Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for the ARC of this book! I loved the idea behind this book, but unfortunately An Academic Affair fell a little flat for me. The ending also came out of nowhere and felt very abrupt. I did like the character development though, and thought Jonah was so sweet. I do hope there’s another book following the story of some of the side characters like Fiona. I would say that this was a quick & easy ‘enemies to lovers’ read that I enjoyed overall though.

I looooved this story! Enemies to lovers done right in an academic setting with delicious banter. Sadie and Jonah had insane chemistry and a long history and I loved watching them together.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria for the ARC of this book.

This book was a nice delightful, it went a different way than I expected and it did not disappoint!

If you like stories about professors and enemies to lovers then this is for you!

Thank you once again!

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a fun book! I loved the characters a lot.

4.5 stars

I loved every single thing about this book. The yearning, the slow burn, the conflicts, the way Jonah isn't threatened by Sadie's intelligence but instead is mesmerized by it. I don't ty[ically love the forced proximity and fake dating tropes, but both were beautifully executed in this book. The only reason I gave 4.5 stars instead of 5 was because the ending was ever so slightly rushed and I wish I got to read more about Sadie and Jonah's relationship as a true couple.

#IndigoEmployee

I wanted to like this book sooooo badly and, for the most part, I did.

An Academic Affair featured a believable enemies-to-lovers trope with hilarious banter. The main characters were both Doctors in the academic field and the vocabulary and quotes used throughout definitely supported it. And you all know I love a book with Dual POV.

Jonah, the MMCs, section featured footnotes throughout, which was okay with the digital version. I could click the footnote reference number and it would take me back and forth from where I was in the book and the footnote associated. I'm not sure how this feature would be in a physical version of the book. Probably not as convenient as the digital version.

The parts I wasn't fond of (without spoilers)
○ Chess was my least favorite character. I don't know what's going on with her and I'm disappointed that I didn't receive any answers.
○ The ending lacked for me and left me literally saying out loud, "That's it?"
○ I am not good with so much angst. This is a personal preference, but I was annoyed that the lovers part took so long to get to.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and kept finding myself drawn to it and always wanting to keep reading. I would definitely recommend if you enjoy enemies-to-lovers in an academia environment.

*Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for this ARC in exchange for this honest review.*

I loved how real this book felt, even with the marriage of convenience trope which is tough to make real. I also love how, while it tackled very real subjects, still felt low-stakes enough to enjoy without stress. also, I LOVE a man who yearns

Jonah and Sadie have been academic rivals for years, and the book wastes no time diving into their history of ceasefires and clashes. Starting with that breakdown was a smart move—it pulled me in right away and set the tone for everything that followed.

They work in the same department but don’t exactly get along. Sadie sees Jonah as a “nepo baby” because of his dad’s reputation in the field, while Jonah’s been quietly crushing on her for years. That mix of tension and unspoken feelings creates some strong chemistry between them.

The story builds around their competition for a major career opportunity, and the stakes feel real. There’s also a layer of family dynamics, sibling tension, and a few unexpected elements—like hot winemaker brothers and a fake marriage—that keep things interesting without feeling overdone.

I really enjoyed this one. The pacing was solid, the characters felt believable, and the push-pull between Jonah and Sadie kept me invested. If you like stories with rivals, layered relationships, and a little emotional depth, this is worth picking up.

I am a sucker for an academic rivalry... especially between two people so obviously lost for one another.
The relationship between Sadie and Jonah was beautifully fleshed out and I loved getting to be in both of their heads.
Now Chess.. I hated that women. Like the whole book would have been 20xs better if she wasn't in it. I refuse to accept what she did as a misunderstanding and I hate how quickly Sadie forgave her for literally abandoning her.
That being said this ebook really needs some reformatting. There were parts that were hard to understand and the footnotes were fun but not exactly easy to navigate.
All in all I enjoyed the book and was happy to give a new to me author a shot. I would definitely Jump head first into another book in this world (Elias/Julia, Fiona/Satoshi, Maybe even Chess/ Isamu?)

4.5 stars

I really enjoyed this book. The characters felt so real and perfectly flawed. Sadie and Jonah had that quiet sort of love; it was always there. This was a slow burn, and I loved it. On the page, Jonah's feelings for Sadie are there, but for Sadie, you get to see her unravel her feelings for Jonah until she sees that she has always loved him. This book was a breath of fresh air. The characters acted like adults, and they were developed enough that the Dual Pov was clear. I never needed to ask myself "whose pov is this" (this sadly has happened enough times), and best of all, no third-act breakup. The only thing I wish was that the final conflict had been introduced earlier, and we had gotten to see more of the process of fixing it.

Rivals to lovers, marriage of convenience, he falls first and one bed…only the best romance troupes! This story had me laughing out loud from the intellectual sparring.

I loved this book and its characters so much. The enemies to lovers plot was executed well and the character development was wonderful. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with with this arc <3

I love enemies to lovers, especially when one of the main characters doesn't want to be the enemy. In this book we follow Jonah and Sadie as they compete and navigate the Australia academia world. The yearning in this book was the absolute best. Jonah is one of my favorite MMC this year! Also, the sibling relationships and struggles was so real. I cannot wait to read more books by this author!

I’d like to thank the author and NetGalley for this ARC! All opinions are my own :)

This is a really cute story with some great characters. I liked the setting being academia as well as the realistic plot points of the struggle of finding a secure job. This is perfect for fans of rivals to lovers-fake dating-and he falls first! The banter between the two main characters is top notch.

I did not love Chess as a character though. I don’t love the way her relationship ends with Sadie at the conclusion of the book. It felt unnecessary.

loved the fake dating relationship and the aspect of it being academic/ teacher teacher relationship/ grumpy and fighting! i loved the book and couldn’t put it down!

Rivals to lovers is actually my middle name so we knew how I was going to feel about this one. This book is the most top notch yearning I’ve read in a while with a love confession that genuinely had my jaw on the floor. Enemies/rivals to lovers banter is always the best and this was no different. This felt like such a unique premise and the book itself felt so cozy and I had such a good time reading it. This was the perfect use of a dual pov, if we didn’t have Jonah’s pov this would’ve been an entirely different book so I’m so glad we did. Rivals that argue incessantly but would also defend the other to anyone else, plus the rivals to friends to lovers pipeline (but the love has always kinda been) there is just elite. This was so cute I love them.

Sadie Shaw and Jonah Fisher have been academic nemeses for almost two decades, starting with undergrad through their PhDs in Australia. Now, when they are up for the same permanent position in Tasmania, their competition becomes even more intense. Here comes the fake-romance part--since the position offers a partner hire option, Jonah and Sadie get married. For the job, but maybe for more?

This was such a fun, refreshing romance. The best romances are about the romance but also about the people in it-- their family relationships, their baggage, their hopes and dreams. As someone who has lived through post-graduate life, I know that McAlister describes so very accurately the life--how hard getting your PhD is and then how hard life is after, and she doesn't shy away from talking about the poverty of post-grads and their unglamorous lives.

I was fortunate enough to get a pre read from
Net galley and I am so happy I did! This book was well written, the characters had depth and told a great story. I was eager to see where this story went and was tempted to stay up late every night devouring more and more of their story. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a well written, enemies to friends story with complicated family backgrounds and character evolutions. I hope this book turns into a series as there are a lot of great characters with potential for side stories to really tie these characters together.

An Academic Affair was such a fun, clever read. Sadie Shaw and Jonah Fisher have been academic rivals for years, constantly butting heads over lectures, publications, and recognition. When a coveted tenure track job opens in Hobart, they both want it. Sadie realizes the contract includes a clause for partner hire and proposes to Jonah so they can both get jobs, and divorce later. What starts as a professional arrangement quickly becomes far more complicated in the best possible way.

I loved how this book managed to feel so smart while still being an easy, engaging read. The banter between Sadie and Jonah was sharp and funny, and their alternating perspectives gave so much depth to their relationship. The use of endnotes was a brilliant touch, adding humor and insight in such an academic way, and I’ve truly never read a romance that used them like this before.

This is a romance that delivers both brain and heart in equal measure!

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

"I never really dreamed of having a husband," she said, "but if I had, I would have dreamed of one like you."

Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️

After spending years as academic rivals, Sadie Shaw and Jonah Fisher find themselves competing for the same permanent position. The stakes are high - Sadie needing the stability and freedom of a job, while Jonah needs the job to move closer to his recently-divorced sister. Sadie discovers a way that they can both get their way, through a partner clause in their contract. The only stipulation is.... - that they have to get married.

This book was gorgeous. When I wasn't reading it I was thinking about them, and so eager to dive back in. There's so many details I appreciated - Sadie's love for romance novels (with winks to beloved books and authors I love as well), to Jonah's footnotes that I was always eager to flip to. I am such a fan of marriage of convenience novels and I feel like that's a difficult trope to pull off in a contemporary romance, but it was handled so so well and I was grinning the whole time as they were working out the details. The POVs were such a treat, getting to see each side's views on each other (forever in love with how head-over-heels Jonah is, and how Sadie is hit with her realization so suddenly and completely) - the flashbacks and years spent together truly flesh out their world and relationship and so draw you in.

Every character captured my attention as well - I loved the (heart-aching) conflict between Sadie and Chessie (and how Jonah accurately critiques it, that layer was so fun), and the relationships between everyone as ties were strained and bonded and forged stronger was so emotionally satisfying to read. It had me hoping for more (will Elias and Julia reconnect? What about Fi and Satoshi?? Did I sense a connection between Chess and Isamu?? If there was ever more of them & their world I would so inhale it!) but also just so happy to have shared this slice of their life with them.

This is theeee perfect read for anyone who's found a home in literature, who loves a soft romance, who loves sisters and family, who finds a sort of thrill in arguing, and those who love a happy ending. Right away I could tell how close to the heart this had to have been for the author, and there's so much love poured into every page - and I know you will love this, too.

Tropes & Tags:
📖rivals-to-lovers
💖fake-dating / marriage of convenience
📖 he falls first
💖doctor & doctor
📖 only one bed
💖 grumpy x grumpier
📖 fighting (arguing) as foreplay
💖 soft academia
📖 slow burn

[I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review, thank you so much NetGalley, Jodi McAlister and Atria Books! 📖]