I really enjoyed an Academic Affair. It had the enemies to lovers and fake dating thing going on. You could pretty much feel the tension and chemistry between Sadie and Jonah from the very start. The characters were well written and easy to connect with. There was some fun banter and it was an easy read. However, despite being an easy read, it did touch on some heavier topics regarding family dynamics. Sadie and Jonah had very different upbringings and very different family dynamics but both have residual issues from their upbringings that they are trying to deal with.

My only real complaint was Chess. At first, I really enjoyed the relationship between the sisters. The bond they had seems truly special. But then her actions seemed to completely betray that and I honestly felt that her behavior was a little cruel. I can see what she was trying to do but the way she went about it made her completely unlikeable in my eyes. That is the only reason I have for dropping a star in my rating. Had her character been handled differently, it would easily be a five start read for me!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I really loved the plot of this book and the nods to the different romance tropes. I think a little bit more character development and faster pacing would have made this a 4 star book for me. Comparing this to some of my favorite books, I don't think the chemistry between the leads was as well-developed as it could have been. Overall, this was an entertaining and enjoyable read.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

This book was for every romance nerd out there! Sadie and Jonah were so cute and geek out over each other and it was everything! This book had me swooning and laughing, and I loved every minute of it. The academic rivals vibe was so cool! Definitely read this one soon as you can! For all you book girls out there.!!

A witty, slow-burn romance that’s equal parts clever and chaotic, An Academic Affair is the perfect mix of rivalry, tension, and heart. Sadie and Jonah’s fake marriage scheme starts as a career move but quickly unravels into something neither of them can control—or resist. With sharp banter, emotional depth, and just the right amount of steam, this one’s for anyone who loves watching smart people make very messy choices in the name of love.

MEN WHO YEARRRRRNNNNNN!!!! This was such a fantastic read. I loved the writing and the peek behind the curtain of academia in this. I also really enjoyed how the relationship between Sadie and Jonah played out. I

The only reason this isn't five stars is because of a few references to Booktok and other online cultures that took me out of the story for a bit - but that's just my personal preference.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC!

I loved the bones of this book, but I think in the end it all fell a wee bit flat for me in the end. I LOVE an enemies to lovers situation, but I never found them being "enemies" as believable as it could've been, and I would've loved to see more dialogue from their years as colleagues to help paint that picture. I loved the sibling portion of the storyline and really appreciated how that brought them together. Overall, good read, just felt a wee bit rushed at the end, and I wish there was more expansion.


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

YEP YEP YEP this was everything I love in a romance novel. Rivals to lovers will forever be a top tier trope to me. And when it’s in an academic setting… 🤌

For one, I adore when the boy falls first and Jonah Fisher absolutely delivered 😍 THE YEARNING my god. Plus, with that being combined with the academic rivals AND marriage of convenience tropes, this was such a perfectly fun time.

I also really enjoyed the deeper themes explored regarding family dynamics and how they can impact us later in life. Including more nuanced topics like that in a romance book will always get me.

I feel like there were some loose ends left untied, so it would be interesting to maybe get some of the side characters’ stories in the future… I would be 100% down for that 🙌

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC!

DNF @ 52%

I want to like this book SoooOooOo bad and continue reading but I’ll be honest..it’s very boring and the characters are so flat 😭 the characters are boring, the story pacing is so slow and I just do not feel any romantic connection between either of them. For an academic “rivals to lovers” I’m just not feeling that these two are actually going to fall in love. The yearning is meh to pretty much none.

I absolutley loved this!!! 10/10. I'd do read this again. Sadie and Jonah's relationship was such a well written one and such a real relationship in a romance book. Everything about the book was so captivating and real world. I loved it

Thank you to the publisher and author for the arc!
Overall, I liked this book- I was obsessed with Jonah's yearning for Sadie. Getting his POV was such a great addition and made me love his character even more.
But some parts (Chessie) were kind of annoying. Why did we spend like 30% of the book watching Sadie grovel to Chess over a fight that in my opinion wasn't that deep.
Still, the romance made up for it. I loved those parts and actually wish there had been more. Definitely enjoyed it overall, just had a few plot points that bugged me.

Thank you so much to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am a total sucker for rivals to lovers and wow did this deliver! I loved the tension between Jonah and Sadie! They are so clearly pining for each other and yet to proud to admit it. Jonah is such a tender, gentle person and his fierce protectiveness of Sadie will make you swoon! Sadie is, as she says “all fists, all teeth” and I love a powerful female main character who has a heart of gold. The chemistry between them is just perfect.

** mild spoiler** am always a fan of no third act breakups (unless it’s plotted VERY well) and I’m so glad the author chose not to include that in this story. ** spoilers done **

The spice was lower, and do I typically want more? Yes. But this story is so emotionally satisfying that it just did not need more steamy scenes. The yearning!!! My God, it was good.
I really loved this so much and I would read about Jonah and Sadie and their sweet little life forever.

I LOVED THIS BOOK! It truly was such a breath of fresh air. I loved the way we went through the history of Jonah and Sadie’s relationship through the review of all their ceasefires. I thought the dynamic between them was great and NOT FRUSTRATING! Which was REFRESHING! I think that the third act was also such a nice surprise compared to so many other romance novels. While I’m not usually a fan of pop culture references in books, this one toed the line perfectly and really added to the message. POPULAR FICTION IS GREAT!! ROMANCE NOVELS ARE WONDERFUL!! I really really enjoyed this and would definitely read it again. BRING BACK LOVERBOYS! BRING BACK MALE YEARNING!

An Academic Affair is so good! Sadie and Jonah became academic rivals their freshman year of college and stayed that way through their doctorate programs—and even once they started teaching in academia themselves.

I wish we could quote ARCs because I want to quote so many lines!!! The banter is perfect. Their love is so beautifully written, and the family dynamics are handled so well.

And the love confession? 😩 So good.

If you are looking for a book where the man is so down bad for the FMC he will do anything to make her happy then look no further!!

Jonah and Sadie had been competing against each other for years, so many years they don't know what their lives look like without the other one in it.

In entire a job opportunity of a lifetime with a partner hire and the start of a scheme to both get them jobs ends in obviously falling in love.

This story covers the reality of making it in academia, finding love along the way, and growing with the people by your side.

I'm begging to whoever is listening out there that there will be more books following these characters because if you're telling me you teased a Chess storyline in front of me I will be devastated.

Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for an ARC!!

I received this book from NetGalley as an ARC, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I could relate to the characters so much because I was a junior college teacher for over 30:years, and while the situations in a university setting are different, the problems with admin and course load are still there. And I loved the main characters Jonah and Sadie, who are so well developed. I love the way their relationship grows, I love the banter. I love the allusions to other literature, including Shakespeare, Wordsworth, as well as other popular literature including other romance literature. I just really loved everything about the novel. It is the first novel I have read by Jodi McAlister, but it certainly will not be my last. Be sure when you read the book, you consult the end notes. They add a great deal to the reading experience and give the book more of an academic air.

This was such a cute romance! It's the perfect book for English majors and literary history/criticism enthusiasts. It was a great, easy, quick read with sweet characters that I would absolutely recommend to fans of the genre. I enjoyed the many varied literary references the most, although this book has more than that to recommend it.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

The writing style was polished and flowed nicely. I liked the exposition of the MCs’ background through their interactions with each other and the side characters. The rivals/enemies-to-lovers trope went a little too hard for me, especially for the FMC. I loved her spark and confidence, but at times they came across a little too antagonistic. That dulled the MCs’ chemistry a bit for me. The characters also felt a little immature for their age and career level.

Thank you so much to Atria Books, Jodi McAlister, and NetGalley for this ARC!

Love love loved!!! Every romance book should be written with little footnotes. I love the dual perspective and loved reading about Sadie and Jonah’s story. I am such a sucker for a long time coming romance. My literal only reason I didn’t rank this book five stars was Chess. I found her intolerably annoying and their fight was so blown out of proportion. As an older sister, I know sister fights can sometimes get out of control but total radio silence for months on end just felt so over the top to me. Other than that this was a perfect book. The setting of academia was so fun and fresh to read about and I love reading about characters who feel like fully fleshed out grown up adults who have the ability to communicate.

Arc Review !!

Tropes: enemies to lovers, academic rivals/academia setting, literary references

This was such a beautiful slow-burn of a book! As someone who is just brushing the world of academia, it was incredibly eye-opening as well as being a good/entertaining read. Also, I really enjoyed that this is a solid enemies to lovers via academic rivals because even though Jonah loved her, it was true animosity between them through the years with that reluctant feeling on the back burner. I will say I did not like Chess and I didn't understand why she took those words so out of proportion but people can be like that in the real world so it did not hinder the story and may have even enhanced the realistic aspects of it.

Thank you so much NetGalley for the e-ARC!









Final Verdict
An Academic Affair is both cerebral and swoony, combining the rigors of academic life with a heartfelt exploration of love and identity. It’s a story about two people navigating ambition, disappointment, and the terrifying vulnerability of intimacy—and somehow making it look cozy in the process. If you like your romances with a healthy dose of brains, heart, and a little professional rivalry, this one will definitely earn high marks.

An Academic Affair is a masterclass in the slow burn. It’s a romance that simmers rather than sparks, unfolding with a steady heat that makes every small moment feel earned. But more than anything, it’s a love letter to academia—its chaos, its egos, its impossible pressures, and the strange camaraderie born out of surviving it all. Jodi McAlister brings the battleground of scholarly ambition to life with insight, wit, and just enough mess.

Sadie and Jonah are both products of that world—brilliant, prickly, and stubbornly competitive. The enemies-to-lovers thread leans more toward academic rivalry than true animosity, but their dynamic is compelling nonetheless. Their banter feels earned, built on years of mutual scrutiny and reluctant admiration. Jonah’s quiet longing, in particular, was unexpectedly moving. The yearning is real, and the payoff is so satisfying when it finally arrives.

But this isn’t just a love story—it’s also a sharp, honest portrait of life in academia. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to fight tooth and nail for validation in a system that asks too much and gives too little, this book will open your eyes. And if you have lived it, you’ll probably find yourself muttering, “Yep, that’s exactly how it is,” more than once.

McAlister also dives deep into family dynamics and the ways we carry our emotional inheritance with us. Sadie’s arc is about more than love—it’s about healing, reconciling with the past, and learning to accept support. The relationships outside the central romance are thoughtfully developed, especially the strained but touching familial moments.

That said, not everything worked for me. The story occasionally mentions TikTok and “Dark Academia” which felt a bit forced, as if trying too hard to be zeitgeisty. And the “enemies” part of the trope lacked real bite. Their conflict wasn’t always fully convincing, but the emotional payoff was strong enough that I didn’t mind too much.

For readers who like:
-Enemies-to-lovers
-Academic settings
-Literary references and a cozy, autumnal vibe

Final Verdict
An Academic Affair is both cerebral and swoony, combining the rigors of academic life with a heartfelt exploration of love and identity. It’s a story about two people navigating ambition, disappointment, and the terrifying vulnerability of intimacy—and somehow making it look cozy in the process. If you like your romances with a healthy dose of brains, heart, and a little professional rivalry, this one will definitely earn high marks.

Grateful to NetGalley, Atria Books and Jodi McAlister for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.