Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for this eARC. All opinions are my own and this review is written voluntarily.

Bed Chemistry is a fun twist on a romantic comedy where our main characters, Ashleigh and Xander, unexpectedly run into each other at a sleep study. They learn that the study is only seeking out couples for their experiment, and since they are both desperate, they volunteer. Xander is an insomniac while Ashleigh is a recently laid off teacher who is in desperate need for cash. In order to make the study believable, they embark on simulating dates in real life to try and ease the tension they are feeling. Ashleigh has always had negative connotations with dating due to her parents' messy divorce, and Xander starts to show her that maybe feeling a connection isn’t so scary after all.

Overall, I give this book 3.5 stars. It's an average read, but has cute moments and touches on topics like divorce, self sabotage and grappling with a new relationship. The main characters come from completely different backgrounds and it was really sweet to see how their communication evolves throughout the story. This book is a good reminder that staying comfortable and never opening yourself up for new opportunities and relationships is only limiting your true potential.

This ARC came to me at exactly the right time -- that time being mid "Very Good but Very Much A Downer Lit Fic" -- and provided me with a delightful dose of joy and banter...and a hilariously heavy-handed and over-the-top one bed trope.

McKenzie delivers the tension, heat and laughs, forcing her main characters into a forced-proximity, second-chance/right-person-wrong-time, fake-dating, one-bed situation of epic (and medical?) proportions. Eleven years (more on this later) after setting a budding friendship aflame with a one night stand, Xander and Ashleigh find themselves desperate to get into a paid sleep study. Xander's motivations are sleep. Ashleigh's are financial. But when the study is only accepting "couples"...oh noooooo, would you look at that, they have to pretend to be in a relationship and sleep in the same bed!!! Unsurprisingly, this leads to a very fun, sometimes silly, romantic romp that is just the ticket when you need some light escapism (can't imagine why you'd need that).

A good time is had by all.

So long as you can get past the ick of a FMC who literally never shuts up about not believing in love or her very strict One Night Only rules...and who at one point refers to men in fedoras as hot (m'lady). Her mommy/daddy divorce issues lead to her running hot-and-cold and, protesting a bit too much (and hurting Xander, who is just a sweetheart and deserves better). Like, I get it, you've gotta put an obstacle in their way and the obstacle is baggage...but did we need to be directly tripping over it in the text in every scene?

Also, at first, I was like "wow, eleven years is a LONG TIME to carry a torch after basically one week of friendship, one night of debauchery, and ZERO CONTACT SINCE" but then I realized this long of a time gap allowed our characters to be adults in their thirties and I decided to get over it.

In short: She's spicy, she's funny, she's fun, she's a wonderfully silly twist on a genre-beloved trope, she features ADULT HUMANS (one of whom actually consistently behaves as such!) and she probably saved me from a reading slump...thank you so much to Netgalley and Alcove Press for providing me with the e-ARC.

This is one of those books I just LOVED because of the banter, the moments between the FMC and the MMC, the vulnerability, and just the palpable chemistry coming off the pages! 🛏️💖

It's like a long suspenseful, will they or won't they, felt attraction that has you just turning the page. Ashleigh Hutchinson is a recently-fired chemistry teacher who lost her job after being seen kissing a man just outside of school property. She is desperate for money to make rent, and so decides to enlist in a sleep study which pays quite handsomely. She's there and ready to enroll, when she sees her ex--Xander Miller--AKA the "one that got away," or rather, the one she let go because she was too chicken shit to admit her caught feelings and commit to any sort of relationship. Why? Because she lives by rules in her life to safeguard her from experiencing what her parents experienced, and has decided to avoid any sort of meaningful relationship at any cost.

A the last minute, the sleep study announces they are only accepting couples for the study, and without words, the two agree to act the part in order to be accepted for the study.

OF COURSE this means they share one bed for the entirety of the book. Even funnier, they are connected to biofeedback machines (heart rate monitors, etc) which detect any spikes in biofeedback mechanisms....soooooo that part gets pretty funny.

The chemistry between Ashleigh and Xander is undeniable, he's kind and good natured, while also insanely attractive, broody, and firm given his law-degree background. Ashleigh is a hot mess, quirky, and also frustratingly non-committal. But it's truly her MO, so it's expected!

I received this as an ARC, and I found it so enjoyable as an easy read that I bought it after I read it. Soooo it's a 5 star review from me! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Thanks to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the advanced review copy in exchange for my honest review! xo

This book was so fun! I absolutely adored the chemistry between Xander and Ashleigh, and Elizabeth McKenzie's pop culture references and personable voice were a complete delight. If I could change one thing, it would be to give Xander and Ashleigh a little more on-page relationship development, since it mainly was banter and sexual tension and not very much deep connection. Still, I immediately recommended this to my best friends and can't wait to hear what they think!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!!!

Somehow, I think this book kinda won me....

From the banter and sneaky remarks to the childhood trauma and faulty definition of love and lust, I think this book shows how to let people love you and love too.

Em and Ash are such an inspiration for a friendship for life and I kinda envy them if I'm being honest.

I also can, unfortunately, understand Xander's insomnia problems...

Finally, the whole Bone it experience and the rules were kind of cringy... happy Xander shut that off "for the sake of the sleeping study".

DNF

I apologize to the publisher and author, but I did end up DNFing this title.

I knew this might not be the book for me when I read the FMC Ash saying:
"Love and sex: never the two shall meet. You can fall in love, or you can have great sex. But love and chemistry can't coexist".

And she is saying this unironically as an elementary school chemistry teacher. The notion that love and sex can never meet was absolutely wild to me. You can have sex without love, but people who fall in love absolutely can also have great sex. This quote legit shocked me to my core to the point where I was like, "maybe this isn't the book for me".

I also could not stand the FMC Ash. The book starts with her getting fired because she is caught getting groped outside of the school gates and it's against the school's policy for any sexual interactions to occur on school premises. When she is let go, Ash comments, "I just got fired for being the best chemistry teacher in the state who also happens to have a healthy sex life." For someone who claimed their teaching job was so important to them, you'd think they'd follow the simply rule of no sexual intercourse on the school grounds. She just can't seem to wait to get it on with her random hookup from the 'Bone It" app, an app that's all about hooking up and nothing more. Additionally, I couldn't help but think like, Ash you didn't lose your job because you have a healthy sex life, you lost your job because you broke school policy. It annoyed me how much of a brat she was being about it, and how whiny she was at the thought of having to join a sleep study over the summer so she can still pay her rent after getting fired. She legit says she hates the thought of people seeing her sleep--and again I'm like, you hate people seeing you sleep, but you don't mind having sex with strangers you just met...? Her thought process just didn't make sense to me. She then called an attractive guy she sees, "beef-hunk" and I inwardly cringed. Nobody, and I mean NOBODY, talks like that.

Secondly, this author does not shy away from the mention of the real world in her books. Before we even get to 100 pages, there are a few mentions of criminal minds, there's mention of Netflix (FMCs mom has a TV show on Netflix), Chanel, and Cardi B. I'm usually not a stickler when it comes to these types of things, but for me, it was overkill. It was like the author wanted to keep reminding us how "cool" the characters were because look, Ash listens to Cardi B! Or, look how cool Ash's mom is. She wears T-Shirt dress and fancy Chanel earrings. Because she is just so hip and trendy. It just came off as out of touch and was another thing I found annoying that I just struggled to get past.

The book is not about any of those things though. The book is about fake dating. To join the sleep study, Ash has to pretend to be coupled up with an ex sexual partner of hers, Xander since the study decides to only accept couples as the final candidates. There was no build-up to Xander either. Ash is sitting in the clinic and just so happens to look up and see him before they reluctantly and non verbally agree to pretend to be a couple for the money from the sleep study. She just kept having flashbacks of them having sex while he was talking and I just honestly found her character to be too annoying to continue. It got to a point where everything she said and did annoyed me and I realized I wasn't enjoying the story.

Incredible. This book glued me to the pages from start to finish. The voice is sharp and sassy, the banter actually crackles, and the chemistry is spectacular, the addictive push–pull that keeps you saying “just one more chapter” until there aren’t any left.

I was completely giddy reading it, and it has lived rent-free in my head since I finished. The tension never dips, every scene moves the relationship forward or tightens the screw a little more. Xander is my new book boyfriend, utterly magnetic, and the romance balances heat with heart so it never feels empty or overdone.

Overall, a fast, witty, wildly engaging romance that delivered exactly what I wanted, and more. Highly recommend.

Bed Chemistry by Elizabeth McKenzie was everything you need in a romantic comedy book! There was heaps of banter, steamy chemistry and of course a gorgeous mmc!
The story follows Ashleigh as she gets fired from her teaching job just before the summer! She’s desperate for money to pay rent so she signs up for a sleep study only to end up sharing a bed with Xander, one of her one night stands for college! This one bed troupe leads them to arguments, remembering the past and confronting their future.
These characters are sure to have you falling in love with them and rooting for their happy ending!
Rating - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I got through Bed Chemistry in a day. It was a bite of the one-time romcom I lusted for. The lovers dynamics weren't my fav, and something about Ashleigh's character growth, so wrapped in her parents relationship and mother's career, felt a bit much for me personally. I almost feel bad for Xander.

I appreciate the opportunity to read this title, but unfortunately it didn’t quite capture my interest. While the premise was promising, I found it difficult to stay engaged. That said, I’m sure it will find its audience with readers who connect more strongly with the writing style or pacing.

I was smiling in the blurb. That smile grew wider as i read the book. Until my cheeks ached from what these two were doing to me. There chemistry was off the scale and certainly not just kept to the bed.
They clearly love each other too.
The thing that kept them apart was for me how damaged our fmc was. Like all her beliefs needed some proper guidance and healing. This is a woman that cant stand the hurt and pain but self sabotages anything good that gets in the way of her pushing EVERYONE and EVERYTHING away. And its to the extreme.
Our mmc was kind,patient and always trying to reassure and sometimes I felt for them both as at this time in their relationship it was unbalanced with how their support went vice versa esq. But this also felt really true and relatable because this can actually be the way that relationships work. There is a point or point to where one of you needs more right then.
The experiment and forced togetherness was a refreshing take on the trope and it made me giggle when we found out what was going to be happening.
All in all it was a great book. I loved it. I just felt bad I guess with how poorly our face seemed to be.
Their banter and chemistry was fab. The clear care they had for each other was then something heartfelt and I was rooting for the pair to be ok. To be together.

She’s a bit of a hot mess who ghosted The One years ago and he hasn’t slept in years - which could be why he always has amazing “post-sex” hair - and the two coincidentally reconnect in a sleep study. I’d hope to be more swept up in the romance between Ash and Xander once it finally took off (though Ash is thirsty from the start and who can blame her). It feels nitpicky to say that while there’s plenty of physical tension between the two (I’m surprised they didn’t self-combust whenever they were in the same room…well, I guess they metaphorically do), maybe I wanted more of an emotional connection(?). That said, I genuinely enjoyed the contemporary take on the “only-one-bed” trope and the snort laugh-out-loud moments throughout. Also, everyone needs an Em in their life.

This is such a cute and fun book.

I generally don't read a lot of romance books - but this enticed me from the beginning.
The banter was GOLD, very relatable. Flowed very naturally.
The setup/ premise was super intriguing. Really had me turning the pages to see how it played out.

Would recommend for a light-hearted, quick read with a lot of feel good.

"You deny yourself what you really want just to avoid the mess that comes with it... but the mess is the best part."

The unique premise of "Bed Chemistry" drew me in. It's a forced proximity, second chance, fake relationship rom com with a literal "only one bed" plot. The FMC, Ashleigh, is recently jobless and applies to be a sleep study participant. Unfortunately (or fortunately?) the study is looking for couples only. In comes the MMC, Xander, the "one who got away" a lawyer who needs the study because he's an insomniac. Thus begins a month-long bed sharing, and hijinks ensue as old feelings resurface.

The banter is hilarious! I found myself laughing out loud several times at the quick wit between Ashleigh and Xander. They have some great chemistry (both in and out of bed). The sleep study part was a little bit confusing for me, because I still don't really know what they were doing to help with Xander's insomnia--was he doing CBT-I during this? Were they just studying his sleep habits, and, if so, what was the conclusion for treatment? It was a little strange that this wasn't explained, especially since Ashleigh is in the sciences (a chemistry teacher). It felt like just a mechanism for a forced proximity trope.

Xander as the MMC is way too good for Ashleigh. I found myself constantly wondering why he would continuously pursue Ashleigh after she relentlessly pushed him away, both in the past and present. And Ashleigh as the FMC is mostly unlikable. After witnessing her parents' failed relationship, she's taken on her sex therapist mother's (really damaging and brainwashing) stances on love and intimacy. Her continuous regurgitation of mottos such as "Love and chemistry can't coexist" and "Love is family. Sex is fleeting. Marriage is a sham" and "He makes me feel. And feelings are bad," made me want to rip my hair out. Especially seeing how sweet, patient, and adoring Xander was to her time and time again. Ashleigh could do with massive amounts of therapy, but instead she drinks, smokes, and regularly partakes in one night stands. And she worries so much about what her mother thinks about her that she can't see the damage she's done--when she thinks she is catching feelings for Xander, she literally says "If mom found out I'd be shunned. No, I'd be donated to science." When she finds out that her father is remarrying, she is "utterly humiliated for him and his pathetic display." Mind you, this is at the 80% mark of the ebook. The ending fell flat for me because of the slow buildup.

Overall, I liked the premise and humor, but disliked the characters (except Xander who deserved so much more) and the story development.

Thank you Alcove Press and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely loved how different this plot was. It was soo good and awkwardly perfect. I love a good awkward and messy plot it a romance. I feel like this delivered beautifully.

The chemistry was unreal between these two, and with the heart monitors it was like watching the love island spicy heart rate challenge!! The two characters history made this even more hot, and enticing!

The only thing I was a bit confused by is the ending felt a little rushed. I also felt like the FMC grand gesture felt like she didn't want to do it. It was weirdly mixed. If she was more confident in her feelings especially at the end I would have loved this book more and gave it 5 stars. It would have been better to have that level of growth.

Tropes
Second Chance
One Night Stand


🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

This book was such a quirky ride. You think you know exactly where it is headed, but no it surprised me in more ways than one. Obviously there are the tried and true tropes that I love, but the unexpected elements make it so deliciously enjoyable.

Bed Chemistry is messy, funny, and surprisingly heartfelt. Elizabeth McKenzie has this way of writing that makes you laugh one second and then hit you with something tender and real the next.

The story is all about relationships in their most chaotic form, romantic, platonic, and family, and how complicated, awkward, and imperfect love and connection really are. I laughed, I cringed, I rooted for the mess, and I felt so much for these flawed, fascinating characters.

What you will find here:

🛏️ One bed (duh!)
🛖 Forced proximity 

💕 Second chance romance

😂 Witty, offbeat humor

💔 Misunderstanding


Three and a half rounded up to four stars. Overall highly enjoyable!

Thank you to Alcove Press and NetGalley for the early copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Bed Chemistry has an interesting plot and some quirky characters.

It is pretty steamy which I usually enjoy but I think it took away from the romance.
I have to say that the main character insistence on being emotionally unavailable really grated on my nerves as it was constantly repeated.
I liked her job and thought that the reason for losing her job was completely ridiculous and unjust. I loved her relationship with her best friend.
At times I simply couldn't feel the chemistry between main characters.
It was fast paced and solid read.

This was a cute book! It was a little flat at times and the buildup was either too fast or too slow at points. I was definitely uncomfy at some of the early scenes during the sleep study! Haha

I received an ARC of from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

So here's the thing, this is an amazing premise. Genuinely amazing premise. I love the forced proximity, the pairing of a lawyer and a chemistry teacher who doesn't believe in real life chemistry. It's such a great premise and seeing it in action is fab.

But it's not perfect, the first part of the book is slow to get into in my opinion, I found it hard to get into until the 75 page mark even though the plot is moving fast. I also would've loved Xander's POV, I know that's a huge ask but Ash's POV was very tiring at points and honestly I want to know how Xander read the book - did he highlight places, did he throw it at a wall? I NEED to know these details.

Also as an educator, I feel like Ash wasn't really distraught enough for the whole getting fired wrongly thing, especially when she does - at the very end mind you - go through with a court case. It felt very much unexplored and it would've been great to get it fully explored.

The humour was great, dry humour is definitely my style, but these two are ANIMALS, really horny animals lmao. I was kicking my feet with laughter when Xander put Ash's mum in her place with his lawyer voice, I was cheering because her mum clearly needs to be in therapy.

Overall good read, even better when read curled up in bed.

This was such a fun book! The story was very interesting and had so many fun moments. I loved the banter between the main characters.