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REVIEW: Textbook Romance by Kristen Bailey



When maths teacher Zoe Swift meets the irresistibly funny and charming Jack Damon at her friends’ wedding, sparks fly faster than you can say "the square root of sixty-nine."

And when Jack turns up at her school, newly recruited as a supply teacher, she can’t ignore the intense effect he has on her when their paths cross in the corridors. But Zoe is still reeling from her husband's recent jaw-dropping betrayal and adjusting to life as a single mum to two teenage kids. She's not sure if she's ready to open her heart to a fling with a younger man.

As Zoe and Jack's connection grows deeper, their undeniable chemistry and Jack's steadfast support help Zoe rediscover the good things in life: her love of a good dance, the soothing power of takeout, the secret thrill of receiving a well-timed chicken emoji and the wonder of multiple orgasms…

But with complicated family dynamics and co-parenting with her ex to manage, a sizeable age gap, and Jack's uncertainties about his future to factor in, she’s about to find out that love isn’t always a simple equation.

Can Zoe accept this gift from the universe and take a chance on a far-from-textbook romance?

"'What will I do without you?' 'Survive. I have every faith. It's just the start of another chapter. I won't let this defeat you. You are too fucking marvelous.'"

I’d recommend you reading this book mildly drunk with a charcuterie board you wish you’d spent more time on.

I’d call Kristen Baileys writing my “guilty pleasure” but there is nothing to feel guilty about. This is exactly what is says on the tin - textbook romance. Hilariously, uplifting, silly and sexy trope-tastic tales of love and chaos that never fail to make me look like an utter lunatic giggling into my book. She writes books for people who have absolutely no idea what they’re doing but are just trying their best and hoping for a little storybook magic to sprinkle in their life from time to time.

Starting off again with some familiar faces from Bailey’s previous work, we find ourselves at the wedding of some old friends and it immediately fills me with warmth and recognition, this weird sense of comfort and familiarity I always find in her writing. At the wedding, the cheeky and handsome Jake meets the charming Zoe from a totally different life, - and then chaos ensues, Zoe’s world crumbles and they part ways. But it’s a love story, so of course they’ll cross paths again soon

As we explore breakups, hilariously bad set ups, meddling friends, rage, falling in love, beautiful friendships and a lot of inner conflict, we watch our characters on beautiful journeys of their own and together, Jake finding his own place in life and Zoe trying not to see herself as more than an older, middle-aged mum and divorcée - it’s larger than life but somehow so real and honest at the same time.

Moving between Zoe and Jake’s perspectives was great, they had such lively, personality-filled storytelling that was casual and friendly but so appealing. I loved hearing both of them as they thought about the other and how they saw different situations. Every person was so relatable and toes at the line of being so cringey so masterfully that it still works but absolutely cracks me up.

If you haven’t found your way into the Baileyverse yet, you really do need to and I recommend going back to the start so you can really appreciate the clever links and callbacks throughout all the stories. Another fun, sweet slow-burning romcom with that trademark Bailey formula that always hooks me in - I am obsessed.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

  • I was gifted a reviewers copy of this book in return for a review
  • This title contains subjects that may upset readers including divorce and infidelity. 

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