I enjoyed the plot of this and the two main characters points of view, however there definitely were parts of the story where I wasn’t surprised by some of the twists. I liked reading about two academic college professors because I feel like there aren’t that many books that are about that subject area. I also loved all the different book references, some of which I was interested in looking up more information on. I also enjoyed the setting too because it took place in Australia which I don’t read many books that take place there. I think that the ending of the book was wrapped up too neatly and it was obvious how it was going to end.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

DNF 50%
This synopsis sounded SO intriguing to me. I seemed perfect for me. However, by the first chapter I already felt like I was not going to like it. Why? It stats with the MMC's POV and b y then we already know he already likes her. What I enjoy the most in a romance is seeing the development and the feelings growing so this was already a red flag for me. If the love interest has feelings early on, id like to not have their POV. But I still tried, since this is an ARC and I really liked the synopsis. I got really involved in the sisters relationship but I was still not feeling the romance. I doubt things would change and since the sisters are only a subplot I will stop here.
I also want to mention that I did not like the constant naming of real and "recent" romance books, because it makes the book feel dated for me.

However, if Elias has a book someday I would be open to read. But I would love if it focused more on his past!

In the beginning, I had mixed thoughts. I felt it was dragging a bit and I almost put it down but I’m glad I didn’t. Once I reached the halfway point, the story really picked up and I felt like it was getting to the real story. I loved the cute banter between the two enemies in the beginning but again it dragged on a bit.
I loved how towards the ending the two came together and really worked together to make things happen.

I knew reading the synopsis of An Academic Affair that I was undoubtedly going to love it. It has one of my favorite tropes, academic rivals, but even better, they are academic rivals in the English/literature department realm. I basically requested the ARC based on that, and was so excited when the approval hit my email. Now having read it, safe to say it did not disappoint!

An Academic Affair centers around Sadie and Jonah as they navigate post-PhD job hunting in a competitive field with little to no job opportunities. Their entire academic careers (from undergrad to PhD) have revolved around each other, and after fifteen years of competing for scholarships and awards, they are now competing for a dream job that is perfect for each of them. When Sadie gets the job she is ecstatic, but while she knows she deserves this, there's also a voice in her head reminding her Jonah deserves this--and needs this--too. After ruminating in her conflicting emotions of excitement and guilt, and learning about a partner hire clause in her contract, she hatches up a plan. All she and Jonah have to do is get married, and they can both have everything they've been working for their entire careers. Getting married is easy on paper, but Sadie and Jonah soon realize that maybe this is more than a convenient shot at a job. Is this the start of their new lives, not as academic rivals, but as a husband and wife truly in love? Or will they walk away from this just as coworkers with a crazy story?

I really enjoyed this book! It was a great contemporary romance. Something about a story taking place in academia/at university makes me so nostalgic to my time in undergrad at a big university, and I do wish we could have seen more of Jonah and Sadie interacting during their undergraduate and PhD education (instead of starting the story post-graduate). Despite that, I still thought we got to see a lot of their relationship, and that the evolution from academic rivals, to friends, to lovers felt really real and believable. I haven't read many marriage of convenience stories, but the ones I have have never felt believable. An Academic Affair changed that! Their reasoning was legitimate, and I thought it was so clever that the author tied in the being roommates already piece so naturally. I also really loved that we got to see Sadie and Jonah join their lives together, and that they had purpose outside of each other/their relationship. Each of them had dynamic family members with complicated relationships, and seeing them navigate those/support each other through that made their love feel so genuine and real to me. Also, Jonah's yearning....come on! It was swoon worthy, and I have a feeling he is going to be the new blueprint for yearning men. I loved it. The only reason this wasn't a five star read for me was because the ending did feel a bit abrupt/unfinished to me. I actually did a double take when I turned the page and saw "epilogue." It technically was finished, but I just wish we could have seen a bit more of the aftermath/situation, instead of being told about it in the epilogue.

Overall, An Academic Affair was a great read and everything I love in a contemporary romance. I have no doubt this will be a new favorite for those who love academic rivals, yearning men, fake marriage/dating, strong family bonds and/or a university setting. I highly recommend checking this out on release day, November 11, 2025! Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was my first romance with the marriage of convenience trope & I really liked it! The academic feud between Jonah & Sadie was so fun to read, & I even learned a lot about what it’s like working in academia (does not seem great). I loved the concept of “eucatastrophe” & how it was threaded throughout the story. The footnotes were a nice touch, however I did give up on them pretty quickly because I didn’t want to keep stopping in the midst of the story.

This book was also very meta with Chess not enjoying particular tropes while having a sister living the real life embodiment of them. I was rooting so hard for Jonah & Sadie & really love them together. I think they balance each other out really well.

The only reason I didn’t give this 5 stars is because the ending felt just a tiny bit rushed compared to the rest of the book, but it still wrapped things up very nicely! I would definitely read this author again.

First let me start by saying thank you to NetGalley, author Jodi McAlister and Atria Books publishing. In exchange for this E-ARC of Academic Affair, I promised to give an honest review.
4/5 Stars⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was such a fun rivals to lovers novel in the academic setting and I really had a great time start to finish. There’s something about reading a book that has two characters who love literature that just brings the book to life and Sadie and Jonah do not lack passion in every way that counts!

There’s delicious tension between our characters through this book and I was just waiting for the moment it would break! Our FMC and MMC are both working through their own family issues which are very different, but they also have to deal with complications in their work lives that force them to work together.
The emotions that these characters go through really stood out to me. Seeing their relationship grow in such a normal way and the communication between the two of them evolve, made this book so much more enjoyable for me!

Tropes to be found:
~Rivals(academic) to Lovers
~He Falls First
~Marriage of Convenience
~Slow Burn
~Dual POV

I went into An Academic Affair for the rivals-to-lovers trope, and it definitely delivered on the slow-burn tension… just not in the way I expected. Sadie and Jonah have been circling each other for years in the world of academia, and you can feel the history in every snippy comment and begrudging compliment. The fake marriage setup is both absurd and oddly believable (academia really is its own weird little universe), and the footnotes from Jonah’s POV were hilarious.

That said, the pacing took me a bit to settle into—there’s a lot of behind-the-scenes academic politics, which I liked, but it occasionally slowed down the romance for me. Still, when the banter hit, it hit, and I appreciated that their relationship built over actual time instead of the typical insta-love.

If you’re into smart rom-coms with grown-up characters, great banter, and just enough ridiculousness to keep things fun, this is worth picking up. Bonus points if you’ve ever worked in academia—you’ll get an extra kick out of how painfully accurate it all is.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ – Smart, fun, and full of heart

An Academic Affair is an absolute treat for fans of academic rivals-to-lovers romances. Sadie and Jonah’s 15-year history of bickering, competing, and grudgingly respecting each other sets the perfect stage for a fake-marriage scheme that’s equal parts ridiculous and believable. Jodi McAlister nails the nuances of academia—the job scarcity, the politics, the pettiness—while still delivering a warm, funny love story.

I loved the sharp banter, the maturity of the characters, and the fact that the romance develops over real, trackable time instead of a whirlwind week. The footnotes in Jonah’s POV were a clever, charming touch that made me grin every time.

My one quibble is the pacing at the end—the resolution to the main conflict arrives a little too quickly, leaving a few threads I wish had more page time. That said, the characters (including the side ones!) are so engaging that I’d happily read a sequel, especially if Chess gets her own book.

If you enjoy smart rom-coms with great banter, thoughtful relationship dynamics, and a dash of academic drama, this one’s well worth picking up.

Overall I really liked this book. The characters were endearing, the storyline flowed well, and it accurately portrayed academia. My only disappointment is that the book came to a final resolution very quickly - especially related to the main conflict with the university. However, I would love to see this book turned into a series.

This was a cute rom-com, but I had a really hard time getting into it and connecting with the characters. It just felt very slow and the enemies to lovers thing didn't feel believable...they didn't seem to have that passionate chemistry that you usually see in that trope.

Okay I loved this SO much, literally flew through it. BUT I do have some beef with the ending because it felt abrupt????? Like technically it *DID* end on a good note but I feel like there could’ve been so much more????? LIKE I WANT MORE!!!!!! alas, I know there will be a second book as per the hint in the acknowledgments, BUT I WANT IT NOW!!!!!!!! Gah

Also want to note I loved the footnotes in Jonah’s pov

Quick, easy read that follows Sadie and Jonah as they embark on a new job. Enemies to lovers trope. Pacing was a bit off for me.

I adored this! The rivals-to-lovers slow burn was so wonderful. The main characters, Jonah & Sadie, have spent the past 15 years arguing their way through their phds. Then they get fake married to secure jobs. It’s a silly premise that is done well. I was actually surprised when the book ended cause I wanted to keep reading! Pick it up in November when it comes out if you love academics in love! 📚📚

A super fun rom-com! Definitely recommend this one.

The story had me laughing and crying. The banter was excellent, I love a well written enemies to lovers story. I also appreciated that the MC’s were mature because they were well written adult characters who handled their conflict.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers, and the author for this fun arc!

This was a pretty cute book. I liked the dual POV. The beginning felt a little slow but once it picked up, it was a cute story. Thank you!

I finished this book a while ago but it took me a while to review it solely due to the fact that it hit very close to home. I think one of the best things about contemporary romance books is that they can bring things to light that maybe the intended audience isn't looking for but should know. I work in higher education and the way finding and more importantly keeping employment in higher education is described in this book is very obviously rooted in real experience and is an accurate depiction. To be honest, the premise of a "marriage of convenience" never felt so real to me! I also enjoyed that the building romance between the main characters happened over trackable time. So many "slow burn" romances still feel like they take place over a week, not years.

(I also really liked that the way the writing style changed a little based on the perspective--Jonah having footnotes is just an example!)

I loved this rom-com! I found the main characters incredibly endearing, and having grown up in academia myself ( a dad who was a professor), I totally related to the cut throat nature of that world, especially the job scarcity that exists today. I don't always love the rivals to lovers trope but the author did a brilliant job with that here. I also loved the setting of 'Down Under"! I will definitely recommend this to readers of contemporary romance!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I can see how others will love this one, however this one didn’t work for me. Enemies to lovers is my favorite trope, so I enjoyed that. However, I felt the chemistry was lacking, and I didn’t love the whole academic setting.

Thank you to @netgalley and @atriabooks for the opportunity to read this early!! All opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved the chemistry in this book! I love reading the perspective of a guy who is in love with a girl who is oblivious to him. One of my favourite parts was when he immediately started calling her his wife (in his head!!!) after their fake marriage started. I loved Jonah’s sister and their dynamic, and how she knew he was in love with Sadie the whole time. I also liked the depth of the story - esp. the part about Sadie and her sister’s relationship (and I love how Jonah reacted to Chess).

This book ticks all my boxes! We’ve got a marriage of convenience between academic enemies who end up in one bed, and it’s an homage to Anne of Green Gables! There are footnotes! This is a rom com between lit professors in Australia and the jokes involve the shades of Pemberley being thus polluted!

That’s a lot of exclamation points, and clearly I love the setup. Sadie and Jonah have been rivals throughout their many years in college, grad school, and teaching. Finally, they’re competing for a rare permanent position that’s also in the city where Jonah’s newly single sister lives with her children. A plan is hatched to get them both jobs using a partner hire clause. Nearly as important to the plot, though, is Sadie’s relationship with the sister who raised her after a terrible fight that’s having lasting consequences.

Overall, I really enjoyed this. But the book drops us into a rivalry without much reason. No slate is broken over Jonah’s head. And there is no third-act breakup, which I appreciate, but the end fizzles a bit. I was confused to see “Epilogue” because I didn’t think I was at the end. Still, lots of well-developed characters and a lot of great tropes. (One spicy scene)