The School of Starting Over
Will Nell’s new start mean learning lessons of the heart?
Originally published by Hera on 11th March 2020 under the name Lisa Swift. It will be republished in March 2026 under the name Mary Jayne Baker.
A Leyholme Village Story (#1)
Will Nell’s new start mean learning lessons of the heart?
Newly single Reception teacher Nell Shackleton has a plan. At least, she had until she arrived at her new home: a dilapidated farmhouse on the Yorkshire moors. But so what if the roof’s full of holes, the back door’s hanging off and there’s a sheep in the front room? Because sometimes a new beginning means starting at the bottom… right?
Xander Scott is one of the youngest heads Leyholme Primary has ever had. But managing demanding parents and feral kids proves a tricky task for shy Xander – as does keeping his mind on the job when his feelings for the new Reception teacher become more than strictly professional…
At 43, Nell’s new friend Stevie Madeleine has given up on love. After losing her wife, Stevie’s decided that her four-year-old daughter Milly and cocker spaniel Red are the only girls she needs in her life. That is, until larger-than-life dog-walker Deb arrives on the scene. But will the secrets of Stevie’s past stop her new romance dead in its tracks?
Meeting Xander and Stevie brings joy back into Nell’s life – but when old secrets start to surface, there may be hard lessons to learn for them all…
A gorgeously uplifting and hilarious romantic comedy that will delight fans of Milly Johnson, Holly Martin and Heidi Swain.