Bed Chemistry

A Novel

Hardcover
$29.99 US
| $39.99 CAN
On sale Dec 09, 2025 | 304 Pages | 9798892423762

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One bed. One (very awkward) shared past. What could go wrong?

With a fun and steamy twist on the only-one-bed trope, this debut contemporary romance will delight fans of The Love Hypothesis and The Paradise Problem.


Chemistry teacher Ashleigh Hutchinson knows better than anyone that love and lust don’t mix. The feelings come from different hormones, they trigger different responses, and they demand different reactions. Which is why she doesn’t date. She hooks up. No catching-of-feels required.

When Ashleigh is fired from her job without notice, she signs up to participate in a month-long sleep study, which will pay her enough to cover rent while she job hunts. It seems easy enough—until she walks into the clinic and finds herself staring right into the gorgeous eyes of Xander Miller, the only man to have ever tempted her to abandon her no relationships rule.

When Xander and Ashleigh realize the study is only looking for couples, they  agree to pretend to be together—which means sleeping in the same bed every night for the next few weeks. How hard can it be to keep their cool under the covers? 

With steamy “will they or won’t they” tension and plenty of hilariously awkward moments, Bed Chemistry is sure to appeal to fans of Christina Lauren, Ali Hazelwood, and Meghan Quinn.
Praise for Bed Chemistry:
“What a wild ride! Bed Chemistry is an absolute blast from start to finish—a wonderfully unique premise with an unconventional heroine, a swoon-worthy hero, and tension that sizzles so hard I needed to crank up my AC.”
—Amy Ewing, New York Times bestselling author of The Jewel and The Irish Goodbye

“Maybe my favorite romance set-up of all time! But it's Elizabeth McKenzie's sharp, sexy voice that really makes this debut sing.”
—Jessie Rosen, USA Today bestselling author of The Heirloom and All The Signs

“Electric, hilarious, and absolutely sizzling. With incredible emotional depth and heart, Bed Chemistry is one of my new favorite reads.”
—Katie Holt, author of Not in My Book and The Last Page

Bed Chemistry is a bold experiment in forced proximity and fated second chances. You'll find yourself believing in love all over again.”
—Ingrid Pierce, author of Not You Again
A self-described bantersexual—make her laugh and she’ll be eating out of the palm of your hand—Elizabeth McKenzie has written several screenplays for feature films, with her projects placing in top international screenwriting contests including Screencraft, Final Draft, and the Austin Film Festival. Her newsletter, Delusional, reaches more than 10,000 readers each week. Elizabeth lives in Melbourne, Australia, with her husband, their son, and their dog, who is the goodest girl.

About

One bed. One (very awkward) shared past. What could go wrong?

With a fun and steamy twist on the only-one-bed trope, this debut contemporary romance will delight fans of The Love Hypothesis and The Paradise Problem.


Chemistry teacher Ashleigh Hutchinson knows better than anyone that love and lust don’t mix. The feelings come from different hormones, they trigger different responses, and they demand different reactions. Which is why she doesn’t date. She hooks up. No catching-of-feels required.

When Ashleigh is fired from her job without notice, she signs up to participate in a month-long sleep study, which will pay her enough to cover rent while she job hunts. It seems easy enough—until she walks into the clinic and finds herself staring right into the gorgeous eyes of Xander Miller, the only man to have ever tempted her to abandon her no relationships rule.

When Xander and Ashleigh realize the study is only looking for couples, they  agree to pretend to be together—which means sleeping in the same bed every night for the next few weeks. How hard can it be to keep their cool under the covers? 

With steamy “will they or won’t they” tension and plenty of hilariously awkward moments, Bed Chemistry is sure to appeal to fans of Christina Lauren, Ali Hazelwood, and Meghan Quinn.

Reviews

Praise for Bed Chemistry:
“What a wild ride! Bed Chemistry is an absolute blast from start to finish—a wonderfully unique premise with an unconventional heroine, a swoon-worthy hero, and tension that sizzles so hard I needed to crank up my AC.”
—Amy Ewing, New York Times bestselling author of The Jewel and The Irish Goodbye

“Maybe my favorite romance set-up of all time! But it's Elizabeth McKenzie's sharp, sexy voice that really makes this debut sing.”
—Jessie Rosen, USA Today bestselling author of The Heirloom and All The Signs

“Electric, hilarious, and absolutely sizzling. With incredible emotional depth and heart, Bed Chemistry is one of my new favorite reads.”
—Katie Holt, author of Not in My Book and The Last Page

Bed Chemistry is a bold experiment in forced proximity and fated second chances. You'll find yourself believing in love all over again.”
—Ingrid Pierce, author of Not You Again

Author

A self-described bantersexual—make her laugh and she’ll be eating out of the palm of your hand—Elizabeth McKenzie has written several screenplays for feature films, with her projects placing in top international screenwriting contests including Screencraft, Final Draft, and the Austin Film Festival. Her newsletter, Delusional, reaches more than 10,000 readers each week. Elizabeth lives in Melbourne, Australia, with her husband, their son, and their dog, who is the goodest girl.
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