"Off-the-Charts Chemistry" by Christine Miles appears to be a delightful romantic novel that combines humor, unexpected connections, and the challenges of finding love in unexpected places.

The story revolves around Stacey Kinsella, a chemistry teacher who has accepted her "spinster" status, and Reece Caldwell, a football coach given a second chance in his career. The premise of these two characters coming together is both amusing and intriguing, especially given their apparent differences.

Miles seems to have crafted a narrative that balances the quirks of the characters' personalities with the challenges they face in their respective careers. Stacey's unique hobby of perfumery and Reece's determination to turn the BVHS Bears into winners add layers to their characters beyond their initial appearances.

The title, "Off-the-Charts Chemistry," suggests that the book explores not only the chemistry between Stacey and Reece but also their personal growth and the chemistry of life itself. The humor hinted at in the description promises a lighthearted and enjoyable read.

Additionally, the mention of a series titled "Smart is Seriously Sexy" indicates that readers can expect a series of books that celebrate intelligence, wit, and, of course, romance.

Overall, "Off-the-Charts Chemistry" appears to be a fun and heartwarming romance novel that explores the unexpected connections and sparks that can fly when two seemingly different worlds collide. For readers who enjoy romance with a touch of humor and characters with depth, this book seems like an appealing choice.

4⭐️ Review

Stacey, a high school chemistry teacher, meets Reece, the new football coach. They have an instant connection and their journey has their ups and downs including a visit from Reece’s ex-wife and football team rivalry. What a lovely book, can’t wait for the next book!

Thank you for the ARC!

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I made it to 44% of this title and finally just DNF’ed it. As a former educator, I couldn’t handle how absolutely unprofessional the main character was from the start. Changing in her classroom? Absolutely not. Teachers know better than to do that.

There was also no chemistry between the female and male main character. They both felt like complete stereotypes and this book wasn’t worth me finishing.

I thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an arc copy in exchange for my honest feedback.

Lets start!

Blurb:

A single chemistry teacher with two cats equals a spinster in the making…or does it?

Stacey Kinsella is the definition of unlucky in love and long-ago accepted she has more brains than beauty. What’s a chemistry teacher to do? Focus on her job, friends, family, and perfumery hobby. She never expects the sexiest man to ever walk the halls of Brigid’s Vista High School to stroll into her classroom and catch her with her shirt off…or the unmistakable chemistry she shares with him who just happens to coach her least favorite sport.

A single football coach given a career second chance doesn’t need distractions…or does he?

Becoming head coach for the BVHS Bears football team is Reece Caldwell’s career Hail Mary. His last job ending in scandal, followed by a sacking he’d never before experienced off the football field, means he has to turn the Bears into a winning team. He also has the assistant coach and athletic director challenging his every move. Distractions aren’t allowed. Yet something about the quirky chemistry teacher—who wears black bras—has captured his attention.

As Stacey and Reece start to explore their unexpected connection, Reece realizes how much is at stake under the Friday Night Lights. And it far surpasses winning football games.

Off-the-Charts Chemistry is Book One in the Smart is Seriously Sexy Series where brains, quips, and a fair amount of brawn converge in and out of the classroom!


Plot and Writing:

Equal times cute and funny, The plot is perfect for a fuzzy, summer beach read.

I am in love with the author’s writing style, the charm seemed to ooze off the pages. The fact that I finished this one sitting is proof of this. I like how there’s so much ‘showing’ instead of ‘telling’ which provides for an immersive experience as a reader.

My only issue was that it felt just a little bit rushed. Maybe if it was allowed to be slow burn for a little more while, I’d have liked it more.

Characters (mild spoilers) :
Okay, the characters are no doubt adorable! A little cliche but adorable. I mean cliches are cliches for a reason, right?

Stacey is the perfect heroine for a book like this. I like that she isn’t reduced to a damsel in distress who needs someone to make her feel good about herself. I like that even after having a string of failed relationships, she carries herself with an air of confidence that isn’t cocky. While, she does want to meet her prince charming, it is only because she wants to share her life, her thoughts and her heart with someone, without changing any part of her.

Reece too is a lovable character. His flamboyant nature provides a good contrast to Stacey’s. It is hard to not fall for him a little as we see his flirty and very caring side.

It would have been good to have their relationship develop a little more slowly

Overall Feedback:

Go for this if you’re looking for a short cute read!

Rating:

⭐⭐⭐/5 stars

"Off the Charts Chemistry" is a delightful rom-com novel that combines the unlikely pairing of a chemistry teacher and a football coach on a mission to bring two crooked coaches to justice. Author, Christine Miles, weaves a heartwarming and humorous tale of love, teamwork, and a dash of mystery.

The story centers around Stacey, a passionate high school chemistry teacher known for her love of all things science, and Reece Caldwell, the charismatic but down-on-his-luck football coach. Their paths cross when a few of the football players grades slip requiring extra credit from their teacher. The coach and Stacey work together to get the players back on the field, but not before determining how crooked Coach Caldwell's other coaches are.

Together, they decide to take matters into their own hands, creating a charming and unexpected partnership and relationship.

There were a lot of redundancies in this book - certain phrases, words, and several grammatical errors. "And shit if _________" "Enunciated' "You have my undivided attention" to name a few. The book was fine overall - nice and short, almost novella-esque, you see some building of the main characters but not as much as longer books. I enjoyed how the main female character was quirky in a good way, not a cringy, stereotypical, exaggerated "quirky" so many books try to make their characters be. I liked how there was no third-act breakup. Plot seemed a bit lackluster but it's a good beach read. One really short intimate scene that was not fleshed out at all compared to most romance books. Where was the foreplay?????????????

This is a relatable romance book that is quick to read. The characters are very likable, and you will find yourself rooting for the good guys.

I wanted to read this book because I saw in the synopsis that it was a romance between two teachers, and the cover is so damm cute!

I was not disappointed! it was exactly the fluffy, light romance I needed!

Stacey is determined and super nice. I felt identified with her:

"A schoolteacher spinster in the making who also happened to have two cats."

Reece is mature and a real man. I loved the fact that their relationship is adult and mature. After all, they are adults. I don't like it when in adult novels, the characters are immature and have teenage or insecure attitudes. The romance is beautiful and without drama. I loved the pace of the book and how fluid the writing is. And the mentions of Taylor Swift! 💕

Banter: 💓💓💓💓
Main couple: 💓💓💓💓💓
secondary characters: 💓💓💓
spice: 🌶🌶🌶🌶

"At that moment, Stacey fully understood a Taylor Swift song from a few years ago. Many of her female students had loved and loved to sing loudly. A song about the singer being flustered and acting silly while in the presence of a “Gorgeous” man ."

Small town romance done so so good!!
You could see through Reece’s eyes how funny, flirty and desirable Stacey, despite being considered somewhat nerdy, which I LOVED.
Especially, because in romance sometimes I feel like it can seem forced when trying to make the smart, quirky female character appear desirable (which always irks me to no end). However, this is NOT the case here. It was just so refreshing to read. I really enjoyed their relationship and seeing them fall more and more in love.
My heart felt full every time Reece seemed to be head over heels for Stacey (which was often). He was just hot AND so respectful, I mean, what more can you ask for?
Bonus points too for no third act breakup!
Overall, a really good read and I’m excited for the next one in the series? Perhaps something with the one of the other friends and a certain Coach’s brother 👀. Guess we’ll see!

Thank you Netgalley for the eARC, I loved it!

A cute, small-town romance featuring the chemistry teacher (Stacey) and the new football coach (Reece), “Off-the-Charts Chemistry” is an easy read with endearing characters. The drama wasn’t over-the-top, but enough to create a little tension and keep you reading.

Billed as the first in a new series, I’m hoping the next books explore the lives of some of Stacey’s fellow single teachers and Reece’s brother, like Abby Jimenez has done with her characters and series.

While the “meet cute” was a bit implausible for me and I’m not a fan of the “she doesn’t know how pretty she is” trope, I did appreciate that the author avoided the easy “chemistry” puns and wrote some sweet characters I’d follow through multiple books.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for early access to this book!

Off-the-Charts Chemistry is a story about a former football player turned high school football coach and a chemistry teacher who get a second chance at love. The book reminded me of a Hallmark movie with the small town romance and Friday night lights vibe. Although, I enjoyed the sports aspect, I would have enjoyed more on the main characters falling in love. I felt the ending was a bit rushed and left out details however, it may have been done on purpose to tie in the next books in the series. I look forward to seeing the storyline continue. Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is such a cute small town romance. The unlucky in love chemistry teacher and the hottest football coach to ever grace BVHS halls start with a shirt off meet cute and from there slowly get to know one another. I loved all of the chemistry aspects of the book and wish there were actually a bit more. The football theme was slightly overdone for me but not so much as to stop reading. I liked each main character as a person and I liked them as a couple. Looking forward to more in the Smart is Seriously Sexy series. 3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Christine Miles for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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!