#BookReview: Newbie by @AuthorJoNoelle

Newbie by Jo Noelle

Purchase: Amazon | B&N

The housing market is crashing, and Sophie’s life is crashing with it. At twenty-four, her successful real estate career evaporates. She’s broke, can’t find a job, or pay her bills, leaving Sophie wondering how her successful lifestyle became so fragile.

At the urging of her roommate, Sophie accepts a job in her fallback career—teaching six-year-olds. She hopes it’s temporary. After all, how long can a tanking economy last anyway? The best part of the new job is Liam, another employee at Rio Grande Elementary. The worst part of the new job is, well, teaching.

Sophie has a surprise real estate closing from a contract she wrote months ago, leading her to a niche in the real estate market and to a new partner, Kevin. Sophie must choose between Liam or Kevin and between a lucrative career or recess duty.

ADD TO GOODREADS

Praise for Newbie:

Loved this story. I thought it was crisp and funny. Sophie has a great character arch as she goes from the Real Estate world to a classroom of 1st graders. Love Liam. He is a nice breath of fresh air. He and Sophie's interactions kept me laughing and wanting more. I HIGHLY recommend this novel! ~ Author Sherry Gammon

In recent years I've become addicted to Sophie Kinsella's books. This book reminded me of hers, only cleaner, which I appreciated! It was sweet and witty. Definitely had me laughing out loud. Loved the ending :) ~Goodreads Review

I loved this book! I especially have a tender spot for books with children in them and this story about Sophie being "forced" to teach when the real estate market does so poorly captured my heart. The characters were warm and lovable, the story was fun and I enjoyed every minute of the book. ~Phyllis

I loved NEWBIE. Sophie's inner thoughts are a delight. She just makes me smile. Her journey as a newbie teacher is real and touching. ~Donna Weaver

Check the Trailer

Excerpt

Lust. Someday it will be deep and abiding love, but today it’s just surfacey infatuation and need. I lust this car.

I still feel like I’m cheating on Gustavo, my old Ford Focus. We had a good run together—college years, spring flings to St. Louis and Miami, weekend jaunts to Santa Fe, Phoenix and Vegas and struggling to start my career. Good times, but I think he’s been holding me back for the last year and a half.

We’ve grown apart, and my goals have changed. I need a career car, and this car says success. This car says I can go as fast as I want. I feel liberated and sexy again. Maybe we could take a road trip to Seattle. I could open it up across Wyoming. No one else would know. It would be our little secret—our first secret together. Turning off Pike’s Peak Avenue into the parking lot, we park gracefully between an Escalade and Collin’s Hummer.

My Thoughts

Newbie tells the story of Sophie, a real state worker that see how her beloved career died after the market goes down, and she had to emigrate to her backup plan and lack of a proper life style (according to her) job, teaching. After she met some friends and a sexy teacher substitute she found herself into a new profession that will change her life.

I felt warm for this novel in so many ways, I admire how Sophie started to learn the ups and downs of the profession and how she manages herself in the end. I enjoyed her blog because it very much what we blog as well, to show the world the things we do and to help others with our words even if we started with that in mind or not. I always felt for teachers because thanks to them we can reach those goals we want through our school time, they're pretty much our rol models, beside our parents. There a phrase people say in my country: “A teacher may or may not be attended by doctor but a doctor always needs to be attended by a teacher”, which this novel reminds me so much.

I liked Sophie and I felt for her because as a woman who wants to success in a future I can feel how much she was struggling when the career she loves so much fails her. But I also like how she handles herself, how she didn’t allow that her bad luck gets over her and she faced a new challenge and a new adventure. I admire that she put up her life back in track.

My problem with this book is that I found it quite boring at some parts, I just wanted to finished early because I felt that the story was getting large unnecessary, even when days and weeks passed so fast. I just felt bored, like something was missing, but I can’t point exactly what it was. I like the characters and the realistic of the plot but I felt that it was flat about the emotions. 

Overall, I like this book very much. I like the teacher theme and how much Sophie make it a major part of her story, even made you wonder if you really want to change career and become a teacher. I felt that the emotions were a little flaw but it’s compensating with characters and a great plot. 

Rating

3 1/2 HEARTS

Re-Reading

No

Review in a Tweet

Been a teacher never has looked so appealing since this book. When a success lifestyle fails you need to back up again. Don’t miss Newbie by @AuthorJoNoelle

Author the Author 

Jo Noelle grew up in Colorado and Utah but also spent time in Idaho and California. She has two adult children and three small kids. She teaches teachers and students about reading and writing, grows freakishly large tomatoes, enjoys cooking especially for desserts, builds furniture, sews beautiful dresses, and likes to go hiking in the nearby mountains. Oh, and by the way, she’s two people— Canda Mortensen and Deanna Henderson, a mother/daughter writing team. 

They began writing separately several years ago but found the process much more fun when they started collaborating. They are debut authors, with Lexi’s Pathetic Fictional Love Life as their first completed work. Other titles include Newbie and Damnation. 

Deanna attended college before marrying and starting her family. 

Canda received a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education, a Reading Specialist endorsement, and a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership. Her day job focuses on teaching teachers and children about literacy.

 Twitter | Website

Giveaway

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 4/6/15

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. 

  a Rafflecopter giveaway