3.75 stars

I would have liked to give this book 4 stars, but a few things just didn’t hit for me:

* The endnotes in Jonah's chapters. I liked the cleverness of using them in a book about two academics, but reading them on an e-reader was annoying and took me out of the story if my finger slipped trying to navigate back to the text.

* This was an enemies to lovers book. I love that. Not sure the original suppressed chemistry between the two for the many years prior really translated, though. Especially because it took them until 80% of the book to have sex. This wasn't a slow-burn book, this was a crock pot book--the author tossed the ingredients for a hook up into the crock pot at 8am and we didn't get to consume any of it until ten hours later. Frustrating. The story was nearly finished by the time these two jumped into bed with one another.

* And speaking of endings--what the hell? While yes, Sadie and Jonah got their HEA, the ending seemed abrupt and unfulfilling--leaving a major subpot (their employment status) in question only to be hurriedly resolved as an afterthought in the epilogue.

All of that said, I think this book will appeal to mainstream romance readers looking for a unique story.

Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

It was cute but it became too romcom too fast. I wanted more rivals but instead all the rivals was just in the prologue (which was way too long).

So this wasn’t bad. It was just.. boring? Maybe I’m not
~ intellectual ~ enough. I love academic rivals to lovers but it just fell flat for me. Jonah does absolutely bring the yearning though!!! Good read if you want pretty easy & to not get super invested in

Thank you to atria & NetGalley for an eArc! Reviews & opinions are honest & my own!

What an absolute delight! I don't usually reach for marriage of convenience books because, much like Chess, I struggle with the realism aspect, but as soon as I heard the pitch of this book, I was so excited to read it and I'm so glad it did not disappoint! Jonah and Sadie's rivalry and relationship were both just really well done; I felt giddy. I have my ideas/hopes about who the next books will be about, and I'm just really excited to read more!

The new standard for contemporary Marriage of Convenience! This is a must read for all book lovers.

If you've ever dreamed of being an academic - without the stress of doing the job - this book will make all your romantic bookish dreams come true... HEA included.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for an arc. All opinions expressed are my own.

An Academic Affair by Jodi McAlister exemplifies a slow-burn romance. Academic rivals, both during their school years and afterward, they find themselves competing for the same job. Jonah is sweet and kind, whereas Sadie is a more methodical thinker. When a marriage of convenience is proposed, their true personalities are revealed.I appreciate NetGalley and the publisher for providing the ARC ebook that I read and reviewed. All opinions are my own.

I love this book! A marriage of convenience between two academic rivals who argue and test each other but also show each other such care, respect, and support. I was here for it all from the literary discussions and campus politics to the family dynamics and simple act of brining your parter coffee every morning. This book was funny, sad, and unbelievably sweet all at once. You better believe I will be reading more by the author.

I would like to thank NetGalley for this eARC, but all opinions remain my own.

I loved this book, I could not stop reading it. Enemies to lovers in academia??? A perfect combo.

This book was so entertaining, I absolutely loved their dynamic. And then it got even better with marriage of convenience.

My one critique is that I felt like the end was paced strangely, and that the resolution should not have been in the epilogue. I would have preferred a regular epilogue a year after showing their life together.

You absolutely need to pick this up, it was amazing.

I really loved the main characters and their stories! The connection and love between them felt real and not rushed at all. The plot with Chess felt far fetched and a little frustrating for the relationship they had previously. Overall a good read with nice character building

Absolutely adored this book! The characters, the drama, the romance! Everything about this book exceeded my expectations. What a treat!

A special thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for a ARC in exchange for an honest review.

An Academic Affair is a sweet and clever romance with a fun fake marriage setup between two longtime academic rivals. I really enjoyed watching Jonah and Sadie’s dynamic shift as their relationship deepened, and Jonah’s brother was a standout side character. While some moments felt a bit drawn out emotionally, the story still had plenty of charm.

Thank you to Atria and Netgalley for this ARC!

An Academic Affair is a really sweet story. I enjoyed the dynamic between Jonah and Sadie especially as their friendship / relationship began deepening. I also thought Jonah’s brother was a great character and I’d be interested to read more about him. I got a bit tired of Sadie in the aftermath of her fight with Chessie — I understand being upset but it got to feeling a bit over the top.

Rating: 3.5 rounded up

Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for an ARC of this book which I voluntarily read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

AN ACADEMIC AFFAIR is my first book by Jodi McAlister so I wasn’t exactly sure what I was in for, but thankfully, the author did not let me down!

I haven’t read a romance set in an academic setting in a long time, simply because as I’ve gotten older, I no longer relate to a lot of things the characters in their early to mid-twenties are going through, so it was exciting (and somewhat nostalgic!) to read a college-based novel where the characters are my age. I also loved the rivals to co-conspirators to lovers aspect of the book. It reminded me a lot of THE HATING GAME where these characters have a relationship rooted in animosity and competition, but come to the realization that neither of them could do themselves justice without the other pushing and supporting them.

AN ACADEMIC AFFAIR had a lot of moving parts—sibling/familial relationships, blatant misogyny, and mental health struggles—but it never felt like I was being bombarded with more storylines to juggle. Each was handled in a way that only added to the story instead of taking focus away from another.

I’m really looking forward to, hopefully, getting to read more happily ever afters for the other three siblings!

This might be my favorite book I’ve read all year!! Listen I love a good romcom and one based in academia will have me tripping all of myself to get to it, but this was so unexpectedly good!

I went into this not expecting the clear and beautiful nod to Anne of Green Gables, fake dating which one of my favorite tropes, and ZERO third act breakup???! SWOON!!

Also as someone who went to University as an English major who studied British and Russian Literature but who also has a penchant for all the romance and smut… this was my heaven in a book!

I will have no Sadie and Jonah slander and anyone who finds them boring can fight me!! Not really, you’re entitled to your own opinion, it’s fine… just don’t tell me about it, I want to live in the afterglow of how perfect I found this story!!

Also don’t skip the footnotes even if you read it on Kindle, they are so much fun and add so much to the story!!

Finally thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read this early, and the author for writing a book I desperately needed!

Also Jodi McAlister if I don’t get at least 1 (preferably 3) subsequent books I’m going to be very VERY disappointed! Fiona, Chess, and Elias have love stories waiting for them and we need those stories. Soonish 😘

This was a total win for me. Jodi McAlister’s An Academic Affair is about Jonah and Sadie, two literary professors who have been nemeses for their entire career.

Multiple timelines take us through every “ceasefire” they’ve put on their bickering. When the perfect job comes up, only one of them gets it…. But the other one was equally as deserving. Cue the fake wedding to have the other get a position in the same program.

Jonah is so sweet - kind and soft. I loved getting to know him over the years. I had some tears, for sure, as they got to actually know each other.

Love, family, wine, academia. Perfect for me.

I would LOVE to get this on Audiobook!

I really enjoyed this academic rivals to lovers book! Sadie and Jonah were great characters in both their own ways and together and I loved watching them grow in their relationships with everyone. Overall, I thought this was the perfect read for fall and recommend to anyone looking for a quick romance read.

This was such a cute read! I was nervous at first that the jokes and banter would be "too academic", but this books hits the sweet spot for a romcom set in academia! There were Taylor Swift references, a pride and prejudice quote, AND references to some of my favorite romance authors like BK Borison & Freya Marske.

The burn on this one is SLOW, but the yearning is top notch and the payoff is perfection. The side characters are lovely and easy to root for. And the relationship between sisters is so real - if not incredibly frustrating at times!

I was hoping for a little more tying up of loose ends, but overall this is a perfect read for anyone who loves a love story set in academia!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for my honest thoughts!

3.25/5

I really like this cover! I think it's so cute and it works, stylistically. Sometimes, this style doesn't always translate, but I love it here. It was done just right.

This follows two English professors (I love reading about nerds) who are also rivals (I love academic rivals) who decide to start up a fake relationship. The two are also fighting for the same job. And in order for them to get this job (it's a partnership thingy), they decide that they need to get married. Felt a little extreme to me, but I guess you'll do anything for your dream job, so who am I to judge?!

And, of course, faking a relationship is harder than they thought...this is a romance novel after all...and they start to fall for each other.

I think this will be good for fans of Ali Hazelwood and Emily Henry - romance novels with nerdy and bookish characters.

I did find this to be a bit flatter than I wanted it to be. I was super excited for it. But I can tell a lot of people are going to really enjoy this. I had a fun time and it was an easy read.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

I loved this book! Jodi McAlister was a new author to me, but I will absolutely be going through her backlog now. If you love Emily Henry, Abby Jimenez, or Ali Hazelwood, you will love this book!!

The story follows Sadie and Jonah as they try to navigate the complex world of academic employment mixed with family issues. They have been academic rivals and competitors for years but with a single conversation comes a truce that neither wants to break and then a job offer they both need. With a marriage of convenience they can both get what they want, but what they want starts to change and be put to the test.

I cannot express how much I enjoyed this book. The storytelling and dialogue were great, and the footnotes were such an amazing addition. I miss cute footnotes in books and these did not disappoint! I really enjoyed this take on a marriage of convenience as an opportunity for them and not just an outdated construct of "you have to be married, or you can't have ___". It was a great way to modernize the concept and make it feel more realistic. The development of their relationship from animosity to toleration to actual love and support was perfection. Jonah realized his feelings first, but once Sadie got to that point she was all in as well. They both had difficult upbringings but were able to build a wonderful community and family together at the end. I didn't want it to end, and I would love a continuation of these characters in a series. Jodi, please make stories for Fiona, Chess, and Elias/Julia!! I would be so grateful!! And thank you for the term "eucatastrophe" and its beautiful definition. It has found a special place in my heart, and I will carry it with me! Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Jodi McAlister for the opportunity to read this ARC. All opinions are my own.

A lighthearted read that was fairly predictable but sweet. I read it in one sitting not because I got lost in the romance. I wish I knew more about Austrailian academic lifestyle and at times it made it tough to follow but overall a good read.