I genuinely felt like I might've been having a panic attack for the first few chapters, I was so anxious and nervous for Bee, the leading lady. I came in expecting similar characters as were in The Love Hypothesis, but was very pleasantly surprised by how different this story turned out. Bee does unfortunately have a serious lack of self awareness that we've seen many times in Hazelwood's books, but once you get past that character flaw, the story is fantastic, the love interest feels real and lovable, and all of the side characters are well fleshed out and fun. I can't wait to read more by this author. A smart, fun, sexy, silly read. (NetGalley Advanced Reader Edition)

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for allowing me an arc copy of this book.

Bee is a neuroscientist who finds work at NASA with someone from her past who hates her. She comes to find out that there is much more going on than meets the eye.

I loved it! I liked Bee and her trade marked terminology. It made me laugh. Her wild hair and body art made her unique in a good way. She also has a lot of emotional baggage that causes strife in her life.

I liked Levi too. He was such a sweet guy. The surrounding characters were all different and quirky. Characters like Roccio made the book. And I wanted to hurt Levi's dad for being such an @$$&*#^& to him.

I enjoyed the book. It was a fast and fun read with a memorable climax.

If you liked Love Hypothesis, then you will like this book as well.

Thank you again NetGalley and Berkley for

Most readers will be picking up "Love on the Brain" because they liked Ali Hazelwood's first book "The Love Hypothesis," and I have great news - this book is similar! It's fun, it's cute, it's witty! It's also science-y and has CATS! Has this caught your attention yet? I’ll say it again: brain stimulation science and multiple cats!

"Love on the Brain" centers on Bee Konigswasser and Levi Ward, two scientists who were each other's nemesis in grad school and have now been chosen to co-lead a project together at NASA. Bee contains multitudes: she is a gifted neuroscientist, a Marie Curie superfan, a woman committed to staying single after her fiancé wronged her (Tim, you lying rat!), and she also has a secret identity - she anonymously runs the influential Twitter account "What Would Marie Do," a platform that highlights the struggles and inequalities women in STEM deal with. She has no time for men, only science!

Levi is, as far as Bee remembers, a closed-off, hostile jerk who constantly gave her the cold shoulder while they were classmates. Her thrill at being chosen to help run NASA's new project, BLINK, could only be eclipsed by the news that, of all people, LEVI is chosen as her co-lead. Bee is *sad trombone noise* about it. But then, on her first day exploring the new lab workspace, Levi rescues her from some falling equipment. He saved her life?? That doesn’t align with Bee’s previously held belief that Levi would prefer to see her crushed under heavy machinery. How very intriguing! From that dramatic moment onward, Bee has to reevaluate their relationship. Is he the one behind the sly attempts to sabotage the project (missing files, missing emails, canceled equipment orders) or is he being unexpectedly supportive and kind?

LOTB gets a lot of things right, but there are a couple of small things to point out. Much of the plot of the book revolves around a misunderstanding/miscommunication, which might get irritating for some readers – why can’t this brilliant scientist who can decode brain impulses not read the people around her? And while I enjoyed the mystery element of the story, the villain was fairly obvious. The familiar beats of the story – longstanding crush on the part of the big man along with complete misreading of it by the slim, smart-but-clueless-in-love woman – definitely worked for me, but may turn some people off for being too similar to the first book. I think it just means the author has a winning scientific formula for romance that she has perfected in her lab!

If you enjoy a cute love story with an enemies to lovers trope at the center of it, LOTB is definitely for you! There’s also a small secondary LGBTQ+ love story as a bonus! And who doesn’t want extra love?

3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Thank you to NetGalley for an e-ARC to review!

4.5 stars! As a big fan of Marie Curie, I was in love with this title. The perfect amount of slow burn, emotion, and comedy. I do wish the next will have less of the misunderstanding trope, which felt too similar to her other works. And while I loved the character of Rocio, I do feel she was very immature, which seemed unrealistic to the plot (how did she not get fired????).

Aaaaaah! I'm so happy to receive another Ali Hazelwood ARC from Berkley (& NetGalley)!! I'm now obsessed with STEMinist romances, and I will never stop requesting Hazelwood books.
Anyways, back to business. Bee Königswasser is a emotionally unavailable neuroscientist who gets a job offer as a co-lead for the NASA project BLINK. The other co-lead? A neuro-engineer that has hated her since grad school (or so she thinks) named Levi Ward. When everything starts going wrong on her end of the project and personal life, she looks to Levi as an ally. He reluctantly agrees to her partnership terms, and the rest is history.
I will say this immediately: If you did not like The Love Hypothesis, you won't like this one either. Love on the Brain has the same writing style and miscommunication trope as Hazelwood's previous book. However, I do think the characters are more fleshed out and more entertaining than in The Love Hypothesis. For example, Bee's research assistant Rocio is one of my favorite secondary characters, maybe ever? She's moody and extraordinarily Gen-Z, which makes the book more fun.
I also really enjoyed the pacing in this story. The miscommunication trope is there and inevitablely frustrating, but we get more time with Bee and Levi as a couple. It makes the ending all the more satisfying, and their cutesy scenes gave me much-needed seratonin.
Again, if you loved The Love Hypothesis, don't skip this! Definitely recommend.

Ali Hazelwood is back at it again with another phenomenal book. She somehow manages to always have the perfect romance-comedy-steamy slow burn ratio that I adore. Pre-ordered this one immediately as well and recommending it lots already!

Ali Hazelwood hit it out of the park with her debut The Love Hypothesis, and Love on the Brain is definitely another HOME RUN. Sweet, steamy, quirky-- this has all the ingredients for a feel good romance! Loved this one and happy to recommend it!

This book is ideal for romance lovers as, in addition to Bee’s primary love story, there is also a secondary LGBTQ+ love story featuring Bee’s co-worker Rocío. Furthermore, I highly recommend Love on the Brain to fans of Count Your Lucky Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur, The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang, Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert, The Astronaut and the Star by Jen Comfort, The Mistletoe Motive by Chloe Liese, as well as Hazelwood’s debut novel, The Love Hypothesis.

Firstly, I thought that Love on the Brain was even better (and steamier) than The Love Hypothesis! Furthermore, Love on the Brain hooked me right from page 1 and I honestly did not want to put this book down. Like Olive in The Love Hypothesis, Bee in Love on the Brain is a nerdy yet fierce woman in STEM who isn’t afraid to smash the patriarchy. Additionally, I loved how Bee, with her Marie Curie twitter account, purple hair and piercings, aspiring cat lady vibes, and animal-friendly values, was very unique and cool. Bee’s “enemies to lovers” romance with Levi, whom I though was such a swoon-worthy cinnamon roll, was close to perfection and I was relieved that Bee’s story ended in a happily ever after. I found that the NASA, space, technological, and neuroscience elements present in this story were very unique and interesting; I felt like they were adequately explained without going into too many details that distracted from the romantic storyline.

There wasn’t much about this book that I didn’t like. One minor downside for me was that, even though it was still very enjoyable, the beginning of the story was a bit predictable; but, in contrast, I though that the twist towards the conclusion of the book was unexpected and kept me engaged until the very end. Also, I often mixed up the names Rocío and Reike as they looked very similar on the page; so, I was often puzzling whether Bee was talking too/ about her co-worker Rocío or her twin sister Reike. Lastly, like Gabriella in The Mistletoe Motive by Chloe Liese, Bee took a frustratingly long time figuring out Levi’s true motives as well as the identity of her twitter friend/ confidant; both of these seemed obvious to me.

In conclusion, this steamy and unique romantic comedy was a highly enjoyable and engaging read that I would definitely consider rereading and recommending (or even gifting) to a friend.

I absolutely loved, Love on the Brain! This was my first time reading this author and now I need to go back and read her previous title. I know our customers will love this book! Thanks for giving me a chance to preview this for our store!

• love on the brain is like the love hypothesis on steroids: geekier and dare i say, hotter.

• hotter as in, the smut. it was good good so good.

• i love the STEM women representation in ali hazelwood's novels. and as a humanities girl, i loved the scientific explanations + backstory on marie curie (who was my role model when i was in fourth grade) laced between the romance.

• however, the humor also felt so much more millennial? there were some...parts that were cringey and it felt like the main character was trying a bit too hard to be quirky.

• but all in all, SUCH a solid romance book. ali hazelwood has become one of my auto buy authors.

If you enjoyed Hazelwood’s other books I’m sure you’ll like this one as well. Definitely a fast read.

I really enjoyed Bee’s character, I just wish she wasn’t so obtuse when it came to Levi’s feelings. I got a little annoyed with how many times she would state that Levi definitely hates her and is evil lmao

It's official, Ali Hazelwood can do no wrong. I can't even put into words how much I adored this. I immediately loved everyone who stepped on the page, side characters included. Bee is such a great protagonist - she's quirky, relatable, and had me cackling at 1am in my apartment. Levi was adorable and swoony, and their banter was laugh-out-loud funny. Plus, I love a good man-falls-first story. This one hit all the rights notes for me, and I'm so excited for everyone to read it in August. Thank you Berkley Romance for the e-arc!

Love on the Brain is currently my new fave. It's one of those novels that haunts you when you put it down because you just have to know what's going on with these characters and what will happen next. In the case of Bee and Levi, these enemies turn into the best lovers.



It all starts with a series of unfortunate misunderstandings, misreadings, and frankly, some lies thrown in and all of those things fester for years until the best/worst thing happens: Bee and Levi working on a huge, important project. As work has now thrown them together, truths are revealed, feelings are explored, and denial is not just a river in Egypt. I enjoyed watching how all of this played out--how Bee had to basically twist herself into a pretzel in order to force herself to believe the ideas she had about Levi and how patient and accepting Levi was of her process. I also enjoyed the idea of the project they were working on and all of the intelligent little bits and pieces that were woven into their dialogue and plot. Additional, the twitter subplot and the funny things Bee would say or do (along with her hilarious assistant) created a nice balance between the smart, more serious scenes.



Love on the Brain hits so many of my sweet spots: smart characters, funny characters, interesting, well paced plot, and a happily ever after that is completely satisfying.

I will say that I felt like the end of this book took a big of an abrupt turn, but I really loved Bee and Levi together. I also loved all of the little looks into the world of women in STEM. The things that I didn't love about The Love Hypothesis were better here, mainly the power dynamic isn't an issue. Really though, this was compulsively readable and I think people are going to gobble it up.

Gosh I loved this book!!! I could NOT put it down.

And let me tell you guys something, Ali Hazelwood LISTENED Y'ALL. She definitely brought more spice to the table and I love her for it (still not smut though).

Any who, I AM SO HONORED I GOT THE CHANCE TO READ THIS NOVEL. It hooked me immediately and I love how much we focus on smart, brilliant women. GO WOMEN EMPOWERMENT. The characters were wonderful and Bee. Omg Bee was the absolute cutest.

I really enjoyed the storyline and ugh my heart melted so many times. It’s safe to say Levi is my new book boyfriend. We love a tall, yummy protective man. AHHHH!!!

Ali makes me laugh so much in her books and they truly make me extremely happy while reading. Y’all have got to add this to your TBR!

Spice: 🌶🌶

Thanks netgalley & Berkley for this amazing arc!!!

(thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC I recieved!)

Bee (a neuroscientist) has never forgotten the treatment she received from foe Levi while studying in grad school together. And as the years went by and her profession took flight, she continued to fester over those feelings. When they finally meet up again to work on a project together, Bee mistakes all of Levi's dismissiveness towards her as his secret passion of hate and believes that even after 6 years, he still harbors some sort of resentment toward her. As such, the enemies to lovers story unfolds.

I fully enjoyed this book from start to finish. It was such a fun, quick read with likable characters. Cute and nerdy. Keeping in line with women in STEM, there was a lot of science related jargon that was explained in a way that was comprehensible and interesting for the average, non-science person. I loved all the quips with Marie Curie and the fun facts throughout the story so much that I did, indeed, Google plenty more about her after the fact. The small details in this story made the overall read that much more enjoyable: from cats, to quirky RAs to the CD that Bee and Levi listened to in the car (a band I personally enjoy!) It all blended so well and really helped set the scene!

Personally, I do feel that a 6 year grudge is a biiiiit of a stretch for any person and instead of having a conversation with him about it when work brings them back together, Bee continues to dwell on her idea of the situation. But, while it’s nothing new and seems a little overdramatic, I understand the need for a rift between the two characters and I’m guilty of not even caring how much I love reading this trope! Either way, the pair make an adorable couple.

The relationship didn’t take forever to bloom and it steadily grew early on once they were working together again. I love that Levi wasn't overly broody like many other characters with this archetype seem to be. It's obvious early on that he's a soft teddy bear (just get past the first few chapters) and that there's some clear miscommunication between him and Bee. (Swoon) The spice isn’t overly heavy since the book doesn’t center around physical intimacy, but I appreciated when the spiciness came into focus with some on page, some off page bedroom business.

And for some extra flare, the hint of mystery, while somewhat predictable, was a nice touch and I was ‘happy’ when my predictions were accurate!

I know there are some unanswered plot holes in the book or some information we could have done without, but I think if this book would have explored more detail, it would have been totally unnecessary and bogged down the story. Some info might be plot filler, but it flowed well and just added some flare and personality. I'm not mad about it.

All in all, I would suggest reading! There’s really no reason not to!

This can’t be missed!!! What a lovely Pride and Prejudice(ish) story!!! Did anyone else picture Mr. Darcy’s hand flex every time Levi froze up in the earlier parts of the book? I want everyone to read this so that we can collectively swoon.

If you liked The Love Hypothesis and it *wasn’t* because you are a ReyLo Stan, you’ll love this book.

If you refused to read The Love Hypothesis on principle because you don’t like fanfiction or ReyLo, and/or don’t find Adam Driver attractive (I’m looking at you, Kara), give this one a try.

If your reasons for not reading TLH were because of conflicts of interest due to academic coworkers boinking? Yeah, give this one a pass.

I do not have any of the aforementioned issues, so I found this book delightful. And surprisingly hot? Like not the spiciest thing I’ve ever read, but there was some delicious tension. And there is a Lisa Kleypas worthy bonkers twist that just sealed the deal for me, so yeah, loved this one from Ali Hazelwood.

Be still my STEMinist heart. I love love love what Ali is doing with these STEM setting romance novels - this is my formal petition for an electrical engineer leading lady next. I thought The Love Hypothesis was excellent, but Love on the Brain surpassed it for me. It was most likely because I related more to Bee than Olive since the setting was a working environment rather than the grad school environment of Olive & Adam. Maybe it was because by the third chapter, I had at least 6 new terms to describe my typical work situation - my favorite being Cockcluster (TM) which Ali deemed a meeting where you're the only woman aka almost every meeting I've ever sat in (and I'm definitely conscripting this term for my every day life). Or perhaps it was literally everything about Rocio, Bee's research assistant who's brand is described as "chaotic goth misanthrope and creepy deadpan sarcasm" and was love at first off the wall fact and sarcastic response for me. Actually, it for sure was because there were *multiple* cats (we meet 3 different cats!!!!!), and nothing elevates a book quite like a leading man that is also a cat lover in my expert, completely non-biased opinion.

Bee and Levi have a rocky start because of ~miscommunication~, but spoiler alert, Levi doesn't actually hate Bee or else this probably wouldn't be a romance novel. To Ali's writing credit, Bee's belief that Levi hates her is completely valid since everyone around them believe it too. They at least get on friendly terms before its fully resolved, and once it is, Ali came through with again with a particular hot af moment that I had to reread multiple times *insert sweating emoji here*. I have 0 complaints about how this plot played out, and the side plots and characters are surprisingly well rounded for such a quick read (see Rocio above, a fun secret twitter plot, and then there's some ~drama~).

This book was definitely 5 stars, 10/10, perfect score. If you love romcoms or loved The Love Hypothesis, put this on your TBR.

Thank you Berkley Romance and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this early!

Disclaimer: I work for a bookstore, all thoughts and opinions are my own and not affiliated with the store or company.
Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with a digital version of this book.

I want to preface this review by saying that my opinion keeps changing. I am unsure if I want to give it a 3 star or if I enjoyed it enough for a 4. If It was possible I would give this book a 3.5/5.

For the most part, I adored this novel! I have not read The Love Hypothesis but I had high expectations due to the rave surrounding book one. The aspect I loved the most was indeed the science element and how the plot revolved around STEM. I am not a science major but nonetheless, I loved this setting and how it affected the plot. I also enjoyed Levi as a character and enjoyed his relationships outside of work. Although the plot was, for the most part, predictable (except for the end), I didn’t mind! I think that it allowed for the plot to focus more on the characters and their growth. The social media plotline is one I saw coming from the start but is quite possibly one of my favorite aspects as I enjoyed how it tied it all together.

Now to get onto the elements that I was not a fan of and drove me away from enjoying this book. There were many quotes that made me feel uncomfortable while reading. Many of them I brushed off to just a difference in my style of dialogue or humor (I am trying to be ambiguous since the book is not yet published). What I personally wish was done differently was the Harry Potter reference, and a line that was used to describe sex between queer characters that didn't sit right with me. I felt that both of these lines could have been left out. Secondly, the ending was interesting and I am undecided on how I feel. I wish there were slightly more hints towards the antagonist and their motives, but maybe they’re a really good actor? As you can see, I am very unsure of my thoughts on this book and my review might change with time.

Overall this was still a pretty good book even if I had some disagreements with other elements. I will still be reading The Love Hypothesis as so many people loved this book and I really liked Ali Hazelwood’s writing style. I do recommend for others to read it as well as I am sure it is the perfect book for some. Also major props to the cover illustrator- it’s beautiful.