bring back YEARNING in romance. and have jonah fisher teach a class on how to do it!

i really enjoyed this book, i've read a few romances in an academic setting before, but this was such a unique premise with the marriage of convenience aspect to secure a job. i love MOC trope and this was no different, i loved seeing them soften to each other and loved seeing how down bad jonah was :')

there were a few times where sadie frustrated me a little bit, like when she was yelling at jonah over him being upset about always basically being an accessory to somebody elses success. i understand what sadie was saying about how she has no empathy for his white rich male privilege in academia, and she is absolutely right to acknowledge that. however, i don't feel like that should exclude jonah from being upset that he always has to second guess whether his accomplishments are the result of someone elses. they both made good points in that argument, but at times i felt like she was a bit cruel about it!

3.5 stars. I liked this book more than expected -- but there was a definite problem with pacing.

We are just told 15 years of data in the first 50 pages. Then the story starts to build and it really picks up from there. The characters develop and have a fun and interesting dynamic. And then the book just ends? It is like the author became tired and decided just to finish the novel. Nothing was wrapped up. You get a piecemeal epilogue that everything is resolved. I am still very confused. It's like I lost the last 20% of the book.

I absolutely loved this book — it was such a smart, fun, and emotionally satisfying read! The academic setting felt so real (you can tell McAlister knows this world inside and out), and I was immediately hooked by the dynamic between Sadie and Jonah. The rivals-to-lovers energy was chef’s kiss, and I couldn’t get enough of their banter and tension.

I loved how self-aware the book was about romance tropes — fake marriage, forced proximity, academic rivals — all the good stuff, but with so much heart behind it. Jonah’s quiet love and Sadie’s ambition made them such a good match, and I genuinely felt for both of them.

Also, the footnotes? Hilarious and surprisingly moving. I didn’t expect to get emotional over academic references, but here we are!

This one had me smiling, swooning, and highlighting lines like crazy.

*thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

Jonah’s glasses are the supporting character of the year.

Rival academics in Australia, Jonah and Sadie have been facing hiring challenges and job insecurity for years. When an opportunity presents itself for the pair to be hired on full time, the position seems like the answer to Jonah’s desire to live near his divorced sister and Sadie’s desire for financial freedom. Despite their long history of arguments and needling, they begin a fake relationship to qualify for the job’s pair hire loop hole.

What a surprise! This is a new-to-me author so I was unsure what to expect. I really enjoyed this. Jonah was the star of the show me with his yearning, selflessness, and personal growth. His care for Sadie, his sister, his nieces, Sadie’s sister Chess… Very sweet to read! Though I felt like his inner realization of his love for Sadie came a little early/a little abruptly in the story, he was an excellent marshmallow-soft male lead.

Admittedly, I did skim some of the long paragraphs about academia and its inner workings. I also felt like the ending was rushed (Jonah’s sister Fiona’s ex husband [who we haven’t seen all book long] walks into the bar they’re celebrating in and then the book just ends?) (There was so little resolve with Jonah’s obnoxious dad?) (The university really backed down from their huge restructuring plan after like, five minutes of push back?) BUT! All things considered, this book still kept me engaged from start to finish.

The advertising says this book gives Ali Hazelwood - I think I’d agree with that! It was an interesting look into the world of academic hiring with easy to root for characters, lots of banter, and lovely family/found family moments.

I absolutely love this book. Jonah and Sadie were such well-rounded characters, and I love their ever-developing relationship. Every chapter left me wanting more, and I thought the build-up of the slow-burning relationship between them kept me reading. I could not recommend this book enough. The writing felt very appropriate through the POVs of academic characters, using references and language that lend to the characters, but also don't distance the reader from the prose. I never felt lost, and anything I might be unfamiliar with was explained in the story, but not in any kind of patronizing way.
If you like academic rivals to lovers, you will most definitely enjoy this book.

If you love yearning, Jonah Fisher is quite literally the man of your dreams because oh, did this boy yearn for Sadie so much. I typically don't read books like this, but I knew with the premise of academic rivals, especially in literature as someone who is doing college for lit I'd love this and I did.
Jonah and Sadie are academic rivals, who end up getting married so they can both work at the same university. An interesting solution to a unique problem since they both need the job.
I loved our main characters, Sadie was unique in a way but I felt myself relating to her immensely especially when she brought up how it can be exhausting to be loved in a certain way. I immediately found myself connecting to her more in that moment making the story more enjoyable. And well Jonah, my professional yearner I knew that he was in love with Sadie at the start and couldn't wait for them to get together. There were a few spicy scenes that were decent, but overall their romance was what mattered the most because it unfolded beautifully.
I'm curious to see if there will be books for other characters we met in this book, like Elias and Julia or even Jonah's sister Fiona.
Thank you to Netgalley and Atria for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first book by the author, and I genuinely enjoyed the writing. It has more depth and less on-page spice than a lot of contemporary romances (or at least, the ones that I read), which made it a fun diversion for me! I thought Sadie and Jonah were both really fun characters, and their banter was very sharp.

That said, there were a few issues for this that made it just a mid read for me. Most importantly, I did not really buy the turn from marriage of convenience to real marriage. It all felt a little shallow and superficial, which was really disappointing considering the other areas in which the depth really showed through. Also - the ending was so abrupt! I was shocked at how quickly everything ended, and there were SO many loose ends.

I think fans of academic romances will really enjoy this one! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

3.75/5 Stars

Yearning is back folks!
Love a man who is pathetic for a women
Also love when there is genuine connection and conversations between two people other than just sexual tension
Also love that a women doesn't just fall for a man who is hot and keeps lusting after his biceps every other page
I really liked Sadies and Jonahs dynamic and the fact that they were both self aware and acted like actual adults.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for gifting me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Once again, the fake dating trope strikes. I think it's pretty tired personally, and I just can't think of any "realistic" circumstance that would compel me to be in a fake relationship so it all just feels very dramatic to me as a reader. The banter was okay, but the plot was too crazy to work for me. I need some element of realism to latch onto in a romantic comedy - otherwise it just feels like a Lifetime Christmas movie. I also found the ending to be incredibly abrupt, which was annoying after reading almost 400 pages of these characters. I didn't mind them personally, I just couldn't connect with their romance. I think there's definitely some readers out there that will really enjoy this one, but it kind of missed the mark for me.

loved Sadie and Jonah quick marriage of convivence and always trying to one up one another in the academia world. loved that he fell first and that they had a 15 year friendship. Loved fi and her sister chessa and would love to learn more about Juliet and Elias . I hope that both of the sisters get their own romance books. I hope that there are more stories around the fisher family. Loved that she read romance books and gave them to her sister. I stayed up way to late reading this book. I adored Jonah and Sadie falling in love and him wanting the best for her. Thanks netgalley

I absolutely loved An Academic Affair! It hit so many of my favorite tropes—enemies to lovers, academic rivals, marriage of convenience, one bed, forced proximity, and that delicious “it’s always been you” vibe. The chemistry between Sadie and Jonah was off the charts, and their banter had me grinning the entire time. I devoured this in basically one sitting—I just couldn’t put it down.

This was sharp, smart, romantic, and emotionally satisfying. Highly recommend for anyone who loves slow-burn tension with academic snark and heart!

Jonah (32) and Sadie (31) met as teenagers whose extended educations and eventual careers would entwine in ways that had them fighting each other for top grades, honors, English professor job opportunities for thirteen years.

Yes, they’ve had a handful of ceasefires over the years (the descriptions of which that open the book give chortle-inducing insight of their personalities and evolving relationship), but now the biggest one is afoot.

The perfect job they both need comes with a gig for the employee’s partner — they just have to quickly get married and point out the contract’s clause to HR. And tell their families. Who know all about the decade-plus of competitiveness and bickering.

This rivals to marriage of convenience to more is so, so good. Yes, it’s about their relationship, but also those with their respective family members, not shying away from how they all can change (or not) over time. And how that can affect us.

Clever, emotional, swoony, slow-building, frustrating, funny…and I want to get to know so many side characters’ back stories. I didn’t want to leave them.

Bonus: Any fans of romance novels, word nerds, and/or lit majors will squee over the peppering of prose including these things throughout this wonderful love story.

Read if you like:
• Contemporary romance
• Funny, snappy banter
• Getting to know thy enemy
• Siblinghood
• Dual POV
• Vulnerability
• English professor with popular fiction research focus x English professor with Shakespearean research focus
• Forced proximity
• Sloooowww burrrrrnnn
• Open door spice

Favorite romance of 2025!! This book is smart and heartfelt. I loved the main trope and I loved the refreshing third act even more. The dual POV was such a treat - both Sadie and Jonah’s inner monologues were equally gripping. I read this in two days and couldn’t get enough of the classic and contemporary lit references. Excellent!

Thank you Atria Books and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. Super cute! Sadie and Jonah have disliked each other and been rivals ever since they first met when they were undergraduates. 13 years later and they both have the opportunity to get a teaching position that is highly coveted. Jonah needs the position to move closer to his sister and her family. Sadie needs the financial security that the job will give. Which one of them will win it? Or maybe there’s a way that they both could? All they would have to do is get married. They both get what they want, there’s no downside. Except what was supposed to be a simple transaction gets complicated when they begin to develop feelings. Will their fake relationship give them what they want, or will it end in disaster? And what of what they want isn’t what they thought it was in the first place? A charming romance that had me laughing, swooning, and flipping the pages! Jodi McAlister’s An Academic Affair is perfect for fans of enemies to lovers rom coms!!

AN ACADEMIC AFFAIR is a fun and tension-filled romance with a lot of good tropes such as rivals-to-lovers, fake dating, marriage of convenience, and one bed. What I really liked was how the fake dating was justified making it feel believable that the characters would actually go for it, considering they have always seen themselves as a competition between two. The pacing also felt believable, not too fast or slow with how the character's feelings develop.

Sadie and Jonah only know each other's competitive sides since the moment they've met. Years later, their latest thing they're competing for is the same job. Sadie proposes a sort of win-win that allows both of them to get a job, the only downside is that they have to legally get married in order to take advantage of the partner hire benefit for the job. Will they make their relationship believable in a way that their closest loved ones will believe? What happens when feelings are starting to catch, if they haven't already been caught? What will it take for the Sadie and Jonah to show their vulnerable sides to one another- their soft and noncompetitive sides?

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Kindle Copy for Review from NetGalley and Atria Books.

I received a free, advance copy of this book and this is my unbiased and voluntary review.

Two rival English professors put aside their trivially in a common goal. They decide to work together in order to accomplish their goal. In doing so their fake relationship ignites sparks. But will they be able to work out things together or will it end up blowing up? It’s a romantic comedy that you will enjoy.

Jodi McAlister has a unique, intelligent voice. I liked that her characters felt fulsome and well developed, while still maintaining the storyline. Sometimes I leave books and don’t feel connected to the story, but I felt like Sadie and I could be friends, which was so refreshing!

There were some quirks with understanding the Australian higher education system as a key part of the storytelling. I’ve only ever been a part of the American education system, but I thought McAlister did a great job making that seem truly background, even thought it was a central part of the story. It did not detract, and if anything added to my enjoyment.

This was my first McAlister but won’t be my last. If you’re like me and have previously enjoyed books by Ali Hazelwood in terms of intelligent characters and a higher education setting, you’ll enjoy this.

Adored this book! I didn’t want my time with Sadie and Jonah to end! A sweet slow burn. I really enjoyed the back drop of academia too. Elias and Julia’s book next?

First, thank you to NetGalley for the eARC of An Academic Affair by Jodi McAlister in return for an honest review.

In this very entertaining slice of life romance novel we meet two perfect academic rivals, Jonah and Sadie, as they navigate their intertwining careers and hardships while simultaneously loving to hate each other.

I personally enjoyed every aspect of this book. It is most definitely a romance but in a very sweet, very smart and very heartwarming way. Told in dual POV (Jonah being my favorite POV) with added footnotes and witty snark, I loved the dive into academia as a career and the intense rivalry that it inspires in those who choose it. I felt as though all characters, not just the two main were well fleshed out and had lives of their owns that we got to peek into.

Worth the read if you love smart characters but also if you like
*rivals to lovers
*marriage of convenience (done with a realistic reason)
*only one bed
*he falls first
*very minimal (some would say non-existent) third act conflict
*slice of life vibes

Im really happy I got to read and review this one!

I was hooked from the first page. Academic rivals since freshman year of college, Sadie and Jonah have refined thier arguementative skills over a decade. I enjoyed thier passion for the literary topics. The family backgrounds are so different and the exploration of how they made Sadie and Jonah who they are was good insight. Sadie was raised by an older sister in a chaotic household. Jonah raised in a rigid & analytical. I appreciate the slow realization Sadie and Jonah have that the marraige of convenience (to gain an academic position) was really based on love.

I liked the conversation and characters. Now to read the author's prior novels.

Thank you for a wonderful story! The book was provided as an ARC by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.