Back to School Romance Recs
By: Leah Thakur
As the temperatures begin to drop, the leaves begin to change, pumpkins and apples appear around every corner, I can’t help but start thinking about my actual favorite time of year: back to school shopping! Is that the reason I became a teacher? Partially. But I also know I’m not alone in my love for new stationery and accessories. So this September, join me in stacking our TBRs with romances featuring teachers, based on your favorite school supply.
If you like backpacks then you should read…
Beg, Borrow, or Steal by Sarah Adams
You like to show off your sense of style in the most practical way. You’re also invested in carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders. Well, so is Emily, the main character in this book featuring rival second grade teachers in a small town in Kentucky. They spend their summer becoming neighbors, breaking into their principal’s house to stop him from reading a rather risque email, and trying to hide stories from each other until they simply can’t anymore. Did I mention the epistolary aspect with emails from the present day and when they were in college?
If you like pencil cases then you should read…
Savor It by Tarah Dewitt
Have you collected a million hobbies the way you used to collect all kinds of stationery and trinkets to carry around in the cutest pencil case you could find? Then savor every second with Sage, a small town school teacher on summer break, as she gardens, raises multiple farm animals, fights off ground hogs, rows, and learns to cook with the fancy NYC chef in town for only the summer. As they team up to win the canoe race and other little competitions at the Festival of Spunes, their feelings grow faster than the changing seasons.
If you like calculators then you should read…
The Love Simulation by Etta Easton
Buying the TI-84 calculator was a pivotal moment in most high schoolers’ lives. To bring us back to those lovely times, check out this book where an assistant principal and the science teacher (and principal’s son!) spend their summer in a Mars simulation calculating how much the money they could win would do for their school, and how much time in close proximity will help them fall in love.
If you like binders then you should read…
Here We Go Again by Alison Cochrun
Do you organize every single school subject or facet of your life into color-coded and tabbed binders? Would you do the same for a cross-country road trip with your best friend turned stranger turned enemy-colleague, and your favorite teacher from high school who asks you and said best friend turned stranger turned enemy-colleague to take him on one last journey before he dies? Maybe you should just start organizing your tissues for this emotional read!
If you like mechanical pencils then you should read…
Along Came Amor by Alexis Daria
Every pencil lover remembers the day they discovered their favorite type of mechanical pencil. The one with the lead that wrote as smooth as you dreamed of, and the eraser that was perfect both in shape and power. And maybe you love the idea that pencils will allow you to erase your mistakes, rather than make them permanent like a pen would. School teacher Ava feels the same as she learns how to start her life over post-divorce. But what will she do when the person she thought was just a fling ends up being the best man in her cousin’s wedding? And he doesn’t want to be just some mistake, he wants to be her everything!
If you like notebooks then you should read…
Mixed Signals by BK Borison
You are constantly writing something either in your notebook or in your trusty notes app. So is Layla, a chef who is always writing down recipes. She’s also going to need to take notes as she gets dating and spicy lessons from her friend and substitute teacher, Caleb. However, it won’t be long until both of them come to the conclusion that maybe they’re meant for more than just helping each other learn how to date.
If you like musical instruments then you should read…
On My Side by Katie Duggan
You were a band or choir kid that always rented their instruments early, went to all of their piano lessons, and now you absolutely slay karaoke and still play for your family at holidays. If that’s true, then pick up this story about Ren, elementary music and private piano teacher, as he falls in love with his childhood crush, Audrey, who grew up to be the mom of his (favorite) piano student. Oh, and did I mention Ren is also Audrey’s favorite audio erotica creator?
If you like sports equipment then you should read…
How You Get the Girl by Anita Kelly
You’ve been a loyal sports fan since childhood and signed up for t-ball at the age of three. Now, you probably still run or play on your town’s softball team, or even play pickleball on the weekends with your friends. So, what would you do if you became a high school girls basketball coach and one day your favorite college basketball player and first crush walks into your gym to discuss her niece joining the team? Obviously you’ll start dating lessons with them and possibly fall in love for the first time!
If you like clothes then you should read…
The Partner Plot by Kristina Forest
Your first day of school outfit was picked out months in advance and now you spend your free time curating a closet worthy of any runway. This was definitely true for Violet, an NYC stylist who runs into her first love, who is now a high school teacher and basketball coach, in Vegas, pretends to marry him, and takes the fake marriage public when she realizes it’ll help further both of their careers. Soon enough though, the marriage begins to feel less and less fake, and both of them will have to decide how to move forward with the love they know they’re meant to have.
Make sure to stop by your local indie bookstore after your Staples run to pick up your new supplies and new reads for the fall. When you get home, post your hauls and reviews, then tag Readin’ so we can all celebrate back to school season together!