A fun fake dating romance, the story of Daisy and Lars. Looking forward to more books from this author.

The most perfectly nerdy rom-com. Well written, funny, great banter between FMC and MMC. Grump he falls first MMC and fake dating? Sign me up.

I DEVOURED this and I don’t even like math (the feeling is mutual so it’s fine).

Their immediate connection/chemistry as friends? The cautious and then wholehearted trust between the two of them? I am frothing at the mouth.

Daisy is such an icon and I love her. Who among us has not been severely disappointed by a man and then spiraled a little? But instead of letting it take over (which, like, she uprooted her entire life! So it would be valid!!!) she goes ALL IN. She makes her own life, her own friends, her own choices, and is immediately delighted by the joy she finds in it.

Meanwhile Lars is down bad immediately and obviously (to us), and will do whatever he needs to do to give her space while also allowing her to flourish in spite of the very aggressive curveballs she’s been thrown. He respects her boundaries and encourages her intelligence and cherishes every part of her.

I just love them. This book slaps.

The Statistically Unlikely Rebound was such a witty rom-com. I loved it! Daisy is a post-grad mathematician following her fiance, Ethan, in the academic world. Until Ethan breaks up with her 3 weeks before moving across the country to work and live with him. Somehow she finds a place to live in such short notice - enter Lars, her "Ice Man" downstairs neighbor and ex-fiance's arch-nemesis. Daisy and Lars bond over board games and nerdy t-shirts and start to fall into something more...

I truly enjoyed this book. I love a romance that can make me laugh and this one did it for me. It's giving The Love Hypothesis vibes which is a plus for me! I love a woman in STEM who is showing up all the men around her. Daisy is so relatable. She overthinks and word vomits too much. I loved her growth with her relationship with her mom too. And of course, Lars. He is literally the perfect MMC. Icy and stoic to the outside world, and a giant cinnamon roll to Daisy. I loved their relationship although Lars could have word vomited a little more IMO. Their banter was refreshing and fun!

Thank you to NetGalley and Parker Elling for the ARC!

The Statistically Unlikely Rebound was such a delightful surprise. It gave me major STEM-romance vibes in the best way—think smart, capable characters with emotional depth and just enough nerdy charm to make you swoon.
The story balances sweetness and tension beautifully. There’s a touch of drama, but nothing overly drawn out or exhausting—conflicts feel real and are resolved in ways that are satisfying rather than melodramatic. A few reveals toward the end were somewhat predictable, but honestly? That didn’t take away from the enjoyment. Sometimes you want to see it coming.
What really stood out to me was Daisy’s emotional journey. Watching her slowly unpack the impact of years of belittlement—from both her mother and her ex—felt authentic and meaningful. Her recognition of her own ineffective coping mechanisms and disordered thinking patterns added depth to the romance. It wasn’t just about falling in love; it was about learning how to believe she deserved it.
And Lars? His patience, steadiness, and quiet consistency were everything. He didn’t try to “fix” Daisy—he simply showed up. Over and over. That kind of emotional safety is incredibly romantic.
Overall, this was a cute, emotionally satisfying read with heart, intelligence, and just enough drama to keep things moving. I’ll absolutely be keeping an eye out for Parker Elling’s future work.

I’ll be posting my review on TikTok soon!

Minor Spoilers - The Statistically Unlikely Rebound by Parker Elling. Academic romances have always been a guilty pleasure of mine; I’ve worked for US Universities my entire career, and I always love seeing the egotistical villain of the story getting taken down a peg or three. Throughout the story, Parker did a great job getting the FMC and the MMC into close proximity in a way that felt natural, kept the faking dating scheme going without it becoming clunky, and the open door bedroom scenes were hot hot hot! The only thing that slowed me down were the numerous references the book made; I knew walking in that there would be math stuff I wouldn’t get, but there were also a lot of references to pop culture, philosophers, 19th century authors, clothing shops/brands, and musicals that had me running to Google pretty often. Just something to keep in mind.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and am looking forward to the rest of the books in the Grad or Die series!

Thank you to Parker Elling and Net Galley for an Advanced Reader Copy.

Notes:
Single first person POV (FML’s)
Close proximity
Fake Dating
Emotionless/Sunshine
Has a dog they jointly care for

#GradOrDie
##TheStatisticallyUnlikelyRebound
#NetGalley
#NerdRomance
#ParkerElling

I ate this up in a day. Did I have a meal of beets and crackers just to avoid making an actual dinner so I could keep reading? Yes. Yes, I did.

The fake dating trope is one of my absolute favourites and this delivered. The banter? Fun. The tension? Delicious. The emotional payoff? Fully earned.

And the MMC… oh my goodness. Was I googling “Norwegian accent” so I knew exactly what he sounded like when he says, “Stop me if anything I do makes you uncomfortable”? No shame.

Grumpy on the outside. Completely gone for her on the inside. He falls first, and hard. Supportive, attentive, quietly obsessed in the healthiest way possible. The kind of fictional man who makes you stare at the ceiling after finishing and forces you to reconsider your standards.

What I loved most is that the fake dating setup actually mattered. It pushed both characters into vulnerability and forced them to confront what they really wanted. It wasn’t just a cute gimmick, it had stakes.

As this was an ARC, there were quite a few spelling and grammatical errors throughout, which pulled me out at times. I’m assuming those will be corrected before final publication because this story absolutely deserves that polish.

If you love:
• fake dating
• grumpy MMC who falls first
• spice with emotional substance
• tender but strong romantic growth

This one’s for you.

Grateful to Parker Elling and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this early.

I was positively blown away by this! As a super-fan of the queen of romance aka Ali Hazelwood I was reminded of her books in the best way. The combination of a STEM-setting and a mmc down bad from the start just always work for me. There were a hint too many pop culture references for me personally, especially considering I (a younger millennial) didn't get all most of the oldies quips. I also felt really upset part way through the book because I had my suspicions about what had happened with the misplaced Moleskine (that part stressed me out). All in all I really liked both the main characters and found their relationship with each other really cute and wholesome. I would recommend this to any fan of Ali and any sucker for the he falls first/harder trope.

This was the most refreshing, delightful, witty & insightful book.

The ping pong dialogue, the witty banter, the slow burn zingy chemistry... I loved it so much!! I can't wait to read it again, slower & more intentional to better absorb it.

I'm not a huge academic & always unsure about books about academia/STEMinists... but I am SO glad I didn't miss this one!!

A little bit of fake dating.... a little bit of "let's try this for a night,... a weekend...a week...,, a month....til the end of the semester..."

I loved the characters... and Daisy's reasoning for a rebound not being a bad idea.. Love their names... and the stories behind them.

I can't wait to read the next book in the series!!! (This is book 1 in the Grad or Die Romance series.)

Thank you to the author (Parker Elling), publisher & Netgalley for the ARC read. All opinions are my own.

I genuinely havent read something this good since 'Not in Love' by Ali Hazelwood and this actually... its better. This was an easy, extremely well deserved, 5⭐️. The uniqueness of the banter - its unmatched. Lars is down bad and I am obsessed. New auto-buy author! Cant wait to see what comes next.