Review & Giveaway: Love and Other Subjects by Kathleen Shoop

Title: Love and Other Subjects Author: Kathleen Shoop Publication Date: December 11, 2012

Synopsis:

For every woman who thought she chose the wrong career…

In Love and Other Subjects Carolyn Jenkins strives for two things—to be the greatest teacher ever and to find true love. She’s as skilled at both as an infant chowing down with a fork. Carolyn’s suburban upbringing and genuine compassion for people who don’t fit effortlessly into society are no match for weapon-wielding, struggling students, drug-using colleagues, and a wicked principal. 

Meanwhile, her budding relationship with a mystery man is thwarted by his gaggle of eccentric sisters. Carolyn depends on her friends to get her through the hard times, but with poverty-stricken children at her feet and a wealthy man at her side, she must define who she is. The reality of life after college can be daunting—the road to full-fledged adulthood is long and unscripted. Can Carolyn take control and craft the life she’s always wanted?

~My Thoughts~

It's her first year of teaching and things just aren't going well for Carolyn Jenkins. With a class full of kids who can barely read their own name and a principal who is out to get her, Carolyn is struggling. Also stuck in a relationship that should have ended long ago, Carolyn needs to make some changes. Then she meets a mysterious man and things really start to get crazy. Their relationship is filled with ups and downs, and things between her and her friends are becoming strained as well. Carolyn is finally forced to take a stand and find out what she really wants and who she really is. 
I loved Carolyn immediately. She is quirky, spunky and full of energy. She had very quick wit and wasn't afraid to use it. I just know that we would make excellent friends. Carolyn worked very hard and loved her students, even though they didn't seem to care much about her. She teaches in a dangerous area and even her young students are fighting and bringing weapons to school. 
As if this is all Carolyn's fault, she is constantly being reprimanded and ridiculed by her boss, the principal, Klein. He seems out to get her. Everything she does is wrong and he makes sure to let her know on a daily basis. My word I just could not stand him. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to see him finally get what he had coming. I don't know how Carolyn could handle it, I would have punched him within a day.
Aside from her work life, Carolyn lived with her two fellow teachers Nina and Laura. I liked them for the most part, although I don't think they were as supportive of Carolyn as they could have been. Of course, friends fight and argue and sometimes they say things they shouldn't. This made for some interesting drama and I really enjoyed watching the group's dynamics and how they interacted.
My favorite part of this story was, of course, the romance. When Carolyn meets her mysterious man known to us as "Money", things take a hilarious turn. What I loved about Carolyn most was that she is awkward and it shows the most when around Money. She can't seem to stop saying and doing ridiculous things and this makes for the best scenes. 
Basically what I'm saying here is: this book is awesome. It's not just funny, but it also tackles some very important issues including racism, education and stereotypes. I'm being completely honest when I tell you that I couldn't put this book down and I often found the husband staring at me and wondering why I was giggling to myself. The author did an amazing job writing about heavy topics while keeping the story light and realistic. 
I can't recommend this book enough. If you are looking for an engaging, clever and witty read, this is definitely it!

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Right now you can get the ebook for only $2.99! You *need* to read this!

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Giveaway:

I have one paperback copy of Love and Other Subjects (with the original cover not shown above) to pass along to one of you lucky readers. Giveaway is open to US only and ends 7/31. Good luck!

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*I received this book for free in exchange of my honest review. This did not influence my opinion in any way and all views and opinions expressed are 100% my own.