Nerdy girl and nerdy guy from opposite sides of the theoretical physics divide come together in a workplace rivals to lovers romp around the laboratory. With a dash of "You've Got Mail", a nasty misgynist in their midst and a dog named Bunsen, Talk Data to Me is STEM-inist forward romance that will sit tucked next to your AH favourites or first year uni physics textbook.

This is a tricky one. On one hand, the story is well crafted and the charatcers, Erin and Ethan, have more backbone than the stock standard romantic protagonists. However, I am concerned that they don't have the 'loveableness" that other STEM based power couple characters have. I do wonder if the heavy physics lexicon is where the characters will loose the reader. I do not doubt the characters were their authentic best when splitting hairs, atoms and electrical conduit but, the physics talk is laid on so thick it feels like I'm in the wrong room with people speaking a different language at times. I felt I needed to read the words but they meant nothing to me and that felt wasteful of overall wordcount that could have gone to the parts of the story I loved.

I loved the "You've Got Mail" element, Bunsen and the "stick it to the establishment". I would have loved the badguy confrontation to be really bad. His comeuppance felt like it fizzed.

I was uncomfortable with the petty power plays that punctuated the first part of the story. If they had an element of hijinks rather than dangerous (personal and professional) I would have felt differently.  There was great potential for a light segway/scooter double-dink scene that might have balanced out the less savoury sabotage.

I'm definitely interested in more from this author.  I look forward to Book 2- I wonder if having a greater range of locations and potential shenanigans will allow the author the freedom to lean into her characters.

With thanks to the author, Atlantic Books and NetGalley for the eARC to read ahead of publication.
All thoughts and opinions are my own.

DNF

unfortunately I struggled to connect within the first 25%.
The plot line was not gripping and I didn’t feel a connection with either Erin or Ethan.

As this was a debut, I did want to love it and shout from the rooftops but it just fell flat and a tad childish for me.

A nice dive back into STEM romance for me and I liked the way that Ethan and Erin's relationship was developed and the rivalry they had as well as the unexpected common ground. The workplace was certainly a toxic environment in some ways which is often reflected in STEM fiction so there were some elements to cause a little rage but overall it's quite a relaxed read with a little competition that sometimes gets out of hand, but we also see representations of anxiety and some lovely You've Got Mail style connection. There was a fair bit of science talk that went right over my head and made the reading a little more challenging at times - even when they're explaining things in layman terms, but clearly physics isn't for me!

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

This book was written only for people with an understanding of physics. I have never felt so dumb reading a book before and I have a college degree. This book was meant for a way too narrow audience and I won’t be recommending it to anyone.

This was a fun, nerdy romance with a strong STEM vibe! Erin and Ethan are rival physicists who are forced to work together, and of course, sparks fly. I enjoyed the enemies to lovers dynamic, and their anonymous online chats were a cute twist .
The banter was great, and I appreciated Erin as a smart, confident woman in science. Ethan was a solid grumpy but also soft man, and their chemistry built up slowly, which I liked. The science talk, though, did get a little dense at times, I found myself skimming some of the jargon because whether is my age or just the culture younger people live now, I just couldn’t get into those parts. Still, this was a charming romance with warmth and wit that many readers might love, even if it didn’t completely work for me.
Very grateful to the publisher for my copy through NetGalley, opinions are my own

I love a STEM romance book. And there was something really intriguing about having to google certain scientific words and phrases, so I could understand what they were talking about throughout the book.
Not heavy on the spice and focuses more on the plot which is sometimes rare these days in romance books.
Definitely will recommend.

It was an average read for me, i dived in expecting more but I felt underwhelmed after the story got finished. The plot felt dull and though there were some cute moments, overall i craved for more vibe. There should have been more character development and depth in back stories.

As a woman in a STEM field, I absolutely loved the viewpoint of this book. It was wonderful seeing the women characters in the book presented as strong and taking leadership roles. The more role models women have (even if it is in fiction) is nice to see.

I picked this book for the romance aspect, however, too much of the story was spent explaining the characters roles and theories for their respective physics applications. I felt that the author spent way too much time focused on this and not enough time focused on developing her characters.

I would have loved to see more explanation for why the characters did the things they did. For example, Ethan seemed to develop a high level of anxiety at the end of the story, but it was not as present throughout.

In the end, I did enjoy the story once the main characters decided they liked one another.

As a self confessed science girlie, I'm really enjoying the growth of STEM based rom-coms.  There will never be enough of these for me.

This rivals to lovers, workplace romcom was a great debut novel in my opinion.  We had mistaken adversity, prank wars, petty bickering and banter.  There was even a forced proximity element.

Erin and Ethan are two dissimilar peas in a pod.  Even though they think they aren't even the same species, everyone around them sees the sparks. I struggled with Ethan initially as I thought he was so "doormat" like when it came to his boss.  I much preferred the ballsy, say what's on her mind Erin.  However, together these two chip off all the sharp corners and were really cute together.

The obligatory misogynistic, high-handed physicist really scraped every nerve ending I had and really reminded me of two many odious bosses I've had over the years. I also enjoyed the nurturing approach Erin took with the new interns, there was no gatekeeping or trying to keep out future academic rivals here. There are plenty of diverse characters (although some could have done with a bit more characterisation/relevance). There are low/medium spicy scenes and some great office nookie.

I did feel a bit overwhelmed with all the physics - I felt like I was in a Stephen Hawking book with no crib notes sometimes! Whilst I have a background in science, I struggled with the theories and lingo at times (to be brutally honest it could have been cut down quite a bit and wouldn't have impacted the story too much).

I really wanted to like this book but I just couldn't get into it and had to DNF it. The writing was too heavy on the science jargon that I found myself skipping through a lot of the pages. While I generally love a good enemies to lovers trope, the angst between these two felt very childish - down to the acts like slashing her tires, taking all the oat milk, etc, We are PhD doctorates?! Thank you for the opportunity to review this ARC!

3.5⭐️ rounded to 5

Thank you to Rose McGee, Atlantic Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy of Talk Data to Me, releasing August 7th 2025 in the UK.

This book was very heavy on the physics and as someone with a background and significant interest in physics, things made sense however if you didn’t have this, I feel that you may struggle. I also think that it was too physics for a romance book, however interesting it was.

The romance in the story was well written but be aware that this is a very slow burn.

All in all, I enjoyed reading this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Talk Data to Me is a fun STEM-themed rivals-to-lovers romance set in a competitive physics lab. Think Love on the Brain meets You’ve Got Mail, with a touch of scientific sabotage. Erin and Ethan’s chemistry, both virtual and real, is pretty entertaining, and I appreciated the focus on women in science and the realistic look at academic pressure. I'm a woman in STEM myself and could relate to a fair bit of it.

That said, the story is a bit heavy on physics jargon, which might be overwhelming for some readers (even those with a STEM background). The pacing was also a bit slow at the start, and the rivalry’s origin felt a little contrived. Still, once the romance takes center stage, the story picks up and becomes much more enjoyable.

Bonus points for the badass FMC and a scientist’s pet named Bunsen, adorable! A good pick for fans of slow burn, academic tension, and secret identity romance.

You wouldn't believe this was a debut, it was that good!

While I don't read many STEM romances, this one was so compelling, even the science part was interesting and so well explained. I loved the characters and the seamless way their relationship evolved. At times I felt their rivalry was a bit too much, but it never became truly dangerous and it got solved nicely.

I also liked the way the "problem" was handled, and how the story shone a light on the hardships and abuses that can arise in a STEM workplace, no matter the gender.

Somehow, page by page this book wrapped me in its magic and I couldn't put it down. I am grateful to have received it in order to share my view on it, it's nicely written, beautifully built and the tension is sizzling, so all wins!

This book was ok. As a teacher, I liked the concept of the book, but it was a bit confusing and took me awhile to read it. I almost DNF. It had a lot of tech/Stem jargon that even I didn't get.

Talk Data to Me is such a fun, nerdy, heart-squeezing gem of a romance! If you love the enemies-to-lovers trope with a STEM twist, this one’s for you. Erin and Ethan are rival physicists—both brilliant, both stubborn, and both absolutely clueless about their chemistry (the emotional kind, not lab-related... well, maybe both). I loved how their anonymous online connection slowly tangled with their very real, competitive academic lives. The banter? Top tier. The tension? Chef’s kiss. And don’t even get me started on the golden retriever—adorable chaos. What makes this book extra special is how it tackles gender bias in science while still keeping things light, swoony, and delightfully geeky. Erin’s voice is sharp, funny, and relatable, and Ethan is the perfect mix of grumpy and golden-hearted. Honestly, this is the rom-com every science-loving reader deserves. Can’t wait to see what Rose McGee writes next—this debut is a total win!

If given the chance I'd probably give this book a 3.5/5 star rating.

I am going to feel like such a hypocrite writing this review.... but alas....

Let me start off with the idea that.... I love nerdy romances. I love the "it's always been you" romances and I love strong FMC's who not only rescue themselves but the MMC as well....

However, this romance might have been a little too nerdy. I felt like I would have needed a stronger foundational understanding of astrophysics, string theory and quantum mechanics to be able to really get into the book (and I do I have a fair understanding of all of these, especially as an artsy, science data makes my head hurt type of person). I did read this book while on the plane and without internet access and would have greatly benefitted from being able to look up ideas, references and terms on wikipedia etc while I was reading. But... should we have to read books like that to be able to enjoy them? I often do look things up because I'm curious but in this case I felt like I would have almost needed to to better understand/connect with the characters and the book.

However, I enjoyed how well the characters were juxtaposed, that the FMC was a strong scientist knowing of her worth and unwilling to compromise for the needs of men, while the MMC was actually the scientist being taken advantage of by his boss. And how her loving and supportive upbringing helped her to know how she deserved to be treated while his manipulative/performative parents laid the foundation of him feeling like he always needed to prove himself and that when something was wrong it was his fault (or hers).

I want to say the sciency friends of Ali Hazelwood who wanted more science in her books will enjoy this. Equally Romance Readers who are looking for a little existentialism with their romance will enjoy this book. It just didn't hit the mark for me.

Will return later to add goodread link.

This was exactly the nerdy rom-com serotonin boost I needed.

Talk Data to Me has all the cozy enemies-to-lovers chaos I crave, wrapped up in lab coats, academic snark, and a perfectly executed You’ve Got Mail-style twist. Erin and Ethan have legendary rivalry energy. They're sharp, competitive, and constantly bickering over lab space and coffee. But underneath the academic tension? Glorious, slow-burn chemistry and some deeply satisfying emotional payoff.

The online alter ego setup through the sci-fi magazine was such a fun twist. It’s clever, heartfelt, and full of moments that made me grin like an idiot. Watching these two go from virtual connection to real-life collaboration was a joy. I loved how the anonymity gave them space to be softer, more vulnerable, and a little bit weird in ways they couldn’t quite be face-to-face… until they could.

Erin is sharp and ambitious with just enough awkward to be endearing, and Ethan’s “grumpy with a hidden heart of gold” energy totally worked for me. Their banter was A+, their connection felt earned, and the whole story had a warm, affirming undercurrent that balanced the competitive tension beautifully.

Perfect for fans of Ali Hazelwood’s STEMinist romances who want something equally brainy, bantery, and full of heart.

Talk Data To Me by Rose McGee

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Atlantic Books for this ARC!

Talk Data To Me is a delightful STEMinist romcom that hits all the right notes for fans of the rivals-to-lovers trope.

Rose McGee crafts a witty and engaging story around Dr. Erin Monaghan and Dr. Ethan Meyer, two brilliant physicists whose legendary lab rivalry turns unexpectedly steamy when their online alter egos connect through a sci-fi magazine.

The chemistry between Erin and Ethan is electric—both in the lab and out—and McGee does a fantastic job blending nerdy banter, scientific intrigue, and emotional depth.

The workplace dynamics, especially the challenges Erin faces as a woman in STEM, are handled with nuance and authenticity.
Plus, the inclusion of pseudonyms, mistaken identities, and a lovable dog adds layers of charm.

While some of the scientific jargon required a second read, it was worth it for the immersive experience.

The pacing dragged slightly in the middle, but the payoff was satisfying.

If you love smart heroines, grumpy golden-retriever-type heroes, and a romance that’s equal parts flirty and heartfelt, this one’s for you.

📊 Sparks + spreadsheets = a romcom worth reading!

What to expect:

Enemies-to-lovers? ✔️
Nerdy banter? ✔️
Secret online identities? ✔️
A dog named Schrödinger? (Okay, not really—but close!) 🐶

If you love smart, flirty, feel-good reads with a side of science, this one’s for you.

Rating: 2/5
Dr. Erin Monaghan and Dr. Ethan Meyer have two completely different theories about physics -- Quantum vs Relativistic. Their feud started 3 years prior, when Erin accidentally signed some papers to have Ethan's in-progress publication get released to the journal before it was completed, making him look a fool. However, when Erin's story gets published in a sci-fi magazine under the pen name, Aaron Forester, and Ethan's (Bannister -- artist name) drawing of a black hole gets paired with it, the two start talking over text. They start to realize that they are more alike than they think.

I really liked the concept of this book, but the execution hit the mark for me. I love a good enemies to lovers, but this one just felt immature with the pranks. I also felt like the physics jargon was a little too much for the common reader. I am a STEM girlie, too, and it was still too much. Another thing that bothered me in this book was how the POV would change in the middle of the chapter -- it was super confusing. This story took me way too long to get through...

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

Interesting STEM story.
This was a different journey for me, as someone outside of the STEM/physics field. Erin is a newer scientist at a laboratory where Ethan is established under a bigwig award-winning scientist. They have a lot of reasons to dislike each other and are then thrown together on a big project despite their regular arguments. There are elements to enjoy in this, they have a nice adversarial tension. But the story structure is unusual in that the inciting event is far into the story and the characters' inner conflicts are addressed and resolved fairly late in the game. The science, which is very real and complicated, takes up a good portion of this romance to the point where it obstructs some of the emotional connection that I typically am looking for.

I really enjoyed the Steminist aspect of this story and am hopeful for upcoming books with more character development focus and adherence to the romance beats structure.

Special thanks to Atlantic Books and NetGalley for the ARC.