Experimental Marine Biology: A Romantic Comedy

Susannah Nix

Jun 2020 · Chemistry Lessons Book 5 · Haver Street Press

About this ebook

“Just friends” is all Brooke and Dylan have ever been. (Except for that one night in high school, but they don’t talk about that.) Growing up, he was her protector. Her confidant. The one guy she could always trust.

 

Now she’s a marine biologist working toward her PhD in California, and he’s an underwear model in New York. Despite the distance and their wildly divergent career paths, they’ve managed to stay friends.

 

Dylan’s only in town for a few days, crashing on Brooke’s couch and repaying the favor by acting as her date to a friend’s wedding.

 

It was totally an accident she saw him naked.

 

Pretty soon, the “just friends” thing goes out the window, and they find themselves giving friends with benefits a shot.

 

It’s all going great…until it isn’t.

 

Dylan’s got a ticket back to New York at the end of the week, and Brooke may have accidentally broken his heart. Can they navigate these uncharted relationship waters? Or has she wrecked her oldest friendship?

Ratings and reviews

I loved "Experimental Marine Biology" by Susannah Nix, a funny and sweet friends-to-lovers romance featuring likeable, relatable, well-developed characters and an engaging plot. The connection between main characters Brooke and Dylan was obvious from the start, and I found it very easy to root for them to figure out a way to be together. Even though Brooke and Dylan were opposites in a lot of ways, their respective strengths complemented the other's weaknesses, and they made a wonderful couple. They also had a lot more in common than they realized at first, such as their mutual love of romance novels and martial arts movies. In addition, I loved the way they supported and encouraged each other, which seemed particularly important for Dylan as he struggled to accept that others could value him for something besides his good looks. This book reads as a complete standalone, but as someone who has read (and loved!) all of the previous books in Nix's Chemistry Lessons series, I have to admit that one of my favorite parts of the story was the opportunity to catch up with Penny, Olivia, and the rest of the gang. I hope that we will get to see more of them in the future! Surely they have another single friend or two who needs to find love. :-) *ARC provided by the author via Wildfire Marketing Solutions. All opinions expressed are my own.

Title - Experimental Marine Biology By - Susannah Nix Genre - Contemporary Romance Key Words - Nerdy, Romance, Comedy, Friends to Lovers, Marine Biologist, Model, Family Conflict. Rating (out of 5) - 4 Would I recommend - yes! Explicit sexy time - whale, yes. Spoilers? - No Opinion - I like this book. I had just finished reading Intermediate Thermodynamics when I was offered an ARC of this book. Nerdy scientist finding romance? Sign. Me. Up. Brooke and Dylan are both cute and I loved their interactions. Witty banter and innuendos galore. What follows when Brooke lets her guard down and starts to have fun with Dylan is Grade A bananas and very enjoyable. See the quotes below for a sampling of the next level witticisms you can come to expect from Susannah. The only things I didn't like was an invasion of privacy moment that made for a funny plot point, but would absolutely be a deal-breaker for me in real-life and some of the interactions with her family. Everything makes sense from a character development sense, but you better believe that if I was Olivia or Dylan I would have some real talk words to share with Brooke. Brooke's friend Olivia is serving some serious Friend Goals. Dylan is a charmer and Brooke is ultimately worth rooting for. All things considered I like this book a lot. Enough to buy the Chemistry Lessons boxed set. I love that the genre is starting to have actually nerdy/smart contemporary romances. It isn't enough to make a character's job obscure if it doesn't have adequate flavor. Susannah Nix has proven to me at least that she can expertly season (with a healthy dose of humor) an enjoyable nerdy ever after. Favorite quotes: “Come on. Has he got a half-pint wienie or a mighty man -hammer?” “Let’s go back to my place so you can put your love dolphin in my blow hole.” He tugged her body flush against his, pressed a finger to her lips, and gazed deeply into her eyes. “Don’t ever, ever say that again. My god.” "I nurture my grudges as if they were my children. I keep them healthy and well-fed, and make sure they take their vitamins every day. My grudges will outlive me.”

Best Friends to HEA… ...with a side of SCIENCE! The latest release from Susannah Nix is yet another romantic HIT! I’ve read everything she’s written, and have never been disappointed. She brings voice to the quirky, nerdy heroines and lets them stand on their own two feet and demand their spotlight. Experimental Marine Biology is the fifth book in her “Chemistry Lessons” series, but it is absolutely able to be read as a stand-alone. Susannah’s books are always quirky, sassy, smart, and downright enjoyable reads. Experimental Marine Biology lived up to my whale-sized expectations (and then some!). I flew through it within one day because I simply couldn’t put it down. While the book is clever and well-paced, funny and sexy, it’s also emotional, genuine and deep. One of my *favorite* things about Susannah’s books is the fact that her characters are smart and complex – but also REAL. They have flaws and baggage just like the rest of us. The struggles (romantic, social, and workplace) are both relatable and funny, which is not that easy to pull off! Brooke and Dylan were childhood friends...who stayed in touch despite distance and life changes...and finally got it together and fell in love (or...admitted they’d always been in love?). This book is romantic and sweet, geeky and witty, with clever comedy and emotional depth woven throughout. I recommend this book, along with the rest of Susannah’s works. I voluntarily received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review, but I would have happily bought it as I have others. I’m thrilled beyond words that we have another Chemistry Lessons story to look forward to! Note on triggers – the story and characters are real – remember I said that? Well they’re flawed, as are we all. Content warning for abortion, cancer, and emotional abuse/neglect from family members. My general rating rationale: 3 – Perfectly fine story, perhaps some minor editorial errors. Entertaining. Typically with this rating I feel like there could have been MORE – be it believably/relatability, character development, internal dialogue, explanations or depth, richness to the overall storyline, etc. May lose a bit of engagement here and there but always finish reading. 4 – A very good book. Engaging, with well-developed characters, a great plot, relatable scenarios; keeps you invested to the last page. Would recommend to reader friends. 5 – Can’t say enough amazing things, loved the characters, fabulously detailed plot, a quick hook, intense investment in both story and characters (including supporting characters) throughout the book. Will tell anyone who will listen that they should read it (if they won’t listen, I’ll be louder).