The characters are wonderful
The storyline was engaging and kept my interest throughout
The writing was good and the pacing was perfect
A great book

Sadly this was not my cup of tea.
Boring and just feeling long ... dragging on and on...
The characters were alright, but a bit meh.

An amazing feel good book that kept me turning the pages all the way through. A must read for all. 4 stars

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review. An interesting novel by a new author in my personal reading-sphere! I am sure others would enjoy it too. Good character portrayls, descriptive setting and gripping plot.

I really enjoyed this book, even more than I expected to.

Nell is a great character, she’s funny and resilient and so likeable. It’s impossible not to love Xander, who’s so endearing.

This book is so humorous, with some really funny moments, but it’s also enchanting and so entertaining. It was the perfect read to escape into, and forget about the outside world for a while. It absolutely left me with a smile on my face.

There’s more to it though than just a lovely, lighthearted read. It’s got a really good plot, with little twists to keep you engaged.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Just perfect to lose yourself in for a while and make you feel uplifted. Highly recommended.

I very much enjoyed this book. It has a good story and excellent main characters. I would definately recommend this book.

Thank you to Netgalley for a pre publication copy. In return for an honest review! #theschoolofstartingover #netgalley

Nell has just split up with her fiancée Shawn who has cheated on her. In order to start afresh she moves to the small village of Leyholme where everyone knows everything. Nell is a primary teacher and meets the shy but irresistible Alexander Scott. Can they both get over their own troubles? Will things go smoothly for Nell and Xander!

The beautiful cover attracted me to this book. The colourful full car racing into the colourful scenery, farm and sky really made me want to find out what this book had to offer.

This book is a great romance read. It is a beautiful story that gently unfolds making nothing feel too heavy. When you get 50% in you really can’t see where this book can go but the twists and turns taken you on a rollercoaster of a ride. Whilst your totally invested in the characters happy ending.

All the characters have their own unique personality which shines through at every point. They are all strong independent people who have love and life lessons to tell. They just need to confidence to tell them. The lessons and wisdom they provide throughout this book has such a light spiritual feeling that I know every reader will take something from this book.

This book covers some emotional subjects such as; divorce, adoption, estranged parents, rape and low self esteem. However none of these subjects detracts from the read. It just allows for extra character building, overcoming the worst in life and more invaluable life lessons.

Also this book is a page Turner from the very first sentence. You will not want to put it down and you just want to hug all the characters. Especially Nell and Stevie.

She's done it again! I absolutely love this author. I find it difficult to put into words how I feel about this book, which is why this review has taken me 48 hours to write. It is a beautiful emotional rollercoaster!

I absolutely adore the characters Lisa creates, especially the male ones 😉 and Xander is no different. He is shy, awkward, anxious... but can he put his insecurities and troubles aside to find love and success?

I also identified with Nell so much. This book was really about the bravery and difficulties of starting over, but I was really rooting for Nell to find happiness from day one.

I was completely sidelined by the twist as you to come to know (no spoilers) that she didn't just choose Humblebee Farm because it was an excellent deal. So why is she there? And can she really leave the past behind and have a fresh start?

I absolutely adored this book and I have no hesitation in giving it 5 stars.

What a charming read! Delightful beach reading. I really enjoyed the banter between Nell and Xander.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

A really enjoyable read. Nell moves to an old farmhouse and starts a job at the local village school but things are not as they seem as she is hiding the real reason for moving ,which comes as a big shock to all her new friends find out. Some great characters who together make this a fabulous, warmhearted read with love at the heart of the story. Loved it

Loved the story, love the setting, love the characters.

Xander is a great male main character, he is strong yet has his vulnerabilities and I thought he was very well created, I couldn't help but really care about him.

I think we all have that kind of fantasy of starting over, what would life be like if we just moved somewhere totally different and started again... and this book kind of brings that fantasy to life.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this, I cared about the characters and found the setting in Yorkshire to be a really beautiful one to bring to life. I highly recommend this book and I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.

Nelle has bought a cottage in the Yorkshire moors, well less cottage more ramshackle building. Her new job as a reception teacher in the local village is where she hopes to make her dream of fitting in come true, she is longing to belong somewhere.

Xander is the village schools youngest ever headmaster, well acting headmaster at the moment. His self esteem is at an all time low and he can’t even begin to believe that Nelle would want to be more than friends with him. Especially if she knew what secrets he is hiding.

Stevie has given up on love after losing her wife. However she has their daughter to bring up single handedly, and it seems wherever Stevie goes drama follows.


Lisa Swift is fast becoming one of my favourite authors. Her characters get right into your heart, I didn’t want to let them go.

Liked this book - you didn’t spend the entire novel writing for the characters to get together. The story after that was not all that I was expecting!

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for asking me to read and review.
This story was a wonderful read.
It is well written with some characters that are well rounded and as a reader you feel you are right there with them and feel the emotions that they are going through. The plot draws you in, keeping you wanting more and turning those pages.
A brilliant, addictive read.

A fantastic story with characters that you just cant help but love. Lisa Swift knows how to write characters that you feel like you have known for years. This book had it all, loveable characters, a fantastic story, moments that make you literally LOL and moments you want to cry. A great book to escape in at this time and one I will be recommending to everyone.

Loved this book. Great characters, easy read, uplifting, funny, romantic and charming. A really nice story that is the perfect escapist read.

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!

Wow. What a book!! With the world outside in such a mess, this was one book which was like a oasis in the desert. The writing was beautiful where the author brought complete joy to my heart.

Nell and Xander were delightful, I loved their banter. The storyline felt as if it were made for them or they were made for this. The author was simply a masterful storyteller who would keep me completely absorbed in their love (I normally don't read their love stories). The humor in the prose made me cackle like a witch. The mystery in the story soothed by thriller-y heart.

The writing was delightful and soothing to my soul. The book brought me respite for a couple of hours in these turbulent times. Warm hearted welcome was what I got from this book. A wonderful read from beginning to end.

"The School of Starting Over", by Lisa Swift, follows Kindergarten teacher Nell as she moves to the countryside of England. While transforming a dilapidated old farmhouse, Nell begins to make friends in the village and earns the respect of her students and fellow teachers. She even begins a romance with the school principal, Xander. The relationship between Nell and Xander is equally charming and amusing. But *why* Nell moved to the countryside is the big question!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

With all the doom and gloom lately, I needed a book that gave me a bit of sunshine and this book certainly delivered that :)

The main characters, Xander and Nell, are two unlucky-in-love people who meet at work. They are both teachers. Xander is an awkward, geeky kind of fella who has had to take on headmaster duties when he really didn't want to. Then along comes Nell, a woman who comes to work at his school, a tiny village school, despite having been a teacher at a large, prestigious school at her last workplace. There is a story behind this, of course.

This novel was multi-layered and I really enjoyed the secondary characters and their stories as well. I found myself laughing, going "awww" and even shedding a tear or two. It was exactly the tonic I needed during this difficult time.

5 stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hera Books for the read, my apologies for my delay in reading it.