The main characters of this book are Ros and Stacy. Ros has to return home after a family emergency with her aunt calls her away from her life at the university. Stacy works as a teacher in Ros' hometown. Only it is Stacy's hometown where she used to be Ros' high school biology teacher. Ros used to have a crush on her, but she moved on.
Circumstances happen where the two are reunited and due to Ros' aunt's condition, they begin spending time together. The two realize they have more in common than the aunt. Will Ros return home and leave what might be a lasting romance between the two?
I would recommend.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ros McClure definitely deserves the promotion that was just handed to a colleague via the Good Ole Boys network, but she loves her work, and when she’s called home for a family emergency, it becomes difficult to manage her job and her aging aunt’s affairs. Stacy Hagen can do it all, except find the love of her life. Twenty-five years ago, she taught Ros McClure high school biology, but Ros is all grown up now, and even though the two drive each other nuts, the chemistry is undeniable.

I picked this one up because of the age difference between the two characters as well as the fact that they were both a bit older. I enjoyed their banter and the exasperation to lovers story, but overall, this one fell a tad flat for me.

It’s an easy-going story, which can be a nice palate cleanser in between some of the more dramatic stories, but it moved a bit slow for me, and the characters’ history didn’t really add as much to their relationship as I thought it might.

I do enjoy White’s books, though, and this won’t be my last.

Unfortunately not really a book that will go to my favourites list. In all honesty, I usually don't go for the age-gap romances but have read a few that I really enjoyed. The characters Ros and Stacy are likeable enough but the pacing of the story was not enjoyable for me. I don't mind slow burn, but then the pace should be similar throughout the book. I did finish though so I will give 3 stars.

***An ARC was provided by Netgalley in exchange for a honest review ***

This is very cute and moving story of teenage dreams that came true. We all had a crush on our favorite teacher at one time or the other and wanted to end up in relationship with them? Well Both of MC's did and did end up together even if it did not come easy.

Lovely story.

Stacy Hagen has worked for years as a highschool teacher trying her best in making sure her students can go as far as they want in life. While not exactly waving a rainbow flag many in her community knew she was a lesbian. Now she lives a simple life, still teaching along with working as a painter (houses) and raising a few cattle to add to her retirement fund. Now she’s gotten herself involved with a former student's Aunt Bonnie. Bonnie had tried painting her own house, even though she’d been warned not to. But she was a stubborn woman and she climbed a ladder, ending when she fell off and broke her shoulder. So being a good neighbor she did what she could. Contacting Bonnie’s niece was the first order of business.
Ros McClure spent most of her life living with her aunt who was the one who stepped up when Ros’s parents basically deserted her. Thankful for all the love and guidance Bonnie provided. When she graduated from highschool Stacy Hagen was her favorite teacher. In fact she had a major crush but thankfully only her childhood best friend knew about. After graduation she moved on and was now working at a university. Unfortunately she was passed over for a promotion she felt she had earned. So when she gets a call from her former teacher Stacy and finds out what had happened to her aunt she quickly traveled to help out her aunt. How she was going to deal with her aunt and get herself back to work.
Ms White has given us a book that, if you were a fan already you just know how much you will probably enjoy this one. Simply put a lovely story that develops into another winner for Ms White. A very enjoyable read.
ARC via NetGalley/ Bella Books

Enjoyable romance. The premise was interesting with Stacy Hagen, high school biology teacher, also engaged in various other part-time work activities. Ros Mcclure, university auditor with a caring and deep love for her aunt. Ros is also a former student of Stacy. The student-teacher interaction was not a concern because their interaction was 25 years later. Ros returns home to check on her aunt while she is also concerned about her job and the promotion she believes she has earned and deserves. While reading, I thought about aging parents and the pull to return closer to home.

In general, the read did not flow very well because the interaction between Stacy and Ros seemed rushed and disjointed. For example, the slow burn did a quick and unsatisfying latter portion of the story. I enjoy a good slow burn romance but I had a difficult time with this one.

A solid book - not quite a four star but I’m rounding up. It’s a pleasant, sweet, easy read, with an age gap romance and a good premise.

Ros is an auditor at a University in Cincinnati. She’s called back to her hometown when her Aunt Bonnie has an accident. Here she’s reunited with her old biology teacher - Stacy, who has taken a role in Bonnie’s life.

I liked both Ros and Stacy as characters and connected with both of them. The book takes a little while to get going but I enjoyed it once it did.

Aunt Bonnie was a great character. I liked that she had just enough craziness to make the book amusing but not so much that the book became too much about her. I thought she was well written and her scenes worked well in strengthening the narrative of Ros and Stacy.

My only complaint is the lack of any real couple time in the storyline. I either needed a slightly longer book, or less of a slow burn. There was also a few pages about three quarters of the way through the book that gave me major anxiety as I anticipated something happening that never did. Not sure if that was intentional from the author or not.

I imagine this is a good depiction of small town living in the Midwest. I enjoyed the writing and I’m intrigued as to White’s other work.

I’d recommend this to any wlw fans, but especially those who aren’t looking for sexiness in their books.

I received an e-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sweet, first-crush, second-chance romance. Both leads 40+.

When Ros McClure is called back to her rural Kansas hometown to take care of her Aunt Bonnie, she expects it to be a temporary gig. She doesn't expect to take flack and accusations of lack-of-care from the stranger who found her Aunt injured in the front yard. Ros also doesn't expect said stranger to actually be Stacy Hagen - or Ms. Hagen as Ros knew her. Ms. Hagen - a high school teacher - was Ros's first major, and unrequited, crush over 20 years ago. As the two begin to reconnect, what was once unattainable fantasy becomes much more attainable instant attraction.

**I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**

I would define this story as a rural romance, of rediscovering the first love, with some age difference between the protagonists, 53-43, all told slowly and with some flashback, but in a subtle and appropriate way.

Of the two protagonists, the oldest, Stacy, sometimes seems the youngest, by attitude and character. Not because she acts childish, but because the youngest, Ros, is too serious and even somewhat unfriendly at first.

They both have a past, as a teacher, Stacy, and a student, Ros, with the typical student crush on the teacher. And now Ros must return to take care of her aunt, temporarily, and that will make them meet again, the two now adults.

The story has a lot of thought about what is really important and what is not. It also has some surprises with things from the past that come to light and are resolved in a somewhat unexpected way. I have missed a little more interpersonal relationship between Ros and Stacy alone, without classmates, without family and friends. You can feel that attraction between them throughout the background, but it is blurred by the rest of the sissues.

And for your information, it has little to no sex scenes.

In short, I have found this story quite nice and enjoyable.

Although a comforting read this book will never be my favourite.

Ros gets passed over for a promotion that she actually deserves. Now she has to deal with an incompetent boss because of the good old boys network. When a mysterious stranger calls her on her aunt's phone to inform Ros her aunt had had an accident, Ros takes some days of leave to care for her aunt. This brings her back to her a place she'd rather forget about. The town she grew up in hasn't changed much, neither have the residents. When Ros finally meets the person who called her from her aunt's phone she is in shock. It's her former biology teacher who she had a huge crush on, still does in fact. Stacy is still a teacher at the same high school, when she sees Ros it stirs up some old feelings as well.

Let me start by saying there is this huge part of this story that I find a little inappropriate. A teacher having a crush on a student? Admitting this to friends years later? WOW! Students have crushes on their teachers all the time, but to me that's different, it's more a form of admiration, wanting to be like them. But ok, the age difference is only 10 years, when your older that doesn't matter as much. I didn't care for the Ros character, she seems like a self-involved workaholic who only helps others to appease her guilt. Stacy is a caring mature woman but does some things that make you question her character, even though I can understand some of it, curious minds, and all that. The story is sweet in the end, bit just a tad slow for my liking. It wasn't unpleasant to read this book, maybe just a little dull, or this just wasn't a story I connect with.

2.5 stars. I hate giving bad reviews as I try to look for the good in every book. This is my first time reading a book written by Ms. White so I didn’t have any expectations. I found the story to be one note. It started off with Ros loosing out on a promotion that she earned. Then we move to her aunt getting sick and I think that there were about 10 pages where Ros and her aunt talked about what color to paint her house. We get half way through the book and the two MC’s haven’t even gone on a date. All in all the book just dragged for me with nothing to make me want to turn the page.

Solid 4*

Ros McClure doesn't receive the promotion that should have been her's at the University she works at, but is willing to wait a little bit longer for the job that should be hers. But when her Aunt Bonnie falls, Ros finds herself going back to her hometown and to her past.
Stacy Hagen is the towns high school biology teacher and as been for almost three decades. She lives in her Kansas farm house, she also teachers tennis and even house paints. But as never been able to settle down and find the 'one'.

Ros and Stacy find themselves face to face again after not seeing each other for 25 years. And when the do finally meet, secrets are reveled and exposed.

Confessions of a dreamer is the perfect book to curl up on your sofa, with a glass of wine. I did enjoy this romance. I think it could have used a tad more chemistry, but I did like the two characters together and was rooting for a happy ending.

I was given an ARC copy for an honest review.

A book with high school crush nostalgia? This wasn't what I was expecting, but that's mostly because I barely skimmed the book description before picking it up.
There are definitely going to be mixed opinions out there, but I enjoyed this. The characters are okay, although Stacy is nothing like the first impression we get of her. The student-teacher dynamic usually feels icky, but that mostly wasn't the case here because the characters are so removed from that time. I can see people complaining about the pace. While I do like a slow burn, having one here meant that the first expression of interest, the first kiss, and the sex scene happened all at once, 80% in. Not ideal. If the author wanted to keep the slow burn, there really should have been at least a chapter of courtship in between, or else the pace of the relationship should have been tweaked. Rushing to resolve all the conflicts at the end for lack of space does something to kill the romance.
In terms of the ending, (spoiler-ish) I like how Stacy chose to reach out to Ros. It was adorable and I had a goofy smile while reading that part. I didn't like Stacy invading her privacy, and the diary read more like a thirteen year old than an eighteen year old, but it set up the resolution moment perfectly. I also didn't like how Ros gave up what everyone knew was her "dream job," right after slaving through the entire book to get it. I know there was no way around it, but I would have liked some shred of compromise.
There were flaws, not the least of which is a detail that I think will get a lot of criticism, but I'll go ahead and give this four stars.

Ross is passed over for a promotion and right after she gets a call from a woman telling her her Aunt Bonnie fell off a ladder and is in the hospital. Rose decides it’s a good time to go back to small town in Kansas to check on her Aunt and let the university see they hired the wrong person. She finds out her old high school teacher is the one who has her aunts’ phone. There are bad feelings between the two due to a lost notebook and a grade.
Goodreads

Good story. Not spacial or unpredictable but enjoyable nevertheless, I don't like any story where the prof is in love with one of their students but since this took action way after. I was not bothered by that fact.
I still don't get Ros tbh, she leaned too much on Stacey for her aunt and for what! A job where they did not appreciate her ! no thanks. drop their ass's so they will get what they paid for. Specially since she has money.

for Stacey I could not belief that she's THAT active. that's not humanly possible to me. and at the beginning she was super rude on the phone for no reason what so ever. then boom in person super nice and understanding !

thank you for the author and her team.

Ros is still reeling over being pass over for a promotion that she deserves. In my opinion although she decides to wait it out I would’ve resigned because they gave it to someone who doesn’t seem to know what he doing and she doing most of the work. When she gets a call that her aunt Bonnie fell and broke her shoulder she wants to be there for her aunt but also hesitant about going back to a town that didn’t have great memories for her.

Stacey has been a teacher for over three decades she does a lot of odd jobs. She the one who found Ros aunt and stayed with her. She doesn’t want to step on anyone toes but she becomes the person who looks in on Bonnie when she release from rehab. Ros and Stacey communicates about Bonnie well being when she had to return to work and they get to know each other we learn they were interested in each other back then but Stacey was a teacher she was a student at the time.

This was a enjoyable read I like that Bonnie wants to keep her independent and how she praises Ros.

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.