Back-to-school romance
Pencils sharpened. Notebooks stacked. Hormones in full swing. Back to school isn’t just for students—it’s for romance readers, too.
There’s something about an academic setting in romance that hits just right. Maybe it’s the long hallway glances, the “we shouldn’t” of colleague-to-colleague attraction, or the heat of a grad school rivalry that turns into something much steamier. Add in a hot librarian or two, and suddenly I’m signing up for extra credit.
Academic romances have built-in tension: rules to break, reputations to protect, and the danger of being caught—by the dean, by a rival department, or just in the act of wanting someone you shouldn’t. They also deliver that mix of intellect and intimacy that makes a love story feel both smart and swoony.
If you’re looking for an A+ in romance, here are a few of my favorites:
The Write Place (Leade Park, Book 1) by Allie Samberts, narrated by Megan Carver & The Write Time (Leade Park, Book 2) by Allie Samberts, narrated by Megan Carver & The Write Choice (Leade Park, Book 3) by Allie Samberts, narrated by Megan Carver & Benjamin Farmer — Faculty, staff, and all the after-hours heat you could hope for.
Teach Me by Olivia Dade — A perfectly grown-up, perfectly delicious teacher/teacher romance that proves chemistry isn’t just for the lab.
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness — I watched the TV series recently and now I’m itching to reread the whole trilogy. It’s academia meets magic meets “I will burn the world for you” energy.
Whether it’s a campus coffee shop meet-cute or a forbidden fling between rival professors, school settings give romance a mix of structure and rebellion that I can’t get enough of.
If you could set a romance in any kind of school—from Basgiath to culinary—what would it be?
