An academic affair

This cute contemporary from McAlister (Here for the Right Reasons) follows Sadie Shaw and Jonah Fisher, who have been academic rivals for 15 years. Multiple attempts to reach a truce have failed, despite Jonah's one-sided crush. After graduating with their PhDs in literature, both struggle to find stable employment. So their latest "ceasefire" goes out the window when a professorship opens up that seems perfect for both of them. It would enable Sadie to use her academic specialty in popular fiction, and Jonah to be closer to his sister, who recently became a single mom. After a hard-fought battle, Sadie gets the job. She's proud, but she also feels bad for Jonah. Then she notices a partner-hire clause in her contract that offers any employee's "suitably qualified" partner a position at the same university. So the pair hatch a plan to get married. Though this scheme puts strain on Sadie's relationship with her lawyer sister, Chess, who has always hated the fake dating trope in fiction, the couple tie the knot and move across the country to start their new positions. Living and working in close proximity reignites Jonah's crush and has Sadie wondering if she has deeper feelings for her rival. Though the romance is slow to develop, the couple's chemistry is well worth the wait. Readers will be pleased. (Nov.)

Sadie and Jonah have known each other for 15 years as they worked toward their doctoral degrees in literature, arguing the entire time. Sadie thinks Jonah is just another white guy using his privilege to ease his way through school, while Jonah believes Sadie is the prickliest, most argumentative person he's ever met. After graduation, their searches for faculty positions are just as cutthroat. When a highly coveted teaching opportunity is posted, they both apply. Jonah wants this particular job so he can be closer to his recently divorced sister and her kids, while Sadie wants the security of a financially stable full-time position. Sadie gets the job but feels guilty about it. However, there's a partner-hire clause in her contract; if she marries Jonah, the university will hire him too, a solution to all their problems--except, perhaps, the unexpected problem of falling in love. This lively, well-written romance set in academia has layers upon layers of depth and development, depicting challenges with family and offering a realistic portrayal of the often misogynistic and competitive academic life. VERDICT Full of humor and emotion, this brilliant novel will have readers crying one moment and laughing the next, then racing to read McAlister's (Not Here To Make Friends) backlist.--Heather Miller Cover

Chapter One Excerpted from An Academic Affair: A Novel by Jodi McAlister All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.