Jodi McAlister
@jodimca.bsky.social
Romance author, romance scholar. Senior Lecturer in Writing, Literature & Culture at Deakin (Naarm/Melbourne). My newest rom-com, An Academic Affair, is out now.
Day 5 of my Australian rom-com advent calendar is In The Long Run by Emma Mugglestone. I'm a sucker for romances where the protagonists essentially have a group project, and this one about a run club is gorgeous.
December 4, 2025 at 8:08 PM
Day 5 of my Australian rom-com advent calendar is In The Long Run by Emma Mugglestone. I'm a sucker for romances where the protagonists essentially have a group project, and this one about a run club is gorgeous.
Day 4 of my Australian rom-com advent calendar is In Spite Of You by Patrick Lenton. This book puts the com in rom-com: it's hysterically funny as well as being achingly romantic and heartfelt.
December 3, 2025 at 8:37 PM
Day 4 of my Australian rom-com advent calendar is In Spite Of You by Patrick Lenton. This book puts the com in rom-com: it's hysterically funny as well as being achingly romantic and heartfelt.
Even setting aside the obvious inaccuracy re calling Heated Rivalry YA, the first paragraph is a real bingo card of tired media romance staples (including my personal nemesis, not your grandma's romance).
December 3, 2025 at 10:26 AM
Even setting aside the obvious inaccuracy re calling Heated Rivalry YA, the first paragraph is a real bingo card of tired media romance staples (including my personal nemesis, not your grandma's romance).
Day 3 of my Australian rom-com advent calendar is Love Unleashed by Melanie Saward. If you're a chick-lit lover, then this story about a Bigambul woman who moves to New York with big publishing dreams but ends up working in a doggy daycare in the meantime might just be for you...
December 2, 2025 at 8:16 PM
Day 3 of my Australian rom-com advent calendar is Love Unleashed by Melanie Saward. If you're a chick-lit lover, then this story about a Bigambul woman who moves to New York with big publishing dreams but ends up working in a doggy daycare in the meantime might just be for you...
oh wow, a definitely real email in the inbox today from the definitely real EmHen wanting to have a definitely real craft conversation with me, I feel so blessed
December 1, 2025 at 10:32 PM
oh wow, a definitely real email in the inbox today from the definitely real EmHen wanting to have a definitely real craft conversation with me, I feel so blessed
Day 2 of my Australian rom-com advent calendar is After The Siren by Darcy Green. If you're hungry for queer sports romance, then you absolutely want to give this one - about two Australian Rules football players who realise that the thing between them is substantially more than dislike - a go.
December 1, 2025 at 8:47 PM
Day 2 of my Australian rom-com advent calendar is After The Siren by Darcy Green. If you're hungry for queer sports romance, then you absolutely want to give this one - about two Australian Rules football players who realise that the thing between them is substantially more than dislike - a go.
Welcome to my Australian rom-com advent calendar! If you're Australian and want to read local, or from overseas and want to broaden your horizons, I've got you covered.
Day 1 is The Wedding Forecast by Nina Kenwood. No one does emotionally realistic mess like Nina - this book is a masterclass.
Day 1 is The Wedding Forecast by Nina Kenwood. No one does emotionally realistic mess like Nina - this book is a masterclass.
November 30, 2025 at 10:02 PM
Welcome to my Australian rom-com advent calendar! If you're Australian and want to read local, or from overseas and want to broaden your horizons, I've got you covered.
Day 1 is The Wedding Forecast by Nina Kenwood. No one does emotionally realistic mess like Nina - this book is a masterclass.
Day 1 is The Wedding Forecast by Nina Kenwood. No one does emotionally realistic mess like Nina - this book is a masterclass.
November 30, BETTER THAN THE REAL THING, Brooke Crawford (🇦🇺).
This is a refreshingly grown up take on the rock star romance with characters in or approaching their forties, and *such* an impressive debut.
This is a refreshingly grown up take on the rock star romance with characters in or approaching their forties, and *such* an impressive debut.
November 30, 2025 at 2:12 AM
November 30, BETTER THAN THE REAL THING, Brooke Crawford (🇦🇺).
This is a refreshingly grown up take on the rock star romance with characters in or approaching their forties, and *such* an impressive debut.
This is a refreshingly grown up take on the rock star romance with characters in or approaching their forties, and *such* an impressive debut.
November 23, LOVE AT FIRST SIGHTING, Mallory Marlowe.
I'm a sucker for a bonkers premise and "woman sees UFO and falls for the man in black sent after her" absolutely fit the bill.
I'm a sucker for a bonkers premise and "woman sees UFO and falls for the man in black sent after her" absolutely fit the bill.
November 23, 2025 at 2:49 AM
November 23, LOVE AT FIRST SIGHTING, Mallory Marlowe.
I'm a sucker for a bonkers premise and "woman sees UFO and falls for the man in black sent after her" absolutely fit the bill.
I'm a sucker for a bonkers premise and "woman sees UFO and falls for the man in black sent after her" absolutely fit the bill.
November 16, LADY'S KNIGHT, Amie Kaufman (🇦🇺) and Meagan Spooner.
If you imprinted on Tamora Pierce's Alanna books, then this sapphic fantasy romance romp is for you.
If you imprinted on Tamora Pierce's Alanna books, then this sapphic fantasy romance romp is for you.
November 16, 2025 at 4:32 AM
November 16, LADY'S KNIGHT, Amie Kaufman (🇦🇺) and Meagan Spooner.
If you imprinted on Tamora Pierce's Alanna books, then this sapphic fantasy romance romp is for you.
If you imprinted on Tamora Pierce's Alanna books, then this sapphic fantasy romance romp is for you.
This one doesn't have the panache of "emotional destruction studies", but I do appreciate being implored to "fully read" their AI-generated email about how they'll bribe people to read my book with "coffee + croissant vibes".
November 14, 2025 at 3:03 AM
This one doesn't have the panache of "emotional destruction studies", but I do appreciate being implored to "fully read" their AI-generated email about how they'll bribe people to read my book with "coffee + croissant vibes".
Some top-notch slop in today's edition of Definitely Real Book Clubs That Definitely Exist. I'm especially fond of the vaguely threatening aura of the last screenshot.
November 12, 2025 at 6:55 AM
Some top-notch slop in today's edition of Definitely Real Book Clubs That Definitely Exist. I'm especially fond of the vaguely threatening aura of the last screenshot.
An Academic Affair is out now in the US and Canada!
I'm really proud of this book - a romantic comedy set in academia, the world I live in - and if you wanted to pick up a copy, that'd make my day. bookshop.org/p/books/an-a...
I'm really proud of this book - a romantic comedy set in academia, the world I live in - and if you wanted to pick up a copy, that'd make my day. bookshop.org/p/books/an-a...
November 11, 2025 at 9:13 PM
An Academic Affair is out now in the US and Canada!
I'm really proud of this book - a romantic comedy set in academia, the world I live in - and if you wanted to pick up a copy, that'd make my day. bookshop.org/p/books/an-a...
I'm really proud of this book - a romantic comedy set in academia, the world I live in - and if you wanted to pick up a copy, that'd make my day. bookshop.org/p/books/an-a...
November 9, READ ME SLOW, Charish Reid.
I'm extremely interested in spicy audio for academic reasons, but it was the chemistry between the characters which truly kept me hooked in this one.
I'm extremely interested in spicy audio for academic reasons, but it was the chemistry between the characters which truly kept me hooked in this one.
November 9, 2025 at 3:20 AM
November 9, READ ME SLOW, Charish Reid.
I'm extremely interested in spicy audio for academic reasons, but it was the chemistry between the characters which truly kept me hooked in this one.
I'm extremely interested in spicy audio for academic reasons, but it was the chemistry between the characters which truly kept me hooked in this one.
November 2, THE PRINCESS AND THE PI, Nikki Payne.
If you like romantic suspense, don't sleep on this - the perfect blend of romance and hard-boiled film noir vibes.
If you like romantic suspense, don't sleep on this - the perfect blend of romance and hard-boiled film noir vibes.
November 2, 2025 at 2:51 AM
November 2, THE PRINCESS AND THE PI, Nikki Payne.
If you like romantic suspense, don't sleep on this - the perfect blend of romance and hard-boiled film noir vibes.
If you like romantic suspense, don't sleep on this - the perfect blend of romance and hard-boiled film noir vibes.
October 26, CINDER HOUSE, Freya Marske (🇦🇺).
It is *astonishing* to me that this Cinderella retelling is a novella, because there is so much in it - it's not so much beautifully sketched as richly drawn.
It is *astonishing* to me that this Cinderella retelling is a novella, because there is so much in it - it's not so much beautifully sketched as richly drawn.
October 26, 2025 at 12:25 AM
October 26, CINDER HOUSE, Freya Marske (🇦🇺).
It is *astonishing* to me that this Cinderella retelling is a novella, because there is so much in it - it's not so much beautifully sketched as richly drawn.
It is *astonishing* to me that this Cinderella retelling is a novella, because there is so much in it - it's not so much beautifully sketched as richly drawn.
Okay USA, I know you have plenty of other things going on at the moment, but my new book An Academic Affair will be released in your country in only a few weeks (11 November!!), and if you wanted to pre-order it, I would simply love that.
www.simonandschuster.com/books/An-Aca...
www.simonandschuster.com/books/An-Aca...
October 22, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Okay USA, I know you have plenty of other things going on at the moment, but my new book An Academic Affair will be released in your country in only a few weeks (11 November!!), and if you wanted to pre-order it, I would simply love that.
www.simonandschuster.com/books/An-Aca...
www.simonandschuster.com/books/An-Aca...
October 19, LOVE IS A WAR SONG, Danica Nava.
Cowboy romance isn't usually my subgenre, but I absolutely tore through this one on a flight today.
Cowboy romance isn't usually my subgenre, but I absolutely tore through this one on a flight today.
October 19, 2025 at 6:21 AM
October 19, LOVE IS A WAR SONG, Danica Nava.
Cowboy romance isn't usually my subgenre, but I absolutely tore through this one on a flight today.
Cowboy romance isn't usually my subgenre, but I absolutely tore through this one on a flight today.
October 12, GHOSTED, Amy Hutton (🇦🇺).
If you want a seasonally spooky romance, it's hard to go past this one.
If you want a seasonally spooky romance, it's hard to go past this one.
October 11, 2025 at 8:17 PM
October 12, GHOSTED, Amy Hutton (🇦🇺).
If you want a seasonally spooky romance, it's hard to go past this one.
If you want a seasonally spooky romance, it's hard to go past this one.
October 5, A SMART GIRL'S GUIDE TO SECOND CHANCES, Steph Vizard (🇦🇺).
Love triangles are very difficult to pull off in romance, but this was a masterclass.
Love triangles are very difficult to pull off in romance, but this was a masterclass.
October 5, 2025 at 2:52 AM
October 5, A SMART GIRL'S GUIDE TO SECOND CHANCES, Steph Vizard (🇦🇺).
Love triangles are very difficult to pull off in romance, but this was a masterclass.
Love triangles are very difficult to pull off in romance, but this was a masterclass.
September 28, AFTER THE SIREN, Darcy Green (🇦🇺).
It's hard to imagine a more perfect read for grand final weekend than this absolutely killer AFL romance about two players who do not like each other learning that they might, in fact, do considerably more than that...
It's hard to imagine a more perfect read for grand final weekend than this absolutely killer AFL romance about two players who do not like each other learning that they might, in fact, do considerably more than that...
September 28, 2025 at 4:46 AM
September 28, AFTER THE SIREN, Darcy Green (🇦🇺).
It's hard to imagine a more perfect read for grand final weekend than this absolutely killer AFL romance about two players who do not like each other learning that they might, in fact, do considerably more than that...
It's hard to imagine a more perfect read for grand final weekend than this absolutely killer AFL romance about two players who do not like each other learning that they might, in fact, do considerably more than that...
It's the last few days of this sale! Not Here To Make Friends* is $1.99 in e-book for the month of September only.
*the one about two Machiavellian reality TV masterminds falling in love, and also one of the NYT's Best Romances of 2024 bookshop.org/p/books/not-...
*the one about two Machiavellian reality TV masterminds falling in love, and also one of the NYT's Best Romances of 2024 bookshop.org/p/books/not-...
September 27, 2025 at 11:36 PM
It's the last few days of this sale! Not Here To Make Friends* is $1.99 in e-book for the month of September only.
*the one about two Machiavellian reality TV masterminds falling in love, and also one of the NYT's Best Romances of 2024 bookshop.org/p/books/not-...
*the one about two Machiavellian reality TV masterminds falling in love, and also one of the NYT's Best Romances of 2024 bookshop.org/p/books/not-...
A little bright spot: the student editorial team I supervise launched the landmark fortieth edition of our student-run literary journal last night. It's very good, and I'm extremely proud of them. www.bookpod.com.au/store/p7/Ver...
September 26, 2025 at 12:43 AM
A little bright spot: the student editorial team I supervise launched the landmark fortieth edition of our student-run literary journal last night. It's very good, and I'm extremely proud of them. www.bookpod.com.au/store/p7/Ver...
September 21, KAMILA KNOWS BEST, Farah Heron.
I'm picky about Austen adaptations, but I delighted in this riff on Emma I dug out of the depths of my Kindle.
I'm picky about Austen adaptations, but I delighted in this riff on Emma I dug out of the depths of my Kindle.
September 21, 2025 at 4:17 AM
September 21, KAMILA KNOWS BEST, Farah Heron.
I'm picky about Austen adaptations, but I delighted in this riff on Emma I dug out of the depths of my Kindle.
I'm picky about Austen adaptations, but I delighted in this riff on Emma I dug out of the depths of my Kindle.
September 14, OUT ON A LIMB, Hannah Bonam-Young.
I don't normally rec big TikTok-famous books - they have plenty of fans already - but this one really is worth the hype.
I don't normally rec big TikTok-famous books - they have plenty of fans already - but this one really is worth the hype.
September 14, 2025 at 12:51 AM
September 14, OUT ON A LIMB, Hannah Bonam-Young.
I don't normally rec big TikTok-famous books - they have plenty of fans already - but this one really is worth the hype.
I don't normally rec big TikTok-famous books - they have plenty of fans already - but this one really is worth the hype.