When I think of Chemistry teachers, FMC Ashleigh is not what I would expect, she’s more like the high schoolers she teaches during the day. Well she did until she gets fired for what some would call inappropriate behavior of a teacher (wasn’t anything illegal). Needing money to pay rent while she looks for work Ash joins a sleep study paired with a college one night stand she hasn’t seen in 11 years. The sparks between Ash and Xander were flying off the pages right from the start and seriously didn't let up until the last page. But Ash is so phobic of love and relationships, being taught by her mom first hand through mom’s book, radio and tv show deal on how crap relationships and love are. She was cheated on by Ash’s dad so her mom has a warranted reason for being gun shy, but it saddens me when parents issues are put upon their kids, and this fell right on that line. I liked Ash. Honestly it took me about 1/3 into the book before I was able to stop cringing from some embarrassing moments Ash has with Xander, very Bridget Joneses Diary like, so if that kind of kooky personality isn’t your cup of tea be warned, but I found her funny as hell. Her and her bestie Em were hot messes but god they were so fun to read their interactions throughout. I’d love a book where Em is the FMC if that could happen! I laughed throughout, my heart raced on what was going to happen until the final page!! Definitely one of my 2025 favorites.


My favorite quote of the book, there were so many: “Nothing is crazier than a grown-ass woman being convinced that it’s a good idea to regularly put molten hot wax on her vulva.” Haha

NetGalley provided me this ARC for my honest opinion.

The chemistry was strong in this one! We have a Golden retriever MMC in Xander and a Hot mess FMC with Ashleigh. This was such a unique premise that forced committment shy Ashleigh to spend a month of nights sleeping in the same bed as her college ex Xander. This book had only a bit of spice, but loads of sexual tension. It was a fun and emotional story that I could not put down.

WHAT A COUPLE, FRIENDS. WHAT A COUPLE >>>>>>>> The whole idea of being a social experiment to win something while they pretend to be a couple is like a mastermind. The chemistry between them grows in such a delightful way to follow through the pages. It's not over the top. Everything is perfectly balanced. This romance is what I hope for when I find and search for a fake dating relationship!!!!
Thank you NetGalley and the author for the eARC.

This book has so much potential to be an incredible rom com; Ashleigh is a chemistry teacher that for fired of her job, and to cover her rent, she sings up to participate in a month study. What she didn’t know it was that this was a couples-only kind of study, and she agrees to fake date, nobody else than one of her night stands from 11 years ago…that she ghosted!
There’s a lot of banter, tension, pining, fake dating and specially second chance but somehow there’s sooo little plot. The characters were flat and the way the story was written, you dont get any depth or development from them.
The FMC, Ashleigh being a chemistry teacher, felt so dumb through the book, because she and the MMC, Xander, were so emotionally unavailable more than 3/4 of the books, and then, magically they were so in love, while spending all their nights in the sleep study eee they were supposed to be recorded, follow some rules, are monitored for heart rate spikes, how many sleep hours they have, etc, but they just do whatever they want, and nothing else. Ashleigh and Xander didn’t even arrive together at this place, or spent significant time together outside, so everything felt so rushed and without enough substance.
She had a lot of baggage from her parents messy divorce and her mom’s book, which could’ve being explored more and gave her a great moment of realization of the way she treats relationships in her life, or grand gesture towards her love interest, but nothing happened.

It could’ve been written differently, but at the end of the day, was a light read and i can see tropes and certain moments that people can like.

“I received a complimentary copy of this book by Thomas Nelson Fiction and NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a fun light read with a premise I haven't heard of. Great for a nice book on a road trip!

Ashleigh Hutchinson is a chemistry teacher who gets fired on the last day of school because her hookup was a little handy when he met her in the school parking lot at the end of the school day. It's terrible because she doesn't have money to pay rent.

To make money to agrees to do a sleep study for 4 weeks to make eight thousand dollars. The only problem is that she has to pretend to be in a relationship with Xander. A guy she ghosted after a one night stand 11 years ago. He's hot and educated and she's does not date.

Bed Chemistry

Author: Elizabeth McKenzie
Publisher: Alcove Press
Release: December 9, 2025

Thank you @alcovepress and @netgalley for an advanced #gifted eARC of Bed Chemistry

Bed Chemistry answers the question, ‘Can love and chemistry coexist?’

Ash has a strict no relationships rule. She never goes beyond one date to mask catching feelings and hurt. She finds her fun through a dating app. However she’s fired for her job for kissing her one night stand on school property and is left to find summer rent money and a new job.

Ash signs up for a paid monthly sleep study at UCLA sleep lab. What she didn’t know was they needed couples only…and the one night stand from 11 years ago agrees to a fake relationship and to help cure his insomnia.

I purposely read this book at night and it helped set the scene. If you’ve ever had a sleep study this was spot on. One bed. Wired bodies. Cameras. Microphones. No raising of heart rates. No sex. Do it “For the sake of the sleep study.”

I thoroughly enjoyed Bed Chemistry. Xander and Ash finally got their second chance at chasing their chemistry. They rewired their brain and hearts to reach happiness and most importantly feel love. This was a fresh take on pseudoscience and the effects of divorce. Witty, funny, and just enough tension to build up to their rule breaking conclusion.

Bed Chemistry is like if a rom-com and a science fair project had a flirty, chaotic baby. The banter? Sharp. The chemistry? Unhinged (in the best way). I spent half the book yelling “JUST KISS ALREADY” and the other half fanning myself.

I really enjoyed this book - it was a good take on the 'one bed' trope and second chance romance. I liked that the character's backstories made sense to who they were in the present plot. I loved reading them finding each other again, and being able to have a second shot.

I found it lighthearted, and an enjoyable read. Would be a good easy read or for a book club!

I really enjoyed this book, I found it to be a fun read full of banter. I love how unapologetic Ashleigh is about her personality and sexuality and the relationship that forms between the 2 main characters. I loved the storyline however I do feel like there is a few plot holes that make it a bit confusing throughout the book. I didn't particularly like Ashleigh's mum and the way Ashleigh let her mums book dictate her life and how she sees love and relationships
Thank you NetGalley and Elizabeth Mackenzie for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book

This was a great story!! I loved the banter and the background history of Xander and Ashleigh. This was such a different romance book but it was wonderful. I have no notes. I really enjoyed this book.

Ashleigh needs the extra money and Xander wants to figure out how to sleep better. They are forced to fake being a couple after their past one night stand so they can join a sleep experiment. They try and see if they can get away with the fake relationship to stay in the experiment. This was an okay read but it felt like the romance and relationship was lacking.

Read if you like:
🛌 Enemies to Lovers
🛌 Fake Dating
🛌 Forced Proximity

Thank you to the publishers and NetGally for this Advanced Release copy. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Bed Chemistry is a good time! After losing her job Ashleigh needs money and ends up at a sleep study. She runs into Xander a friend turned one night stand she ghosted in college. They realize the sleep study is only for couples and quickly decide to fake a relationship. Thirty nights of one bed, forced proximity, fake dating shenanigans ensue.

I instantly loved Ash (and her best friend, Em). Xander was pretty swoony from the start. Their relationship was cute, even if sometimes frustrating because of Ash's warped views on love that she got from her parents. But every story has to have a bit of conflict and this one had a happy ending. A fun read for sure!

time of DNF: 2% - Honestly from the author’s note I had a feeling this wouldnt be for me, but in actuality the writing was what made me realize it indeed was not

thank you so much to netgalley and alcove press for this arc to review nonetheless!

I found this book on a whim, and THANK GOODNESS I did. This was so much fun, tension-filled, and so funny, with a healthy dose of mommy issues.

Our FMC, Ash, is a commitment-phobe with some serious divorced parents trauma, who runs into her ex-friend? situationship? hook-up? and realizes that not only is he still hot, but the chemistry that she's been in denial about since their "moment" 11 years ago, is still very much present. She is hilarious, a little frustrating, a lot pent up, and just a little messy. Xander is hot, horny, and has way more self-control than anyone should.

Anyone who loves tension, a one-bed trope, and a man with floppy hair, this is a must-read.

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

Set in the Los Angeles area, high school chemistry teacher Ashleigh has just lost her job. She needs to make rent, so she signs up for a sleep study. The problem? Only couples are needed at this point. Good thing her one night stand from eleven years ago is also there, desperate for help sleeping. Ashleigh and Xander haven't seen each other since that night, but surely they can pretend to be a couple for four weeks?

This book examines hook up culture and the emotional scars that family can leave. Ashleigh has been living her life by her mom's manifesto, but not finding real joy or happiness. Xander has always been the one that could have been if she ever did love. They have immediate physical chemistry (lust) with the relationship building over the book (love). I found the discussion of the two very interesting.

This premise was also perfect for those awkward, cringe moments. Ashleigh just couldn't catch a break sometimes. It was a little surprising that the sleep study scientists didn't notice more issues between these two. Ashleigh's best friend was a delight. The absolute best moment was when Xander picked apart her mom's book to her face, priceless!

If you liked Overruled by Lana Ferguson or Below Zero by Ali Hazelwood, I think this could be a good fit.

This romance features:
🛏 Second Chance
🛏 One Bed
🛏 Golden retriever MMC
🛏 One-night stand only FMC
🛏 Sizzling sexual chemistry
🛏 Forced Proximity
🛏 Single POV

Open door / spicy!

3.5 / 5 stars

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this eARC!

What a fun read, an absolute joy.

*Second chance romance
*One bed
*Fake dating
*Banter

Ash is a chemistry teacher who doesn't believe in love. After watching her parents go through a horrible divorce, she decides it's not for her and protects herself the only way she knows how.
The rules are simple, no dating, no sleepovers and no repeat partners.
Xander was the one who made her doubt herself, but she was never going to see him again, so it didn't matter.
11 years later after getting fired and needing cash, Ash signs up for a sleep study where she runs into Xander again. They don't need any more single participants, so they team up and pretend to be a couple. The chemistry is still there and now they have to sleep next to each other for a month.

I absolutely love that Ash was so open and unapologetic about her sexual needs. She didn't feel the need to pretend that she didn't have a libido and that is refreshing. I loved that she was imperfect and that she had some growth. She was literally a woman doing her best to survive after the people that were meant to protect her when she was a kid, let her be caught up in their divorce. It sucks for her that her response was so extreme, but we all react differently to stuff. Ash has a lot of layers and the way you see more of who she is as the book progresses was cool.

The banter between Ash and Xander was so fun. Their chemistry was off the charts and i really liked that they were consistent in their behaviour and interactions with everyone. I liked how they got to know each other during the sleep study and how natural it was. No info dumping at all.

The story is fast paced; it's an easy read. It's fun and enjoyable. It has some glaring plot holes. Absolutely nothing about this book is based in reality and if i was to think about those plot holes for more than a second, it would have massively impacted my experience when reading the book. But I didn't select this book to think, i picked it because it looked fun and easy. And it was exactly that.

So, if you are looking for an easy, fun read with sexual chemistry to spare, this book is a safe bet. If you need the timeline to make any sense and have any internalised misogyny, then I would skip this one.

2.5
Second Chance
One Bed
Grumpy/ Sunshine
When I read the premise of the book I was excited it seemed like a fun classic rom-com type book. I just didn't like the FMC much. Ashleigh a chemistry teacher who is wrongfully terminated from her job and doesn't do relationships because of a truckload of baggage from her parents divorce and her mom's self- help philosophy. Other than her loyalty to her best friend I didn't find her having many redeeming qualities.
Xander the MMC was so sweet and honest and knew what he wanted. He deserved better from her. I honestly don't know why he kept coming back.
Bed Chemistry leaned heavily on the sexual chemistry and needed to develop the characters a little more. Thank you Netgallery for ARC!

Flirty, heartfelt, and full of charm—Hold Me For Now is a warm hug of a romance. The chemistry pops, the characters are easy to love, and I couldn’t stop smiling. So fun and feel-good.

This was a funny book! Ashleigh was great! If you like an Ali Hazelwood, you’ll love this. It’s cringy in the right way - imagine sharing a bed with your ex 🤪