Forever with You by Farrah Rochon

Forever with You is a story that takes place in a town called Gauthier. Ms. Rochon apparently pens a series called Bayou Dreams that, I believe, centers around this fictional town and his populated by characters who play a minor role in this book. Despite its connection to the series, Forever with You is a standalone title and I had very little difficulty understanding what was going on, and I think other readers will find it easy to follow as well.

Now to my review. This is a very sweet and tame tale about a widowed mother named Leslie who has two girls. Her life is all about raising her daughters following the death of her husband some years ago. When not focused on raising her daughters, her life focuses on work and her place as president of the Parents Teacher Organization. Some people in town, especially the little old ladies at church, feel it's time for Leslie to meet a man, but that isn't a part of her plan. If only the new principle wasn't so tempting! Gabriel

is the school's newest teacher and the interim principle. He has nothing but eyes on Leslie, and of course doing a good job so that one day he'll become a permanent principle. His attraction to Leslie is instant and he doesn't care about her position in the PTA, the fact that she's a student's mom, or that she's a couple of years older than he is. Unfortunately, as it begins to look as if there might be something between himself and the widowed mom, there's trouble at the school. This is the kind of trouble that could put the brakes on any advancement he's made with Leslie and also become a permanent road block in his career plans and his plans to help his mother and siblings. Of course Leslie isn't without her own issues. She's not sure she's ready for a new man, especially a younger one. She also hasn't quite gotten over her husband and how he died.

Can these two overcome all of their obstacles and come together in love? That's the question and the story behind Forever with You.

Overall I feel this is a good story that's perfect for someone looking for a light read on a lazy Sunday afternoon. It's also a good break for anyone starting to feel burned out by the billionaire heroes that are so popular, or the super dominating, just this shy of being insane heroes that are starting to populate some of the more current bad-boy themed books. Forever with You takes the tame route with characters that readers will like, can relate to, and will cheer for. In Gabriel we get a sweet hero that most women would like to meet in the real world. Leslie is just a mom who's trying to live after being struck by unexpected tragedy. I wish that I had more to say about this book, other than it was a pleasant read. I can definitely say that it wasn't a bad one, and for some readers it may be ideal. Unfortunately, this wasn't a memorable book to me, just an o.k. one. The conflict wasn't extremely captivating, and while I understood Leslie's hesitation, it did begin to grate after awhile. Although I wasn't captivated, it kept my interest long enough to read it. It served its purpose though and was well written and that goes a long way. For that I'm giving this book 3 out of 5.

*I was given a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.*