HI there!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers and Happy St. Patrick's Day to you and yours! Whether you've Irish in your blood, or merely a bit more luck than the rest of us, today we all shine a bit greener than the norm...perhaps it will bring us a bit o'luck with CORVID-19!
Seriously guys, some of you know I work in retail management, and others are learning that now, but these last few days have been a true test of patience, stamina, drive, willpower, and just about anything else you can think of. It's not even the disease itself that's scary at this point (though it is to some degree, obviously), it's everything else that's happening and might happen because of it. I'm not in a business that can work from home, nor do we supply frivolities, but actual essentials to every day living, so if some of the things people are supposing come to pass, I may just inadvertently earn that time at home I need, but like many can't really afford.
Anywho...in the mean time, we'll carry on like the troopers we are. Speaking of which, let's cast the spotlight on something more fun than work, and of course that would be READING...as we welcome today's book of choice and Rachel's Random Resources blog tour guest...
The School of Starting Over
by
Lisa Swift
Hera Books
About the book...
Nell’s going back to school… but now she’s learning lessons of the heart
Reception class teacher Nell Shackleton has a plan. At least, she had until she arrived at her new home of Humblebee Farm, a dilapidated farmhouse on the Yorkshire moors. But so what if the roof’s full of holes, the back door’s hanging off and there’s a sheep in the front room? Because sometimes a new beginning means starting at the bottom… right?
Xander Scott is one of the youngest headteachers Leyholme Primary School has ever had. But managing over-zealous parents and their semi-feral kids proves a tricky task for shy Xander – as does keeping his mind on the job when his feelings for the new Reception teacher become more than strictly professional…
At 43, Nell’s new friend Stevie Madeleine has given up on love. After losing her wife, Stevie’s decided that her four-year-old daughter Milly and cocker spaniel Red are the only girls she needs in her life. That is, until larger-than-life dog-walker Deb arrives on the scene. But will the secrets of Stevie’s past stop her new romance dead in its tracks?
Meeting Xander and Stevie brings joy back into Nell’s life – but when old secrets start to surface, there may be some hard lessons to learn for them all…
A gorgeously uplifting and hilarious romantic comedy that will delight fans of Milly Johnson, Holly Martin and Heidi Swain.
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Side note, I happened to notice that the last two books I read (including this one) featured potential romantic couples with the woman either being in a seat of power or being the more powerful character. Nothing wrong with that and while the first wasn't as high hitting for me, this one surprisingly was. Grant it, I went into both with high hopes, and while I wasn't disappointed, I was left deciphering why exactly there was a difference. Here's what I came up with...
Both featured strong female characters, but this one's strength wasn't so much being a tech genius nor the higher power, but rather from what she's been through in life, the betrayals she's faced, and the challenges she overcame. I loved her for all her flaws as well as her pluses, such as a big heart that couldn't seem to say no to Kevin (he's a sheep...yep...trust me, it works), her tact when handling a less than trusting parent, and her way of seeing through to the heart of people that allowed her to give them what they needed. The men were definitely not alphas in either story, but while the former was a brooder, sulky, git (sorry, he was...even if there was some golden heart buried under it all!), this one is more on the unsure side of things without the prickly parts and a certain about of sweetness (dare I say cuteness?) that while not swoon worthy exactly was definitely heart melting. I loved how he was so generous with the children, but when it came to the opposite sex, he clammed up like Fort Knox. I wasn't certain about his level of insecurity, but it became endearing once you got to know him. In fact, the whole town was noteworthy in some fashion, so you really couldn't leave a stone turned over without falling into someone else's life.
All in all, a great romantic comedy with a lot of heart. The leading lad and lass were so wonderful you couldn't help but root for them...yet they weren't the only ones worth rooting! Look for the dual story line that gives our gal Stevie a chance at a new romance, and readers another potential couple to fall in love with!
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About the author...
Lisa Swift is a romance author from West Yorkshire in the UK. She is represented by Laura Longrigg at MBA Literary Agents. Her first book is due to be published by Hera Books in August 2019.
As Mary Jayne Baker, Lisa also writes romantic comedies for Aria Fiction.
Lisa is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association.
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Special thanks to Rachel at Rachel's Random Resources for the chance to bring this tour to you. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, this promotion, or those on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is available now, so click on over to your favorite online retailer to snag your copy today and be sure to check out the rest of the tour for more bookish fun!
Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!
Absolutely love that cover.
ReplyDeleteI so enjoy well written characters and especially strong feisty female characters and it sounds like this has hit the mark in this respect. And then of course there's the fact that we could all do with books that are gorgeously uplifting and hilarious at the moment.
Hoping your staying well through what indeed are scary times. x