Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐

️Genre: Contemporary Romance, Fiction

I have almost always been a four-star snob or higher on Goodreads book ratings as of late. An Academic Affair by Jodi McAlister genuinely proved me wrong in the best of ways.

I loved this book for its focus on intellectuals, especially within a field that’s so often denounced. While there were a few moments I wished had been explored more deeply, nothing detracted significantly from the overall experience. It wasn’t a traditional enemies-to-lovers story, since it was clear neither character truly hated the other, but that nuance is exactly what made it so enjoyable. I don’t like it when the characters are genuinely mean to each other, if a romance is going to be built. That is a personal preference,

The novel follows Sadie and Joshua, academic rivals for nearly fifteen years, beginning in their freshman-year lectures and continuing through their postdoctoral aspirations. Throughout that time, they engage in constant sparring, with only brief and largely unsuccessful attempts at a ceasefire. Yet beneath the rivalry lies an unmistakable mutual respect and admiration. When they find themselves competing for an extraordinarily selective position, one that only one of them can secure, they make the unexpected decision to marry, allowing the other to obtain a position at the same university.

It becomes very obvious, through both references to the past and their present-day dialogue, that they know each other intimately and genuinely care for one another. The bickering reads less as hostility and more as foreplay, largely good-natured, sharp, and rooted in academic debate. There is excellent pining, yearning, and near-obsession on Joshua’s part. He has loved debating Sadie more than anything else in his academic life, to the point where intellectual sparring with her feels inseparable from his sense of purpose and desire.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves books about book lovers as much as I do, wants a truly banter-filled book with a believable plot, that has just the right amount of drama.