If you ever had a crush on a teacher/professor, this is the book for you. It really makes me wonder if this was a universal experience, or if it’s just nerdy English major types that experience this phenomenon.

About the Book

Lucy O’Shields is comfortable. She’s the secretary for the English Department she graduated from, and the quirky circle of professors surrounding her office keep her busy, content, and entertained. Thankfully, the hopeless-crush-at-first-sight she nursed as a student for one of these professors was squelched long ago.

Dr. Forrest Graham is uncomfortable. After ending another aimless romantic relationship, he finds his long-suppressed attraction for the department’s secretary and his former student, Lucy, much harder to ignore. Knowing she is out of bounds is doing nothing to dampen his attraction.

When tragedy strikes Forrest’s family, Lucy proves once again that her friendship is indispensable. But with new feelings simmering perilously close to love, Forrest fears losing the most important relationship in his life. At the same time, Lucy wonders if her school-girl crush has evolved into something irrepressible.

With help from their obtrusive but well-intentioned co-workers and friends, can Lucy and Forrest embrace feelings they’ve so long denied?

My Thoughts

This one is full of humour, romance, friendship, delightfully zany supporting characters, and so much more. We get to see a lot of growth in our main character, which I love so much. The whole story isn’t just her love story, and that is so empowering and beautiful. Her life isn’t all about a guy, and it doesn’t have to be.

I also really love a lot of the tropes in this one: friends-to-lovers, found family, and cozy academia (one I’ve never read, but I’m here for!). I have mixed feelings about the age gap, especially when there is a power dynamic. Still, I didn’t mind this one because I know that despite the technicalities, secretaries have real power – which is exactly how it was set up in this situation.

While this dealt with some serious topics, such as alcoholism, verbal abuse by parents, and parental abandonment, it still managed to be a very sweet romance. It does have some mildly spicy scenes. I don’t prefer super spicy scenes, and I was okay with this. But if you only do closed-door romances, this is a little spicier than that.

I am so grateful to the author and Love Books Tours for including me in this tour, and I so look forward to reading more by this author! I’d love to read more about this world and catch up with these characters!

Who’s It For?

If you love a good rom-com, this is a great pick for you. It’s filled with friends-to-lovers, a cozy academia setting, and a vibrant, zany cast of supporting characters. Also, if you love a May-December romance and a good found family, it’s got that going for it, too.

Content Warnings: Alcohol Abuse, Self Image Issues, Internalized Fatphobia, Parental Abuse

About the Author:

Librarian by day and crafter of cozy rom-coms by night, author Kalyn Gensic lives surrounded by stories. She resides in Texas with her charmingly grumpy husband, four precocious children, and two dogs who shed quite a lot of fur.

Purchase Links

Amazon US: https://a.co/d/hzZWJIs
Amazon UK: https://amzn.eu/d/gEn9218
Bookshop US: https://bookshop.org/a/25511/9798894963419
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/216415430-for-the-love-of-mark-twain
Author’s Website: https://www.kalyngensic.com/

As a Bookshop.org (US) Affiliate, I may earn on qualifying purchases. Bookshop.org purchases support local, independent bookshops. My chosen affiliate bookshop is Tubby & Coo’s Traveling Bookshop, a local, queer-owned bookshop in New Orleans.