Colter is a charming rancher and a single father to his daughter. Willa, a school teacher, shares a history with Colter. Years ago, Colter did something that caused Willa to leave Pronghorn. Now, this small town needs teachers, and Willa has never completely forgotten Colter. In addition to ranching, Colter is also the president of the school board. After 14 years, Willa returns to Pronghorn as one of five new teachers. Colter is quick to apologize, but Willa has moved on and doesn't intend to look back.

I loved the small-town setting; Loretta added a lot of humor, and the other characters contributed to the story's lively mix. Willa and Colter's second chance was heartwarming, and I'm eager to read more from this series!

I should stop bemoaning the dearth of great category romance, but I shall probably continue to bemoan the dearth of great category romance, except when one of Grace’s drops into my Kindle. I am a happy clam and was especially happy when her latest series centres on a group of teachers and her heroine is an English teacher, as is yours truly! Also because she doesn’t only get the romance right, she gets teachers right! Okay, that’s two exclamation marks in one paragraph and the punctuation enthusiasm stops here. Let’s set this baby up for you with the publisher’s description of its goings-on:

A second chance…
With his first love?

Single dad and rancher Colter Wayne has moved mountains to bring teachers to Pronghorn, Oregon. So he’s floored when one of the new arrivals is the woman he almost married. To make matters worse, it looks like Willa Marshall still hasn’t forgiven him. But the kids need Willa, and she needs his help navigating small-town life. Can Colter and Willa learn to let go of the past and embrace the future…together?

What the blurb doesn’t do justice to is how hurt Willa is by Colter’s past actions, or how attractively and remorsefully contrite Colter is. Or how lovely they are together because Grace can craft a sentence and rock a metaphor; her touch is light and she delights with a turn of phrase or original metaphor. (I also read her for the romance, the themes of finding purpose and love, joy and commitment, and the humour, dry and sly at times, always warm and affirming.) The past looms large because smack in the middle of it is Colter’s daughter, Sylvie. Fourteen years ago, an impulsive young man on the rodeo circuit, head over heels in love with his best friend’s sister, had one stupid, rash one night stand, hurt Willa, and found himself a single dad at 21. He bought a ranch and built a good life for himself and his daughter and missed Willa every single day until she arrives into his tumbleweed-festooned town and bingo, hope for forgiveness and maybe a second chance bloom?

Willa will have none of him and I can say rightly so. This be a slow-burn. Colter and Willa’s youthful romance and that they obviously still love each other and belong together take a nice smouldering back-burner place to a delightful ensemble cast of teachers, townspeople and teens. Grace’s narrative wobbles at the start as she introduces them, but once that hurdle is past, with the romance bubbling away like soup on a stove, she pens a you-make-my-heart-sing story about how important school is, how diminished online learning has rendered young people, and what a struggle, joyful as it is at times, to run a school and create an engaging, deep curriculum on a shoestring budget.

To boot, Grace “gets” the conflicting interests that go into a school community, mainly parents who want to dictate curriculum, make demands about co-curriculars, and bring their squabbles into the arena; in a nutshell, teachers aren’t seen as experts anymore, but as the deliverers of interests. My comments haven’t done justice to Grace’s delivery of the “issues” with humour and humanity. She writes in the comic mode, where things turn out and people have their foibles, but if you listen to them and meet them half-way, they’re all right. Grace centres her school community, beyond arguments and crises, on good will.

Though Willa and Colter’s romance wasn’t at front and centre of every scene, they were its beating heart. Their humour, affection, hard work, and commitment to the school and the town’s youth are a reflection of what they will be to each other. It’s snippets like this, of Colter watching Willa at a school board meeting that charm and keep the romance ever-present: “She was beautiful when contemplating dire education issues.” And the build-up to the avowals of love and funny, touching proposal, I cried and laughed. It was lovely. Miss Austen would agree, Grace’s Lessons From the Rancher offers “no charm equal to tenderness of heart,” Emma.

Anna Grace’s Lessons From the Rancher is published by Harlequin Books and released yesterday, April 23rd. I received an e-galley from Harlequin Books, via Netgalley, for the purpose of writing this review, which was composed without the aid of AI.

Colter is a sexy rancher and a single father to his daughter. Willa is a school teacher and she and Colter shared a pass. Colter did something and Willa left Pronghorn. Pronghorn is in need of teachers for the small town. Willa has never forgotten Colter. Colter is not only a rancher but he is the president of the school board. Now Willa finds herself back in the small town of Pronghorn as one of the five new teachers to the area. It has been 14 years since Willa and Colter have seen each other. Colter is already to apology but Willa has finally gotten her life together and she is ready to move on.

Will Willa accept Colter’s apology and forgive him, can Colter and Willa recapture what they once shared and have the HEA that they desire and deserve?

I received an ARC via NetGalley and Harlequin Romance and I am leaving my review voluntarily.

Lesson from the rancher by Anna Grace
A second chance…
With his first love?
Single dad and rancher Colter Wayne has moved mountains to bring teachers to Pronghorn, Oregon. So he’s floored when one of the new arrivals is the woman he almost married. To make matters worse, it looks like Willa Marshall still hasn’t forgiven him. But the kids need Willa, and she needs his help navigating small-town life. Can Colter and Willa learn to let go of the past and embrace the future…together?
This is Colter Wayne, daughter Sylvie and Willa Marshall's story.
COLTER WAYNE GRABBED a hammer and pounded a second nail into the detached floorboard. The teachers would be here any minute and he didn’t want them tripping over the threshold as they entered the building. The stakes were way too high to risk scaring off even one of the five new teachers.
And since Loretta Lazarus, local real estate agent and self-proclaimed school principal, was part of the greeting committee, some level of concern was to be expected.
THIS CAN’T BE PRONGHORN.
Willa Marshall gazed down the empty stretch of highway to her right, then turned to the left as the bus pulled away from the five young teachers. The air was warm and still, like the atmosphere was holding its breath, too. The only movement was a one-eyed cat darting out from behind a brick building. The animal trotted to the middle of the road, then sat on the faded yellow pavement markings and stared at them.
Willa blinked, then redirected her gaze to their surroundings.
Seven buildings, no people.
I recommend this book.
Lesson from the rancher by Anna Grace is a wonderful well written 5 star book.
I am looking forward to reading more books by Anna Grace.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.
From Harlequin Heartwarming: Wholesome stories of love, compassion and belonging.
The Teacher Project
Book 1: Lessons from the Rancher
Book 2: Winning the Sheriff's Heart

this is the first in a series, featuring teachers, as a retired teacher I am looking forward to the series. this was a good start to the series.

A deep look behind the scenes of a small school. The teachers, the students, the parents, all have issues. There is also a second chance romance. I look forward to the next one in this new series. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.