Ali Hazelwood is quickly becoming an auto-buy author for me. After reading The Love Hypothesis and falling in love with it, I knew I had to get my hands on Love on the Brain ASAP. I was scared it wouldn’t live up to how much I loved TLH, but I clearly had no need to worry. It didn’t disappoint. I can’t even decide which one I liked better! LOTB has nerdy, lovable characters with an enemies to lovers trope with a STEM setting. Need I say more? Y’all are going to want to preorder this one now if you haven’t already! Publishes August 23rd. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review! 4.5 stars from me. So excited to read more in the future by the amazing Ali!

I really wanted to like this book but I'm sorry to say it wasn't for me. I didn't really like the characters and never felt their chemistry, they felt slightly immature to me. There were some things that were cute and fun but never enough to keep me hooked. I got to about 50% before I gave up. I just wasn't enjoying myself at all. This author isn't for me.

I have so many feelings about this author and this book and all the words she puts on any pages. So thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for letting me swoon over this book early. Dare I say, this is her best one yet. I LOVE LOVE LOVE BEE. Her internal monologue is hilarious and come backs are *chefs kiss. This was a masterpiece of cuteness, humor, real life struggles, relationship building at its finest, feminism, and a little bit of spice. This book was a real treat and I love Ali’s work more and more with each book.

Yeah, I really enjoyed reading Ali Hazelwood's 2nd full length novel! I just love books with women in STEM, and while it's infuriating the challenges that they face-because they're female-it's good to have their time in the spotlight.

Bee's personality was Marie Curie, neuroscience, and trademarking various expressions, like Sausage Reference TM. And her hatred for her nemesis, Levi. Plus she had a great sense of humour, and the ability to poke fun of herself. Loved reading about her! And then there's her nemesis relationship with Levi, which may not be what she expected...

Ok, I just have to say-ducks. A specific part of their anatomy. Just hilarious! Or the recitation of whatever, and what was chosen! And her twitter, What Would Marie Curie Do, and her online relationship with SHMAC. There was just fantastic humour in this book!

And that ending? I was not expecting that! It was such a fantastic ending, and I loved how everything worked out! I would've liked a few more details about the one part with the legal action with the twitter stuff, but other than that, I had a really great time with that ending!

This was another fantastic book from Ali Hazelwood, and I can't wait to read more (including the STEM novellas that are coming out!)

This story had one of the sweetest hero characters I've read in a really long time. Hazelwood balances the logistics of the science with the details of the romance exceptionally well, making it all believable but never feeling too bogged down or boring. The side characters here also did a lot in service to the warm, fuzzy, funny feel of this sophomore novel.

Regrettably this was not as fun nor as charming as the Love Hypothesis, the relationship felt underdeveloped, and the various tropes and scenarios felt underutilized. I wasn't a fan of Bee's narration and the twist at the end felt so ridiculous and scooby doo-esque that I can't take the book serious. Might be good for some but not for me.

5⭐️
Firstly, thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the E-ARC of Love on the Brain by Ali Hazewood. The below is my honest opinion!

First and foremost, I Loved The Love Hypothesis and have anticipated Love on the Brain ever since, and boy did it deliver! Ali took everything I loved about The Love Hypothesis (nerdy and relatable characters, STEM setting, romance and great banter) and gave us even more with STEMinist romance starring a quirky Neuroscientist and her grumpy archnemsis.

We follow the POV of Dr. Bee Königswasser who is a Marie Curie obsessed, jedi fangirl, purple haired neuroscientist. She grew up bouncing across countries and family members after her parents death, and now as a 28yo, wants stability and to catch a break that’ll make her career.

Enter BLINK, a project NASA is collaborating with the NIH to create helmets that help astronauts in space focus more through neurostimulation. Honestly, I totally geeked out over all the neuro information- I LOVE THE BRAIN. Bee is so excited to land the co-lead role in the project until she finds out who she is paired up with-her grad school nemesis, a reserved, brooding, know-it-all engineer, Levi Ward. For reasons Bee cannot fathom, Levi has hated her since they met and now she is forced to work alongside him in developing BLINK. Bee and Levi have amazing chemistry, and does Levi really hate her? Anyway, after a weekend work trip, the two begin a steamy relationship. For Bee, it’s a friends with benefits, because she believes nothing lasts. It was fun to watch Bee fall in lvoe and continue to be in denial of it. Levi’s seriously misunderstood and when things finally get sorted out, this beautiful, sexy, green eyed man because everything!
Oh and Rocío, Bee’s RA student, steals every scene she is in! Loved her!

There are similarities in the plots between The Love Hypothesis and Love on the Brain, but with the quirky characters and differences in science, it really was a great romance read.

I can’t wait to read more of Ali Hazelwood’s STEMinist romances!

This sweet, quirky and fun romance was just what I needed!

I'm officially an Ali Hazelwood fan, I was so excited to read this and it didn’t disappoint.

Thank you Netgalley for a digital arc in exchange for an honest review!

I love, love, loved this book. Maybe a little bit more than Love Hypothesis, which I didn’t think possible. I love Bee and Levi so much. I love the story behind their relationship, their similarities and their differences. I love the supporting cast. I love it all. I need another book. Now.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing the ARC.

I want to first start off by saying that I am 100% an Ali Hazelwood fangirl, and would literally read everything she ever writes, including her grocery list.

That being said, objectively, Love on the Brain is on of the best romances I've read this year. The characters are whip smart and engaging, the story is well written and the dialogue is witty and refreshing. The plot is one part crazy academia and one part Bond movie, but someone comes across as genuine as opposed to sensationalist.

And Levi. I absolutely could not get enough of Levi. I thought Dr. Adam Carlsen was the one to look out for, but Levi was all warm ooey gooey goodness wrapped in a stoic shell that only shows itself to Bee. You know from their very first emotionally stunted interaction that he is absolutely gone for her. And as they interact, you realize that his trademark stoicism is a front for just how much he feels at any given moment in time.

Another fantastic book by Hazelwood. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

I LOVED THIS BOOK! IT LIVES IN MY BRAIN RENT FREE! Ali Hazelwood's writing never fails to draw me in and swallow me whole. Her books are so good and this one is no exception. Love on the Brain addresses so many important problems within STEM fields like inaccessibility to grad school and sexist co-workers. Not gonna lie, the main character Bee, was objectively, very much a pick me girl and extremely annoying. However, Ali Hazelwood's writing style made Bee funny and a lot more tolerable. I was not a huge fan of how Bee would continue using the phrase "women and minorities," because women ... are minorities? but other than that, a great book that highlights many different ongoing conversations in the engineering community. Oh, also, hello incredible love interest?? Levi had my whole entire heart from PAGE ONE. He is definitely just "what would Kylo Ren do if he worked at NASA" but I ate it up like a pesto egg bagel. SO. good.

I loved Ali Hazelwood's first book, The Love Hypothesis, and I was very invested in getting my hand on this one. Two scientists, also enemies, working together on a NASA project? I mean, you can feel the heat starting to build already.
Luckily, I loved it as much as I had hoped. I do think that the plot slightly overplayed Bee's naivety about knowing the difference between someone disliking her or actively avoiding her for other reasons - can some really be that clueless? - and her penchant for passing out felt like a humorous nod to old romance novels, when women were always passing out because their stays were too tight.
All in all, cute, funny, entertaining, steamy. Exactly what I want in my escapist romance novels.

Ali Hazlewood has become my new favorite author. I will drop everything to read a book of hers. I was fortunate enough to have read The Love Hypothesis and as soon as I saw this – I snapped it up and read it in one day.

Bee Konigswasser is an NIH Scientist and has been given the opportunity to be a lead for the BLINK project at NASA. As Bee is celebrating, she notices that she will actually be a co-lead with her nemesis, Levi Ward. You see, they have a past that dates back to grad school. At first, they seem to butt heads constantly. It almost feels as though Levi wants her to fail. But the longer they work together, they both realize that they have different views of how the past actually went. And perhaps, Levi has been fighting this whole time for Bee to succeed in the past, and especially now. So what happens? You will definitely have to one-click this – trust me you will not be disappointed.

This story had me captured right from the beginning. I will admit that I was indignant with Bee, I cried at the seemingly injustice of sexism in the STEM world and male dominated engineering world, and especially weepy at missed opportunities and miscommunication between Bee and Levi. And then I swooned, oh how I swooned. So many emotions, wrapped up in this neat little packaging of a story.

Thank you to Ali for writing these endearing, quirky, relatable characters. And for the educational asides – WWMCD?!

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Pub for the opportunity to read and review this!

Y’all. We stan our queen @alihazelwood putting the STEAM IN STEM foreverrrr. This book was pure rom com magic- the characters, the laughs, the feels, the science, the BANTER. Ali does this thing where you can’t help but fall in love with the characters’ wit and charm from the very first page. Her writing is sharp and funny, and the chemistry between her characters is undeniable.

Neuroscientist Bee is recruited by NASA to head an engineering project. A dream come true except the co-lead of the project is none other than the aloof + handsome Levi, Bee’s enemy from grad school. Sparks fly as the two collaborate…with both their research + their hearts on the line. And did I mention that there’s sassy CATS ?! The grand gesture at the conclusion also had me swooning and I loved that it was set in my hometown of Houston.

This book was charming, smart, sexy and most of all, FUN. I can’t recommend it enough- pub day is August 23rd! Add to your TBR, request at your library, pre-order…just make sure this is on your radar! And be sure to check out any of Ali’s other love stories in the meantime.

Thank you so much to @berkleyromance @berkleypub @netgalley for my copy!

Unfortunately, I had to put this one down and didn't finish it. I loved The Love Hypothesis so I had high hopes for this book, but sadly, I just couldn't get into it. I made it about 26% through before I realized I just wasn't really interested in the characters. I found the story to be very sciency, which normally wouldn't bother me, but this time it did. It just didn't really work for me. The beginning was also really slow and the characters seemed to just have the same conversations over-and-over. I think a lot of people will like this one, though! Hazelwood is a very talented writer, and I love her other work

Love on the Brain was such a cute book! I think my favorite thing was that it was set at NASA in Houston, Texas which is where I live. Bee and Levi were so cute. I loved their interactions so much. I usually hate the miscommunication troup but it was fixed early on in the book which I liked. While I think Ali Hazelwood's first book, The Love Hypothesis was slightly better, this one did not disappoint. I can't wait for you to meet the sweetheart Levi and amazing Bee!

All the gooey loveliness of a romance with STEM love and Marie Curie facts thrown in. Add in the enemies to lovers, the brain mapping, and the delicious tension. Stir slowly and handle with care.

Love on the Brain is quirky, sweet, and all kinds of sexy. STEM is apparently hot! Tension is high in this lab, lust becomes a powder keg, and invisible cats rule the night.

Bee and Levi are definitely worth their weights. Experiment with their brand of ever after!

Ali Hazelwood never fails to amaze me. She has a way of creating the most joyful, meaningful connections between her characters that make you want to cheer them on the whole read through. Her wit and the banter she concocts always has me giggling like an idiot. I end her books feeling empowered as a woman and giddy for the type of pure, unconditional love she portrays.

The only reason this isn't a five star book is the sheer DENIAL and OBLIVIOUSNESS of Bee. I love her but girlfriend is here absolutely LYING to herself for like 300 pages straight. At first it was cute but halfway through it lost some of its appeal. Now to quickly compare it with TLH, this book was about 20x spicier, more explicit and I was lowkey sweating, also it was more dramatic for sure. Oh and it 100% raised my expectations in men in STEM. All I get in the lab are balding, 5'3" dudes in their late thirties, I've yet to encounter a 6'4", ripped and drop-dead gorgeous dark haired man like Levi and Adam and I'm getting very impatient (watch me after I read her novellas, I might sue for emotional damage). Anyhow, the romance was amazing, I laughed, I swooned and yet again I was sweating reading some of the scenes. I really enjoyed this book and I can't wait to see more from Ali Hazelwood in the future!!

I fell in love with this one more than the first in this stem series. But also I now have brain worms related to love on the brain. sos don't need to be saved.