This was a sweet story about a newly divorced woman and a younger man. Little predictable but if you want a light read this is perfect.

Narrator was fantastic!

I received a copy from netgalley and the publisher.

For anyone who liked the love story in The Idea of You but wanted a little less steam and a little more regular people this book is for you!

This book follows Zoe on what is either the best or worst day of her life. She is at a wedding for one of her coworkers and she meets this young man named Jack. After having a great chat and sharing jokes she gets a strange call that changes her whole world. When she is starting t get back to her new normal Zoe goes back to work, where she is a math teacher, and she none other than Jack.

This story was fantastic! I loved the characters and the pace of the story. There was never a moment I felt needed to be sped up or one that felt like a filler scene. It was sweet and steamy and you found yourself really rooting for the couple. They are opposites and yet so similar and the insecurities and navigation of this new relationship.

Beautiful and well written.

I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a sweet romance that will make you really want to root for the main characters. Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this story!

Thank you Dreamscape & Netgalley for the advance reading copy. This was such an honest and relatable second chance romance about a single mom with two teenage children chasing her happily ever after and discovering herself again. This is a close door romance but the relationship between Zoe and Jack is just so sweet. I would definitely add this to your TBR list this summer

Another great book by Kristen Bailey! I loved following Zoe and Jack’s story, especially how they championed for each other throughout. Bailey filled this sweet story of moving forward, new beginnings, and learning to love yourself with relatable characters and relationships. I wanted to hang out in the teachers’ lounge with Zoe and her teacher friends, chatting and eating cake that Ed made. I would love to see another story of this group in some way. Thank you to NetGalley, Kristen Bailey, Dreamscape Select, and Storm Publishing for the chance to listen to an advanced copy of this audiobook and review it.

I thoroughly enjoyed the relationship of Zoe and Jack. I enjoyed how Jack constantly saw the best in Zoe and did things to make her see them too. Navigating relationships after divorce can be tricky and I loved how this book explored the nuances. Thank you Net Galley and Dreamscape Select and Storm Publishing for the advanced audiobook in exchange for my honest review

This was a cute and heartwarming story with so much potential, but it left me wanting so much more from the ending. I think that Textbook Romance would make an incredible movie adaptation and is exactly the kind of book that I wanted to read after a stressful week. Zoe and Jack stole my heart right from the very beginning. The way that Jack was instantly drawn to Zoe and the immediate chemistry that they had gave me such hope for the story. The unconventional age gap in their romance was very refreshing, and I really appreciated the way that Jack always tried to ensure that Zoe understood that his feelings for her had nothing to do with her age and everything to do with the person she was. The insecurities that she had about herself were things that he found beauty in as he fell in love with her heart. I also loved the way that he encouraged and supported her and the way that she flourished as a result. The part where she ran into her husbands mistress was especially satisfying and I was so happy that despite their lack of labels, he made it clear to everyone that she was a prize. The growth and maturity expressed throughout were so wonderful to read and it was a privilege to watch them fall in love. With every aspect of the plot coming together, I had such high hopes for the conclusion and could feel satisfaction humming through my veins at the thought of how wonderful it was going to be, but unfortunately it just didn't get there for me. For one, I really wanted to see Zoe overcome her dread of age and own the fact that she was in a healthy relationship for the first time in quite some time, and with a younger man to boot. For two, while I am grateful that Jack got the opportunity to go on a life changing research journey, I really wanted him to stand up and do something for himself that wasn't a direct result of something terrible happening. I would have loved to see them work out their issues prior to him deciding to go and making the decision together to try the long-distance thing for a while as they continued to grow their relationship. I would have even been okay with them deciding to continue to learn about each other as she figured out how to navigate the life of a divorced single mom, then reuniting after his research trip was done. The way that everything unfolded made me almost feel like Jack was still running and their relationship was in limbo, despite Zoe giving her blessing for him to go. It would have been nice if the "six months later" part had been him surprising her at home with a ring in the ring box that he had gifted her the earrings in, rather than her visiting him on site on holiday, with plans to leave again at the end. The petty part of me also really wanted to get Bryans reaction when he realized that his wife had moved on and was in such a better place. The way that he continued to use his house key and insert himself into the family dynamic after cheating on Zoe made me so angry and it would have been really nice for him to be humbled a little. From a critical standpoint, I can even understand why the author chose to write the ending as she did, however the hopeless romantic in me felt that Jack and Zoe deserved so much more than a fade to black end. I sincerely hope that they found their rhythm and are rocking the coparenting thing as a happy family in a happy home together.

This one definitely teetered around the 5 star range. I fell in love with these characters. Dual POV was executed seamlessly. I loved getting a closer look at the main characters and their thoughts. I enjoyed the spacing of the timeline at the end and of course, love that there was an epilogue. Rounding down to four stars because somehow I still was craving more. I couldn’t get enough of Jack and Zoe.

A fun romance novel, I had a good time with it but nothing outstanding really. The narrator felt odd to me since they never tried to "act" the dialogues, just read them, and it's quite off-putting to me. I also appreciated that Zoe was the older one in the relationship, it's still pretty rare when it comes to age gaps and quite refreshing. A good time but not incredible or anything. 3 stars

📚 Textbook Romance by Kristen Bailey
🎧 Format: Audiobook
🎙️ Narrated by: Abigail Hardiman
📕 Genre: Romance, Women’s Fiction
📖 Read: July 2024
✨ Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

”I love kissing you,” she finally says.
“You love it, do you?”
“Don't put words in my mouth...”
“Well, what else can I put in your mouth?”
“Now that was too much,” she says, cackling.

‧₊˚✧ TROPES ✧˚₊‧
ꕥ Reverse Age Gap
ꕥ Single Parent
ꕥ Friends to Lovers
ꕥ Slow Burn

This book was both hilarious, yet so incredibly heartwarming. The many innuendos and chicken emojis made me laugh out loud.
 
I loved Zoe as a character. Even after the devastation of her husband’s infidelity, she still surrounded herself with positivity and good friends. I also secretly loved her kids. Lotty’s diehard loyalty to her mom and Dylan’s kind words to her at the end had me tearing up.
 
Jack was such an amazing guy. I loved how devoted he was to making Zoe happy. The respect these characters had for each other was refreshing.

My only criticism would be that this book was written in dual POV but only narrated by one person. While Abigail Hardiman did a lovely job narrating, I did get a bit confused at times, not remembering whose POV I was listening to.
 
Overall, I really enjoyed how this book explored love beyond social norms. It was written so beautifully, and I would definitely recommend picking it up.

Check out my Bookstagram for aesthetics:
https://www.instagram.com/booked.and.listening/

Thank you NetGalley, Storm Publishing, Dreamscape Select and Kristen Bailey for this audiobook. This is my voluntary, honest review.

This was a lovely May/December romance = young man/older woman romance. It was funny, sexy, and great banter between with characters. Although she didn't quite have enough distinction between character voices and I got a little confused at times I actually loved the narrator. I think fans of Abbi Waxman, Abbi Jiminez, and Emily Henry would really like this.

I loved this book! The story follows Zoe, who discovers her spouse has been cheating on her with her best friend. She discovers this while at a wedding and meets Jack there. I love a reverse age gap, and MCs in their late 30s to early 40s.

They re connect later on, and let’s just say the timing is pretty hard while Zoe is learning to navigate being a newly single mom, and is learning how to be herself again. I really loved all the emotions and how her character developed through this story.

This does have a third act, but is done perfectly because of the age gap. In the end this is a HEA. It made me laugh out loud, and get a little teary eyed in moments.

Thank you to the author, narrator, publisher and Net Galley for providing a free e-audio version of this title in exchange for my review.

This was not the book I expected based on the summary. I expected a cute little rom-com style story, but this was a lot sexier than I expected. I don't really care to read - or listen to - that type of scene, so this was a bit tough for me to really get into. Zoe and Jack seemed to be good characters, and Jack really seemed like the world's best dude ever - he was such a good guy, so understanding, he was difficult to believe. Maybe I read too many mysteries, but I expected a really shady past to pop out at some point! But, no, he's just awesome.

For those who like the steamy heat in their books, this is probably a great fit. I felt like too much emphasis was made on the age gap - that's just not important to me.

3 stars for "I liked it".

Zoe and Jack meet at a mutual friends wedding and that’s where their love story begins. Lots of obstacles along the way - divorce, age difference, family- but would it be a romcom without the struggle??? Love the main and supporting characters. I fell in love with the couple and their story. Very well written and a great read. I finished this in one day!!
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really wanted to like This book was not for me. Sorry.

Personally found the story a little dragging with no really big events throughout the book.
The characters were lovely, but I was missing a connection with them.

The setting of the school and all the characters contributing to the story was set up well and the book had a great premise.

I'm glad I gave it a go as this was the first book from the author, will try more for sure

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of this audiobook. This is a rare type of trope with divorce and an old sole type romance. Very sweet and so heartwarming. This book was a great representation of that type of relationship. My biggest hiccup with this book was the narration. One narrator trying represent all characters voices seemed too confusing. I wasn’t a fan of that and it cause confusion with who was talking.

I absolutely adored this book about divorce, mothering, second chance love, and an old soul younger man.

Adored it. In the top of books I’ve enjoyed this year.

I’m bothered by the tagline selling it as a comedy- in my opinion, that’s selling this marvel short. It’s described as hilarious and uplifting but I think it should focus more on the uplifting - while there are some cheeky moments, it’s far more (put your coats on, kids) a cerebral romance™️ than anything else.

Zoe Swift, a math teacher in her mid forties, meets Jack Damon at a mutual friend’s wedding, both attending on their own. He’s funny and kind, and when Zoe’s kids call later in the evening, devastated and crying, to break the news that they’ve just found out their dad, her husband, is cheating on her, well, Zoe falls apart.

Jack gently takes the phone, talks to her kids, bundles her up, and gets her home safely.

And then, at the start of the new school term, he shows up, by chance, at the school where Zoe works, as a supply teacher (think building sub). Jack is smitten but cautious. He’s also more than a decade younger.

What Zoe quickly learns is that while Jack might be interested in a physical relationship, he’s far more interested in making sure she’s taking care of herself, that he’s giving her the space she needs, that she finds a voice and uses it to stand for what she wants. He quietly charms her while also showing her how simply lovely she is, what a good mother and teacher and friend she is.

Jack is, honestly, a terrific human.

But Zoe struggles with the age gap, always fearful of denying Jack something he might want if he slots himself into her already existing life, especially when she learns of his past. Jack senses her fear and gives her space, unsure how to ask for what he wants.

When Zoe learns of a job Jack has been offered a continent away, she has to make a choice: free him or love him.

Maybe she can do both.

The audio is lovely (single narrator but so well done).

I simply love this. So much of it is probably due to how it speaks to me, a woman who got divorced when her kids were teenagers, like Zoe, and all of the baggage that comes with it, but I also think it has universal appeal.

There’s a real focus here on the realities of life, and Bailey takes time to develop the two kids, Dylan and Lotty, as well as their relationship with their mom. She’s firm but tender, nurturing and intuitive. She handles divorce and her Flanders husband with such class.

You’ll love Jack, you’ll love Zoe, and you’ll love Zoe’s relationship with her fantastic kids.

I’ll be buying a hard copy of this one. Full stop.

Thanks to @netgalley, @storm and @dreamscape for the early audiobook to read and review. Available July 29.

This was my first book by this author and I loved it so much I need to read her previous works asap! Jack was the perfect romantic lead, so perfect that if I had a Jack in my life I'd be lining up outside their door - really kind, loving and supportive. The chemistry between him and Zoe flew off the pages, and the build up was perfectly paced. The almost fully fade-to-black sex scenes were a little disappointing, the chemistry between the two leads was so palpable that a bit of spice would have added to the development of the romantic storyline and made this book a perfect 5 stars, but I still really enjoyed it. The ending, whilst not as clear cut as I'd hoped, was realistic. A very well written and sweet romance. The narrator's accent didn't really fit the characters and detracted from the story at times, and one person narrating all the characters without changing their voice at all made it confusing to understand who was speaking and to differentiate if someone was speaking out loud or just thinking.

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.

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

“Textbook Romance” by Kristen Bailey is such an emotional, touching, and whimsical romance story!

The blend of heavier topics with the lighthearted banter between Zoe and Jack makes for a very well-rounded and touching story. Both characters grapple with own insecurities and hesitations for the future (especially the nuances of imposter syndrome/feeling behind and the complications of divorce and dating with children) making them and their relationship feel so real.

Listening to the audiobook (narrated by Abigail Hardiman) made this experience even more charming— her voice perfectly captures the tone of the story and really helped bring the characters to life. I do agree with some of the other reviews in that the distinction between characters isn’t always very clear (especially Jack and Zoe)— but I still found the audiobook fairly easy to follow.

Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC.

4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️




✨ 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 @dreamscape media and storm publishing for the copy of this arc for a honest review.



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