"Love on the Brain" by Ali Hazelwood
Release Date: 8.23.2022

Dr. Bee Königswasser idolizes Madame Skłodowska-Curie and asks herself regularly - What would Marie Curie do?. If Bee was offered a lead position for a neuroengineering project with NASA, she'd accepted, no questions asked! She is so excited!! Of course, Madame Curie did not need to co-lead with Levi Ward. He's handsome, but they have been enemies since grad school.

She finally thinks Levi might be an ally when her equipment begins going missing, shipments don't arrive on time, and the staff ignore her.

Bee must change her question to -- What would Bee Königswasser do?

I love that Ali Hazelwood focuses on smart, quirky, and lovable female main characters! Bee was so funny, and Levi really made my heart melt. Ta książka jest cudowna!

Thank you to @netgalley for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for my personal opinion.

#bookstagram #bookstagrammer #loveonthebrain #alihazelwood #romancereads #romanticcomedy #2022bookreleases #netgalley #netgalleyreads

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. These opinions are my own.

After The Love Hypothesis was one of my all-time favorite books, I expected I would love this. And I did. All I want to do is shout to the rooftops of my love for this book and everything that Ali Hazelwood writes. And I expect to re-read this immediately.

But I will try to be semi-coherent first. This book is everything.

It has amazing romance with a hero who is all in and unbelievable. He is incredibly hot, amazingly smart, and knows how to apologize and be an ally to women.

It has a brilliant heroine who is flawed and perfect simultaneously.

It has chemistry and steam.

It has women in STEM, Marie Curie references, accurate depictions of what it means to work in science, truth about gender biases, and facts about the GREs and how standardized tests help the privileged. This is what women in STEM novels should look like.

It has epistolary content from academic Twitter.

It has adorable cats and cute kids.

And it is all written in Ali Hazelwood's delightful, funny, and charming style.

So basically, read this book if you like any of the above. I pre-ordered a copy as soon as it was possible, and I can't wait for it to arrive.

The Love Hypothesis is a bookstagram and booktok darling, so I imagine the pressure to produce a second book was immense. But Hazelwood managed to do it again.

I have so much love for this book. Hazelwood has a gift for writing relatable, quirky characters with distinct, specific interests. Bee’s obsessive love with Marie Curie is endearing, as is her intense and Vegan love for all animals -including roadkill! Hazelwood does rely on a lot of the same things that worked in The Love Hypothesis. Big, broody man. Tiny, quirky, scientist girl. Men in STEM who subvert women. Adorable miscommunication. Awkward love. But I can’t even fault her for it because she writes all of these things so well. (And let’s face it, the displacement of women, especially in STEM, really can’t be reiterated enough).

Love on the Brain is brilliant (I mean that literally. I learned so much about the human brain). But it’s also real and sweet and human. An enthusiastic five stars. I’ll read anything Hazelwood writes.

Thank you so much for an advanced copy of Love on the Brain. This was one of my most anticipated reads this year!

Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Pub Date: August 23, 2022

I was super pumped about this book, and for the most part, I really liked. By the end, I actually liked it better than The Love Hypothesis. I'm not going to lie, though...the first 30% of the book I did not enjoy at all. It made me frustrated and angry, and I contemplated DNFing the book. I kept reading, though, and around 50% in, I feel like the book really hit its stride. It had a lot of good elements and things I enjoyed so much, and I couldn't not put the book down once I hit that point.

I really liked NASA as the setting for the story. I thought it was unique, and the project Bee and Levi worked on was so cool. I also liked that the project had a personal connection for Levi, and that Bee totally embraced that personal aspect. I thought Bee was a super cool character. She was quirky and layered in personality, and I liked her a lot. Levi, though, was the character I was super invested in. I loved all aspects of him, and I thought his character was so sweet and endearing. I'm a sucker for pining, and the pining he had going on for Bee just did me in. The thought of him carrying a torch for her for so long, the awareness of himself enough to realize he needed therapy at some points, and just his overall support of Bee was perfection. If only we could all find a Levi to love and to love us! I think I fell a little in love with him when he immediately dismissed Tim when he found out all the bad things he did to Bee. Perfect perfect perfect!

Storywise, I liked the elements in this one! I especially liked the twist with the "villain" towards the end. I was suspicious of that character from the literal first mention/appearance of them, and I got my validation when they did what they did. Points to Ali Hazelwood for crafting a romance that had so many elements to it.

That being said...there were several things I didn't like about this one too. First and foremost, I get tired of all the language about a woman's workplace being a sausage fest, a cock cluster, etc. I'm an academic/PhD myself in a male dominated quantitative field, and I'm just tired of the rhetoric of the "big bad man" ready to put the woman in her place. Instead of having it thrown in my face in books that it is, in fact, a horrible part of the workplace, I wish the characters would show ways to handle the conflict that always arises from conflict with cis white men in the workplace, ESPECIALLY when women outperform them. I know this is part of the field, especially the fields in these stories, but I just don't think complaining gives women ways to handle themselves when these situations occur. Give us actionable, repeatable ways to come out on top of this conflict! Second, the clueless woman trope is annoying to me as well, and Bee was that clueless woman at times. An example from the book is when Bee references the guys having a "sports ball" talk. I know some people think it's cute to talk like this (or they just don't care), but I think it's always better to be more informed than less informed...and I just don't find that type of attitude cute anymore. Third, I'm beginning to wonder if Ali Hazelwood is a one trick pony in her story casting - teeny tiny woman, big hulking man, and a penis that "just won't fit" seems to be her go-to for relationships...and that's fine if that's her kink. I wish her characters had more variety because EVERY SINGLE BOOK of hers is the same in that regard (The Love Hypothesis, her novella series, and this book). I wish her character casting had more variety and didn't depend on a girl whose rib cage is so so tiny that a man's single hand basically covers the entire rib cage etc. Lastly, the miscommunication in the first 30% to 40% of the book really annoyed me. I'm not sure if it classifies as a trope, BUT it bothered me to the point that I almost didn't continue reading. While I have in general enjoyed Ali Hazelwood's books, I feel like these elements of her writing are potentially problematic.

Overall, I liked more than I disliked about the story, and that's a win! The things that bothered me, though, really bothered me. ALL of that being said, I already know I will re-read this one! Given that this is my fourth Ali Hazelwood book/novella, I was just hoping for her to show more depth in the character development than basically repeating what she's already published.

This was not only my first Ali Hazelwood book but also my first “women in STEM” read. I don’t think I could have loved it anymore! I found myself smiling while reading and thinking of the characters when unable to read.

So many likable characters in this book. Bee’s inner dialogue was relatable and funny. I didn’t know what to expect with Levi and he developed into an absolute sweetheart. Also, many good side characters who were great additions (this includes the cats).

I loved how it was set at NASA in Houston, TX. I had just toured the space center and loved having a good idea of what to visualize. I felt like this was a good-paced read and while some parts felt predictable, I thoroughly enjoyed how it all fell into place. The spice started towards the end of the book and it was very well done. I become so invested in the characters that the ending gave me all the feels.

| Love on the Brain Arc Review |
By Ali Hazelwood

This book was an utter delight. Bee is cute and quirky in all the right ways and her inner dialogue is a joy. Love on the Brain is one of those books where I looked down and was shocked (and a little sad) to see that I was already at 90%, it’s that easy to read. The humor was perfection and I am completely enamored with Bee, Levi, and their cast of eccentric side characters.

The entire story had me invested from page one and I couldn’t put it down, hence finishing the book in less than 48 hours. If you’re a contemporary romance fan who loves badass brainiac FMCs and witty banter, this is for you.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘈𝘭𝘪 𝘏𝘢𝘻𝘦𝘭𝘸𝘰𝘰𝘥, 𝘉𝘦𝘳𝘬𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘗𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.

I absolutely fell in love with Ali Hazelwood's writing after reading The Love Hypothesis, and I have been on the lookout for another book full-length book by her since then! Love on the Brain absolutely lived up to my expectations, and I totally recommend it for rom-com readers!

This was an adorable enemies-to-lovers story featuring another wonderful STEM female. Bee is a neuroscientist who is awarded the opportunity to partner with NASA on a new project. Her excitement quickly wanes when she realizes that her co-lead is someone who hated her all through school.

There were some mysterious things happening on this project, and I really enjoyed that little bit of wondering that the mystery provided. It was fun to try to figure out what was happening.

The romance between Bee and Levi was great, and I definitely enjoyed their banter, and their growth as they learn and understand each other. Levi is absolutely a love interest that readers are going to fall for. He's quiet, brooding, and amazing!

For me though, this book is about celebrating women in science, and about pushing for equitable treatment of women in not only this industry, but really all industries. I loved the focus on Marie Curie and how the twitter account gives a platform for women to discuss their career battles. It was just a really great story, and I highly recommend it!

If you liked Love Hypothesis, you'll like Love on the Brain.
The humor and the romance are what you expect from Ali Hazelwood, but the storyline and characters are very similar in both books.
I don't know that I would read another book from Hazelwood if they continue to be this formulaic.

I absolutely adored Love on the Brain. I really enjoy The Love Hypothesis and this book was even better! Bee was such a interesting character, she was unapologetically herself and I found myself relating to her so much! Levi was spectacular, his backstory was so endearing and his love for Bee was just swoon-worthy. I also enjoyed the way the books talks about women in STEM, and how not only do Women have a hard enough time getting positions, but also being taken seriously. Overall this book had me laughing, swooning and learning! I can't recommend this book enough and I can't wait for what Ali Hazelwood writes next!

A fun, STEM romance with lots of voice and steam. I adored Ali's new characters in her sophomore novel, and while I think I'm partial to her debut, this book held plenty of laughs and swoon!

Just like The Love Hypothesis, I found this book to be fresh, funny, sexy, and a little over-hyped.

Don't get me wrong. I really enjoy Hazelwood's writing. Her commentary on women in STEM (or just the workplace in general) is spot on and her humor is quick and punchy.

I'm just not WOW'd by her love stories. Maybe it's because both of her books rely on so much miscommunication and missed chances to for the characters to explain themselves. I know these tropes are common in romance but they always frustrate me and make it difficult for me to fully immerse myself in the story.

With all that said, I did enjoy this book a lot and think it will be a hit with everyone who loved TLH. If you're looking for a rom-com with substance and some science-talk, you've found it!

I can't get enough of Ali's STEM books. She does such a great job mixing science, romance, steam, and fun into one book!

I was immediately attracted to this book because of its topic and title. I love neuroscience.. Although the premise sounded good, this book disappointingly didn't grab me the way I thought it would. The characters came across as a little too immature (I wish there had been more of his perspective?) and there were too many crude sexual references. I lost interest and didn't finish it.

What I Liked: Everything? Is that an acceptable answer? Hazelwood has done it again-written a smart, hilarious, sexy romance with enjoyable characters, a compelling storyline, and a satisfying ending. It’s incredibly difficult to write characters that feel authentic and to convince a reader to feel a certain way about them…and then reveal that everything you thought you knew about the person was wrong. In Levi, Hazelwood has created an exceptional romance hero, and she did so while spending half the book making the reader hate him—not an easy feat! With the book being written from Bee’s perspective, it’s entirely understandable why she thinks Levi hates her and why everyone else thinks so too! That’s what makes the moment Bee realizes that maybe she was wrong about Levi the whole time that much sweeter. Bee’s character was frustrating at times because I wanted her to be more assertive but then I realized that she was behaving how all women in STEM fields have to behave if they want to have any success... and then I got mad. Hazelwood does a wonderful job showing the difficulties women face in science and how much harder they have to work to get the recognition a man gets for doing the same or even less work. One scene in particular really stuck out to me; Bee and Levi are discussing what would happen if a rumor started that they were sleeping together and Levi immediately (and correctly) says that everyone would assume she slept her way to the leadership role she’s in, even though they are both at the exact same level. Scenes like this are sprinkled throughout the book in a way that makes the story realistic but doesn’t take away from the primary story: the romance. The humor is top-notch and the stories that are given to the secondary characters add to the main romance wonderfully and without detracting from it. Hazelwood hasn’t given any of her side characters their own books yet but I would stab someone for a book about Rocio and Kaylee.

What I Didn’t Like: Listen, is this basically The Love Hypothesis 2.0? Yes. Do I care? NOPE.

Who Should Read It: If you liked The Love Hypothesis, I can almost GUARANTEE that you will like this one as well. Anyone looking for a smart romance that manages to tackle some heavy issues with ease will also enjoy this one.

Review Wrap Up: I adored this book, despite its similarities to Hazelwood’s first foray into “STEMinist” romance novels. Once I started reading, I couldn’t put it down and finished it in one day. At this point, I would read anything Hazelwood publishes and can’t wait for her next book.

Favorite Quote(s): “I want to try them all. All the kisses Levi Ward is capable of, I want to sample them like fine wine.”

“‘You could rip me to shreds, Bee.’”

“Thank you, Oh Penised Overlords, for the recognition I deserve”

This was cute enough and an easy read, but it’s basically the same story as The Love Hypothesis with even more frustrating miscommunication and misconceptions, The villain twist was way too arch, the sex scenes were a mixed bag. The one thing I really loved was Bee’s deadpan, goth-like assistant because I kept picturing her as April from Parks and Recreation.

I have to just admit that this author isn't for me. There has been so much buzz for this book (and the whole series) and I've read them to help give recommendations for my patrons, but I personally find them to be a bit insipid. I really hate this strange veneer of STEM that washes over everything as if that is such a wink-wink clever thing; and the female characters in this series, or the "steminists," are weirdly cartoony, but not in any way that would make it fun.
They are a fast read and obviously hit a lot of buttons for romance readers, but I can't get over the above to enjoy them.

This is another great STEM-Y romance by the author of The Love Principle!

SUMMARY: Dr. Bee Königswasser is over the moon when she lands a prestigious research project at NASA. But her greatest triumph seems headed for disaster when she learns her doctoral nemesis is her project co-lead.

Ali Hazelwood has such a fun, contemporary style. Her writing makes me thinking I'm getting all the details (pop culture references included) from a friend via email. She calls out sexism in academia--and the parallels she draws between Bee's experiences and the life of Marie Curie prove that not enough has changed. I loved Bee, Levi, and all the characters that made up their endearingly nerdy collective.

I did feel like villain of the book turned out to be a bit too Evil (with a capital E), but other than that, I really enjoyed this smart, female-forward contemporary romance! I could see myself picking up the audiobook as well because it was such a fun read.

Ali Hazelwood has done it again! And dare I say, it's even better this time? I could not put down Love on the Brain. The characters were charming and the plot filled with entertaining twists. I would have happily lived in world for an extra two hundred pages.

Move over Adam Carleson… Levi Ward has stolen my heart!

A solid five stars for Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood.

Ali Hazelwood’s writing, storylines, and characters and completely addicting and I devoured this entire book in one sitting.

Not going to lie: I was skeptical of this leading man at first. But, oh boy, Levi Ward redeemed himself 10 times over. The romance was wonderful. Bee and Levi had a great dynamic together. Levi is just so dang sweet!

What we get with Love On the Brain: science and geekiness, STEM and steam(!), Marie Curie fan-girling, enemies to friends, friends to lovers, (somewhat) second chance romance, and heartwarming HEA.

I loved every single page of this book and I can not wait to get more, more, more from Ali Hazelwood!

Before we get into Love On the Brain, I would like to take a second and remind everyone that I gave The Love Hypothesis 5 whole stars LESS THAN A YEAR AGO. I bring that up because my thoughts here are going to be undeniably ranty and I want to re-establish the fact that I have not been, like, hate-reading Ali Hazelwood from the start. I wanted to love her sophomore novel, but this was one of the most mind-numbing/soul-crushing/coochie-drying experiences of my life and I have to speak my truth.

Here’s the short version: Everything TLH is, LOTB is, but more. If you liked the former, maybe consider giving this one a try. Just know you will be reading the same thing twice (five times if we count the novellas). At this point, it’s clear that Hazelwood is not going to take the initiative to break her own mold. Is she unwilling or incapable? Couldn’t say, but I can tell you her books are suffering as a result. So, if you don’t want to feel like you’re on a never-ending merry-go-round of science puns and quirk, pick one of her titles and go with it, then get off the ride while you still can.

Now, onto a more substantial review.

Bee might have purple hair and her own version of a PSL-obsession (Marie Curie, anyone?? Haven’t heard of her? Well, you’re about to), but she is Olive. Levi may have a slightly altered past trauma that causes him to come across as cold and unyielding, but he is Adam (Driver). She’s petite, so very teensy, just an itty bitty little dust speck. He’s tall tall tall, with Big Boy muscles and the penis of a goddamn stallion. She’s funky! Loves science! He is strong and silent, but also <3 <3 <3 science!!! It’s tedious. If I wanted to reread The Love Hypothesis, I’d simply do it and save myself the headache that comes along with this level of deja vu.

The first time I read Ali Hazelwood’s rendition of “enemies” to lovers, I thought it was cute. Now I’m fed up. You’re telling me that an adult man, who leads teams of people and is smart enough to launch rockets (or some other equally impressive space shit), cannot physically STAND to be in the same room as the girl he thinks is pretty? Say what you will about Joshua Templeman, but that man toiled feet away from the woman he fake-hated for months on end without issue. Levi, on the other hand, acts repulsed by Bee’s existence and cowers from her touch, then has the audacity to be shocked when his feelings toward her are questioned. Get a grip and grow the fuck up, my guy. She may be a neuroscientist, but she cannot read your mind. And as much as I love shit-talking fictional men, we can’t exclude Bee from the blame. Miscommunication is one thing, but there’s something so juvenile about the brand of confusion struck up between the couples in this universe. If I had a nickel for every time one of Ali’s protagonists decided to operate based solely on presumed slights and imagined beef, I’d have 25 cents—which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it has happened five goddamn times.

Despite not being a Science Bitch (after almost flunking chemistry in high school I never looked back), I am all for writing about women in STEM. I can appreciate Hazelwood’s passion for the topics she includes in her books and the importance of writing characters who are equally excited about them. I also respect her highlighting of issues that plague the field. However, if major twists in your book can be clocked by a dumbass like me at 4%, because you’ve used them before, that's maybe a sign to re-evaluate your process. And, while we’re talking STEM rep—I’m no expert, but every time a female MC experiences sexism in the workplace, is it really the ‘STEMinist’ move to have her man be the one to swoop in and immediately fix everything for her?

The sex. God, it pains me to say this. Up until now, I have been relatively impressed with how Hazelwood writes intimacy. Even the novellas, which were disappointing in almost every way, brought some smut to the table that I thought was worth reading. Someone involved is usually less experienced, but it’s not always the woman and it’s never a big deal. There’s mentions of awkwardness and anxiety, shit that may not be HOT, but are realistic in vulnerable moments. Alas, all that flies out the window with LOTB. As if the book gods knew I was going to be scrounging for crumbs to praise here and wanted one last laugh, but I digress. I’m not ashamed to say, I was jazzed when I heard this story had three sex scenes to TLH’s one. Now I know better. Ali, m’am, I’ve done nothing but love you, yet you subject me to “he traces the bulge of his cock through the skin of my cheek…” FOR WHAT. I had to read about how Bee is “...some kind of fantasy…built to do this…built for [Levi].” At 28 y/o, she sleeps in a twin bed and is able to fit into clothes from middle school. Her vagina is so small & tight (and hairless! she has gotten her “...chuncha fully waxed every month for years…”) that she nearly blacks out trying to fit Levi’s monster dick inside for the first time. I won’t pretend that these characteristics are unique to Hazelwood’s romances, nor were they entirely exempt from her previous works. But, like I said at the start of this review: LOTB ratchets everything up about a million notches. The objectification and infantilization of Bee made me, quite frankly, uncomfortable. It's shoved down the reader's throat in a way that can't be escaped. Maybe TLH wasn’t the sexiest thing in the world, but Chapter 16 would never hurt me like this book did, that I know for sure.

That ending. Not sure who gave it the green light, but what NONSENSE. To be fair though, the last 15% of the plot poses the least cause for concern within this whole mess. I just thought I’d mention it’s very “I would have gotten away with it too, if it weren’t for you meddling kids!” and that far too much rides on the existence of a believed-to-be-nonexistent cat. I could also bring up how quickly and conveniently a resolution was reached, but I’m too busy reveling in my reaching of the final page to care atm, so I’ll let it go.

Let’s end things with the one silver lining I can think of: I read an ARC. An ARC, which I’ve had since, like…January? Meaning, this book will have definitely undergone editing between the version I’m talking about and what is released at the end of August, or at least it should’ve (Berkeley, if you’re reading this, you’ve got some typos to fix). Anyway, it'll be different in its final form. Maybe even better? Unfortunately, I’ll never know. I would rather express Schrödinger's anal glands by hand than have to re-experience this, albeit in a final copy. But I really hope it is, for all of your sakes.