I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
A woman’s attempt to show her ex-fiance she has gotten over him turns into a will-they-won’t-they romance in author Parker Elling’s “The Statistically Unlikely Rebound,” the first book in the Grad or Die Romance series.
The Synopsis
Two fake-dating mathematicians create all kinds of chemistry in this forced proximity STEMinist romance for fans of Ali Hazelwood and Abby Jimenez.
Just 29 days before she’s set to move across the country to reunite with her fiancé Ethan, mathematician Daisy Zhang-Wainwright is unceremoniously dumped.
But Daisy’s not about to turn down a postdoc at MIT over a guy. So, despite her dumpster fire of a bank account, she finds a last-minute apartment (reasonably priced because of ongoing construction noises) and adopts a stray dog.
The first problem?
Her new downstairs neighbor is Professor Lars Berg-Anderson, Ethan’s academic rival, infamously cold and notoriously antisocial.
The next piece of bad news?
Daisy has barely settled in when she discovers that not only is Ethan in a new relationship, it’s with Daisy’s new potential colleague… who is pregnant.
You don’t need an advanced math degree to figure out that the two relationships must have overlapped.
So when the happy couple arrives at Daisy’s house-warming party, what can she do but impulsively suggest Lars kiss her?
Lars might be MIT’s ice man, but he’s also objectively hot.
Considering Daisy’s not ready for anything serious and Lars believes relationships have an “unfavorable benefit to effort ratio”, there’s no way this completely for-show, utterly fake, rebound relationship could last, right?
The Statistically Unlikely Rebound is a standalone workplace romance, the first in a connected-world series. HEA guaranteed.
THE REVIEW
This is a compelling and intellectual workplace romance novel. The author does a great job of leaning into the romance tropes of this book and building from slow burn to opposites-attract and beyond. The even pacing allows the author plenty of room to grow these characters and develop a world that feels accessible and immersive to the reader through powerful imagery and a balance of humor, wit, and heart.
The main drive of the story, of course, is in the character development. The drama that ensues after the protagonist discovers the shocking revelations behind her now-ex-fiancé’s new romance spirals into a journey of a fake relationship that turns into a powerful connection. The bond between Daisy and Lars is palpable, creating both tension and heat as their story shifts from opportunistic to heartfelt, emotional, and passionate.
THE VERDICT
Enthralling, captivating, and memorable, author Parker Elling’s “The Statistically Unlikely Rebound” is a must-read workplace romance, adult novel. The more adult-themed romance tropes that the author delves into give readers the heat and passion they seek from this genre, while the emotional crux of the relationship that develops helps cultivate rich and dynamic characters that readers will not want to miss, and creates a shared universe where the book can stand on its own, while also connecting to the larger world. If you haven’t yet, please be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
About the Author
Parker is a career student and obsessive reader who loves learning and reading about… everything.
Though born and raised in the U.S., Parker spent a few years (off and on) living in Taiwan and found herself needing to relearn English when she was younger. Thankfully, there was a lovely saleslady at the local Thrift Store who allowed Parker to buy books by the bag. On a near-weekly basis, Parker would fill a grocery bag worth or mostly Harlequin books for $3, learning about everything from cucumber sandwiches (many of these were set in England) to how people earn those happily-ever-afters.
Parker tries to fill her books full of her past educational experiences (four degrees, from MIT to USC, meaning you’ll see a lot of stories set in or around academia) and past traveling adventures (living in five states and four countries and too many cities and not-quite-towns to list).
https://www.instagram.com/parker.elling
Leave a Reply