Book Review: Kindergarten Baby by Cricket Rohman

My Thoughts:

Kindergarten Baby is a compelling combination of innocence, deception, romance, and mystery with sparkles of humor throughout.  It's unlike any book I've ever read before.  Lindsey Lark is a stellar kindergarten teacher with a sweetly generous nature.  Her husband is her real life Prince Charming and they're living their happily ever after... until she discovers he's cheating on her!  Lindsey is caring and intelligent, although overly trusting, and I loved her from the start.  When her husband leaves her for another woman (and even takes her beloved dog, Wendell, with him) I was hooked.  I just had to know what was going to happen.  Would Lindsey get her fairy tale ending?  Would her selfish, insensitive husband, Anthony, get what he deserved?  (I'll leave that up to your imagination. Creep.)

I was charmed by so much of Kindergarten Baby.  I enjoyed the relationship between Lindsey and fellow teacher/friend Laura.  Their vacation at the Grand Canyon was delightfully crazy!  The front desk clerk can't locate their hotel reservation (how they manage to get a room in a fully booked hotel is classic) and then later they get lost in the canyon during a snow storm!  Somehow they're still able to laugh their way through the adventure.  I had such a giggle when Lindsey began innocently reading the "adult" version of Sleeping Beauty.  Oh my.  Lindsey's naiveté was precious and that made her all the more lovable.  In addition, Laura was a wonderful supporting character with lots of spunk and sass.  She was just the kind of friend to lift Lindsey's spirits when she felt that her world was coming to an end.

Jake, the pet sitter/bar tender/delivery driver extraordinaire was quite a mystery.  I really enjoyed how the author slowly revealed his role in the story.  Mystery men are always delightfully intriguing.;)  I wondered how he knew so much about Lindsey, why he was always taking notes, and how he got his hands on Lindsey's dog, Wendell?  Was he a hero or a villain?  And how about the Cowboy "Bathroom Guy" Marty, Lindsey's Night in Shining Armor (?) Emmett, and the Matthew McConaughey pilot?  Cricket Rohman doesn't let her readers know until the very end.  Perfect.

While Kindergarten Baby is filled to the brim with mystery, humor and plenty of drama, be advised that there are adult topics present in the book.  Sexuality and child abuse make a brief appearance but they are crucial to the storyline.  There are quite a few surprises (no spoilers here!) along the way.  Some will make you laugh out loud, others will deeply touch your heart and there may even be a few that shock you.  The author, Cricket Rohman, never allows her audience to get bored!  The second book in the series, A Break in the Clouds, was released last month and I can't wait to see what's next for Lindsey Lark...

*Read an excerpt of Kindergarten Baby HERE.*

Back Cover:

Lindsey Lark, orphaned as a young child, often turned to fairy tales for comfort, joy, and survival. Now she’s all grown up and appears to live the perfect life; she’s pretty, she’s smart, and she’s the best kindergarten teacher in the southwest. The students, with all their hilarious classroom antics, keep her smiling—most of the time. But this school year is different. A sudden emotional shock ignites an odd internal journey as Lindsey attempts to reclaim an inkling of happiness, confidence, and dignity. Fate leads her to a life and death situation at the Grand Canyon, a career-changing event in a barn in North Dakota, and, finally, an emotional rebirth in the Zuni Mountain wilderness. Lindsey cherishes the companionship of her delightful dog, Wendell. The students’ heart wrenching traumas and their comical comments, combined with her desire to be a shining light in their lives, provide an escape from her problems … sometimes. Though lies from many, infidelity from one, and secret intimidation from a mysterious stranger add new challenges to her life, she still dreams of and hopes for romance, love, family, and the happily ever after. Will any of her dreams come true? Readers who love fairy tales, dogs—the four-legged and the two-legged variety—young children, school, and suspense … readers who love love … will want to read this book.

About the Author:

Cricket Rohman earned he MA in Literature and Philosophy from California State University. She authored picture books and big book songbooks used by teachers before making the longed-for leap to writing adult fiction a few years ago.  She finds inspiration and joy living with her husband and dog in both the Arizona desert and the Colorado mountains.  Kindergarten Baby is her debut novel.  Cricket loves to hear from readers and can be reached through her website at www.cricketrohman.com

*I was given a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.  No other compensation was received.*