A review by theaccidentalromanceblogger
Sabbatical by Katrina Jackson

funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

I'm not going to lie - this was on my TBL for Oscar Reyes. (I love Mari too, don't get me wrong, but I am definitely in my Oscar Reyes era).

A quite steamy romance set in academia, we follow Toni, who's finally taking a coveted sabbatical from her tenured position. All she wants to do is ... nothing. She wants to REST. And tackle a "few" renovation projects in her fixer-upper of a house. She can't wait for the last class, the last graduation until she leaves on her break. But something strange is happening: she's suddenly "seeing" Mike Hernandez, her colleague at the university. He's always been around as he's also best friends with her best friend's boyfriend and they all work at the same university. All a sudden, his voice seems deeper, his smile brighter and she doesn't know how to deal with it. 

Mike has been pining for Toni for ages much to the enjoyment of his best friend who goads him all the time. And he's had it. Time's up, Toni. And now that she's not overextended with work, Mike will make sure he'll be around and maybe win her heart.

A book that's been clearly written by someone who has personal knowledge of the academic world and it may be sometimes too much for people unfamiliar with the setting. However, the romance is top notch and Mike is not playing around when he finally decides to go for the woman he loves.

Narration: Mari is amazing as always as the no nonsense Toni - a woman who really deserves love in her life. Oscar Reyes has cornered the market for pining tortured heroes and it's OMG. No wonder their performances have been nominated for an Audie! So many stars!

Rep: Black heroine, Latine hero

Possible triggers: mentions of burnout, toxic work environment, microaggressions and systemic racism