DNF
The premise of this book is promising. Coworkers on opposite sides of academia (chemistry and sports) falling for each other. However, the adult female lead often puts her personal appearance down. There were frequent mentions of her lack of attractiveness and spinster qualities. It pulled me out of the story and felt wholly unrealistic. From the male perspective, the reader knows she's a blonde bombshell. It would've been nice to have a confident single woman scientist, rather than one who doesn't believe she is attractive enough for men in general.
The prose was light and easy to read. The pacing was good for a romance. The characters were lovable and their struggles, while minor, did seem realistic to the world we were in. It seemed a bit predictable, but most romance novels are and we still love them.

This book was way too cute. I liked the male lead, Reese, and I liked the female lead, Stacey. The jock and the brain. A cute combo. They are teachers at BVHS. He coaches football and she teaches chemistry. They are good together.

There was some parts that I thought would cause trouble in their relationship but, thankfully, the author didn't make it so. Too predictable drama. The drama they were surrounded by was enough for the story. Relationship drama was unnecessary and in glad there wasn't any. I loved that they supported each other from the beginning.

If you like cute stories that have a HEA, this is the book for you.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Christine Miles for the opportunity to read and review an advanced reader’s copy of Off-the-Charts Chemistry. All opinions expressed below are mine.

Stacey is a high school chemistry teacher in a small town in Colorado. Her luck where men have been concerned in the past has been limited, and, as a result, the whole town pities her unfortunate love life. Reece Caldwell is a down-on-his-luck football coach in search of a fresh start. Following a gnarly divorce and some false allegations, Reece gets his second chance at a coaching career at the high school Stacey teaches at.

I think this book was meant to deliver a bit of rivals to lovers as Stacey is not a sports fan but the pair warm to each other so quickly that I think it’s more of a he falls first romance. I wish that the reader had been clued in to Stacey’s dating disasters earlier in the book so the self-conscious thoughts feel like a less tired literary device. Having said all of that, I really enjoyed this book. It delivered a read in the same vein as an Ali Hazelwood book. I’m looking forward to reading what trouble the other girls in Stacey’s band of teacher friends find themselves in.

This was a really sweet romance with a STEM twist. The two main characters were interesting and likable. The plot was fun and interesting.
My main complaint is that there were some places where the writing style itself took me out of the story such as repeated use of terms or phrases in the same paragraph and some awkwardly worded sentences. It seems like these were more common in the early part of the book so either the second half was edited more thoroughly or I was more invested in the story at that point and less likely to notice.
There was one science event at the beginning that almost made me put the book down permanently. As a science teacher myself, I was a bit shocked and upset at the improper insruction by the main character to her students on the proper technique for smelling a solution in lab. A simple web search would have shown that wafting over a beaker from a distance is the correct procedure and the solution .should never be placed directly under your nose. Other than that, the science lab and teacher vibes were fine. 3.5⭐️read.
Thanks to netgalley for an arc of this book.

Thanks to NetGalley & the publishing house for sending me an e-book arc. I had a wonderful time reading this fast pace rom-com book. I loved the fact that it didn’t offer a third act break up.
I will have to say that while I enjoyed reading this book it did read about more like YA than adult romance in the writing style and I felt like there could have been a bit more build up but this story was just cozy and perfect for a day where you just want to read a light fluffy book.

I will be looking forward to the rest of the books of what seems to be an interconnected standalone series

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to ARC review this book! Off-the-charts chemistry is a fun, small-town romance story revolving around a chemistry teacher and a football coach. I enjoyed how matured the MCs were and there were no silly things like miscommunication or third act breakups.
Although i enjoyed this story, I feel like there could have been more buildup in the tension between the characters or more spice. I felt like this was a YA slowburn romance that really focussed on the football coach's life.
Also, there was alot of repetitive phrases like "devilish grin" and "their gazes snapped together" or "you have my undivided attention". The last one was cute at first but it started wearing me out.
In all, this is a great cute romance book that's perfect for a beach read!

Off-The-Charts Chemistry is a cozy romance read which is ideal for the Autumn/Fall months. The story follows Chemistry Teacher Stacey Kinsella and ex Pro footballer turned high school football coach Reece Caldwell.

The two form a bond over discussing the formula for making the perfect coffee and fall head over heels for each other. However Stacey hasn't had the best luck with dating in the past, while Reece is divorced. The two learn new things from each other both in their personal lives and in their respective roles within their careers.

What I loved about this book:
1. There is great humor in the story, especially the Wizard of Oz references (they made me chuckle)
2. Stacey and Reece are instantly lovable characters when you first meet them individually.
3. There are also some brilliant supporting characters - friends, colleagues, family etc.
4. There is a scene that depicts a very important football game, it is written well with such great tension which made me desperate to read more.
5. It's a good romantic read and is very easy to read too.

I have to be honest and unfortunately there were a few cons with this story for me, although these are probably more to my preferences rather than actual complaints. The biggest one for me was the over use of the phrase "devilish grin", this reminded me very much of the references to the "Inner Goddess" in the Fifty Shades of Grey books. It's not a big issue and it certainly is needed in some parts of the book to describe one of the character's flirty side. However it does get a little repetitive after a while. The two main characters did have great chemistry, it was very clear they were desperate to be with each other and the sexual tension was well written with a good amount of build up, I found myself staying up late at night into the early hours to find out what was going to happen between them, however I felt that the intimate scenes in the story were a little anticlimactic. For YA audience it perfect, it doesn't need any spice, however I felt that there may have been some parts of the story where more detail could have been added at these points to appeal to older romance book readers.

This story was a bit of a slow burn romance, which I personally really enjoy, so that was no issue for me at all. This story contains lots of popular book tropes such as the slow burn romance, the colleague romance and sports romance.

All in all, I really enjoyed reading Off-The-Charts Chemistry and I can happily recommend it to others.

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc. Off-the-charts chemistry was a fun, light read about a chemistry teacher and high school football coach in a small town. While I did enjoy the book, I felt like I could’ve used a bit more buildup between the characters and a little more tension. However, if you don’t care about that and don’t like third act breakups, this does not have one, so that’s a plus!

i ATE this book up.
i loved the chemistry between the too mc's from the bery beginning. i also liked that the author didnt create a 3rd act breakup between the 2 characters & instead created a problem that they both conquered together!! i will be looking out for book 2!!

Stacey Kinsella gave up on love a long time ago - she's always had more brains than beauty, and never had much luck in the love department. That's okay = she loves her job as a high school chemistry teacher, and is happy with the friends and family in her life. But then in walks Reece Caldwell, the new head coach at her school.

This was a quick easy read with lovable characters. If you like the chemistry teacher trope that's been popular lately, you will like this one. There's more football than chemistry, though. I really liked that the characters actually talked to each other, and we avoided the whole miscommunication blowup that is so common. The writing felt a little 'off' to me at some points, but overall, this was an enjoyable read for me!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

This was a very cute and quick read for me. A little nerd/joke romance. I enjoyed the book!

However, while I enjoyed the characters, it did feel like a-lot of character development that would really help depict Stacey and Reece’s relationship was missing. It all seemed to happen so fast between them and the conflict of the book was only centered around Reece.

But I do believe this will be a good book for the reader looking for a quick, happy,’fluffy read that doesn’t really take too much brain power.

Off the Charts Chemistry, is the first book in the Smart is Seriously Sexy series, by Christine Miles. This was such a fun, heartwarming, cozy read, that is perfect for the fall. Stacey Kinsella, a high school chemistry teacher has the worse luck with men and has sworn them off, until football coach Reece Caldwell walks into her classroom. After an awkward meet-cute introduction, there’s an undeniable spark of chemistry between the two. Do opposites attract?

Off the Charts Chemistry is a fast-paced, light Saturday afternoon read. I loved how we were able to see Stacey's personality as the book progressed. She wasn't just a science nerd but we saw her witty, flirty and funny side. We were able to see her struggle with the way she saw herself, while Reece reminded her every chance he had that she was just as sexy, as she was smart. I loved that Reece would always say to her, “You have my undivided attention.” *swooning*

4 stars

Small town
Chemistry teacher
Workplace romance
Head football coach
Opposites attract
Meet-cute
Cozy read

Release date is September 26, 2023.

Thank you NetGalley for this opportunity, in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very quick read. A small town romance between the quirky but loving high school chemistry teacher and the new football coach with something to prove. The story itself is very sweet and there was no 3rd-act breakup or needless drama which kept me interested.
The plot was very heavy on football mechanics and lingo and less-so on chemistry which was a slight disappointment for me, however I did enjoy the small town football talk.

The writing was slightly awkward at times with the word choices and punctuation that was used, however Stacey is such a strong character that she was able to keep me engaged with the book in spite of these words.

Favorite quote was - "You have my undivided attention" which Reece used numerous times and it never failed to make my heart melt a little bit. I would truly recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick romance read with a small town feel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sealed with a Swoon Books LLC for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this title! The characters were fun to watch fall in love and grow together. I story was engaging and believable but also fun. It had just the right amount of conflict but with a nice resolution. Give it a shot if you want to read a story about two people finding themselves while love finds them!

Okay, so I just closed this book and I'm a bit torned about it, Overall, it's an easy enjoyable romance book, with good characters and a cute relationship development.

Let's get into what i liked about it first. I liked that Reece and Stacey were both developed enough to be enjoyed as characters on their own and not just as a couple. I liked that they actually talked and got to know each other throughout the book. I liked the healthy communication style they established and the maturity they both have, no couple drama or miscommunication trope is actually refreshing in the romance genre.

Now, into what I liked a little less and bumped this read down to 3 stars-ish. First, the writing style. Not that it was bad in any way, it just felt very simple, sometimes a bit repetitive and lacked a certain sense of depth and power to it (in my opinion). I have to say the dialogues and flirting between Stacey and Reece were really on point though. On the contrary, the spicy scenes especially felt a bit rushed and poorly executed, not that there's a lot of them. Second, and probably my biggest issue with the book: I found myself losing interest as i read instead of getting more involved in the story. I actually struggled to finish it. Even though I appreciated the lack of some common romance tropes, the whole intrigue around the football team wasn't enough to keep /me/ interested and I wished there was a bit more to the plot. No real suspense, tension or emotion here. Also, I'd have liked to actually see more chemistry and less football in there, the cover and title might be a bit misleading and lead to disappointment on that particular point. Third, considering the size of the book, there was too many secondary characters for my liking. In all honesty, Stacey's three teacher friends are one unique person in my mind, I couldn't care enough to differentiate them, their backstories or their personalities. I think a few less secondary characters would have allowed for a smoother read. Sadly, it often felt like the school drama and other characters were overpowering the romance and I sometimes missed ReeceStacey in their own book.

In conclusion, there's potential here, definitely give it a go if the blurb appeals to you and I personnally might give the next book in the series its shot too!

I am primarily a thriller reader but have taken up more light romances over the past few months. This book seemed to have so many themes that I am drawn to. There’s friendship, romance, spice and of course, chemistry! I expected the book to have more scientific references, but found there were more football references. This was a really fast read! Faster than I expected. I couldn’t put it down and absolutely lost myself in Stacey and Reece’s relationship. I’m really looking forward to reading the second book of the series. However, I really hope the author adds more spice!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you to NetGalley, Sealed With a Swoon Books and Christine Miles for this eARC in return for an honest review.

This book is more about football than science. A little bummed because the protagonist could’ve been any girl who didn’t know a lot about football-she didn’t need to be in STEM. I have no issue with that except it is billed as a STEM rom com. Overall, a quick, fun read.
I had an ARC from NetGalley.

This book is a great read if you’re in the mood for a quick and cute book with not a lot of spice. I think it was a fun read overall!

I do think it could have been just a *smidge* longer to allow more depth into the characters, by the end of the book I did care about the relationship a little bit but I wasn’t fully invested. I also just didn’t really end up really caring about the characters much, which also could be a result of it being a shorter book.

The plot was kind of predictable but in a book of this length, I can’t complain too much as it got the just done.

I do hope there are plans to write about the rest of the friend group though! With Luke being the next eligible bachelor, I have my fingers crossed that we’ll see him end up with one of the girls in the friend group!

⭐ 4
🌶️ 1.5

I enjoyed this. I loved the bits of backstory we get about Reece. I liked his character anyway, but the hints of backstory just added to his appeal.

One of the things I liked most about it was that Stacey was smart. I like intelligent FMCs. I also liked that she was willing to stand up for thigns she believed in. There was one particular scene where she shut down a slightly inappropriate conversation with one of her students. The student was trying to question her about her relationship, and Stacey politely, but firmly shut it down. It added more realism for me. I’ve read some books where those kinds of inappropriate conversations are used to fuel the character’s realization of their feelings, and it always makes me feel a little weird.

There was definitely chemistry between Reece and Stacey, but, probably because I’m coming off a slow burn phase, at times, it felt a little rushed. I’d have liked a little more of the cute dating scenes, especially because both characters felt mature, and there was a realness to their relationship.

This was a quick small-town romance between new football coach Reece Caldwell and chemistry teacher, Stacey Kinsella. Their love story slowly blossomed even as Coach Caldwell’s standing in the town wavered.

The story itself is heartwarming and sweet. I like that there is no 3rd act break up and the drama that occurs is NOT because of the couple - aka no miscommunications, which is nice to see.


What I found odd was the writing style. There were a lot of phrases that were repeated throughout the story, for example:


"You have my undivided attention."

“…a grin. The devilish one.”

“Their gazes snapped together…”


I understand the reasoning behind some of these, but after the first few, it became a little tiring. This repetition also bled into other parts of storytelling, certain things were unnecessarily repeated.

This is a 3rd person POV, which I’m fine with, however, when both the main characters are together, the inner thoughts can be a bit confusing as to WHO exactly is thinking that.

The 🌶️ scene was mild and no foreplay???
Thank you Netgalley and publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.