The Sizzle Paradox
A Novel
by Lily Menon
This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
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Pub Date Jun 28 2022 | Archive Date Jun 28 2022
St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin
Description
For fans of The Kiss Quotient and The Love Hypothesis, The Sizzle Paradox is the next sparkling romantic comedy by Lily Menon.
Lyric Bishop feels like a fraud – she’s studying sexual chemistry in romantic partners and what makes for a successful long-term relationship, only she can’t seem to figure it out in her own dating life. The science is sound, but how can she give her expert opinion with no real-world experience? In order to complete her doctoral thesis, she must crack the Sizzle Paradox – it seems the more sexually attractive she finds a guy, the less likely it is to come with an emotional connection; but why? – and to do that she must get the help she desperately needs.
Kian Montgomery, her best friend, roommate, and fellow grad student, has no trouble bringing both romance and sizzle to his own relationships. When he offers to tutor Lyric on dating tactics to find a good match, she’s certain it will solve her problems, and in exchange she agrees to set long-term-commitment-averse Kian up with someone different to give his romantic life a much-needed shakeup.
But once the two progress with their "tutoring sessions," they start to feel less like the academic exercise they were supposed to be as real feelings develop. Which is a problem, because Lyric and Kian are best friends and absolutely, irrefutably nothing else... Right?
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781250801234 |
| PRICE | $16.99 (USD) |
| PAGES | 336 |
Featured Reviews
Caitlin F, Reviewer
The Sizzle Paradox
Lily Menon
Romance
304 pages
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!
Fake dating! For science! I loved this quirky, cute romcom. The STEM storyline was a fresh take on the fake dating trope, and I completely bought in to Lyric and Kian’s chemistry. I liked that the story gave us background on their families, it made the characters feel more real. The treehouse restaurant scene was everything. Adored the epilogue! I will say that these people were licking their lips A LOT, so be prepared for that. This one’s out June 14th, so add it to your TBR!
🧬 Dual POV
🧬 Friends-to-lovers
🧬 Fake dating (with rules!)
🧬 Open door romance
🧬 Forced proximity
🧬 Slow burn
🧬 STEM storyline
🧬 LGBTQ+ rep
🧬 Epilogue
#caitsquietplacereviews #caitsquietplace #cqpromances #thesizzleparadox #lilymenon #stmartinspress
Reviewer 871624
This was such a fun read! I was captivated by the characters - they are endearing and real and the author did an excellent job making you feel like you know them. There was humor and suspense and a great plotline. I couldn't put this one down!
Abby J, Reviewer
read time: March 08 - March 09 2022
i am not embarrassed to say that i shed a tear at the ending :’) this is like an excellent contemporary romance for me! it’s super light, swoony and made me giggle a lot!! on top of that, it’s a stem romance?! like if you love the love hypothesis you’re gonna like this too!! except this one is a couple of besties, goin on a fake date (research purposes) not to impress anybody, but to learn from each other. they suck at dating apparently especially Lyric (awesome name i know) hahahaha omg you wouldn’t believe how she behaved during her dates she’s so awkward and weird 😆 she tends to talk like a geek around hot guys who’re clearly attracted to her, and there she goes, talking about ducks’ penis to the recent guy (Benedict Cumberbatch’s clone). she messed up big time y’all. now as for my (idk how many) husband, Kian Montgomery, a well-known hottie, soon-to-be doctor, he’s awesome in dating. but the spark wasn’t there anymore. he thought he’s getting bored of dating the same type of women so the besties paired up to find out what’s wrong with them. until.. the fake dating stuff went… completely opposite of what they have intended. there u go, a nice and light contemporary romance. honestly i don’t get why the rating is pretty low, i think it’s awesome. well who am i to say maybe i’ve only read a few romance books, but anyway this book is everything i need to get out of my reading slump! it’s witty, swoony, and cute!
-Official Review on Instagram and Video Content on TikTok will be posted a week before publication date ♥️
-A proper review on Goodreads will be posted today ♥️
thankyou Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the arc!
Reviewer 944662
The Sizzle Paradox is the perfect little read for fans of academia romance.
Lyric Bishop is a scientist studying sexual chemistry, but she feels like a fraud because she has little *real-life* experience to back up her work. So she asks Kian Montgomery, who just so happens to be her best friend and roommate, to help her find a good match. After all, Kian is very successful in his personal dating life, so this should work, right?
This was basically The Love Hypothesis meets The Hating Game, only they weren't enemies - they're actually best friends. But don't get me wrong: it had all the sexual undertones. I love the classic "let's-have-sex-once-to-get-it-over-with" because it sets up a whole lot of tension, and Menon executes that plot perfectly here. Plus, we also get a sex dream that sets Lyric up for a whole bunch of awkwardness. It was amazing!
The plot moves along quite nicely and kept me entertained with being over the top. But really: it's the tension between the characters that made me stay. I can't overemphasize how well Menon does these two MCs! Plus, the dual point of view gives us a great glimpse into both of their minds, which is helpful since they aren't always the best at communicating.
If you're looking for a good read that feels real but is still sweet and well-paced, you should definitely give The Sizzle Paradox a read.
*I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
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