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solegies's review
4.0
mira this was such a binge worth book bc i wanted to know if they cheated which they clearly did pero anyway. this was so bad that it was good it felt like i was reading a telenovela. like a steamy abbott elementary book so a banger
subibty's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
deedoodah_reads's review
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
In what I can only describe as a 'Pam and Jim' style-relationship, get ready for Sarah and Owen to bring you all the romantic feels whilst barely just about navigating their own hidden feelings for each other. Honestly, this book was such a slow burn so it took me a little bit of willpower to get through the first few chapters - but I'm so glad that I did. I loved Sarah and Owen and was rooting for them so early on in the story. They were such an unproblematic couple, besides the fact they both had partners.
Considering the amount of smut I've consumed recently, it was also fantastic to take a step back and have a more innocent approach for a good 80% of the story. Not every romance needs detailed sex scenes to make it amazing - so other authors, please take notes.
Considering the amount of smut I've consumed recently, it was also fantastic to take a step back and have a more innocent approach for a good 80% of the story. Not every romance needs detailed sex scenes to make it amazing - so other authors, please take notes.
mmwilkie's review
4.0
The cutest workplace romance made even better by the central Indiana representation!
booksmartkate's review against another edition
4.0
Spoiler-Free Summary: Every morning for six years, Sarah and Owen welcome 5th graders to their classrooms across the hall from each other. They are inseparable work besties. Sarah loves Owen's talent for teaching science and connecting with the kids but thinks he'd be happier pursuing his popular science podcast full-time. Owen loves…Sarah. Unfortunately, she's dating her high school boyfriend, Eli (the insufferable high school football coach). Everyone finds Owen and Sarah's close friendship a little confusing…including both Owen and Eli. A series of events at the school force Owen and Sarah to finally confront their true feelings.
My Thoughts:
This is a sweet, slow-burn romance. What struck me about the book is that it felt real. No one is famous, rich, or in a life-or-death situation. These felt like real people, with real people's struggles (is $100 too much to spend on a gift for a co-worker, I can't find my keys, do I try for the promotion?, I don't want to be at work today). My favorite part about this book was the flirty workplace banter that both Owen and Sarah thrived on. I also enjoyed that all of these characters are flawed and that they do not handle their predicament perfectly. Which seemed honest to a situation when you realize you are in love with your co-worker.
My Thoughts:
This is a sweet, slow-burn romance. What struck me about the book is that it felt real. No one is famous, rich, or in a life-or-death situation. These felt like real people, with real people's struggles (is $100 too much to spend on a gift for a co-worker, I can't find my keys, do I try for the promotion?, I don't want to be at work today). My favorite part about this book was the flirty workplace banter that both Owen and Sarah thrived on. I also enjoyed that all of these characters are flawed and that they do not handle their predicament perfectly. Which seemed honest to a situation when you realize you are in love with your co-worker.
azdesert_bookworm's review
4.0
If you are looking for a cute, sweet, slow burn romance, this is the book for you! I was very lucky and thankful to be part of the street team for Katie’s book release, so I have been invested in this even before the book cover was even revealed.
While I never taught elementary school, I have been in education for 23 years. I connected with the characters, the classroom moments, the stress of field trips, and even the conference experience.
Basically, we have teachers who work across the hall from each other. It’s clear from the beginning of the book that Owen is in love with Sarah, but Sarah has been in a long term relationship with Eli, the local high school football coach, who turns out to be a complete idiot and you basically hate him from the first interaction. As the story progresses, there is ongoing flirtiness between the two and some serious sexual tension.
I liked the characters. I thought they were struggling through the ups and downs of education in an honest and realistic way. Education causes you to rely on each other and I loved how they all came together as a community to make the school better for the kids.
This is the perfect little rom-com that just makes you happy and leaves you wanting more. The characters' banter and interactions are sweet and fun and make you want to scream that they just don’t get it! The dual POV is perfect in developing and showcasing their conflicting, growing and changing feelings for each other and those they are involved currently with. The structure makes the flow of the reading easy and soon you forget that you are anywhere else.
Yes, there are miscommunication and those obnoxious moments where you just want to slap them in the face, but if they figured it out too soon, there wouldn’t be a book, so I guess I understand. But, I really thought this book was cute and sweet, and I have an extra special soft space in my heart for teachers/education based fiction. It’s back to school season right now, so there is no better time than now to check out this sweet debut novel by Katie Cawood!
Thank you to the author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Full Review: https://open.substack.com/pub/thebookshelf/p/book-review-lesson-learned-by-katie?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
While I never taught elementary school, I have been in education for 23 years. I connected with the characters, the classroom moments, the stress of field trips, and even the conference experience.
Basically, we have teachers who work across the hall from each other. It’s clear from the beginning of the book that Owen is in love with Sarah, but Sarah has been in a long term relationship with Eli, the local high school football coach, who turns out to be a complete idiot and you basically hate him from the first interaction. As the story progresses, there is ongoing flirtiness between the two and some serious sexual tension.
I liked the characters. I thought they were struggling through the ups and downs of education in an honest and realistic way. Education causes you to rely on each other and I loved how they all came together as a community to make the school better for the kids.
This is the perfect little rom-com that just makes you happy and leaves you wanting more. The characters' banter and interactions are sweet and fun and make you want to scream that they just don’t get it! The dual POV is perfect in developing and showcasing their conflicting, growing and changing feelings for each other and those they are involved currently with. The structure makes the flow of the reading easy and soon you forget that you are anywhere else.
Yes, there are miscommunication and those obnoxious moments where you just want to slap them in the face, but if they figured it out too soon, there wouldn’t be a book, so I guess I understand. But, I really thought this book was cute and sweet, and I have an extra special soft space in my heart for teachers/education based fiction. It’s back to school season right now, so there is no better time than now to check out this sweet debut novel by Katie Cawood!
Thank you to the author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Full Review: https://open.substack.com/pub/thebookshelf/p/book-review-lesson-learned-by-katie?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
cheyennechemease's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
zoe42's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
annebeth's review against another edition
fast-paced
3.5
The book has a great slow romance but I did think the MCs both behaved very inappropriately at times (in the workplace, in front of their students!)