🚀 LOVE ON THE BRAIN by Ali Hazelwood 🚀

★★★★★

🍺 Drink Pairing: The perfect pairing for this book was a local lager (because everytime they mentioned it in the story I literally had a craving for it) but also this strawberry jalapeño kombucha! I chose the second drink because it just gave me Bee vibes… a little sweet, a little spicy and of course something that is just a little different!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the eARC of this book! 

🌟 Review: As previously stated (many times)… I will read literally anything that Ali Hazelwood writes. Consider me a fan for life, because I don’t mind reading variations of TLH over and over. I was BEYOND excited to receive the ARC of this incredibly adorable book a few months ago and my birthday gift to myself was literally to read this one early (and it was the first book I ever read on my Kindle!), so I have been holding on to this review for a HOT minute!!

I would like to preface my overall review with the fact that I am not a woman in STEM, nor will I ever be (I do not have the brain for it), but I LOVE women in STEM and I love seeing the rep in all of Ali’s books. I don’t know just how accurate the stories are with the subject matter, but I literally always feel like I’m reading the best romance while also lowkey learning things lol. 😂

Obviously I binged this book in one sitting and literally am dying for my own personal Levi, but Bee? She is the STAR of this show. Literally a neuroscientist working on a project for NASA while also getting to fall in love and rewrite her story? Incredible. The best part of this story to me was that it had elements from my favorite romcom of all time… “You’ve Got Mail”… I will not elaborate on this because I don’t want to give anything away!

(Ali, if you are reading this… PLEASE give us a spin off for Rocio as well, thank you!!!)

I know this is such a ramble-y review but I just get too excited when talking about it, so if you love workplace romances and enemies to lovers then please do yourself a favor and go.buy.this.book.now.

10 Star Review

Love On The Brain is Ali Hazelwood’s latest STEMinist romance novel following her wildly successful debut, The Love Hypothesis!

I’ve never laughed as much as I did while reading Love On The Brain! This scientific You’ve Got Mail-type rom-com delivers an engaging and spellbinding storyline with lots of laughs, crazy awkward nerdy chemistry, nemeses to rival Darth Vader, hilarious cat puns and a noteworthy education of Madame Marie Curie!

How on earth can I put into words how freakin' AMAZING this book is? I have toiled, fretted, chewed my nails and may have pulled several hairs out of my head trying to find the correct adjectives, expressions, and soliloquies so I’ll just say this: I absolutely LOVED it!

Bee is a brilliantly and lovingly crafted character that is strong, confident, smart, and completely irreverent! I absolutely want to be her! But Bee’s also passionate, kind and a bit vulnerable. She’s got some baggage that she has no intention of unpacking, preferably using it to keep herself and her heart safe. Maybe too safe. Bee is easily relatable and absolutely 100% adorable!

Levi is an aggravating, broody, grumpy dreamboat of a nerdy scientist who likes to run marathons, steal donuts and smile at everyone… but Bee. I loved him so much! Levi is smart, passionate, loyal and did I mention dreamboat? I love watching him squirm while Bee gets under his skin.

Can we talk about the steam factor? The chemistry between Bee and Levi is hot, hot, HOT! All that hatred and animosity the two share transmutes into an explosive, fiery and all-consuming passion. I’m surprised my book didn’t explode into flames!

I absolutely loved the story! I cannot say this enough! I will say though that while this book has a lot of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) references and lots of scientific-type stuff, it’s a story that can easily be followed and understood. Ms. Hazelwood does an excellent job of illustrating the story and keeping the reader engaged. She not only entertains, she educates!

Ali Hazelwood does an amazing job of representing, identifying and addressing the gender inequality in STEM job fields and educational institutions and it’s reflected in her novels. Ms. Hazelwood gives a voice to the voiceless and underrepresented.

I highly recommend any and every book by Ali Hazelwood! She’s an evil genius with a delightfully wicked sense of humor and a true gift for storytelling.

Love on the Brain follows my new favorite neuroscientist, Dr. Bee Königswasser, who’s career is finally looking up when she’s selected to lead a neuroengineering project at NASA - a literal dream come true for a struggling post-doc who’s boss thinks women are incapable of being scientists. Things were looking up, that is, until Bee finds out that she’ll be CO-leading the project with her graduate school nemesis, Dr. Levi Ward. What’s a girl/Marie Curie to do in this scenario??

As a fellow scientist and romance lover, I literally could not read this book fast enough! I loved the nerdy banter, I loved the Marie Curie trivia sprinkled throughout (🥼 did you know that Marie got married in her lab gown?), and I loved learning about the super cool neuroengineering project, BLINK, that Bee and Levi were co-leading (🧠 neurostimulated! 👩🏽‍🚀 astronaut! 🪐 helmets!). Bee also runs an anonymous Twitter account, @WhatWouldMarieDo, that is used by women in STEM to share their stories, commiserate, and exchange advice. I am OBSESSED with this storyline and only wish that something like that would have existed while I was in graduate school. Ali even added in a You’ve Got Mail storyline using the Twitter account that I loved so much. The romance was 😍🧠🥵 Levi Ward is the ultimate mix of Adam from The Love Hypothesis and Joshua from The Hating Game or Jay from The Singles Table.

I’ve seen reviews mention that Love on the Brain has a lot of similarities to The Love Hypothesis and that the scientific jargon is a lot, and it does and it is. However, women in STEM are so rarely represented in media accurately that I will always shout my praises for Ali’s books. She captures all the emotions, hardships, and sexism that comes with being a woman in a male dominated field with honesty and the perfect amount of humor.

The love hypothesis, just like every other person in the world, was one of my favourite books of last year.

Levi and Bee have my heart. They went to grad school together, but there wasn't any love interest in each other. A proximity moment will bring them together to fight and fall in love at the same time.

I loved everything in this story. From the stem heroine to the actual brain activity and all the research talk, to the humour and smart comebacks. Then comes love. That love between them that really makes my heart full.

Another hit, another novel that will steal the hearts of all romantic readers.
🆓📖 Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy

Love on the Brain protagonists Bee and Levi met in grad school and didn't get along great. Eight years later, her NIH job sends her off to NASA for an astronaut helmet joint venture spearheaded by Levi's engineering lab. Dr. Bee and Dr. Levi have to work together to push this project through and there's tons of obstacles to their success, in the lab and out.

This story is funny and sexy. Ali definitely draws me in with her humor and writing. I started this and couldn't put it down. It's definitely a STEMinist read with interesting twists, turns and secrets.

While this isn't connected to The Love Hypothesis, I thought this one read a bit like Ali's debut novel. I personally don't mind this - give me all the giggles, swoons and women fighting for their place in STEM and the men fighting for those women. This one leaned a little more into politics/patriarchy/feminism and brought up similar feelings to a recent read, Lessons in Chemistry. There are also wonderful cats and some memorable side characters - looking at you, twin sister. Levi was DELIGHTFUL. What a cinnamon roll. I love all the neuroscience in this one, but you certainly don't have to understand neurology to know what's going on and enjoy this read.

4 'You can't go too far' Stars!
ARC provided by the the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Ali Hazelwood comes back with a bang with her second full length novel and you’ll fall even more in love with the STEM world! The Love Hypothesis was my favorite debut last year and I have to say that Love on the Brain is the most delightful continuation after it. Get ready for this enemies-to-lovers, slow burn romance because you’ll adore it as much as TLH.

So, Love on the Brain is a standalone book (in the same brainy world as TLH) and it tells the story between Bee Königswasser and her nemesis Levi Ward. These two have to work on a new project for NASA and their past is not helping the cause. Do they really hate each other though? Or can they finally see now, after both being single, that there is a very strong connection between them? What will win this time, fear or love?

Trust falls. With Levi Wardass. God, when did this become my life? Dr. Curie, please watch out for me.

If you enjoyed The Love Hypothesis, I am pretty sure you’ll love Love on the Brain. They are both in the same world but they are also very different from each other. And yes, they do have similar aspects as well but that what gives them Ali’s special touch. This novel is smart, quirky, full of tension, chemistry and emotions. The connection between Bee and Levi is too strong to ignore, they are so freaking adorable together and when that sparks? Holy moly. Let me tell ya, LOTB is still a slow burn but the steam level is higher than in TLH and I am here for it! As I said, such a wonderful addition to Hazelwood’s work.

“Bee. You want to belong. You want someone who won’t let go. I’m it. I didn’t let go of you for years, and I didn’t even have you. But you need to let me.”

Therefore, I am rating Love on the Brain with 4 STARS because I seriously loved this new nerdy couple, their smart and slow burn romance and their beautiful (and steamy) connection. I am sure Ali’s fans will be happy with this new book and they will fall in love with Bee and Levi (and their two adorable kitties!) as much as they did with Adam and Olive. Don’t miss reading this one if you loved Ali’s debut novel last year!

I instantly fell in love with this book. If you read my review of Ali Hazelwood’s fist book, you know that I had a few critiques that made it fall a little short for me. For this book, I only have ONE criticism and I’ll get to that later.

Starting with the characters, Bee is who I feel like I am inside my head all the time. I love her personality, her feminist energy, and how she chooses to express herself in her outward appearance.

Levi is handsome, tall, built, masculine, a gentleman, authoritative, has green eyes, should I go on? He is everything I would love in a fictional boyfriend.

I genuinely love Ali Hazelwood’s way of including topics such as gender inequality and gender pay gaps. As a female in STEM, Bee has experienced her fair share of gender inequality and her attitude on the subject is enjoyable and relatable.

Onto the story itself, I will get my one criticism out of the way. The main misunderstanding and conflict were too predictable for me or maybe I’m just getting good at guessing plot lines? Either way, I would have loved at least one surprise or curveball with the story.

Aside from that, I love the story. It was a cute romantic story with some decent spice thrown in. Overall, it was a REALLY GREAT read. Almost a drop everything read (because that’s exactly what I did lol) but not quite because of the predictably.

Love on the Brain | @alihazelwood

Bee is a character who, despite having had a difficult childhood, with the early lost of her parents and moving on from one country to another through different relatives who took care of her and her twin sister, still suffered a heartbreak that contributed to impact her way of relating to other people.

She is determined, funny, and knows that she has fought hard to get where she is professionally. Despite sometimes feeling that she has to accept certain scientists feeling superior, she always proves that she has more capacity than anyone on her field. Besides being inspired by scientist Marie Curie, Bee owns the anonymous account "WhatWouldMarieDo", where she helps women deal with sexism at work (did I mention I love her?).

But while she is outgoing, Levi is taciturn and withdrawn. It takes Bee a while to figure out what he really thinks of her, except that we already have an idea of his feelings. The two of them come together to continue this project that is important to both, in different ways, but what seals this harmony is their growing companionship. I loved following this slow burn relationship, and their scenes together were heart-melting.

I always love that in Ali's novels we see this academic field and the role of women in it, even if it is still disappointing how we are treated. Now it's Bee's turn to be the protagonist who will show that we can occupy any place we want, including being a leader in a project at NASA!

Listen, tell me a book is about a STEM topic and my interest plummets. A STEM romance from Ali Hazlewood, though? SIGN.ME.UP. This was great. I don't understand 90% of the science and engineering (and my math on that is probably wrong) but that didn't hinder my enjoyment of this at all. Bee is smart and I loved the different ways she expressed herself and her focus on her goals. I loved her championing of other women in STEM and academia, focusing on more equitable access to the fields. I felt frustrated along with her when her work was stymied by these issues. The romance is steamy, and I did NOT see one part of this story coming at all.

LOVE ON THE BRAIN is STEM RomCom at its best! Adored the quirky funny Bee and her slow-burn connection with Levi, once a grad school nemesis and now her co-lead on a NASA project. The enemies-to-lovers trope is beautifully handled by Ali Hazelwood, a neuroscientist in real life and author of the wildly popular THE LOVE HYPOTHESIS. A perfect escape for readers who adore intelligent romance with humor and steam.

Love on the Brain takes the classic hate-to-love, academic rivals trope and adds a fun, scientific twist to it with this sweet story that will have you smiling from ear to ear, falling in love, and chuckling along the way.

Bee has always been fascinated by the human brain and the complex science behind it. When she’s offered a once-in-a-lifetime chance to work with NASA on a new project, she is ecstatic to start working and build a name for herself. But what happens when the engineer co-leading the project is her grad school nemesis, who absolutely and annoyingly despises her?

Everything about this book I ADORED! The balance between a romantic comedy storyline with a strong STEM setting, plus a “You’ve Got Mail” subplot (and all the cat puns and CUTENESS) had me flipping through this book and getting lost in the heated intensity and sweet tenderness of the romance.

My favorite part of this book was Bee and Levi’s connection. I LOVED the mystery that surrounded Levi and his actions—and that he fell first (and was quite smitten) from the beginning! And I enjoyed seeing Bee’s perspective of him change throughout the story as she finally allows herself to get to know him. I also really loved that they became best friends and partners.

Ali Hazelwood is 100% a new auto-buy author for me! I can’t wait to see what other stories she will write next.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*

Thank you NetGalley for EARC of those book in exchange for my honest review

Honestly this was just as cute as the first one! While it was very similar in aspects I still really enjoyed it! The characters were easy to connect to and I read this book so fast! Definitely would recommend!

When I was given the opportunity to read this one, I totally jumped on it!! I haven't read The Love Hypothesis yet (don't come for me), but I know how popular it is so I definitely had to read this one. And wow!!! It did not disappoint at all. I loved the STEM and the steam lol 🔥 I really enjoyed the relationship between Bee and Levi. At times I thought they were a little immature and there were some things that were a little cheesy or predictable, but overall it was a great read!!!!

*Thank you @berkleyromance for the #gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.*

Bee Königswasser loves working with brain, especially stimulations to the brain so when she is offered to co-lead a NASA experiment with Levi Ward, her arch nemesis from grad school she is hesitant. Bee may be slightly quirky, with her purple hair and facial piercings but she really knows the brain. So she does what she always does....asks herself "What would Marie Curie (her idol) do?" Bee accepts the position and finds herself running into roadblocks at every turn. Thinking it is Levi blocking her, she confronts him only to find that he may not be the same man he was in grad school.....he seems softer, and keeps looking at her funny. The more time they spend together, the more feelings start to change. Too bad Levi thinks she is married. When Levi finds out that she is indeed NOT married, things accelerate quickly. Just when it looks like Bee and Levi are going to have their happy ending, someone from the past sets out to destroy all their hard work. In the end good vs. evil prevails and Bee and Levi find their happy ever after.

I enjoyed this enemies to lovers nerdy story. I just adored Levi. He is the perfect type of hero...strong, faithful and honest. I also really liked Bee and all of her quirkiness. I really enjoyed her tweeting conversations she had under her fake name. Overall this was an enjoyable read and I would recommend reading it.

4.5 stars

I really enjoyed Ali Hazelwood’s second STEMinist rom-com. It was an enjoyable, witty, workplace romance that was so entertaining I didn’t want to put it down.

I loved Bee’s character, she was such a girl boss while also being super quirky and fun. Levi, on the other hand, is quiet and broody but as the story goes on really starts to come out of his shell and is actually a gigantic cinnamon roll underneath all that gruff. The chemistry between the two main characters was great, they played off each other well and I really believed in their relationship.

Overall, this was another great read from Ali Hazelwood and I can’t wait to see what else she puts out.

There was a lot to love about Love on the Brain, but there was also a lot that made me very frustrated.

The good:
- Great cast of characters (Rocio was awesome comic relief) and plenty of STEM/nerdy jokes. I laughed so hard during different parts of this novel.
- Tropes like pining (an entire forest), workplace romance, rivals/enemies to lovers, friends with benefits, it's always been you, caretaker, epistolary, etc.
- The steam. *insert about a million fire emojis* Between The Love Hypothesis and the 3 STEM novellas, this was by far the spiciest.

The not so great:
- I'm not a fan of the miscommunication trope and this one lasted waaaayyyy longer than it needed to. A simple conversation or just listening to the other person would have prevented so much of the unnecessary drama. I grew more and more frustrated with Bee especially for always jumping to conclusions and never believing Levi when he repeatedly told her that her assumptions were incorrect/his true feelings.
- Bee. I understand that her history set her up to guard her heart, but she gave up so easily on everything (BLINK, Levi, etc). She came across very immature (there's an entire scene where she's giving Levi the silent treatment) and I kept waiting to see her be the bada** scientist she's supposed to be. The roadkill phobia and fainting thing were also very odd to me.
- This is an "it's me, not you" issue, but I don't need my FMC's to be teeny tiny and the MMC to be gargantuan in *every* way. It can definitely be sexy at times, but I also can't help the eye roll when I see the "it's not gonna fit"/"too tight" comments.
- The third act break up. I needed sooooooooooooo much more grovel from Bee after Levi's speech.
- The ending was way over the top. Everything about the reveal from the Twitter account to the sabotage, wrapped up so quickly. I never felt like there was a final reckoning between Levi and Bee and it actually made me lose a little respect for Levi since he was so willing to take any scraps/be a doormat. The epilogue was sweet, but I finished the book overall annoyed with Bee.

I both read the ebook and listened to the audiobook of Love on the Brain and thought that Brooke Bloomingdale did a fantastic job. She voiced Bee so well and captured all the quirkiness and emotion of the character. I also really enjoyed all the different voices she used to bring the story to life.

Audiobook Review
Overall 3 stars
Performance 5 stars
Story 2 stars

There wasn't anything terrible about Love on the Brain and it was definitely an entertaining read. I just think that after reading TLH and the 3 STEM novellas, I was hoping for something a little different this time around.

CW: death of parents and friend (past), fear of abandonment, grief, mentions of seizures (secondary child character), misogyny and sexism, FMC loses a close friendship due to a cheating ex (past)

*I voluntarily read and listened to an advance review copy of this book*

Omg this book! I can't put it down. I love this authors writing style, humor and unique academic background that she can bring to these stem romances!

Omg Levi and Bee! Another unlikely pairing of two very smart individuals that have the wrong idea about eachother. And I just can't get enough!!! I don't want to go to bed I want to finish it now!!

Now, there is no debate about Ali Hazelwood's talent. She's one hell of a writer. But Love on the Brain was pretty much a copy of The Love Hypothesis except for the names. I still enjoyed the story, and Levi is a dreamboat. If this is the first Ali Hazelwood book you've read you'll probably rate it 5 stars and you would be totally right to do so...but I expect from such an incredibly talented writer so much more.

This is a Romance. This is a romance between two scientists. I found the beginning of this book hard to get into, but once I was pulled into this book I loved these characters so much. I found this book so cute and funny at times. The ending was so good. If you loved The Love Hypothesis you will love this book too. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Sphere) or author (Ali Hazelwood) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

We all have VERY high hopes for this book, right? The Love Hypothesis was a five-star read for a lot of people. Love on the Brain WOULD be a five-star book for me - if TLH didn't exist.

There's a lot to love about this book - Bee and Levi, first and foremost. And also the cats. And Bee's assistant Rocio. Levi is a GREAT love interest and it was obvious how good he and Bee are together.

BUT. Is it basically the same story as The Love Hypothesis? . . . Yes. Does that mean I didn't love it? Hell no. I DEVOURED this book but since so much of it was similar to TLH I have to go with four stars. Ali Hazelwood could write the same book over and over forever and I'd read them all, but I'd LOVE to see her switch up the dynamics a bit.

Either way this is still a bomb romance.

Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for the advanced e-book!