claire60's review
4.0
Whizzed through this in a day, couldn't put it down. I enjoyed the exploration and description of the US university TA to professor training and the focus on obscure literature. The character development was well thought out and there were good friendships portrayed which I always enjoy. The romance was believable, had tension and was fun to follow.
With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
00leah00's review
5.0
This is another book i had to read twice because I read it in March but didn’t get around to reviewing.
“The Roads Left Behind Us” by Kat Jackson is an age-gap romance set mainly on a college campus. This isn’t a student-teacher relationship but it is between a graduate teaching assistant and a professor, though not a professor she’s assisting.
Callie Lewes is 34 when she decides to go back to her alma mater to get a PhD. In her interview to become a teaching assistant she meets new faculty member, Kate Jory. Kate is 50 and very mysterious as she’s more private than the other English professors, who Callie already knows from her previous time at the school.
I absolutely loved this book! This a character driven book so it was all about the characters for me. I loved Callie and Kate and all the side characters that surround Callie. This is told from her point of view and by the end of the book she felt like a friend. Everyone felt real and imperfect and I just really enjoyed them. (Jackson has also revealed she’s writing Dr. Renee Lawler’s story and I can’t wait.)
However, I think my favorite thing about this was the writing. Jackson is gifted and knows how to bring a story to life, there were several instances where I would go back and reread a sentence just because I loved it so much.
There was one thing that I didn’t love and that was how mysterious Kate was. She’s a very private person and Callie (and the reader) doesn’t get a whole of insight into her. Things are either left unsaid or vague and when we do learn stuff, it’s not a lot. I still very much enjoyed her character but I would’ve liked to know more about her past and what led to her moving to New Hampshire.
I loved this and would highly recommend it to fans of character driven stories that are beautifully told.
I received an arc from Bella Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
“The Roads Left Behind Us” by Kat Jackson is an age-gap romance set mainly on a college campus. This isn’t a student-teacher relationship but it is between a graduate teaching assistant and a professor, though not a professor she’s assisting.
Callie Lewes is 34 when she decides to go back to her alma mater to get a PhD. In her interview to become a teaching assistant she meets new faculty member, Kate Jory. Kate is 50 and very mysterious as she’s more private than the other English professors, who Callie already knows from her previous time at the school.
I absolutely loved this book! This a character driven book so it was all about the characters for me. I loved Callie and Kate and all the side characters that surround Callie. This is told from her point of view and by the end of the book she felt like a friend. Everyone felt real and imperfect and I just really enjoyed them. (Jackson has also revealed she’s writing Dr. Renee Lawler’s story and I can’t wait.)
However, I think my favorite thing about this was the writing. Jackson is gifted and knows how to bring a story to life, there were several instances where I would go back and reread a sentence just because I loved it so much.
There was one thing that I didn’t love and that was how mysterious Kate was. She’s a very private person and Callie (and the reader) doesn’t get a whole of insight into her. Things are either left unsaid or vague and when we do learn stuff, it’s not a lot. I still very much enjoyed her character but I would’ve liked to know more about her past and what led to her moving to New Hampshire.
I loved this and would highly recommend it to fans of character driven stories that are beautifully told.
I received an arc from Bella Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
caffeinated_library's review
4.0
I received a free arc from netgalley in return for an honest review.
This book managed to age-gap (16 years) troupe, professor-TA and forbidden romance in such a respectful manner while maintaining a strong and welcoming light academia atmosphere.
Callie’s return to academia is shaken with the introduction of Dr. Kate Jory. The path to discovering if their suitable or not is one which I’ve throughly enjoyed. They’ve showed how important communication and allowing your heart to open up is. This is easily a 4 star read.
This book managed to age-gap (16 years) troupe, professor-TA and forbidden romance in such a respectful manner while maintaining a strong and welcoming light academia atmosphere.
Callie’s return to academia is shaken with the introduction of Dr. Kate Jory. The path to discovering if their suitable or not is one which I’ve throughly enjoyed. They’ve showed how important communication and allowing your heart to open up is. This is easily a 4 star read.
shereadstales's review
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Thanks to Netgalley and Bella Books for the digital galley of this book.
Callie Lewes is a little late working on her PhD, but she’s made it back to school and determined to finish. Since she’s older than her fellow candidates and has a history with the school, she’s friends with one of the professors and friendly with most of the English department. There’s a new professor in the department, though, but Callie is determined to ignore the allure of Dr. Kate Jory. She’s brilliant, and Callie is thrilled for the opportunity to work with her, but that’s it. There can’t be anything else. No kisses, no sex, and definitely no relationship. As Callie and Kate work more closely together and their attraction grows, the rules might be a little tough to follow.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I’m a sucker for a college campus romance. Throw in an older-younger dynamic, and I simply swoon. I loved Callie (and somewhat identified with her), even when her wishy washiness annoyed me at times. Kate was a formidable romantic interest, and her smarts were super attractive to me. I loved their chemistry and the slow burn build of their attraction. It was the perfect distraction from my own academic woes as I tried to get through yet another semester of grad school in my own, never-ending program. Highly recommend for a quick and steamy read.
penandpages's review against another edition
lighthearted
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
caffeinatedandbooked's review
4.0
I received a free arc from netgalley in return for an honest review.
This book managed to age-gap (16 years) troupe, professor-TA and forbidden romance in such a respectful manner while maintaining a strong and welcoming light academia atmosphere.
Callie’s return to academia is shaken with the introduction of Dr. Kate Jory. The path to discovering if their suitable or not is one which I’ve throughly enjoyed. They’ve showed how important communication and allowing your heart to open up is. This is easily a 4 star read.
This book managed to age-gap (16 years) troupe, professor-TA and forbidden romance in such a respectful manner while maintaining a strong and welcoming light academia atmosphere.
Callie’s return to academia is shaken with the introduction of Dr. Kate Jory. The path to discovering if their suitable or not is one which I’ve throughly enjoyed. They’ve showed how important communication and allowing your heart to open up is. This is easily a 4 star read.
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