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!

Straight up, Love on the Brain was a geeky, quirky delight. Bee and Levi are complete opposites and arch-nemesis’s. They have known each other for a long time and Levi has never been anything but cold and distant to Bee. When Bee gets her dream job but finds out she has to work with Levi she is not pleased. But when weird things start happening to Bee, like missing equipment, she starts to lean on Levi and work with him and let me tell you, their spark is magic. This truly was a joy to read and the slow burn romance was amazing. Levi was seriously the best once he let those walls down some. There were parts I didn’t 100% love, but all in all this was just a great, enjoyable read.

In Love on the Brain,neuroscientist Bee Königswasser must deal with her long-time grad school nemesis, Levi Ward, after snagging a plum assignment to work with NASA to create a special neuroscience helmet. All Bee can remember of Levi is that he hated her. Well, you know what they say about hate -- it's close to love, and this enemies to lovers story depicts the connection between love and hate perfectly.

When Bee arrives in Houston for the project, she's immediately faced with obstacles and it doesn't appear her nemesis has let up on his dislike when it comes to Bee. But she powers through all that, having been in STEM long enough to know that the men get the benefits and women have to work twice as hard. As a member of the STEM community myself, I found this to be very accurate and insightful, especially the lovely little names that she has dubbed her male colleagues with.

There is so much STEM related humor in this book that wormed it's way right into my heart and I just could not put this book down. I really loved Bee and Levi, and I was rooting for them all the way. Levi has kept many secrets from Bee and it takes a bit for Bee to put all the puzzle pieces together, but she finally gets it. I'm not going to spoil it for you, but really, if you love a good rom-com, this one checks all the boxes for me.

Bee and Levi must undertake sabotage, secrets, and their own relationship phobias to get to their HEA, but it's a wonderful, lovely ride. The steamy scenes are hot,hot, hot and Levi is swoony material for sure. And Bee's assistant is a hoot.

I loved everything about this book, from Marie Curie to the felines who have a role to play in the story. The villain is easy to identify, but that didn't bother me. The action at the end was the icing on this readers cake. I do believe Love on the Brain is one of my top reads of 2022.

Hazelwood inspires internal rage and super slow burn with this full-length standalone.

I won’t deny this book made me feel things on a visceral level. But not feel-good things, more like I-wanna-throw-things. Hazelwood definitely takes on the real world a bit in this scientist STEM-driven romance.

We have heroine, Bee Königswasser, STEM scientist and lover of Marie Curie, who is given the opportunity as the lead on a NASA neuroengineering project. She’s been waiting for this chance her entire career only catch is her boss is her mortal enemy from college, Levi Ward.

Bee and Ward are like oil and water. She’s always thought of him as the worst ever since he refused to work with her as co-lead on a college project. So this new chance with NASA seems bound to fail before it starts. Except Levi has some secrets of his own, and when everything points to Levi sabotaging her, she decides she isn’t going down without a fight.

The struggles Bee faces made my blood boil. I was ready to go to battle for her and defeat all the bros in her way. Turns out Levi is in her corner, but the road to friendship and possibly more is paved with plenty of twists and turns. Levi’s a tough one to crack and all his reasonings behind what he does and why were so enjoyable to read as they were revealed.

From plot to characterization, I had tons of feelings and found myself unable to put this one down. Devoured in a day and stayed up way past my bedtime. Bee and Levi make a great opposites-attract couple, along with a fabulous slow-burn build that culminates beautifully. I wasn’t disappointed.

For readers who love Sally Thorne, this book will definitely appeal.

~ Landra

Ali Hazelwood has done it again. I adored this book! She writes such fantastic, smart women who are easy to love.

Bee is determined to excel at her new assignment on a project for NASA. The only problem is her co-lead is Levi Ward, the same guy who was her arch-nemesis in grad school. When incidents keep happening, forcing the project to be sidetracked, Bee’s quick to blame Levi but soon realizes he might not be the enemy she originally thought he was. This book really highlights the struggles that women in STEM face (and honestly women in many areas) due to gender discrimination. I loved how Bee used Marie Curie not only for her own inspiration but also to help inspire others. Levi and Bee were amazing together! I could go on gushing about their relationship, but you really should just read this one if you’re a fan of enemies to lovers or workplace romances.

I was provided a free copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Yet another amazing read by Ali Hazelwood. I love the animosity between the two characters, the unspoken truths, and the addition of sabotage as a means to create a wedge. 10 out of 10 recommend!

Where can I even begin? Love on the Brain is absolutely delightful, and far better than Ali Hazelwood’s debut, The Love Hypothesis. While I enjoyed that first novel (despite its many awkward moments), Love on the Brain captures all of the author’s sense of fun and charm and removes the cringe. What we get is a bingeable romance filled with feminism, science, and workplace antics between rivals-turned-lovers.

Before I get to the romance (which I adored, by the way), let’s talk about how smart this book is. The main character, Bee, is a neuroscientist working at NIH and now co-leading a project at NASA with the love interest, Levi. There’s plenty of discussion around neuroengineering, and while I’m no scientist myself, I loved being part of their world for 368 pages. Love on the Brain also fits into the recent STEMinist label: Bee frequently points out workplace misogyny, when men refuse to listen to or trust her, when men devalue her or assume her male co-lead is the true genius behind their project… the list goes on. Bee also secretly runs a Twitter account focused on women working in science, and this community adds their experiences of sexism at work, but also solutions to these problems. I loved all of this discussion. On a related note: I also loved the subplot around the GRE and how it’s a problematic barrier. Much love for all the science, grad school, and feminist themes.

The main characters are all wonderful, too. Bee has purple hair and numerous tattoos and piercings, and she talks to her twin sister – who is constantly traveling from country to country – about everything. She has a sad backstory: Her parents died when she was young, and she and her sister bounced around between family members (and countries) for most of their childhood. Later, Bee’s fiancé cheated on her with her best friend, so she’s wary about love, yet desperate for some constancy in life. In contrast, Levi seems closed off and uptight, and while he acts like he despises Bee, by all accounts he’s kind with and well-liked by others. He has family issues of his own, and maybe isn’t the best communicator, but he’s really just a gentle giant. (Yes, like Adam in The Love Hypothesis, Levi is also notably tall and big. Yes, it’s mentioned quite a lot, and gets a bit redundant, but he’s a great character otherwise, so we’ll let it slide.)

Love on the Brain is told entirely from Bee’s perspective, so whatever Levi is thinking remains an enigma. Why does he seem to hate her? What is up with him sabotaging her work with NASA? Bee doesn’t know, so neither do we. There are two further mysteries in Love on the Brain; you’ll certainly figure out the former almost immediately, but even the latter I worked out long before the reveal. In fact, the latter mystery ultimately leads to an unexpected thriller-worthy scene, which is fun to see in a romance! Alas, I’ll leave both of those surprises to you.

Back to Bee and Levi: This couple is truly adorable. Even while they’re acting like rivals, I found both of them – and their hostile relationship – intriguing. Once the walls start to come down, though, they are so sweet together. I loved watching them get to know each other, both in the office and outside of it. Their relationship develops in ways I didn’t anticipate but thoroughly enjoyed. Love on the Brain is steamier than The Love Hypothesis, and the relationship between Bee and Levi is very believable and natural. It ends perfectly, though I wouldn’t mind a sequel for these two!

Some final things worthy of mention: Cats play a bit role in Love on the Brain! If you’re a cat lover like me, you’ll enjoy seeing not one, not two, but three feline characters. Music lovers can also rejoice: There’s some great discussion of ’90s alt rock; some artists mentioned include Alanis Morissette, Ani DeFranco, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, A Perfect Circle, and Thom York. Finally, I love Bee’s assistant Rocío (and her obsession with La Llorona and all things macabre) and her own side story. All around, Love on the Brain offers a lot of delights, from the main romance to the STEMinism to all the supporting themes.

While I enjoyed Ali Hazelwood’s debut, Love on the Brain is even better, and one of my favorite romances of 2022. It’s cute, swoony, smart, thoughtful, and a lot of fun. I loved the ARC so much that I will definitely get a physical copy of the book, too. Earlier this year, I missed the author’s three novellas, but I plan to read them soon. If I can manage to wait, I’ll probably get them in the upcoming Loathe to Love You novella collection in January 2023. Beyond those, I’m also very excited for whatever Ali Hazelwood puts out next… I’m ready for novel #3!

Were there some similarities with Love hypothesis? yes.
Did I care? Not really.
Did I binge this and get irritated that I had to work instead of finish? Yes.

Meet my new favorite Ali Hazelwood book!

Love on the Brain is filled with the STEM career paths, banter, and romantic tension that we all loved from The Love Hypothesis with an unexpected third act twist. I had fun reading this book and happily devoured it one Saturday. Bee and Levi have an enjoyable back-and-forth relationship and I loved how much of an affect the supporting characters actually have in this story and on Bee and Levi’s relationship with each other.