The final book in Allie Marie’s River Valley Teacher’s Lounge series of interconnected standalones, the story follows Penelope, a math teacher who has a ✨secret second career✨ who moves into the rental property her mom owns with her best friend after pipes burst in her home. But unbeknownst to Penelope, she’s going to have a roommate: Anthony, a teacher at a nearby school, the son of her mom’s best friend – and the man who broke her heart.

On top of that, it turns out that Anthony won’t just be her unwanted roomie – they’ll also be sharing a classroom when their respective schools are forced to combine staff and students for the year. 

It’s a classsic romance setup that delivers a ton of tropey fun, including several of my faves: 

❤️‍🩹second-chance romance
👫childhood friends
🐾black cat x golden retriever
🏡forced proximity
🩹hurt x comfort
✨found family

In additon to all of that, there’s emotional depth as Penelope and Anthony navigate their feelings, chemistry, and history, a great depiction of tough career choices, and, as with all books in this series, a realistic portrayal of teaching and fantastic group of supportive and caring adult friends. 

If you’re looking for something to fill that post-spooky season, pre-holly jolly season hole in your TBR, definitely give this second-chance romance (or the whole series!) a go!