Molly is a poly sci grad student in the 90’s, Carmen is her stats professor. Molly accidentally stumbles into Carmen’s office to discover her kissing her ex-girlfriend and outs herself to Molly. As a lesbian herself, Molly knows not to out Carmen, and decides to keep her secret. Carmen keeps her personal life extremely private because the politics of being a female professor are hard enough without adding being a lesbian into it, but she soon finds that it’s nice to have someone on her side who knows that part of her.

Most of the faculty in the poly sci department are conservative and homophobic, most loudly is Grayson who recently has gained conservative attention after he published a paper stating that people are less likely to support gay rights when they know gay people. Molly, who is an activist at heart, tries to get the paper for a project and Grayson refuses. She shortly after finds his TA with a copy of the info on a floppy drive and copies the data without him knowing. Once she dives in, she realizes he fabricated all his data and seeks the help of Carmen to help her uncover his fraud.

This is a slow burn sapphic love story set in the 1990’s among two women who work together to take down a homophobic academic fraud and find love along the way. This was a fairly quick and easy read for me, and was generally enjoyable. The love story portion was left to the end with a small amount of spice added to it. My biggest complaint is Carmen feeding her cat tuna instead of wet cat food. Overall I enjoyed this book, 3.75 stars.

There were many parts of this book I liked, the setting, the characters but parts of the book felt a bit flat at times and their seemed to be a lack of anything major plot wise besides 1 scene, so flat at times.

This was an interesting story set in the late nineties when technology was slowly advancing along with social attitudes. It’s easy to forget that not that long ago computers were still bulky, mobile phones were too and certainly not a huge “thing”. Although attitudes have progressed in terms of rights for the LQBTQI+ community we are now seeing things slipping into old ways.

However this is also a story of love between an older professor and her mature age student. This is definitely a slow burn romance, we’re numbers and statistics play a major love roll than that of the heart. I enjoyed the story as it was certainly different, the characters quirky and definitely not your normal romance. I did find that it lost its way at times, both with the story and the pacing of it. But overall I enjoyed it.

I loved the love factor! I think that the characters really came to life and that they had a connection that I could really enjoy! I was not expecting politics to be as present as it was, but that is okay because it did relate to the story. I was glad that the relationship was a healthy one regardless of the student teacher relationship. I wanted even more of this story and I hope to read more from Quinn Ivins in the future!

I really wanted to like this more than I did, even though it's a well written good book.

We have sapphic professor/student, age gap, set during the late 90's when Ellen just came out and the Clinton's scandal is ongoing. It's such a good set up.

Unfortunately the romance takes a big back seat this book as Carmen and Molly (our FMC's) are trying to prove that a homophobic professor falsified his data and get him removed.

Like, it doesn't get spicy until about 90% and even though the spice is very lackluster. The romance itself feels not developed and a little shallow and I'm not sure why either of these people like each other, much less love. It just fell a little flat to me.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-book in exchange for this review!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this surprisingly good book

wow i am cant believe i lived through the 90s and never realised how the climate treated everyone differently.... but reading books like this certainly opens my eyes to how ignorant i was back then....

this book is based in the 90s and about university life back then....

molly is an older student studying for a phd... and one of her classes is taken by Professor Carmen Vaughn a no nonsense sort of professor who takes no prisoners in her classes, they are expect to always be on time and to have all course work handed in on time with no exceptions

its a time of the gay rights movement who are trying to get equal rights for all...why should hetrosexual couples get all the benefits rewarded to them and ignore the fact that the same sex couples are not.... and when it goes to the vote some professors are very outspoken as the unnatural way they live and refuse to allow them the same courtesy, its as though they are second class citizens and do not deserve the same benefits

when molly discovers a shocking secret that could destroy another professors tenure its with trepidation that she goes to Professor Carmen Vaughn....

could they work together or will Professor Carmen Vaughn ignore it all as it could alter everything she holds dear about her nice quiet life

what a read... and though its based on statistics and could have been quite hard to understand... hey its maths and theory i did actually lose sleep over this one to see how molly and carmen could work everything out

First, thank you so much to for the ARC copy of this book!

So my Bloomington (the movie) loving heart was so excited for this book and I was very pleasantly surprised! The story had my attention from the very first sentence and I found myself wanting to continue reading and reading.

My only note is the 90s vibes, actually did the opposite for me than others and it took me out of the story more than it brought me in. It was not overbearing in anyway, but I found I do like more modern stories.

This book did have a level of mystery, academia, and the take-down of a man I truly enjoyed. As someone who was never very good at statistics or research in school, there was a level of this that was actually really interesting for me. I found myself wanting to almost go back to grad school.

For the romance, I will say this is not an overly romantic story. It's a very slow burn and not very steamy, but the rest of the story does keep you entertained. if the politic science and 90s aspect intrigues you, I definitely say give it a read!

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, although I would guess it might not be for everyone. As an academic myself, this novel hit close to home and was on-point with the depictions of academic life. This novel focused a lot on the plotline, the politics of the university, the politics of the era it was set in, and particular struggles queer people faced at the time (still do, but its different in lots of ways). There was obviously a romance, but it wasn’t necessarily front and center for most of the novel. If a reader was specifically looking for a romance-forward novel, this might not be for them.

This novel spent a bunch of time dumping on academics, the most petty and childish professionals I have ever experienced, and I am ALWAYS here for that. The way that academic studies and sciences were addressed was also nice in my opinion, because anything that helps the general public understand how science works (or doesn’t work) is objectively beneficial. Unusual representation for me to be happy about, but here we are.

There was a lot of talking about statistics and datasets, and I am not sure if the readers level of familiarity with these topics would affect the reading experience. I think anything discussed was explained well enough that it wouldn’t be an issue (and I personally enjoyed it) but it is some food for thought. As a scientist and an academic, the plotline was very satisfying for me.

The romance was the most respectful and un-problematic workplace romance I have ever read, which some readers might like or dislike depending on their preferences. The romance plotline was more of a subplot than a main plot, so reader beware depending on what you’re looking for. If I was rating this as a Romance, first and foremost, it would only be 4 stars (maybe less?). Rating it objectively and holistically, this one deserves 5 stars (low 5, but still!).

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free copy of this novel, in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed reading this book! The setting being the late 90's (97-98) was something different that I haven't came across in a lot of books, especially those with sapphic representation.

I feel like the essence of the late 90's was captured very well with mention of major events (Ellen coming out on her show, The Clinton/Lewinsky scandal, etc.) as well as small details such as floppy discs, and referencing musicians from that time (Pearl Jam, Fiona Apple, etc.). These details made the reader feel like they were reading a book from that time. I appreciate how much detail was put into making the late 90's setting feel authentic to read.

I didn't know if I was going to love all the math and statistics related topics in this book, as someone who hates all things math, but this ended up being a really fun read. Once Molly and Carmen start working together, we get a wonderful story of two women sticking it to a bigoted, hate-filled co-worker of Carmen's. Along the way, their work together allows them to get to know each other and that is where their romance blooms.

Now we get to the romance, and that is why I'm giving this 4 stars instead of 5. There is one spicy scene, towards the end of the book, and I would give it a 2/5 for spiciness. This is not why I docked a star. I don't have an issue with little to no spice, my issue is that this was such a slow burn, that I really didn't even know Carmen had feelings for Molly until she REALLY had feelings for Molly. It went from 0 to 100 instantly, and I would have liked to see more angst, pining, and build-up for a romance that is fairly forbidden (student/teacher, age-gap, LGBTQ+ in the 90s).

Overall, this is a fun read that I enjoyed quite a bit. This would be great for someone who likes minimal spice, or if you love books with female empowerment!

I received an arc from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Was lucky enough as to be sent this over net gallery, however the book itself although seeming to be interesting fell short for me personally. The book was well written in regards to the style however the overall appeal of the book was lacking in sense of not feeling flat and documentary.

2.5/5 stars (overall)
1/5 spice (there was one scene, which personally was not appealing)
2.5/5 plot (it was there in sense of the history and vibes but the plot was confusing at points and left me more confused than enthralled)

totally suggest still giving it a try if you don't mind more documentary feeling fiction, and this might scratch an itch.

An engrossing story set in the 1990s. Ellen has just come out on her tv series and gay rights hardly exist. Molly is turning 30 and is a Political Science graduate student hoping to get her doctorate. Her newest professor is the demanding Carmen Vaughn. Carman is a brilliant at statistics but is stuck closeted in a male dominated academic world. She has tenure but fears the consequences if she comes out of the closet.

The book touches on a several topics of the time and particularly focuses on a homophobic study that is published and being politicized by a professor in their department. Molly uses her knowledge of statistics and realizes the professor used false data to support his conclusions. She turns to Carman to help prove and hopefully discredit the published work.

The story is very readable and easily pulls you into the time period and working in academia and politics of the time. The story adds in a slow burn romance between Molly and Carman. I was happy for the characters to get a relationship but it felt a little off as Carman never gave any indication of feelings towards Molly through most of the book. This was the authors debut novel originally published in July 2020 and I have read and enjoyed another of her novels.

I really liked this book! Solid 4/5 stars for me. I enjoyed the subplot almost as much as the main love story. I loved the 90s setting. I love the feminism and political activism. I love the scandal and justice that was served. It was a really compelling read and I devoured this book during a lazy Sunday.
My only complaint is that … it seemed to go from holy slow burn to 100% all in, very quickly. I would have enjoyed a slower paced finish to the book and more time for the HEA to unfold.
Otherwise, I enjoyed this book and will be seeking out others from this author!

I was excited to read this book as I really enjoyed the author’s most recent book. The 1990s setting was interesting - it doesn’t seem so far away in history but it’s hard to believe how much has changed since then, with the sexism and homophobia the characters had to put up with having a particularly shocking and depressing effect. The characters had great chemistry and the writing was engaging, but the slow burn pace was a little too slow for me and it made it hard to feel the chemistry at times. However, it was great to see the author’s writing has very much improved over time, and I enjoyed the ending.

This was such a happy surprise! I was so close to not requesting it because I wasn't sure the setting would be my cup of tea (I thought it might be a bit heavy) but I'm so glad I did! I'd never read a lesbian romance set in the 90s but I ended up loving the 'historical' (lol) setting.

Ivins did a really fantastic job of painting (what felt like) a very realistic image of what it would have been like being queer back then but despite showing these struggles it didn't get too heavy as I feared it might. The balance was struck really well and it definitely makes me interested in maybe reading some other romances set in this time.

The plot about the research misconduct was interesting and enjoyable and I liked how it served as a way for our leads to bond because it tied the two halves of the story together nicely.

My only real criticism would have to be that Molly was a little bit naïve for a 30-year-old in academia, sometimes it seemed like she had no idea how academic bureaucracy (or even research?) worked when even someone with an honours degree would have that knowledge - and it made her seem a little younger and sillier than she actually was.

There is a bit of an age gap here (8 years I think it was?) and it is a relationship between a professor and student but I think given their ages and the way it was handled it never felt icky but that could still be a no for some readers.

Thank you to NetGally and Ylva Publishing for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

I listened to the audiobook about a year ago so I really enjoyed also reading the book and get thrown back into the 90’s and how it was to come out in those days.. Carmen and Molly a lovely couple.

Ice queen professor on campus (4.5 stars)
I didn't read the synopsis before reading the book (I rarely do) and I'd suggest that approach if you want to have more surprises in your reading.
Set in Northeastern USA during the late 1990's beginning with Ellen's iconic coming out scene on her eponymous TV sitcom and ending in the midst of the Bill Clinton era presidential election season, the book hits on many forms of discrimination prevalent at that time in history in addition to blatant sexism in the world of academia. The book is dedicated to those who came out in the 90's so readers who lived thru this time period will appreciate the details like floppy disks and computer files taking ages to copy, the absence of cell phones and other technological advances we take for granted now while younger readers will be given a window into the past and the cyclical nature of history.
This story delves further into academia, politics, political science and statistics than I expected it would - this is the first lesfic book I've read with references listed at the back of the book - however the jargon/terminology was not so much a barrier that I missed the gist of a scene between academics talking shop. I lost nothing in understanding the story arc and I suspect those familiar with the terminology may be treated to an added layer of reading pleasure that I missed. Those topics may seem like dry reading material and the discrimination sometimes discouraging to witness but main characters Carmen and Molly are such badass women (and Carmen an ice queen on top of that) who inhabit and battle those attitudes that it's fun to read them dismantling faulty and ignorant arguments whether they're by a professor in the classroom or colleague in a staff meeting.
I'm not a fan of the ice queen trope but here Carmen is given scenes where we can see her away from work where she shows other (warmer aspects) of her personality; I was quickly enamoured with her sharp wit, integrity and resilience as one of the few female professors in her department. Carmen is a savvy woman to be sure and feared on campus by nearly everyone but thankfully Molly sees beyond that work persona. I also appreciated the realistic depiction of graduate school and life after college for many who struggle to pay bills and question their career prospects/trajectory once they've successfully navigated and survived the politics and bureaucracy of higher education. The plot held enough surprises to keep me engaged especially when what I thought would happen didn't; going into the story blind might have been a factor.
I'd recommend this story to those who likes to read mean characters get their comeuppance in a satisfying way, are interested in the setting or time period where the story takes place, or are craving ice queen in their reading. If the subjects mentioned above that are touched on in the story to whatever degree give you pause then know that they're offset by some good humor, admirable female characters, adorable animals and a rapport between main characters that's inspiring in more than one way. I look forward to seeing what this author writes about next and will happily read it when it's available.
I received an advance reading copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
(Reviewed July 1, 2020)