Inside An Academic Affair: Academic Rom-Com with Jodi McAlister

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.Ever wish your favorite academic rivals-to-lovers romance felt real? Author and researcher Dr. Jodi McAlister joins me to prove it can be.In this episode, I chat with Australian author and romance scholar Dr. Jodi McAlister about her new novel The Academic Affair — a smart, funny rom-com set inside the cut-throat world of higher ed. We talk about how academia inspired her rivals-to-lovers + marriage-of-convenience story, what it’s like to study popular romance for a living, and how genres like New Adult and rom-coms have evolved. Jodi also shares her favorite Australian and New Zealand romance authors you need on your TBR.📚 Books Mentioned ListAn Academic Affair by Jodi McAlister — Buy on Amazon | Rom-Com · Rivals to Lovers · Marriage of Convenience | Audio ✅Here for the Right Reasons by Jodi McAlister — Buy on Amazon | Reality TV Rom-Com · Bachelor-style drama | KU ✅ / Audio ✅Battle Royal by Lucy Parker — Buy on Amazon | Rom-Com · Enemies to Lovers · Baking Show | Audio ✅A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske — Buy on Amazon | Historical Fantasy Romance · Queer | Audio ✅The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love by India Holton — Buy on Amazon | Cozy Historical Fantasy Rom-Com | Audio ✅Five Bush Weddings by Clare Fletcher — Buy on Amazon | Australian Rom-Com · Friends to Lovers | KU ✅Love Unleashed by Melanie Saward — Buy on Amazon | Contemporary Romance · Indigenous Heroine | Paperback only ⏰ Timestamps [00:00] Intro + why I loved The Academic Affair[02:00] Jodi’s double life as author and academic[03:00] How romance genres evolve (+ New Adult deep dive)[07:00] Reality TV and The Bachelor franchise[14:00] Inside The Academic Affair setup and themes[19:00] Why the marriage of convenience trope still works[20:00] Australian & New Zealand romance recs[25:00] Where to find Jodi onlineJoin the ConversationSubscribe to our Substack for exclusive recommendations. (wtrnblog.substack.com)Follow & Subscribe: What to Read Next Blog | YouTube: What to Read NextSubscribe & leave a review!