Just Physical Chemistry

by Tilly Tait

Bailey Moran is a single mum and high school science teacher, the last thing she has time for is her brother’s overpaid bogan teammate who shows up on her door step.

Niko Lovric is the captain of the Rebels rugby league team, a man who was the poster boy for family values and good sportsmanship. That is until his wife leaves him for another man and he accidentally ends up in a racy video scandal.

Niko heads to his teammate's coastal retreat to get away from the PR nightmare. The thing his teammate overlooks telling him? That it’s already inhabited by a curvy goddess that is everything Niko wants in a woman. She’s his biggest temptation and completely off limits.

Just Physical Chemistry is an opposites attract, teammate's sister rom com with forced proximity. It's a fast-paced, short novel and a great palate cleanser between longer books.

This is the first book in the Love By the Book Club series, as with all Tilly Tait books, it features curvy Aussie girls, and the cinnamon roll men who love them.

293 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 12, 2025

Reviews

[Tamara (this_love_of_words) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just Physical Chemistry was the perfect palate cleanser. Light, flirty, and exactly what I needed. It’s the kind of book you can devour in a day, with just the right balance of smouldering heat and humour to keep things fun.

One of the most refreshing parts? Reading about a tall, curvy woman who gets to be desired exactly as she is. No glow-up, no body angst, just a smoking hot guy who’s all in from the start. More of this, please!

If you’re after a feel-good, low-stress read with spice, sass, and an FMC who isn’t a size six, this one’s for you.

[Kate Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I just know I want to be with you.”

I absolutely devoured this sports rom com. Add in brothers team mate, curvy fmc and rugby league and you had me hooked.

Really enjoyed the dynamic and the fun characters along the way. I also enjoyed the cross over with Tilly’s other books.

Niko was just delicious and everything you need in a man.

Rating: 5 ⭐️
Spice: 3 🌶️

[Curvy Girl Book Nerd (Jen S) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just Physical Chemistry is Book 1 of the Love By the Book Club series. It's a steamy, opposites-attract, mid-life, curvy single mom gets her rugby player romance. Niko is a hunky rugby player. Bailey is a sassy, curvy, single mom and Science teacher. When Niko's wife leaves him and he ends up in a scandal, his teammate offers his house on the coast to get away, but Bailey, his sister is already there. Niko is enchanted by the sassy goddess, but she resists at first. But their chemistry is hot and the ending is happy. There is some minor angst and lots of laughs. I loved it.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kate W · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was just filled with such strong attraction with a hot footy player who can cook, clean and adore your child just sign me up. Being a more mature couple they certainly had some very super hot intimacy moments and I truly loved that found each other. I would recommend this book can not wait for the next in this series.

[QueenMum1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Niko is the team captain of the Rebels rugby league team.
Bailey is a single mum to a beautiful four year old daughter and is a high school science teacher.
Tropes:
Rom-com, small town, professional athlete, sports, rugby, single mum, brother's teammate, divorce, deception, teammates sister, curvy woman, HEA romance, novella, off-limits.

A special thank you to Tilly Tait and Booksprout for providing me with an eARC book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Crystal Sinclair · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a light and comforting read, I just had to keep on reading! Definitely a feel good!

I love that it’s Australian, with a curvy FMC, it makes the entirety of the book more realistic and life like!!

This is such a sweet sports romance, with some small town feels to it!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Rachael · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75

[Ashlynn Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

Perfect read for amy award fans. Cute and spicy, fun banter and d1rty talk. Crossover with authors other series. Really excited for the next one!

[Chloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely adored this story! Bailey Moran is the kind of heroine we need more of—fiercely independent, curvy, single mum, and totally badass as a high school science teacher. She’s just trying to keep her life steady in her quiet beachside town… until Niko Lovric shows up.

Niko, the scandal-shadowed captain of the Rebels rugby team, is sent into hiding after a compromising video hits the media. He ends up in the granny flat behind Bailey’s house—and yep, she’s also his best mate’s twin sister. Cue forced proximity, sizzling chemistry, and some seriously addictive slow-burn tension!

This book has it all: charm, heat, heart, and just the right amount of small-town magic. If you’re into sports romance with a strong female lead and a swoon-worthy hero who actually respects her, you’ll fall hard for this one like I did. Loved every minute!

[Metika Constable · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adored this book! It was a brilliant read!
I absolutely loved the characters and the way the story went! It was a quick cute read and had such a good balance of plot and spice!
I highly recommend everyone reads it!!!

[MKBookHoarder · Rating 5 out of 5]

A total win! This small-town romance checks all the boxes—close proximity, crackling tension, a rugged rugby-playing hero who cooks (yes, please!), and just the right amount of emotional depth. The chemistry between the leads is off the charts, and their banter had me grinning more than once. It's the perfect cozy-yet-swoon-worthy read to curl up with. If you're into sporty heroes and a feel-good vibe, don’t miss this one!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Tracey Cotton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bailey Moran is a fiercely curvy independent single mum and a dedicated high school science teacher just trying to keep life steady in her quiet beachside town. The last thing she expects is for trouble to land on her doorstep—especially in the form of Niko Lovric, the sexy, wrongly accused scandal-shadowed captain of the Rebels rugby league team.

After a compromising video throws Niko into the media firestorm, his club decides it’s best for him to disappear for a while. His teammate offers up the granny flat as a safe haven. What Niko doesn’t realise until he arrives is that the granny flat sits behind the main residence—and Bailey, his best mate’s twin sister, is very much at home.

Forced into close quarters, sparks start to fly as Bailey and Niko navigate their unexpected living arrangement.

This story is packed with chemistry, charm, and just the right touch of small-town magic. A perfect read for anyone who loves a good sports romance with heart, heat, and a strong female lead.

[Sasha Snyder · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I love books that write about curvy girls, learning to embrace themselves and learn you can have curves and still find love! I appreciated that the author gave us a glimpse into their life down the road after the book had ended! I could have read even more about their story!!

[Lois · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a gem! Don't miss it!

Niko Lovric is the captain of the Rebels rugby league team. He was known for his family values and good sportsmanship. Until his wife, Amy, left him for another man, a former teammate. He also learned that Zara, his two-year-old daughter, whom he adored, wasn't his child but belonged to his wife's lover.

He moved in with a teammate, Connor Moran. Connor and Austin Borg, his best friend, neighbor, and teammate, are known for their wild parties. Usually Niko never attended these parties, but he did this one since he was now living there. Unfortunately, he had too much to drink and passed out. An adult model was in attendance, and she posted a racy video that featured Niko.

The team's PR manager is Niko's sister, Lily, and she's not happy with any of them. She never shows any favoritism towards Niko.

It's decided that he needs to get away from this PR nightmare ASAP. Connor wants to atone for his part in getting Niko in trouble with the team, so he offers the use of his house in his hometown of Hartwood Bay.

His teammate, Connor, Bailey's brother, sends him to their family retreat on the coast. He just didn't tell Niko that Bailey and her daughter, Freya, were already residing there.

Bailey is woken up at 3:00 a.m., certain that she's hearing noise coming from the granny flat adjacent to her house. She needs to be up early to get her daughter to daycare before she heads to work to try to teach science to teenagers. Since her dog hasn't woken up barking, she convinces herself she was wrong. Just as she's about to drift off to sleep, she hears a loud noise that she knows is from the flat.

Bailey isn't a petite, tiny woman like her brother and most of his teammates prefer. She's tall, 5'11", and has meat (and curves for days) on her bones. She's just the type that Niko prefers, although she certainly doesn't believe that.

How can Niko help but fall for both Bailey and Freya? Oh right, just ask Connor about his "Thou shalt not date a teammate's sister rule." Lots of luck with that, Connor!

I received an ARC of this book from the author via Booksprout. I am voluntarily leaving this review.

[Emily Pennington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Niko and Bailey . . .

Niko Lovric is the team captain of the Rebels rugby league team. It was bad enough when his wife leaves him for one of his teammates and moved away, taking his daughter -- but 2-year-old Zara wasn’t actually his, it turns out, and belongs to the man who ran off with his cheating wife! So at a party, he drinks too much and mistakenly ends up in a scandalous video where he was passed out all night while several barely clothed women straddled his lap. He and the two teammates who couldn’t be seen as clearly in the video are called to the Rebels Boardroom to deal with this matter. He needs to get out of the public eye until things calm down and they clear up this mess. His team buddy Connor Moran has a private coastal retreat that would be just the thing for his temporary “escape” and he offers it to his friend. But he forgot one little detail… Connor had not told Niko that his sister is living there in the main house and he usually uses the granny flat.

Bailey Moran is a single mom of a 4-year-old daughter Freya. She works as a high school science teacher. So she doesn’t need her brother Connor’s teammate arriving without warning in the night and scaring her to death! Niko apologized, accepted an offer of food, and is definitely interested in Bailey. Will their sizzling chemistry eventually bring them together to perhaps find their own HEA?

[Sabrina Mordini · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️ – A light, low-angst romcom with a fun setup, but missing that spark for me

Just Physical Chemistry kicks off the Love By the Book Club series with an opposites-attract, forced proximity romcom between a scandal-ridden rugby captain and a no-nonsense single mum. I really liked the premise—especially the idea of a grumpy/sweet tension between a curvy science teacher and her brother’s teammate unexpectedly bunking at the same coastal retreat.

Bailey and Niko had some cute moments, and the slow burn setup definitely had potential. That said, I never quite felt the chemistry between them. While the book promises “just physical chemistry,” I was hoping for more emotional depth or tension to really pull me in. The pacing is quick (great as a palate cleanser!), and the angst is kept to a minimum, aside from a mild misunderstanding near the end.

This is one of those reads that’s pleasant in the moment but didn’t leave a lasting impression for me. Still, I appreciate Tilly Tait’s signature touch—curvy Aussie heroines and the cinnamon roll men who fall hard for them—and I’m curious to see what the rest of the series brings!

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Woah!! I came into this book hoping for simple sports romance and came out with something more.
I love that it is an Australian sport romance with a curvy, sassy, book loving FMC and gentle giant, he fell first MMC.
You fall in love with the characters so fast and to watch their characters evolve and fall in love is beautiful. A little frustrating at times (seriously how hard is it to communicate that you love someone) but it was honestly so lovely. A fluffy sweet Australian sports romance of my dreams. It's giving Amy Award but Australian and I am living for it. I can't wait to see what happens next.
I would highly recommend this book to people who are looking for a palette cleanser, wanting something light hearted and fluffy. Especially if you are between some heavy books. If you have ready Amy Awards series then you will love Tilly Tait.
Well done Tilly Tait, I think you have become my new comfort author!! 🥰.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jezebel Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I devoured this book in one sitting and immediately wanted to flip back to page one and start again. Just Physical Chemistry by Tilly Tate is everything I crave in a romance: swoony, spicy, and packed with heart.

Let’s talk about Nico. This man is the full package—rugby-built, emotionally available, and a total kitchen god. The way he loves Bailey? Tender, respectful, and absolutely magnetic. He’s not just a stud—he’s the standard.

And Bailey? She’s a curvy queen, and I adored every second of her journey. Seeing a confident, body-positive FMC take center stage made my heart sing. Representation like this matters, and Tilly Tate nails it with warmth and authenticity.

If you’re into:

• ✅ The brother’s best friend trope
• ✅ Muscular rugby men who fall hard
• ✅ Found family that feels like home
• ✅ Quick reads under 300 pages that still pack an emotional punch


Then this book is your next obsession. It’s sweet, sexy, and full of chemistry that’s anything but “just physical.”.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Leira C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book recommended if you’re looking for something short and cozy. The little in between chapter texts got some use to it, but I love them now and they help with making you like the characters more and more. I really like that she is an independent woman and has a “village” that helps her with her daughter and lets her have some time for herself. I loved Niko and the way he handled everything that happened to him and the chemistry they have together. The only part that is a me preference that I didn’t love is how many kids they had, not going to elaborate on that, just leaving it out there if is something you like or don’t like. There’s also some miscommunication that drove me insane, but it got solved rather quickly; communication is key people. Overall the book was great, cozy, spicy and would recommend reading it!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Tima · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars. This novella is dual POV, well written, and a sweet and steamy, brother’s friend, rugby player/teacher, small town contemporary romance. I enjoyed Niko, the male lead’s, confidence in what he enjoyed and wanted, and appreciated his respect for Bailey, the female lead, and his determination to provide what she needed. I also enjoyed the strength of his relationship with Bailey’s daughter. I enjoyed Bailey’s growing self-confidence and her increasing willingness to reach for what she wanted. I enjoyed the steamy intimate scenes. I enjoyed the integrated and supportive secondary characters, comprising both families and friends.

I received a complimentary copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Niko is hiding out from a PR scandal he was accidentally embroiled in and stays at his rugby teammate’s house but his teammate failed to tell him that his sister already lived there with her daughter. Niko is instantly attracted but knows to keep his hands off a teammate’s sister, but can the restraint last when they’re both feeling the same pull?

Loving the rugby romance, there wasn’t a lot of rugby here but it was fun to see an underrepresented sport in romance. The spice for this one was unreal, vanilla but super fun! I loved both Bailey and Niko, this was such a cute short read. I haven’t read any others in this world but it was obvious there are some interconnected stories going on and I can’t wait to look them up too.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would recommend this book for people who want a sweet romance that is a fast read with just enough spice.if anything it was too short. Funny meet cute caused by a well intentional brother. The little text messages between chapters are a nice touch to see more into the characters. Book clubs in romance books are always hilarious, they just seem like a real conversation that could happen with the authors book. Truth or dare hasn't made me blush like this since I was the one playing. Will definitely recommend reading more from Tilly Tait.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Mona · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 2.5/5 (rounding up)

I very much wanted to like this book, but unfortunately, it just did not hit the mark for me with the writing style. The book was fast paced, but more than once I would finish a page, expecting it to continue on the next, but instead it was the end of a chapter and the scene didn't continue. I also didn't like how the FMC treated the MMC at the beginning. She was clearly interested in him but instead treated him badly based on a lack of information while he continued to show that he was a good person.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Charmaine Nouwen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just Physical Chemistry is an opposites attract, teammate's sister rom com story of Niko and Bailey..He is the captain of the Rebels rugby league team with family values and respectful until his wife cheated and leave him with his teammate and he ends up in video scandal..to get away from the PR nightmare he to his teammate's coastal retreat house only someone living there already,a curvy goddess that is everything he wants in a woman. She’s his biggest temptation and completely off limits...A wonderful,enjoyable,steamy and touching story..Book 1 of Love By the Book Club Series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this story so much.

Poor Niko had me from the beginning, sweet, thoughtful, big hearted having been screwed over by his Insta"Wag" wife.

Bailey tried so hard to fight the attraction bless her!

The book is so well written, and the characters are so real and three dimensional. You will find yourself actually caring what happens to them and cheering for them to chase their HEA!

I would love to live in Hartwood Bay, each book we see more of our old friends and meet new ones. Cant wait for the rest of this series!

[Dara Wasalino Tremblay · Rating 4 out of 5]

MMC Niko is hiding from a PR scandal at his rugby teammate's house. But he’s not alone, his teammate's sister FMC Bailey was also living there with her daughter. They have an instant attraction. This was a quick, short read, and the two main characters were great. Niko is athletic and has his mind and emotions in check. He is also tender and respectful to Bailey. Bailey is confident and body-positive.

[Naiomi Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a quick easy read that I was able to read in 1 day.

Till has made me want to read more sports themed romance books.

Team mates twin sister, single mum, sport romance, teacher, age gap. What more could you want from this sweet romance and I can't wait to read more about all of the team mates.

[Ninja · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute love story. I enjoy reading this.
It your looking for a short, sweet love story then pick this book up and start reading.

The characters are all likable, well most of them at least.
This book was filled with family, love and acceptance.
I am glad I got to be on the arc team for it.

[Bre E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bailey Moran is a single mom and high school science teacher trying to balance work and family. When her brother’s flashy, rich teammate shows up, everything changes. Despite being opposites, they’re drawn to each other, leading to a heartfelt romance with a few bumps along the way.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Want a sweet romance with some spice? This one is for you. A short novella with well developed characters with a little small town vibe. Truth or dare was something I haven’t read before so it was refreshing to see something new.