Thanks to NetGalley, Storm Publishing & Kristen Bailey for an ARC of "Textbook Romance."

"Textbook Romance" starts with Zoe meeting the ever so charming Jack at a mutal friend's wedding, and they clicked immediately. While they meet while looking over the seating chart, Jack is also witness to Zoe finding out her husband has been having an affair. Little does Zoe know that Jack is more than a stranger who watched her world start to crumble, as he will resurface as substitute teacher at her school.

This story fell a bit flat for me. I enjoyed the notion of Zoe trying to find herself again after defining herself as a wife and mother for the last decade or so. I had no issues with the age gap between Zoe and Jack, and did find their chemistry intriguing. What fell flat for me what the lack of communication, especially being that Zoe is 14 years old than Jack and should have been able to have a mature conversation with him. The conclusion to their story seemed super abrupt and would have preferred a shorter chapter on how they dealt with their issues before jumping into the epilogue.
If single parent & age gap romantic tropes are your forte, give this novel a shot.

DNF - Sorry not for me. I can see I'm with the minority review here but found the story, the settings and the characters boring and one dimensional. There were sparks of humour in a few lines here and there but they all fizzled out into basic and predictable daily activities... sorry I tried to stick with it but was skim reading most chapters as they were a recount of a pedestrian day-to-day life before giving up on it completely - not the escapism I was looking for in a sidepool summer read. Thanks for the ARC.

Based on other early reviews, I might end up being in the minority on this one, but it just wasn't for me. There were a few things I liked (the biggest being Zoe's relationships with her teenage children), but it was very hard for me to look past the writing style, which felt very basic.

Well where do I begin. This was so not a textbook romance . Told between: the two main characters. Wow Zoe’s x husband was a piece of work over how he treated his children and his x house. It was a beautiful love story and the ending was different but not cliched.. Friends are amazing . I loved how Jack’s friends divided in and rescued Zoe’s son with out question . Children are more aware than we give them credit. I really enjoyed this book. Read it

This was a cute read and with an adorable storyline. Zoe and Jack's relationship felt so real. They both come from different experiences and stages in life and have their own battles to fight. Their relationship build up was perfect, with realistic concerns. There is an age gap in their relationship, and it's Zoe's biggest concern. I absolutely adored how Jack approached her and the situation. He was patient and kind.

I also loved the side characters, especially their friends and Zoe's sister. The story came together really well and will have you rooting for them!

I inhaled this book! I loved the instant chemistry between Zoe and Jack. I really enjoyed reading about a complicated situation and an age gap between the main characters. I also really enjoy reading books set in England - and this one had plenty of tea and biscuits to keep me happy! Will definitely be recommending this one far and wide - thanks for the ARC!

This was another cute story from Kristen Bailey. I loved the summer/winter romance with Zoe, who is in her forties and the new romance of a younger man, Jack, who turns out to be her children's newly recruited teacher. This lead to a few hilarious scenes with snappy, witty dialogue. It also sheds light on a divorced woman's entry into single parenting and healing from a cheating husband while co-parenting. Her relationship with her children is realistic and heartwarming. There's a lot of love here. Although I was a bit disappointed in the ending, I highly recommend it. This is the third Bailey book for me and I will seek out other titles. She's a delight.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for allowing me to read an ARC.

This is a nice read.

The older woman and younger man trope is not usually something I love. But this was well done. It is a warm and witty story about growth and life.

I requested the ARC from NetGalley because I though the summary sounded adorable, and I was right. Textbook Romance is adorable.

Zoe is struggling after finding out her husband is cheating on her with her friend, when she meets Jack who is just the most adorable, golden retriever book boyfriend.

Really all I keep thinking about it is, it's adorable and sweet and just a lovely cozy contemporary romance. The age-gap didn't even bother me because Zoe and Jack really had great chemistry and clicked immediately and you also just like them as soon as you meet them as characters. Zoe is fun, really cares for her teenage kids and just exudes a warmth through the pages. Jack, as described above, is 100% golden retriever who has the biggest heart.

Textbook Romance is a fun romantic comedy, brimming with real conversations about the ups and downs we can face in everyday life.

Zoe instantly connects with Jack at a friend's wedding, but the fun banter between the two of them is rooted in friendship because she's married. However, when she finds herself adjusting to life as a single mom to two teenage children and their paths cross again, it becomes clear that there are definite sparks.

While she's mainly concerned about the big age gap between them, he's focused on showing her that she's more than capable of being a desired woman. The way in which Jack approached the relationship, with patience, kindness and understanding, made him a swoon worthy love interest. Walking the journey of Zoe and her children as they traversed this new dynamic of divorce and eventually accepting a new man in her life, was a heartfelt one. The fact that the story was told through the viewpoints of both Zoe and Jack gave us the opportunity to really understand each character's feelings as the plot unfolded.

A fun holiday read, with a serious side to it as well.

This book is the perfect summer read, especially if you're a teacher getting ready for the summer break.

Zoe is at a friends wedding and meets Jack, which is where she receives some life changing news.
Fast forward a few months, and Jack has a job as a supply teacher at the same school as Zoe. The chemistry is instant, but as Zoe is dealing with a cheating husband and 2 teenage children a relationship with a younger man is not on the radar........or is it??

Thank you Kristen and NetGalley for the advanced copy, I just loved this book.

A very cute office place romance book about a woman who discovers her husband has been cheating on her and then starts seeing a man she met at a wedding (via an adorable meet cute) who is now a sub at her school.

I love the references to the confusion about gen z cultural phrases because I can relate. The characters are so well written and you really find yourself rooting for them. Very cute book.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book!
Textbook romance had such a sweet description that made me really excited to begin to read it, and in the beginning I was pretty hooked. I do feel like I lost interest fairly quickly in this book though. I think the age gap between the two characters caught me by surprise, and the book was definitely “spicier” than I anticipated. I was torn about whether to rate this book 2 or 3 stars, but feel I settled on this rating because the ending felt so abrupt and rushed, which made it less enjoyable. I wish there was more of a conclusion to this story, it just felt like there was a lot missing.

I loved this book. It was the first one I’ve read by this author but it won’t be the last! I appreciated that the main character was in her 40s as so many romance novels are focused on those in their 20s or maybe very early 30s.
I’ve been in a similar situation as Zoe so could relate so much to this character. When your life is shaken up like this, your self-esteem takes a hit. I loved the way Jack helped her to feel seen and heard. The way he helped her see her intelligence, attractiveness, and reminded her how to live life is exactly what is needed and he handled it beautifully.
Their love story was so well written and I would love to see where they end up (hint, hint).
So glad I got to read this one!

This book follows Zoe, a newly single mother of 2 teenagers, struggling to recover from her ex-husbands betrayal, and Jack, a younger substitute teacher who works with Zoe.

I wasn't a huge fan of this book. It was well written, and I enjoyed the story and characters, it was just missing something for me. The book started a little slowly but it did pick up around halfway through and I enjoyed the second half more. I really struggled to connect with the characters, they were really well written and fleshed out I just couldn't connect with them as much as I wanted to. Single parent tropes have always been very hit and miss for me, sometimes I love them and others I struggle with and this was the latter. I did, however, feel connected to the kids and how they were struggling with the relationship they had with their dad. I was also disappointed with the ending, they didn't really work through the issues and doubts they had and I would have preferred a more clear cut ending that confirmed what happened in the future.

Tropes:
-single parent
-age gap
- slow burn
-dual pov

This book is a great summer read! As a teacher, I always love reading books set in a school!

Zoe is a lovable main character dealing with a recent divorce. It's funny and super relatable.

A little spice but lots of humor!

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an advanced e-copy of Textbook Romance in exchange for an honest review.

The story's focuses on Zoe, who is in her forties, as she embarks on a unexpected journey with a man 14 years her junior. This is a refreshing perspective to the romance genre. The reverse age-gap was perfectly written. Zoe's experiences as a mother, teacher, and divorcee bring a depth and authenticity to her character. This book is filled with witty dialogue and laugh-out-loud moments. Zoe's struggles with her cheating ex-husband, her self-esteem issues, and her newfound dating life are all portrayed with a healthy dose of humor.

Zoe's relationship with her children is heartwarming and relatable. The author captures the ups and downs of parenting teenagers with honesty and humor.

'Textbook Romance' is a highly recommended read for fans of heartwarming and humorous romances. Bailey's writing is engaging, her characters are relatable, and the story will leave you feeling both entertained and uplifted. Despite the slightly disappointing ending, this book is a worthy addition to any reader's collection.

A really nice romance, that was heartfelt, had a lot of fun moments, and enjoyable characters.
I was very intrigued in the beginning but when it hit the 80%-90% for me it went a bit downhill
I still enjoyed it do not get me wrong i just felt like towards the ending the story felt inconclusive, i wanted to know more about how the main characters resolved their long distance problems, like really really see how they are solving this issue
But i had a lot of fun reading this nonetheless
Thank you so much to the publisher and netgalley for the arc🫶🏻🫶🏻

This is the first Kristen Bailey book I have read and it won’t be the last! Absolutely loved it! Laughed out loud so many times and then was literally breaking my heart! Loved the characters , was an easy read but one that I couldn’t put down! Hope we find out more! Highly recommend

This was a good book. Easy to read felt engaged with the readers. The story is cute and very easy to follow along. Would recommend this to friends if they are looking for a quick and easy read.