Smart is seriously sexy. It’s also fun as heck. From fornicating birds to end of the school year cheers, Passion Under the Microscope delivers. The title is definitely appropriate for the small town setting. Nothing, and I mean nothing gets by the residents of Brigid’s Vista.

#PassionUnderTheMicroscope
#ChristineMiles
#SmartIsSeriouslySexy
#NetGalley

So it's been a while since I read Off The Charts Chemistry (the first book in the series), but I'm pretty sure I enjoyed this a whole lot more. I'm a huge fan of shorter novels and novellas, and I'm in love with the execution of this one. It's less than 300 pages and still there's space for a well thought out plotline, separate from the romance.

Both the MCs have some great interactions that I absolutely loved. Tanith is a high school teacher, so her manner with her students is such a delight, and Luke is a sports medicine doctor, with a stubborn teenage patient (the only patient we actually see). I think it's so important to portray characters outside of the romance, because the rest of their life doesn't stop right there, and I think this book does it beautifully. All the insecurities made complete sense and he character arcs were very compelling.

I love how they both have their own stories and qualities that they bring to their relationship that makes it so wholesome. It's amazing to see their worlds alter as they make space for each other and see the subtle changes in their personalities. Tanith and Luke fit together so well, and their bond makes my heart melt :)

While this is a very easy read, there are some difficult topics addressed in this story (and done well IMO), and I've put them below. I can't promise that you'd love this, but I surely recommend it, coz it was what I needed.

TW- mentions of sexual harassment, parental abandonment.

PS: I didn't like that Tanith kept referring to her mom as DKLMSS (I took so long to understand what that meant and yes, it's her initials after being married to 4 men). Also, Luke calling Tanith 'lady' over and over again was annoying, but I'm gonna let it slide.

I think that this was a cute and relatively quick read. One thing that I did wish that I knew before reading the book was that it's the second book in the series. That's the main reason why I ended up giving it 4 stars because it just ended up feeling like I was missing a piece of the puzzle. While it's more than likely not necessary to read the first book in this series, I feel like it is important to be able understand the dynamic between Tanith and Luke, as well as more of their characters overall. Otherwise I thoroughly enjoyed this book, but wish it was a bit longer. and less repetitive (if I had to read any version of "the lady" one more time I was about to rip out my hair).

I liked the external conflicts that the two characters were having. I liked how instead of letting it take over themselves, they found ways that they could help each other out and still find time to be with each other. But I do feel like the conflicts weren't actually resolved and the ending was a bit rushed.

I especially enjoyed the little moments of them opening up to each other. The ping pong ball game was cute and I wish we had similar moments like it before they really ended up with each other. Like yeah, they had moments of opening up, but I liked how it was just them in their own little world and just having fun with it.nWith my wish of this book being a bit longer, I wanted to see more of what they were like over the past few months of being acquainted with each other. I think it would have made the chemistry a bit more organic, at least on Tanith's end. Her falling for him felt a bit rushed, even though she had mentioned her mutual attraction to him a few times.

Thank you NetGalley and Sealed with a Swoon Books for providing me an arc copy of the book in return for my honest review.

Tanith, who loved to play the field had an epiphany one day that prompted her to change the life she was leading. Love couldn't have entered her life at a more inopportune time , causing her to vacillate on keeping her self -avowals or allowing the inevitable to happen. Luke's attraction to and pursuit of her gets sidelined by a career crisis, making his decision more difficult and entangling. With the intervention of their friends and family, they learn to open up and navigate this new thing blossoming between them. It immediately becomes clear that the path will be challenging but rewarding and the author was able to appeal to the reader's curiosity about the impact the journey would make on the main characters. "Passion under the Microscope" is the second in the series and was just as absorbing a read as the first. I would definitely recommend it to readers of the romance genre.

This was so repetitive. One thing I have to say…WE GET IT. We get it, she’s a biology teacher, she broke her ankle, she lives in Brigid’s Vista, she has an absentee mother who has been married four times, he’s a sports medicine doctor, he lives in Denver but doesn’t want to, he works with an asshole, has 3 other employees at his practice. I swear I read the same words over and over again and I felt like it had no plot. Like this happened, this is how they got over it. Just like that?? There was no chemistry and she was like I don’t need a man and we all knew they were gonna end up together. But there was nothing between them. I just couldn’t wait for this to end tbh.

I honestly found this book to be lacklustre. I enjoyed the premise and the fact that she was a stem FMC was a huge plus in my opinion. I also loved the golden retriever vibes from the MMC.

It just did not do it for me. I didn’t feel as much chemistry as I normally feel from the characters.
I may have enjoyed it more had I read the first book, but I’m not sure it would have done a whole lot.
That said, the writing was great! I normally don’t like third person POV in romance novels, but this didn’t distract from the plot.

All in all, it was a good short read and I finished it in a few hours. Definitely a great pallet cleanser for between the heavier books.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

I loved this book so much. And I especially loved the fact that there was no drama between the main characters. Their relationship started slowly and then progressed gradually. Tanith turned out pretty ok considering how her mother was, God I hated that woman. Tanith was just amazing and found her home and real family in a new place. Luke was such a sweetheart, he really just needed an excuse to move to the smalltown and his horrible partner gave him one. I loved how Luke and Tanith supported each other mutually without suffocating either of them, they were just there for each other and that's how it's supposed to be in a relationship

Tanith Kerrigan is a biology teacher at the local high school. She will do anything to grab her students' attention and break the tension that is inevitable at the start of the reproductive unit she is starting on Monday, including taking a photo of two birds in a private moment. Said photo leads to a sprained ankle, which the handsome Dr. Luke Caldwell is happy to take a look at on a Saturday morning.

As a math teacher myself, I loved Tanith and her friends. The author did a fantastic job depicting the life of a teacher - grading on the weekends, constantly thinking about ways to engage your students, and leaning on your teacher friends to get through the hard days. Tanith, Stacey, Gia and Morgan truly reminded me of my own friend group of teachers.

Read this book if you love:
-Small town romance
-Sworn off men (but then she meets the MMC and all bets are off!)
-He takes care of her when she is injured

If you are looking for a lighthearted romance, this book is not that, in my opinion. There are definitely some delightful moments, but the main characters spend a significant portion of the book processing life challenges together (see TW below)

TW: absentee parent, workplace sexual harassment is referenced

Note: Passion Under the Microscope is Book #2 in the Smart is Seriously Sexy series, but you can read it as a stand alone title (which I did, and I was totally fine!)

A big thank you to Netgalley and Sealed with a Swoon for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

As the title suggests, this is a cute, light-hearted romance book centered around our main character Tanith who decided she will be swearing men off. But life has a different plan for her when she sprains her ankle and meets our doctor male main character.

I personally thought the romance was really good, they had chemistry and tension. If you like romance in STEM, I would recommend this book. Given how short it is, this might actually be appropriate for a novella.

Overall, I had a fun time reading this. Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for graciously giving me an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was my introduction into the Smart is Seriously Sexy Series and I am hooked! I love when a smart and independent FMC meets someone who is supportive and inspired by her success (and brains). I found Tanith to be relatable and the chemistry between her and Luke was just undeniable! I really enjoyed this book and am going back to read the first one!

2.5 stars.

i hate rating books on the lower side but this one just didn't click for me. there were parts of the book that i really enjoyed and some parts that just didn't work.

pros:
- golden retriever guy. love to see it
- stem girly! can't go wrong with that
- it was a very quick read which makes for a nice little cleanser
- i liked the storyline with luke and his partner

cons:
- i didn't really feel any chemistry between them. i didn't read the first book in the series, so that could be why.
- i feel like there were too many things going on in such a short amount of time and yet at the same time it felt like there was no plot.

in general, i think this book just didn't have what i was looking for. however, it was a cute and quick romance for anyone looking!

thank you netgalley and publisher for this arc <3

Everything was just so unrealistic and kind of boring. Cute plot idea but could have been much better.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

This was a fun workplace romance !
I always LOVE a reverse grumpy sunshine especially when our main male character gives major golden retriever energy.

I am a big fan of women in STEM novels & this one didn’t disappoint. I enjoyed the development of our main characters relationship along side their personal growth (with her issues with her mom & his issues at work).

Some of the dialogue was a little rushed & I don’t think I would qualify this as a true slow burn.

All in all this was a fun lighthearted read & I definitely enjoyed my experience reading it.

Smart is seriously sexy

This was a great read. Tanith grew on me, a hard shelled, a bit grumpy and off men, she mellowed quickly. The romance was lovely, filled with sarcasm and smart remarks that made me smile. Tanith’s horrific mother was a strong sub plot, alongside the mess at Luke’s work, kept this book edgy to the end. A book that I had to read all in one go and make small town America very attractive.

Tanith is off men. That is, until she sprains her ankle trying to take a photo of fornication birds to break the ice with the teens she's about to teach a reproduction unit to. Fortunately, sports doctor Luke Caldwell is just a phone call away, and is more than happy to help out. 

The last book I read was a tough read, so I wanted something light-hearted and fun next. This ticked those boxes. This was a fun, easy to read romance. 
I liked both main characters in this book. They both had some personal stuff to deal with as the story progressed - Tanith with her mother, and Luke with his job - but they bolstered and supported each other, which contributed to their feelings for each other. 
I thought the falling for each other felt a little rushed on Tanith's part, but for the most part it felt organic, with Luke having been harbouring a crush for quite some time. 
One thing that I did struggle with was the constant referral to Tanith as "the lady". It became overused very quickly and I found it unnecessary. The phrase just irritated me. I think, because Luke is a country music fan, it was supposed to imitate the vernacular there. But it just started to grate and the third or fourth time. 
This was a cute, fun romance featuring S.T.E.M characters, a biology teacher and a doctor. It was easy to read, and ticked all the boxes for a quick lighthearted read.

title: Passion Under the Microscope

author: Christine Miles

publisher: Sealed with a Swoon Books

publication date: March 19, 2024

pages: only on Kindle, so ??

peppers: 3 (on this scale)

warnings: none

summary: Tanith, a high school science teacher sprains her ankle while trying to get a photo (for her class on reproduction) of mating birds. Her friends make her see swoon-worthy doctor Luke, who happens to have had a crush on her for months. Meanwhile, her evil mother comes to town and his sports medicine practice partner turns out to be a jerk. 

tropes:

I've sworn off men
secret pining
friends who see what's going on
helpless-helpful
small town

what I liked:

the scenes with teachers talking about teaching
small-town life

what I didn’t like:

neither main character seems mid-thirties; they both act/think closer to twenty.
they think and rethink the same things. She could have cut 30% of the novel to improve it. 
mother and partner were too all-bad, no nuance

overall rating: 2 (of 5 stars)

This book wasn't for me. I love books featuring women-in-STEM, and maybe unfairly, I assumed this would be similar to Ali Hazelwood's novels also about women in STEM. However, I couldn't get past the dialogue in this novel. It was very unrealistic and took me out of the story. I also didn't connect with the main character or her love interest, and I saw a good amount of typos throughout. To be honest, I didn't read past 20%.

Passion Under the Microscope is a light and cute book.
The characters are great, specially Luke, who's so sweet and charming. The story gives us a great sense of their personality. The chemistry between the main couple is also great and i enjoyed so much that the conflicts did not evolved around their relationship and them being together, instead, having each other helped in their personal matters. For example, Luke's workplace conflict, a well written surprise, added a interesting point of view of them dealing with the world and made Luke's life and Tanith's loyalty more interesting
However, for such a nice couple, the sex scene and then the last chapters we're not so great for my taste, felt a little too rushed and some of the conflict that seemed to be so huge at the begging, with Deandra for example, seemed to be forgotten and came to a resolution I wished was more dramatic, involved more of the girls and their friendship and a bigger and more visual process of understatement and empowerment.
For me, it's a 3,5 stars book, never had i before read something from this author but now i would consider reading the first one and the continuations for more girl group/found family moments
[in portuguese]
Passion Under the MIcroscope é um livro leve e fofo.
Os personagens são ótimos, especialmente Luke, muito gentil e charmoso. A história tem muitos momentos que te permitem entender e conhecer os personagens. A química entre o casal também é bem legal e gostei como o relacionamento se manteve numa estabilidade positiva, nenhum dos conflitos do livro envolvia os dois estarem juntos ou impedimentos para isso, pelo contrário, o casal ajuda um ao outro em suas questões pessoais. Por exemplo, a questão que surge sobre a clínica de Luke, um conflito bem escrito, que permite nao só discutir um importante tópico mas também tornar a vida de luke mais interessante ao leitor, assim como a parceria de Tanith.
No entanto, para um casal que funciona tão bem, a cena de sexo não foi tão boa. Assim como o final do livro que parece meio apressado, conflitos majoritarios no começo, como com Deandra, parecem ter sido esquecidos e eu gostaria de uma resolução mais dramatica, visual e envolvesse as outras garotas e o poder da amizade no entendimento da situação e empoderamento da personagem.
Para mim, um livro 3,5/5, nunca havia lido nada da autora antes mas procuraria os demais dessa série, um já lançado outro previsto para o próximo ano, para continuar envolvida nos momentos found family do grupo de garotas

I really liked the way the author wrote this book... I like the way the story went up like happy than it would go down sad or angry... that is the best way to have a book...

3.25 stars

This story follows Tanith, a small town biology teacher, and Luke a city sports medicine doc. Tanith is determined to not to turn into her mother, who is referenced as DKLMSS, and adds a dose of family drama to the story. That plus some workplace drama, really liven the story up. Overall a cute read.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.