ARC Review: Love’s Academic #3

The Antiquarian’s Object of Desire by India Holton

Publication Date: April 21, 2026

Summary from Netgalley:

When two history professors and best friends are forced to fake hate to protect their reputations, chaos ensues, in the next rollicking historical-fantasy rom-com from beloved author India Holton.

Magical-antique experts Amelia Tarrant and Caleb Sterling have been best friends forever, although lately each has begun secretly wishing for more than friendship. But when rumors about their relationship spread, they’re forced to fake being enemies to protect their reputations and keep their jobs.

The resulting arguments spark havoc across Oxford University, and when they cause an explosion while fighting over a magical antique, it’s the final straw for their exasperated faculty head. He dispatches them to a job in Cumbria where even they can’t get into trouble.…

Which proves just how wrong one man can be. In a stormbound old manor house, Amelia and Caleb face magical mayhem and rampaging ghosts that make the previous havoc look mild in comparison. Most troublesome of all, though, is the secret of how they feel about each other. When it comes to tackling deadly antiques, hiding the truth in their hearts could destroy them for real.

ARC provided by Berkley Publishing Group via Netgalley for an honest review.

Confession:

This third book in the Love’s Academic series is just as delightful and fun as the first two. I loved the romance and the gothic setting. The quirky sense of humor and the wonderful banter had me smiling the whole time I was reading. The romance tropes abound in this one as well, but the chaos caused by the magical objects is what really makes this book fun.

As with the other two books, we get a dual point of view and I adored both characters. Amelia is a stern and no nonsense kind of professor on the outside, but she is really very sweet and adorable on the inside. She is constantly having to prove herself to her male colleagues, and this is beginning to wear her down. She really wants to be loved and respected, but she has to learn to love herself first. Caleb was adorable, even though he is a bit overly dramatic and a little ridiculous at times. He had a tough upbringing and I think his charm is a result of that. He admits to himself that he has loved Amelia since the first time they met, but is afraid of losing her friendship if he confesses that love to her. The two of them were so fun to spend time with and I just loved the banter and situations they found themselves in.

The setting of the story was just as much fun as the romance. The gothic feel of the Ravenscroft Manor, and the constant rain, really gave the story a dark and trapped feeling, which is how Caleb and Amelia felt most of the time. I also loved the ghosts and all of the trouble and mayhem that the magical objects caused. The pacing for the most part was good, except for a bit of a slow part in the middle. The romance was a bit of a slow burn, with it taking almost the entire book for them to admit their love for each other. I loved the ending when Amelia finally stands up for herself, and Caleb too. The ending is a bit bitter sweet as this is the last book in the series, but it was fun that all of the series characters got together at the end.

If you loved the other two books in the series, you are going to adore this one just as much. If you haven’t yet read any books by this author, this is a good place to start, although you might want to start with book one in the series.