This was, unfortunately, a dnf.
I had a tough time with the dynamics between Xavier and Bianca, bc we are told that they are academic rivals and maybe crushed on each other int he recent past, but we are not SHOWN that. And so it felt like they got fake-engaged just like that. No thinking about it, no great discussions. Which would maybe feel better if I had more background information on them?
Lots of telling instead of showing, which is one of my least favorite things.

Thank you to Headline Eternal for the ARC via etgalley UK. All opinions are my own.

I reached for this book because I cannot pass up any academic-themed book ever.
It has all the workings to be a fantastic book:
Fake dating? Check
Academic rivals? Check
Women in academia? Check

But unfortunately it just fell flat.
I think mostly the issues stemmed from the first chapter, it has an almost compelling hook of starting with the FMC at her PHD graduation celebration where none of her friends and family show up, which then hatches the fake dating scheme; but unfortunately this set up led to further issues. FMC and MMC are meant to have had a previous relationship (friendly? Flirty? Rivals? Honestly it wasn’t explained well so I don’t have an answer) that leads to some sort of distance (falling out? Who’s to say) where they then rekindle their relationship (and create a fake engagement) at the celebration. This is all well and good but you don’t see their previous relationship at all, so much so that (as can be seen already) you don’t really know what’s going on with them. Their current fake relationships tension is entirely built on this past unrequited crushes (I think?) but without seeing it you’re more so being told that there is tension rather than feeling it.
Another issue with the beginning hook scene is the excuses FMCs friends and family gave for bailing. I feel like the author couldn’t decide whether to lean completely into the ‘my friends actually suck and there is no reason why they should’ve bailed’ or ‘these are valid reasons to bail but they all involve choosing their own stuff over what’s important to me’ which COULD have worked if the writing was just a little better and these were a bit more fleshed out. It just ended up with a constant flip flop between empathizing with the MC and being like…uhhhhh???

Overall I’m just a bit disappointed and this book will not be filling the Hazelwood-shaped hole in my heart.

Giving it a 2/5 because there is def SOMETHING there, but not enough to compel me to read the whole book

Also for Headline team: The pdf published on here does not translate well to an Epub format that can be read on a kindle

Degrees of Engagement by Jennifer Hennessy 3.75/5✨

This needs to be turned into a movie immediately. Degrees of Engagement was a fun take on the fake engagement/acquaintances to lovers that I wasn’t expecting!
I really enjoyed the dynamic between Bianca and Xavier and the will they or won’t they dynamic.

Like the rom coms I love from the 90s, this felt like watching a good rom com. I do think that there could have been more development with the dynamic between Bianca and Xavier, but overall their vibe worked.

My main ick for the book is that Xavier used “boss” way too much for my taste. I loved when he called Bianca “B”.

Thank you to Netgalley and Headline Books for the ARC!

Degrees of Engagement" by Jennifer Hennessy is a whirlwind of emotions and romance that you won't want to put down. Bianca's frustration with societal expectations leads her to fake an engagement with Xavier, her brooding classmate. What starts as revenge soon turns into something more as their chemistry ignites. With Xavier's impending departure, the stakes are high, and the tension between them is palpable. Hennessy crafts a story filled with humor, heart, and steamy moments that keep you hooked from beginning to end. The dual point of view adds depth to the characters, and their banter is delightful. Fans of Ali Hazelwood will find much to love in this book, which offers a fresh perspective on romance and the pressures of adulthood.
“Degrees of Engagement" is a fast-paced, entertaining read that delivers all the feels.

Very grateful to the publisher for this copy, opinions are my own.

*Sigh

Getting into this, I was super excited because HELLO, I thought I was gonna get a well written academically achiever couple and, of course, the plot and the romance.

Well, well, well. If my previous read was boring, this one, on the other hand, went overboard in the sense that it bypassed character developments and went straight in one of the most irritating romance developments.

2⭐️ for the premise and that 10% intriguing parts.

4⭐️ - my guilty pleasure is academia🤭

If you love Ali Hazelwood for the academia vibes, then this book is for you!!!

For two doctors, Bianca and Xavier are both incredibly stupid. Did I still enjoy their dynamic? Absolutely, I did.

The banter between these two drove me crazyyy to the point where I was laughing with them. Not once did Xavier take Bianca for granted, and it was the sweetest thing to read about. I don’t want to say too much and spoil it, but it was such a heartwarming read🥰

Thank you to NetGalley and Headline Eternal for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

I really enjoyed this book, the characters were intriguing and the story was engaging. I'll look out for more by this author.

I loved this book!!! It was so cute & a quick read! I wish they would have communicated better about their feelings towards each other, but alas a HEA it was!! I do think B’s family and friends don’t deserve her.

i loved the concept of this book but the execution wasn't all there for me. Within the first 10-20% of the book the couple is already in the fake relationship and already insta lovey. They apparently have beef with each other (ie academic rivals) but it didn't feel like it, as the couple instantly fell into this fake relationship with no "ifs", "ands" or "buts". I wanted more 'showing' and less 'telling' of their love story. If you want a fast and care free romance this is the one, but if you're looking to get a deeper connection this isn't it.

Bianca has just received her doctorate and when she arrives at the bar to celebrate with her loved ones, she discovers that no one else attended except her nemesis/friend/classmate Xavier Byrne.
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With a couple of drinks as advisors, the two embark on a fake relationship to teach a lesson to all their loved ones for whom she always does everything possible to be by their side. Seeing how everyone reacts they decide to continue with the charade.
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But in this forced proximity, Xavier, who always lived alone, begins to see the opposite side of his life full of family and friends and it is not so difficult for them to continue denying the attraction they feel for each other for so long.
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I like the dose of “My big fat Greek wedding" and several Nia Vardalos movies where friendship and family play a great role along with Greek heritage. I think it is a book for fans of Indiana Jones and the Mummy with all the background of Xavier's career as a paleontologist
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I really enjoyed the steamy scenes that always started with a good dialogue, the chemistry was there, and even though it was a strange reason to enter a fake relationship I accepted it, but I struggled a bit to get into the story, at times it felt impersonal, as if they weren't talking about themselves and the third person describing their feelings felt a little off.
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I felt that there were too many secondary characters, family and friends, and since they did not fully participate in the story, I tried to remember who was who a big part of the chapter when they were. But I'm a big fan of tropes and romance and I know that many people are going to love this story and look forward to books about characters like Chloe and Frankie
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Thank to Jennifer Hennessy and Headline for give me a copy of this beautiful book in exchange for my honest and voluntary opinion
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DNF 47%

Thank you to Netgalley UK and Headline Eternal for sending me this advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

If this book hadn’t been kindly sent to me by Netgalley and Headline Eternal, I would have DNFed earlier, but I always feel so bad about disliking a book that I was so excited to read an ARC. Unfortunately, this book didn’t work for me.

On paper, this book has so many elements and tropes that I like. I love fake dating and how she is disappointed that her family doesn’t support her academic achievements but drops everything else to support milestones that are considered so important in a woman’s life: engagement, marriage, and babies. I could feel her frustration and I think I would feel the same, but in 20% I felt like so much had already happened in the book. The plot just went too fast for me to connect with the romance. Bianca and Xavier decided to go in a fake engagement extremely quickly. For two people who barely knew each other, interacted so little before accepting fake dating each other. The whole fake dating was supposed to be a one-time thing but in every scene, they would just postpone the end of it and I never say any advantage for Xavier. If he has a crush on her, isn’t it disingenuous to pretend that you are helping an unknown person just out of kindness when there is another reason behind it? For me, I enjoy when two characters accept fake dating if there is an advantage for both of them or if they are friends. I don’t know… Maybe if she had suggested it and there was some insistence from her side, but I just thought the whole plot developed too quickly for me to care about them.

Sadly, this book didn’t work for me, but many readers love a quick and fast-burn plot.

This book was a really good read I loved both the characters and the relationship they had and the family they have around them. I would of also liked to see a lot more happen in the epilogue I think more could have been showed or said about their relationship growth. The fake dating was so good and it was so clear from the very beginning how much the two characters really liked each other.

I really enjoyed this. The two of them are smart stupid people. They have their PhD's but can't talk about their feelings for each other. They are so clearly in love with each other and everyone except them can see it. They were cute and I loved the ending.

I received an arc through netgalley.

I immediately requested DoE when I read the blurb because 1) academia, 2) friends to lovers, and 3) why are some big events (relationships) considered more significant than others (job, life goal, etc)??

Bianca and Xavier: I loved their passion for academic advancement and their encouragement for each other. I cheered for Xavier’s righteous anger over Bianca’s hurt over her family & friends flaking! His speech at the end was so good 👏🏼 I related so much with Bianca. Her love for her family, her academic passion, her willingness to drop whatever for her people, and her resentment when things that matter to her aren’t taken as seriously by others. I love that Xavier validated her and supported her every step.

The plot: Whew so much happened… Pleasantly surprised at the surfing scene and I loved the reference to Disney’s Robin Hood! There were so many side characters that I kind of blended them together in my head haha. I was very confused at the ending and feel like like we didn’t get a full resolution.

CW: cursing, open door scenes

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader e-copy. All opinions are mine.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC.

I absolutely ADORED this book. Bianca was easy to connect to and definitely was someone we can all see ourselves in. She’s working hard at creating and defending her thesis and wants to be celebrated for it. And then her friends don’t support her in that endeavor.
So Xavier, who was been in love with her since they met, concocted a scheme against those we he feels wronged her.

Honestly, loved them both. We love our consent King, Xavier.
I wish they would have communicated more about their feelings and such but then we wouldn’t have the amazing ending we had.

I love this title as it played into the story and that women in STEM are celebrated and focused on (and who are career or academically focused over marriage). However, it has one of the tropes I really don’t like: miscommunication. While I know this is common for romances, my hope was that the maturity and intellectualism of the characters would mean they’d have little issue with communication and truth. Other than that it’s a decent romance and story about a fake engagement that turns into real feelings.

i saw someone give this a one star and said it was too insta love and that made me want to request it even more! i love a good insta love and i think this one was done really well! i really enjoyed it!

Banter, tension, steamy and swoony. If I was to describe this book those would be 4 words that perfectly encapsulate it. Bianca, tired of being walked all over and not appreciated starts fake dating the perfect book boyfriend Xavier. HES RESPECTFUL FLIRTY AND NICE.

After being let down time and time again bianca and Xavier decide to teach Bianca family a lesson. I will always love a fake dating, force proximity book which Jennifer did really well. Fans of Ali hazelwood would really enjoy this.

I did not like the third person pov, that with some weird format issues on the pdf I read it one confused me at several parts. The lack of communication frustrated me especially with how mature the character are and act Nevertheless a great cozy read

Thank you for the e arc

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I think fans of Ali Hazelwood’s plots and characters will enjoy this! It took me a bit to get interested but by 40% I wanted to know more about the characters and how their relationship would play out. I appreciate that it was kept “lighter” with the swearing. And the library as a focus was fun for me as a book lover.

While this wasn’t as “spicy” as I first expected I did enjoy the banter and tension.

When I first requested this book I wanted it because it had my favourite tropes - academic rivals, archaeology and fake dating. Little did I know that I would be ending up with a book that I would reread again and again and again. However, I must digress.

When it comes to the scientific of it - the way the book is written - I really couldn't have asked for me. It was clear the author had done their research and had thought deeply about the representation of the characters in the book. There was no irritating repetitiveness, nothing was said that had me cringing or putting the book down. Instead the representation was well articulated, well thought out and so realistic I felt like I was being seen within a book. Not only were the characters relatable but they were also lovable, the kind that you are rooting for at every moment. I loved Bianca, her personality, her brains, her cat. Xavier was the ideal book boyfriend. Kind, respectful with just the right amount of flirty to be swoon worthy.

The story itself was fabulous. Too often you find a fake dating romance that doesn't deliver. Degrees of Engagement was the opposite. Not only did the author deliver, she delivered above and beyond what I was expecting. The discussions about priorities, the thoughts on marriage, the chemistry between the characters - all of it combined made for a swoon worthy, steamy romance that I would read on repeat for the rest of my life.

Easiest 5 stars ever.