Jack met Zoe at the wedding of a mutual friend, Ed. They were talking when Zoe received a message on her phone from her daughter that included a picture of her husband and her best friend. She is upset and Jack takes Zoe to her house. Ed is a teacher and knowing Jack needs work, he convinces Jack to teach at the same high school where Zoe and Ed teach. There is chemistry between them, and they begin to spend some time together. Zoe has divorced her husband and now her big concern is her children. Jack is much younger than Zoe and she is concerned about dating a younger guy. This book is full of love for family, friends, and colleagues. I love how Zoe is described as a teacher and her impact on the students. Jack has helped his brother out when his wife died of cancer and Jack moved in to help take care of his nephews. Lots of humor among the messiness of life. Great book!

I was lucky enough to receive both the audiobook & and eARC of this story, it is not something I usually do, but I could tell by the blurb that I was going to really enjoy this, and I was right!
I find in some romance books, the relationship between the main characters can feel forced & rushed, but that was not the case here. The dynamic between Zoe & Jack felt genuine, and I adored the banter between them. This story had me laughing and crying throughout.

Audiobook Notes: I thought Abigail Hardiman did a wonderful job narrating. My only criticism is that there were no voice changes, making it difficult to follow at times. Despite this, I would still recommend both versions of the book.

★★★★
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I want to thank NetGalley, Dreamscape Select and Storm Publishing for the opportunity to review this book.

I do loved Zoe and Jack's story, full of laughs, tears & fantastic characters that I felt really captured the realities of teaching, parenting, divorce, new starts etc.
I felt invested in their lives and what would happen to all of them. Definitely one of my top reads this year!

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love books with weddings, and even better when a meet cute happens there! These characters were so much fun, and I enjoyed this beach read!

Perfect rom com with hilarious moments , easy read , perfect for summer , The author picked the tropes well

As always, super grateful to netgally and storm publishing for the oppurtunity to read an arc of the latest from Kristen Bailey.
Having read Kristen before, I always knew I would enjoy this. As always she delivers a fantastic read. I love the way she writes such lovely and relatable characters, it's definitely a skill she has mastered and continues to use in every book she releases. I don't think I can ever not like a read from Kristen, I will be a lifelong fan. I won't give anything away about this book, just that if you don't know about Kristen Bailey, you should get to know, you won't be disappointed.

This book was the epitome of a textbook romance. The chemistry between the main characters, Jack and Zoe, practically leapt off the pages. I adored the banter, characters, and setting. Zoe’s redemption arc was executed flawlessly, bringing both laughter and tears to my eyes. Although I typically don’t enjoy dual POVs, this one was seamlessly done. As a fan of closed-door romances, I did skip the open-door scenes, but I didn’t feel like I missed any of the story or romance. I will definitely read more from this author and I’ll be recommending it to all my RomCom lovers.

✨ Single Mum
✨ Age Gap
✨ Teachers
✨ Funny




✨ It all started as a reunion with all the mates in university. Zoe in the first chapter is a mum and ‘happily’ married when suddenly saw a photo of her husband cheating on her. She met Jack on that reunion too.
✨ Both of them is in teaching industry, Jack is more like getting to know what kind of job he really like because he is young. They have a 10 years age gap.
Jack falls first when they had a sudden ‘get me out of here’ moment.
Until it develop but of course Zoe’s ex is such an a**.
✨ Story was great at first until it drags a little bit with the sentence sometimes repeated.
✨ There characters are very likeable especially I can feel the connection to Zoe as the age gap was quite interesting to see especially when there is 2 more child in the package.
✨ Funny but not too cheesy comedy.
Great writing and also narration .



Thankyou @storm publishing for the copy of this arc for a honest review.


🫶🏼shaye.reads

The most entertaining book I have read in a long time!

Zoe and Jack were incredibly likeable, as a pair and individually, and even in the highest moments of conflict you really felt for them and what they were going through. I found myself constantly laughing at the dialogue from many of the characters, not just Zoe and Jack. The side characters were all engaging and added to many scenes, something I often find hard to pull off as genuine. In particular Zoe's teenage children, their feelings and journeys felt respected throughout the entire story. I almost wish we got to see them interact with a certain character more, but I understand their need to reconcile another relationship first.

I tend to stay away from school or teacher centred books but I throughly enjoyed this one, and I will definitely go back and read Sex Ed.
The ending of Textbook Romance felt completely natural and I would happily read anything else from Kristen Bailey!

Thank you to Storm Publishing, NetGalley and author Kristen Bailey for this eARC.

I thoroughly enjoyed Textbook Romance. It's a fun, cute, uplifting romance perfect for relaxing summer days.

I fell in love with both our MCs immediately. Jack is just the sweetest, kindest man and Zoe is a caring, amazing woman who deserves the world. I loved their banter and seeing their relationship develope. I loved that there was no insta-love and that the character were well fleshed out and felt real.
The supporting cast was also amazing with Mia, Jack's flatmates and Zoe's kids
Just all around a great read.

This is the third Kristen Bailey book I’ve read and it has all the ingredients I’ve come to love from reading her work. There’s pain and heartache in this story, but also oodles of joy. It’s a wonderful read that left me with a lump in my throat, reaching for the tissues (not an innuendo - if you’ve read the book, you’ll know).
I love how Kristen Bailey’s books contain such completely adorable characters. This one also includes some who touched my heart in previous books. Still, you don’t need to have read any of her others to appreciate this one.
It was moving to follow Zoe’s journey in this book. I was willing her on and I loved how her life and her view of herself came to change by seeing herself through the gorgeous Jack’s eyes. What a romantic hero he was. Every woman needs a Jack in their life! The banter between Zoe and Jack was so enjoyable to read.
There’s a bit of steam in this book so if that’s not your bag be warned, but personally I thought those scenes were terrific and very well-written.
Overall, this was a gorgeous romcom, a really satisfying romance for grown-ups, and I can’t wait to read more by this tremendously talented author who writes from the heart.

Its such a cute book with many hilarious moments.

Tropes:
Age Gap( fmc-44, mmc-29)
Workplace romance(teachers)
Single mom(divorce)
He falls first

Zoe and Jack are so loveable characters, there isn’t a single mean bine in their body. From their first meeting there is undeniable chemistry between them. When Joe was hurt by Brian’s(he cheated on her with her best friend), she lost herself in taking care of her kids. Jack upend her life by making her happy with silly jokes and support.

What I liked the most is the relationship Joe has with her kids. My fav person ought to be Lottie, she is full of fire and has a foul mouth her cussing is damn funny 😂😂. Also the way all characters are supportive and played roles in Jack& Joe relationship and Ed& Mia are so fun 🤩. Each character is written beautifully.

Even though it’s sweet and all to read it’s very lengthy. It’s the same repetitive happening, i felt bored after some time. The reason for break up felt like nonsense to me.



Thank you @netgalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for honest review.

The perfect Romcom for back to school 🍎

Zoe meets Jack at her coworkers wedding, and they have great friendly chemistry. That night her life is turned around as she learns that her husband has been cheating on her with her close friend. Now as a 43 year old single mom, she is learning to cope with the betrayal, raise her 2 teenage children, and keep her life together when Jack turns up at her school as a new substitute teacher. Sparks fly between these two despite her reluctance at romance due to their age gap of 14 years. This story is told in dual POV between Zoe and Jack and is well executed. I love the supporting characters with her close teacher friends and her sassy daughter. This is a cute, quick read with tropes of teachers, friends to lovers, coworkers, reverse age gap. I really enjoyed this romcom! 3.75-4/5

Thank you NetGalley, Storm Publishing, and author Kristen Bailey for this ARC, it made my day!
Pub date: July 29, 2024

Zoe Swift, is a math teacher who likes things to be in order, then she meets the charming Jack at a friend’s wedding. That same night she finds our her husband of more than 20yrs is cheating on her with her friend. Going thorough the seperatiom, she didn't expect her attraction to Jack and also didn't expect him to feel the same way. Their immediate connection is undeniable. Unexpectedly, Jack becomes a regular presence in Zoe’s life when he starts working as a substitute teacher at her school, throwing her well-organized world into chaos! Zoe is still dealing with the betrayal of her husband and is learning to navigate life as a single mom.


This was a very sweet book to read, the banter between Jack, 29yrs and Zoe, 44yrs was cool.
The character development in this book is top notch, I enjoy reading it although it's quite slow butn. This novel portrayed how love can heal and change you, even when you least expect it.

This was my first Kristen Bailey book and it was wonderful. I will certainly look for more of her books to check out.

Zoe and Jack were great characters with fun, witty banter. Their character "flaws" and the story were realistic enough to be believable and charming enough to keep me interested. The ending was just right.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review and opinion.

Text Book Romance by Kristen Bailey is a great rom-com guaranteed to give you all the feels! I cried, literally laughed out loud, and could not put this book down. The characters are extremely well written & lovable. This one has a minimal amount of spice but its just enough. Add this one to your TBR- you will be glad you did!
Thank you NetGalley & Storm Publishing for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Title: Textbook Romance
Author: Kristen Bailey
Format: Ebook

Top 5 books for the year. This book is cute, smart, challenging, and everything I love about books.

Maths teacher Zoe Swift learns her husband had been cheating on her with her friend, and has to maneuver a new family dynamic for her teenaged kids. She found out at the same moment botany-expert and aspiring substitute teacher comes into her life, and starts at her school. While she's determining if she will be able to open up her heart again, he's coming to realize he may have found someone that makes him want to settle down.

This book is deliciously British. As an American, I'm sure I didn't get all of the references. But using the plural of maths, talk about Nando's, and the constant drinking of tea all add flavor to the book without being distracting.

Pros:
*The banter is on point this book. Jack is really smart with his innuendos, and it just feels clever and flirtatious.

*Jack's character is just so darn charismatic. He's like a goofy teddy bear nurse--cuddly, always able to play, and willing to take care of people.

*All the kids in this book. Zoe has kids. Jack has nephews. They work at a school of kids. It's an understated thing, but I adore how many angles this looks at development. How divorce can affect kids. How important it is to have an adult figure believe in you. Or step up to care for you. And it achieved this without having the main character get a surprise pregnancy.

Cons:

*Third act breakup, not always a fan of those.

Will be recommending to others. Will be reading more from this author!

Thanks to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for the digital advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a sweet story. I enjoyed it. I liked how the author had Zoe handle herself throughout the story. cautious and responsible. I wouldn’t have liked it if she had behaved reckless and immature. I also liked Jack’s character though found him to be maybe too bit of a softie at times. Nice storyline overall.

I was so excited to get a chance to read this new release from Kristen Bailey. I hadn't heard of the author before but the cover really caught my eye, and then the premise hooked me even further. This was a really fun light-hearted read that I enjoyed reading by the pool! It's perfect for anyone on a vacation or just looking for something fun to read in the summer with a cute romance plot! Thanks again for the chance to read this book!

Another laugh a minute from Kristen! This book has it all… love, laughs, smut, and some heartbreak! A dual POV from Zoe & Jack, much like many of Kristen’s other books, switching between characters mid chapter is a skill that is done beautifully here and always at the right moment! The two main characters meet at a wedding, where Zoe, a forty-something maths teacher, finds out her husband is having an affair, cue a divorce, upset kids and a fiesty sister! (Side note; shitspoon might be my new favourite word). Then there’s Jack, a 29 year old man who’s never found his way after some family devastation earlier in life. Jack gets a job as a substitute teacher at the same school as Ed and Mia, where Zoe also works.. time for some work place sexual tension 👀 soon follows a kiss by the bike shed, a set up, and a romance of two people who appear on paper to be the complete opposite of one another.. but we know what they say… opposites attract! An easy read from start to finish, plenty of innuendo and a great laugh. I’m a fan!!

Ed and Mia are back as sort of background characters this time, they had their own story in Sex Ed, also a great read btw! Beth from the Callaghan sisters series also features, I love how all of Kristen’s books have connections to one another, like she really loves her characters and wants them to live on through other stories!