Textbook Romance
Ratings1
Average rating5
15
Ratings1
Average rating5
When maths teacher Zoe Swift meets the irresistibly funny and charming Jack Damon at her friends’ wedding, sparks fly faster than you can say "the square root of sixty-nine."
And when Jack turns up at her school, newly recruited as a supply teacher, she can’t ignore the intense effect he has on her when their paths cross in the corridors. But Zoe is still reeling from her husband's recent jaw-dropping betrayal and adjusting to life as a single mum to two teenage kids. She's not sure if she's ready to open her heart to a fling with a younger man.
As Zoe and Jack's connection grows deeper, their undeniable chemistry and Jack's steadfast support help Zoe rediscover the good things in life: her love of a good dance, the soothing power of takeout, the secret thrill of receiving a well-timed chicken emoji and the wonder of multiple orgasms…
But with complicated family dynamics and co-parenting with her ex to manage, a sizeable age gap, and Jack's uncertainties about his future to factor in, she’s about to find out that love isn’t always a simple equation.
Can Zoe accept this gift from the universe and take a chance on a far-from-textbook romance?
Get ready to laugh, cry and fall head-over-heels with this emotional and uplifting romantic comedy about healing after heartbreak. An unmissable read for fans of Sophie Kinsella, Mhairi McFarlane, Beth O’Leary, Sex Education and Teachers.
Reviews with the most likes.
Solid RomCom in Shared World With Other Books From Author. This is one of those books where characters other than our main couple play crucial roles and while it isn't *completely* obvious that they are pre-existing characters from other books... it also kinda is, or at least was for me. In part because I *did* read Sex Ed, Mia and Ed's story, and remembered them so distinctly. As it turns out, the other couple that plays crucial roles here, Beth and Will, had their story told in one of Bailey's other works in another series, Did My Love Life Shrink In The Wash? - book 3 of 5 in the Callaghan Sisters series.
But don't get me wrong, this book can completely be read as a standalone with no knowledge of the other two books, and the only blatant spoilers aren't really spoilers... gee, the main couple in a romance novel wound up together... hmmm... *BREAKING NEWS!!!!!* (/sarcasm :D).
As to this tale itself, I thought it worked quite well in showing the difficulties of an age gap romance, if in a slightly more socially acceptable way than the somewhat more common older man- younger woman, instead we get here a bit of a cougar, with an older woman - younger man dynamic... except that it isn't really cougar so much as friend to lover. The opening prologue sets the scene, with our eventual couple meeting right as our female lead learns devastating news, and the tall proceeds in an almost Gilmore Girls - meets - 2020s manner, with a lot of banter and texting (and sexting, and confusion/ hilarity around the confusion regarding both forms), and, since this *is* set in the UK... soccer. (*NOT* football, no matter what those crazy Brits claim. There are *reasons* we in the US were the first of many to kick them out of our country, and this is just another (more modern) reason they continue to be wrong. :D) (To be clear, 99% of the prior parenthetical statement was a joke. Though they *are* wrong in calling soccer "football". :D)
If you prefer "clean" / "sweet" romances with the spice level of a warm bowl of oatmeal... this ain't your thing, as this is closer to jalapeno at least, *maybe* habanero. As in, at 41 years old myself, there are things in this book that I've both never done and have lost the flexibility to do. So kudos to our female main character for being so nimble. :D
Overall a fun, solid romcom with the usual expectations and perhaps a bit more heart than most that manages to take some typical tropes in at least slightly different directions.
Very much recommended.
Originally posted at bookanon.com.
