The Next Best Day by Sharon Sala – a Review

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Description:
A fresh start for a young teacher to build the life she’s dreamt of
A second chance at romance for a single dad
The warm and uplifting small-town community cheering them on

After two back-to-back life-changing events, first grade teacher Katie McGrath left Albuquerque for a fresh start in Borden’s Gap, Tennessee. She is finally back in the classroom where she belongs, but it will take a little while for her to heal and feel truly like herself. She’ll need to dig deep to find the courage it takes to try again—in life and in love—but with some help from her neighbor Sam Youngblood and his adorable daughters who bring her out of her shell, her future is looking brighter than she dared imagine.

Review:

The Next Best Day by Sharon Sala is a wonderful heartwarming & heartbreaking story. Katie McGrath, our heroine, is devastated when her fiancée leaves her at the altar, marrying someone else. Katie is strong, independent, as she manages to pull herself together, since she was raised in foster homes as a child.  She is a first-grade teacher in Albuquerque, and not long after her fiancée abandoned her, a school shooting brings chaos, as many people have been shot, and Katie runs down the hall to cover up two of her students; when it is all over, she is badly injured, but in time she will recover, with the town honoring her for her bravery.  Though Katie is a fighter and survivor, she begins to suffer from PTSD, and decides she needs to leave her job and the town, to find a quiet small town.

After some research, Katie accepts a teaching job at Borden’s Gap, Tennessee, in hopes of a fresh start.  She rents a cottage, and in a short time, she makes friends with the local people; helping a neighbor walk her dog, and meets two cute young girls across the street.   Sam Youngblood, is the local police chief in town, and is also the father of the two 6-year-old adorable twin girls, Beth and Evie.  Sam, who is a gorgeous hunk, finds himself attracted to Katie, but it seems almost every man in town tries to befriend, Katie; though in a short time, her and Sam become friends, and a slow build romance begins. 

When school starts, Katie is amazed at the kindness from many people in town, with some keeping the school shooting private.  Sam sees signs that Katie is having issues with her PSTD, and tries to help her begin to heal, as he is patient and caring, slowly watching over her nightmares, and stabilizing her emotions.  I loved Sam and Katie together, not to mention Evie and Beth. Sam is a perfect hero who brings Katie out of her shell while he waits for her emotions to stabilize.

Katie was a great teacher, and even in this new school, she deals with parental abuse and child abuse.  I loved when Katie used her skills to protect a child from an abusive father.  It was cool. The Next Best Day was a wonderful story, filled with hope, love, happiness, fun and strength to move on.  The Next Best Day was so very well written by Sharon Sala.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher