Honestly, this was cute.

I liked them as a couple, and the circumstances of their meeting was an interesting way of setting up the relationship and its evolution.

I found the awkward texting and misunderstandings to be comical and the narrator did a phenomenal job with the tone. I found myself giggling and rooting for them.

I enjoyed that the resolution for two people at VERY different life stages wasn’t one of them giving up their dreams, or changing their dreams.

I do wish that they would not have ended up together at the end. I think that it would have kept the significance of their relationship but aligned better with their circumstances, although I recognize that is not the HEA you look for in romance.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you author Kristen Bailey, Dreamscape Select and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for an honest review!

Tropes:
Age gap - Older female ✔️
Workplace romance ✔️
Single parent ✔️
Slow burn ✔️
Enemies (more so frenemies) to lovers ✔️
Guy gets the girl ✔️

Textbook Romance is a cutesy romcom that will have you rooting for the main characters from the very beginning. Zoe Smith is a middle-aged mom of 2 teenagers and a math teacher, who meets free spirited Jack Damon at a friend’s wedding, just as her life gets turned upside down. She returns to school after summer break and learns that she’ll be seeing Jack often, as he’s now a substitute teacher at the school she teaches at, inserting slow burn here.

The dual POV narrative adds to the overall story line as we get both Zoe and Jack’s thoughts (which are even better during the 🌶️ parts). I “ugh”ed out loud at some of the build-up and then also fist bumped the air during my drive home from work when they finally 🍆. Jack and Mia, seeing how bad their friends both needed this answer how perfect they were for one another (and how bad they wanted one another!) and playing match maker was the icing on the cake. Zoe deserves this; I mean, any person who was left in the dirt after their cheating spouse blind sided them deserves love and happiness.

“I’m so certain that what I feel for her is love. I’m so certain that this is something worth sticking around for.” (cue my water works here)

At first I was sad that Jack left to take the opportunity for him to grow in his career, which means he’s across the world and leaving Zoe behind, but then I reminded myself that he himself needed that to grow and be a better person. He didn’t feel good enough, he felt like a drifter, no permanent job - and to have the story finished off with Zoe AND the kids going to visit him made me swoon. They’ve grown while they were apart and then end up together, and all is right in the world.

Overall, Textbook Romance will remind you of watching your favourite romcom or reading your favourite fun romance author, with that butterfly kicking your feet feeling! Even though I listened to this via audiobook, I know the physical copy would be just as great (especially with Zoe and Jack’s dual POV!). It had me laughing and also had me crying, and had me wanting more of their story (in a good way). There’s fun banter back and forth, British slang, and is wonderfully written as it showcases just how difficult it is when a marriage ends, children are involved, and a new relationship begins 🤍

Ah, this one had such a fun premise I was excited for but just fell flat for me. I struggled to connect with the characters or understand their full connection. The narrator did a great job and I enjoyed listening to her, but this one wasn't for me.

Textbook Romance follows friends Zoe and Jack on a friends-to-lovers journey. Zoe and Jack meet at a wedding when Zoe’s life falls apart. She finds out her husband is cheating on her and Jack helps her get home to her kids.

A few months later Jack gets a job at a school and it’s the school where Zoe works. Their chemistry is immediately undeniable. There is a large age gap between the two and Zoe has two children making her very hesitant to pursue anything with Jack.

This is a story about two good people who refuse to be selfish. Both Zoe and Jack continue to put the other first which makes their friends-to-lovers story such a slow burn. I liked watching their relationship grow and getting to know both characters.

I just found myself getting frustrated by the age gap. She is in her early forties and Jack is in his late twenties. The double standard of it just kept bothering me. There was a scene where people out in public were rude to Zoe about it but no one would care if it was reversed. It was just something that agitated me but not the fault of the book.

I listened to the audiobook for this one and while normally I do not have issues with the narration I did have some problems with Abigail Hardiman here. This is a dual POV book which can be challenging for a single narrator but it seemed like she didn’t even try to distinguish who was who. Many times I found myself forgetting which POV was currently narrating.

This is definitely a book to check out if you are looking for a romance that is far from being textbook.

Loved this Story of Zoe and Jack, yes I didn't see it going the way it did from the beginning and that is what I loved. She was jilted and happened to loose almost everything in the process but her kids where definitely her safe haven and kept her busy and Loved. The audiobook was great since I Love listening to books, but when the narrator keeps the same voice for every single character it seemed kinda weird. Because in all honesty I didn't know who was the kid and who was the adult. But I was highly entertained otherwise.

This was a solid 4 star read!

While the cover and the description will lead you to believe this is a “rom-com,” this one leans more on the heavier side than a “com.”

Forty-three year old Zoe’s husband cheated on her with her best friend. Now her life is upside down, and she’s trying to hold herself together for her teenage kids. Her self-esteem has taken a huge hit and she’s bruised to the core emotionally.

Enter twenty-nine year old Jack, who befriends her and helps her re-discover just how amazing she is. With some experience at helping others deal with the heavy emotional stuff life throws at them, he’s exactly the right friend for Zoe at the right time… right?

I loved the dual POV in this story, and the fact that Zoe and Jack were so well-developed. I think my only criticism is the insta-love on Jack’s end, as I think it didn’t feel as believable as everything else in the story, but I can overlook it because of how much I enjoyed everything else.

If you loved The Idea of You, want to read about an older heroine, and can’t figure out what emoji’s mean these days… this one is a MUST read.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for an advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read Textbook Romance. I’m a teacher so I always love a book set at a school, but I’m always leary if it’s going to be realistic. Textbook Romance was not far-fetched, and it was actually quite funny! I was apprehensive about the age gap between Jack and Zoey. I still think 14 years is too big of a gap, but it was addressed and the book ended perfectly. There was just enough romance, and I appreciated there was so other topics and conversations.

3.8
Everything is fine and even moderately fun, but the people are a smidge too perfect, and, perhaps more importantly, nothing actually happens?

I was super excited for this book, but it fell flat for me rather quickly. I didn't really connect with the writing style, and the plot was bland and dragged in spots. I don't feel like there was enough tension and wasn't compelled to keep going because I had to know what happened. I did finish the book; it just took multiple sittings.

Some things I liked:
* Zoe is an excellent mother. I loved how she met her kids on their level instead of asking them to meet her. She also acknowledged that, even though Brian's betrayal crushed her, it hurt her children just as much, if not more. It was refreshing to see that her children came first, always.
* Zoe being a teacher made perfect sense. Besides her scenes with her kids, her scenes with her students were some of the best.
* The side characters added much needed relief to the story, even if almost all of their interactions were dialogue heavy.

Some things I didn't like:
* How much Zoe harped on their age difference. I understand it's a huge change in her life, but she continuously commented on their ages. And, at times, she seemed to patronize Jack for his age, even though it's not like his age is something he can control.
* There was significantly more tell than show which led me to not feel as connected to the characters. We didn't get to see or feel their connection; we're just told they like each other. We don't get to see the relationship progressing; we're just told they're having sex all the time and enjoy talking to one another. Insta-love is not my thing, but it was there, on Jack's part at least.
* The ending. What was that? I feel as though I missed some chapters to get to that point, and then there's this abrupt ending. I was left wanting more, but not in a good way.

I absolutely loved Sex Ed so I was hoping for a repeat performance. Maybe I am just comparing the two in a bit of an apples to oranges kind of way but this book was just not quite as funny or sexy. I did still enjoy it and I love a good story of finding yourself after your circumstances change. All the elements were there and this really is a solid story. Abigail Hardiman is a good narrator and really infuses emotions into some key moments. Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Select/Storm Publishing for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Textbook Romance is a heartfelt story that will give you all the feels. The two main characters are so such kind individuals that seem to have chemistry and fit together from the beginning to end. I really enjoyed this romance, and enjoyed seeing how the story unfolded. I also enjoyed the sexy scenes.

I listened to the audiobook version of this story, which was performed by one narrator. I thought the narrator did a great job. I listened at 1.75x speed (my normal audiobook listening speed is 1.75-2x speed).

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Select for this advanced audiobook copy.

Thank you to Netgalley, Dreamscape Select, and Kristen Bailey for the chance to listen to this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Age gap romance with palpable chemistry- I mean THE BANTER. ***heart eyes*** I enjoyed all of the intricacies of their conflict- managing family, children, exes and the work environment- among other natural roadblocks in all relationships.

The supporting cast added so much color to the book. Zoe's kids & sister, Jack's nephews and brother, the coworkers- they brought so much joy, support and reality to the story.

The story of the age gap relationship was captivating and rich with intriguing obstacles. The characters were deeply engaging, making the narrative worth the effort of following. However, the audio format presented challenges, particularly in distinguishing between characters and their perspectives. The frequent shifts in viewpoints added to the difficulty, often requiring a pause after each chapter to clarify who was speaking or acting. Despite these hurdles, the emotional depth and complex journey of the characters shone through. The story's resolution, affirming that true love can overcome difficulties, provided a satisfying conclusion. If you appreciate character-driven stories and can navigate through audio challenges, this tale is definitely rewarding.

I listened to the audiobook of this one and while it was done well, I do think it would be more beneficial to have different narrators for the male and female characters. It was at times hard to decipher which point of view we were following as both characters featured within the same chapter and the narrator did not change her voice for either character. Overall this age gap romance was a fun read.

3⭐️

This was just okay. It was a bit too instant love for me to feel plausible. I know that everyone heals from trauma differently, but the relationship between Zoe and Jack seemed to happen very quickly after she found her husband had been cheating on her. It felt like that the author was trying to hard to prove that Jack was the one despite being 14 years younger than Zoe by making him good at everything or willing the sacrifice everything for everyone else in his life.

The third act breakup also felt pretty weak. They had only been seeing each other for a few months. At the bare minimum, an actual conversation should have been had about the possibility of a dream job in a different country. In no way would I pass up an opportunity like that for someone I had only known for a few months.

I did appreciate how selfless Jack was with everything and I feel like he really did a lot of good for Zoe. His twin nephews were also adorable.

Thank you to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for providing the ALC for me!

Funny and sweet, while still exploring some deeper themes.

❤️Single parent
❤️Age gap (43F, 29M)
❤️Slow burn
❤️Friends to lovers
❤️Insta-love
❤️HEA

Jack was just so sweet and thoughtful, mature and loyal. I loved that someone as wonderful as Zoe could experience that in the wake of her life being turned upside down. However, I really don’t love a third act breakup. But it was well intentioned in this one, and didn’t bother me as much as others.

I did love Zoe’s constant love for her kids and standing by them and protecting their feelings. She seemed like a wonderful mother. How much do we all despise Brian?!

Overall a really sweet lighthearted read. The narrator did a wonderful job as well.

Thank you Dreamscape and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 ✨I really enjoyed this one! I can’t say it was ground breaking, but it was cute! A cute little story about a recently divorced teacher and a substitute teacher that teaches her to love herself again. If you need something light it’s worth the read or listen (I listened). The spice was not spicing though it was all of the lead up until the point that it started and then it would fade to black, such a teeeeaaaase.

A cute + fun age gap romance. The narrator didn’t really change her voice for different characters so it was a bit hard to follow at times. Overall an enjoyable read!

This was a fun romcom. Would make an excellent date-night move. I really enjoyed that the FMC was the older person in the age-gap.

3 ⭐️

43-year-old math teacher Zoe Swift finds herself going through an unexpected divorce. Enter 29-year-old Jack, who is kind, sweet, and available.

While the premise was right up my alley, the book felt unnecessarily long, especially toward the end. The main characters were well developed, but I felt the development of the minor characters, especially the friends/co-workers, were a bit underdeveloped. I kept forgetting their names and positions.

The book is told from the perspective of both main characters, which I enjoyed. However, the single female narrator made it difficult to keep track of whose perspective I was reading. I had to go backwards multiple times to figure out what was happening in the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Select for an advanced copy of this audiobook.