To be perfectly honest, I expected that I would end up DNF-ing The Love Proof. Books that are heavily influenced by science usually don’t work for me and it’s the reason I put off reading this one. However, not only did I end up finishing the book, I finished it in one day.

Despite the heavy science-y influence, the story is much more character driven. I thought the author did a great job of developing the characters and making me care about them. I was very invested in Sophie and Jake’s relationship and how everything would turn out. It feels too spoiler-y to go into any details, but they put me through an emotional wringer and even though I got pretty frustrated at times, I enjoyed the journey.

While the book surprised me in many ways, I was right in predicting the science-y bits wouldn’t work for me. While it did feel like Henry gives us a more “Physics for Dummies” explanations on things, a lot of it still went over my head. I also thought the central theme of how only someone who has fallen in love is able to see time was kind of corny.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Love Proof. I found it compulsively readable and could not put it down. If you are someone like me who might be scared off by the inclusion of science and academia, I really encourage you to give it a try. I think you’ll end up pleasantly surprised.

Overall Rating (out of 5): 4 Stars

Loved the development of the characters, especially Sophie. You can feel the romance though her and the sadness of her situation. Do not want to give away too much of the plot, you need to find that out for yourself.
It was a little difficultly with the references to the physics facts in the story but I did like the facts about the stars. All in all I enjoyed and I think you will too.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for gifting me a digital ARC of Madeleine Henry's new book - 4.5 stars! I was a big fan of Breathe In, Cash Out - Henry's debut novel - and definitely was thrilled with her sophomore book!

Sophie is a child prodigy ready to put Yale University's physics department on the map as she enters for her freshmen year. She is interested in the theory of time - she believes you should be able to see time like you can see life's other properties. But when she meets Jake, a determined finance freshman, her focus changes. For better or worse, they become inseparable.

I'm being purposely vague on the synopsis of this book. Part of the enjoyment is seeing how the book plays out these characters' stories. This is a smart book (lots of physics thoughts!) that really makes you think about what's important in life and how our relationships can help or hinder our dreams. Henry's writing is spot on - you will feel for these characters and their intentions, especially knowing their backstories.

Can first love transcend time? What happens when the relationship is disrupted in this timeline for more than two decades? Is research correct in showing little hope for the love to be rekindled? Two prodigies -- one in Physics and one in Finance -- meet in their first days at Yale and are inseparable. How will this affect their dreams and plans for the future? And how will the changes they make affect the way they see each other. A fascinating look at the theory of time and enduring love.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the beginning of this book and the premise of it. Sophie was a charming protagonist and as a scientist it was lovely to read about a fictional scientist characterized not only by her intellect but also by her heart, her sensitivity, and her kindness. However, this book was too sad for me. The needless suffering and sadness of the relationship - I mean seriously, 25 years spent apart?! - was just too much for me. It broke my heart.

Just finished up The Love Proof yesterday and here are my quick thoughts:

~ I loved the concept of using the laws of physics and the nature of time to explain human connectedness and true love.

~ I enjoyed the author’s writing style and found it to be a super fast read. Many of you could probably binge this book in one day.

~ Advice to future readers- don’t let yourself get bogged down with the scientific concepts. I started to do that at one point and it took away from the overall story for me just a bit.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria for this advance digital copy in exchange for my honest review! ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5

"What really controls us? What plucks strings of the universe? What is the real power of love?"

The Love Proof tells the story of Sophie Jones, a prodigious physicist studying theories of time, and Jake Kristopher, a future hedge fund manager. Sophie dreams of knowing everything. Jake dreams of having everything. After their lives intersect as young college students at Yale University, the heart-stopping, time-altering, decades-spanning love between them will permanently changes their lives.

"Life is about how deeply you love and let others love you."

I found this book equal parts charming, heartbreaking, and fascinating. The dynamic between Jake and Sophie, across many decades, is sweet and moving - there is no cliché, trope-laden romance here! But it also broke my heart to think of how much more they still could have had together, if things had been different.

"I've learned there's no getting over, but there is moving on. There is life after loss."

Layered with scientific, mathematical, and literary references, The Love Proof reminded me in some ways of The Midnight Library - effortlessly quotable, heavily intellectual, and tender in its treatment of heartbreak. Though short in length, it is not a light-and-fluffy read; I found it moving and deeply meaningful.

"That our emotions don't just reflect our world, but could change our world. That might be worth thinking about."

My only complaint, and the reason I'd call this a 4.5-star book instead of a full 5, was that the ending felt rushed and a bit incomplete. For readers who have now journeyed with Sophie and Jake across three decades, the conclusion of their relationship was merely implied, rather than portrayed outright. I would have appreciated the satisfaction of seeing the end of their story.

"The most valuable insight of my life has been that the best use of time is to love."

Overall, I adored this book. Madeleine Henry's work is a beautiful commentary on the propulsive intensity of a dream, the value of genuine human connections, and the ability of real love to transcend time and space. 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5!

"Life should be lived from the heart."

——

A huge thank-you to Madeleine Henry, Atria Books, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

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I had a chance to read an early copy of this book and absolutely loved it. So smart. So unique. So utterly delightful.

I have many mixed emotions about The Love Proof. On the one hand it was very thought provoking and kept me reading into the wee hours of the morning, but on the other, the love story was not at all what I expected. I wanted to love Sophie and Jake and believe in their love so much, but I never quite made it there. I thought the author did a wonderful job showcasing first love and how utterly consuming it can be (for better or for worse). It did take a bit for things to get going since there is quite a bit of back story to reveal and there were times when the science and physics got confusing, but I felt intrigued by these characters and kept going. Things slowly started to derail though and when the blurb said "spanning decades", it really meant it.

I think my biggest issue with The Love Proof was the second chance romance aspect. As much as I could see the truth in what Jake was thinking and could even understand his decisions to a degree, ultimately, he had all the power and made all the choices. He was a terrible romance hero and made me want to throw my kindle several times while reading this book. I really admired Sophie at first, but that dwindled as her relationship with Jake grew. I wanted and needed more from her character arc, but she never seemed to make it past pining doormat. I understand that these characters were intentionally flawed, but it unfortunately made them too unlikeable. The author did pose some interesting questions about love though and how it can both bolster and hold you back. The ending wrapped up very quickly after everything that happened to get us to that point and left me feeling unsatisfied. There needed to be a reckoning and a lot more discussion between Sophie and Jake. This was an intriguing premise for a love story, but ultimately it just didn't work for me.

*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*

It was love at first sight for Jake and Sophie during freshman orientation at Yale. They spent all four years together every second possible so Sophie is blind sighted when Jake does the unthinkable.

In spite of all the good reviews on this book, it was just ok for me. The science/physics was a little, hmm, maybe more than a little over my head and the love story was not all that lovely. I have strong feelings about the characters in this story, but I don't want to spoil it for anyone so I'll leave it at that.

Thank you to the publisher for the advanced copy; all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I couldn't get into this one, it got a little too science-y and for some reason, just didn't jive with the romance idea I had in my head.

Liked the idea of this one but not the implementation completely. It is more sad than I thought it would be and hoped that it might take a different path.

I lost myself in The Love Proof for an entire day and I loved every minute of it. This book is about love, but not a romance per se, and it is academic without being too cerebral. Its like a relatable rumination on love, specifically first love, with characters you can't help but falling for and a first-love story you can't help but recognize. I put this book down and just felt a sense of satisfying peace with the ending. I will be recommending The Love Proof this year!

I am a sucker for a good love story. The Love Proof hit the mark. Madeleine Henry has written a book that is thoughtful and full of emotion. This is a story about two college freshmen that fall in love at first sight. They have both come from very distinct backgrounds that have molded their future.

I will gladly admit that I am not the sharpest tack on the strip but I am definitely not the dullest. With that being said, there were times that the physics discussions were so above my head that it made it hard for me to follow along. Thankfully about one-third of the way, the physics-heavy writing wained.

Don't let the idea of a love story based on physics scare you from digging in to this book. This is a great book for anyone who believes in soulmates and true love.

The Love Proof is truly a gem of a book. It's a unique story and the fact it incorporated my least favorite subject in high school, physics, in a way that was actually interesting to me is nothing short of a miracle. We are in the early days of 2021 but I'm confident this book will be among my favorite reads of the year. For what it's worth, I don't give out 5 star ratings all that often.

It's fair to say Sophie Jones is a genius, and now that she is enrolled as a student at Yale, the physics department is thrilled because they believe she has the potential to unlock some of the mysteries of the universe. However, after she meets fellow student, Jake Kristopher, they both realize they have a deep connection. Soon they are spending every free moment together. And for Sophie, being in love means there's not as much motivation to find answers to the long asked questions in the world of physics.

Feel free to read the publisher synopsis if you want more details of the plot. Personally, I had an incredible reading experience because I didn't know much about the story ahead of time and so I got to watch everything unfold naturally rather than having a heads up. And my desire for other readers to discover this book for themselves is why I really don't want to get into specifics about all of the things I loved about the story and the characters. I will say the writing is smart and life's burning questions about love and time and their relation to physics were presented in a way that even little old me could understand.

Take a chance on this one. I'm not sure if the material will hit every reader with the same intensity as it did for me, but judging by many of the other early reviews, I'm certainly not the only one who thought this was a powerful story. Let Sophie and Jake into your life, and see what happens.

The Love Proof is not your typical romance and I honestly wasn't certain how much I would enjoy it since it is so heavily based in science, but I wanted to give it a go. I enjoyed it much more than I ever expected.

Sophie Jones is a scientific prodigy and she's under an immense amount of pressure when she heads off to Yale as there are many people who expect her to do big things. During her freshman year at the university, she meets Jake Kristopher, who she is immediately drawn too. Almost like she's known him for years before even though they've just met. They are so drawn to one another that they rarely spend time apart after they meet.

The book spans decades and we see how Sophie and Jake handle relationships, their careers and how their lives unfold. It's an emotional journey that makes the reader stop and ask themselves questions as they peel back the different layers of the book and the characters. As I mentioned above, it's not your typical romance, but it is definitely one that you're going to want to pick up.

**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

This is such an interesting book. It is one I know I will think about for days if not weeks but I also know I will never reread it. Two driven college freshmen fall in love at Yale, each understanding the focus and intensity of the other as no one else ever has. However, as their relationship progresses things begin to change. Jake starts to see his dreams coming true and Sophie seems to have left hers behind. It was a short read and one that affected me, my stomach was knotted with anxiety at times. However I am not sure I really loved how it all turned out. There is much to consider about the importance of purpose versus that of happiness and contentment but the lack of middle ground never made it seem grounded in reality.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of "The Love Proof" by Madeleine Henry. I have mixed feelings about this book so I'm going to spell them out. There will probably be spoilers. You have been warned.
Things I liked:
1. The writing was gorgeous and thoughtful.
2. There were lots of beautiful philosophical scientific theories about life and love and time being thrown around and it felt like poetry sometimes and I loved it.
3. The first love between the two MCs was raw and real and brought back memories for me.
Things I didn't like:
1. The whole they're apart for thirty years or whatever and then they finally get back together trope. Hate that trope. It's the most depressing trope. I just watched a "Gilmore Girls" episode where Suki tells Lorelai about a story she saw on the news who got back together after fifty years apart or something and how romantic it was and Lorelai was like, "That's the worst story I've ever heard!" And, Lorelai, you're not wrong. This was not the worst story ever, but I still hate that trope. Sorry. When it became clear this was happening in this book I seriously had to put it down for a few days before I got over my anger enough to come back to it.
2. I think part of why I hate this trope is when they do finally get back together...the magic is gone. They wasted their lives. The whole theme of this book was how love is more important than work, in essence, and Jake especially spent his whole life working and refused to even get to know his own son just because...he wasn't Sophie's son I guess? I mean, how horrible. That kind of made me not like Jake and made them finally getting back together lose its spark that it could've had if they hadn't waited thirty years and made tons of other stupid decisions in the meantime. I didn't love the correlation it seemed to make that Sophie in particular couldn't have both love and meaningful work at the same time. It was more because of her personality than because she was a woman but...still, she was the woman.
Basically, I enjoyed the first two-thirds of this book a lot and then the ending made me kind of mad. But the writing was lovely, so I'll generously give it four stars. If you don't hate this trope like I do, this book might be more for you than it was for me.

Sophie, a physics prodigy, meets Jake Kristopher their first week at Yale. They both are very driven in their fields. They also fall deeply in love with no one else mattering to them but each other. Growing up, having friends and having a "normal" life never really mattered to Sophie even though her parents tried really hard for her to be normal. So watching her get so absorbed into Jake and losing her focus on why she is in Yale was sad to watch. The Love Proof was a great story of how love can be all consuming and how you need to find yourself and still try to hold onto what is important. I really enjoyed The Love Proof and look forward to reading more stories by Madeleine Henry.

I have mixed feelings after reading The Love Proof. On one hand, I stayed up late to finish it because I was engrossed in the story, but on the other hand, I'm not sure if I actually enjoyed that time spent reading and I was let down when I finished.

Sophie and Jake see each other for the first time at a large lecture on their first day of classes at Yale. For both of them, it's basically love at first sight. They immediately become inseparable. Jake is able to balance his time with Sophie and his great ambition, but Sophie becomes a little lost in the relationship. Going into Yale, she's a prodigy - she is interested in the study of time and her physics professors can't wait to see her genius. But after meeting Jake, she just...fades. After four years, Jake notices Sophie doesn't have any goals for herself anymore and has made her life orbit around his. He decides he can't be responsible for her perceived academic/professional failure and cuts ties with her completely.

The relationship between Sophie and Jake made me feel uncomfortable. I agreed with Jake that she basically became a shell of herself while simultaneously being mad that he made the decision to break up with her without so much as a hint to her it was happening or any input on her end. While the first half of the book establishing their relationship is full of small details and moments, the second half of the book moves quickly and the ending just felt abrupt. Jake acts cowardly in his adult years and when they are finally reunited, Sophie just placidly accepts him without any qualms. I didn't really care for either one of them throughout the story, but especially at the ending. These two need a very frank discussion about what happened, rather than a magical reunion. I found myself not romantic enough for this story - I couldn't drop the pretense that love shouldn't eat you alive like that.