From the “masterly” (The New York Times) Jodi McAlister, a charming new romance about two English professors who embark on a fake relationship…only to discover that it may be harder to pretend than they realized.

Sadie Shaw and Jonah Fisher have been academic rivals since they first crossed paths as undergraduates in the literature department thirteen years ago. Now that a highly coveted teaching opportunity has come up, their rivalry hits epic proportions. Jonah needs the job to move closer to his recently divorced sister and her children, while Sadie needs the financial security and freedom of a full-time teaching position.

When Sadie notices that the job offers partner hire, however, she hatches a plot to get them both the job. All they must do is get legally married. It’s a simple win-win solution but when sparks begin to fly, it becomes clear that despite their education, these two may not have thought this whole thing through.

Perfect for fans of Ali Hazelwood, Abby Jimenez, and Kayla Olson, An Academic Affair brings Jodi McAlister’s “smart, scorching, and emotionally resonant” (Freya Marske, author of A Restless Truth) writing to the forefront and demonstrates her talent as one of today’s best rom-com authors.

This book came highly recommended. I saw glowing reviews everywhere, so I grabbed it from Book of the Month expecting to adore it. I gotta admit. It took me a long time to settle into this one. The first several chapters almost were not my favorite.

The premise is fun. Two long-time academic rivals, Sadie Shaw and Jonah Fisher, discover that the coveted teaching job they’re fighting over offers a partner hire. So Sadie proposes the most chaotic plan possible: they legally marry each other to secure the job for both of them. But before you get to the “marriage of convenience” part, you’re thrown into the enemies-to-lovers dynamic full force. And I mean full force.

In the beginning, Sadie and Jonah don’t just bicker. They scream, insult, and spar like they’re trying to win a medal in verbal combat. I know some readers love that level of energy, but it’s never been my thing. When every interaction is an explosion or an insult, I start to check out. By the time we hit the marriage scheme, I was still thinking, “There is no job on earth I’d marry a sworn enemy for.” I’ll find other ways to get a paycheck, thanks.

I’ll be honest. I almost DNFed.

But around the halfway point, something shifted. As Sadie and Jonah finally settled in and actual conversations begin to happen, I started to see who they were underneath all that noise. They have depth, flaws, ambition, and real wounds that explain why their rivalry became such a defining force. Once the story eased off the nonstop snark, I found myself enjoying the rhythm of their dynamic more. Sadie’s fear of instability and Jonah’s devotion to his family give their choices a little more emotional weight.

Even though I ended up liking it ok, this isn’t going on my personal favorites shelf. The entire first half had me checked out. I also struggled with the basic premise: agreeing to marry your rival for a job is a huge leap, and the book asks you to take a lot of that on faith. Romance readers who love big dramatic gestures will be all over it, but I needed a little more buildup to believe these two would sign legal documents together.

Honestly, I don’t regret reading it. Once the dust settles, the relationship becomes warmer and more charming. The chemistry grows in a way that feels more earned. Romance fans who enjoy academic rivals, forced proximity, and sharp banter will have a good time here. It just didn’t land as strongly for me because of my personal bias against scream-heavy enemies-to-lovers.

All that to say, this book falls squarely in the middle for me: not bad, but not especially memorable. I liked parts of it, I appreciated the craft, and I can absolutely see why romance readers adore it. I just needed a gentler launchpad before diving into the relationship.

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