Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

Sadie and Jonah have been academic rivals for 15 years. They’re constantly trying to one up each other in order to come out the victor. When a coveted position opens up, the competition heats up. Jonah wants this position because he will be able to move closer to his sister, who’s going through a messy divorce. But for Sadie, it’s her dream job. When she notices that the job contract offers a partner hire, the two embark on a marriage of convenience. What starts off as a business proposal quickly turns into something more.


This started off with a bang. I loved the banter and rivalry between Jonah and Sadie. It was fiery and really held my interest. Once they got together, the story lost a bit of steam. The pace slowed down quite a bit in the middle of the book, and the story dragged for me. Things do pick up once they admit their feelings for one another. I really liked how Jonah stood up for Sadie time and time again. It was also lovely to see them fighting together against the university system. Their banter is witty, but I also wish we could’ve seen more yearning from both of them and felt more tension as they move from enemies to lovers territory.

The ending was incredibly abrupt, and it didn’t feel like the subplot of their job contracts possibly being taken away was quite resolved.

I loved everything about this book. Jonah and Sadie are academic rivals who enter into a fake marriage contract, and the author turned this into the most meta romance book that I have ever read with tropes that are so well done with references to literary works and wonderful popular romances. There is a self-awareness of its own genre, and Jonah and Sadie are embodiments of Darcy and Elizabeth's characters. I am going to need to track down a signed copy of this book when it publishes.

Thank you Atria and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ARC!

Reading books has given me so much insight into myself and how I view the world, primarily the deeply-rooted struggles and judgements I hold about who I am. I never anticipate getting read like a book, myself, when literally reading a book, but it happens, and An Academic Affair did just that. So much of my self-conscious issues can be found in Sadie and what she believes she deserves (read: very little), and Jonah is more than happy to rewrite that narrative Sadie had crafted for herself. I can only hope and pray I am the lucky recipient of a love like his one day, as well.

Jonah. Sweet, sweet Jonah. I love him. That's all I can say.

I, also, am incredibly thankful that this book does <u>not</u> have a third-act breakup (THANK YOU, JODI), so because of that and the relatability on my part, An Academic Affair is getting five stars from me. I can't wait for this special book to be published and have the rest of the world read and fall in love with the story as much as I did.

I had been waiting for this story ever since I came across the cover art. I enjoy books about professors, academia, and college life. I thought this would be about a professor and student, but it’s about two professors. It was entertaining and funny. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

She had me at eucatastrophe.

Well, that and the ML being a total cinnamon roll beneath the snark honed by an utterly toxic family dynamic.

Enemies to lovers is kind of a knife edge for me. I really enjoy this trope if the conflict is banter that makes me chuckle, rather than bickering in which the two tear at each other at max volume over and over and over again. I want to feel the attraction slowly eroding the snark.

This book carries it off in a style that appealed to me, and did not disappoint. I was dreading the Third Act "big misunderstanding" but guess what! The climaxing run of action arose straight out of the story and watching the two deal was actually a real pleasure.

If you like "academics against the soulless system" stories, banter, and intense family dynamics, here's your romance.

Thank you, SS Atria, for recommending this book, and NetGalley, for providing me with a free eARC for my honest review.
I picked up this book because the synopsis was very intriguing. The fake dating trope is not new, and is arguably one of the most common rom-com tropes, but Jodi McAlister breathed new life into the trope with witty banter, appropriate angst, and comforting fluff.
The footnotes, while original in this particular genre, made it annoying to keep flipping back and forth by pulling me out of the story and making me hunt for the context. After the first 15 or so footnotes, I gave up and continued without the context of the footnotes. I found that I enjoyed the book better when I didn't have to keep flipping, so I stuck with that method.
I give this four out of five stars.

I loved the start of this book. I was laughing and kicking my feet when she thinks about that partner clause and then asks him to marry her. Peak academic rivals to lovers. They are so obsessed and can't function as well academically without each other. But once they moved and started the new job I felt like this book lost steam? It felt like most of the problems disappeared minus stuff with her sister. It picked up again at the end,

Oh my god, this was perfection. A truly incredible rom-com. I haven’t worked in academia but I am a self-professed nerd and I felt so seen. Sadie and Jonah are forever in my heart. Their banter, their drive, their tension - I was swooning all throughout. I could read five books on them. Actually, make it ten books. I will be screaming about this book from the rooftops.

Thank you so much to Atria and Netgalley for this ARC. I read it all in one day and I am so happy.