Tropes: Competent-heroine, competent-hero, academic-hero, academic-heroine, enemies-to-lovers, he-fell-a-decade-back, Fearless-heroine, found-family, partners.

This is an amazing book. Truly. If you love strong leads, who are equal partners then this is the book for you. The way they look out for each other, despite being competitors and semi-hating each other is so sweet. The hero truly goes out of his way to be her support and the heroine goes out of her way to make the hero's priorities her own.

Absolutely one of my favorite reads of the year.

I loved this smart, funny, and touching story, It's the first novel that I've read by this author, and I will definitely look for more now. The enemies to lovers romance is great, with believable and immediately engaging main characters. The pace is perfect; I found it really hard to put down and read it in a couple of days. The depiction of the cutthroat academic world is eye-opening, too, and the story element of how Sadie and Jonah triumph over the malign influences in their workplace provides great tension. The family relationships that are explored have real depth and credibility, especially the one between Sadie and her sister Chess, which formed as important a part of the story as the romance with Jonah. This is my favorite romance novel that I've read so far this year!

Academic Affair was such an easy and enjoyable read. The pacing kept me engaged, the writing flowed effortlessly, and the story struck the perfect balance between witty and thought-provoking. It never felt heavy, yet still offered plenty to enjoy and reflect on. A great choice if you’re looking for something smart but lighthearted.

Thanks to Atria Books for the gifted copy!

The marriage of convenience between two academics in AN ACADEMIC AFFAIR is a true enemies-to-lovers storyline, and one that I absolutely ate up. Jodi McAlister is writing from her own experiences as an academic, and she masterfully translates the experience into an engaging storyline with a swoony romance, cross-country move in Australia, and sister storyline. This is one of those books where the characters just feel VERY real and I was cheering them on the whole time. The balance of romance to other plot made it feel like these characters were just living real life, much like a Mhairi McFarlane novel... but don't worry, you'll get a good romantic payout toward the end. If you love tension, college settings, fake relationships, men with slutty little glasses, and redheaded FMCs, this one's for you!

This was such a fun read! Jonah and Sadie are incredibly likeable characters and I loved spending time with them. You know a book is good when you keep thinking “I can wait to read this author’s other books.” There is a melody to her writing that keeps you on the edge of your seat even as you’re kicking your legs and giggling.

The exploration of family dynamics was well done and the two main characters were both interesting, layered people—somewhat of a feat when you give them the exact same job and educational background! Normally I don’t like a “meta” element in books (your FMC loves reading and heavy handedly quotes from famous romance novels? How original!) but honestly, it worked here.

It was a bit of a slow burn but the MMC yearning was a 10/10. They had such good chemistry that I actually wanted 100 more pages once they got together! The ending did feel a bit abrupt.

The only thing I actively didn’t like was the footnotes—I don’t know if the juice was worth the squeeze on those. That may be easier to navigate in a paper copy, but I ended up skipping them because it was too disruptive to the flow. That is a personal dislike for me, so YMMV on whether it bothers you at all.

4.5/5

I really enjoyed this book. The FMC’s sister pissed me off big time but it was kind of better by the end (kindaaa). I really loved how the MMC fell first (one of my favorite tropes) and how sweet he was to the FMC. My only feedback is the book seemed incomplete. There was no epilogue (though I’m assuming bc we’re getting other books in this series with characters in this) but still. I would have loved to see a glimpse of their life in the future and how much they’ve continued to grow together. I just wanted more, but overall a good read!

Thank you so much to NetGalley & the publisher for the advanced copy!

Thank you thank you thank you for writing a man who YEARNS. I also love a good academic rivals to lovers and that we knew from the beginning how much Jonah wanted Sophie. We got their background without it feeling like too much. I loved that their rivalry was also believable. They were natural rivals and their situation naturally brought them together. We also love book references in our stories.

I flew through this one. It was fun, emotional, and I felt like I was learning more about literature too!

This was a fun read. I’m a big fan of the rivals to lovers/enemies to lovers trope and this was done right. The chemistry was there, the banter was perfect and the tension between the main characters made the slow burn, burn slower but the payoff was worth the wait. There was great character development and growth, my only complaint would be that the middle drug on a little bit focusing on the building relationship and then the main conflict was resolved almost off page and rushed at the end.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books eGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so lovely! As an academic, it is always fun to read books in the stressful yet familiar world of academia. I loved the relationship between Sadie and Jonah, as well as the way their backstories were slowly revealed. I enjoyed the little citatiosn (I was reading the ebook and it took me till the end to realize they were intentional tho oops). The whole end of the book I was tense and worried about a third act breakup but thank goodness there wasn't one I would've been very upset lol. Love when the boy falls first too! Overall such a cute book! Thank you NetGalley and Jodi McAlister!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for a digital ARC of An Academic Affair.

Another early DNF for me, unfortunately. When the prologue takes over 30 minutes to read, I know I can't let myself get lost in the story when I"m ready for it to move on.

Sadie Shaw and Jonah Fisher, who have been in competition for fifteen years, find themselves vying for the same coveted lecturer position. To secure the job, they enter a fake marriage, but their long-standing rivalry ignites unexpected sparks.

Listen, this book has everything - rivals, good banter, sweet side characters, a total SIMP of a male main character/love interest (the footnotes got me EVERY TIME), and a fiery female main character that truly just needed a hug - and I ATE IT UP (in one day no less).

Not only did i enjoy the premise and learning about the ups and downs about academia, the romance was incredibly well done. The yearning, the history, and the eventual love declaration (i CRIED - receiving unconditional love after deeming yourself unlovable - A MOMENT) was so believable and well earned. Jonah (PEAK book boyfriend) and Sadie were great MCs, and the cast of side characters (Fiona, Elias, Chess, etc) only added to the relatability and readability of this book! The author does a great job of giving space to complicated family dynamics, abandonment issues, privilege/nepotism, and other really tough things while still delivering a light and fun romance!

A few hang ups with this one - 1) i wish we got some resolution for the amazing side characters! (maybe a series? need Elias/Julia, Satoshi/Fiona, and Chessie/mystery man love stories asap!!) 2) the day to day as professors, while thorough and interesting slowed down the middle for me and I wasn’t invested again until the love declaration (nearly the end) BUT i will say the ending truly sold this one for me!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Feels like the perfect cozy fall read with a compelling romance, a fun cast of characters, and just enough spice to keep you warm.


Thank you to the publisher for my gifted advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review

I found this book really enjoyable. It was easy to read and it’s clear that the author is well versed in the ins and outs of academia which made it feel really authentic. The footnotes were funny and gave it a really nice touch.

Jonah does some proper yearning which is nice to see, and it is a right slow burn if I’ve ever read one. But it seemed like Jonah was yearning for bread crumbs. I needed more interactions from them earlier on. Even their marriage of convience, which they insisted everyone needed to believe, wasn’t really shown much. But the romance is really sweet in the end, I just wish it was portrayed a little differently.

A pretty big focus was on our couple’s relationships with their siblings. I should say the couple and their sisters, while Jonah also has a brother, their relationship isn’t as prominent. Honestly I didn’t really get too invested in these relationships because they were so flawed and didn’t really make for entertaining reading. For a romance there seemed to be equal (or maybe even greater) focus on their siblings rather than the couple.

4 stars for it leaning a little more litfic at times for me, still highly recommend

Thank you to NetGalley and the author/publisher for an early copy of this title in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I’d give this one a solid 3.5–4 stars. If you enjoy the enemies-to-lovers trope, academia settings, or are a fan of Ali Hazelwood’s books, this will be right up your alley. While I didn’t find it entirely believable that Sadie would take such a big risk by inviting Jonah to join her in her new teaching role, I still enjoyed how their romance developed into a sweet and charming story.

An Academic Affair by Jodi McAlister was such an engaging read! I loved the twists, the complex dynamics, and the way the story kept me invested from beginning to end. It’s sharp, clever, and totally addictive—I couldn’t put it down. Definitely one I’ll be recommending!

ARC Review – An Academic Affair by Jodi McAllister

This was my first book by Jodi McAllister, and it definitely won’t be my last. An Academic Affair takes the classic fake dating trope, turns it on its head, and then has a little fun poking at all the clichés along the way. Honestly, knowing exactly where the story was going was half the fun—it’s self-aware, witty, and leans into the joke in the best possible way.

Our two rivals deciding to “get married” for academic (and absolutely not romantic 😏) reasons made for a setup that was as ridiculous as it was clever. The banter crackled and the rivals-to-lovers tension had me grinning.

If you love fake dating, rivals-to-lovers, or romances that know they’re in on the joke, this is one to add to your TBR.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this early!

I really liked this!! Like read this in one sitting liked this!! JONAH. JONAH. JONAH. I’m obsessed with him. I love that right from the beginning we the reader know how Jonah feels about Sadie. I love having their different POVs and their different perspectives on their relationship. Jonah was just so sweet and kind and good - he made it clear he respected Sadie and made sure everyone else did to. The love declaration scene??? Killer. I love a scene where the two main characters are yelling at each other in a lovingly way - like they are just feeling so much it just has to be said so loudly and quickly or else they wont ever have the guts to say it. The “my wife” switch up also goes crazyyy. I’m just obsessed with Jonah and you need to read this book to understand it.

I will say after the love declaration I feel like it lost its momentum a bit - especially with the sort of whole new plot point introduced right at the end? and then quickly we get an epilogue in which we are just told how things got resolved. It felt a bit rushed and like we spent all this time getting to the “catastrophe” (you’ll get it once you read) and then we just had to tie up the book somehow? I wanted more on Sadie’s end in terms of her understanding her feelings for Jonah - we don’t quite get the inner monologue of her processing her feelings the same way we did for Jonah throughout the whole book. The sister plot point at time also felt weird as it also resolves and wraps up in last 10% of book? But still overall had a great time!!

Thanks Aria for the arc in exchange for a honest review!

Thank you to Atria books and netgalley for the opportunity to read the arc of "An Academic Affair" by Jodi McAlister.

Jonah Fisher (MMC) and Sadie Shaw (FMC) are both academics pursuing careers at a University. They spend fifteen years battling each other throughout their undergrad, post-undergrad, and doctoral educations, and live with each other for the last eight years in a house-share situation. When a rare career opportunity comes up, both apply. With only one of the characters earning the position, they use some creative language in the contract to engage in a fake-marriage plot. Of course, all romance readers know what happens when you tie two enemies together in a fake marriage...

I really enjoyed the academic bureaucracy that propelled the plot of this book. Much like Ali Hazelwood's books, being set in academia lends the desperateness of the fake marriage trope some realism. There was some disparity between my knowledge of how academics work, specifically in Australia, but McAlister was able to give enough contextual clue for me to make sense of the plot.

I felt like the banter between these two "enemies" over their fifteen-year relationship was clever. Both Jonah and Sadie were well-developed characters, with enough backstory to understand their motives and root for them to succeed. Jonah's relationship with his sister Fiona and Sadie's relationship with her sister Chess are also both developed and integral to the plot.

I did feel like there were some loose ends that could lend themselves to another book(s). This is my first book by Jodi McAlister but it feels like it was meant as a standalone, however I would live to see more about a relationship between Elias and Julia, and Fiona and Satoshi.

I do plan to read McAlister's other books after thoroughly enjoying this one!

e-ARC: 4⭐️ this book was more or less everything I could have wanted it to be. The banter! The footnotes! The yearning! I was in love with all of it.

This could have honestly been 4+ stars if not for the fact that the ending felt a bit rushed, especially the jump from the end of the final chapter going into the epilogue—but not in a way that felt like it took away from the rest of the story, just in a way that left me wanting more. There were also definitely several plot points that I would have liked to see explored further but felt like maybe they were being intentionally left open for the possibility of a sequel(sequels?). Not a practice I love but nonetheless something I do understand.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced copy! Definitely recommend any fan of romcoms, specifically romcoms set in academia, pick this one up!

3.75 STARS

Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

An Academic Affair is (very loose) enemies to lovers book. Jonah and Sadie have went to school together for years both achieving the highest award when they graduated with their PhD. When a job becomes available that would be a dream for both of them, a tense fight ensues for who is better qualified. Only one wins the job, but what if they could both do the job? Would they tie themselves together for years to come to both achieve their dream?

I really liked Jonah and Sadie’s tense friendship through the years of school. I really enjoyed the side story with Jonah’s sister. I do feel like a few potential side stories popped up but fizzled out. I’m the type of reader that once a thought is planted into my mind by the author I need to see it through. For example, Jonah’s brother and Julia? The story was brought up, we were introduced to her, she was divorced and still there was no conclusion there. The same for Jonah’s sister and the wine brother. Lastly, the way Jonah kept harping on Sadie’s sister and how odd her letter was made it seem like there was more there as well.

Overall, as someone who does not read much romance, I enjoyed the book! It was a slow burn, but worth the wait.

I enjoyed this read from Jodi McAlister. A cute rom com, enemies to fake marriage to lovers, two academics find each other amidst trying to establish themselves as permanent academics. I actually loved the missing 3rd act break up, but the strenuous relationship between Shaw and her sister felt a bit much, I felt the anger Fisher did. An easy read, perfect for anyone that just needs a mind escape. Set in Australia was also a plus!