This was a fun read. Sadie and Jonah have worked together academically for many years. When they have an opportunity that can benefit both of them if they had a fake relationship, they decide to try to get along. Sadie must then decide was the fake relationship worth it? Are her feelings real? How does Jonah really feel?

Read if you like:
📚 Enemies to Lovers
📚 Fake Marriage
📚 Rom Coms

Thank you to the publishers and NetGally for this Advanced Release copy. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

How cute was this book! It’s got everything I love in a romcom and set in the world of academic literature? I’m there. I love a slow burn, so this book was perfect for me.

The other night I was struggling to pick what to read next and I had downloaded this on a whim, and y'all...I am so happy at past Annas decisions because WOW this was exactly what I needed and I'm blown away.

Academic rivals to lovers with a marriage of convenience? Gimmie 14 of them right now. I loved the bickering between Sadie and Jonah (truly top tier) and how easily they got under each others skin. And you know that arguing is a love language between rivals hehehe and I ate this one up! And don't even get me started on the yearning from Jonah over the 15 years they've known each other. He is the definition of 'he fell first and harder'. Over time, the dynamic between Sadie and Jonah became so tender and I loved seeing them work together as a team and support each other. I thoroughly enjoyed the academic environment and discussions, especially the footnotes in Jonahs chapters (which was such a surprise that I didn't know I needed until now).

Some things I would critique on would be that I wish the conflict at the end had more time to resolve since it felt a bit rushed. Along with the fight/spiral thoughts between her and her sister feeling a bit too repetitive. It was still five stars for me though, I don't care. I loved it.

Thank you Atria and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my review!

This book stars Jonah and Sadie. The tropes include enemies to lovers, marriage of convenience and he falls first. It focuses a lot on their jobs, and delves deep into the world of academia. The author is in that world, and does a good job of explaining it, while keeping things entertaining. Her characters are well developed and I’m definitely looking forward to some of them getting their own story. A lovely read, thank you!

this was my first time reading an ARC!

this was slow but not necessarily in a bad way…? it felt like a mature serious audience romance book w a plot outside of the romance… somewhat lol. wouldn’t call it a romcom at all. it’s romantic and had a few bits but definitely not a hehe haha vibe. definitely played on the feeling of being unlovable and annoying people w your love/receiving their love. which like whew. been there.

the eucatastrophe concept was a FAVVV. so cute. so heartwarming.

I hateeeeeeeeed this miscommunication trope so bad. like what do you mean you were both just denying each other??? ugh. and then you spent the entire book (ENTIRE!!) talking about this relationship….. just for it to be solved that easily!? UGHHHHHH. fix it or shut up lmfao. mind you….. platonic OR romantic relationships fit w this

we never find out more about Carmichael and Lochlan and i really wanted more to happen with them. actually there were a couple side plots that fell short here. the main characters are the only ones who really got their story completed lol. I have questions for all the other characters.

this was a real book though. it truly felt like a story my friend could have told me about lol. there was nothing unrealistic about any of it. it all very much could have happened and does happen in every day life. (but also… YEARNING!!)

would I read it again? probably no. would I recommend it? to the right person at the right time.

An Academic Affair is a witty and heartfelt romance set in the world of academia, featuring Sadie Shaw and Jonah Fisher, two English professors with a long-standing rivalry. When a coveted teaching position becomes available, they hatch a plan to marry for the partner hire benefit, leading to unexpected sparks between them.

McAlister's writing shines with sharp, nerdy banter and a slow-burn romance that fans of academic settings and enemies-to-lovers tropes will appreciate. The inclusion of footnotes adds a unique touch, enhancing the academic atmosphere of the story. The dual narrative provides insight into both characters' perspectives, deepening the reader's connection to their journey.

However, the pacing can feel uneven at times, with certain sections dragging and others progressing too quickly. Some readers may find the footnotes distracting, especially in e-book format, where navigating them can interrupt the reading flow. Additionally, while the romance is engaging, the development of the relationship could have been more gradual to fully capture the tension and chemistry between Sadie and Jonah.

Overall, An Academic Affair offers a charming and entertaining read for those who enjoy academic settings and slow-burn romances. While it may not be groundbreaking, it provides a delightful escape into a world of witty banter and unexpected love.

The premise of this book was quite good and I enjoyed learning about the academic environment. The characters were lovely and well written. The footnotes were a bit annoying, as it took me out of the moment sometimes and for some reason I can’t pinpoint I was skimming whole pages of the last quarter of the book. I liked the main characters but didn’t care about the side characters and they became more of a focal point towards the end in a way I didn’t enjoy. I would read this
Author again and would still recommend whole heartedly.

Only reason I wouldn't suggest for a classroom is because of the amount of sexual content. If there wasn't any sexual content, then I think this could be a fun read for a romance-oriented student who's about to graduate.

Overall, was a fun read and it was quite clear the author has lived an academic's life, so it was fun to see Jonah and Sadie's world, and I felt like it was authentic. I thought that Jonah's interest from the start was refreshing--I feel like the "he fell first" trope often plays out differently... or I was maybe anticipating more irritation on his side initially, so I thought what was on the page felt cute. AND THE FOOTNOTES!! Tbh, it was a little annoying to open on my eReader (I'm the type of girl that appreciates footnotes on the same page) BUT I LOVED THEM ALL SO MUCH. Even if we're getting both Jonah and Sadie's POV, it grounds us more in Jonah's and it was a fun read!

9/10! Would reread again. :)

3.5 stars

Read this if you enjoy: academic rivals, slow burn, and fake relationship love stories. This was such a cute romance book - will definitely be reading more of Jodi McAlister's work!

Thank you NetGalley, Atria Books and Simon & Schuster for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Publishing Date- November 11, 2025

An Academic Affair is a romance with depth! Meet Jonah and Sadie, two professors who have quite literally pushed each other throughout their entire academic careers. They have fought each other on everything and have battled for every achievement when the job they are both yearning for finally becomes available. There is a lot at stake in both of their lives but obviously only one person can get the job…..but there is a clause. Cue a fake marriage and all the troubles and conflicts this entails.

This romance is very real, it was refreshing to have a story with real feelings, emotions and understanding between the two characters. Jodie McAlister did an incredible job creating a world that was real and one you can fully immerse yourself in. I was laughing at Jonah and Sadie’s banter from the beginning! I liked the way she intertwined characters and made you fall in love with not only the main characters but the side characters too.

This is a slow build, get ready but when it happens, it’s good! There was a lot of yearning but once the enemies figured out that they are indeed lovers it was worth the wait! This book covers a lot of good tropes, Enemies to Lovers, Fake Marriage and Forced Proximity to name a few!

Overall 4 stars for me! I loved the story, I loved the characters, it felt long at times for me but overall a really good read!

An Academic Affair was such a fun enemies-to-lovers read! I loved the sharp banter and bickering, and the depth of the characters made their struggles feel real. Getting the story from the MMC’s point of view was a fresh twist that made me enjoy it even more.

This was a wonderful enemy-lover romance book! The depth of the characters and their struggles kept me engaged and wanting to read more. There is a little spice to it, but it’s easy to skip over if you need to and it doesn’t cause you to miss any of the storyline.

An Academic Affair by Jodi McAlister

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this title.

I had fun reading this book. It had spots where I would giggle and kick my feet. The author really got me to connect with the characters. The whole premise of this book was intriguing to me. Reminded me of Ali Hazelwood’s STEM books, but with Lit Majors. Overall I did enjoy this book. ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️. 5

Sadie Shaw and Jonah Fisher have been academic rivals since they first crossed paths as undergraduates in the literature department thirteen years ago. Now that a highly coveted teaching opportunity has come up, their rivalry hits epic proportions. Jonah needs the job to move closer to his recently divorced sister and her children, while Sadie needs the financial security and freedom of a full-time teaching position.

When Sadie notices that the job offers partner hire, however, she hatches a plot to get them both the job. All they must do is get legally married. It’s a simple win-win solution but when sparks begin to fly, it becomes clear that despite their education, these two may not have thought this whole thing through.

This was an intellectually written contemporary romance with lots of heart, humour and literary and pop culture references. I really liked Jodi's sometimes academic-feeling writing style which fit the author and the subject matter. Lots of your favourite romance tropes present: enemies to lovers, marriage of convenience, one bed, he falls first. I did find it a little slow paced and then the ending was very rushed. Our main characters don't even get together until almost 85% in and then a lot happens all at once. I also didn't love Sadie's conflict with her sister Chess, it just felt over manufactured to me. My one other complaint is the footnotes, every time I had to click one on my e-reader it just took me out of the store and overall they felt unnecessary. Criticisms aside this was a thoughtful and smart romance story that in ways reminded me of Ali Hazelwood and Talia Hibbert and I would read more from this author. 1.5🌶️ 4⭐

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced reader copy

Sadie Shaw and Jonah Fisher have been academic nemeses for the entirety of their higher education careers. And now, as graduated PhDs, they continue to battle for college teaching jobs. When a permanent lecturer position is posted, looking for candidates in both of their areas of study, it's a given that both will apply and become finalists for the position. Sadie comes out victorious in getting the job, but when she reads that there's a partner hiring clause in her contract, she decides to propose a marriage of convenience to Jonah (after overhearing a conversation with sister, who he wants to support, but only can if he gets the job). Once the two are working and living together, they find that perhaps their intellectual battles were actually the things that made them love academia--and perhaps that can lead to a love that makes their marriage real.

I love, love, love campus novels, so I was primed to love Sadie and Jonah's story. The trope of a marriage of convenience worked fairly well here, since they were already in the same industry and getting a full time college teaching position is notoriously difficult. What didn't work for me was that both Jonah and Sadie felt flat as characters. While they each have some family issue playing out in the background, their characters felt almost entirely made up of the fact that they fought with each other all throughout college and graduate school, which made rooting for them difficult because I didn't feel connected to them. I also don't love when one character has ben in love with the other character the entirety of the book, but just never told them, making this another thing that didn't work for me. I'd be willing to give this author another shot when their next book comes out because I thought their writing about setting (both Australia as a location but also the apartment and the wine bar that the characters frequent) was particularly strong.

An Academic Affair comes out November 11, 2025

I love a good rivals to lovers book and this one hit the spot.
This author did a wonderful job showing these complex characters. I particularly loved the chapters from the MMC's pov which is rare in a romance book. His chapters included little footnotes that had me giggling. It almost felt like we were getting little asides from his personal story. The way these characters saw each other and their family was wonderful.
Everything felt so kind and endearing while also having them bicker over things and deal with tough family dynamics. I will be keeping my eye out hoping to snag a physical copy of this when it comes out so I can reread in years to come!

“An Academic Affair” is a brilliantly witty, intelligent, heart-warming romance. There wasn’t one part of this book that upset me. Not one part made me pause.

Jodi McAlister has written a smart and chuckle-inducing romantic comedy full of heart, depth, and good feelings.

I thought about Jonah and Sadie constantly when I wasn’t reading; almost dreading getting to the end and having to say goodbye to them. My goodness what a slow burn, but I wasn’t mad about it.

Also, I have now discovered my new favorite trope: marriage of convenience. Oh my goodness, so fun! And massive props to Jodi for no third-act breakup.

This book is a treat you will not want to put down. I suggest you get it ASAP.

Thank you to Atria Books for the ARC via NetGalley! All opinions are always my own.

*Instagram post/review to come on US pub date *

I really loved this premise. A good solid slow burn can be delicious. The level of pining this hero experienced was chefs kiss. However, this book got boring about half way through. I lost interest in both characters and it was a chore to finish.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my gifted copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

An Academic Affair is a cure enemies to lovers set in Australian academia. Sadie and Jonah are academic rivals who meet early in their educational
Careers. As they progress through uni and graduate school, they keep each other on their toes and have plenty of verbal altercations along the way. There’s lots of fun banter and family drama. Definitely enjoyed the HEA. It was well done without being too cheesy. Maybe just enough cheese?
Solid 4 stars!⭐️

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

An Academic Affair follows Sadie Shaw and Jonah Fisher, academic rivals whose relationship spans from their undergrad years, through grad school, and into the messy world of job hunting. When Sadie is offered a coveted full-timing teaching role in the same city as Jonah's recently divorced sister, she comes up with a plan to get him hired too: a marriage of convenience.

Generally I am not a fan of tropes like marriage of convenience taking place in contemporary novels as I find that the reasons to do so often feel unrealistic or unconvincing. However this is how to do it! Sure, in the real world this probably wouldn't fly for a partner hire situation but the rational for their decision was believable, the circumstances made sense, and I loved it! I thought that both of the characters were well written and well developed, the plot was compelling and believable, and the relationship evolved in a way that felt natural and made sense. I also appreciate that this book wasn't marketed as 'enemies to lovers' despite the two main characters being academic rivals as this is a pet peeve of mine.

As someone in academia, I also felt that it was very refreshing to have an academic romance where there wasn't a power differential between the two main characters. Ali Hazelwood, for example, constantly writes characters where the MMC has some form of power over the FMC whether that be a professor or a more senior researcher. Having Sadie and Jonah be on the same level allowed her to explore different dynamics and struggles in academia, but also meant that I didn't feel icky about a romance with power dynamics at play.

All in all, I absolutely loved this book and highly recommend it to readers when it comes out in November.