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Olan makes me feel like I’m the entire universe waiting to be discovered, explored, and adored.
Whisper into the Night
Thank you to the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Book Overview
Title: Teacher of the Year (Teachers in Love #1)
Author: M.A. Wardell
Publisher: Self-Published, May 9, 2023
Pages: 347
Intended Audience: Adult
Genre: Romance
Sub-Genre/Tropes: Teachers, Single Parent, Queer Awakening, Friends to Lovers, Cats in Books, Found Family
Representation: LGBT, ADHD, Jewish, POC, Mental Health
Pacing: Medium
Moods: Emotional, Funny, Lighthearted
Content Warnings: Alcoholism, Mentions of Miscarriage, Anxiety, Hospitalization
Spice Scale: 🌶🌶🌶🌶
Summary
Love: Not as easy as ABC.They were supposed to keep things casual. Who’d expect they’d be schooled in love?
Those who can, teach. Marvin Block is one of the best kindergarten teachers out there. And despite his anxiety, Marvin’s life is sweet. He knows what he wants. And what he wants is the Teacher of the Year Award. Not just for himself – his school needs him to win.
Returning from break, the New Year finds Marvin all set to welcome a new pupil to his class. But when Illona walks in with her cute-as-hell single dad beside her, Marvin’s focus starts to slide.
Sure, his students always come first, but he deserves to have a life outside the classroom, too, right?
As their friendship starts to deepen, Marvin realizes Olan has the potential to teach him things about love he never thought possible. But with the Teacher of the Year award and his school’s future on the line, now’s not the time for anything complicated.
Education has always been Marvin’s world. And he needs to keep a cool head if he wants to win the award and save his school. But will it be worth it if he loses Olan in the process?
With Olan’s past and Marvin’s present colliding, their experiment in love hangs in the balance. Marvin knows what he wants out of life. But now he’s forced to consider what he wants out of love.
Will Marvin chalk the relationship up to experience? Or can they revise their story into a textbook romance?
Review
Teacher of the Year is hands down the funniest romcom I’ve read all year. From page one, Marvin’s slightly unhinged, unfiltered inner monologue had me shaking with laughter (quietly so I wouldn’t wake up my husband since I spent far too many nights staying up too late to read this book).
Every single character is well developed, from the way-too-relatable Marvin, to his napkin-obsessed one-time online date (who only appears in one scene but leaves an impression). Even Gonzo the cat had a distinct personality. Olan is absolutely swoon-worthy—made even more so by his utter devotion to his delightful daughter (I’m with Marvin. Why IS being such an attentive father so damn sexy?). Marvin’s students were so dang, and Jill and Nick were an absolutely adorable couple.
Teacher of the Year is unapologetically Jewish, gay, and neurodivergent. Wardell expertly combines humor, heartfelt emotion, and spice (oh, boy, the spice 🥵) for a truly amazing debut romcom, and I can’t wait to read what he has in store for us next.
You may also like:
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun
Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall
From the Author
Where did the inspiration for Teacher of the Year come from?
To be blunt, hot dads. Teaching is an odd profession. You’re surrounded by children all day. If you teach elementary school, the few adults you see are typically female. A handsome father is an actual commodity. I thought, what if? What if it was more than a fantasy?
At the same time, the attack on teachers in general after the lockdown had me thinking about how society, in the U.S. at least, treats teachers. And queer teachers, in particular, have been under attack in the last few years. I wanted to write a story, well, a series, about queer teachers. While the characters in my universe deal with a myriad of personal obstacles and issues, being accepted as a queer teacher is not one of them. For many, that is a fantasy, and that was my intention. Often, queer educators are asked to strip themselves of anything personal and sterilize their personalities for the comfort of others. Not in my universe! I want to spotlight the fantastic work of queer educators but also remind people they are human.
What is your favorite book (or books)?
Ever? Of all time? Charlotte’s Web. Not a romance or rom-com, but something about the emotion always sticks with me. I cry every time Charlotte dies. Gutted. Regarding rom-coms, one of my recent favorites is Blind Faith by N.R. Walker. I don’t think it’s sold as a rom-com, but I laughed out loud. Anita Kelly’s Something Wild and Wonderful is gorgeous. Anita’s prose is beyond gorgeous. Well, I’ve given you three. I hope that’s okay!
Why romance?
Like my coffee each morning, I appreciate consistency. Life is dramatic and scary enough. When I’m reading, I want to feel good and know there’s a happy ending waiting for me. Female authors dominate romance, and I feel like male voices, especially in queer romance, are lacking, and I’d love my voice to be part of filling that void. Writing romance has allowed me to deal with emotions and even explore my feelings about intimacy. Writing sex is fun. Full stop.
What advice would you have for someone who wants to write a book?’
Just do it. And being prepared helps. Books were and continue to be my best teachers. Read within your genre. A lot. Find authors you love and read, read, read. There are craft books and online classes that will help too. Writing a novel is a lot like eating an elephant. You have to do it one bite at a time. But you have to start.
When/why did you decide you wanted to self-publish?
Imposter syndrome. I was positive my book was too much. Too gay. Too Jewish. Too filthy. The idea of querying for years and waiting for a deal, I’m an impatient fucker. I worked my ass off and want my story out there. Now. Did I make the right decision? I have no idea, but it felt right at the time.
What can we expect from you next?
Teacher of the Year is the first in a series of four books about queer educators. The next book, Mistletoe and Mishigas, is out in October and two more after that. Once this series is over, I have ideas for other rom-coms.
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