Loved this book!!! I could barely put it down.

I wasn't totally familiar with Emily Adrian prior to this, but will now be reading everything by her.

Thanks to the publisher for the e-galley.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the Kindle ARC. Seduction Theory is presented as a MFA candidate's thesis about the college she attends and two professors who are married but both skirt with affairs. Robbie is Simone's student and wants to be more. She writes a thesis in which she is intimately involved in Simone's life and in which Simone's husband, Ethan, has an affair with the somewhat frumpy department secretary at the school. Robbie's fantasy and the reality collide and she often rewrites what actually happened instead of what she wishes would happen. The book is darkly comedic and is accurate in showing graduate student life, academic life and what it takes to be a writer.

I was intrigued and, at first, a bit baffled by, the premise of the novel as an MFA thesis. Very clever and interesting. It took a while for my brain to catch up to what was going on and, then, to realize that much of the story was imagined by the author rather than a 'true' accounting of what was going on in the professors' marriage. And, then, I wondered throughout much of the ensuing narrative what was invented/imagined and what was 'true.' Which I think was part of the point about fiction and memory.

I was annoyed somewhat by the married protagonists and a bit surprised by the sexual/infatuational twist (at first, but then it made sense, considering the characters.) I honestly had mixed feelings but, overall, enjoyed the story. I would definitely read more from this author.

Many thanks to the publisher and the author for allowing me to read an advanced e-copy of this novel. It will be published on August 10, 2025, and if you're a writer or a professor or have ever been a college student drawn to a professor, you will likely enjoy this intriguing, quick read.

I’m afraid this wasn’t my cup of tea. Too selfconsciously smart, too narrow in its territory, too pleased with itself. Yes, the author is witty, can turn a fine phrase and demonstrates confident flair. But the book itself gets lost in its constant reconsideration of its small plot. The characters aren’t inviting, probably intentionally, and there just isn’t enough meat here to fill a sandwich.
Let’s hope her next book dials back the knowingness in favor of a wider perspective.

I remember seeing the deal announcement for this book and was thrilled to see the ARC was available. Thanks to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for the early read.

I am a sucker for an academic novel, and the premise of this one intrigued me.

I loved the thesis format of the novel - a fun and clever device. But what I was most engaged by was the narrator's voice which was funny and smart.

I suspect that this is a writer's sort of book - especially for someone (like me) who has been in an MFA program.

This was the first time I read a book with this style writing.
It sort of gave me Bridgerton vibes (which I love.) but this book does expose scandals, betrayal and mistrust in modern day relationships.in away that made it fun to read even if I disagreed with the characters actions.

This book combined so many of the things I love about getting lost in a story. The complex relationship, a college campus, professors, students, married life, and much more. I think Adrian writes in an excellent way and I like how she crafted this title. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Really enjoyed this fresh, modern take on marriage and relationships. Each character was well developed and fleshed out and were able to be interwoven within Simone and Ehtan's marriage flawlessly. I rooted for every character because they felt organic, and the writing style really helped to prop them up.

rating — 3.25 out of 5 stars.

there is something to be said about the narrative structure of this book — when i saw that it was being presented as the narrator’s MFA thesis, i came in with certain expectations. at different points, i feel like this structure alternatively helped and hindered it, but this also seems to be the point! which is honestly messing with my head a little. ultimately, though, i don’t think it worked for me as much as i wanted it to — i see how it’s been used, but i wanted the POV problem to be a little less meta (if only so we could spend less time with ethan. men!)

on another note, i feel so vindicated — i picked this up without any lgbtqia+ tag to guide me, and cheered realizing it actually was. i smelled lesbianism afoot! that’s not really important, but i did enjoy that aspect a lot. i think i was hoping for the plot to go a slightly different way than it did, but that’s probably on me — i am not typically a reader of the “fraught marriage” literary genre, but i was seduced (ha!) by the promise of some gay shit. this wasn’t a bad book, but i don’t think it was as much For Me as i wanted it to be. and that happens!

interesting story about a couple and their flirting and having affairs with those that they work with or committee. Interesting that they both end up cheating with people and there is issue with a story ( thesis) and how much of it is true.

It is only early February, but this might be my favorite book of the year?

Emily Adrian's Seduction Theory is a delightful tangle of perspectives on marriage, power, academia, ambition, and betrayal. Presented as an MFA thesis, this tells the story of two married English professors and what happens when their lives calamitously intersect with both the department secretary and our graduate student narrator.

The resulting novel is hilarious and, honestly, one of the freshest and most biting things I have read in a long while. Single sentences crackle to life and I basically would have ended up highlighting the whole book if I didn't stop myself. This is something I look forward to reading again soon and then forcing into the hands of anyone I can so that we can discuss it.

Can't recommend this one more!

A delicious read characters that come alive a book of marriage ofbetrayal told through a students masters thesis .Will be recommending this novel .

I just finished a great women’s fiction book. Seduction Theory by Emily Adrian was an amazing book. I loved it!

Oh, this was delicious.

The shifting perspectives, all within the confines of a grad student's MFA thesis, serve as a brilliant tool to unfold this winding story about the (un)raveling of a marriage. The book had me hooked instantly, and after ripping through it left me gasping at the end, jolting at the stuttered finale. I loved this one, and very much look forward to Adrian's next.

Simone was not only an admired professor at Edwards University but also a celebrated writer, known for both her brilliant lectures and her captivating beauty. Her life, seemingly perfect, was riddled with complexities that only a few could see.
Her husband, Ethan—a Tag-a-long adjunct professor whose once-famous novel still echoed in literary circles—was utterly devoted to Simone. His love bordered on worship, yet cracks began to appear when the department’s administrative assistant started showing an interest in him.

Meanwhile, Simone started to develop an unexpectedly close relationship with one of her advisees. This young protégé, flattered by Simone's attention, began to see their interactions as something more profound than simple mentorship. Inspired by the unfolding events, the advisee quietly began to document their encounters, crafting a narrative that offered an intimate look at the shifting dynamics between teacher, mentor, and student.

Intrigue, love, possession - this is a fantastic story that I would love to see in film.
#emilyadrian #littlebrownandcompany

At first, I wasn't sure of the conceit of this book - it's presented as an MFA student's thesis, but is really a novel about a marriage. For probably the first half, a little voice in my head was saying, "This feels real and true and is laugh-out-loud funny in parts and I love it, but wouldn't this have been just as good -- if not better? -- if that narrator's voice didn't keep intruding? But THEN something suddenly clicked and there is a scene where the narrator is being told in a workshop that the story suffers from a POV problem, which is very meta, and I realized that actually it didn't suffer from a POV problem at all, and this additional layer of this somewhat intrusive POV IS the voice that makes the novel. Magic! The ending is so satisfying. This novel reminded me a lot of Rufi Thorpe's work, and she's one of my favourites, so this was a slam dunk for me. I read it in a single day and immediately ordered the author's other two adult books, and I'll probably read her YA, too. Slam. Dunk. I'll be recommending this all over the interwebs, if the socials still exist by then, when it comes out. Read if you need an escape from your own life for a while, which, given everything that's happening, you probably do. I know I did. Thank you, Emily Adrian! Quirky-litfic forever!