Kristen Bailey makes it look so easy! Her writing is warm and effortless with believable characters who are wonderful but still flawed. This is funny and messy, but not chaotic. There’s character arcs and growth. There’s pining and caring. Side characters are warm and necessary. With four kids all playing a role, Kristen has deftly managed a relatively large cast and kept it so interesting. It’s steamier 🌶️ than some of her earlier novels which is not only fun, but feels necessary for us to believe in Zoe and Jack. More please!

Kristen writes a wonderful hero who is slightly rudderless and she’s done this amazingly well with Jack. He’s nearly 30 and moving from job to job without any particular direction. There’s good reasons for this though; messy, kind, real life stuff that makes sense. Zoe is in her early 40s and meets Jack on the day her marriage implodes. As well as a betrayal, she's got young teenagers who are justifiably traumatised. When Jack starts work at Zoe’s school they begin a ‘situationship’ - but it’s more than that because Jack is such a honey. He’s a problem solver and a caretaker and Zoe is just what he needs.

It’s first person dual POV - we get to feel their attraction, and the effects of all the little moments. Zoe takes longer to fall for Jack, but considering all the factors at play this makes sense. Yes there’s a third act breakup (kind of) but it’s necessary for both of them. If you know Kristen Bailey, this will be an auto-buy, if you don’t, hop right in! Highly recommended💖

Thank you NetGalley, Kristen Bailey and Storm Publishing forth ARC. Opinions are my own.

Zoe & Jack ❤️

💒Math teacher Zoe is at the wedding of her colleagues Ed and Mia when she meets Ed’s friend from university, Jack. The two start speaking when Zoe gets a call from her teen daughter that Zoe’s husband Brian has been spotted with another woman.

🐓When Jack starts working as a substitute teacher at the school after the holidays, Zoe is surprised to see him again. Despite the 14 year age gap, there is a really strong connection between the mom to two teens and the thoughtful man who has given up so much for his family.

📚Kristen Bailey writes stories that show so much heart and soul, and a healthy serving of steam on the side, and her latest kept me hooked to the very last page. I loved that Zoe and Jack are part of Ed and Mia’s circle, that they work with Beth from the Callaghan sisters series and they all support our couple in the best ways. Despite the age gap, Jack shows so much maturity, love and caring for Zoe and her children. It’s so soon after Zoe’s break up with her husband and this is handled sensitively.

Read an eARC copy courtesy of Netgalley and the publisher
My rating 4/5 - ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Pub Date 29 Jul 2024

I loved getting to catch up with Mia and Ed as Sex Ed is my favorite book from Kristen Bailey! But I didn't love all the emoji talk - maybe I'm just showing my age but I definitely don't know the meanings behind the majority of them 😂

Overall, Textbook Romance is a delightful rom com that had me laughing out loud so many times!! I also really like the way you get to catch up on previous characters, yet it still works as a standalone for those who haven't read her other books.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

I have never read one of Kristen Bailey's books, but the cover really snagged my attention, and I loved how she started the book - I was captured right away. And then I couldn't put the book down!

This book is about Jack, a young botanist who is slightly adrift in life after helping his family for years during a time of need, and Zoe, who discovered her husband had an affair and is still working through the shock waves with her two kids.

I loved each character's little details, and found myself way more invested in the side characters like the kids and the friends than I generally am in books that I read. I found Jack to be so. dang. likeable and Zoe to be so. dang. relatable.

Truly the only two things I have notes on are that I found the ending fairly unrealistic, and that I wanted more spice (what can I say? I love some spice) but truly, I really liked this book and am excited to read more by Kristen.

I knew i would enjoy this books. I enjoyed the ending because I thought it would be completely different so it was a surprise.

3.5/5. Thank you Netgalley for gifting me a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I had a fun time with this one! I don’t always enjoy an age gap but with both the characters being older, I didn’t mind it this time. I also enjoyed that this book tackled more real life problems and I liked that the ending seemed realistic. We got a look into two people searching for love while dealing with the ups and downs of actual life. It was a winner for me and I want to check out more books by this author.

Another great read from Kristen Bailey. I kept this one for my holidays and it was a great choice to dip in and out of an such an easy read. I loved the storyline and the characters are just so fabulous. Everyone needs a Jack in their life. The characters in general are everything you want in a group of friends. It’s a real feel good read 🤗.

Thanks to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for the opportunity to read and review #TextBookRomance

A fun read that offers alive after betrayal! Age gap and a mom feeling young again. It’s lovely if you like British conversations and family stories.
Trigger warning: cheating husband

I liked this book, it had a lot of witty banter and left you genuinely rooting for the couple. Jack is swoon-worthy despite his bad-boy/player history. However, the beginning felt a bit slow and the end a bit fast. I felt like Zoe never really got over the age gap difference- which I feel would get in the way later in their relationship? All in all, it was a good book and I wonder if I would have liked it more if I was part of the targeted demographic.

Zoe (42) and Jack (29) meet at a friend's wedding and the chemistry is immediately apparent. But at this point, Zoe is still married and is also a mother of 2 teenagers, so she has a completely different lifestyle to Jack, who is over 10 years younger. And just at their first meeting, Zoe finds out that her husband is cheating on her with her best friend...
A few months later they meet again as Jack has taken a job at Zoe's school and they get to know each other better. Jack supports her and also plays a big part in rebuilding her self-esteem.

I still couldn't really connect with the characters - probably because I'm in a completely different lifestyle myself. Nevertheless, they were two lovely and sweet characters whose story you can follow.
I could also understand their conflict, on the one hand because of the recent separation and on the other because of the age difference. And then Jack's professional dream also came into the picture, which he almost sacrificed because of Zoe....and I'm telling you, if that had happened, I would have really freaked out!

the only thing that "bothered" me is that everything went a little too smoothly. I would have liked more drama with the shared custody or generally more insight into this difficult new life situation. Everything went so "easily" and "smoothly", even with the children and Zoe's new relationship...I just would have liked to experience more emotion....

This one needs to be made into a movie! I loved the fun banter and a May/December romance except with a female being the older partner. Teachers will cheer over this story because Bailey really grasps the camaraderie of school colleagues. I loved Kristen Bailey’s “Five Gold Rings” but she knocked this one out of the park too!

So pleasantly surprised by this sweet Rom-Com, it had more depth than I anticipated. There were some truly brilliant highlighter-worthy moments describing what it is like to be a mother, wife and teacher, that I will absolutely go back to!

The book is about Zoe Swift, a 40 something married mom of two teenagers, and Jack Damon, a 29 year old jack of all trades, still discovering who he is after a tough family situation. They meet a mutual friend’s wedding, and after Zoe marriage implodes shortly thereafter (10,000% unrelated to Jack), they end up working together at the same school, and things go from there!

What I super loved about it was that it felt like these were real people, with actual depth and feelings, and messiness and imperfections. It was such a refreshing surprise. And it was witty and funny and loaded with funny innuendo (never sending some emojis again—what an education!) and clever situations. It was a little bit steamy at times for sure, but I wouldn’t put it past level 1 in terms of spice. Not closed door, but not all out spice either.

I did struggle a teeny bit with some of the British slang, and found some new gems to use when I’m pissed (bellend. Glorious!) but nothing too wild. The third act breakup seemed to happen both a little too fast and a little too slow, but not a deal breaker.

Wow this book was written for ME. I love seeing divorce rep in books… the emotions are so raw and hard to explain if you haven’t gone through it. Zoe’s perspective and inner thoughts while her life crumbles was so validating as someone who’s gone through it. And she’s a teacher?? Yes please. This was HILARIOUS, hitting the nail on the head writing about the ups and downs of being in the education field. Jack’s character is adorable and witty. I found myself identifying with Zoe on so many pages, especially the scene where her kids leave for the first time to spend time with their dad. Dating after divorce can be scary, weird, and amazing and this book would be a unique gift for someone going through it.

This was a fun, uplifting romance that was laugh out loud funny in all the right places. Zoe and Jack were both easy characters to root for and their romance was sweet and just spicy enough.

Perfect for lovers of Sophie Kinsella! I loved Jack & Zoe. The characters in this book were well rounded and I found the whole romance to be completely believable and sweet. I loved all the references and banter throughout. I now need a peri peri chicken from Nando’s stat. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC.

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