About the Book
The long summer holiday has begun on the campus of Edwards University in upstate New York.
Simone is the star of the creative writing department, a renowned scholar, successful memoirist and campus sex icon.
Ethan, her devoted husband, is a lecturer in the same department, though he hasn't published a novel since he was twenty-six.
Their marriage is long, strong and happy.
But, over the course of that aggressively hot summer break, both will stray.
And, as others become involved, new sides to the story of this apparently flawless marriage will emerge.
Deliciously smart and bitingly funny, Seduction Theory is a novel about love and betrayal, truth and fiction, power and attraction.
About the Author :
Emily Adrian is the author of Daughterhood, The Second Season, and Everything Here Is Under Control, as well as two critically acclaimed novels for young adults. Her novel Seduction Theory is forthcoming in August, 2025. Her work has appeared in Granta, The Point, Joyland, EPOCH, Alta Journal, Los Angeles Review of Books, and The Millions. Originally from Portland, Oregon, Emily currently lives in New Haven, Connecticut.
Review :
Smart, funny and enjoyable . . . A campus novel with a twist; the all too believable story of a very good, but not perfect marriage; a compelling narrative of infidelity and obsession; and an engaging, entertaining puzzle that delves into the mysteries of both love and fiction
A sharp, clever story of two misbehaving academics . . . Deeply enjoyable
A sly, witty comedy of manners and sexual infidelity
Observant and playful . . . Arguably the biggest strength of Seduction Theory is the pin-sharp meditation on power, love and infidelity . . . It's also, despite the subject matter, a deeply romantic read . . . Seduction Theory joins a sizeable pen of academia novels, and yet stands out as something fresh, modern, sexy and considered
This tour de force is a campus novel, a love story, a coming-of-age narrative, a satire, a performance piece, an M.F.A. exposé, a trove of literary references and a primer on writing
Partly a campus novel, with a very Summer Novel sensibility . . . It's funny, clever and very insightful about midlife and long marriages
A book that is actually just as fun as it sounds . . . A little bit postmodern, a little bit sexy and quite funny indeed, you will feel both smarter and more indulgent than usual while you're reading it
This sly treat of a campus satire probes power, betrayal and the many sides of a story
A campus novel for our times . . . Sharply funny
A juicy story of how two people in a 'deeply rewarding' marriage had separately decided to hit the self-destruct button
Deliciously smart and bitingly funny, Seduction Theory is a novel about love and betrayal, truth and fiction, power and attraction
The most fun I have had with a novel in years. Seduction Theory breathes new and mesmerising life into the campus novel and the marriage plot to produce a book so enjoyable that reading it felt almost decadent
A ferociously clever, funny and compulsive read. Seduction Theory is an absolute gift of a novel, playing with form and expectation in the most exhilarating ways. It's by far and away my favourite book of the year - and probably next year, too
So classy, so cool and so funny. It's completely insightful about midlife and marriage, and propulsive too
So emotionally honest, clever, and sexy, I really enjoyed Seduction Theory
Seduction Theory nails the campus satire with savagery and grace, and it's clear that Adrian is a major talent
A deliriously smart, funny, sexy, page-turner, raising provocative questions about truth, desire, power, obsession, and what it really means to live a shared life
With sparkling wit and striking formal ingenuity, Seduction Theory gives vibrant new life to the marriage-in-crisis novel. I was completely hooked from the first page
Seduction Theory is funny, clever and beguiling: Emily Adrian has written a hugely enjoyable, satisfying campus novel that somehow also subverts and invigorates the genre
I really loved Seduction Theory. A study of a marriage and a sharply observed campus novel, it had me chuckling away. David Lodge meets Charlotte Mendelson, with shades of Rachel Cusk, but with a style all Emily Adrian's own. This summer's smart, classy sun lounger read - you will LOVE it
Pin-sharp and witty, Seduction Theory also has the twists and turns of a thriller. I ripped through the last ten pages holding my breath
