I heard Jodi McAlister interviewed on That Rom Com Pod, and it sounded right up my alley. Dual point of view, rivals to lovers and a bit of a homage to Anne of Green Gables.
Here’s the blurb …
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.
I really enjoyed it (although I did think it could have ended a bit earlier). It is well-written, witty, and both Sadie and Jonah have a bit of insight and they develop over the story. I loved the Australian setting, and I learned a new word ‘precariat’ (a social class characterized by precarious, insecure, and unstable work conditions, often lacking benefits and leading to a sense of social and economic vulnerability).
I loved all of Jonah’s footnotes.
There is also a marriage of convenience – how amazing is that in a modern novel?
From the podcast, I understand this is the first of a trilogy, so I am looking forward to the next two (I think I might even know who the protagonists are)
A review.