Lessons in Love

Long Valley #5

by Erin Wright

Elijah hasn’t exactly made stellar choices in life, but the one thing he’s never regretted? His daughter. Even if his ex-wife is doing all she can to keep them apart.

In the midst of their custody battle, something unexpected happens: He begins to fall in love. Everyone knows your daughter’s elementary school teacher is off-limits, but someone forgot to tell Elijah’s heart...

Coming October 2018, Lessons in Love is the eighth novel in the Long Valley world, although all books in the Long Valley world can be read as standalones. Enjoy!

Genres: Audiobook, Westerns

250 pages, ebook

Published October 1, 2018

About the author

USA Today Bestselling author Erin Wright has worked every job under the sun, including library director, barista, teacher, website designer, and ranch hand helping brand cattle, before settling into the career she’s always dreamed about: Author.

She still loves coffee, doesn’t love the smell of cow flesh burning, and is currently living out her own love story in a tiny town in rural Idaho.

Reviews

[Candy Lamprecht · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where to start. I often find that Erin's books are slow to begin, which I like because it makes for a great build up of the story and the characters. What surprised me was I actually didn't like the hero and heroine. That has never happened with her characters before. So I am thinking to myself I don't want to continue with this story, but I tell myself that I owe it to Erin because she has never let me down. She has always given me a good story and a wonderful read. That was the best decision I ever made. The characters are lost on their own but when they connect they become so much more. They find themselves and you find yourself loving the people they really are. The people they don't show to the world - at first. Erin actually managed to put in writing the public face people present to the world while expressing to themselves their insecurites creating it. The characters have such depth and strength. They nuture each other, make each other better. This is a great story and a great read. I am sad it is over. I want so much for these characters and I want more of their story. Maybe Erin could do a novella about them. Get this book! You will love it!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Emily Pennington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elijah Morland was so excited to see the job offer for full-time janitor with benefits – during the daytime -- at the Cleveland Elementary School in Sawyer, Idaho! His night job was such a nightmare, and his body didn’t seem to adjust well to sleeping in the daytime. Not only was a full-time day job perfect for his current needs, but it would allow him to see his daughter, Brooklyn, more often than the restricted visitation that his ex-wife had limited him to in their custody battle. Mrs. Worsop at the school had assumed he was registering his daughter and that his inquiry about the janitor job was a joke or something. But finally she handed him an application to fill out and return by 8 a.m. the next day when the interviews started.

Hannah Lambert, a 5th grade elementary school teacher at the school, happens to have Elijah’s daughter in her class. She loves her students but is awkward with adults due to her own personal issues. Yet when she and Elijah meet, there is something special between them that just may allow healing for both if they can let each other in.

Hannah and Elijah have much to deal with in their lives, but the love and sacrifice the reader sees is so genuine. Contrasting these two honest and loving people with the mean-spirited Sarah, Elijah’s ex-wife, makes their goodness stand out even more dramatically. You will fall in love with Hannah, Elijah, and Brooklyn. Their character traits are perfect! The author does a remarkable job in letting the reader see what kind of people they are on the inside, where it matters. The story line is great, perfectly paced, and will have an emotional impact on the most stoic of readers. Grab your copy and fall in love!

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lessons in Love, set in small-town Idaho, is about two mismatched people who help each other heal. Hannah has devoted her life to teaching 5th grade students and is shy and uncomfortable around adults, especially men. Elijah, whose life plans were shattered by getting his manipulative girlfriend pregnant, is trying to make ends meet to help support his daughter Brooklyn. His daughter is in Hannah's class and Hannah sees the sweet girl and potential behind the trouble-making façade that Brooklyn shows the world. Elijah's ex-wife Sarah is a piece of work (keeping it clean here) who uses Brooklyn to pull all of Elijah's strings. You couldn't find two people less likely to hook up than Elijah and Hannah but they find a strong attraction through their love of Brooklyn.
Throughout the book, Erin Wright's great sense of humor shines. I love her country sayings and turns of phrases. And she tries something unusual here by having Elijah's narrative reflect his poor grammar and lack of education. The chapters switch between Elijah and Hannah narrations and with Elijah's own words you get inside his head and see how he thinks and feels. I really enjoyed that. But the book also had a complexity since Hannah has some dark secrets and he relationship between them breaks several school rules. No spoilers though! I thought it was a beautiful story of the ugly duckling and the ignorant janitor finding love and hot passion together. I volunteered to read and review an early copy of the book and loved it.

[Teresa Christianson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy and am voluntarily leaving a review
There are so many things in this book that are so true in this book from the teachers not being paid enough and then being expected to use their own money to buy supplies for their classroom. There are also too many parents that really don't care about what their kids look like or if their clothes are fitting properly. All they care about is that the ex is paying his support so they can go drink or gamble or spend the money on themselves. Then there are the problems of trying to help a student without having enough evidence to call Child Protection. Elijah takes a job at the school so he can see his daughter every day because his ex has convinced the courts that he should only have visitation every other weekend and that is all. Hannah is Brooklyn's teacher this year and decides to do whatever she can to help her after she finds out her mother is not properly? Hannah and Elijah start dating even though she is breaking several different school board rules by doing so. What will happen when Sarah, Elijah's ex, finds out about this "affair"? What kind of trouble will this cause for Hannah with the school board? Will Hannah and Elijah be able to make things work even though she is a teacher and he only graduated high school and doesn't talk very well and he doesn't think he is good enough for her?

[Margaret Watkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this heart-warming romance, two awkward people find each other in the most unexpected circumstances. From the viewpoint of storytelling, Ms. Wright has once again pulled the rabbit out of the hat. Both Hannah and Elijah are carrying baggage from the past and despite Elijah's lack of finesse, he is exactly what Hannah needs to deal with her unresolved issues. On the other hand, Hannah is exactly what Elijah and Brooklyn need to bring healing to their wounded spirits. Living in a small town where everyone knows each other's business, it isn't easy to hide. Thus, when the budding romance between the teacher and school janitor becomes public knowledge, they are devastated by the results. As a non-American, I found the use of colloquial language difficult to follow and from where I am sitting, I felt that the story cast Elijah unfairly both by his speech and dorkish behaviour. However, I am in the minority and no doubt it is possible that 99.9% of readers will be from the US and will be able to identify with the characters. Although this book is part of a series and there is some overlapping of characters, it is nevertheless a standalone and comes to a happy and satisfactory conclusion. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout as a gift and am voluntarily leaving a review. This is my honest review.

[Kym · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a heartwarming story! Is everything perfect in Elijah and Hannah’s lives? No. Do they find themselves falling in love in spite of all of the events happening around them? Yes!

Elijah is struggling to make ends meet and trying to see his daughter as much as he can even though is ex-wife is trying her best to limit his visitations. He has hard choices to make in his life.

Hannah is an elementary school teacher. Elijah’s daughter, Brooklyn, is a student in Hannah’s fifth grade class. Hannah is comfortable in her classroom interacting with children, but she is shy and struggles with adults. And yet when she meets Elijah, she is drawn to him.

While both have different obstacles to overcome, as their love story unfolds we see how much they enrich each others’ lives. And isn’t that what love is about? Bringing out the best in one another, sharing their burdens, etc? That’s what we see here and it is a beautiful story!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Aquamarine 1951 · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Lessons in Love” is the eight novel in the Long Valley series and it has everything I look for in a beautiful heartwarming romance. It is an amazing sweet read that kept me hooked from the first page to the last. The author’s storyline centered on Elijah, a divorced father who would do anything to spend time with his daughter Brooklyn and Hannah her fifth grade teacher who is dealing with her own personal issues as well as her father’s medical issues. Both characters are multi-dimensional and embody strength and courage as they deal with family issues and their growing attraction and love for each other. Ms. Wright has an exceptional writing style and her books are extremely well written and have wonderful storylines. I loved the plot, the chemistry between Elijah and Hannah, their individual and combined interaction with Brooklyn and the epilogue. You need to read this book to savor it so I won’t give away plot details. I highly recommend this story.
I received an Advanced Readers Copy. It was a pleasure to read and review this novel.

[Curly Bibliophagist · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elijah Moreland is a simple man. Growing up, he lived in his brother Aaron's shadow. Aaron was the golden child. His parents as much as disowned him when he got his girlfriend pregnant. But he can't be sorry that he has his daughter, Brooklyn. His love for his daughter is fierce.

Hannah grew up with a wonderful father. Her mother died when she was little but her dad was always there for her. She teaches 5th grade and is the secretary of The Young Spinsters Club. Hannah loves teaching. It's all she ever wanted to do.

When Brooklyn is assigned to Hannah's class, she and Elijah meet. Things aren't easy for any of them. Can they manage to get through the bad parts and find their HEA?

I loved this book, as I've loved each of Erin Wright's books. The characters are very real and as I read her books, I feel like I'm right there with the characters. This book can be read as a stand alone but I think everyone should read all of her books. They are that great! The characters from previous stories walk through each book so you'd be able to get their backstory.

[Lady M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where to begin? First, although the author does give fair warning at the beginning about the grammar choices she made, I struggled. The way Elijah was coming out, I had to read a little slower and sometimes reread lines. I immediately thought - 4 stars at best just because of this. However, the more I read, the easier it became until I almost forgot about it. So clearly the fact that I did actually give it 5 Stars tells you how good the story is! Adorable. That's the word that kept popping into my head while reading. Although as I write this review, adorkable is probably a better word choice. You feel so many emotions while reading this, and although plenty of books make me cry tears of sadness, this is one of the very few that I cried tears of happiness. I just adored these characters. I don't want to gush too much, but this book made me think about a lot of things, even in my own life. I I didn't think I would love this one as much as I did when I first started it. I'm very happy to have been wrong from the beginning, because this panned out to be so good

[Pam Potter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Erin Wright books. This series is awesome, inspiring and hard to put down. This is the only book I've read of hers that was a little hard to read. I know he was "from the wrong side of the tracks", but he did graduate high school, so betraying him as uneducated was a little hard for me to comprehend. She was an "old maid" school teacher, he was the janitor at the school where she taught. He had a precocious daughter, who was in her 5th grade class, that was being neglected by his ex-wife. Try as he might to get custody of his daughter, his ex-wife had the advantage of an inheritance from the death of her parents.
The thing I disliked the most was the overuse of the nickname Brooksy! The daughters name was Brooklyn. To me, Brooklyn is just as easy to say as Brooksy.
That is the only reason I gave the book 4 stars. I loved the story and finished it at 3am this morning.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Connie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Booksprout and I also purchased a copy.

Hannah's and Elijah's HEA was a beautifully written story. It was so full of ups and downs but through it all, love shone through. These two were two ordinary people that I just loved to read about. Especially Elijah and he wonderful speech. Having been born in a southern state, it was heartwarming to read his POV in his slang. Speaking of POV, this book had a dual POV which made it easy for me as a reader to understand the character's actions. Elijah had been ridiculed for his speech as being a dummy but he was not. He is just a wonderfully warm lovingly father who would do anything to be close to his daughter. Hannah was a shy awkward woman and we discover why in the story. Wow, that just blew me away.

Ms. Wright has been a fabulous job of writing this wonderful story. Long Valley sounds like a place that I would want to live in. I highly recommend this story to anyone!!!!

[Merle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a departure for some readers, about a man who graduated high school and "had to" get Married because his girlfriend got pregnant. Years later, the wife has inherited lots of money and keeps her ex-husband on tenterhooks because he can't afford to oppose her battery of lawyers. Elijah gets a job as a janitor in the school where his daughter is a fifth-grader so he can see her more often since custody is also part of her mother's manipulation game. Hannah Lambert is the fifth-grade teacher and is a tentative, scared woman who shies away from ost contact with men. She has good reasons for this, but Elijah simply thinks he isn't good enough for her and that's why she is so standoffish. They begin to see each other which ends badly when Hannah is threatened with her job. Elijah is fired and it seems to be the end of their world until something else terrible happens and suddenly Hannah figures out the happy end for their story.

[Becky Claxon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has me torn. I love Ms. Wright’s writing, and feel she does a wonderful job of writing from the heart. This is not my favorite of her books. I think she did a great job of writing the book. She touched my heart with some of the events in the book. I feel like a snob because of the biggest thing that bothered me. She explained up front that many of the people in Idaho talk using terrible grammar. That being said, it still bothered me some. The love story of Elijah and Hannah touched my heart. I loved Elijah’s daughter Brooklyn that was in Hannah’s class. Elijah is such a good father, and his ex wife is such a witch! There are so many things in the book that aren’t fair which I dislike about happenings in our lives. I urge you to read the book. I voluntarily read an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book.

[Nati · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hannah has been playing by the rules all her life and trying to go unnoticed for the world. Elijah has been fighting the mistake he made eleven year ago getting his girlfriend pregnant and now, divorced for one year, is struggling to pay his bills and see her daughter Brooklyn whenever he can. So when he sees aa position as janitor in her daughter’s school he takes the chance in a heartbeat. When Hannah, Brooklyn’s teacher, and Elijah meet at the school they feel an instant attraction but it’s against the rules for them to date, and their past is pushing them apart. Can they fight their demons and have a future together? A sweet, tough and wonderful love’s story. Hannah, Elijah and Brooklyn are awesome people and you can’t help but fall in love with them.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Stacy J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't think I have ever related so much to a fictional characters as I did with Hannah. She is a shy woman who because of a past trauma does everything in her power to seem undesirable. She has the biggest heart and is an amazing teacher and friend.

Elijah is what book boyfriends should be about. He was very handsome but what spoke to me the most was the love he had with his child. The sacrifices he was willing to make to be by her and spend time with her, should be the measure we use in what is a good man.

I loved watching these two grow together. Neither of them were very skilled in the art form of dating which was really refreshing to read. As someone who married her high school sweetheart, I could only imagine what it would be like to date when your older and having only been with one person.

I would highly recommend this book and series!

[Vivian Chrisman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lessons in love...lessons in life

I absolutely love this series but this story takes that love to another level! All I can say about Elijah is how could you not fall this man?!? The lengths he would go to as a father left me wishing more fathers were like him. The way he helped Hannah become who she was meant to be....why can't he be real? This is the type a man a mother would her daughter to meet. Then there is Hannah. Watching how she came out of her shell was heartwarming. Of course not all was easy. Let's just say that there were a couple of people I would love throttle! One has made life for several residents of Sawyer miserable for years....I sure hope that "karma" decides to visit soon!

*I received an Advance Reader's Copy of this book which I am voluntarily reviewing*

[Judi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always think of small towns as boring, but Long Valley and Sawyer have so many intertwining lives and stories that each tale adds another thread tying them together. And this tale of emotional strength and everyday endurance is like adding another cousin to the family tree. Hannah and Elijah are grown ups yet so innocent. As much of America they live hand to mouth. They know each other but coming face to face an intense attraction forms. Trouble is they really can't date or they may lose their jobs. These characters draw you into their lives. The storyline is heartbreaking but also exemplifies the courage we all have to find sometime in our lives.

[Bernadette Cinkoske · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lessons in Love is another heartwarming romance from Erin Wright. What is not to love when you meet Hannah, the fifth grade teacher who is miserly compensated and still buys school supplies and treats from that meager salary. Elijah may be just a good 'ole boy but he loves his daughter so much that he takes a job as the school custodian just so he can see Brooklyn and eat lunch with her. It is against common sense and school policy to date a fellow employee and your daughter's teacher but Hannah and Elijah fall in love. I cannot say more without spoiling some of your pleasure in this great new book.

[Bernadette Cinkoske · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lessons in Love is another heartwarming romance from Erin Wright. What is not to love when you meet Hannah, the fifth grade teacher who is miserly compensated and still buys school supplies and treats from that meager salary. Elijah may be just a good 'ole boy but he loves his daughter so much that he takes a job as the school custodian just so he can see Brooklyn and eat lunch with her. It is against common sense and school policy to date a fellow employee and your daughter's teacher but Hannah and Elijah fall in love. I cannot say more without spoiling some of your pleasure in this great new book.

[Jacqueline Ellison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elijah Moreland was married to his ex for ten years. He got a job as a janitor at his daughter Brooklyn’s elementary school so he could spend more time with her. Hannah Lambert is a fifth grade teacher. She doesn’t like speaking to adults or having their attention on her. This has an ex who doesn’t care about their daughter only money and drinking. This does have characters from past books that we get to catch up with. I enjoyed the chemistry between Elijah and Hannah but loved the way they both protected Brooklyn.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jacqueline Ellison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elijah Moreland was married to his ex for ten years. He got a job as a janitor at his daughter Brooklyn’s elementary school so he could spend more time with her. Hannah Lambert is a fifth grade teacher. She doesn’t like speaking to adults or having their attention on her. This has an ex who doesn’t care about their daughter only money and drinking. This does have characters from past books that we get to catch up with. I enjoyed the chemistry between Elijah and Hannah but loved the way they both protected Brooklyn.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent small town country romance. Ms. Wright out herself out there to use the 'lingo' of the time and place. It's an enjoyable story that is different from the other books so far in this series. The characters have real life struggles. Elijah is a loving father that struggles to make ends meet due to his ex-wife. He does what he has to do he can see his daughter, Brooklyn. Hannah is Brooksy's teacher and struggles to care for her students. She has secrets and has a hard time dealing with adults. I received a complementary copy of this book via Booksprout and chose to write a review. I look forward to reading future books by Ms. Wright.

[Lcr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lessons in love is a good addition to the Long Valley Series. The story line is good and the romance lovely and it is nice to have some familiar characters showing up too. It was spoilt for me by the writing style. I appreciate this was a deliberate decision by
the author but I found it awkward to read. Regional dialects and inflections can be implied they don't have to be written. This is only my opinion so I recommend you buy this book and make up your own mind .. it is a great story and Erin Wright is a very talented author.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Katherine Horvath · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lessons in Love: I loved the suspense of the whole story! I like the changes that happen in romance and love. I loved the strong characters throughout the book and how the story was written. I loved how Elijah wanted to be close to his daughter so he could spend more time with her. I liked the connection that Hannah and Elijah had. I loved that she cared for his daughter more than her mother did. I loved the boned that Hannah had with the daughter and father. I was a wonderful story and great writing. Very Heartwarming!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Marichus Real · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elijah has just got a new job: janitor in a school. But it’s not any school, but the one his daughter attends to.
Hannah is a teacher and she tries to help them as much as she can. And she happens to have Brooklyn, Elijah’s daughter, in her class.
There is nothing better than a child to join two people together. Both of them have issues from the past that hurt them, but together they begin to heal with Brooklyn help.
A great story that makes you laugh and cry and shout at some characters to stop being so mean. It is well-written and the storyline flows nicely.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Rebecca A. Bamford · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this story but,....

I ADORED the story of Elijah and Hannah. I absolutely love all of Erin Wrights stories. But I have to admit I found it difficult to relate to the characters. To the way Elijah spoke. Im not sure I could have gotten past it in real life as believable with Hannah. The naive nature of Hannah and the backward ways of Elijah. Just wasn’t clicking for me with this story. Something didn’t gel. I had to push through reading how Elijah spoke to get through the beginning and keep on going with the story. Im glad I did and the story was good, but it wasn’t the best for me. Still, it was a sweet love story in the end.

[BP34 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is part of the Long Valley Series but can be read as a standalone. The love of Elijah's life is his precious young daughter. A beautiful story about a regular guy who loves his daughter. He's not a corporate CEO, a billionaire or a sports hero that are so prominent in most romances. His attraction to Hannah, his daughter's teacher is against all the rules. Heartbreaking at times and emotional. A story of love and substance. I read a reader copy and voluntarily chose to write a review.

[Gwen Smith-leak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hannah is school teacher with a lot of heart .Elijah got married and had a child right out of high school. Now he divorced and try to made a living and see his child. So he take a job as a janitor in his daughter school . We soon find out that this is way to clear we see his daughter more . Hannah and Elijah find they are attracted to each other. . As co-worker they can’t date so they have to do where no one knows. Elijah daughter Brooklyn get help from Hannah when the kids pick on her that how caring she is. You will see their willingness to fight for what they want . .

[Debora Wolff · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is more than a love story of two broken people, Hannah and Elijah. It brings to life the real problems in life like rape, drunken parents, child support, and the broken judicial system that allows so much to get by so that victims are victimized over and over again. It seems that common sense is thrown out. Only when something drastic happens like in this story does anything get done and sometimes it is just too late.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I must admit that while I usually enjoy Erin Wright books this one just didn't do it for me. I felt it was slow and often the story was just spinning its wheels.
Hannah and Elijah do have obstacles to overcome in trying to get their happily ever after and the love they both deserve.
They do compliment each other and bring something the other was missing in their lives which is what your other half should do for you, so it was a sweet love story. It just dragged for me.
I was given this book for an honest voluntary review.