I would like to thank netgalley and Sealed With a Swoon Books for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Fell flat.

Stacey Kinsella is an unlucky-in-love chemistry teacher at Buena Vista High School who's convinced herself that she'll be a lonely cat lady forever. Until the handsome Reece Caldwell shows up as the school's new football coach. They meet officially in the most awkward way - he walks in on her changing in the chemistry room after school. After, they bump into each other a few more times before realizing that there's some chemistry between them (no pun intended).

This was a very nice and easy read. I read it in just two weekdays between working full-time. It was just a feel-good story with minimal drama. It wasn't the most enthralling book but I did enjoy reading it. With the cover of the book I was honestly expecting more of a STEM romance, but it felt more like a sports romance because a lot of the plot revolved around Reece's drama with the football team and the football fans of Friday Night Lights in Buena Vista. Regardless, I thought this was a cute romance story that I'd recommend to anyone looking for a cute quick read.

SYNOPSIS:
Reece Caldwell, after climbing all the ladders of success, high career, happy marriage finds himself back to the bottom with a tarnished reputation, divorced and dismissed from work
he jumps at the offer as a high school football coach in a small town when the opportunity presents itself

with a reputation to earn, mistrusting teenage boys to lead and a homecoming game to prepare, everything is going against him
but why is his mind stuck up only on the hot high school chemistry teacher ?

My Thoughts
Let me start off with what i loved about this book
I loved the storyline which touched on certain sensitive topics like bullying, corruption, fame, scandals, mental abuse and all so greatly expressed and dealt with

I love the instant chemistry between them, the flirtations, conversations, dates and how matured they both appeared to be and also the whole small town energy where everyone knows everything about everyone
(Yah that gets frustrating some times) but it's a lovely awed energy

What i didn't like
There were phrases that were so over used that it got annoying, it's fine to mention that you are thinking of a certain chemistry teacher but if it's said too often, It's maddening

Although the book title, seems to be labeled on the science part, it wasn't much idealized in the book, the book was more about football and catered more around Reece's and what Stacey thought of Reece
The only time Chemistry was mentioned was classrooms and margarita recipe which for me wasn't enough to portray the ''nerdy female'' i was looking for

there's a certain element of emotion that's missing in the story kinda like a build up tension, intensity or shocking emotion ( I can't pin my head on exactly what)

So, this book only gets 2 stars from me
but since, this is just the first on the series, I believe it has potential to become better and to evoke more emotions out of me

looking forward to the upcoming series ahead.

The most important things first, no third act break up and a man who actually communicates! Those two reasons alone would have me picking this boon up.

I was a little worried in the first chapter or so as the writing style seemed a bit off, a little elementary. But after the first couple of chapters this either improved or the story was good enough that it didn’t pull me from the plot.

Very cute story with some spice. Looking forward to seeing more of this series

*Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the chance to read this book*

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book!

My overall rating for this book is 3.5 stars. I loved the women in stem representation. I also loved that this book didn’t have the typically “third act breakup.” This book was very light and fluffy, and I would recommend it to anyone as a palate cleanser. Reece was dreamy, and I would swoon if I guy ever looked at me and said “you have my undivided attention” the way he does to Stacey. I would definitely be open to continuing this series!

Thank you to NetGallery and the publisher for the early arc!

I wanted to try something new and I’m happy I did! The characters were well written and I loved their chemistry, I would definitely watch this if it were to become a rom-com film!

The sports trope isn’t really my thing if I’m honest, I’m an enemies to lovers kind of gal, but it was a nice read nonetheless!

3rd person, dual POV

If you are looking for a light, fluffy, easy read and don’t mind 3rd person POV where there’s a lot of descriptors and inner monologue, this is a great contender for your next read.
I had high hopes for this one as the synopsis set it up for an easy to love romcom. I am all for a cheesy cliche read for fun, but this took it pretty far. You start out with the FMC already talking about how she wasn’t like the other girls, not pretty, just a geeky chemistry teacher cat mom. Okay fine, but as the great Taylor Swift once said “I think I’ve seen this film before…” Enter the MMC, the absolutely hunky gorgeous football coach who is hated by the assistant coach and the football loving town because that’s all they live for and heaven forbid their long standing coach retire. We then have the meet cute where he walks in on the teacher changing her shirt in the classroom. All he gets is a back view of her black bra…then proceeds to talk about that black bra for many pages to come. Throw in a grumpy assistant coach talking about how this chemistry teacher failing their players just needs to get laid and why doesn’t the coach take one for the team top really set up the plot.
I began to lose hope and interest in this not long after that, which was within the first couple chapters.
Was this a terrible read? No. It did the job of low-to-no stakes plot. It’s just very surface level and I had no skin in the game with these characters, so it did not keep my interest. There were many editing errors and repetitive sayings. Along with side characters I honestly don’t remember a lot about.
Again, if you are just looking for a mindless quick read, maybe you are sitting on the beach with a few umbrella drinks in your system and just need something, this would be a good book to pick up as it’s not memorable either way.

Chemistry teacher Stacey and new football coach Reece clash when she gives low grades to his star players. Despite having little in common, Stacey and Reece discover they enjoy spending time together when she shows him around town. Against the odds, an unexpected bond forms between them. But just as their connection deepens, locker room politics endanger Reece's job and their future.

Stacey and Reece are likeable and their romance is charming. This book is competently written, though it doesn't have the strong "women in STEM" vibe I was hoping for. Also, there's no real obstacle in the relationship, only in Reece's job. From the cover, I was expecting a rom com, and this is more small-town romance. If you like low-angst stories, this book is for you.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

3.5 stars

This book was a super adorable romance, but I was slightly misled by the title of the series. There was one sexy scene in the whole book (unless you want to count the mmc getting hard and then leaving it at that), but that scene was incredibly well done. When the spice was there, it was THERE, but for most of the book, I was more invested in the side plots than the romance itself.

Having a good plot in a romance is never a bad thing, but it can be disappointing when it outshines the romance. I enjoyed watching the relationship between two very wholesome people, but they felt like very much like characters instead of real people. On that same note, however, it was easy to fall in love with Reece and relate to Stacey. For such a short book, I was definitely given enough to wish I was in Stacey's shoes.

This book is about an intelligent female chemistry teacher who meets the new heartthrob football coach whilst both working at a local high school. You can feel the instant chemistry between the two main characters almost immediately in this fun small town romance. I did enjoy this book but would say maybe suited to slightly younger romance reader I’m 44 but I’m sure my teenage daughters would adore it . It’s a good short light read.

It was a delicious start to a sexy and romantic series with a bit of mystery and intrigue. Stacey and Reece were as oil and water. She hated sports, and he was a football coach. They were two worlds apart, but the chemistry between them was undeniable. This book was a delightful, captivating, and engaging read.

Smart is definitely sexy! A brain and two cats? What more can I ask for?
It was a cute romance, with two smart characters. I like the whole class / teacher setting. It's smart and funny. Cute, sweet and simple. A must!

This book follows a love story between Stacey, a chemistry teacher, and Reece, the new football coach at Brigid’s Vista High School. This was great, the very definition of “short and sweet” because of its length and lack of conflict. I think people looking for an easy breezy story they can use to escape reality will love this, and while I really enjoyed it, I think the lack of conflict felt unrealistic and took me out of the story. The only real conflict we get is with Reece and all the drama he has as the newbie coach, but Stacey has absolutely zero problems and doesn’t really change or grow at all throughout the story, because she started in a good place at the start. Her only problem was being single, and I guess that was fixed by the end. Stacey and Reece also never argue at all, which is good, but they don’t even have a disagreement. I appreciated the stray away from the third-act breakup conflict, but their honeymoon no-fighting phase doesn’t really make me root for them long-term because we don’t know how they would act in a fight. While this was “short and sweet” I really think this could’ve gone from a 4-star to a 5-star read if it was longer. A few more scenes with buildup and tension before they got together, and maybe even a small disagreement scene, would have really helped this story stand out. Also, I’ve never read a romance book that took place in third-person POV and thought “this was way better than if it had been first-person.” Books differ from other media like movies and TV because, in first-person, you can actually be inside a character's head and see their thoughts as they’re processing them. Third-person removes this interiority and makes the reader feel distant from the characters, which isn’t great, especially in romance, which is all about love, vulnerability, and emotions, but overall, this was fun.

Physics teacher Stacey and new head football coach Reece have palpable sparks that start at their first encounter. Their romance is pretty straightforward. The "obstacles" never really slow them down, and their early, obvious desire to be together doesn't falter. It's a lighthearted read that echoes typical small-town life surrounding kids/sports/town rumors in many ways, but nothing ever becomes truly ugly or off-putting.

It was a cute, quick read, and I'll keep my eyes open for the rest of the series.

Overall: 4 stars

I'll tell my students about: language, sex, bullying

**Thank you to NetGalley and Sealed With a Swoon Books LLC for the free ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.**

I enjoyed the overall story in Off-the-Charts Chemistry. There are a few things that did bother me a little. I was initially drawn to this book because the FMC is a chemistry teacher. This gave me the impression of a strong female lead. The story felt like there was more of a focus on football and the explanations of plays and how football works felt a little mansplainy. I didn't love that.
The romance between Stacey and Reece was interesting to watch develop. They had a fun dynamic. I also enjoyed the drama around Reece and his position as head football coach.
I wish there had been more of a focus on Stacey and her story and her experience in chemistry. Especially in a series call Smart is Seriously Sexy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is a romance that follows a high school chemistry teacher and the school's new head football coach. They handle the drama that springs up around his coaching while growing their sweet love story. The descriptions of the town and it's people really filled-out the story, and I enjoyed learning about the side characters enough to want to read about them as well. This is my first read from the author, and I'd be interested in reading more of her work.

This book was cute! I overall liked the main character, she was authentic and herself. I also liked that she had a good group of female friends at the school. I did find the book a bit repetitive in places and I think it could have gone much more in depth to some of the scenes. I do wish the author had continued on with us actually seeing the storyline with Arnie and Bill get wrapped up and meeting their parents. I also think the relationship moved incredibly quick for two adults that had only known each other for a week, especially working at a high school like that. I'm not sure I would read another book in this series but it was a fun short read in between other things.

The premise of Off-the-Charts Chemistry was so intriguing: a woman in STEM falling for her colleague, the head football coach. Opposites attract, and the two quickly became a happy couple, but I had major issues with this.

My first issue with this book was the lack of professionalism. The most interesting thing about the MC, Stacey, was her homemade perfume hobby. It was a cute and quirky hobby that helped me understand her passion for chemistry. However, whatever credibility her hobbies lent to Stacey's position as a chemistry teacher was quickly eradicated when she repeatedly acted recklessly in her lab. On page 7, she instructs her students to move their beakers directly under their noses and sniff. Anyone who has taken a chemistry class since middle school knows that that's a HUGE nono. Also, changing clothes in a classroom? Absolutely not.

Additionally, the writing fell flat for around 90% of the book. Character motivations were told straight to the reader instead of being shown through actions over time. The repeated usage of phrases like "The devilish grin," "You have my undivided attention," and "Their gazes snapped together" worked to effectively snap (lol I had to) me out of whatever reading groove I was in. It was cute the first two times. After that, I cringed every time the phrases appeared again.

Let's talk about the side characters! They were all the same.
:/
Stacey's friends could have been combined into two people: Gia, who has her scumbag-ex-husband situation, and Morgan/Tanith, with a loving partner. The lack of positive representation of romantic relationships in Stacey's friend group made it seem like they were all jilted lovers who loved to bemoan their unfortunate love lives. It was tiring and repetitive to hear the same complaints reworded by each of Stacey's friends (and herself). Also, Reece's two side coaches were so important to the main conflict's resolution, but they were never even mentioned by name? Odd choice.

My biggest problem with this book was the similar nature of every conflict. All of the villains are exposed at the beginning and are two-dimensional throughout the book, so there's no motivation to find out what's going to happen next. The build-up was not enjoyable at all because I knew where it was heading from the first 40 pages alone.

There were also a number of editing errors regarding grammar and tense usage throughout that made reading confusing at points.

Overall, I didn't really enjoy reading this book but I did giggle a little too much at "loud, exuberant...male noise."

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of Off The Charts Chemistry is undeniably charming and promises an intriguing blend of romance and sports drama. However, while the book has its moments, it ultimately falls short in several key aspects.

One of the book's main drawbacks is the shallow characterization. Stacey and Reece are likable characters, but they lack depth and complexity. Their personalities and backstories are barely explored, making it difficult to form a strong emotional connection with them. This lack of depth extends to the supporting cast as well, leaving the story feeling one-dimensional.

On a positive note, the book does capture the essence of a small town setting and the challenges faced by a football coach trying to turn around a struggling team. These elements add some authenticity to the story and contribute to its overall charm.

In summary, Off The Charts Chemistry is a cute small-town romance with an interesting premise that could have been executed more effectively. While it provides an easy and enjoyable read, it falls short in terms of character development and dialogue quality. If you're looking for a light, uncomplicated romance, this book might fit the bill, but those seeking more depth and emotional engagement may be left wanting more.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC!

Off-the-Charts Chemistry by Christine Miles
4.5 ⭐

A nerdy chemistry teacher and a hot football coach, it was a fun romance! With school drama, best friends, rich parents' power play, devoted teachers and bullying villains.

I felt some words and phrases were repeated wayyy too many times and it kinda irked me. Otherwise, the book was amazing, so were the characters.

I look forward to read the next book of the series.