy. Damon was adopted (and from what I could gather was he was) from the nearby indigenous tribe but he feels left out from the indigenous culture and felt abandoned by his tribal people. He has loving adopted parents and he feels disloyal to want to be part of his birth tribe. The total collective baggage these two came with was quite the haul. (Oy, the angst and fear of love and being understood.) Rian and Damon were like flint and fuel... they sparked against one another but they were scared of everything that the impending fire could create. While, I enjoy working through issues together in a coupledom and working past hang-ups, and growing both together and individually, I felt like a lot of the interactions were maybe overly complicated?

The author writes beautifully and the layered intrigue on each page was definitely apparent. I, however, found the constant flowery, flowy descriptiveness maybe a bit verbose at times. I had a difficult time fully getting a feel for the characters and their motivations as sometimes their language and internal thoughts were so over the top?? Further, while the descriptiveness was there and the writing evoked an airiness to the writing, I didn't particularly feel the chemistry between Rian and Damon. Nor did I really think that BOTH characters should both have such descriptive inner monologues. (What do I know. I can hardly write a story any better than my 10-year-old.)

Little safety brigade comment here: I was a little disappointed we didn't have even a flicker of discussion about protection or the lack thereof nor preferences. But. That is my hang up and by no means telling the author what to do.

Overall, Just Like This is a beautifully written story about two seemingly opposite people coming together to help a student and find the missing parts of themselves in each other. The epilogue was heartwarming. I am curious as to where the series will go next (after I go read Just Like That).

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

It’s back to Albin Academy for the second in a Cole McCade’s series of the same name, and having loved the first book I was looking forward to returning and seeing what lay in store for Rian and Damon—total opposites who join forces to discover why one of their students is giving the Scarlet Pimpernel a run for his money.

“Rian was the art teacher. Damon was the football coach. Something something something, never the twain shall meet.”

Just Like This brought pretty much everything I’d hope for when I pick up a book by the author. His signature writing style and the soul-deep push-pull connection between his characters is at the forefront along with strong character backgrounds, and although for me it had an angstier feel than <i>Just Like That</I> that angst was real, focussing on real struggles and privilege but perfectly balanced with chemistry, banter and humour which inject a light easy-feel to Damon and Rian’s romance.

“…you didn’t find out about the dicks, did you?”

If an engaging, character-driven slow-burn romance is what you’re after, then you‘ll not go far wrong here and as for the epilogue, well for any epilogue junkie it’s the thing dreams are made of.

This continues the series started with [book:Just Like That|49374446] and once again we see teachers trying to do the best by their spoiled privileged pupils. It's also clear these are kids are neglected by absent parents, so they do deserve our sympathies despite how much luxury and freedom they have.

Rian and Damon are complete opposites and the majority of their conversations are hostile, based on assumptions they both make about each other, without really knowing anything. Art and sport rarely combine, and I love how this pair work around their differences and are spellbound by attraction. They don't like each other, but man! The chemistry is off the charts.

The mystery surrounding Chris drives the plot, and the romance drives the action! It takes a while, but when they fall into bed, they are kidding themselves it's just a fling. It's not.

Summer and Fox make small appearances, but I am more interested in reading about Assistant Principal Walden's secrets and absences... Hope there's another one to come about him.

I did enjoy this, but I do have one niggle. There is no mention of condoms ever, from the first time they sleep together. I found it distracting, because I rarely read a romance without it at least being discussed. Maybe it was there, but I read carefully and twice and I couldn't see it anywhere. So three and a half stars because of that.

Just Like This is out Nov 24 and I suspect everyone who read Summer and Fox's story will be back for this one. Thanks Netgalley and Carina Press for advanced copy.

This is a delightful “opposites attract” romance. Damon and Rian haven’t spoken much to each other, because they don’t think they share anything in common. But when a student who plays football and takes art class gets into trouble, they have to work together.

Their mutual frustration with each other turns into mutual attraction, but the more pressing concern is that they’re still trying to figure out what’s going in with their student, whose evasive answers are not yielding very much in the way of clues.

Their personalities are similar, despite their differences in vocation and outward appearance. Damon is buff and Rian is more ethereal, but they both pretend to keep to themselves and aren’t overly sociable, which is probably why neither tried to befriend the other before.

The attraction comes first, but as they get to know each other, both men lean on each other as “found family”, which strengthens their bond and allows them to rely on each other instead of keeping their feelings to themselves.

I would recommend Just Like This. While it’s the second book in the series, it functions well as a standalone. Rian does have a conversation with Summer, one of the protagonists from Just Like That, but readers won’t be lost if they start with this book. This is the fourth book I’ve read from McCade, and I’m looking forward to reading more in the future.

I received an ARC of this book from Carina Press/NetGalley.

Just Like This by Cole McCade
Albin Academy #2

Opposites attract…sometimes… When sparks are ignited negatively it often means something positive soon might transpire and so it happened for Rian Falwell and Damon Louis. One man is artistic and the other a jock. Both have back stories that have formed them and come into their relationship with chips, of a sort, on their shoulders. Both also have a deep desire to help the boys at the academy and in so doing, while working together, forge a bond strong enough to see them to a HEA that brings them both a whole lot of just what they both have always wanted.

What I liked:
* Rian: ethereal with a core of steel, soft hearted but firm, wears a smile for a mask, artistic dablber – I really liked him and the growth he showed in the book.
* Damon: conflicted, looking for his roots, closed off, wary, strong, warm, complicated – I liked him and was glad he was able to open up.
* Chris: young, good, helper, kind, caring, great potential – so glad his situation worked out eventually.
* Wondering about Walden – assistant principal. I am guessing he might get his own HEA, too.
* The premises for the story and its location – a boy’s school has potential for romance among staff and students but not between the two…probably.
* The emphasis on the students and what was best rather than on the rules alone
* The mention of how adoption and not knowing one’s roots can impact a person even though they may grow up in a loving supportive family.
* That there was a HEA for Rian and Damon

What I didn’t like:
* At times I felt the characters were stereotypical/predictable, but I liked them anyway.
* Knowing that bullying and exploitation takes place even though I wish it did not.

Did I like this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? I think so

Thank you to NetGalley and Carina Adores for the ARC – This is my honest review.

3-4 Stars

Cole McCade gets you right in the feels with this opposites attract romance. The story is a lot angsty, and the prose does get flowery - something I've learned is just to be expected from this author - but darned if the characters don't worm their way right into your heart and hang on tight. I love how these guys are with their students, how they care about them, and in this case, Rian and Damon do have that in common if nothing else. They also have great chemistry, so it's easy to get invested in their romance. The only drawback for me lay in the atmosphere. To me, it came up a little short on the private school feel that I was looking for. That aside, the story is one more engaging, emotional romance from Cole McCade, and I'll certainly be watching for whatever he does next.

Just Like This could best be described as a tentative love/hate romance. Because while there is a definite adversarial bent to the tensions between Damon and Rian. Their interactions can best be described as charged but wary. Almost like they were waiting each other out during a chess game.

Even more compelling than the seeming "stalemate of wills" between the two, that seems to be going on throughout the first half of the story. Is the way that each of their backstories work in concert with both each other, and that of the present story of their shared charge.
Giving each man a truly "lost boy found" persona. And setting the stage for their emotionally charged romance.

Speaking of personas. A big bravo to author Cole McCade. For his crafting of a more classically styled effeminate lead in the form of Rian. It is not often that softer male roles are highlighted in such positive and face forward fashion.
That still manages to honor his masculinity in the process.

In short. This book is a very well written up close and personal view of two men brought together in the pursuit of a goal greater than themselves. Only to find within each other, a love greater than any they have ever known.

Reviewer's Note
*Thank you to Carina Press and Net Galley for the provision of the review copy of this work on which my honest critique is based.
Just Like This is the second book of the Albin Academy series. But may be read as a standalone.

Rian and Damon were great characters and I enjoyed their enemies to lovers relationship, I even like how it was helping a student, Chris, that brought them together. A very engaging storyline and well-written characters, which I have come to expect from this author, made for an enjoyable read.

*I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley*

3.5 Stars!!

One thing I've come to expect when ever I pick up a Cole McCade book is great storytelling and impeccable writing and this was more of the same. I'm always blown away by how he weaves his tales and how he uses the english language to tell you exactly how his characters are feeling and exactly how the situation unravels within his stories. That is what I particularly love about this author and exactly what I loved about this book.

So why the 3.5-star rating? That just boils down to two things I didn't particularly care for in this story; the pacing and the push and pull between Rian and Damon. The writing, as I've already indicated was great but somewhere in the middle of this book, the story began to slow down a bit primarily because there wasn't much movement with the "troubled student" subplot and the MCs' constant pushing and pulling only served to drag the story even further.

However, once Rian and Damon got over themselves, the story moved right along and concluded quite satisfactorily. I really enjoyed the Epilogue as well.

I'm not sure if there will be additional books in the series but if any do come out, you can bet I'll be reading it!!

I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this one, the second book in the Albin Academy series. I really enjoyed this one as much as I did the first book! Here we once again have an opposites attract pairing and boy are Rian and Damon opposites!

Ri is the art teacher and Damon is the football coach. Their meeting is definitely not a meet cute but right away I was like aww yes this dynamic is gonna work for me because they butted heads from the first chapter when Damon thinks Ri is to blame for one of his students missing practice. They soon learn the student, Cris, had been lying to them both and most of the book, along with their budding romance, is them trying to figure out what the heck is going on with Cris.

I loved the gorgeous writing and while I'll admit it diiid get a bit much after a while but Cole McCade is so good at painting beautiful visuals that it didn't ruin my reading experience or anything. Ri and Damon are just whew...fire together!! And it really hit my emotions when Damon starts to open up to Ri about being adopted and his struggles with that. Ri's also dealing with some family issues of his own and I did like how Damon calls Ri out on his privilege because he's a white dude from a wealthy family and at times i did feel as if Ri tried to seem like his issues were on par with Damon;s when no friend. It's way harder for a man of colour who may seem intimidating to some because of his size.

In addition to the romance I enjoyed how we get to see these two men care so much for their students and just want what's best for them. It really brought home the idea of found family too.

Now, I must say I'm intrigued by the little hints we get that something is up with Walden, Ri's roommate and Assistant Principal of the school. And i hope that means he gets a book too??

Just Like This follows the art teacher Rian and the American football coach Damon as they fall in love while working together to discover what's troubling a student.

McCade has created some outstanding characters. Damon and Rian are men with depth, with passions, with good qualities as well as bad. I loved their backstory: Rian as the wealthy, privileged son who's trying to stand on his own two feet, and Damon as the Indigenous adoptee who feels alienated from his culture. Both men lost in their way and seeking somewhere to belong, both making Albin Academy their home. I enjoyed seeing them get to know each other, lose their preconceptions and find common ground. Their romance ends very sweetly. I also enjoyed the scenes with the students; I've taught teens and the secondary characters felt very realistic. The main plot question--what's troubling Chris, a good student that both men teach--is unusual, which is always a plus in my book.

All round a great job in terms of characters and plotting and I'd have rated the novel higher had it not been about the pacing and prose. I struggled to read through certain passages, I must admit. For someone who reads novels of this length in a day or two (and who's actually a fan of baroque prose), it took me weeks to get through the book. It's overly descriptive and not necessarily in terms of setting, but there is exhaustive description of every single emotion the men feel about each other, of every single body part they glance at every time, and of their every thought. The internal narration is very detailed, which slows down pacing a great deal. I can tell that McCade is talented in sketching vivid scenes, but I wish he'd pared down his descriptions to make the important details stand out bettter.

In short, I enjoyed spending time in Albin Academy and getting to know these two antagonists-turned-lovers, but at times it was a slog. However, if this kind of prose sounds like your thing, then chances are you'll love it.

Thank you NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sometimes we miss what is right in front of us because of our own experiences and perceptions. Rian and Damon were co-workers for a few years before the events in this book, but they don't really "see" each other until now.

Due to our experiences, we get older, but we may never really grow up. Most of us are probably still as insecure about life and relationships as we were in high school so we misread the situation. These guys are no exception.

This author is very descriptive so you understand the MCs feelings and actions. You may not always agree with them, but you get why.

Overall, this is a very nice story of family - real and found.

I think I saw maybe 3 proofreading issues in the ARC.

Damon had a problem, his name was Rian, he just needed to be dealt with. Rian doesn’t like Damon. Busting into his studio (broom closet) sans shirt, all muscles and sweat and so irritating.

Thus starts a strange relationship. They don’t really talk to each other. Everything mostly happens internally. Silly issues that could be solved with a few words.

I liked the characters and the story was okay. Just not a favorite kind of storytelling.

This review is for the NetGalley ARC: I liked this one better than the first one, particularly how all the moving parts fit together the way they only ever do in fiction. *sigh* The prose is typical Cole McCade. This school is in a pocket universe that I particularly appreciate in 2020, but it does connect with McCade's larger 'universe' -- you'll recognize a name if you've read Criminal Intentions.

This is now my favorite enemies to lovers trope romance. <3

Dans ce deuxième tome, nous suivons cette fois Rian Falwell, le professeur d'art et Damon Louis le coach sportif. Les deux hommes ne s'apprécient pas des masses mais vont être réunis pour le bien d'un étudiant qui manque à leurs cours.

J'ai bien aimé cet opus ! Je m'attendais à la base à un autre personnage rencontré précédemment pour héro principal, mais je pense que ce sera pour la prochaine fois ^^

J'aime le thème des ennemies to lovers, ici on est dedans même si c'est plus subtil. J'aime le style de l'auteur, je pense qu'on accroche ou on accroche...beaucoup moins. J'aime ses introspections, c'est lent, parfois on a l'impression de tourner en rond, mais c'est ce que je préfère à chaque fois !

Rian est intrigué depuis longtemps par Damon, je pense qu'il ne l'aime pas vraiment car justement il lui fait ressentir certaines choses. Il faut dire que Damon a bien souvent le nombril à l'air et ça a le don d'agacer Rian ^^
Damon, c'est un peu la même chose, il n'a jamais pris le temps de discuter avec Rian, et se rend compte qu'il aime passer du temps en sa compagnie.

Il n'y a rien d'original dans cette histoire, nous suivons le rapprochement des deux hommes dans leur objectif commun, à savoir trouver ce que cache Chris et venir en aide à cet étudiant.
Mais ce que j'ai préféré dans ce livre, c'est la forte connexion qu'il y a entre Damon et Rian. L'alchimie est bien là dès le départ, et franchement les suivre tout le long a été pour moi un vrai délice...

Pour ce qui est de l'intrigue principale dira-t-on, je trouve que l'auteur aurait du amener peut-être différemment les choses pour y croire vraiment. Là, ça donnait un peu l'impression qu'il fallait trouver un terrain pour que les deux prof bossent ensemble, même si bon, depuis le temps qu'ils se croisent dans les couloirs, il y aurait eu matière à lol
Le sujet abordé par Damon était intéressant, pas suffisamment exploité à mon sens (j'aurais adoré en avoir tellement plus !), ce qui est surprenant lorsqu'on lit les derniers mots de l'auteur et ce que ce sujet représente pour lui.

La fin maintenant... Bon, là tout va trop vite, pour moi c'était de trop vraiment, épilogue ou pas. Certes, l'auteur offre une jolie fin au couple, mais tout est trop vite expédié à mon goût.
Ceci dit, c'est vraiment une série que j'apprécie, j'aime la plume et le style de l'auteur et je serai au rendez-vous pour le prochain tome, c'est sûr et certain !
(3,5-3,75/5)

Overall, I enjoyed this second installment in this series.

This second installment focuses on Rian Falwell and Damon Louis, the art teacher and gym teacher/coach at Albin Academy respectively.

What starts as a somewhat antagonistic relationship between the two at the start, when both are lied to by a student, Chris, and think he's in the other's classroom/football practice, and it takes awhile for that animosity to cool, even as they are attracted to each other and build a connection.

But the student, Chris, is hiding something, as he's not coming to practice and he skips out as fast as he can at the end of the day from Rian's art class, but when Rian and Damon go to Walden, the Assistant Principal about it, he isn't very helpful, and they're left with the only option, which is try to suss out what is going on from peers around Chris, because asking Chris right out what is going on might scare him off.

For me, I felt like the situation with Chris was a great way for these two to come together, but I'm not so sure that I liked that the storyline spanned basically the whole book. I liked Chris and all, so it wasn't that, and it was great seeing these two care so much for him as a student and all that, but ultimately I feel that after awhile it kinda took away from these two and their story.

What I mean is, there wasn't much of a storyline outside of the Chris situation and I don't think it worked entirely well as an overall plot...

Now when it was just these two together, I loved it, I adored it, they had a great connection - even if at first it felt a tad out of nowhere. I mean they worked for three years together and barely talked and then one encounter and there's attraction? Maybe if it had been a more gradual thing, it would have felt a little more believable to me? - but either way, once we got into them and their feelings really started to grow, they were great together and I enjoyed them together.

But when, aside from their growing relationship, the only thing that happened was about Chris the whole time? I dunno, I just didn't connect with that. It being this great mystery for them to solve by the end and all that. I think the Chris thing could have been solved by at least halfway through and then this could have focused on something else, something more to do with Damon and Rian themselves, not just a student they have.

I don't know, it wasn't bad, and I did like Chris, who was a sweet kid in over his head, but the story isn't about Chris...it's about Damon and Rian, you know? So I would have just liked that storyline to have moved on. Not to say it was bad, because there were good moments that came out of it, I just don't think it warranted being the main storyline.

But overall, this was enjoyable and I do recommend it. These two were good together, even when they were snapping at each other, and I adored Rian, he was just a sweet guy.

So I definitely recommend. McCade is an amazing author who writes beautiful and writes great relationships. I just think in some ways - i.e. the plot - this could have been better. But still a very good read.

Two thumbs up from me! :)

Lovely romance between a gym teacher/coach and an art teacher. On the surface they seem like polar opposites but when they unite towards a common goal of helping a student in a bit of trouble they connect in ways neither expected. Unique, engaging, and well-written story.

Some sweet details are included, like the author writing about their personal experiences and mentioning another romance novel, A Princess in Theory! I feel like when other romances novels are mentioned in romances novels it’s usually the book that shall not be named.

Thank you Carina Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

The story truly is amazing. The story of deep profound love and belonging.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This author truly has a beautiful gift with his ability to write romance that just grabs you deep in your soul. It surprises me that he has this ability as a guy. Not that men cannot write romance, but this, this is something different! Honestly. You can tell this story is right from his soul and he is laying out his feelings in this book.

It’s not just a romance. This is a story of a deeply passionate connection that one cannot comprehend.

The story is about two people who are as opposite as you could imagine and the way the author is able to bring this fiery connection together is pretty amazing. The characters think this connection is gonna rip their guts out and blow up in their face so the push and pull are evident throughout the story.

Rian is not the normal type of character I would care for and he has many attributes that just annoyed me. He was always protecting himself and shielding his heart to a fault.

Damon is the hunky football coach with muscles galore and one that just overwhelms room but yet he can be gentle and delicate once you realize that he too is protecting in his heart.

Once these two come together, steamy and beautiful things start to happen that make the heart sing. We get an amazing epilogue that is just so story-worthy. It’s rare in a book like this to get a decent epilogue. It makes me happy to see how they blossomed and grew together.

The story is an emotionally deep and intense look at people who protect themselves and their hearts so much it’s like taking a chisel to try to find who they really are.

With passion, fire, and sizzling, passionate scenes unlike any you’ve read before, this is an author and a story that you will not forget. Book one is just as amazing. Don’t miss it!

My thoughts

Rating: 4

Series: Albin Academy #2

Genre: LGTBQ+ romance

Would I recommend it ? Yes

Would I read more of this series ? Yes

Would I read more by this author? Yes

First off I want to say thanks to Carina Press (Carina Adores)-HARLEQUIN - Carina Press for the invite to read and review it as well as the invite to join their blog tour and also to say thanks to Netgalley for letting me read it as well. Now on to my thoughts about the story : A sexy, sweet and just all around lovely MM romance that brings to live the characters as well as the setting, and I loved how this was an enemies to lovers trope between the art teacher Rian Falwell and football coach Damon Louis, and what made it work was how the characters was written in a way that the author shows she's not afraid to show that both have insecurities about relationships and love in general, as well as family issues and to make it work they have to break down each other’s walls and no matter how hard it is their strong enough to fight for each other.