The Spreadsheet Situation

by Dawn Banks

Evie Watson loves being a librarian. Is Sapling Grove a little too small town for her? Sure. Is she bad at setting boundaries when it comes to "other duties as assigned"? Maybe. Is her anxiety through the roof because of short staffing and a condescending English professor? Definitely. But put her in charge of a complicated spreadsheet, and she shines. She can analyze all kinds of statistics, including how likely a net-positive outcome is when dating a zero percent chance. A big city job opportunity may be the perfect solution to her personal and professional frustrations.

But now the history professor she's crushing on needs some serious help with Excel. Andrew Brandt loves nerdy books and cooking for people, plus he respects her intellect. If her calculations are correct, their time together is adding up to more than just friendship. Could Evie's strict approach to workplace romance actually be a formula error?

257 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 19, 2025

Reviews

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

A charming friends-to-lovers contemporary romance with characters I immediately liked and wanted to be friends with. Full disclosure: I am a librarian (although public rather than academic) so I was inclined to approve of Evie from the start. But even if I wasn't a librarian, I would have found her to be a smart, capable, and winsome protagonist. Andrew was definitely my type of guy, with his interest in history and science fiction and his personality: a man who listens, asks questions to get to know a woman better, is kind, and has a great sense of humor. I also loved Evie's friends Kylie and Jaclyn, who very often gave Evie the exact same advice I would have given her.

I was delighted with Evie and Andrew's growing friendship (and their initial sweet obliviousness that the other person liked them romantically.) Friends-to-lovers is my absolute favorite trope and author Banks built a strong foundation of friendship between her main characters while still writing delightful scenes where they are obviously hot and bothered for each other but don't act on it because they are "just friends." The sexual tension in these scenes was absolutely delicious.

Like any good romance novel, the main character must have obstacles to overcome. Evie's challenges aren't frivolous but very understandable and make her a sympathetic character. Andrew must also learn how to do some things differently if he and Evie are going to have their happily ever after. But it's not exactly a spoiler to say that they get there in the end. 

Thanks to Dawn Banks for providing an ARC of this book.

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a librarian myself who also loves romances, this book was truly delightful in so many ways, like the realistic but not too heavy glimpse into the life of a librarian, the small ecosystem of a private college, and the relationships between both. It was immediately likeable, immersive, and felt grounded but also dealt with some difficult topics without feeling weighty. I particularly enjoyed how there was a Mr Darcy-in-the-fountain moment and an escalating scenario that felt evocative of the submissions in Ask A Manager. Feel like this book could definitely get picked up by a bigger publisher and sell or be adapted to a better version of a Hallmark movie!

(For a next book, I want to see what Evie’s colleagues get up to!)

[Shannon Binegar-Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where do I start? As someone with anxiety I totally relate to Evie. I adore this book. I love how she mistakes his flirtation as just a coincidence. She is just so sure she is not worthy of his attention. Andrew is the string silent type. He has been keeping his true feelings at bay for far too long. They are brought together by his team needing her help fixing the data on their project. He helps her many times through anxiety attacks. I absolutely loved their dynamic and how their story unfolded. I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book provided by bookfunnel.

[Alicia Polachek · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I definitely enjoyed this one! The characters were all so well done, and the dynamics between them drew me in right away. Despite some ups and downs, Evie and Andrew are clearly meant to be together. Just look at the way Andrew takes care of Evie.

It’s a slow-burn low-spice romance full of heartwarming moments, tension, and all the feel good vibes. I’m curious if they ever got around to testing out the library shelves haha.

A big thank you to Dawn for the advance review copy. I can’t wait to see what story you tell next!

[Annaka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my preferred genre but I do delve every now and then. Predictable plot, which isn’t a bad thing. Was a nice “break” between thrillers or fantasy or “romantacy” for me.

Evie enjoys her small college library job, but she dreams of expanding her career. She applies for a “dream job” that will take her to a bigger city, but then she strikes up a working friendship with a colleague. As they work together their friendship grows and she begins to wonder, (especially after a series of unfortunate events with the interview process,) if the “dream job” is TRULY her dream.

[Marisa Cianciarulo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the perfect small-town, slow-burn romance: a quiet university setting, just the right amount of ex drama, and two main characters you're rooting for from the outset. I couldn't stop turning the pages. The main characters are obviously very decent humans, but they also have flaws that make them endearing and relatable. Somehow those flaws complement each other while also causing the friction that makes this book impossible to put down. I enjoyed every minute of it. Highly recommend!

[Allyson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oof! The slow burn is REAL in this book. It was cute that the MMC was SO into the FMC and she was just so clueless! I loved how he was there whenever she needed him. My only issue with the book was the FMC second guessing everything over and over. It was so frustrating. But still a great story and a cute romance.

Thank you Dawn Banks for providing an advanced copy of the book.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

For me, a characteristic of a good book is if I think about how the characters are doing once I’ve finished it. I’ve been thinking about Evie and Andrew and wondering what they’re up to and how things are going. I found this book enjoyable and look forward to future reads by Banks.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a cute workplace romance! Evie and Andrew work at a university together, and of course end up on a project together. So many good scenes in this book that will have you smiling and/or laughing out loud. Can’t wait to read more from this author.

[Shelley A · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun book! I loved Sapling Grove and enjoyed the MMC and FMC. This is definitely a slow burn that also encompasses some other fun tropes!

Thanks to Dawn Banks for the ARC!

[☆Laura☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entretenido.

[April Bunch · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

[Claudia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Local academic librarian author. Sweet romance. Every now and then it's nice to go to fantasyland lol.

[Taylor Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a nice read with refreshing and competent characters. It was the best kind of friends to lovers and felt natural and fun.

Thank you to Dawn Banks for the ARC copy.