Sadly, I DNF this book at 20%.

I really struggled with the volume of science info dumping and talk - I just dont think it needed to be that full on for a romance book. It made me feel like I was skimming a lot.

I also felt like the MCs were so petty, I'm not sure I could believe they would act that way at work - I definitely couldnt see them ending up together.

The two of them were kind of cute but the book was so bogged down by technical terms. He was a butt to her at the beginning and maybe he could have been redeemed if so much of the book wasn't focused on the science.

I received an arc through netgalley.

✨ 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐓𝐨 𝐌𝐞 - 𝐚𝐫𝐜 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰✨

• Rose McGee
• Release Day: 7 August 2025

“𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺'𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘢𝘳 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘴. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘯𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘤...
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘳𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘋𝘳 𝘌𝘳𝘪𝘯 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘋𝘳 𝘌𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘔𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘱𝘩𝘺𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘴 𝘭𝘢𝘣. 𝘌𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘭𝘥𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘵𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨: 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘺, 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦, 𝘨𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 – 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦.

𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘢 𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘤 𝘭𝘢𝘸 𝘰𝘧 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘴 𝘧𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘢 𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘻𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘨𝘰𝘴.

𝘉𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘣, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘢 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩-𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵, 𝘌𝘳𝘶𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘌𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯'𝘴 𝘴𝘪𝘻𝘻𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘷𝘪𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵'𝘴 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴. 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦, 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘸 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘵?"

𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐓𝐨 𝐌𝐞 was a great stem romance book! I always love when there’s women in stem, and this book was no exception. There’s quite a lot of physics and science related vocabulary, and for me, it was a bit difficult to follow at times.

The setting between the main characters was so great, from academic rivals to lovers. Their conversations and text messages were so fun, and their banter between them made me giggle 🤭

🧬 forced proximity
🔬 only one lab
🧬 nerdy banter
🔬 rivals to lovers
🧬 stem romance
🔬 misuse of office furniture
🧬 smash the patriarchy
🔬 slow burn

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️. 75

Thank you @rosemcgeewrites, @atlanticbooks and @netgalley for this ARC 🫶🏼

#arcreview

I unfortunately had to DNF this one.

I really love STEM romances usually, so I was quite sad that this one just didn’t click for me. I found. The writing style jumped around a lot, making it difficult to gauge whose POV we were in and what exactly was happening.

I also found the science stuff went over my head a lot, and that took me out of the story.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Loved the title! It was a clever pun! OMG, what can I say about this book?!! As a data nerd, I really really wanted to love this book. The storyline is very exciting. Kudos to the author for embarking on this unique and ambitious project. However, it read more like academics voicing their gripes about how the system works. The romance between the protagonists felt kind of stiff and I struggled to see their connection. IMO, this book may not be for non-academics. This is because, outside of academia, it may be a uphill task for an audience to break down or overlook the technical jargons and still appreciate the story.

Hope the author will take a more lay person approach in her next!


#TalkDataToMe, #NetGalley

i love the variety that comes sparkling our way. some try and there have been some epic fails. but then books like this prove way we must keep trying because ten little gems like this comes through and show us how this genre can make new ground all the time.
this book gives us rivals in the same company. they both know what they want. they both want different things. and they both dont want anything to do with the other. right?
the science and tech stuff in this book is obviously well taken care of and researched(unless of course Rose is even smarter than we think she is and is not just an brill author but also a heroine herself in the science field.) but it never went overboard with so us lesser thans could easily follow :D.
our female main character was brilliant. im in awe of this woman. such a heroine. and the pet name. haha had me smiling every single time and even now im writing it again! we need more woman like this. i wish to be a woman like this. and again i also sadly wish we really didn't need woman to blooming fight like this. for what. to be equals. ugh.
this was book was fun. it was sun beams. it was everything i needed in this book right now. and it felt like an actual pleasure to sit down to it. you dont realise until you get great books how much you care about great books. and boy do i love books!

What a stunning debut from McGee! THIS is what I want out of every book I read! The amount of research and dedication McGee obviously did made the world and the characters highly accessible.  Did I have to re-read some of the scientific verbiage/experimental details a few times to understand? YES, BUT I LEARNED SOMETHING.  This workplace romance, rivals to lovers, there's a dog so that alone earns a star read was so much fun.  Pseudonyms, mistaken identities, women in STEM standing up against misogyny, and just enough "for science"/"to re-align our priorities" spice were both satisfying and thrilling.  

Thank you NetGalley and Corvus/Atlantis Books for the Advanced Reader's Copy in exchange for an honest review! Will need to purchase a book trophy on release day 🫶

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Atlantic Books for this ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

As a woman in STEM, I'm always going to love academia themed rivals to lovers and this was no exception. Talk Data to Me features two rival physicists, battling it out for research grants and lab access. Their academic rivalry was entertaining and represented the cut-throat nature of academia quite well. It is worth noting that there is a lot of scientific jargon in this book, and while this is something I really enjoyed, the physics that it covers might seem a bit much for some readers. I do think however, that having a thorough understanding of the science is not necessary, and the story can be enjoyed whether you care about the physics or not.

If you're in the mood for a fun, academic rivals to lovers plot, I'd definitely recommend trying Talk Data to Me.

Geeky, sexy, and irresistibly fun 💻💘. Talk Data To Me promises flirty banter, steamy chemistry, and an adorable workplace romance for the tech-savvy at heart. Rose McGee blends clever humour and nerdy charm into a rom-com packed with sparks and spreadsheets. Perfect for fans of enemies-to-lovers with a data-driven twist.

The book is very science dense in a way that doesn't feel as approachable to the regular person. I felt my eyes glazing over when they got too scientific.

Additionally, the MMC was just mean. Like I understand it was probably him feeling the pressure from his asshole manager, but that doesn't mean he should take it on the FMC. I could not get behind the MMC's attitude towards others and his self imposed loneliness that he was milking so hard. I feel like every other time it was in his pov he was talking about how he's not the right kind of doctor for his family.

It was also hard to follow who's POV you were in and some of the text message threads

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I e joked the first round of stem romance books but they all became pretty formulaic (ali hazelwood always having misunderstood enemies to lovers vibe). This was partially that, partially textbook, not enough plot and character development. It wasn't for me unfortunately.

I did DNF this title at 22%. I did want it to work after seeing the other reviews and not agreeing about how technical it was, but it is very dry in that it still seems to be more about the job instead of plot or character development. I am a STEM girly and there was some nostalgia there, and the competition and bad feelings are 100% a thing, but otherwise I just wasn’t seeing the vision.

If you enjoyed The Love Hypothesis you might enjoy this. It's an academic rivals with tension very obvious from their first interaction battling it out... for now.

This book was a love letter to physics and sci-fi as much as it was a romance of it's own. If you love those things, that would be a huge bonus but as more of a jack of all trades nerd, I was lost at times in the level of detail and reference.

I also think the book would have been better to lose 100 pages. I enjoyed the start and loved the end but the middle was middling, and I was close to giving up at points.

In the end, I was very glad I didn't, and I think others could love this a lot more than me. But it is definitely for people who love some science facts alongside the kissing.

This was a speed read of sexual tension. one minute they're enemies and the next they're having sex in the office desk. it sped through the plot, only to slow down when the author very passionately explained lots of science that was so well researched and detailed that i had to google a lot of the information. Love supporting STEM authors. it just took me out of the story a little. and made me feel very stupid. but the rest of the book was great and their romance had me smiling.

I LOVE stem romances. But this. This fell flat. Most of the book the main characters are just obnoxious. Not in an enemies to lovers way, but in a childish annoying way. The romance had no build forcing the entire book to just feel rushed despite it also feeling like it dragged.

This is one of those books where I should have paid attention to the reviews. if you are a STEM person and like lots of details , this is the book for you. If you are not a STEM person and do not feel like everything deserves a paragraph when it could have been a sentence, this is probably not the book for you. It was not my jam but, I think that is just my reading preferences and brain and nothing bad towards the author. My brain fog just wasn't compatible with this book.

Pre thoughts
- rivals to lovers

Overall
This was a feel good STEM romance novel. It had a good amount of physics references and shed light into the complexities of academia. While also including general shenanigans outside the lab.
As a woman in stem i appreciate the science jargon and the growth of the main characters was lovely. This book reminded me of you’ve got mail with a modern science twist.
The characters worked out their feelings and communicated with each other in a healthy manner (After some initial rivalry) . There is also a good amount of tension and slow burn that builds over the development of the book.
If you liked Ali Hazelwood books,with a good amount of science terminology or you've got mail this may be your jam.

Stars 4
Spice 2

Tropes
Slow burn
Forced proximity
STEMinsit themes!! (Love representation of women in STEM!)
Found family
STEM Romance
Rivals to lovers

This review is my own thoughts and opinions. Thank you to netgalley, Atlantic books and Rose McGee for the opportunity to review this ARC xxx

DNF unfortunately- the writing style felt very chaotic to me and I had trouble following. This was unfortunately just not for me. Maybe someone more interested in science would like it more.

This is an intriguing idea. I’m a nerd myself, so I love this type of story. This one, however, relies on science and nerdishness to a fault. I found it difficult to wade through the content.

I thought the characters would be the lovable nerds such as in Ali Hazlewood’s stories. Alas, they demonstrate boorish and boring behaviors that made me dislike them.

Three stars for having a good idea and for all the research that went into to this, but this needs an infusion of charm.

Talk Data to Me is such a fun, fresh take on romance — it’s smart, flirty, and packed with banter you can’t help but smile at. Rose McGee gives us a data‑loving heroine and a swoony hero with chemistry that sparks from the very first scene.

It’s the perfect mix of laugh‑out‑loud moments, genuine emotion, and slow‑burn tension that’ll have you hooked from page one. If you’re looking for a witty, feel‑good romance that doesn’t take itself too seriously, this one’s an easy pick!