15 year rivalry between academia nemesis, Sadie and Jonah, enter into a marriage of convenience to secure a Level B Lecture position.
Being able to see Sadie and Jonah’s relationship build over the years, in a way that felt natural (as natural as a fake marriage can be). Then throw in family issues, work stressors. I think having alternating POV between Sadie and Jonah made it even better! This is everything I want a romance book to be! I have zero notes. In fact I need more of Jonah and Sadie and more from Jodi McAlistar.

3.75
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review. This book was so cute and i could definitely see the emily henry influence. I will say I wish the prologue was actually more drawn out and we got to see more of their rivalry because I honestly never believed that the two main characters hated each other. The conflict with the fmcs sister also felt really drawn out to me and took up way more page time than I personally would have liked. That being said the romance had me giggling my feet at times and made this a super easy read for me. I totally recommend this book!!

Overall, I really enjoyed this read. I love the backdrop of academia and the challenges and competition that come with it. This book has tropes on tropes on tropes! Enemies to lovers, force, proximity, marriage of convenience, etc. The ending did feel a bit rushed as many other reviews gave mentioned– especially when the opening few chapters seem to take quite a while to build up to the main storyline.

An Academic Affair was my first Jodi McAlister book, and it won’t be my last. From page one, I was hooked by the dynamic between Sadie and Jonah—their years of rivalry, sharp banter, and begrudging respect that slowly transforms into something deeper. What really stood out to me was how cozy and well-developed their relationship felt. I absolutely adored Jonah. The way he supports Sadie, remembers the little things, and shows his love through action made their romance so believable and heartwarming.
Another highlight? No third-act breakup—thank god. It’s refreshing to see a fake marriage setup where the emotional payoff isn’t undercut by unnecessary drama. Instead, the tension comes from realistic obstacles and their growth together, which made the resolution even sweeter.
The side relationships, like Sadie’s bond with her sister, added more depth and authenticity, grounding the romance in real, complicated family dynamics. And the academic backdrop? Smart, engaging, and clearly written by someone who knows that world inside and out—it made the story feel layered without ever bogging it down.
If I had one tiny critique, it’s that the ending felt a little rushed. The conflicts resolve, but I wished the resolution had been given more space to breathe. Still, that didn’t take away from my overall experience. I don’t hand out 5 stars often, but this book felt so homey, so warm, and so full of love that I couldn’t give it anything less. I truly loved it.

This book was an absolute delight from start to finish—I’m giving it a solid 5 stars! Jodi McAlister weaves together a sharp, witty, and utterly engaging story that had me hooked right away. What really stood out to me was how it managed to balance humor, academia, and romance without ever feeling heavy. The banter was smart, the characters were layered and flawed in all the best ways, and the overall tone made me feel like I was in on the joke while also deeply invested in the story.

One of the coolest elements—and something I’ve honestly never seen done so well—was the use of footnotes. They added so much personality to the narration: sly commentary, extra context, little asides that made me laugh out loud. Instead of breaking the flow, they enriched it and made the book feel even more alive, like you’re having a conversation with the author while reading.

If you love academic settings, clever storytelling, and books that aren’t afraid to play with form while still delivering a heartfelt romance, this one is a must-read. I loved every page.

An Academic Affair is a smart, slow-burn rom-com that leans into the academic rivals-to-lovers trope with a fun fake-marriage twist. Sadie and Jonah have been low-key (and sometimes high-key) enemies since undergrad, so when they both end up going for the same dream teaching job, sparks fly — and not the romantic kind… at first. But when Sadie finds out the position offers a partner hire, she proposes something wildly unhinged: they get legally married so they can both land the job. It’s messy, chaotic, and kind of genius — much like their relationship.
Jonah is definitely the heart of the book — sweet, protective, and absolutely gone for Sadie without even realizing it. His quiet yearning makes the payoff so satisfying when things finally click between them. Sadie’s character can be a bit frustrating with all her second-guessing, but her doubts feel earned, especially once her complicated family dynamics are revealed. The ending didn’t land quite as hard as I expected — the academic subplot kind of fizzled — but the romance itself was strong enough to carry the story. If you love books with tension-filled banter, emotional depth, and a good guy who’s absolutely down bad, this one’s worth the read.

Wow! I did not think I was going to love this book as much as I did, I thought this would be a cute academic rivals to lovers, and it was but it was also so heartrending I cried twice reading it. I think the author did such a good job giving us the backstory without dragging out every moment. Then plopping us right into the conundrum at hand- Sadie and Jonah are rivals that want to be friend, but they get pitted against each other for the same job. While Sadie ultimately gets the job, Jonah needs to also move to the same place to help his sister through a messy divorce. Sadie devices a plan to get Jonah a job, using the marriage of convenience scheme which is *chefs kiss* brilliant. They quickly realize a lot of their rivalry is a front for them actually being attracted and dare we say it, in love with each other! It was sooooo good. I loved all the side characters as well. I get the feeling ewe will be seeing more of them soon. Absolutely loved this book!

P.S. as a longtime reader, they are very few books where I am looking up definitions of words and yet this book had me looking up the definition of many words.

3.25⭐️

Devoured this one! Despite some issues with the pacing of the relationship, very cringey pop culture references (no way did I read one academic say that another annotates like a booktok girlie?) and a, to me, unsatisfying ending, I still enjoyed this. I liked the way it portrayed issues within academia, the character development was great (except for Chess, when I catch you Chess 👊) and I loved the writing style, which, after reading some reviews, seems to be a controversial opinion.

Overall, it was good, but not great, and I really hope we get some sequels because there way too many loose ends for my liking.

This is my first time reading this author and I want more.
The character building in this book was so good. The MMC was a sexy, geek with a soft heart hidden under his hard shell. His character was a typical male scholar/teacher from our dreams with the beard and glasses and tweed jacket. He was a kind sole and a great shoulder for the FMC to lean on.
The FMC wasn't my favorite but honestly I think it's what the book needed. I thought she was a bit whiny after losing her sister and her world crumbled beneath her but again it made the book. It made us the reader love the mmc more when he threw all his cards in and declare his love.
The banter the author created between him and the FMC made the book great.
You could see that the characters loved each other from the start. I love how the author had the characters blind to this love but us as the reader could see it coming. 
When I got to the end of the book I kept flipping in hopes of more. I wanted to continue learning about the other characters to hear their back stories.

An Academic Affair follows 2 PhDs trying to get full time jobs in academia. It has tropes like: Enemies to Lovers, Only One Bed and Marriage of Convenience. Did I love it? Yes.

It's hard being an academic period but throw in being a English PHD and OMG how do they do it? I really liked the main characters and their development through the course of the book. The MMC Jonah Fisher gave me literal butterflies. What a delightful slow burn romance!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC. This review is my own and unbiased.

I really enjoyed this book! I love enemies to lovers and marriage of convenience. I felt the chemistry could have been a bit stronger. I absolutely adored the sister relationship and the conflict there... it felt so true!

I finished 'An Academic Affair' by Jodi McAlister over Labor Day weekend, and it was a smart, slow-burn romance full of academic rivals-to-lovers tension, fake marriage hijinks, and plenty of yearning.

Jonah and Sadie, professors who have been pushing and challenging each other for YEARS, are suddenly compelled into a marriage of convenience when competing for the same coveted job, leading to banter, bickering, and surprising tenderness. I loved the sharp humor, the realistic emotions, and the way McAlister gave depth not only to the leads but also to the side characters, making the academic setting feel cozy and immersive.

That said, the “enemies” dynamic felt a little forced, some modern references (like TikTok) pulled me a bit out of the story, and a few unresolved plot points left the ending feeling abrupt (and disappointed)

Still, the pure yearning, witty dialogue, and bookish atmosphere made this a fun, heartfelt read I’d recommend to fans of Ali Hazelwood and Emily Henry.

3.5/5 (rounded down to 3)

One of the most beautiful romance novels I’ve read recently is An Academic Affair by @jodimcalister . I had been waiting to get my hands on this one for the longest time, and thanks to @netgalley , I finally got the ebook!

The story begins with Sadie Shaw and Jonah Fisher two fierce rivals in academia competing for the same coveted English professor position at a prestigious university. Only one of them can win, but the tension between them sparks something far more swoon worthy than they ever imagined.

This book has everything a romance lover dreams of , the academic rivalry, marriage of convenience, fake rings, slow burn chemistry, dysfunctional families,male yearning, and ofcourse the guy falls first.I adored Sadie’s character,she’s determined, ambitious, and never lets her journey revolve around pitying a man. Jonah, on the other hand, is full of quiet longing and emotional depth that makes you root for him right away.

The romance, the yearning, the banter, and the pining, it’s all so perfectly done. Honestly, this book is the definition of a must read for romance readers who love rivals to lovers with heart and passion.

This book was so good! I devoured it! I couldn’t stop reading once I started. It was honestly reminiscent to”The Love Hypothesis” and it just made me love it even more. The dialogue between Sadie and Jonah was chefs kiss! I enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it.

This was an enemies to friends to lovers relationship, and I liked how there was the buffer period of friendship to make the transition of hating each others guts to being in love seem more natural (even though they were fake married during that time). Do I still think these two will get divorced within 10 years? Possibly. Over time Sadie might crush cardigan Jonah (though I did enjoy reading a female lead who's unashamedly ambitious). I liked their banter and the relationship was believable.

I did think the third act conflict was resolved way to easily, and something that should have been a huge hurdle went away pretty quickly. Also I thought Sadie's sister drama went on a little too long. Some of the side plots with their sisters felt a little unresolved, but I'm guessing that's leaving the door open to have books focusing on them in the future. Overall I enjoyed reading about these two nerds.

This was such a comfort read for me! I loved the Characters of Jonah and Sadie; their banter and chemistry was amazing! I also loved the plot and characters of the sisters. I can totally relate. Overall this is a book I would read again and feel like I was reading it for the first time. It had great Character depth that you can get lost in. Thank you for writing this one Jodi! 5 star read for sure.

This was my first time reading this author and all I can say is WOW. I absolutely adored this book. The way that Jonah and Sadie's relationship changes and builds over time was so real and heartfelt. I love how Jonah supports Sadie and remembers all the little things that she loves and works them into their lives. He listens, he acts, he loves. What a man.

I also want to touch base on the relationship between Chess and Sadie because this was also well done. Sisters often have complicated relationships and I can relate to the conflict they had. I love how they were able to come to a new way of communicating and loving one another without completely falling out. Their love for one another is so strong and I loved that.

This was a wonderful read and I'll definitely want to read more books by this author in the future. 4.5 stars!

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

i loved this book and thought it was so cute!! i loved the dynamic between sadie and jonah and truly enjoyed the story. i was never once bored, or wanting the book to end. this was such a nice, easy read for any lovers of romance! i highly recommend it :)

thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for this opportunity!

I enjoyed this book by Jodi McAlister. As an English teacher/former English major, I enjoyed the scholarly banter about books and the look behind the scenes in academia. The middle of the book was a bit of a stretch and a bit repetitive. But it didn't take me completely out of the story. Instead of a third act breakup with the main couple, the potential fall-out and reconciliation is between sisters instead, which was a fresh-take. I enjoyed the couple together although I like Jonah more even if I didn't understand his ongoing obsession with Sadie since she is brutally mean to him at times. I had to get used to the footnotes in Jonah's chapters, but once I did, I enjoyed the sidebars that they added to the main storyline. I also enjoyed the Australian setting. Overall, I recommend this book to those that light a little loftier read to their romances but with the pay-off/tropes of a traditional romance as well.

If you're looking for a fresh take on the classic enemies-to-lovers trope, this one's for you! Jodi McAllister's latest book, [Book Title], is a literary romance that packs a punch. It follows Sadie and Jonah, two academics who have been rivals for a decade. When they end up as housemates applying for the same job, their rivalry boils over. A fake marriage is the only solution, and from there, the tension is palpable. McAllister knows how to build slow-burn romance, and the heat that develops between Sadie and Jonah feels earned and believable.

What sets this book apart is how McAllister weaves her love for literature and academia into the story. As someone in academia, I loved the witty references and the all-too-real portrayal of a cutthroat academic environment. The concept of "partner hiring" is a genius plot device that perfectly blends the academic and romantic elements.

The footnotes were a delightful surprise, and I highly recommend reading the physical book to get the full experience. If you love a slow-burn romance with clever literary nods, you'll want to add this to your bookshelf.