Mein Leseerlebnis

Der Liebesroman “Love Lessons” präsentiert ein frisches Setting an einer Schule und zwei Hauptcharaktere, die das Leben ganz unterschiedlich angehen. Aufgrund ihres Jobs sind sie gezwungen zunächst in Räumen nebeneinander und später sogar in einem Klassenzimmer zu unterrichten. Dabei kracht es, aber auch ein Knistern liegt in der Luft.

Darauf aufbauend empfand ich den Verlauf der Liebesgeschichte zunächst interessant und auch unterhaltsam.

In Bezug auf die beiden Hauptcharaktere habe ich mit der Heldin gerne Zeit verbracht, mit dem Helden hatte ich teils so meine Probleme. Ich konnte in manchen Szenen sein Verhalten nicht verstehen und fand ihn gerade am Anfang auch nicht immer sympathisch. Das wurde im Verlauf des Romans glücklicherweise besser.

Die große Entwicklung um die ungeplante Schwangerschaft (siehe Klappentext) war leider keine, die mich vollauf begeistern konnte. Ein anderer Verlauf des Romans hätte mir besser gefallen. Insgesamt konnte mich die zweite Hälfte der Liebesgeschichte nicht wirklich mitreißen und ich habe mit ein paar Sachen gehadert.

Blicke ich auf mein Leseerlebnis zurück, so retten die unterhaltsamen Szenen im Liebesroman (primär die im ersten Drittel) und vor allem die Heldin meine Bewertung.

🖤🖤🖤

Für wen?

Wer Liebesromane mag, in denen Menschen mit recht unterschiedlichen Charakteren ein Paar werden und in denen eine ungeplante Schwangerschaft Heldin und Helden verbindet, für den könnte “Love Lessons” eine gute Wahl sein.

It was okay - not my favorite, but didn’t wow me. I figured I would give this one a try because the concept of it seemed fun - I mean, who doesn’t love a good enemies to lovers? But this one just fell a bit flat for me, and I wouldn’t exactly say these two were enemies at the start, either.

The story overall felt very rushed but also too drawn out in places. Like it felt like we jumped immediately into things with very little backstory (which we learn a little bit about along the way-ish), and I felt like I couldn’t really connect with the main characters. The writing style also tweaked me out a bit as it alternated way more than I would want and then switched from first person to third in a way I felt like I was questioning which viewpoint I was reading. It was a style choice, and now one that I personally feel helped move the book along in any way.

That being said, I can still see people more than loving this book. It’s definitely a quick read and there are parts that are fun, this one just wasn’t for me.

I honestly enjoyed this book! I enjoyed seeing Valerie and Andrew get to know each other more despite their differences. As a former teacher, this book hit close to home. ❤️

Not bad, but not great.

I think the idea behind it is great, and I even found myself enjoying some parts of it. But for the most part it was just meh. I normally love accidental pregnancy and hate-to-love but this just felt kind of rushed and forced in some places.

3/5 stars

I definitely had really high hopes going into this book, advertised as an enemies to lovers and for lovers of Abbott Elementary so I was super excited, but unfortunately it did not meet my expectations and I was a bit disappointed. As someone who wanted to be a teacher when I grew up, I thought the premise and plot was super cute and I thought that we got to know the characters pretty well and their families, which I appreciated.

One of the biggest reasons this book was a let down for me was honestly because it was advertised as a spicy enemies to lovers romance and it disappointed in both categories. I would barely describe the two teachers as enemies and more so characters that didn’t get along, they bickered like siblings and their reason for not liking each other wasn’t enough to really make the trope work. In addition there were only two spicy scenes so to me it was more of a fluffy fiction if anything. I honestly think the book didn’t work because it overall lacked depth and surface with the characters and with how short the book was there was little time for the characters to develop. The shortness of the book honestly hurt my ability to really fall in love with the characters because there was no time, the pregnancy happened before I even really understood why the characters disliked each other.

I think this books works more for people into a fluffy, quick, and mostly focused on pregnancy book than those focused on the romance part. And looking back on it, it was pretty mundane and I don’t even know what the climax was honestly. The characters gave me more friendship vibes than full on romance.

The ending in my opinion was a bit rushed and incomplete, but overall had potential I just wasn’t in love with it!

———————————

Thank you to NetGalley, the author Sidney Halston and the publisher Avon, Harper Voyager for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was so super cute! It was a really quick, light, and heartwarming read and perfect for back to school season. It left me with all the warm fuzzies and a smile on my face after reading. Andrew was the perfect cinnamon roll character. This did remind me of Abbott Elementary, and I love that show!

This book was adorable. Very cheesy but cute. I read it in 1 day and loved it. I am disappointed it took until the last chapter to officially get together and she is soo against marriage. Marriage is the goal.

This one just wasn't for me! I can definitely see the appeal and was very drawn to the blurb, but the writing style doesn't mesh with me. The "enemies" portion also feels very enemies-lite.

Oh, this was fun! I am always a bit leery about surprise baby stories but this was a winner. I loved the strong will of Valerie and her disdain for being told what to do! But...Cinnamon roll Andrew came in clutch and was simply the best. I couldn't get enough of the two and their differing personalities!

Steamy teacher enemies to lovers goodness!

Thank you to the publisher for the advanced copy. I would definitely recommend this read!

Love Lessons by Sidney Halston was a cute enemies to lovers story.
I enjoyed this book so much, and was completely consumed by this addictive story and these amazing characters.

I really enjoyed this book! The story was fun and quick-paced but I didn’t feel like it was too rushed, which can happen with romances. I typically steer clear of romance books that involve pregnancy, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this one! I found both of the main characters enjoyable and relatable at different points in the story many found myself really rooting for them, even at the beginning!

I definitely recommend this book for folks who enjoy romance, especially if you enjoy rivals to lovers and grumpy/sunshine with a little bit of spice!

This book was so cute! I loved it! The chapters were a little long, but it was good. My dream is to be a Kindergarten teacher so I loved that the two main characters were kindergarten teachers. I loved Valerie and Andrew. He annoyed me in the beginning, but I grew to love him. I loved how this book had romance in it but it wasn’t too much spice, which I enjoyed very much. I will defiantly be reading more by this author! Thank you for the advance reader copy!

I thought this book was okay. I liked Andrew quite a bit and I thought Valerie was okay. I think I wished there was more of their rivalry before they were pregnant. But it was sweet.

Kindergarten teachers Valerie Marquez and Andrew Wexler can't stand each other until a one night stand at the end-of-year party leads to an unexpected pregnancy. Now, they must figure out how to co-teach and co-parent while managing their complicated feelings.

I don’t always love the pregnancy trope, but I’ve been trying to give it a fair shot. This book really hit its stride around the 175 page mark. But, I did struggle with the book. It was hard to root for two teachers who were pretty immature, fighting in front of kids and constantly antagonizing each other. Once they started to open up it was much better and I did like the ending.

*I was provided a digital and physical copy of the book by the publisher for review, all thoughts are my own.*

I love enemies to lovers books & I was super excited to read because it reminded me of Abbott Elementary. I loved that these characters were polar opposites in literally everything but the banter was a bit of a miss for me. I love when main characters are witty and can go back and forth but at some points in this book it felt a little mean to me and not how two people that are falling in love would speak to each other. Another thing I wasn’t crazy about was the accidentally pregnancy trope (they’re never my favorite) but I felt this one fit in well with this story, it’s just not my favorite! This would be a great easy read if you do like that trope! It was advertised as a spicy romance, which I personally don’t feel it was, there were two spicy scenes at best. I felt like the author did a very good job giving these characters backgrounds and different cultures and relationships with their moms, I do wish the book was a little longer. All in all, I did enjoy this as a quick, well-paced, fun rom-com book and I loved that the chapters correlated to the baby’s size in fruit.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon Books for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was pretty cute and a quick, easy read, but could have been better. I understand the desire for the two main characters to be as opposite as possible but it did make it a bit harder to see them actually wanting to be together or work things out. The pacing also felt a bit off and they did seem to go from zero to one hundred a lot of the time. For as much as they had to work out with this accidental pregnancy, it would have been fun to see a bit more of them after having the baby and figuring things out.

This book was absolutely adorable. The chapter names turning into fruits in relation to the size of the baby was a perfect addition.

The characters are both lovable in their own way, and are the epitome of opposites attract. I loved that even when they push each other buttons, consent is still very clear in the important interactions of their relationship, and that they respect another’s emotional boundaries.

I also appreciated the different relationship styles they both had with their mothers. As someone who has a less conventional relationship with their mother, I can relate to the anxiety that Valerie experiences when talking to her mother. Not everyone has the unconditionally loving relationship that Andrew and his mother share, and I think Sidney Halston did an excellent job at portraying both types of relationships.

This is a quick read that you can immediately get sucked into. I may or may not have ignored all other responsibilities and read it in one sitting because it was just so cute, I didn’t want to put it down.

Highly recommend for anyone looking for:
❤️ Surprise Pregnancy
✏️ Rivals to Lovers
❤️ Grumpy x Sunshine
✏️ Workplace Romance
❤️ Forced Proximity

The publication date is only a few days away on August 6th - so I highly recommend snagging a copy when it’s available!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

LOVE LESSONS – Sidney Halston
Avon
ISBN: 978-0-06-333988-0
August 6, 2024
Romantic Comedy

Miami, Florida – Present Day

Valerie Marquez and Andrew Wexler are kindergarten teachers at a private school in Miami, and they do not get along. Valerie is quirky and a free spirit, while Andrew prefers to teach his students like he’s a drill sergeant. At the end-of-the-school-year party, they both get drunk and end up having sex. It was good but no way would they admit that to the other. Valerie leaves to go to her summer volunteer job in Hati, but while she’s gone, the rooms where the kindergarten are is destroyed when an old tree falls on them. Space is limited, so Valerie and Andrew will have to teach together in one big room. They can’t stand each other, so how will that work out? Then Valerie begins to be tired all the time and has nausea. She realizes belatedly that she is pregnant. That one night with Andrew is all that it took, despite the use of a condom

LOVE LESSONS has it all. Enemies to lovers. Workplace romance. Grumpy men. Forced to work together. Now a baby may tie them together for a lifetime. After confirming she is pregnant, Valerie knows she has to let Andrew know. At this point, she isn’t sure she wants to be a mother because of how she was raised. He is shocked, of course, but tells her that he will stand by her. After deciding to keep the baby and keep the news a secret for at least a while, they grow closer as he helps her navigate morning sickness and not wanting to eat. Turns out that Andrew is the nurturing type. They still argue a lot, but they now look for solutions and not ways to annoy the other.

Opposites don’t always attract but they do in the quirky and fun LOVE LESSONS by Sidney Halston. In fact, Valerie and Andrew end up complementing each other and it works. Their bantering works well in this tale. Readers will love their back and forth, even as their emotions go sky-high. Finding out they are about to become parents has to be a shock. How will the school react since there is likely a rule against teachers getting romantically involved with each other? Valerie’s pregnancy is not going smoothly but Andrew is ready to jump in to help her. Readers will suspect that falling in love with each other will soon be on the agenda.

Readers who love a romance that is fun to read and leaves you with a smile on your face will surely enjoy LOVE LESSONS. Valerie and Andrew have great chemistry and they keep you turning the pages to find out what happens next. Be sure to grab a copy today. You won’t be sorry.

Patti Fischer
Romance Reviews Today

I am one of those seemingly rare people who enjoys a good accidental pregnancy trope. And I adore Abbott Elementary so I had high hopes for “Love Lessons”. Unfortunately, this book, while good enough, did not meet my expectations. Separate and apart from the book itself, the marketing is off. "Love Lessons" is not enemies to lovers as much as it is rivals to lovers and it is nowhere near what I would classify as spicy. Turning to the book itself, I just didn't feel romance between main characters Valerie and Andrew. The arc from rivals to reluctant co=parents to friends to friends with benefits was there. But I just couldn't see where that friendship became actual romantic love. The mix of narrative styles also did not work well for me. Viewpoints jumped back and forth, narration went from first person to third person and back again. The book certainly has some cute aspects and I was not so frustrated or annoyed that I thought of not finishing. Three stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for a complimentary copy of this book. These opinions are my own,

ɴᴇᴛɢᴀʟʟᴇʏ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ || LOVE LESSONS [thank you to @avonbooks and @netgalley for my #gifted copy!]

Title: Love Lessons by @sidneyhalstonauthor
Genre: Romance
Format: Digital
Star Rating: ★★★★☆

ꜱᴜᴍᴍᴀʀʏ:
Valerie Marquez and Andrew Wexler are rival kindergarten teachers with clashing styles—she's fun and free-spirited, he's uptight and by-the-book. Their animosity reaches a boiling point during the end-of-year party, resulting in an unexpected night of passion. When Valerie discovers she's pregnant, their rivalry takes a new turn. Now, they must navigate co-teaching while dealing with pregnancy hormones and the growing realization that falling in love with her baby daddy might be the hardest lesson of all.

ᴍʏ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛꜱ:
I had no idea what this was about going in (other than it was compared to Abbott Elementary) and I was pleasantly surprised by the tender, fun love story here! Now, it’s nothing deep and it’s nothing crazy - but it is absolutely adorable!

As someone who has gone through pregnancy, I thought this was a great portrayal of all the stages and emotions that you go through (especially if it’s a pregnancy you hadn’t been trying for)! I really loved seeing all of Valerie’s cravings, ups & downs, and…you know, the other stuff. Haha. And watching Andrew take every twist and turn in stride! Book Boyfriend goals.

I think if you’re looking for an unlikely romance story where the accidental pregnancy trope is done well, you’re in for a treat!

ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
Workplace Romance
Opposites Attract
Accidental Pregnancy
Hilarious Children
Kindergarten Hijinks
No Third Act Breakup
Ready or Not by Cara Bastone
Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake by Mazey Eddings

ᴅᴇᴛᴀɪʟꜱ:
GR: 3.32 ⭐️
# of Pages: 304
Pub Date: August 6, 2024