An Academic Affair By Jodi McAlister

Rating: 4 Stars

Release Date: Nov 11 2025

Format: Ebook

Publisher: Atria Books

What to expect:

Marriage of convenience, Rivals-to-lovers, He falls first, Forced Proximity & Sisterhood

Suppose you’ve ever wondered what goes on in the hallowed halls of academia beyond coffee-stained cardigans, frantic grading, and passive-aggressive faculty emails. In that case, Jodi McAlister’s An Academic Affair will give you the answer: Romance.

Delicious, laugh-out-loud, scandalously familiar romance. This isn’t your average “rivals to lovers” novel.

McAlister deserves extra credit (pun intended😜) for nailing the realism of academic life.

1. The perpetual scramble for grant funding? Check.

2. The snide digs masquerading as “questions” in seminars? Absolutely.

3. The quiet despair of writing 52 courses in one semester? Tragically, yes.

But the book’s real strength lies in its characters, each voice as distinct as if McAlister pulled them straight from a faculty directory. Sadie and Jonah have been academic rivals for years, and when a job that fits both of them comes available, only a marriage of convenience can be the saving grace for them both. I love that you can feel all the years of arguing like an old married couple and the tension simmering under the surface, especially from Jonah's perspective. It was so fun that even Jonah's chapters have little footnotes that add so much to the story, and it is adorable and they fit his character perfectly.

Even the side characters— each sister has their own unique blend of brilliance, chaos, and questionable excuses—feel vividly alive. McAlister juggles all these personalities with flair, giving them dialogue that crackles with both academic jargon and sly humor.

🌶️ Spice Meter 🌶️ : 1/5 Peppers

Final Thoughts: All in all, An Academic Affair is a charming and wickedly funny. I enjoyed the thought-out reasons and there was no 3rd-act breakup. It did end a little abruptly but I enjoyed most of it.

Disclaimer: Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.