Steamy spicy STEM romance with the forced proximity of being stuck in a deep ocean exploratory mission. It was equal parts creepy sea creatures and delicious enemies-to-lovers tension.

Add in a self-acceptance sub plot, it was character driven with no third act break up.

Read if you like:
🧪Ali Hazelwood
🌊The ocean
⚓️Forced proximity
🤭She hates him, he loves her
☀️Your sunshine best friend
🛏️One bed

ARC Review
4/5⭐️

“But you made it so easy to fall, because I knew you would be there to catch me.”

This book features two PhD candidates studying marine biology. In this STEM romance, she is the black cat and obsessed with Charles Darwin and he’s the golden retriever with hidden tattoos and a sexy accent.

This is my first book by Nicole and I can confidently say this will not be the last time. I enjoyed this book so much. It had me giggling and kicking my feet.

The book had a nice pace and I was never bored. I thought the writing style was also great and it made everything flow nicely. Between the banter and the tension I was entertained the whole read.

I loved both of the MCs and their witty banter, it was fun, hot, and sexy. I loved watching their relationship grow throughout the story and watching how they both learned to trust, and figure out together what it is to truly love someone.

I also enjoyed all the side characters as well. They were all easy to love and thought they had a good role with supporting the MC’s.

Thank you so much Victory Editing, Nicole Cubba, and NetGalley for sending me this arc for an honest review❤️

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC 🫶

Charlie is a PHD student and can’t stand her co-researcher, Mateo. Mateo has been obsessed with Charlie for 2 years and he’s never made his move. Now, when the two are sent on a 3 week research trip at sea, he’s determined to get her to see him. Oh and there’s only one bed to share!

Charlie thinks they’re rivals, but finds out he’s been leaving her little signs that he’s interested. Once she finally figures it out, Charlie and Mateo are endgame! Mateo loves his bruja with all of her scars and insecurities.

I really enjoyed the STEM aspect of this one. It was reminiscent of an Ali Hazelwood Steminist romance with dual POV.🔬🧪🐋 There was no third act break up, which I’m always thankful for!

I cannot resist a STEM romance and had the best time with this one. It was so sweet and romantic and nerdy in the best way. Charlie was an incredibly well-crafted character and Mateo was her perfect match. We love a man who falls first and falls harder. He was all green flags, from the very beginning (the chocolates!!! I swoon).

Their relationship was the perfect mix of hilarious banter, serious moments as she grew to trust him, and beautiful romance (plus some truly excellent spice). The STEM angle was perfectly done in my eyes. Just the right amount of substance to feel realistic and meaningful—but not so much to take away from the emotional development between Charlie and Mateo. The only part that didn’t super resonate with me (scientifically-speaking) were the crystals, but I did understand what drew Charlie to them.

Overall this was such a fun time! I haven’t read any of Nicole’s previous books but I’ll definitely be checking them out.

STEM MCs: PhD candidates in marine biology! Y'all, this book is so freakin good! I was cackling half the time from the shenanigans: there's a dildo debacle that you have got to read, there's a whole thing about pavlov'ing a human, and the banter between the cast of characters is excellent... that even surprisingly includes their advisors! I don't know about you, but my PhD advisor was terrifying and definitely not my friend, so seeing a PI as not a bad guy was refreshing.
What I love most about STEM romance authors who write about their field of expertise is that I get to learn new things about a subject that I didn't study in school without getting overwhelmed with jargon. Marine biology is very clearly Nicole's passion outside of writing, and I loved learning about new creatures and the different layers within the ocean. The science does not overpower the story, and you really don't need to love science to enjoy this book, but it's a huge bonus for me as a fellow scientist and lover of nerdy things to read all of the goodies she sprinkled in here.
If you have read any of Nicole's previous books, I would say that this one compares a lot to Love on the Line, which is my favorite book of hers (although that's now tied with this one). You have a strong-willed, organized FMC with anxiety and low self-confidence who feels like a real flawed person, especially since she is so snack and praise motivated. She's paired with a high EQ king who falls first for her and does nothing but show her how beautiful and strong she is. Just like all of Nicole's books, there is no third act breakup, which is always appreciated, and it's a slow burn. The wait is so worth it though! Although it's a slow burn, once it catches fire, it just keeps on burning!
This book is a stand alone, so you don't need to have read any of her previous books to get into this one. It's well written, has a good plot, and has excellent spice.