Learning Curves is a single dad, enemies to lovers, curvy girl rom-com with a teacher that everyone wished they had in school, and a swoon-worthy dad that would do anything for his daughter. Throw in an overeating dog and watch what happens next.To Spencer Hurley, women only left pain and destruction in their wake. The only good thing that came from his disaster of an ex was his daughter, … daughter, Annabelle. Right now, making sure Belle was taken care of and getting her the help she needed with her learning disabilities was his only focus. And if that meant moving to a new town, consider the moving truck rented and packed.
Ellie Ryan spent her childhood being judged and bullied because of her learning disabilities. Jokes on them, though, she was now the top special education teacher in her district. See, Ellie totally had her life together. Kind of. Maybe… Okay, really, she’s a word-vomiting, curvy, hot-mess, who hasn’t had a date in who knows how long. And then there was Roxy, her rude overeating dog. Nevertheless, Ellie was fiercely protective of her students. She’d gladly rip out the throat of anyone that dared to mess with her kids. Including their parents.
So, please explain to Ellie why, even after calling her new student’s father out during a disastrous parent-teacher meeting, Ellie couldn’t help being insanely attracted to the gruff single dad? Somebody, please help her. Besides, nothing good could come from it… right?
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This is by far Molly’s best book yet and you will fall in love with her newest cast of wonderful characters. This story will touch your heart in all the best ways!
Learning Curves is pure romcom catnip! O’Hare’s unpredictable and hilarious characters literally bounce off the pages, and her captivating storyline about children with learning disabilities will have you rooting for these characters to the very end.
What can I write about Learning Curves that hasn’t already been written? A lot, actually. As someone who has a learning disability and has dealt with the prejudice and anxiety of it all my life, this book touched my heart deeply. To read about little Belle’s struggle with fear caused by the treatment she received by so called experts and educators at such a young age caused my heart to ache. I wanted to reach through the pages to hold her and tell her anything is possible.
But enough about the emotions for a minute because can we just talk about Belle’s dad, Spencer? Hello! He is so hot and being such an amazing father only makes him hotter. And the chemistry between Spencer and Ellie is off the charts!
I loved Ellie. She was feisty and smart. I wish she was my son’s special needs teacher. Ellie was hilarious and just loved her students.
All I can say is if you are looking for a perfect rom-com filled with heart and laughs, look no further than Learning Curves. Molly O’hare did an amazing job with this book.
I love reading this book It had me laughing a lot and my son is special needs so I could relate with what Spencer was going through . This story is well written and I highly recommend this book!!!!!
Learning Curves is a single dad, standalone, romantic comedy featuring a sassy 9 year old, a dog that thinks she is human, an accident prone teacher, and a hilarious cast of characters.
In addition to being a romance, this book illustrates some of the struggles, anxiety, and prejudice faced by those with learning disabilities.
Ellie Ryan is a teacher with a solid mission. Ensuring all of her students get the education they deserve and that they always be treated fairly. Like her students, Ellie has a number of learning disabilities. Diagnosed at a young age, she spent much of her childhood being bullied and combating feelings of inadequacy brought on by being looked down upon.
She is a reminder to her students that anything is possible, a disability does not define who you are, and to never feel hindered by the things that make you unique.
Ellie is sassy with a take no crap from anyone attitude. She is also easy to relate to. She isn’t perfect, and doesn’t pretend to be. She makes mistakes. She gets into embarrassing situations. She is a little bit quirky, and a whole lot of hilarious. Her inner monologue is both entertaining and heartbreaking.
Spencer is a single dad just trying his best to get by. His daughter, Belle, a new student in Ellie’s class, was bullied and treated poorly by both teachers and students at her previous school. She is a lot like Ellie. Belle is sweet, funny, and clever. And she excels at outmaneuvering the adults around her.
To say that Spencer and Ellie get off on the wrong foot would be a massive understatement. Both are dealing with issues stemming from past experiences, and those feelings get projected where they shouldn’t. Once they get past those first few awkward encounters, enter the meddling family and friends. The chemistry between Ellie and Spencer is instant, as is the deep bond between Ellie and Belle.
Overall, I enjoyed this story. Though it was a bit rushed in places and the ending could have been smoother, Learning Curves is a feel good, laugh out loud story that is equal parts humor and heart.
One of the greatest things about being an ARC reader is you get to enjoy new authors all the time. Yes, frequently, you get sneak peeks at your favorite’s latest work, but mostly you get introduced to some amazingly good work by people new to you. This is the case with Molly O’Hare, I read the blurb for Learning Curves and being a rom-com fan I was interested. On another note, I previously worked in an elementary school and worked closely with our Special Education team, so I was intrigued by how this all would play out.
Learning Curves first, was hilarious. I laughed so hard at the dialogue, and some of the scenes I had to grab the tissues to wipe the tears. The interactions between Ellie, her friends, her parents, her students, and Spencer were priceless. The way Ellie interacted with her students, I could see happening in classrooms where there is a special bond between the teacher and the student. But honestly, how Ellie interacted with her parents was the best.
Learning Curves is a fun romp, with a tender side that only makes the book more endearing. Molly O’Hare has a flair with words that make you want to jump into her worlds and laugh with everyone else in the book. Yes, I think a descriptor I would use about Molly’s world is joyous (along with funny), there was a light-heartedness there that made reading Learning Curves so much fun. I hope to read more of her work in the future.
Molly O’Hare’s “Learning Curves” was a hilarious and heartwarming story featuring fantastic characters and an engaging plot. The book’s preface alone was enough to make me cheer; if I could add a sixth star to my rating just for that, I would! I quickly fell in love with the characters when I started reading the story itself, and was particularly drawn into the delicious slow burn of main characters Ellie and Spencer’s relationship development. Their chemistry was white-hot from the start, and I adored their witty banter. It seemed that neither of them could avoid putting a foot in their mouth when they were together, which made me laugh out loud over and over.
I also loved seeing Ellie and Spencer come together as a family with Spencer’s young daughter, Annabelle. She was such an adorable, smart-mouthed little kid, and the relationship she had with her daddy was awesome. Spencer clearly doted on her and did absolutely everything in his power to make sure she had the best resources available to help her learn and grow. Every child deserves to have an advocate like Spencer was for Annabelle!
In addition, I found Ellie to be incredibly relatable and loved getting to know her over the course of the story. I’m also perpetually late and in need of caffeine, and more often than not end up with coffee stains on my shirt. (Pro tip for others out there like Ellie and me: I’ve learned to keep a spare top in my office in case of emergency. Also, my office invested in a Keurig after too many incidents of people finishing the pot of coffee and failing to make more. Blood was nearly spilled on multiple occasions in our pre-Keurig days!) I loved how fiercely Ellie advocated for her students, always made sure they had everything they needed, and made sure they knew that having different learning needs didn’t mean they were somehow less than their classmates.
The story’s secondary characters were also wonderful and added a tremendous amount of depth to the narrative. I especially loved how Ellie’s principal, Mr. Talley, tattled to Ellie’s dad every time she did something that irritated him, as well as when he grumbled about paperwork.
Overall, I absolutely adored “Learning Curves” and am certain that it will find a place on my “favorite reads of 2020” list. I highly recommend it for all fans of contemporary romance and romantic comedy and look forward to checking out more of Molly O’Hare’s books soon!
*ARC provided by the author via Wildfire Marketing Solutions. All opinions expressed are my own.
Molly has done it again, I absolutely loved this book. Not only did we get the laughter, love and crazy animals but she brought to light the struggles of learning disabilities in a way I think no one else could. Spencer and Ellie were hot from the start and there attraction was undeniable. But then you got Spencer’s daughter Belle and his dad, Ellie’s parents and best friend Sally, all hysterical. This book had it all, so amazing and well worth the read.
Learning Curves is the story of Ellie and Spencer, and Spencer’s daughter, Belle. Really, it’s a love story between the three of them – 4 if you include Ellie’s adorable dog, Roxy.
The gist of the story is that Spencer moves to Ellie’s school district because he wants the best possible teacher for Belle, who has been diagnosed with some learning disabilities. Ellie is one of the best Special Ed teachers around. Though they get off on the wrong foot, they eventually recover, and it doesn’t take long before the chemistry between Spencer and Ellie blossoms into more.
This book is laugh-out-loud funny. Ellie is just a hilarious person, and her best friend Sally is AWESOME – (Molly – any chance we will get to hear Sally’s story?). In fact, all the supporting characters are hilarious – Ellie’s mom and dad, and Spencer’s dad are all just amazingly funny. At one point the group is having a big dinner together and hilarity ensues, of course. It’s so well written that I felt like I was there, enjoying the crazy with everyone else.
I thought it was great to see people with learning differences represented in the romance world. Molly does it in a way that feels “real”. Like – yes – having learning disability is a challenge and yes, it sucks sometimes. But you CAN deal with it. That, and it doesn’t actually have to affect ALL of your life. You are not your disabilities, they are only one part of you. Having a kid with learning and social differences has made me sensitive to the way neuro-diverse people are portrayed – and Molly did it perfectly.
Learning Curves is a fun, light read with almost no angst. Perfect for these incredibly stressful times we are living in right now. If you want a laugh – pick it up NOW!!
Learning Curves is an insta-love, single dad, enemies to lovers romance and my first Molly O’Hare novel. This is a story that shows that inspite of challenges we can do anything we want if we set our mind to it. Its a story that focuses on learning disabilities and shows the impact words can have of our lives.
I loved that the h Ellie was a curvy girl who had her own learning disabilities and I loved how she stood up for her kids. She was sassy and dramatic but at times a little too over the top.
I love the H Spencer, he was charming and flirtatious and I loved his dedication to his daughter. They were both a cute couple and I loved the chemistry between them. The addition of their parents and the children in the story added a layer of hilarity. However this story had too much internal mind chatter for my liking and some of the scenes were a little over exaggerated and it tended to detract from the story. However I would still recommend it if you are looking for a romantic comedy filled with some laugh out loud moments with relatable characters.
4.5 Stars
I gobbled this book right up. Yes there are times when the characters are a little over the top, but it just makes them more endearing to me. I laughed from start to finish. I loved Ellie. She is quite the quirky character. It warmed my heart that Belle came into Ellie’s life. My heart broke with Belle’s back story, but it did a heart good to see Belle have champion in her corner like Ellie. I know all about bullying because I was bullied in school so I could empathize with the characters. Though the book has plenty laughs it also has great message to learn. I would highly recommend reading this when you have plenty uninterrupted time to do so because you are not going want to put this book down. I’m a fan of Molly O’Hare that’s enough for me to read this, but then throw in a single dad. Yes, please!!!
Learning Curves is good read. It’s a fun read. Spencer is a single dad to a daughter (Belle) who has learning disabilities. He’s focused on Belle and doesn’t date. Ellie is a very dedicated special education teacher. She a firecracker and fight for her students. She also says a lot of funny things and I don’t think she has a filter. Spencer and Ellie meet because Ellie is Belle’s teacher. He kind of gives her a little attitude at first but Ellie isn’t having that. The both are attracted to each other but Ellis is Belle’s teacher. Her parents and his Dad are super funny and give them the push the need. This one is definitely a good fun read.
Absolutely LOVED Spencer, Ellie, and sweet Annabelle. All of the supporting characters had me laughing. The love story that evolves between Spencer in Ellie is HAF! The chemistry was insane from the moment they met! A definite MUST READ with all the feels.
OMG this story brings on the funny. Most importantly at its foundation it has a message that makes my heart melt.
In this story you get a curvy special education teacher who falls for her student’s dad. Plan for a somewhat klutzy, filterless dog owner who says and does the wackiest things. She has an extra helping of feisty, keeping things interesting. OMG holy hotness, dad not only is an amazing parent but he get SOOO SPICY with our heroine. Yum! Can you say STEEEAAMMY?!
Sweet funny daughter, an over eating quirky dog, blunt hilarious parents, and a look into the world of someone with a learning difference take this story to the next level.
I am a huge believer in defending the underdog and this story does that in a beautiful way. Eek. I am not saying anymore. Get to reading and you will understand.
Love this story. Happy Reading Everyone! XOXO
Fantastic! Molly never disappoints! I always finish her books with a smile and a happy heart! This book was funny, whitty, sexy and just amazing! The general message that her book portrays is so touching!
I love all the characters, especially the pets that always feature in Molly’s books. Some characters from her other books made an appearance which made it so much more special. Loved everything about this!
Let me start by saying this, every one of Molly O’Hare’s books has brought me endless amounts of joy. But none of them, not even Ben and Holly, have hit me with so much love, happiness, laughter and emotion the way Learning Curves did. This book is like a double whammy for me. First of all it’s everything about Molly’s writing that I adore. Hilarity and sarcasm that results is great bouts of belly laughter, romance so sweet it will make your teeth hurt, the perfect amount of steam to have you fanning yourself, and love…tons and tons of love.
Then there’s Spencer’s daughter and touching on learning disabilities. Molly perfectly captures the emotion of both a child going through this and a parent raising a child with a learning disability. Having a child with very similar disabilities this book hit home in so many ways for me. I cried not only from feeling the pain they’d experienced from others but also because it was so wonderful to see all those thoughts and feelings I’ve experienced first hand so beautiful shown and feel the genuine love that Molly put into this book in that regard. I wish there was an Ellie out there for every child.
Molly O’Hare has gifted us with an absolutely wonderful laugh out loud rom com.
The story centers around Ellie Ryan and Spencer Hurley. Oh. And Roxy. Roxy would punish me for forgetting her.
Ellie is a special needs teacher with a huge amount of sass, wit, intellect and protectiveness for her students. She’s the sort of teacher I wish I could magic up for my kiddos. Ellie would feel strongly about her students anyway, but her passion is underlined by the fact that she struggles with learning disabilities herself.
Spencer is new to town. He moved to give his daughter Annabelle (Belle) a new start and better education. Belle has learning disabilities and had been picked on by her teachers at her old school. Both Belle and Spencer had also been deeply emotionally scarred by Belle’s mother.
Belle, of course, winds up in Ellie’s class where they both are drawn to each other. Frankly, Belle’s personality is awesome. She’s a funny little spitfire that is incredibly relatable to me. She reminds me of my kiddos so much. I love the way Molly portrays Belle and her thought process.
Spencer and Ellie, unfortunately, get off to a bit of a rocky start. Ellie forgets a morning meeting and then is caught with her eyes closed (literally) by Spencer at their assessment meeting. Spencer thinks that these are signs of Ellie not caring and takes his frustration out on her.
What ensues from here is a hysterical unraveling of their first impressions, strong attraction to one another, and their love for Belle.
Ellie and Spencer come with some of the best sidekicks. Ellie’s boss is like a second father to her. Ellie’s parents and Spencer’s dad are characters as well. The dialogue between the older adults is fantastic. It creates an extra layer of coziness to the world they are building in the story.
Rounding out our cast of misfits are Sally, Ellie’s childhood best friend and fellow teacher, and Roxy an adorable dog who will follow whomever has the food and has some very amusing human like qualities.
The story’s climax hits in an explosive way that fully illustrates the lengths Ellie will go to in order to protect her students, and the depth of feeling she has for her kids.
This was a wonderful, funny, heart touching book that I didn’t want to end. I was happy to see that Lord Waffles has his own story so this is a town and characters I can visit again.
Finally, I’m not sure exactly HOW she did it, but Ms. O’Hare managed to use my son as a model for Travis. The likeness between the fictional character’s personality and the character living in my house is eerie. Spot on.
Learning Curves is a stand alone romantic comedy by Molly O’Hare. This is one of those books that you just can’t help but to smile most of the way through with the crazy antics of the heroine and her dog. But, I want to warn you that towards the end, my eyes watered. They were happy tears, from the sweetest of moments. But that water just couldn’t help but to leak out of my eyes.
Spencer Hurley is a single father of the most adorable nine year old little girl you have ever seen, Annabelle (Belle.) Belle suffers from learning disorders. After Spencer realized how Belle was being treated at school by her teachers, he did his research, packed them up, and moved to where there was a school with a special education teacher who has earned the reputation for being the best. When it comes to his daughter, Spencer will do whatever is necessary to help her.
Ellie Ryan grew up with learning disabilities. She knew what it was like to be bullied. To feel like she was less than. But she defied them all, went to college, graduated at the top of her class, and became a special education teacher. Her students are like her own children. She’ll do whatever she can to help them or protect them.
Ellie has a border collie, Roxy, who seems more half human than dog. This dog is hilarious and has everyone wrapped around her little paw. She also likes to eat, a lot!!!
Ellie is kind of a mess. She really is a talented teacher. But getting to work on time doesn’t happen often. Getting her dog to listen to her doesn’t either. And let’s just say that she can kind of be aggressive when she gets angry. In a funny way. Her best friend, Sally, is her life line. And don’t even get me started on her parents! They are hilarious.
When Belle walks into Ellie’s classroom for the first time, its pretty much love at first sight for the both of them. But, when Ellie meets Belle’s dad, Spencer, for the first time, things don’t go as well. Neither of them can stop thinking about the other, though. There is something there, and it’s not going to go away.
“One thing he knew for sure, he was in for a wild ride when it came to Ellie. And he liked it.”
If you want a fun, sweet escape with characters with no filter, and secondary characters you can’t help but love, then you should definitely grab this book. Finding a reason to smile is always a good thing.
What a perfectly sassy and quirky read. I am going to gush over some of the best characters in recent memory. I loved every inner thought, every reaction, all the dialogue, and interaction in this story. There was not one character that didn’t live up to the spirit of this story. This was my first venture into reading Molly O’Hare and I am so glad I did. I need all the laugh out loud snarky moments.
Spencer Hurley is sex on a stick. Not just because he has “yum yum lines” but because he is fiercely in love with his daughter. He is so loving and kind to her and that just ticks up his score. Ellie Ryan is the teacher we all wish we had. Her unconditional acceptance of her students and their difficulties makes her golden, plus her funny whit and snarky nature just keep you loving her. Her love of baked goods and willingness to kill over an empty pot of coffee makes her my hero! Spencer’s daughter Belle, as just the right amount of little kid spunk to keep you giggling. Best friend Sally, Ellie’s school principal, Elle’s parents and Spencer’s dad Randal, just add to the hilarity of this story. I would be remiss if I didn’t give the star of the story, Roxy the dog her own mention.
While this story is sweet in funny there is just enough sexy to add to the hot factor. Spencer is all about building Elle up and helping her realize what an amazing sexy woman she is. I love them together. You just feel the love and connection seeping from the pages. It all makes for the perfect fun flirty summer read.
This was a 5/5 read for me. I really hope Sally gets her own story because there is some spunkiness that I need to read!
Disclaimer: I received an Advance Reader Copy at no cost from the publisher/author. All opinions in my review are my own.
This was such a fun book. This book had me laughing out loud and giggling like crazy. I enjoyed the writing style for the most part. It was easy to read and connect with. Some of the dialogue didn’t work for me at times but there was plenty of it that did at other times. The story was fast-paced. I think that I would have preferred a slower pace, if I’m being honest. The romance sort of falls into the instalove or instalust category. I’m usually not a fan of stories where the main characters are confessing their love after such a short period of time. But at the same time, it works in this story. I think that I just prefer something with a slower burn to it. Ellie and Spencer definitely had some chemistry. I enjoyed their banter and how they saw the best in each other. The cast of secondary characters in this book really won me over. The grandparents in this book had me cracking up. Ellie and Spencer were easy to connect with. Overall, this was a really enjoyable read. This is the perfect rom-com if you like to laugh or if you love single-dad romances.