Member Reviews
A really cute enemies to lovers story. I liked it nearly as much as Love Hypothesis - and actually found them very similar. There were a few character traits (fainting/crying a lot) that I didn't really like.
I strongly suspected I would love Love on the Brain before I even started reading it, but I had no idea how much I would before it was all said and done. I thoroughly enjoy Ali's writing, her STEM heroines and swoony, often grumpy, men. Enemies to lovers is my jam, especially when there's A+ banter like between Bee and Levi. And the male pining, oh the male pining! So, so good.
Another absolutely delightful romance from Ali Hazelwood. Love on the brain you get enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, and work-place romance. Her humor, most of all the wit and banter between the characters fills me with joy and makes me smile throughout the book.
Let me just start off by saying that I absolutely LOVED this author's first book, The Love Hypothesis. That one was pure magic, so I was so excited to read this one. Sadly, the magic just wasn't there.
I did love Bee. She is so smart and I loved that she held onto her femininity in such a male-dominated field. I loved how much she loved cats and animals and her fainting episodes were so adorably quirky. Nevertheless, she was so incredibly clueless about Levi's feelings toward her. I didn't have an issue with the fact that she swore off relationships after the disaster that was her prior engagement. But she still assumed way too much and missed VERY obvious signs that were right in front of her face.\
I also thought the majority of the plot was super predictable and I HATED all the assumptions both Bee and Levi made about each other. I don't like that for the first half of the book, the main obstacle was them not talking to each other like adults.
I do like the author's writing style and I loved all the tidbits about Marie Curie. I just wasn't in love with this one.
Bee gets her dream job opportunity with NASA only to learn that her co-lead is her grad school nemesis Levi. As Bee figures out how to navigate her new position, she also tries to figure out Levi's obvious contempt towards her.
What I liked: the focus on how difficult it is for women in STEM, and science in general. Actually I loved this. Bee is also the secret author of a twitter account where women can discuss their experiences. What I didn't like: the actual romance between Bee and Levi.
Science + Romance = Yes, please! I loved "Love on the Brain" and Ali Hazelwood's strong, smart female characters are some of my favorites in all of literature. Excellent read!
Another fun and feminist STEAM romance from Ali Hazelwood- the new queen of slowburn romances between smart women and supportive men. Hazelwood has created another quirky, ambitious woman in LOVE ON THE BRAIN with a fully fleshed out back story who must solve a whole host of misunderstandings to finally find the supportive love she deserves.
OF COURSE I DEVOURED IT!
I really enjoyed it! The enemies to lovers was just *chefs kiss*.I really really believed it was him sabotaging her, but I couldn't figure out why. I couldn't see a redemption arc in sight, and yet, there it was. Perfect!
Hazelwood’s Star-Wars-fanfic-turned-STEM-romance, The Love Hypothesis, was a New York Times bestseller and TikTok sensation, making this year’s Love on the Brain big and buzzy. Her recent literary Twitter frenzy didn’t hurt sales either, I’m sure.
I included this title in my summer/fall preview for Book & Film Globe: https://bookandfilmglobe.com/fiction/nine-books-to-escape-with-for-fall/
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.
I was just as obsessed with this newest rom com by Ali Hazelwood as I was with her last (The Love Hypothesis)! Set in a NASA lab in Houston, two graduate school nemesis have to figure out how to work together again on a prestigious project to create special helmets to support astronauts in space. Bee has always believed that Levi hated her and isn’t quite sure how this new work partnership will go but is determined to make it work for the sake a science.
After loving The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood, I was anxious to see what her next big release would be like… and I’m happy to say that I was not disappointed 🤩
Levi and Bee had some animosity between them in their graduate school years, but have since gone their separate ways to do their own thing. But years later, they’re brought together again to work on a project for NASA as co-leaders. From there, an adorable forced proximity frenemies-to-lovers romance unfolds.
CAN I JUST SAY I LOVE LEVI AND BEE! 😭 Bee was such a fun and eccentric character to read about, and I loved seeing the passion she has for the work that she does. Her only flaw is her obliviousness toward Levi’s feelings for her LOL. And speaking of Levi. LEVI FREAKING WARD. That man is PERFECT 😫 He simply has NO FLAWS!! From the beginning, you just know their “hatred” for each other is very one-sided, and Levi is literally so whipped for Bee. I’ve never read about a man who pines for his girl as HARD as Levi does – he truly puts all other pining men to shame. His actions, the words he says, everything about him, I could not help but swoon so hard. I seriously need a Levi Ward in my life 🥲
Was this book very similar to The Love Hypothesis? Yes. Did I still enjoy this book, perhaps even MORE than The Love Hypothesis? Also yes! 😁 I can see myself re-reading this book in the future, especially for my man Levi 🥰 So excited for more from Ali Hazelwood! 💘
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the eARC!
Bee Königswasser is a quirky neuroscientist who lands her dream job--working with NASA engineering equipment for actual astronauts. Unfortunately, the co-lead is none other than Levi Ward, her long-time archenemy. While I found myself having to overlook some of the "quirky" parts of Bee (helloooo convenient random fainting), I did enjoy these characters overall. Bee and Levi are adorable, and I loved the development of their relationship. Also loved the girl-power promotion of women in STEM. Yesss, fight the patriarchy!
One final thought: "Love on the Brain" is incredibly reminiscent of "The Love Hypothesis," so I do worry future Hazelwood novels will continue to follow the formula she has created and end up getting stale.
Thank you so much to the publisher and Net Galley for giving me a review copy!
Dude I love Ali Hazelwood and her nerdy characters. This one had a bunch of cats in it, so obviously I loved it even more! If you loved her "The Love Hypothesis," then you will 100% love this book. I read it within 24 hours and just couldn't shop. (PS: If you haven't invested in a shower speaker for audiobooks, you are missing out)
We have a socially-awkward, brilliant giant of a man and a tiny, vibrant-color haired just as brilliant woman. The man has been in love with the woman for forever but everything come across as him hating her for reasons. The woman has a traumatic broken-engagement in her past and as abandonment issues.
This was amazing. There's not a lot more I can say. It's a rom-com, you know? BUT the non-romantic plot in this was predictable but entertaining. The romance-plot in this was so satisfying.
Reminder that there is spice in this!
Rating 5/5
Plot 5/5
Spice 3/5
Writing 5/5
Character Development 5/5
[I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book]
“Love on the Brain” by Ali Hazelwood tells the story of Bee Königswasser and Levi Ward in a rom-com, enemies-to-lovers romance. Bee has a Ph.D. in neuroscience and has always struggled with being a woman in STEM because it is a male-dominated program so in her spare time she runs the most popular and controversial accounts on Academic Twitter. When Bee becomes the co-lead investigator for one of NASA’s most prestigious neuro-engineering research projects called BLINK, she’s ecstatic.
However, she learns that she’ll be working alongside her nemesis since grad school, Levi. As the two work together they realize they have a lot more in common than the project they are working on.
This was such a cute book! I love a good enemies-to-lovers and I love Ali Hazelwood’s STEM universe. I love the relationship between Bee and Levi and reading about their commonalities. I really loved Levi and as I always say, male POVs are amazing so I wish we saw more of his dialogue or his POV. I would’ve loved to be inside his head and see how he views Bee. Overall, it was a good book!
This book was okay, it was cute but nothing out of this world. I enjoyed The love hypothesis much better. But besides that Ali did a good job creating a cute story with good romance and story behind it. It was a light read for sure.
I loved this one a lot! I do feel like Bee was a little annoying and dumb but overall I had a really good time reading this one!
For lovers of the first book, nerdy MCs and steamy romance - this is a book you should read, especially if you love the authors other works.
Witty and clever rom-com featuring a neuroengineering project with co-lead protagonists who are enemies from college. Love on the Brain brings science-y swoon-worthiness to the next level. Hazelwood creates a beautiful dynamic and creative balance to the enemy-to-lovers duo. Super fun side characters add the sparkle to an already addictive story. Well done, again!
This was such a cute book which is about a scientist that has to work with her nemesis but things begin to change for them. I really enjoyed Hazelwood’s writing. I haven’t had a chance to read The Love Hypothesis but heard great things about it so I knew I should check out this rom-com. I was of course not disappointed with this book as it brought everything a rom-com lover loves. I do have to say that the story is not quite so original but it was still amazing. The storyline was great and I enjoyed all the conflicts in the book. I also loved the whole science theme in this book which made it a bit different compared to other books. Plus that one romance scene that I will never forget about.
The main character in this story is Bee and I really enjoyed her character. She is fun and a person you would love to hang out with. She did have a bit of development in this book (think Lucy from The Hating Game). Then there is Levi who is such a cutie and a new book boyfriend for many book nerds. I really enjoyed seeing both characters together and seeing them have the romance development. There are many side characters that readers will love and we also have a mysterious person. The romance trope is enemies to lovers and academical enemies with some steamy scenes.
The ending was well done and this book was entirely very cute. The story is quite repetitive in the book industry and the whole science talk can discourage readers but I do recommend picking up this book. It has the perfect amount of spice and you get a cute book boyfriend. This book is perfect for fans of The Hating Game and Off-Campus series.
Neuroscientist Bee is excited to begin co-leading a partnership program between NIH and NASA - even if she has to work with her nemesis - Levi, engineer extraordinaire. When she arrives to an empty office with no equipment, Bee is furious. Thus begins a series of sabotage (some real, most imagined) as Bee and Levi struggle to find some common scientific ground to get the project off the ground and into space.
This book is hilarious. Bee is bright, has a wicked sense of humour and a habit of letting her inner voice become her outer voice. Levi is prickly but sweet and carries more than a few secrets about his real feelings for Bee. It also addresses some inequalities in the science community. I look forward to reading more by Ali Hazelwood.