Thank you to the publisher for sending me this ARC on Netgalley! publication: November 11 2025

I landed on 3.75 stars! I loved the academic setting, the themes on women in academia, and how both main characters overcame family trauma to persevere. I really loved the arc of their relationship and the lack of 3rd act breakup! However, while, this book had 5 star potential, there were a few too many ideas thrown in there to let them all steep into 5 star waters for me (drama with both sisters, MMC’s dad, treatment of women in academia, not communicating about feelings, enemies to lovers…).

Our golden retriever MMC was a delight and I rejoiced when he eventually found a way to communicate his needs and desires. I found the FMC to be slightly immature, annoying and unbelievably inept at understanding and “seeing” those she claimed to love. I think the storyline with Chess solidified these aspects of Sadie’s character for me.
The ending felt abrupt - I actually thought I had skipped a chapter!

Overall, though, I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from the author!

This was such a delightful rivals-to-lovers with so much depth & emotional intelligence it was insane. I absolutely adored Jodi’s writing & the way she made the grumpy and standoffish characters so lovable as the story continued. I absolutely recommend picking this book up if you’re a rivals to lovers fan or a fan of the twisted but honest realm of academia.

Thank you to NetGalley & Jodi’s team for the ARC!

Though I'm a teacher for a much younger crowd, I loved reading this getting ready for Back to School myself! I always love the marriage of convenience and enemies to lovers tropes! But as the book develops, it's apparent Sadie and Jonah have some chemistry!!

This was such a smart, fun and satisfying read. "An Academic Affair" delivers exactly what it promises: academic rivals, fake marriage and a slowburn romance packed with banter and tension. Jodi McAlister’s writing is sharp, witty and full of clever literary nods.

Sadie and Jonah have fantastic chemistry—equal parts tension, tenderness and snark—and their long-standing rivalry makes the eventual shift to something more feel well-earned. I appreciated that both characters were ambitious, flawed and complex, and the academic setting was richly drawn without feeling stuffy.

Not quite a five-star read for me (a few pacing lulls and some predictable beats), but still a strong, thoroughly enjoyable romance. Thank you to Jodi McAlister, Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

An Academic Affair by Jodi McAlister is an enemies-to-lovers romance. Sadie and Jonah have followed the same academic path for the past 15 years, constantly being compared to each other and sparing all the time. They both end up on the short list for a permanent academic job and they each have many reasons to hope they are chosen for the job. I really enjoyed this slow burn romance as the author was able to develop a strong relationship between the main characters. I loved how the ancillary characters and their personalities were woven into the story and I hope that additional books are planned to hear from them.

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

This was such a gentle, candid and vulnerable look at not only romantic love but more so familial love. It has one of the best hooks i've ever read in a book and highlights the flaws of the academic system. It reads more like a contemporary romance than a romcom, so know that going in but there is something so sweet about Jonah's love. I think it may have been nice to see Sadie struggle to keep her feelings in check with him more (earlier on that is) but I think it's a nice fall read. The characters feel so real, it was SO nice to see this take on the "he falls first" trope and I loved reading a book that was set in Australia.

The chess situation I think may have readers divided, which is fair - her actions weren't great and Sadie did jump to conclusions, but isn't that life? Sometimes these things aren't simple. Inner work takes what it takes for some. I appreciated the, I don't want to say messiness but candor of the situation.

Overall, I think as long as you know what you're getting - you'll enjoy this! I look forward to reading more by Jodi McAlister in the future.

Thank you so much to Atria books for my ARC!

3.75/5

I received an ARC from Atria Books via Netgalley in return for an honest review and I’m glad that I got to read this one. I liked the story here, which isn’t surprising when you consider the tropes I tend to love; academic rivals, a fake marriage, only one bed, he fell first, etc. I did however have one issue with the book and that was the ending. I feel as if the ending was a bit abrupt, we seemed to be on the beginning steps of resolving a major problem for our characters and we got to step one of resolving said problem and then I turned the page and we were in the epilogue.

Aside from that I liked the book, the banter was good, the author managed the dual perspectives in a way that really let the characters personalities and idiosyncrasies shine through, and the quick pace kept me engaged and interested. I would have loved to read a few more chapters of the characters resolving the problem they faced at the end but other than that this was good and I’d recommend it to anyone who wants a cozy read.

This is an excellent romance book with a marriage of convenience and a workplace environment. It’s just silly enough to make you giggle, but also has enough genuine issues and conflict points in it that it kept me engaged and definitely got me emotional at times.

It highlights some of the issues in the world of academia

It’s got good open spice and wonderful character development

I personally really enjoyed this book and it was a wonderful escape

The banter was really wonderful. I love the pacing and it was just well done.

It would’ve been a five star read for me. I think if there was a bit more of a pop to it whether it be humor or more tension or more to this, there was something slightly missing and I can’t put my finger on it. I still really enjoyed this one, but there are other romance books that I have enjoyed more is all. Romance lovers I totally recommend this one go pick it up and giggle and enjoy and also be angry with the author and me about some of the bad treatment done, especially to woman in the academic world.

I really loved every part of this book. Thank you so much for this treat.

Thank you for this ARC. I appreciate the opportunity to leave honest feedback voluntarily.

This was fun!! I love a good rivals to lovers storyline, and this was perfect to read in the beginning of August as everyone gears up for back-to-school. I love the academia setting in general, so I knew this was going to be a great read for me.

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future

Thank you to Net Galley, Jodi McAlister, and the publisher for my copy of the ARC!

I loved this rom-com so much! For obvious reasons as an English teacher, I loved the premise of two literature academic rivals falling for each other. The references to literary texts/works and the premise of their teaching specialties reminded me of my own journey with literature and loving the collegiate, academic discourse around literature. Oh and I may have met my own husband in a seminar on the great books, where we disagreed.

Jonah is our boy, and I love nothing more than a man who falls first for a fiery no holds bar type of woman that is Sadie. Not only that, but this novel also has some of my other favorite tropes, while also being playful and calling out romance book tropes (such a fun layered added to this story).

I truly devoured this story so quickly, but was a little shocked when I felt the ending came so fast. I’m not 100% sure I closed the pages feeling like the story was over. There were some loose threads for me I wanted answers to, BUT overall this is still a wonderfully cute and heartwarming rom-com that also delves into familial issues as well.

Oh and one last thing, I also loved the pop culture references to Hamilton and Taylor Swift. A book that celebrates literature and pop culture = a recipe for a book I will absolutely support!

I really enjoyed this book. I love the trope of enemies to lovers, and forced marriage of convenience. I enjoyed the characters and their nuances. I enjoyed how their were the footnotes that you could click on that would give additional background in that moment in the novel. I hope to see more books about other characters in this book. I would love a book from her sisters POV and exploring her identity and possibly love interest. rate it 4.5/5

Thank you to the publisher for sending me this ARC on Netgalley! (expected publication: November 11 2025)

3.75 stars! I was pleasantly surprised by this one! I will be honest that I found the first 30% of this book to be a bit slow (almost boring?), but I was pleasantly surprised by the rest of this book. I really loved the yearning of the MMC in this book & I appreciated that the yearning was done in a way that wasn't completely cringy. There were several characters to love in this book, but I will say that I didn't really love the storyline of the fallout between the FMC & her sister. I also think it was a bit strange to harp so intensely on the upbringing of the MMC but only briefly mention the family dynamics of the FMC (other than those with the sister). Regardless, I think it was a super cute read, but it definitely has a slower start!

I love reading books set in the academics world and Jonah and Sadie have spent their entire lives competing against each other. Despite the constant banter amongst them it was nice to see them realize that they actually work very well together. The progression in their relationship was cute and they switched from fighting with each other to fighting for each other. I especially love the fact that Sadie and Jonah love their sisters so much that they would do anything for them. As someone who likes books with academia I really enjoyed this book! Thank you Netgalley for the arc!!

I really loved this book!! the main charaters have so much chemistry that my only issue in the book is that I had to wait until I was 80% through for them to finally get together!

Jonah and Sadie have been academic rivals since undergrad and their contentious relationship has continued post-PhD as they both struggle to find permanent positions as literature professors in the competitive job market. When the perfect job comes up that they happen to be equally qualified for, they are determined to finally “win” the game that they’ve been playing for 15 years. Instead, they end up finding themselves in a marriage of convenience in order to take advantage of the parter clause in the university’s contract. They need to pretend to be married for at least 3 years to secure both of their positions but have a terrible record with truces.

I really enjoyed this rivals-to-lovers, marriage of convenience romance! There was a lot of yearning, complicated family dynamics, and discussion of the difficulties of academic career paths. I liked that Jonah’s chapters included fun footnotes, which went along with the nerdy, academic vibes of the book. I thought that the ending was great and I feel like there could be a companion novel or two based on some of the side characters.

An Academic Affair would be perfect for fans of Ali Hazelwood’s STEMinist novels, especially Love Theoretically, where the main character is desperate to find a full time academic job and faces discrimination as a woman in academia. Also, both authors have worked as professors in their respective fields and have firsthand experience in the academic setting of their novels. It also would be a good read alike for Battle of the Bookstores by Ali Brady because they are both rivals-to-lovers, dual POV, he-falls-first novels that celebrate the romance genre.

2.5/5 stars

Overall, it was an easy read with likeable enough characters. When I first read the synopsis, I thought this would be a fun read. As an academic myself, I loved the little plot twist of not just another romance story with brooding love, but academics carving a path in a competitive collegiate world. Add in the lovable, overbearing sister, Chessie (I mean, hello, every late 90s kid and our obsession with The Parent Trap), and was sure to be a success.

However, I shortly started to dislike the book, when the FMC started essentially degrading the MMC at every other page. The story kept giving me whiplash from Sadie being sweet and thoughtful to outright rude. I understand the allure of wanting a strong, independent FMC, but this book took that too far. The MMC, Jonah, being so weak (honestly just trying to use a nice way to say he wasn't really acting manly whatsoever, complete pushover), was a huge turn off for me and made him whiny.

For a romance novel to work, you need more give and take in a relationship. Especially a relationship that evolves to an everlasting love, the kind that you can't live without because they become part of you. To say the least, this book just seemed implausible in real life.

I personally know the struggles of academics. Heck, I worked my butt off to be given the chance at a fulltime museum position.... BUT, not once was I held back by the big, bad, white man, instead it was other women that were extremely cutthroat and intimidated but another intelligent female. For this book to literally lay blame to men and the glass ceilings they created, is really selling short the advances women have made in western society (and yes, that is a pointed remark).

In terms of the writing style, it was well written, but may be hard for an everyday reader to digest. A few "big words" are great, but a plethora of them thrown into almost every sentence really doesn't fit the mold for contemporary romance fiction. Additionally, the footnotes are unnecessary details that really don't add much to the story. If the author wants those details in there, then add them in the chapter, not at the end of the book.

An Academic Affair - ARC review 📚🤓
4.5⭐️
.5/1 🌶️

✨I adored Jonah and Sadie! The development of their relationship was top tier! I loved the story line as it was different than your typical enemies to lovers and Jonah is bringing back real yearning! 🙌🏻

✨Jonah and Sadie have been academic rivals since they were teenagers in their first year of college. Over the years this rivalry not only forces them to be their best selves in the classroom, but pushes them to achieve the highest education and rankings in their profession. They come from different backgrounds and their families don’t see eye to eye, however. When a sister is in need the two academics strike a deal. Through years of heated competition and using their rivalry in the classroom, the two form a bond that neither see coming and neither is willing to relinquish control to admit! Will they get their eucatastrophe moment? 🫣🫱🏻‍🫲🏼

✨Slow burn
✨Enemies to lovers
✨Second chances
✨Marriage of Convenience
✨One bed
✨Forced proximity

Thank you so much @jodimcalister and @netgalley for the arc! I thoroughly enjoyed it! 😍

Truly loved everything about this book. The characters were likeable, the story was great, and I couldn't put the book down. And the yearning!
I'm hoping this is the start of a new series, because I was left so curious about the side characters.

Love a book where the characters can fight it out but still be there for one another! Also, I always enjoy a book set in the academic world. This was my favorite part of the book.