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.
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.
Title: An Academic Affair
Author: Jodi McAlister
Publisher: Atria
Expected Publication Date: November 11, 2025
Review:
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
I love a books that compiles a bunch of my favorite tropes: enemies to lovers, forced proximity, fake marriage. When I read the blurb after the widget was sent to me, I knew for sure I was going to love the story. And I did! It was fun and intriguing and a joy to watch things bloom between these two rivals.
I'm not very familiar with the British university system. I don't really know how things work there as I'm American. I can see a lot of similarities to the American system in how things operate academically. The author did a nice job setting up how things are structured for the most part. I did find myself a bit lost at times, but it didn't really take away from the story for me. I enjoyed how the author worked in the misogyny of the system and how unfair it can be as a woman in academia. Yes, the story was about position and what that means but it's also about the rapport between the two characters and how they've grown their friendship over the last 15 years.
Jonah and Sadie truly lean into the rivals thing. I love their banter and how they bounce ideas off one another. I also loved the pining on Jonah's part, which gets more intense as the story progresses. I will say, I needed a bit more of the chemistry on Sadie's end. While I understand how she can realize she has feelings for Jonah, it wasn't as believable as I would have liked it to be. I need a bit more introspection from her character. A deeper dive into parsing out how the friendship she has held in a certain light throughout the years has actually been more than she thought it was. But overall, it was a slow, cozy burn to the end and their HEA.
Sadie's sister, Chess, made me super angry. Even once they reconciled, I was mad at her. She tried so hard to make things about Sadie but they weren't and this just made me so mad. I was glad to see Johan stand up for Sadie and for Sadie to ultimately stand up for herself. But I still saw Sadie giving in to some things I don't think she should have.
The ending was a bit abrupt for me. I needed more out of that last chapter. Or an epilogue? I felt like it wasn't wrapped up as well as it could have been. Overall I enjoyed the writing, my first time reading this author. I'm definitely going to look into her other books.
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