4.8 - Ali, I would read ANYTHING you write. Send me your grocery list. Oh my gosh I read this too quickly and ignored child and husband and dog to do so.

This book is lovely!! The men in your books - do they exist in any semblance in real life? Levi is glorious. Tall, built, NERDY, accepting, and loves for life. Any man that fully accepts a woman's quirkiness and issues will always get a glowing review from me. I love tattooed, purple-haired, Marie-Curie obsessed Dr. Bee, who has some deep-seated issues but she's so relatable. I loved their literal chemistry, and could not stop laughing over Bee's fainting spells. I also adored the secondary characters - her assistant, her twin.

I'm taking off minimal points because WHAT DID LEVI WHISPER IN TIM'S EAR? And WHAT DID HE TELL THEIR ADVISOR?! These are left unresolved and they are slowly killing me. I know it's 100% not integral to the story BUT I NEED TO KNOW PLEASE, ALI! Also, the conclusion may have been a bit extreme, but I'm here for it.

This book checked all the boxes of what I want from a contemporary romance novel. It’s delightfully funny, has the most endearing cast of characters, tackles some real-life struggles through a pro-therapy lens, gives us fun mishaps and plot twists, and steamy scenes for our protagonist. I did not want to put it down and was quite annoyed that adulting required me to do so a couple of times.

Dr. Bee Königswasser lands the career opportunity she has been dreaming of after some rather unfortunate events ended her engagement and changed the course of her career. When she realizes her new job will require collaborating closely with her grad school arch nemesis, Dr. Levi Ward, she’s much less thrilled about her new situation. Miscommunication, possibly invisible cats, Star Wars references, and romance ensue.

Honestly, I guessed the plot twists early in the book and it follows the conventional arc of a rom-com. But this is really one of the things I enjoy about it. It’s comforting, fun, makes me feel a bit sappy, and ultimately, I know the journey is going to end happily.

The supporting characters are nicely fleshed out. Bee’s internal thoughts and characters’ dialogue are clever and fast-paced. Bee and Levi aren’t perfect characters, but they are self-aware. I found this very refreshing. Bee is outspoken and confident, but also struggles with some self-doubt and past trauma. Levi has put in time and effort to overcome trauma and a toxic family situation to be better at relationships.

I absolutely recommend this book and Ali Hazelwood. The Love Hypothesis was also a joy to read. Thanks to NetGalley for this arc! I cannot wait to purchase this book, reread, and recommend it to everyone.

Thank you to NetGalley for this arc - the book while predictable at certain points with familiar tropes and a sense of deja vu from her first book was still a fun romantic comedy read and I love the academic settings that make her books feel different https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4544653708

I DEVOURED THIS. Ali Hazelwood is officially 2/2 which means she has reached "can do no wrong" status.

If you thought The Love Hypothesis was good (which, objectively, it is), just wait until you get your hands on Love on the Brain. The dynamic of the relationships between Bee and Levi and Olive and Adam are largely the same; that is, Bee is very much like Olive in her oblivion to the man-she-thinks-hates-her really being head over heels in love with her. I think it's fair to say that I am a sucker for the "enemies"-to-lovers arc where the guy falls first and is pining (not so secretly in Levi's case) like a lovesick little puppy; I eat that shit right up.

Let's start with the positives (and I guess end with the positives because I can't think of a single negative):
-- ALI HAS FINALLY FIGURED OUT HOW TO WRITE A STRONG FEMALE SIDE-LEAD. I know how we all felt about Anh in TLH (aka, not great) but Rocío is an emo-goth icon/legend from the second she enters the novel. This girl might have been my favourite character; her obsession with La Llorna (and desire to be her replacement) literally killed me, this bitch is a masterpiece of a character and I honestly couldn't imagine the book without her.
-- LEVI MOTHERFUCKING WARD. Bestie when I tell you that this man is everything I've ever wanted and more, I mean it. He's a 6'4, green-eyed, curly-haired engineer WHO TAKES CARE OF THE CHILD OF HIS DECEASED BFF BC HE'S THAT KIND OF DUDE. I can't with him. Ali has raised the bar for men once again, I apologize to all who will never be able to live up to it.
-- BEE (whateverthefuck her last name is, I still don't know how to pronounce that shit) IS A BADASS ALTERNATIVE NEUROSCIENTIST WHO DOESN'T TAKE SHIT FROM ANYONE. and I love her for it. and I love her for her obsession with Marie Curie, bc same. and I love her for standing up for women in STEM at every possible opportunity. and I just love everything about her; if anyone deserves a man like Levi Ward it's Bee.
--THE TRADEMARKS. When I tell you I died every time Bee said any variant of "CockClusterTM" / "WurstFestTM" / "Sausage ReferencingTM" I screamed, I'm not exaggerating; I love Ali Hazelwood's brain so much.
--THE PLOT TWIST? Not gonna spoil but ??????? bro I'm still high key shook, first that there was even a plot twist at all and second at the plot twist itself.
--THE SPICE. Ali Hazelwood heard us when we said that a singular sex scene was not NEARLY enough in TLH and boy did she deliver in this one; once the slow-burn ended and we were on full-burn mode, we were ON FULL-BURN MODE and boy did it get hot. Still not enough, but with Levi when will it ever be enough.

This might've been a slow-burn, but I love a slow-burn so I wasn't even mad. And the payoff was WORTH IT. If you enjoyed The Love Hypothesis you're guaranteed to LOVE this book. Even if you didn't, if you're a human with a heart and a brain who wants a fun STE(A)M-Y romance (ha, see what I did there?) you'll love this book. And Levi. And Bee. And, most importantly, Rocío.

I am now forever devoted to Ms. Ali Hazelwood and will worship at the altar of her books until she decides to stop writing (which I pray will be never). Amen.

Thank you to Berkeley at Penguin Random House and Netgalley for providing the eARC of this IMMACULATE book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Love Ali Hazelwood, and love this book! I found the MC in this one to be more mature than in "Love Hypothesis," and it was also a bit spicier. Definitely enjoyed this and can't wait for more from Hazelwood.

I absolutely loved this. The dreaded miscommunication trope is used properly, at the beginning of the story. The development of their romance is well-paced and believable. When we finally do get to a physical relationship, it is hot. The villain twist is scary. The stakes are high. The only gripe I have is our leading lady was extremely aloof regarding the hero's feelings, but I still found it understandable, and having the hero break down why she is that way was a nice touch. We've got a pro-therapy message, and sweet supporting characters. As a person with epilepsy, I'm always pleased to see the disorder represented positively and enjoyed this subplot. Add in a love for cats and Star Wars, and how could you go wrong? There were a few details here and there that reminded me of her debut, but they felt like coincidences. I enjoyed this book more than her debut, which I adored, and am adding Ali to the auto-buy list.

I think I loved the love hypothesis just a little bit more. This definitely served some angst and had a great academic plot and sub flf romance but it also felt like there was a bit of a lack of build up and it just happens. I love that bee grows into being confident though and Levi helps her with that. If you loved the love hypothesis odds are you will love love on the brain. A great academic romance novel that fans are sure to pick up.

I devoured this in two days I was so excited to read it. And God did it live up to the hype! Full disclosure I am a HUGE fan of The Love Hypothesis so I really was already biased in favor of this one, but it was so heartbreakingly sweet and cute that it was enough to make me a fan of Ali Hazelwood for life!

I was pretty excited to grab this ARC after more than mildly enjoying The Love Hypothesis. However, this book did not cut it for me. I really doubt I would have even finished it if not for getting an advanced copy and feeling obligated to review. In all honesty, I hate-read my way through the majority of this novel. I"m going to try to limit any spoilers, but beware, this review will not be pretty.

First of all, Love on the Brain definitely read like the younger, less popular, version of The Love Hypothesis. The characters felt recycled and brought all of the worst parts of their Love Hypothesis counterparts to Love on the Brain. Adam and Levi? Both "asses," both so super tall 🙄, both unrealistically crushing on a girl for years without knowing anything about her, hell, they even both wear the same black Henley shirts. Olive and Bee? Both super QuIrKy, body-obsessed, skinny, petite, so smart but tHeY dOn'T kNoW iT. It wasn't fun to feel like I was reading the same characters from The Love Hypothesis, just in a different story. (Side note, there were even two lesbian side characters in a similar vein to Holden and Malcolm in the LH, who I actually enjoyed and wished there was more of. But it also just felt like Hazelwood threw them in for representation this time while still mainly presenting a heteronormative, sexist relationship).

Second. I really can't stand how body-obsessed Hazelwood seems to be. The readers are CONSTANTLY getting reminders of Levi's hotness, his height, how BIG he is (if you know what I mean...), and Bee's petiteness. I saw a lot of this in The Love Hypothesis as well, but it just felt really intense in Love on the Brain. Some examples:
- Levi is so tall. Like SO TALL. He's the tallest person Bee has ever seen. So tall.
- He also has biceps. BICEPS! Oh my god, look at his biceps. Such big biceps busting out of his shirt. Biceps.
- Bee: "I can't believe I'm having sex with someone with a six-pack." 🙄🙄🙄
- Bee is 5'0 exactly, and petite, and we get reminders of this so much throughout the book. Like how she sleeps in a twin bed (at 28 years old), wears shirts that she's had since middle school (at 28 years old), and pretty much every time she and Levi have sex we're reminded that she's so small for his big c**k.
- Bee waxes her chuncha every month. No, that's not a word I made up, it's in the book. She's a 28-year-old neuroscientist but she's too immature to say mons pubis.
It also just really annoyed me how much time and effort was spent on explaining to the reader how vegan she and Levi are. Like that's fine, be vegan, but when it's paired with the obvious body obsession, it comes across as shame-y. ALSO, of course, she hates exercise. Why would a naturally petite and skinny vegan need to exercise?! Bee's entire physical appearance just screams fat-phobia and infantilization of female bodies and it disgusted me to be perfectly honest.

So now let's talk about Bee's personality which I equally hated. She comes across as really stubborn and childish. She insists to herself and out loud throughout the entire book that Levi hates her, even when presented with contrary evidence. She gives him the silent treatment after he decides to do something in his own department because he didn't get her permission first???? (Which he doesn't need because it's his department). AND THEN when he breaks the silent treatment by apologizing, she doesn't accept it until he apologizes in the way she wants him to. Eventually, I just started reading everything she says and does as really immature. She's supposed to be a grown-ass woman who's smart enough to have obtained multiple degrees, but she doesn't read that way at all.

Now the romance. As I've mentioned, the trope in this novel is the "enemies to lovers." Except they never were enemies, Bee just assumes things that aren't true. Which is understandable...in the beginning. But, when things begin to change and you start to see another side to a person, wouldn't you just, I don't know, communicate? Ask questions? Believe what's being said to you? Well, not quirky Bee. She justifies every romantic action of Levi's by saying it's not real. They're just friends, but not even friends because he HATES her. He has to hate her because that's what she's decided and she can't change that. It became so absolutely grating that if I wasn't scared to break my Kindle, I would have thrown it across the room. Here's an example to show you just what I mean:
"It's not a date.
But if it were--which it isn't--it would be the best date of my life.
Of course, because it's not a date, the point is moot.
But, if it were.
Though it's not.
Even when, I must admit, it almost feels like one."

Do you...do you see what I mean? And this mental back and forth happened A LOT. I really hated her by the end of the novel.

Okay so now let's talk about the women in STEM aspect and how there was still actually a lot of misogyny and sexism in this book. If the goal of The Love Hypothesis and Love on the Brain are to encourage more women to be in STEM, they're doing a terrible job, but this book especially. Bee isn't a particularly likable character (as I've already established), but she's also not someone I would want my daughter to look up to. She is presented with two tough situations, one at the beginning of the novel, and one at the end. Both times, she wants to pack her bags and give up, and it's not until a man saves her that she decides it's worth staying. Not to mention that she literally faints, like, a lot, and Levi is there to save her each time. Does that not scream Damsel in Distress? The sex scenes also just disgusted me. She takes directives and does exactly what Levi wants/tells her to do. I literally wanted to throw up, I'm not kidding, during the scene where she is forced to swallow his cum. He calls her a "good girl," tells her that she's "built to do this, built for me." I just, I don't know a stronger word for disgust. Loathe maybe? Abhor? Detest? All of those are what I felt.

Conclusion? Levi and Bee both need extensive therapy to resolve their childhood and adult trauma surrounding relationships. The whole book was a case study in attachment theory that wasn't adequately resolved. I would even venture to say that Levi and Bee are trauma bonded. (Case in point, Levi begging Bee to stay and saying that he didn't even need her to admit to herself that she loves him. Broke my heart, poor man needs help).

If I could give this book zero stars I would, but I'll give it one if just for the fact that I learned that Marie Curie's notes are radioactive and kept in a lead box in France and can't be opened until the 3500's. That was the most fascinating paragraph in the entire book.

I never thought Ali Hazelwood could out do herself when it came to THE LOVE HYPOTHESIS, yet here we are. LOVE ON THE BRAIN did just that. my 4.5 rating does not come up often. When it comes to my rating system I normally stick around 4 stars - reserving 4.5 or 5 to books that I cannot stop thinking about. LOVE ON THE BRAIN is one of those books.
This book is a rom com masterpiece. It has so much love and life to it from the first page to the last. I’m an academic, and I love seeing women in such a field find love when they are also pursuing a dream in higher fields. Ali does such a good job of this, especially because she explores the marginalised fields - STEM being a huge one. Bee has to deal with such a hard time, always being put down or her ideas being discounted because she is simply a Woman. yep - this still happens in 2022 - every single day.
Seeing that Levi has been in love with Bee since the beginning was beautiful. Some of the plot points were very obvious from the beginning, yet this did not discount the beautiful story of Bee and Levi. I adored their love story and found myself so happy as I closed this book. On top of that, I loved all of the side characters. If I had to think of one negative, it would be the Guy storyline ending - it was a bit, overdone if that makes sense? I didn’t think the book needed it.
It is rare for Authors to have such a superb followup - and ALI DID THAT! I cannot wait for the next STEM Rom Com adventure!

This book is a romantic masterpiece. It was so full of life and humor and swoon-worthy, slow burn romance. The grumpy x sunshine trope is one that Ali Hazelwood excels at writing. It was as good as, if not better than, her debut, The Love Hypothesis.

Love On The Brain was just another amazing addition to my shelf, and if you liked The Love Hypothesis, Love on The Brain is sure to hit all of the marks.

All of characters were so lovable, and this book touched on some key themes that occur more often than it should for marginalized individuals and women. These elements provided a depth to the story, which was beautiful integrated with the developing romance between Bee and Levi. Their love for one another despite what they *think* they know about each other provided for one of the cutest relationships and interactions around. With all of the characters fully fleshed out and developed, fans of The Love Hypothesis can rejoice for Love On The Brain.

I did not expect to love this book as much as I did. I nearly consumed it in one sitting and found the main character oddly enduring. She's not perfect, highly quirky, and rather than making me annoyed, these elements made me love her. There were a few times I wanted to shake her in her failure to communicate, but her past history made it understandable as to why she was reserved. I love the science elements included in this book, and how it weaves through the story. The sexual scenes were a bit over the top, but I didn't hate them. The main love interest is not too exciting, and a little weirdly specific (massively makes me think Adam Driver), but the strong focus on the main character makes it cute.

This book has: archenemy brilliant scientist coworkers who really, really hate each other, Marie Curie love, a vengeful ghost, questionable astronauts, and a cat who may or may not exist. It is warm and charming and adorable but also steamy, funny, and heartfelt. The romance was so sweet and enjoyable, but I equally adored the more serious elements of this book and how they were addressed. Characters deal with inequality in STEM and higher education and the main character has such a longing for home and stability that she runs the risk of missing out on the love and life that she deserves. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, loved spending time with the characters, and cried happy tears at the end of it.

This was a super cute romance focusing on women in STEM. Nice! I will say it felt very similar to Hazelwood's first novel, but that's ok! I liked the first one and I liked this one too. The side characters were fun, there was bit of a mystery, and a nice STEaMY romp towards the end. Overall fun!

Love on the Brain is such a good follow up to The Love Hypothesis. I found myself laughing out loud during several parts. I loved the quirkiness of all the characters. I can not wait to read the next book in the series.

I picked up this book because I did quite enjoy The Love Hypothesis. The first 75% of the story was extremely compelling. I enjoyed the characters and their banter. It had a lot of tropes in romance books that I like reading. However, there were some instances at the end that took down my star rating a bit.

“As long as you’re civil and fair at work, you can dislike away. Loathe me up. Abhor me to the moon. Detest me into the unknown.”

Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood is just delightful. I loved the set up of the rivals-to-lovers with plenty of classic misunderstandings, miscommunication and tropey goodness. I wasn’t expecting the “You’ve Got Mail”/“Shop Around the Corner” trope but it was done so well with the social media aspects and a great surprise. The continuation of a STEM type setting like in her previous novel, The Love Hypothesis, really works for me.

I had to take breaks while reading so I didn’t burn my way through it in one go—it was that good. Bee is exactly the kind of main character I love, plucky and smart and just a little bit dumb when it comes to love. Levi’s harsh on the outside, soft on the inside persona is my favorite kind of love interest. Love on the Brain is everything I love in a romance. Ali Hazelwood is becoming an auto-read author for me. I can’t wait to see what she does next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkeley for the eARC!

Ali Hazelwood is back, and honestly, this couldn't come fast enough for me. I really enjoyed The Love Hypothesis, and Love on the Brain did not disappoint.

Bee and Levi are the epitome of mistaken communication enemies to lovers trope, and it's very well balanced. Bee is a struggling (professionally, and personally) neuroscientist who has been granted a once in a lifetime opportunity to work for NASA research and development. The only catch is having work with Levi "Wardass" Ward who seemingly despises Bee for reasons she cannot discern. Bee holds her own in trying to get her project up and going, even if Levi is determined to put up roadblocks at every avenue.

Once some truths come to light, Bee learns that Levi is very much in her corner, and is always ready to pick her up in every sense. Levi helps Bee face some personal and professional challenges that will be defining for them both.

First, thank you, thank you, thank you, NetGalley for the ARC of Love on the Brain by the amazing Ali Hazelwood. I loved the author’s debut novel, The Love Hypothesis, so I couldn’t wait to read more of her work, specially once I found out her next book would be another STEM romance. Love on the Brain is too good for words, I was blown away by the story, the characters, the dialogue, everything! I felt so many things (the whole spectrum of feelings) while reading this book, and for me that’s what made it such a great story.