I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. Carolyn Jenkins is a new schoolteacher. She lives in Maryland with her two teacher friends Laura and Nina. Laura is a sweet “Southern Belle”, while Nina is abrasive and right to the point. All Carolyn wants out of life are two things; for her kids to trust her and know she believes in them, and to find true love. Will she be able to overcome Principal Klein? Is Jeep the guy for her?

This was such a fascinating novel that I was drawn in from the very first page. I loved that although it primarily dealt with Carolyn’s job and her quest for love, there is quite a bit of humor, especially the names of some characters. I found myself constantly drawn in to every situation. This was a great endearing read, one that you’ll love.
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She's Got Books on Her Mind

Carolyn has been teaching for two months and her dream of changing lives is crumpling beneath her. Her boss Mr. Klein breathes down her neck while her students constantly fight with one another. She starts wondering if becoming a teacher was a mistake. Compared to her best friends she is failing royally. Not only is her work life in shambles but her personal life too. She realizes that what her longtime boyfriend Alex wants she doesn't. She's known this for a while now but it's confirmed when she meets a mysterious man that she falls for instantly. As she tries to take control of her work and love life Carolyn has to face challenges and obstacles all around her. She must find a way to have things work for her so her life and the lives of the students that depend on her are saved.

I was really excited to read another teacher book. I was readily looking for another The Unlikely Gift of Treasure Blume. I quickly realized this book was going to be very different. It started off pretty shaky for me with an incident in the classroom that I think wasn't done right and later in what felt like her falling in the instalove trap. I groaned internally and was hoping that this didn't foreshadow the rest of the story. Luckily it did pick up when you saw Carolyn in her element - the classroom. I felt her pain when she didn't know how to react to some of these kids words and actions. I would have frozen and possibly given up if I were her. I would have burst out crying if I had a boss like hers who is the definition of evil. He just doesn't care and nothing has convinced me otherwise. His and this other woman's relationship just really made me angry. It was so inappropriate and wrong. There were moments with Carolyn that I thought were inappropriate and unnecessary too but I digress. It seems to always happen with me and adult books.

I really didn't like the relationship between her and the mysterious man who everyone said was like sixty. He apparently is fifteen years older but I don't know why it was mentioned so much. It seemed so weird. I just didn't connect with them as a couple. I did like the drama that ensued when she met his well to do family. It left me feeling sorry for Carolyn but also it provided me with some excitement seeing it all unfold around her which sounds mean but I just like drama. I felt bad for Carolyn most of the way through the book. She had to deal with so much and I wanted to see more people on her corner. I wanted her to stand up to her horrid boss. I love that she got some backbone at the end of the book. She was also sneakily being awesome with actually teaching her students without the principle knowing. I didn't like how she assumed some things about the people around her but I did see that she acknowledged she was doing something wrong. She worked hard for people to see her for who she was and to see that she was trying to be better. I really appreciated that side of her. I wish it was only her in the classroom all the time though. That's where the book kept my attention.

All of her students have a hard time reading or can't read at all. One of her students has huge issues that no one seems to notice but her until he gets Mr. Klein's attention. Ooh! That Mr. Klein. He just burns me inside. He would have someone listen to her teach over the intercom. He would criticize her teaching for hours after school. He would make her have a manual of things to ask the students or something silly like that. The kids were bored by it so they never learned anything doing things the Klein way. You don't know how happy it made me for Carolyn to actually teach these kids something and to take initiative. She got to know the students personally and I kept on thinking that this, this is what I wanted to see. It's because I didn't like the romance that when I saw her in the classroom I saw her in a new and better light. She had her faults but she was a great, caring teacher that just needed a chance.

I'm glad that there was a large portion of the book that just focused on the teaching side of her life. It's what I wanted when I decided I wanted to read this book. It was the best part of the book and I really just feel like it should have been focused on even more. After two books about teachers I've realized that I need to find and read more books like them. I don't know what it is about reading books where the teacher is the main character. Maybe all those years in a classroom it's kind of cool to get into a teacher's head. I think mostly it's because I like seeing teachers taking students on this journey and arriving at the end successful. I like hopeful books that make you want to see the good that happens in the world instead of constantly seeing the bad. ( )

Carolyn Jenkins is a teacher in an urban school and she is finding it very difficult to reach the children in her class. They children have difficulty in accepting anyone can care about them and their circumstances. Carolyn also is seemingly infatuated with a man she meets by chance and wonders if it is the love she has been seeking.
This book was great, Carolyn’s two roommates are very strong women in their own way. They all try to make a difference and are also struggling to find their way in this life. I love their support for each other with their penchant for telling each other the truth. In some ways their personalities were a little too strong, but hey, no one is perfect, even in books. This brings to light the difficulties some teachers face to inspire our children to learn and also it is not a profession for the emotionally fragile.
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Carolyn Jenkins is a teacher in an urban school and she is finding it very difficult to reach the children in her class. They children have difficulty in accepting anyone can care about them and their circumstances. Carolyn also is seemingly infatuated with a man she meets by chance and wonders if it is the love she has been seeking.
This book was great, Carolyn’s two roommates are very strong women in their own way. They all try to make a difference and are also struggling to find their way in this life. I love their support for each other with their penchant for telling each other the truth. In some ways their personalities were a little too strong, but hey, no one is perfect, even in books. This brings to light the difficulties some teachers face to inspire our children to learn and also it is not a profession for the emotionally fragile.
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This reminded me of the movie "Lean on Me" with Morgan Freeman. Only Carolyn has to deal with a principal that is determined to make her quit. With so many school shootings this book really shed light on what teachers feel. The way that the author opened the book was dramatic, and she finished it up with a great love story. Carolyn is a character that I could relate to. She constantly had bad luck, and was unsure of her choices. She had great character development and by the end if the book, she was a completely different person. She did not give up. She was very determined, and it showed in her actions. I also liked the thrown in comedy throughout the book. It lessened the drama of the opening.
I am giving this book a 5/5. I was given a copy to review, however all opinions are my own. ( )