Enjoyable read. Honestly, I preferred this plot over The Love Hypothesis (which I enjoyed but the unprofessionalism between the main leads really took me out of the story). My main issue with this story are the main characters seem almost exactly the same as Adam and Olive. Almost the same exact physical descriptions (strange emphasis on the big and tall ML and the small and tiny FL in both stories) and very similar backgrounds/personalities which made it harder for me to connect to the characters. I would be more interested in reading about main characters that come from a low/lower middle class background or first generation American that goes into STEM.

Overall, I thought this so similar to The Love Hypothesis, but had a better plot line. I decided to give this three stars because it is an enjoyable read, but I can’t say it’s my favorite or that I’ll see myself rereading it. I love the idea of women in STEM romance, but the series is very limited in what it touches on. I think it would be more interesting if there was a book where the main characters were not from a well-off or European expat type background. It seems to be based on the author’s own experiences, but as a reader I was not that invested because it felt like I was reading a different version of The Love Hypothesis instead of what should be an entirely different book in a series.

My review of Love on the Brain will be publicly available on my blog (giareadsbooks.com) on August 16th, 2022. You can find it with this link: www.giareadsbooks.com/book-reviews/love-on-the-brain

Genre: Romance
Rating: 5 Stars
Spice Rating: 3.5 Stars*
*I didn’t feel like going and seeing a priest.....but it was pretty descriptive. TW: Negative attitude/offensive behavior & language towards women in STEM. Mentions of death, seizure, etc. Content warning from Hazelwood (includes spoilers): here.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group, Ali Hazelwood, and NetGalley for sending me a copy of Love on the Brain in exchange for an honest review.

Science is SEXY! There - I said it. Hazelwood’s sophomore novel, Love on the Brain, has officially proven that if you’re a good enough writer, you can make anything sound steamy. Bee Königswasser is a neuroscientist who’s tasked with leading a team of NASA engineers as they try to go where no neuroengineering project has gone before. After scraping by for years, this is exactly the kind of news she needs to hear. That is, until Levi Ward, Bee’s arch nemesis from grad school, is announced as her co-leader. Can Bee and Levi let bygones be bygones, or will they let their festering anger get the best of them?

I’m not ashamed to say that I binged this book in less than 12 hours. If I didn’t have to eat, hydrate, or sleep, I probably could’ve finished it in less. Hazelwood has mastered the art of writing an un-put-downable book. Like her debut (The Love Hypothesis), Love on the Brain hinges its success off a relatable main character, a totally adorable love interest, and a fast-paced, but well-developed plot. If you’re looking for your next romance, look no further! Mrs. Hazelwood doesn’t disappoint.

I really don’t want to give ANYTHING away because every little thing counts towards the plot in some way, but here are a few of my absolute favorite things from this novel:

The setting! I’m from Houston and the majority of this novel takes place in Houston (duh – did NASA not give that away?), so revisiting it with this book was super fun. And she’s right – it's big...and humid. Every time Bee made a reference to the Houston skyline at night, I couldn’t help but sigh. I miss it sometimes.

It’s a feminist forward novel and it absolutely dives into the everyday reality for women in STEM. It’s incredibly raw and hard to read at times because of how accurate it is, but it made me love Bee even more. She’s smart, she knows it, and she’s not afraid to show it.

The science! Hazelwood is pursuing a PhD in neuroscience, so it surprises me that she’s able to explain the science in a way that us non-science people can understand. And even better – she makes it interesting! I may not know much (or anything, really) about the brain, but now I know how brain stimulation works (sorta?), and that made this book even more enjoyable for me. It wasn’t preachy about the science, but it explained what it needed to for you to understand it’s importance in the plot.

I really don’t think it’s necessary for me to tell you how eager I am to read Hazelwood’s next book/novella. I would read anything by Hazelwood, and you should too!

The most neuroscience romance that ever neuroscienced. Another great romance from Ali Hazelwood. It has women in STEM rep, cats both elder and mysterious, academic enemies to lovers, and astronauts! The dialogue is witty and enjoyable, especially between Bee and her research assistant. For readers looking for spice, I would say the spice is moderate in this one. Without spoiling anything, there is an epistolary subplot that does not really drive the story. It could be taken out altogether and the two main characters would have the same resolution. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC, I decided to leave a review for fellow romance readers.

I absolutely adored The Love Hypothesis, so when I saw Love on the Brain, i was so excited to get the opportunity to read it. I was also hesitant and afraid because I have often found that I overhype books in my brain after reading one really remarkable piece by an author. I am happy to say, Ali Hazelwood has done it again! I didn't think I could love a book couple as much as Adam and Olive from TLP, but Bee and Levi definitely rose to the challenge! This book definitely had higher stakes at the end of the novel, and they very easily could have been cheesy or seem overdramatic, but Hazelwood really nailed it once again. The plot, characters, dialogue...I do enjoy romance novels, but i normally find parts of them to be eye-roll-y and cringe-y. If you love romance novels, I cannot recommend either of her first two books enough!

I'll start by saying that I actually enjoyed The Love Hypothesis so I had some hope for Love on the Brain. This book fell a bit short for me. It seemed to be missing something and I think i just disliked the way the dialogue was presented. I'm all for back and forth banter in an enemies to lovers situation, but NOT when the banter is utterly juvenile. I also didn't care for the constant references to the female character being small and dainty--you don't need your characters to be this way in order for them to be perceived as feminine. At one point, the main character says "I'm wearing a sleeveless top I've owned since middle school" and I just want to vomit. The infantilization of female protagonists in romance needs to end. If you're writing about adult women, then write about adult women. Dr. Bee Königswasser is supposed to be an accomplished woman with a PhD working for NASA........yet Hazelwood chose to consciously say weird things like this throughout the book.

Anyway, I didn't hate this book, but it could've been so much better.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review*

I wish I could give this more than 5 stars!!! Ali Hazelwood is fast becoming one of the best authors I have ever had the pleasure of reading. I don’t know how she did it, but Love on the Brain surpassed The Love Hypothesis and didn’t even dip towards the sophomore slump that so many authors fall into.

Bee is a neuroscientist. Levi is an engineer. The two were grad school nemesises (nemisi?)…well at least Bee thought they were. When the two co-lead a NASA project, a new light gets shed on their shared history and Bee slowly starts to understand that what she thought was animosity is anything but.

The witty banter, the puns (oh god the puns!), the Marie Curie references, the slow burn (dear GOD the slow burn!) were all so beautifully done that I never wanted the book to end. The representation of women in STEAM and the blatant sexism they face was wonderfully written and Bee’s coined phrases were *chef’s kiss*.

Loved this on every level!

Thanks to Ali Hazelwood & Berkley for hooking me up with an ARC via NetGalley. Love on the Brain will be released on August 23, 2022.

Marie Curie super-fan Dr. Bee Konigswasser is over the moon when she's invited to lead a team developing brain-stimulating astronaut helmets at NASA, but that excitement is quickly dampened when she learns that she will be in fact co-leading with her grad school nemesis Levi Ward. Bee isn't entirely sure how they will co-lead when he could barely stand the sight of her and refused to work together on projects in school. The trajectory of her career depends on the success of this project, so it's alarming when Bee finds her equipment missing and emails unanswered, all signs point to a certain nemesis...

As you can imagine (it is a Romance, after all), things are not quite what they seem and soon Bee and Levi are significantly more intimate than co-leads. ;)

Bee is the product of an unstable childhood and desperately seeks stability. She's on a mission to shake up STEM and make systemic changes to not only help women, but change the entire landscape of graduate admissions via a secret Twitter identity. She's dealing with some heavy trust issues and has her walls up high.

Levi is one of my favorite types of heros. At first glance he's a big grumpy boy, but soon you learn that he's actually all kinds of soft, caring and spicy underneath it all. He's loyal, well respected and funny.

Chapter 16 of The Love Hypothesis lives rent free in my brain, so naturally I was delighted by the fact we (we being smut loving readers, of course) get multiple spicy scenes in Love on the Brain. I won't spoil, but readers won't be disappointed.

If you enjoyed The Love Hypothesis, I'm positive you will also adore Love on the Brain. Ali Hazelwood's hilarious banter is just as prominent in this book, and likely more chaotic due to the ever so quirky goth RA, Rocio. The story is heartfelt and highlights the challenges of being a woman in STEM, and having a career in a relatively small world where bumping into familiar faces is easier than you'd think.

Preorder ASAP!!!

Overall Rating: 5
Smut Score: 4 - Spicy n Kinky

This book! Omg where do I begin? This book had me laughing, crying, and swooning. I loved the plot. I love women in STEM! Levi is just amazing I loved him the second he was introduced. I cannot wait for this book to come out so I can sell it to literally every person who walks in the store!

Ali Hazelwood's contemporary romances are a balm to the soul. Both of her stories feature a plucky and brilliant heroine, who dabbles in delightful intellectual spars with swoon-worthy men. Love on the Brain follows the same formula as its predecessor except this one involves NASA, neuroscience, and the takedown of misogynistic trolls on Twitter.

Bee Königswasser has hit a plateau in her career. Giving up a promising career to escape her cheating ex-fiancee and traitor best friend, Bee works for a revolting boss and escapes the drudgeries of life through her What Would Marie Do? Twitter account. However, when NASA offers her the opportunity to lead a neuroscience project, Bee jumps at the chance until she finds out she has to co-lead with Levi Ward, a handsome engineer that has disliked her since college.

There's something absolutely delightful about each of Hazelwood's stories. Whether it is reading in amazement as Olive devours a ridiculous sugary confection while Adam watches in despair or feeling the excitement ooze off the page when Bee makes a breakthrough in the lab, Hazelwood has a way of making you instantly fall in love with her characters. Orphaned and then later abandoned by her wanderlust twin sister, Bee wants to settle down, but she has a deep fear that no one will ever stay. This anxiety courses through the heart of the story and it is rewarding to watch as Bee decides to believe in something else besides neuroscience.

Of course, there's also the bonus that Hazelwood is really good at building tension and delivering exactly what the reader is waiting for. The first book was fantastic, but the spicy scenes, relationship, and ending were better handled in Hazelwood's sophomore novel, which feels more complete and satisfying.

Love on the Brain is the second book in Hazelwood's STEM series and she did not disappoint with her sophomore effort. Bee and Levi are archenemies turned coworkers turned... more. It's a steamy tale of their hate/love, forced proximity relationship. They're both scientists and that science does take a leading role in the book. Much like in The Love Hypothesis, Hazelwood writes smart stories with smart characters without sounding preachy or condescending. I love how she intertwines the science and the romance.

I've seen a few reviews mention that the book felt formulaic and reminiscent of her first novel... and while this is true, I won't fault her for that because. A) "If it ain't broke, why fix it?" and B) aren't most fictional stories formulaic in some way or another?

There was SO much I liked about Love on the Brain and Bee and Levi (and Rocio!), but my one pause comes from the ending. It felt rushed and out of sync with the rest of the book. I think(?) it was meant to feel very climatic, but it didn't come across that way to me... it felt unexpected but not in a "wow! what a plot twist!" kind of way, more like a "this feels out of place" kind of way.

Overall Love on the Brain is a romance must read. Hazelwood's female characters are smart and strong and not afraid to show it. They are unique but not in an un-relatable way. I appreciate that the characters are not the cookie-cutter-stereotypical female/male leads often found in romance novels. Hazelwood may follow a formula in this book, but she does it while staying true to her roots.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

At first, I thought this one was a little slow, but it got better throughout the course of the book, and I really enjoyed it by the end! Ali Hazelwood writes charming, well-rounded characters and witty dialogue.

Love on the Brain was a hugely wonderful and quirky story that brings the beauty of the scientific community into a romantic story of two people who were certain the other hated them and fell in love anyways. I love this book and I love literally everything that Ali Hazelwood writes! She is a treasure and has outdone herself!

Can we actually do 6 stars? I loved The Love Hypothesis so much that I had a feeling I’d like this one. Boy did Ali Hazelwood not disappoint! This was incredible. I’m pretty sold on anything she writes at this point.

Bee Königswasser is a smart, capable neuroscientist doing her best to deal with the pitfalls of a very male-dominated STEM world. When NASA calls and essentially offers her the opportunity of a lifetime, she says yes because, that's what you do. However, after days of celebrating she finds out she will not be leading this project alone but with Levi Ward, the guy who hated her in grad school. Now that she's in Houston, things with NASA are NOT going according to plan. Her main question is: But What Would Marie Curie Do?

Wow I literally don’t know where to start. The Marie Curie facts and twitter were so adorable I just died. Also this quote: It is a truth universally acknowledged that a community of women trying to mind their business must be in want of a random man’s opinion. DIED. Also, can we talk about how Hazelwood does romance tropes better than anyone else? Just DIED. Also, she writes characters that her readers fall in love with and is truly hilarious. She seriously nailed it again. A plus.

Love on the Brain has surpassed every one of my expectations and even had me enjoying a trope I usually despise. Everything was done right, the build up, the subtle clues, the unexpected twist. The academic setting is something I crave in my contemporary novels but don't often see. Love on the Brain not only gives the setting, but doesn't talk down to its audience when the time comes to talk about science.
I'm not a big fan of miscommunication, but wasn't bothered by it as much as usual. I will say the plot often felt like it was following very similarly to Love Hyppthesis at some turns, but in the end was different enough when it mattered.

Ali Hazelwood is quickly moving up my must read list. This was an excellent second entry in her STEM romance series. I love how pro woman they are.

I did not intend to read this book in a day but here we are. I meant to savor it over a few days and instead I need more books like this immediately. Ali Hazelwood writes what I want to see in romance. Loved this book and the characters. Please read this book.

After absolutely loving The Love Hypothesis and including it in my top reads of 2021, I absolutely could not wait to read LOVE ON THE BRAIN, and I cannot thank Ali + Berkley Romance enough for the advance copy. I *MAY* have even liked Bee + Levi more than I liked Olive + Adam and I ADORED them more than I can describe.

Ali's writing style is everything I love in my contemporary romances - witty banter between characters who are charming + a bit nerdy with plenty of pop culture references that make me swoon in a fit of nostalgia. Hazelwood makes me instantly feel connected to her characters and want to rush to see what happens, while simultaneously regretting getting to the end and being done with personalities who always manage to feel more like friends.

This enemies to lovers, close proximity romance gives the best pieces of a woman in STEM who desires to be noticed for her work, and covers topics I think are incredibly important to have more of in any genre. From love in the workplace to the themes of nature vs. nurture, even how we're given credit for the work we do and the expectations we feel from others - Hazelwood writes tough topics into her romances with such ease that it feels real and relatable no matter the topic. I'm not a scientist, but her descriptions make it easy to follow and imagine the settings, and also consider them in a way that I feel seen as well.

As Bee tries to deny her feelings in this delicious slow burn, we get incredible side drama from her ex-fiancee + best friend and the amazing addition of a cast that makes the book FUN. Her twin and their relationship even after a complicated childhood, the crew working on the helmet alongside our MCs, and especially Rocio + Kaylee who I just adored all added to the story in a way that was meaningful and interesting and I LOVED it.

For those of you who enjoy that kinda thing, Hazelwood bumps up the steam in this one and it is delicious, I found Bee and Levi's relationship the perfect build-up and I was cheering them on throughout the whole book - knowing it was coming made it THAT much better for me!

Ali herself is a GEM, and while I am lucky to have become friends with her thanks to social, it does not stop me from telling you she will ALWAYS be someone whose books I have to read, and immediately preorder. To me, her own personality SHINES through her reading, and any book that feels like a friend and makes me THIS happy is a must-read author, and I hope you'll add this one to your TBR!

I was super excited to be able to read this, so thank you for approving me. That being said, my expectations were high and I was a bit disappointed to see that she basically used the same formula she followed in her first book. I even said to my coworker that I wasn't too sure about this. When I hit half way, I realized I was wrong. While there are similarities, I still enjoyed it. I really loved the two main characters and Bee's assistant was one of the best parts. It was entirely predictable but I did enjoy it. I guess if the formula works, why mess with it?

Honestly, when I was approved for this book, I did a little happy dance. I then sat down and read it all in a day and a half. I LOVED Ali Hazelwood's first novel, and Love on the Brain did not disappoint as a follow up! Bee and Levi were both characters I fell in love with and rooted for. Even though so much of the neuroscience was beyond me, it was written in such a way that it didn't matter. I loved the way the anonymous online relationship evolved and balanced the in person relationship that Levi and Bee had.

Ali Hazelwood did it again! She has an ability to make you fall headfirst in love with her characters, and this was no expectation. Bee and Levi's journey from archenemies to friends to lovers is entertaining and enduring, pure magic.