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The Place Between
Will Ned finally get a relationship right - even if it's fake?
Ned’s exhausted from his divorce, single parenting, and graduate school, so when his boss comes up with a plan to improve work-life balance, Ned wants no part of it.
But Dr. Charles Henry Abbot, PhD has other ideas. Once Ned’s least favorite professor and now his infuriating colleague, Ned needs Abbot’s help editing his dissertation. With their newly limited work schedules, Abbot suggests the worst idea Ned’s ever heard: pretend to date. Convince their co-workers – and their boss – that they’re in a relationship and nailing this whole personal life thing . . . and each other.
It’s an awful idea, but, if it means a graduation cap, would faking a relationship be worth it, so Ned can finish his degree and move home to his daughter?
The Place Between is a steamy, m/m romance novel. If you like enemies to lovers, fake dating, and the thin line between bickering and flirting, then you’ll love this fast paced romance.
Buy The Place Between to watch Ned and Abbot’s fake relationship unfold as they stumble into the most real thing either of them has ever done.
Ned’s exhausted from his divorce, single parenting, and graduate school, so when his boss comes up with a plan to improve work-life balance, Ned wants no part of it.
But Dr. Charles Henry Abbot, PhD has other ideas. Once Ned’s least favorite professor and now his infuriating colleague, Ned needs Abbot’s help editing his dissertation. With their newly limited work schedules, Abbot suggests the worst idea Ned’s ever heard: pretend to date. Convince their co-workers – and their boss – that they’re in a relationship and nailing this whole personal life thing . . . and each other.
It’s an awful idea, but, if it means a graduation cap, would faking a relationship be worth it, so Ned can finish his degree and move home to his daughter?
The Place Between is a steamy, m/m romance novel. If you like enemies to lovers, fake dating, and the thin line between bickering and flirting, then you’ll love this fast paced romance.
Buy The Place Between to watch Ned and Abbot’s fake relationship unfold as they stumble into the most real thing either of them has ever done.
413 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 6, 2020
349 people are currently reading
4154 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 427 reviews
July 20, 2021
4.5 stars
It took me a little bit to get into the story, but once I did I was fully invested and ended up loving it.
I loved the dynamics between Ned and Abbot and how it changed as the story progressed. The pacing was just right, on the slower side, and their relationship development felt very natural.
I also really liked Ned's and Abbot's relationships with some of the side characters. Ned's best friend Pat is pretty great. I loved Ned's relationship with his daughter and his parents, especially his dad. His dad is amazing. I loved him. And I loved the dog.
I really enjoyed the writing. The dialogues flowed nicely, they sounded realistic and gave me the feeling that I was reading about real people.
There were a couple of things that I didn't find entirely realistic - the reasons behind the fake dating and the co-workers' lack of respecting other people's privacy, but they didn't prevent me from thoroughly enjoying the rest of the story.
It took me a little bit to get into the story, but once I did I was fully invested and ended up loving it.
I loved the dynamics between Ned and Abbot and how it changed as the story progressed. The pacing was just right, on the slower side, and their relationship development felt very natural.
I also really liked Ned's and Abbot's relationships with some of the side characters. Ned's best friend Pat is pretty great. I loved Ned's relationship with his daughter and his parents, especially his dad. His dad is amazing. I loved him. And I loved the dog.
I really enjoyed the writing. The dialogues flowed nicely, they sounded realistic and gave me the feeling that I was reading about real people.
There were a couple of things that I didn't find entirely realistic - the reasons behind the fake dating and the co-workers' lack of respecting other people's privacy, but they didn't prevent me from thoroughly enjoying the rest of the story.
July 8, 2021
Having a serious book hangover over here!! 😭🤧😭
This was soooo good I can't!!!!! 🥲🥲 It was such a lovely slowburn and really well done, the story evolved so beautifully and I loved all the characters even though it has one pov, Ned's. The blurb will tell you what the story is about, I'll just summarize it as: fake boyfriend trope between a good guy who feels like he's failing in life and a shy guy who gets mistaken as an ass who also feels like he's failing at his life, but at the end both are just trying to built themselves better. PERFEFT COMBO OR WHUT?!!! 😍😍
I loved how the fake boyfriend part was done, it was sweet and fun. I liked the banter between all the coworkers and family members of the main characters, I loved when there were so many people together the dialogs were a mess because that's what happens when people get together. I loved the little kids, the fricking dog and the annoying best friends. Ned's parents reminded me of my own and it was lovely to see a functional family in a book.
Ned and Abbot... What can I say? They started as fake, but they were such good guys that they just respected each other, had great conversations, hawt horizontal tango and they were so considerate that God!!! I can't deal right now. I'll just summarize it again with a quote because I can't explain it:
"Nice job,” he says when Abbot finally works his way free of the knot that had formed around him and Louis. “You did great.”
“Are you suggesting you might have actually enjoyed it?”
“Oh, no, it was horrible, but you did good.” Ned.
Love it with all my heart and Kit needs to do more books!! ASAP!!! 💜💜💜
This was soooo good I can't!!!!! 🥲🥲 It was such a lovely slowburn and really well done, the story evolved so beautifully and I loved all the characters even though it has one pov, Ned's. The blurb will tell you what the story is about, I'll just summarize it as: fake boyfriend trope between a good guy who feels like he's failing in life and a shy guy who gets mistaken as an ass who also feels like he's failing at his life, but at the end both are just trying to built themselves better. PERFEFT COMBO OR WHUT?!!! 😍😍
I loved how the fake boyfriend part was done, it was sweet and fun. I liked the banter between all the coworkers and family members of the main characters, I loved when there were so many people together the dialogs were a mess because that's what happens when people get together. I loved the little kids, the fricking dog and the annoying best friends. Ned's parents reminded me of my own and it was lovely to see a functional family in a book.
Ned and Abbot... What can I say? They started as fake, but they were such good guys that they just respected each other, had great conversations, hawt horizontal tango and they were so considerate that God!!! I can't deal right now. I'll just summarize it again with a quote because I can't explain it:
"Nice job,” he says when Abbot finally works his way free of the knot that had formed around him and Louis. “You did great.”
“Are you suggesting you might have actually enjoyed it?”
“Oh, no, it was horrible, but you did good.” Ned.
Love it with all my heart and Kit needs to do more books!! ASAP!!! 💜💜💜
July 30, 2021
3.5 Stars
It was touch and go for a while, but this eventually grew on me and ended up a really endearing, low angst, slow burn romance. I’m so glad I persevered because I would have missed out on the lovely Ned finding love after everything he’d been through. I loved how his relationship with Abbott evolved - their smexy times were not only beautifully written but also very rewarding 🥵 Ned had an amazing support network - his Dad and his friend Pat were wonderful characters and how could you not love his daughter or dog.
However, unlike my friends, and I’m in the minority here, I had a few quibbles:
I struggled with the writing style (although this wasn’t really an issue in the second half).
Abbott not only had some frustrating qualities but was a man of few words - without his POV, I found it difficult to fully connect with his character. Even by the end, I still felt like there was more to know. I wish we had seen more exchanges with his sister as it would have brought out his softer side.
There were some annoying side characters that didn’t respect personal boundaries.
I was expecting a lot more interaction between Ned and his daughter. Only two notable scenes in a book that’s 400+ pages. It’s fine if you don’t want that, but I love single dad tropes, so it’s actually one of the reasons, I was attracted to this in the first place.
Finally, I missed not having an epilogue, but I’m very happy to find there’s a bonus novella A Place To Go. I’m looking forward to seeing more of this pair as an established couple.
It was touch and go for a while, but this eventually grew on me and ended up a really endearing, low angst, slow burn romance. I’m so glad I persevered because I would have missed out on the lovely Ned finding love after everything he’d been through. I loved how his relationship with Abbott evolved - their smexy times were not only beautifully written but also very rewarding 🥵 Ned had an amazing support network - his Dad and his friend Pat were wonderful characters and how could you not love his daughter or dog.
However, unlike my friends, and I’m in the minority here, I had a few quibbles:
I struggled with the writing style (although this wasn’t really an issue in the second half).
Abbott not only had some frustrating qualities but was a man of few words - without his POV, I found it difficult to fully connect with his character. Even by the end, I still felt like there was more to know. I wish we had seen more exchanges with his sister as it would have brought out his softer side.
There were some annoying side characters that didn’t respect personal boundaries.
I was expecting a lot more interaction between Ned and his daughter. Only two notable scenes in a book that’s 400+ pages. It’s fine if you don’t want that, but I love single dad tropes, so it’s actually one of the reasons, I was attracted to this in the first place.
Finally, I missed not having an epilogue, but I’m very happy to find there’s a bonus novella A Place To Go. I’m looking forward to seeing more of this pair as an established couple.
July 19, 2021
gotta love the good ol’ fake dating trope.
i really liked the dynamic between the mcs. a moody, serious, perfectionist statistics professor and his ex student, who thinks said professor hates him and thinks he’s stupid, because he had a hard time in his class? sign me the fuck up!!
henry (the professor) comes across as an asshole more often than not. but in reality the man is just an introvert. 🤣 painfully shy and just not good with people. relatable af. that’s literally ME!!! i related a lot to this man. would have liked this more if this was written in dual POV, so i would have been able to peek into henry’s thoughts. i also really enjoyed his sarcastic sense of humour. you literally can’t tell if the man is serious or not a lot of the time. gotta love dry people.
ned was also a great, relatable character. he’s stressed out throughout most of the book because of his dissertation and feelings of self doubt constantly creep up on him. he pushes through everything because of his daughter though. she’s literally the light of his life and it’s very clear how much he loves his little girl.
also… don’t you just love when kids in books act like actual kids and not adults in children’s bodies? 🥴 definitely a plus to the author for that.
their relationship was actually pretty much drama free and went quite smoothly. no useless conflicts or anything, which is surprising, because i’ve read so many romance books that i usually just wait for the other shoe to drop and for something absolutely terrible to happen that splits the characters apart.🤣🤣
…but nothing horrible happened and honestly this ~almost~ got tied up way too quickly and way too nicely. however, if you want a sweet, drama free book this is definitely for you!
i really liked the dynamic between the mcs. a moody, serious, perfectionist statistics professor and his ex student, who thinks said professor hates him and thinks he’s stupid, because he had a hard time in his class? sign me the fuck up!!
henry (the professor) comes across as an asshole more often than not. but in reality the man is just an introvert. 🤣 painfully shy and just not good with people. relatable af. that’s literally ME!!! i related a lot to this man. would have liked this more if this was written in dual POV, so i would have been able to peek into henry’s thoughts. i also really enjoyed his sarcastic sense of humour. you literally can’t tell if the man is serious or not a lot of the time. gotta love dry people.
ned was also a great, relatable character. he’s stressed out throughout most of the book because of his dissertation and feelings of self doubt constantly creep up on him. he pushes through everything because of his daughter though. she’s literally the light of his life and it’s very clear how much he loves his little girl.
also… don’t you just love when kids in books act like actual kids and not adults in children’s bodies? 🥴 definitely a plus to the author for that.
their relationship was actually pretty much drama free and went quite smoothly. no useless conflicts or anything, which is surprising, because i’ve read so many romance books that i usually just wait for the other shoe to drop and for something absolutely terrible to happen that splits the characters apart.🤣🤣
…but nothing horrible happened and honestly this ~almost~ got tied up way too quickly and way too nicely. however, if you want a sweet, drama free book this is definitely for you!
September 19, 2024
ETA: Wow, I don't think I've ever had my opinion of a book tank so completely on a second look -- listen, actually, because I'm responding to the audiobook. The narration is not great, but somehow hearing the dialogue brings into sharp focus Ned's unkindness toward Abbot and his obliviousness in the moments when Abbot makes himself vulnerable. Why Abbot would have any interest in him is beyond me.
And the secondary characters! Prying over and over again into Ned and Abbot's relationship, never mind how many times Ned and Abbot change the subject or offer a direct demurral. Ned's colleagues and "friends" are physically invasive, too -- Lee, especially, cannot stop putting her hands on Ned. These are supposed to be professors, a department chair, a dean. WTF, they all need to be reported to HR and lose tenure. If anyone I worked with treated me the way Lee treats Ned I would do my best to curb-stomp them.
And one more thing. Somehow, when reading, I was able to slide past the references to statistics, but come on, Ned is supposed to have passed a basic stats course, and yet he doesn't know what "statistically significant" means, or what a p-value is? Right, not everyone does know that, but he's supposed to be a doctoral candidate and, again, to have passed a basic stats course. I'm not a mathy person and I've never taken stats, but even I can understand the explanations supplied via a Google search. What this tells me is that Kit Oliver didn't take the trouble to make Ned look smart by identifying a few more advanced statistical concepts and methods, say by looking at the later pages of a Dummy's Guide.
Poor Abbot. He deserves better.
--------------------------------
I haven't often seen enemies-to-lovers this well done.
"Enemies" isn't quite right, though. Ned is certainly hostile toward Abbot at the outset: having struggled in Abbot’s stats class, he’s sure Abbot despises him, an impression strengthened by Abbot’s stony demeanor. (This, we eventually learn, has nothing to do with Ned and everything to do with a combination of social awkwardness and barely restrained grief.) And when Ned is obliged by his department chair to ask Abbot’s help with statistical analysis for his doctoral dissertation, Abbot curtly refuses.
About that refusal. Abbot’s behavior is more than frosty, it’s seriously rude, and although I can put some pieces together from what we learn about Abbot as the story progresses, we never get a specific explanation. I’m of two minds about whether that’s a fault; I lean toward not, but the tone of the refusals is a little OTT even when I account for why Abbot has built such high walls around himself.
As for Abbot’s view of Ned, interestingly it turns out that the animosity is only on Ned’s side. What I liked about that: it casts Abbot’s responses to Ned, once they do start working together, in a wholly different light. In retrospect, Abbot looks to have been patient and careful with someone who clearly resents him and is constantly bristling. Again, Oliver doesn’t tell us this in so many words, but Ned must have been hurting Abbot over and over and over again. (To his credit, Ned apologizes sincerely as soon as he figures this out.)
I want to discuss two scenes that stood out for me.
The first takes place when Ned and Abbot are strong-armed into staying for trivia night at the coffeeshop/pub where they planned to begin working on Ned’s dissertation. They’re squashed into a booth with a couple of their colleagues, plus a spouse. Abbot sits with his hands in his lap. Some dialogue:
Look what’s happening here. Everyone’s talking at Abbot, who manages six words. Also, during these exchanges, Lee (whom I loathed, but more about that later) implicitly blames Abbot for the fact that she hasn’t introduced him to her wife: “Not my fault,” she says, waving at him.
Same scene, a little later on:
Then, skipping past another exchange that would take too long to explain, we get to this:
And then finally, finally, during the trivia contest proper, Abbot answers two questions that have everyone else stumped:
Look, by this point my heart had broken for the man. All the chatter around him, his physical discomfort, the sudden exposure of his emotional wound — one of his emotional wounds! — and the awkward, quiet way he helps out the trivia team when he didn’t want to be there in the first place. The whole scene is masterful in its revelation of Abbot’s shyness and unhappiness, and what makes it even better is that we, the readers, get it (or we can, if we’re paying attention), but Ned, who is caught up in his own anxiety and unhappiness, completely misses it. Here’s his whole entire reaction to Abbot in that scene: “Abbot’s so damn stiff, sitting like that. Relax, Ned wants to say. It’s all the more horrible how unnaturally still and reserved he is.”
Stiff. Unnatural: At this point, Ned seems to barely see Abbot as human.
That dam begins to break just in time, since we’re probably way ahead of Ned in seeing Abbot as a suffering human, so that his unkindness to Abbot is starting to wear. Susan, the department chair’s wife, who has known Abbot most of his life, drops a whole bunch of revelations on Ned. She assumes that since he and Abbot are dating, she’s talking to him about things he already knows: The ex-partner was a dick and a half. And Abbot’s beloved mother has recently died. And for the past year, Abbot has barely been keeping his head above water.
Oh.
This gets us to the lovely passage in which Ned offers Abbot condolences. Abbot can’t bear it; he’s clearly near tears.
Scouring his brain for how to help, Ned finally lights on Abbot’s love of tea, and makes him a cup. I won’t spoil the rest of the scene except to say that it was credible and moving, and if you don’t cry you’re made of much sterner stuff than I.
One more thing to say: My goodness, can Kit Oliver write sex. The sex between Ned and Abbot is scorching, which I say that even though they're entirely vanilla and I'm entirely not, so you know it's true.
I rounded up to 5 stars from, I don’t know, 4.5, because The Place Between has one aspect that I hated: the behavior of Ned’s colleagues. Lee is the worst offender, but they’re all pretty terrible, teasing Ned and harassing him and prying into how he and Abbot got together waaaaaaaaaay past the point where Ned has repeatedly tried to shut the topic down. Besides Ned and Abbot coming to understand and love each other, nothing would have made me happier than to see Ned dump the lot of them.*
* Yes, Pat presses Ned to confide in him; yes, Ned’s father presses Ned to confide in him — but Pat is Ned’s best friend, Ned and his father have a warm, close relationship, and still neither of them is anywhere near as intrusive as Lee et al. I would say neither of them is really intrusive at all, since they back off when Ned needs them to.
And the secondary characters! Prying over and over again into Ned and Abbot's relationship, never mind how many times Ned and Abbot change the subject or offer a direct demurral. Ned's colleagues and "friends" are physically invasive, too -- Lee, especially, cannot stop putting her hands on Ned. These are supposed to be professors, a department chair, a dean. WTF, they all need to be reported to HR and lose tenure. If anyone I worked with treated me the way Lee treats Ned I would do my best to curb-stomp them.
And one more thing. Somehow, when reading, I was able to slide past the references to statistics, but come on, Ned is supposed to have passed a basic stats course, and yet he doesn't know what "statistically significant" means, or what a p-value is? Right, not everyone does know that, but he's supposed to be a doctoral candidate and, again, to have passed a basic stats course. I'm not a mathy person and I've never taken stats, but even I can understand the explanations supplied via a Google search. What this tells me is that Kit Oliver didn't take the trouble to make Ned look smart by identifying a few more advanced statistical concepts and methods, say by looking at the later pages of a Dummy's Guide.
Poor Abbot. He deserves better.
--------------------------------
I haven't often seen enemies-to-lovers this well done.
"Enemies" isn't quite right, though. Ned is certainly hostile toward Abbot at the outset: having struggled in Abbot’s stats class, he’s sure Abbot despises him, an impression strengthened by Abbot’s stony demeanor. (This, we eventually learn, has nothing to do with Ned and everything to do with a combination of social awkwardness and barely restrained grief.) And when Ned is obliged by his department chair to ask Abbot’s help with statistical analysis for his doctoral dissertation, Abbot curtly refuses.
About that refusal. Abbot’s behavior is more than frosty, it’s seriously rude, and although I can put some pieces together from what we learn about Abbot as the story progresses, we never get a specific explanation. I’m of two minds about whether that’s a fault; I lean toward not, but the tone of the refusals is a little OTT even when I account for why Abbot has built such high walls around himself.
As for Abbot’s view of Ned, interestingly it turns out that the animosity is only on Ned’s side. What I liked about that: it casts Abbot’s responses to Ned, once they do start working together, in a wholly different light. In retrospect, Abbot looks to have been patient and careful with someone who clearly resents him and is constantly bristling. Again, Oliver doesn’t tell us this in so many words, but Ned must have been hurting Abbot over and over and over again. (To his credit, Ned apologizes sincerely as soon as he figures this out.)
I want to discuss two scenes that stood out for me.
The first takes place when Ned and Abbot are strong-armed into staying for trivia night at the coffeeshop/pub where they planned to begin working on Ned’s dissertation. They’re squashed into a booth with a couple of their colleagues, plus a spouse. Abbot sits with his hands in his lap. Some dialogue:
“Oh.” Lee gestures toward Abbot. “This is Henry. Doctor Abbot, from the department. This is my wife.”
“A pleasure,” Abbot says softly.
Ned slouches into the corner of the booth. It’s anything but, he’s sure.
“Have you been at Callahan long?” Minori asks.
Abbot licks quickly at his lips. "Eight years.”
“I see.” Minori raises both eyebrows at Lee. “Excellent job introducing us, hon.”
“I wasn’t—” Lee waves toward herself, then toward Abbot. “Not my fault.”
“Were you at the holiday parties?” Minori asks. “The one last year? Lee forgets herself.”
“I wasn’t,” Abbot says.
Look what’s happening here. Everyone’s talking at Abbot, who manages six words. Also, during these exchanges, Lee (whom I loathed, but more about that later) implicitly blames Abbot for the fact that she hasn’t introduced him to her wife: “Not my fault,” she says, waving at him.
Same scene, a little later on:
“Henry?” Minori asks. “You’ll be [at a departmental outing to a Red Sox game]?”
“Yes.” Abbot adjusts his fork on his plate.
Then, skipping past another exchange that would take too long to explain, we get to this:
Lee turns in the booth to look at Abbot. “How is Louis [Abbot’s partner] doing these days?”
Abbot shifts in his seat. “We broke up,” he says.
And then finally, finally, during the trivia contest proper, Abbot answers two questions that have everyone else stumped:
“You can type Alaska on one row of an American keyboard,” Abbot says. “And the answer is forty.” ...
“Didn’t think trivia was your thing, Henry,” Lee says, giving Ned one last light punch.
Abbot’s got his hands tucked into his lap again. “It’s not.”
Look, by this point my heart had broken for the man. All the chatter around him, his physical discomfort, the sudden exposure of his emotional wound — one of his emotional wounds! — and the awkward, quiet way he helps out the trivia team when he didn’t want to be there in the first place. The whole scene is masterful in its revelation of Abbot’s shyness and unhappiness, and what makes it even better is that we, the readers, get it (or we can, if we’re paying attention), but Ned, who is caught up in his own anxiety and unhappiness, completely misses it. Here’s his whole entire reaction to Abbot in that scene: “Abbot’s so damn stiff, sitting like that. Relax, Ned wants to say. It’s all the more horrible how unnaturally still and reserved he is.”
Stiff. Unnatural: At this point, Ned seems to barely see Abbot as human.
That dam begins to break just in time, since we’re probably way ahead of Ned in seeing Abbot as a suffering human, so that his unkindness to Abbot is starting to wear. Susan, the department chair’s wife, who has known Abbot most of his life, drops a whole bunch of revelations on Ned. She assumes that since he and Abbot are dating, she’s talking to him about things he already knows: The ex-partner was a dick and a half. And Abbot’s beloved mother has recently died. And for the past year, Abbot has barely been keeping his head above water.
Oh.
This gets us to the lovely passage in which Ned offers Abbot condolences. Abbot can’t bear it; he’s clearly near tears.
Very slowly, Abbot opens his laptop and stares at it, the blue light reflecting off his glasses.
Shut up, Ned tells himself. “Susan said you were trying to put your life back together,” Ned says. “So, I’m sorry if I was—I don’t know, hard on you, I guess. I didn’t realize you were going through all of that.”
Abbot doesn’t even nod, just sits there as frozen as a computer that needs to be rebooted. Ned apparently just gave whatever thread Abbot’s hanging by a good, solid yank, fraying something that was already worn thin.
How long has he managed to live like this? Ned would so like to know.
Scouring his brain for how to help, Ned finally lights on Abbot’s love of tea, and makes him a cup. I won’t spoil the rest of the scene except to say that it was credible and moving, and if you don’t cry you’re made of much sterner stuff than I.
One more thing to say: My goodness, can Kit Oliver write sex. The sex between Ned and Abbot is scorching, which I say that even though they're entirely vanilla and I'm entirely not, so you know it's true.
I rounded up to 5 stars from, I don’t know, 4.5, because The Place Between has one aspect that I hated: the behavior of Ned’s colleagues. Lee is the worst offender, but they’re all pretty terrible, teasing Ned and harassing him and prying into how he and Abbot got together waaaaaaaaaay past the point where Ned has repeatedly tried to shut the topic down. Besides Ned and Abbot coming to understand and love each other, nothing would have made me happier than to see Ned dump the lot of them.*
* Yes, Pat presses Ned to confide in him; yes, Ned’s father presses Ned to confide in him — but Pat is Ned’s best friend, Ned and his father have a warm, close relationship, and still neither of them is anywhere near as intrusive as Lee et al. I would say neither of them is really intrusive at all, since they back off when Ned needs them to.
October 26, 2022
4.50 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I want to inject this story into my veins. I loved, loved, loved this. A perfect fake dating slow-burn romance with a dash of enemies-to-lovers to boot! The pacing of this story was 👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼. The UST and build up was delicious. It’s been so long since I’ve read a romance I enjoyed this much that just made me feel good from beginning to end.
Ned and Abbot were both great characters and I was all in from the first page. In terms of the setting, I know nothing about academics or doctoral programs, and I’m guessing this is not at all realistic, but guess what? If you know nothing like me it will sound legit and that’s all that matters! 😆
Anyway, I’m obsessed and want to read 100 more books just like this one.
I want to inject this story into my veins. I loved, loved, loved this. A perfect fake dating slow-burn romance with a dash of enemies-to-lovers to boot! The pacing of this story was 👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼. The UST and build up was delicious. It’s been so long since I’ve read a romance I enjoyed this much that just made me feel good from beginning to end.
Ned and Abbot were both great characters and I was all in from the first page. In terms of the setting, I know nothing about academics or doctoral programs, and I’m guessing this is not at all realistic, but guess what? If you know nothing like me it will sound legit and that’s all that matters! 😆
Anyway, I’m obsessed and want to read 100 more books just like this one.
November 4, 2020
I can count on one hand the number of m/m romance authors whose stories I know will be 100% satisfying without annoying me in some way (“witty” banter, former enemies suddenly calling each “baby” or “sweetheart” after having sex one(!) time, the author clearly having no clue how anal sex actually works... you know, the usual complaints), and I have a feeling Kit Oliver has joined that list for me with just her one full-length novel and two short, freebie novellas. I enjoyed this story THAT much.
I’m a sucker for both the enemies-to-lovers and fake dating tropes, which is why I decided to blind read this even though I’d heard next to nothing about the book or Kit herself (I only realized afterward that this was her first published book, which is quite shocking to me; I would have never guessed that based of the strength of her writing here). Anyway! that decision to read this even though I knew nothing going in? one of the best I’ve made, honestly.
I’m implore anyone even remotely interested in either of those tropes - and m/m romance in general - to give this book a read. I loved both of the main characters, the supporting cast, how the story unfolded... just everything here was beautifully done. the tropes were used well while also feeling fresh and interesting. in short, please read this!!
I’m a sucker for both the enemies-to-lovers and fake dating tropes, which is why I decided to blind read this even though I’d heard next to nothing about the book or Kit herself (I only realized afterward that this was her first published book, which is quite shocking to me; I would have never guessed that based of the strength of her writing here). Anyway! that decision to read this even though I knew nothing going in? one of the best I’ve made, honestly.
I’m implore anyone even remotely interested in either of those tropes - and m/m romance in general - to give this book a read. I loved both of the main characters, the supporting cast, how the story unfolded... just everything here was beautifully done. the tropes were used well while also feeling fresh and interesting. in short, please read this!!
May 7, 2022
I really enjoyed this one. If you are in the mood for a slow burn, quiet romance featuring adults with adult responsibilities and mature emotional reactions, then you might also enjoy The Place Between. I would like it if more people read it, actually, because it seems to be a bit of a hidden gem at the moment. It only has 152 reviews here on Goodreads, and less than 1,000 ratings. I will also add, if you are looking for sexiness, you will find that here as well; all those quiet, slow-burning emotions make sexy scenes way better in my opinion.
We've got fake dating, here, folks, with a little bit of grumpy/sunshine, and enemies to lovers thrown in for good measure. Ned Coppola is a postdoc graduate student in the sociology department of his Maine university, a hair's breadth away from defending his dissertation and finally graduating so he can get back to Boston and his five year old daughter (Ned is also recently divorced). Charles Henry Abbott is a former professor of his, a professor Ned disliked immensely, and whose class he nearly failed. Abbott is cold, a statistician who holds himself aloof from his colleagues and students. They are forced together when, a) A program instituted by their department head to have more of a life/work balance interferes with their ability to do their work, and b) That same department head reviews Ned's dissertation and asks him to work with Henry to add statistics and figures (quantitative research) to his otherwise qualitative approach. He's like, "Henry will help you!" Meanwhile, Henry does not want to help him; he couldn't be more clear about that.
I said this was a slow burn, and I meant it, but when the bubble pops, it pops real good. I read this on Kindle Unlimited, but I'm going to have to buy myself a copy so I can revisit it. I will definitely be checking out this author's other books as well. I hope other people give this a chance!
[4.5 stars]
We've got fake dating, here, folks, with a little bit of grumpy/sunshine, and enemies to lovers thrown in for good measure. Ned Coppola is a postdoc graduate student in the sociology department of his Maine university, a hair's breadth away from defending his dissertation and finally graduating so he can get back to Boston and his five year old daughter (Ned is also recently divorced). Charles Henry Abbott is a former professor of his, a professor Ned disliked immensely, and whose class he nearly failed. Abbott is cold, a statistician who holds himself aloof from his colleagues and students. They are forced together when, a) A program instituted by their department head to have more of a life/work balance interferes with their ability to do their work, and b) That same department head reviews Ned's dissertation and asks him to work with Henry to add statistics and figures (quantitative research) to his otherwise qualitative approach. He's like, "Henry will help you!" Meanwhile, Henry does not want to help him; he couldn't be more clear about that.
I said this was a slow burn, and I meant it, but when the bubble pops, it pops real good. I read this on Kindle Unlimited, but I'm going to have to buy myself a copy so I can revisit it. I will definitely be checking out this author's other books as well. I hope other people give this a chance!
[4.5 stars]
Read
July 20, 2021DNF @ 60%
July 5, 2021
4.5 stars.
Perfect slow-burn enemies to lovers. I loved Ned and Henry (especially Henry) , the progression of their relationship, and the background characters' interactions.
The writing was very good and the pace was perfect for me.
I wish we could know more about Henry, about his past , his family, and I'd love to see more of him and Liesl.
I also would love to see more of them as a consolidated couple but there is a short freebie with lots of sweet moments you can get by subscribing to the author's newsletter.
Summarizing: I liked it a lot .
Perfect slow-burn enemies to lovers. I loved Ned and Henry (especially Henry) , the progression of their relationship, and the background characters' interactions.
The writing was very good and the pace was perfect for me.
I wish we could know more about Henry, about his past , his family, and I'd love to see more of him and Liesl.
I also would love to see more of them as a consolidated couple but there is a short freebie with lots of sweet moments you can get by subscribing to the author's newsletter.
Summarizing: I liked it a lot .
June 8, 2022
I don't wanna talk about it.
Okay, It's been 3 days and I'm finally ready to talk about it.
I had discovered this book early on in the month, when I got my Kindle Unlimited subscription.
Cute as fuck cover, promised me an enemies to lovers romance that's set in academia, fake dating, the whole thing.
All of those promises had me gagging, because I love all of these tropes.
The reality though? The execution?
Hands-down, one of the worst and most disappointing book I've ever read.
Not just in 2022, but in general.
Yes, that's what happens when authors make promises they really can't keep.
I'd like to make one thing very clear: I only gave this book two stars instead of one because I enjoyed the last 30-40% of the book, the sex scenes were masterfully written and were hot as fuck and because the side characters (mainly Ned's dad, Pat and Lee gave me life).
That's it.
That's literally the only thing I enjoyed about this book.
Now on to the negatives.
This book is not a romance novel.
Yes, the book that's being advertised as a romance novel isn't in fact a romance novel.
What is it then? A story about a bitchy bisexual man and an uncomfortably silent "love interest" having sex and avoiding talking about their feelings.
Loved the bisexual rep, but not the rest.
Ned as a character was... Irritating, bitchy as fuck, spent the entire 60% of the book complaining and bitching about every single thing just because his dissertation wasn't done yet.
It didn't matter that he had the best kind of bestfriend, whom he lived with, nor the fact that his father is one of the best parental reps I've ever read about in books, no.
He just bitched and whined and was curt and dismissive whenever his friends and family spoke with him.
Ned was not likeable.
As for Henry Abbot, our love interest... At first, he was the usual asshole, then he was revealed to be shy which was supposed to explain why he is the way he is.
There's a difference between being shy and not talking a lot and being COMPLETELY SILENT during sex.
Like, what?!?!?! The guy had a regular amount of trauma that we never really got into and unresolved issues with his bitch of a father that, again, never got resolved.
What did this book accomplish in Its +400 pages?
Very fucking little, that's what it accomplished.
Was I convinced by their romance? No, because said romance was literally never developed.
There was nothing romantic about this book, whatsoever.
Fake dating lead to "real feelings" on one side (about 60% into the book, that is), since Abbot doesn't speak like a normal person, lead to three extremely hot sexual interactions lead to the characters being truly obnoxious and only deciding to date and to give it a try at the NINETY PERCENT MARK OF THIS FUCKING BOOK!
I'm angry, yes, more at myself than at this truly bad book because my dumb ass sat waiting there and read the entire thing only to be left completely unsatisfied.
This book felt like sexual intercourse without the orgasm.
Do I recommend it? Fuck the hell no.
Save your money, save your time and save your energy because this book will give you an aneurysm.
You're welcome, goodbye.
Okay, It's been 3 days and I'm finally ready to talk about it.
I had discovered this book early on in the month, when I got my Kindle Unlimited subscription.
Cute as fuck cover, promised me an enemies to lovers romance that's set in academia, fake dating, the whole thing.
All of those promises had me gagging, because I love all of these tropes.
The reality though? The execution?
Hands-down, one of the worst and most disappointing book I've ever read.
Not just in 2022, but in general.
Yes, that's what happens when authors make promises they really can't keep.
I'd like to make one thing very clear: I only gave this book two stars instead of one because I enjoyed the last 30-40% of the book, the sex scenes were masterfully written and were hot as fuck and because the side characters (mainly Ned's dad, Pat and Lee gave me life).
That's it.
That's literally the only thing I enjoyed about this book.
Now on to the negatives.
This book is not a romance novel.
Yes, the book that's being advertised as a romance novel isn't in fact a romance novel.
What is it then? A story about a bitchy bisexual man and an uncomfortably silent "love interest" having sex and avoiding talking about their feelings.
Loved the bisexual rep, but not the rest.
Ned as a character was... Irritating, bitchy as fuck, spent the entire 60% of the book complaining and bitching about every single thing just because his dissertation wasn't done yet.
It didn't matter that he had the best kind of bestfriend, whom he lived with, nor the fact that his father is one of the best parental reps I've ever read about in books, no.
He just bitched and whined and was curt and dismissive whenever his friends and family spoke with him.
Ned was not likeable.
As for Henry Abbot, our love interest... At first, he was the usual asshole, then he was revealed to be shy which was supposed to explain why he is the way he is.
There's a difference between being shy and not talking a lot and being COMPLETELY SILENT during sex.
Like, what?!?!?! The guy had a regular amount of trauma that we never really got into and unresolved issues with his bitch of a father that, again, never got resolved.
What did this book accomplish in Its +400 pages?
Very fucking little, that's what it accomplished.
Was I convinced by their romance? No, because said romance was literally never developed.
There was nothing romantic about this book, whatsoever.
Fake dating lead to "real feelings" on one side (about 60% into the book, that is), since Abbot doesn't speak like a normal person, lead to three extremely hot sexual interactions lead to the characters being truly obnoxious and only deciding to date and to give it a try at the NINETY PERCENT MARK OF THIS FUCKING BOOK!
I'm angry, yes, more at myself than at this truly bad book because my dumb ass sat waiting there and read the entire thing only to be left completely unsatisfied.
This book felt like sexual intercourse without the orgasm.
Do I recommend it? Fuck the hell no.
Save your money, save your time and save your energy because this book will give you an aneurysm.
You're welcome, goodbye.
January 12, 2025
"I could love you, Ned thinks."
3.25⭐️
I think this is a "its me not you" problem when it comes to this book. I hate to admit, but I had a tough time getting through it. I think it comes down to the fact that I really did not vibe with Ned. I found him to be whiney and actually rather mean. I get he had problems with Abbot, but those problems mostly came form his own insecurities with his own intellect when he was taking his class. And once he found out about Abbot being shy, I felt like he should of been more understanding but he wasnt. I also get that Ned really just has been burned by his ex and wants to be home with his daughter but I felt like his entire personality was just complaining about his project and getting home to her. Nothing really stuck out to me as him being someone who could be in a healthy relationship. I on the other hand really did like Henry. I feel like towards the end of the book I got more into them being together but perhaps it was a little too late because I didnt feel more than the sexual chemistry. There really wanst any romance or deep feelings portrayed to me in this book. With the synopsis I was expecting a more hard hitting, emotional journey and I felt with all the set up and information we got on the characters there could been that, but it just was meh to me. I was expecting so much more, and that may be my own fault but when I read a romance book, most of the time Im looking for at least a bit of swoon in it, other than them having sex and I just didnt get that until perhaps the last two chapters? This was mostly just a piece on a man trying to get his doctorate with a hint of sexual relations with someone he works with. So I really didnt believe it. The writing was nice, though I think it might not also be for me. I dont know, something about the dialogue was hinting at being a little goofy and witty but it didnt hit for me. I cant say this book is horrible, because it is not, but I just dont think this author is for me and the story did not give me anything to work with sadly. I do think that you should give it a try since a lot of reviews found it be a heartfelt great book, but I just did not see or experience that myself.
3.25⭐️
I think this is a "its me not you" problem when it comes to this book. I hate to admit, but I had a tough time getting through it. I think it comes down to the fact that I really did not vibe with Ned. I found him to be whiney and actually rather mean. I get he had problems with Abbot, but those problems mostly came form his own insecurities with his own intellect when he was taking his class. And once he found out about Abbot being shy, I felt like he should of been more understanding but he wasnt. I also get that Ned really just has been burned by his ex and wants to be home with his daughter but I felt like his entire personality was just complaining about his project and getting home to her. Nothing really stuck out to me as him being someone who could be in a healthy relationship. I on the other hand really did like Henry. I feel like towards the end of the book I got more into them being together but perhaps it was a little too late because I didnt feel more than the sexual chemistry. There really wanst any romance or deep feelings portrayed to me in this book. With the synopsis I was expecting a more hard hitting, emotional journey and I felt with all the set up and information we got on the characters there could been that, but it just was meh to me. I was expecting so much more, and that may be my own fault but when I read a romance book, most of the time Im looking for at least a bit of swoon in it, other than them having sex and I just didnt get that until perhaps the last two chapters? This was mostly just a piece on a man trying to get his doctorate with a hint of sexual relations with someone he works with. So I really didnt believe it. The writing was nice, though I think it might not also be for me. I dont know, something about the dialogue was hinting at being a little goofy and witty but it didnt hit for me. I cant say this book is horrible, because it is not, but I just dont think this author is for me and the story did not give me anything to work with sadly. I do think that you should give it a try since a lot of reviews found it be a heartfelt great book, but I just did not see or experience that myself.
October 26, 2022
Actual rating 4,5
Rep: bi MC, gay LI, sapphic SCs, Black SC
Third person present tense…I started this and was immediately convinced I was going to hate this. And it definitely took me a while to get into it. I needed to get used to the style of writing.
Ned is a struggling, broke graduate student. He is set on finally finishing his dissertation and move back home, where his ex-wife and their daughter live. Living above a bar in his best friends guest room is not the dream of a 32 year old man.
But his supervisor wants him to add more statistics…the only thing Ned really can NOT do. And the only thing that’s separating him from his dream to finally come true.
Forced to work with his arch enemy statistics professor to finish his work on time, they make a deal: pretend to date, so Abbot gets his VPN access back and Ned gets his missing statistics.
Ned has a terrible self confidence after his failed marriage, his current life situation and his drawn out dissertation.
Doesn’t help he now has to work with the only professor who ever gave him a bad grade.
I felt his desperation, the will to go on leaving his body every ten minutes and his complete procrastination energy. He was a whole mood and I could relate so much!
Abbot is super closed off, doesn’t talk much and never has even a hair out of order. Nobody has ever seen him laugh out loud…or laugh at all.
They’re polar opposites and selling their relationship to their colleagues is bound to end up in flames.
I honestly have to say I didn’t like Abbot much at first. He seems super arrogant and ignores Ned.
But the more Ned gets to know him and learns to read him, gets to know his family, the more I understood him.
I loved the way Ned learns to see behind his facade, takes care of him and earns so much confidence in return.
They are so good for each other and make each other go out of their comfort zones.
I also really loved all the side characters. Especially Pat and Ned’s dad. They’re both absolute sweethearts!!! I love to see supportive parents who love their children unconditionally!
About 60% into this I wasn’t able to put it down. I jumped out of bed in the morning to squeeze in a chapter before I went to work!
They were so cute and I rooted for them so hard!!!
The style of writing that took me so much getting used to in the beginning became the most special thing in the end and I really loved it.
Immediately read the shortstory after I finished this.
I’m not going to lie, I would have loved to get a little more insight into Abbots mind. I hate it when people simply ignore me when I talk to them and in Ned’s place I would have exploded. Glad he’s such a patient guy.
I also loved the ending. I really came to enjoy books a lot, where not every little detail is sorted out in the end and you get only an idea of what’s going to happen in the future. Where the character and relationship development during the story is the most important part.
Rep: bi MC, gay LI, sapphic SCs, Black SC
Third person present tense…I started this and was immediately convinced I was going to hate this. And it definitely took me a while to get into it. I needed to get used to the style of writing.
Ned is a struggling, broke graduate student. He is set on finally finishing his dissertation and move back home, where his ex-wife and their daughter live. Living above a bar in his best friends guest room is not the dream of a 32 year old man.
But his supervisor wants him to add more statistics…the only thing Ned really can NOT do. And the only thing that’s separating him from his dream to finally come true.
Forced to work with his arch enemy statistics professor to finish his work on time, they make a deal: pretend to date, so Abbot gets his VPN access back and Ned gets his missing statistics.
Ned has a terrible self confidence after his failed marriage, his current life situation and his drawn out dissertation.
Doesn’t help he now has to work with the only professor who ever gave him a bad grade.
I felt his desperation, the will to go on leaving his body every ten minutes and his complete procrastination energy. He was a whole mood and I could relate so much!
Abbot is super closed off, doesn’t talk much and never has even a hair out of order. Nobody has ever seen him laugh out loud…or laugh at all.
They’re polar opposites and selling their relationship to their colleagues is bound to end up in flames.
I honestly have to say I didn’t like Abbot much at first. He seems super arrogant and ignores Ned.
But the more Ned gets to know him and learns to read him, gets to know his family, the more I understood him.
I loved the way Ned learns to see behind his facade, takes care of him and earns so much confidence in return.
They are so good for each other and make each other go out of their comfort zones.
I also really loved all the side characters. Especially Pat and Ned’s dad. They’re both absolute sweethearts!!! I love to see supportive parents who love their children unconditionally!
About 60% into this I wasn’t able to put it down. I jumped out of bed in the morning to squeeze in a chapter before I went to work!
They were so cute and I rooted for them so hard!!!
The style of writing that took me so much getting used to in the beginning became the most special thing in the end and I really loved it.
Immediately read the shortstory after I finished this.
I’m not going to lie, I would have loved to get a little more insight into Abbots mind. I hate it when people simply ignore me when I talk to them and in Ned’s place I would have exploded. Glad he’s such a patient guy.
I also loved the ending. I really came to enjoy books a lot, where not every little detail is sorted out in the end and you get only an idea of what’s going to happen in the future. Where the character and relationship development during the story is the most important part.
September 5, 2021
It took me so long to read this since life kept interfering plus the pace of this book is very slow and I didn’t feel compelled to finish it quickly. There were times I wished more was happening but the story is lovely.
Kit Oliver is a newer author for me, having just read Cattle Stop last month. I am glad I read that first because the writing took me a bit to get used to and Cattle Stop was a faster paced book. It seems the author still writes stories that take time to unfold but they are also stories you can relax into and they make you feel comfortable and truly part of the story.
Ned was a wonderful character, very real and in his head constantly questioning everything. He seemed a but whiny at first but that changed over the course of the book for me.
Abbott was a difficult character to work out. He is very uptight and quiet and does not seem like someone Ned would work with. It was nice to see him open up more, although I felt like I wanted more from him. The good news is that you can download a free story from the authors website and that is in Abbott’s POV.
I would love to know more about these characters and how their relationship progresses after Ned moves back to Boston. Ned is like a breath of fresh air for Abbott, someone who brings out the best in him. I look forward to more stories from this author. I’ve been very impressed with the ones I’ve read.
Kit Oliver is a newer author for me, having just read Cattle Stop last month. I am glad I read that first because the writing took me a bit to get used to and Cattle Stop was a faster paced book. It seems the author still writes stories that take time to unfold but they are also stories you can relax into and they make you feel comfortable and truly part of the story.
Ned was a wonderful character, very real and in his head constantly questioning everything. He seemed a but whiny at first but that changed over the course of the book for me.
Abbott was a difficult character to work out. He is very uptight and quiet and does not seem like someone Ned would work with. It was nice to see him open up more, although I felt like I wanted more from him. The good news is that you can download a free story from the authors website and that is in Abbott’s POV.
I would love to know more about these characters and how their relationship progresses after Ned moves back to Boston. Ned is like a breath of fresh air for Abbott, someone who brings out the best in him. I look forward to more stories from this author. I’ve been very impressed with the ones I’ve read.
October 10, 2021
Cute story, but the premise of the entire department being happy with a relationship between a grad student and a professor uh no. It happens but it is still frowned upon.
September 26, 2022
AAAAAAA THIS IS THE STUFF. FAKE DATING MY BELOVED. but it was slow. So slow. Nearly killed me waiting for ned to just??? Go for it. But overall very good<3
February 4, 2022
DNF. Dropped in chapter five. I found this book really off-putting. Virtually every character surrounding the poor bastard who's the main character is either utterly lacking in empathy, self centered, or deluded to the point of being batshit insane.
Even the only person who genuinely seems to care about him demonstrates it by putting him in uncomfortable situations that he doesn't want to be in, instead of, say, suggesting that he talk to someone about his depression.
Not a single one is trying to genuinely help with the amount of stress the MC is under or respectful of the pain he's in from his divorce and loss of his family. Instead, they don't do their jobs, mock him for their own jollies, force him to 'have fun' on their terms or blackmail him into fake dating.
I'm pretty sure all of this is supposed to be amusing on some level, but I just want to help this guy transfer to a different academic advisor and get him a new apartment so he could finish his dissertation without all the manipulative bullshit and 'friends' who find his discomfort unimportant or hysterical.
Given that I dropped it in chapter five, I'm sure we'd eventually discover some kind of strange logic that makes all of them actually being helpful or at least forgivable, but I do not care. The level of disrespect that it takes for people to act like this is just too damn high.
Too be fair, the ML prob doesn't know that the MC is recently divorced or has a child, given that he doesn't seem to care about anything else about him, like the dissertation that the ML's supposed to be helping with and isn't, or the fact that that the MC doesn't understand any of the work that dude was supposed to have taught him, which was, you know, his job. But the power imbalance and the fact that the MC needs his help to graduate make the fake dating suggestion into something wildly inappropriate at the very least. It's not like he can really say no.
Everyone else must know, though, since they keep asking him if he's ok, which he obviously isn't, and which makes their humor at his expense really cruel. Super not funny and with the possible exception of his friend Pat, these just seem like shallow, uncaring people. I didn't like them well enough to keep reading long enough to get to the excuses for their behavior.
Even the only person who genuinely seems to care about him demonstrates it by putting him in uncomfortable situations that he doesn't want to be in, instead of, say, suggesting that he talk to someone about his depression.
Not a single one is trying to genuinely help with the amount of stress the MC is under or respectful of the pain he's in from his divorce and loss of his family. Instead, they don't do their jobs, mock him for their own jollies, force him to 'have fun' on their terms or blackmail him into fake dating.
I'm pretty sure all of this is supposed to be amusing on some level, but I just want to help this guy transfer to a different academic advisor and get him a new apartment so he could finish his dissertation without all the manipulative bullshit and 'friends' who find his discomfort unimportant or hysterical.
Given that I dropped it in chapter five, I'm sure we'd eventually discover some kind of strange logic that makes all of them actually being helpful or at least forgivable, but I do not care. The level of disrespect that it takes for people to act like this is just too damn high.
Too be fair, the ML prob doesn't know that the MC is recently divorced or has a child, given that he doesn't seem to care about anything else about him, like the dissertation that the ML's supposed to be helping with and isn't, or the fact that that the MC doesn't understand any of the work that dude was supposed to have taught him, which was, you know, his job. But the power imbalance and the fact that the MC needs his help to graduate make the fake dating suggestion into something wildly inappropriate at the very least. It's not like he can really say no.
Everyone else must know, though, since they keep asking him if he's ok, which he obviously isn't, and which makes their humor at his expense really cruel. Super not funny and with the possible exception of his friend Pat, these just seem like shallow, uncaring people. I didn't like them well enough to keep reading long enough to get to the excuses for their behavior.
October 30, 2021
Sweet, slow burn, and very enjoyable. It took me a little bit to get into the story, but I really enjoyed the pacing and the slow build and the way the relationship changed and developed as the MCs came to know and understand one another. Low angst. I liked that the major conflict centered more around internal conflicts and hesitancy to trust again instead of the typical Big Misunderstanding or some such. Solid read.
May 3, 2022
If you're looking for another high like The Love Hypothesis then check this out, because it's like TLH but with an m/m romance, less comedy, more slowburn tenderness and angst. I love both books dearly but this is its own thing... Surprisingly moving, because I came in expecting a quick romance read.
I stayed up until 2:30 AM reading this, okay. It took some time to get into the story, but once I did, I fell in love with everything and everyone and wanted to stay in the world forever. This was an absolute comfort read.
The Place Between is about adult crises; our MC Ned is a thirty-two year-old PhD candidate who feels out of his depth. He's divorced, only sees his daughter on the weekend, rooms with his childhood friend and can't even afford rent, and has no idea what to do with his life. He feels like he's made all the wrong choices. Maybe he doesn't belong in academia. Maybe his wife cheated on him because he doesn't deserve love. All he needs to do is graduate so his already withering job opportunities don't go further extinct. But when his boss enforces a "no working after hours" rule for the sake of a work-life-balance for his staff, Ned finds a single loophole: if everyone thinks him and standoffish statistics professor Abbott are dating, then the work-life balance plan worked, and they can actually do their jobs and voila, Ned will actually graduate!
Are there a few plot holes? Sure. But contemporary romance is an escapist fantasy, and I did adore how real Ned's anxiety and lack of self-confidence felt. I also loved how he's surrounded by such loving friends, family, and coworkers... Sure, they're annoyingly meddling, but it's great when queer characters don't have to only stick with other queer friends for love and acceptance... This was a truly queernorm environment, where even the straightest people are supportive and nobody bats an eye at anything.
Highly recommended.
I stayed up until 2:30 AM reading this, okay. It took some time to get into the story, but once I did, I fell in love with everything and everyone and wanted to stay in the world forever. This was an absolute comfort read.
The Place Between is about adult crises; our MC Ned is a thirty-two year-old PhD candidate who feels out of his depth. He's divorced, only sees his daughter on the weekend, rooms with his childhood friend and can't even afford rent, and has no idea what to do with his life. He feels like he's made all the wrong choices. Maybe he doesn't belong in academia. Maybe his wife cheated on him because he doesn't deserve love. All he needs to do is graduate so his already withering job opportunities don't go further extinct. But when his boss enforces a "no working after hours" rule for the sake of a work-life-balance for his staff, Ned finds a single loophole: if everyone thinks him and standoffish statistics professor Abbott are dating, then the work-life balance plan worked, and they can actually do their jobs and voila, Ned will actually graduate!
Are there a few plot holes? Sure. But contemporary romance is an escapist fantasy, and I did adore how real Ned's anxiety and lack of self-confidence felt. I also loved how he's surrounded by such loving friends, family, and coworkers... Sure, they're annoyingly meddling, but it's great when queer characters don't have to only stick with other queer friends for love and acceptance... This was a truly queernorm environment, where even the straightest people are supportive and nobody bats an eye at anything.
Highly recommended.
January 27, 2024
I am so sad about my rating.
★★★★☆ Do I love me some MM romance? Every day of the week.
★☆☆☆☆ Do I get incredibly frustrated when authors do not do their due diligence about background stories and context? So much.
Let me say that Ned and Henry/Abbot would have been the cutest couple if the story were taken out of context (I mean the academic context).
Here is everything (I can think of on a Sunday morning) that is wrong with how academia is depicted:
😵💫 A chair who locks his PhD students and colleagues out of the office and turns off the VPN, so they do not work outside office hours? Like in what world? Sure, it is an admirable idea, but let me tell you: no one, and I mean no one, would ever do that. Academics work at odd hours. Weekends are the most productive to write because we do not receive emails; 4-6AM is another fantastic time slot.
Do we have a good work-life balance? Hell no. Is academia known for fucking up our work-life balance? Hell yeah. Do PhD students burn out? More often than we like to admit. Still, this is no excuse for misinterpreting dynamics.
😵💫 Nobody, and I mean no-f***ing-body, can schedule a defense in less than a week. Faculty are busy (see point above) and finding a slot that works for all of them takes months (it took me almost 4). Plus, nobody would ever manage to read an entire dissertation with a week's notice. That's bonkers!
😵💫 Qual and quant dissertations are certainly a plus, but nobody would ever ask a PhD student to add a quant study one semester before the defense. Nobody.
😵💫 And do not even get me started on the fact that Abbot did not know about regulations about dating at work...
★★★★☆ Do I love me some MM romance? Every day of the week.
★☆☆☆☆ Do I get incredibly frustrated when authors do not do their due diligence about background stories and context? So much.
Let me say that Ned and Henry/Abbot would have been the cutest couple if the story were taken out of context (I mean the academic context).
Here is everything (I can think of on a Sunday morning) that is wrong with how academia is depicted:
😵💫 A chair who locks his PhD students and colleagues out of the office and turns off the VPN, so they do not work outside office hours? Like in what world? Sure, it is an admirable idea, but let me tell you: no one, and I mean no one, would ever do that. Academics work at odd hours. Weekends are the most productive to write because we do not receive emails; 4-6AM is another fantastic time slot.
Do we have a good work-life balance? Hell no. Is academia known for fucking up our work-life balance? Hell yeah. Do PhD students burn out? More often than we like to admit. Still, this is no excuse for misinterpreting dynamics.
😵💫 Nobody, and I mean no-f***ing-body, can schedule a defense in less than a week. Faculty are busy (see point above) and finding a slot that works for all of them takes months (it took me almost 4). Plus, nobody would ever manage to read an entire dissertation with a week's notice. That's bonkers!
😵💫 Qual and quant dissertations are certainly a plus, but nobody would ever ask a PhD student to add a quant study one semester before the defense. Nobody.
😵💫 And do not even get me started on the fact that Abbot did not know about regulations about dating at work...
May 28, 2022
They are the cutest ever!
I loved this book so much! I didn't think I would at the beginning (I couldn't connect to any of the characters right away, and I was indeed pretty annoyed by how their co-workers didn't have any respect for their privacy, and also by a few other things), but I ended up adoring these two and their relationship! I would have loved it being written in dual POV, though.
Thank you Snjez for recommending it to me, you're definitely one to trust!
(P.S: I don't even know why this took me more than a week to finish, I usually finish a book in 1-3 days. Also, this is the 1000th rating of the book, I'm glad!).
I loved this book so much! I didn't think I would at the beginning (I couldn't connect to any of the characters right away, and I was indeed pretty annoyed by how their co-workers didn't have any respect for their privacy, and also by a few other things), but I ended up adoring these two and their relationship! I would have loved it being written in dual POV, though.
Thank you Snjez for recommending it to me, you're definitely one to trust!
(P.S: I don't even know why this took me more than a week to finish, I usually finish a book in 1-3 days. Also, this is the 1000th rating of the book, I'm glad!).
October 8, 2020
Ned thought his dissertation was finished, only now—thanks to his meddling department head—he's being forced to revise it, which means he needs the help of Dr. Charles Henry Abbot, dreaded statistics professor. Ned would do anything to graduate and move back home to his daughter, even if it means pretending to date Abbot for reasons that are also his department head's fault.
I really enjoyed this. Abbot is a complete clam and Ned is the sunshine one, only he's a little depressed lately as his academic career is stalled and also his wife left him for his best friend and moved two hours away and took their daughter with her. Ned's left with his unfinished dissertation, hisother real best friend Pat, and his dog Baxter. Baxter is a Good Boy and everyone loves him.
Ned is a good one, too, and he's easy to get along with as a narrator. I like the way he orders himself around, but doesn't always listen. We've all been there. His depression and statistics-based crisis of confidence have slowed him down, but he's determined to work his way out of it. His fake relationship with Abbot leans into the awkwardness of pretending to date someone who once gave you a C- on a midterm, which feels realistic without being cringey and makes the stirrings of their real relationship all the more satisfying.
The book is a little dude heavy, and all the characters of color are in the background, but Ned's openly bi, and there's an emphasis on fatherhood that felt real to me, all the daily bits of getting the shoes in the right place and showing up to the birthday party on time, but also the long term stuff of supporting your kid no matter what and putting their needs first, plus the opposite of that in whatever was up with Abbot's father, who's the silent, disapproving type.
As for the supporting characters, some have a higher resolution than others. Ned's dad, for example, is supportive and playful and easily recognizable, as is Pat and the meddling department head (also a dude), but Ned's two female coworkers (one of them has a wife, but which one??) kind of blend together. I suspect if you're familiar with statistics, there are some jokes in here you might understand better than I did, but they were small enough they didn't get in my way, and even without understanding them I could still appreciate that they meant Ned was getting more comfortable with statistics, and Abbot.
Contains: explicit m/m sex; relationship between a professor and a doctoral candidate not under his supervision; infidelity (not between the main characters); depression (not explicit in the text).
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I really enjoyed this. Abbot is a complete clam and Ned is the sunshine one, only he's a little depressed lately as his academic career is stalled and also his wife left him for his best friend and moved two hours away and took their daughter with her. Ned's left with his unfinished dissertation, his
Ned is a good one, too, and he's easy to get along with as a narrator. I like the way he orders himself around, but doesn't always listen. We've all been there. His depression and statistics-based crisis of confidence have slowed him down, but he's determined to work his way out of it. His fake relationship with Abbot leans into the awkwardness of pretending to date someone who once gave you a C- on a midterm, which feels realistic without being cringey and makes the stirrings of their real relationship all the more satisfying.
The book is a little dude heavy, and all the characters of color are in the background, but Ned's openly bi, and there's an emphasis on fatherhood that felt real to me, all the daily bits of getting the shoes in the right place and showing up to the birthday party on time, but also the long term stuff of supporting your kid no matter what and putting their needs first, plus the opposite of that in whatever was up with Abbot's father, who's the silent, disapproving type.
As for the supporting characters, some have a higher resolution than others. Ned's dad, for example, is supportive and playful and easily recognizable, as is Pat and the meddling department head (also a dude), but Ned's two female coworkers (one of them has a wife, but which one??) kind of blend together. I suspect if you're familiar with statistics, there are some jokes in here you might understand better than I did, but they were small enough they didn't get in my way, and even without understanding them I could still appreciate that they meant Ned was getting more comfortable with statistics, and Abbot.
Contains: explicit m/m sex; relationship between a professor and a doctoral candidate not under his supervision; infidelity (not between the main characters); depression (not explicit in the text).
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
April 5, 2022
I saw this being lauded over and over, so I decided to go in blind and give it a go. I didn’t even read the blurb, which is a good thing, as I dislike the fake dating trope as a general rule and prefer not to read books where academia is such a large focus, so I might have been turned off if I had.
I loved the characters… all of them. I loved the writing. Thank you for not writing Peggy’s dialogue as though she was a baby just learning to talk. And I love that there wasn’t an epilogue… I really do hate epilogues and which lot authors would embrace an ending that doesn’t wrap everything up in a neat little bow x amount of time down the road.
If I had to pick one thing to complain about, it would be that the three sex scenes were somewhat repetitive. But seeing how I’m mostly indifferent to smut in books, it wasn’t really a huge issue, more so just something that popped out a bit.
This may have been my first time reading Kit Oliver, but it shall not be my last.
I loved the characters… all of them. I loved the writing. Thank you for not writing Peggy’s dialogue as though she was a baby just learning to talk. And I love that there wasn’t an epilogue… I really do hate epilogues and which lot authors would embrace an ending that doesn’t wrap everything up in a neat little bow x amount of time down the road.
If I had to pick one thing to complain about, it would be that the three sex scenes were somewhat repetitive. But seeing how I’m mostly indifferent to smut in books, it wasn’t really a huge issue, more so just something that popped out a bit.
This may have been my first time reading Kit Oliver, but it shall not be my last.
January 29, 2022
I really enjoy Kit Oliver's writing and how tangible her characters' emotions feel. This wasn't as great as Cattle Stop, it got bogged down in the fake dating set up that never really made much sense and at times the narrator's depression felt a little too much but his emotions felt real. Sometimes the everyday struggles of moving forward in life can feel overwhelming - something this book expressed well.
June 13, 2025
Oh god I loved them.
It was a bit slow in the beginning but once I got into it, it was so fun. Their dynamic, banter and conversations were so good. The sex scenes were peak, tension was palpable and there was a condom used everytime! we love safe sex over here!!
I loved that even at the end when they were exchanging I love yous, Ned was still putting his daughter first and that he let Abbot know that. Throughout the book there was not a single conversation where it was implied that Ned would be better off dating women or getting back with his ex wife and as a bisexual who's been scarred by bisexual same sex romance books this was very refreshing to read.
I had SOOOO much fun with this
It was a bit slow in the beginning but once I got into it, it was so fun. Their dynamic, banter and conversations were so good. The sex scenes were peak, tension was palpable and there was a condom used everytime! we love safe sex over here!!
I loved that even at the end when they were exchanging I love yous, Ned was still putting his daughter first and that he let Abbot know that. Throughout the book there was not a single conversation where it was implied that Ned would be better off dating women or getting back with his ex wife and as a bisexual who's been scarred by bisexual same sex romance books this was very refreshing to read.
I had SOOOO much fun with this
September 4, 2021
[3.4~3.5] hellooooo fake relationship trope!!!! yes, the reason for their fake relationship was highly contrived but i ain't here for the realism 😉 i will admit, however, that the first half of the book truly dragged for me in its repetition and the mc's seemingly never-ending back and forth, which had me this 🤏 close to rounding down because of that.
but once the ball started rolling and i could see how they fit in with each other, i hopped on the Ned & Abbot train! special mention to Ned's dad and dinosaur-aficionado daughter for being the true mvps, they were absolutely iconic 🤣 although the conclusion might prove anticlimactic for some, i can always appreciate a story relatively free of that vexing last quarter relationship drama.
as stated earlier, my personal niggles mainly stem from the first half of the book: i found myself terribly annoyed at Abbot for dodging Ned's attempts at seeking guidance (even though the big boss specifically appointed him to help Ned) and at Ned (with sympathy for his situation of course) for putting all his eggs in one basket as if Abbot were the only person on the planet capable of shedding light on his stats questions 🙈
i also couldn't find myself connecting with Ned at first because he would constantly fret over not being able to get his thesis done on time, but the moment he has time to sit down and work on it, i got the impression that he'd basically stare at his computer screen in confusion for a few moments before giving up and starting the whole process again lol. i was not a fan of Ned's friends/colleagues either--they seriously needed to learn how to mind their own business and respect personal boundaries because i certainly wouldn't have been as lenient 😤
Abbot, a man of few words to begin with, remains a bit of an enigma to me still (relationship with his father? more interactions with his baby sister too please) due to his lack of pov, but the follow-up novella A Place To Go does humanize him more so i highly recommend checking it out right after this!
despite my qualms, i loved the dialogue, even if it did take some time to grow accustomed to the writing, and their relationship progression <3
but once the ball started rolling and i could see how they fit in with each other, i hopped on the Ned & Abbot train! special mention to Ned's dad and dinosaur-aficionado daughter for being the true mvps, they were absolutely iconic 🤣 although the conclusion might prove anticlimactic for some, i can always appreciate a story relatively free of that vexing last quarter relationship drama.
as stated earlier, my personal niggles mainly stem from the first half of the book: i found myself terribly annoyed at Abbot for dodging Ned's attempts at seeking guidance (even though the big boss specifically appointed him to help Ned) and at Ned (with sympathy for his situation of course) for putting all his eggs in one basket as if Abbot were the only person on the planet capable of shedding light on his stats questions 🙈
i also couldn't find myself connecting with Ned at first because he would constantly fret over not being able to get his thesis done on time, but the moment he has time to sit down and work on it, i got the impression that he'd basically stare at his computer screen in confusion for a few moments before giving up and starting the whole process again lol. i was not a fan of Ned's friends/colleagues either--they seriously needed to learn how to mind their own business and respect personal boundaries because i certainly wouldn't have been as lenient 😤
Abbot, a man of few words to begin with, remains a bit of an enigma to me still (relationship with his father? more interactions with his baby sister too please) due to his lack of pov, but the follow-up novella A Place To Go does humanize him more so i highly recommend checking it out right after this!
despite my qualms, i loved the dialogue, even if it did take some time to grow accustomed to the writing, and their relationship progression <3
August 21, 2021
4,5 stars. This was really nice and romantic without being over-the-top with pompous declarations and speeches. I liked the main characters a lot, their relationship developed at a slow pace but it was all the more realistic with steadily growing tension between them and the reader learning their backstories on the way.
I admit that the story takes a bit to get into but once it grips you, it's totally worth it. I love me some slow burn and the intimate scenes, once they happen, are written quite well too. There's a subtlety and a sort of finery to them while they are very hot at the same time. The writer definitely has an original writing style.
The one thing I didn't like (which often bugs me in MM romances or books in general) were the obnoxious, prying "friends" who are always in the MC's business and frankly, pretty annoying. I could easily have done without this Lee person with her constant comments and questions and phone grabbing. The same refers to the Dean - Chris and his whole plan of limiting work time which was simply unrealistic. I guess it just served as a premise for the story though, so I rolled with it and enjoyed it immensly nevertheless!
I admit that the story takes a bit to get into but once it grips you, it's totally worth it. I love me some slow burn and the intimate scenes, once they happen, are written quite well too. There's a subtlety and a sort of finery to them while they are very hot at the same time. The writer definitely has an original writing style.
The one thing I didn't like (which often bugs me in MM romances or books in general) were the obnoxious, prying "friends" who are always in the MC's business and frankly, pretty annoying. I could easily have done without this Lee person with her constant comments and questions and phone grabbing. The same refers to the Dean - Chris and his whole plan of limiting work time which was simply unrealistic. I guess it just served as a premise for the story though, so I rolled with it and enjoyed it immensly nevertheless!
November 2, 2022
I really enjoyed this book, though I must admit that I struggled a little bit at the beginning, but once I set in, I couldn't put it down. The relationship between the main characters is like a sweet cadence and the development is so in tune with it. Highly recommended it!
July 21, 2023
Slow and oddly chaotic start, but definitely worth it to get past it all and get to the sweetness of this relationship.
Everything was very low angst and quite adorable. It’s grumpy/sunshine to the max here and gets quite hot later on. I didn’t feel the connection between the MCs and until almost the very end, but it was there. I would have loved an epilogue! How the heck is living with the dog going to work? I can’t imagine it.
This author’s style is somehow incredibly vague and full of details all at once. I wish I could review/describe it better. I probably will try one more book to see if it feels the same.
Everything was very low angst and quite adorable. It’s grumpy/sunshine to the max here and gets quite hot later on. I didn’t feel the connection between the MCs and until almost the very end, but it was there. I would have loved an epilogue! How the heck is living with the dog going to work? I can’t imagine it.
This author’s style is somehow incredibly vague and full of details all at once. I wish I could review/describe it better. I probably will try one more book to see if it feels the same.
July 17, 2023
I really had a hard time getting into this book. I found both Ned and Abbot very obnoxious characters. Ned was so negative and down on life and he just wouldn’t give anyone a chance. I stuck with it and slowly I grew to like and care about them.
You should definitely get the short story which is basically an epilogue to this book if you liked the first story.
You should definitely get the short story which is basically an epilogue to this book if you liked the first story.
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