I really enjoyed this one. If you are in the mood for a slow burn, quiet romance featuring adults with adult responsibilities and mature emotional reactions, then you might also enjoy The Place Between. I would like it if more people read it, actually, because it seems to be a bit of a hidden gem at the moment. It only has 152 reviews on Goodreads, and less than 1,000 ratings. I will also add, if you are looking for sexiness, you will find that here as well; all those quiet, slow-burning emotions make sexy scenes way better in my opinion.
We’ve got fake dating, here, folks, with a little bit of grumpy/sunshine, and enemies to lovers thrown in for good measure. Ned Coppola is a postdoc graduate student in the sociology department of his Maine university, a hair’s breadth away from defending his dissertation and finally graduating so he can get back to Boston and his five year old daughter (Ned is also recently divorced). Charles Henry Abbott is a former professor of his, a professor Ned disliked immensely, and whose class he nearly failed. Abbott is cold, a statistician who holds himself aloof from his colleagues and students. They are forced together when, a) A program instituted by their department head to have more of a life/work balance interferes with their ability to do their work, and b) That same department head reviews Ned’s dissertation and asks him to work with Henry to add statistics and figures (quantitative research) to his otherwise qualitative approach. He’s like, “Henry will help you!” Meanwhile, Henry does not want to help him; he couldn’t be more clear about that.
I said this was a slow burn, and I meant it, but when the bubble pops, it pops real good. I read this on Kindle Unlimited, but I’m going to have to buy myself a copy so I can revisit it. I will definitely be checking out this author’s other books as well. I hope other people give this a chance!
[4.5 stars]
