Publication: 11th September 2025 – Simon & Schuster UK
From rivals in the classroom. . . to partners in real life?
Sadie Shaw and Jonah Fisher have known each other for fifteen years – and they’ve disliked each other for every one of them. It started with a minor altercation in an undergrad literature class, but as their academic careers developed, so did the intensity of their arguments. By the time they graduate with their doctorates, they’re embroiled in a full-on rivalry.
So when a position comes up that Sadie and Jonah are both perfect for, their ongoing enmity explodes into a red-hot competition. But as Sadie fights to secure her future, she realises there might be a way for both of them to get their dream job. There’s just one catch – they’ll have to get married first.
When things get personal, though, Sadie will have to keep her eye on the prize. A fake marriage isn’t worth jeopardising her real career over, is it?
Today, I am delighted to take part in the blog tour for what turned out to be one of my favourite novels of the year, An Academic Affair by Jodi McAlister.
I loved this book so much. The slow burn romance (and by slow, I mean 15 years long slow), the banter, the rivalry, the fake marriage, I loved everything about this book. It’s a good thing that I started reading it on the weekend, because I read it in one day, completely engrossed in Jonah and Sadie’s story.
If you love academia rom-com, then this is the right read for you. The author gives us an in depth look into the world of academia, with all its competitions and politics, and the two protagonists have doctorates in literature and I loved the many literary references and their dispute during classes made them quite popular among students.
If you love enemies-to-lovers romances, this is also the perfect read for you. Since their very first class, Sadie and Jonah have disagreed on everything and that rivalry, that has been going on for fifteen years, moved to the personal side when they ended up living in the same shared house. Their romance is beautiful. I loved how it developed gradually and the added element of the marriage of convenience works really well in the story. And while the romance is the focus of the story and I couldn’t get enough of it, the protagonist’s complicated relationship with their respective families is also an engrossing sidestory. Jonah comes from an eminent family with an arrogant and overbearing father who’s always interfered in his professional life, pushing him to compete with others, even his own siblings. On the other hand, Sadie’s childhood was far from easy and the only family she has is her fierce and loyal sister Chess.
I laughed a lot, but An Academic Affair is also an emotional read. Both the story and the characters feel relatable and I loved the Tasmanian setting. The author’s writing kept me captivated and the footnotes were an entertaining bonus. I can’t recommend this novel enough and I am keeping my fingers crossed for more novels about the other characters!
A huge thank you to SJV and Simon & Schuster UK for inviting me to take part in the blog tour and providing me with a copy of this brilliant novel.
Jodi McAlister, PhD, is an author and academic from Kiama, Australia. Her academic work focuses on the history of love, sex, women and girls, popular culture, and fiction. It means that reading romance novels and watching The Bachelor is technically work for her. She is currently a senior lecturer in writing, literature, and culture at Deakin University in Melbourne. For more, visit https://jodimcalister.com.au/.
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