💫R E V I E W💫

The Chemistry of Love by Sariah Wilson

4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was a really fun rom com! I really enjoyed this story and many parts I was giggling. This is a perfect read for Valentine’s Day coming up!

Here are some things I enjoyed:
💕 Fake dating- I love fake dating in books.
💕Anna (the main character) is a cosmetic chemist!- I love makeup and this was really fun.
💕workplace romance 🥰
💕Marco- he was so sweet and cute!

Here are some things I didn’t enjoy as much:
💕lots of references to star wars and lord of the rings- I’ve never watched lord of rings so wasn’t sure what they were talking about.
💕Craig- ugh I didn’t like him from the beginning 😂

Overall, I recommend this book if you like a fun rom com! This is the second book I’ve read by this author and enjoyed both!

Thank you @netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Pub date: February 1, 2023

I finished this book yesterday and I am still thinking about Anna and Marco! I absolutely love rom-coms and Sariah Wilson is an author I have been wanting to try. She will now be on my go-to authors list. This book was just so much fun and I enjoyed it so much!

Marco was the best! Who doesn’t love a man who will sit with you on a public bathroom’s floor and lock the door when you cry your eyes out? I fell in love with him right at that moment and I never stopped! I also loved when he changed into jeans and a t-shirt for Anna. You will have to read the book to find out more about that. He was just the sweetest guy; always aware of Anna’s needs and looking out for her. Sometimes before she even knew what she needed.

Anna was so much fun and so relatable but also very unique! I loved that she always wore comfy clothes and how into science and chemistry she was. She was also so passionate about characters from movies she loved which made me really love her because I’m the exact same way!


This book had a really great pace to it that kept my attention from the start and had me turning the pages quickly. I loved all the pop culture references. The kisses and chemistry in this one were just wow! If you like some spice while still staying clean you will love this book!
Ohh and the Star Wars monopoly scene was one of my favorites in this book!

This is one I will definitely be rereading. I will now be reading many more books by Sariah Wilson.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author via netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I say that I am not a huge fan of the romance genre because I don’t like all the angst, all the steam, and sometimes, the main characters are a little ditsy.

I love books by Sariah Wilson because true love flows (mostly) smoothly, the steam isn’t graphic, and the characters are intelligent and witty.

This book tells the story of Anna, a cosmetics chemist, Marco, a successful, wealthy CEO type, and their escapades throughout their fake dating scenario. Chemistry of Love is so fun and so good. Buy it today. 4.5 ⭐️

“The Chemistry of Love” by Sariah Wilson was SUCH a fun story!! I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Anna and Marco and there are a few specific scenes that will happily be living rent-free in my head for the rest of my life😌

Our story begins with Anna desiring a relationship with her boss, Craig. In order to incite jealousy and win Craig over, Anna enters into a fake relationship with Craig’s half-brother (Marco). Anna and Marco spend a lot of time together trying to morph Anna into Craig’s “dream woman,” but soon sparks start flying between them…😍🔥

TCOL is the first book I’ve read by Sariah, and I already know she is going to be a new favorite author of mine. She knows how to bring swoons and sizzles while still keeping things clean and outside the bedroom👏🏻

Personally, I loved Anna’s character. Her quirky and nerdy tendencies made her such a likable character and her career as a cosmetic chemist was absolutely fascinating! If you’re a fan of Star Wars or Lord of the Rings, you will definitely appreciate this novel as Anna & Marco shared much witty banter regarding these fandoms❤️

Marco was the perfect book boyfriend. The way he affirmed Anna’s idiosyncrasies and quirks absolutely warmed my heart🥹😭❤️ And his support for Anna’s lipstick innovation was total perfection😍 AND WHEN HE CHANGED HIS CLOTHES FOR ANNA??! I can’t say anything else without giving away spoilers, but IF YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW🤪😏😍 Oh, and did I mention he’s Italian??? Need I say more?

Overall, I highly enjoyed this romcom and can’t wait to see what Sariah has in store for us next!

🚨CW: closed-door romance with heavy/descriptive kisses and frequent innuendo; NO mild/strong language

Sariah does it again! This is the nerdy, fake dating book I’ve been needing. Marco and Anna are relationship goals. They mutually agree to enter a fake relationship for making Marcos brother jealous, and proving the scum that he is. Craig can kick rocks I don’t like his character at all.

Anna is a chemist who is her best original nerdy self. Things never seem to go her way, just ask her orange peel face color after a mishap with self tanner. I relate to her so hard, everything that can go wrong does.

Marco is the sweetest most perfect nerdy counterpart for Anna. They have everything in common, and despite the fact their relationship isn’t “real” those real feelings develop. This book is everything that The Love Hypothesis should have been.

Oh I can’t forget to mention Anna grandparents they are the funniest characters, and kept me laughing the whole time.

Sariah Wilson has a knack for writing unique and witty stories. They are aways new and fresh, but still have the same charm, humor and over the top swooniness that we have come to expect from her books. The Chemistry of Love is a lovely read and stands apart from others in this genre. Rom-coms are delightfully fun and offer a much needed break from the cares of the world and Anna and Marco's story is a fun distraction for a few hours. I can see a lot of things that Sariah inserts into the story and characters that are her own personality and interests and it's fun to see them added into the storyline.
I would say that this story starts out a little bit slower than some of her others books, but the set up wasn't bad. I can tell a lot of research and thought had to go into this story, Anna's character in particular. I can't claim to love chemistry or understand some of the chemicals and reactions mentioned, but the hard work definitely shows. I loved Marco's and Anna's interactions. Of course we wish she wouldn't doubt herself so much, but no matter how well intentioned others are, it can be hard to believe what they say, even more-so about yourself. Anna had a choice to make and I can see why it would be hard to let go of a dream for something that is unsure, especially when she was so emotionally invested in that dream for so long. Im so glad they both found their way to a happily ever, without too much unnecessary drama. Definitely another winner for Sariah Wilson! She should be called the Queen of Rom-Coms.

Chemistry!

Oh boy, was there chemistry! This was one of Sariah Wilson's swooniest books yet.
I loved how nerdy most of the characters were.

This was a sweet read with swoony kisses (makeout), closed door, I'd rate this PG-13.

Cannot wait to reread this! Sariah Wilson has a way with words and I love it!

Anything Wilson writes is a must read for me. I love her romance books! The Chemistry of Love was reminiscent of The Love Hypothesis for me: fake dating in a science-y chemistry setting. Anna is a chemist for a makeup company who up and quits her job to try and date one of the higher ups in the company (and because her superior is the worst). She ends up drunk in a bathroom at a company party and who she thought was the love of her life announces his engagement. Anna is "rescued" by her former company's CEO and he proposes a mutually beneficial arrangement for them.

I enjoyed this book and reading about chemistry always makes me feel a little bit smarter. Marco is a dreamboat and Anna is so lovable a-dork-able and relatable. Don't miss another fun love story from Wilson!

I adore Sariah Wilson’s books. She’s truly the queen of clean, yet passionate romances. I love the quirky humor of her stories. The hero of this novel, Marco, was an absolute dream. He was so thoughtful, loving, intelligent, and funny. His adoration of Anna was obvious, and their meet cute was hilarious. I do wish he had been more forthcoming about his feelings for Anna, but I swooned when he talked to her in Elvish.

Anna was a slightly less likable character. I admired her intelligence and enjoyed reading about her projects. However, her utter desperation for Craig and naïveté were annoying. I had secondhand embarrassment for her. To me, this suggested that Anna lacked self respect, and it was difficult to respect a character who didn’t seem to respect herself. Thankfully though, Anna gained confidence over the course of the book, and the conclusion of the story was utterly satisfying and romantic.

Overall, this was a funny, sweet, and passionate romance. I highly recommend it.

*I received an ARC of this novel. This is my complete and honest review.*

I’ve been reading a lot of books that are single POV and more on the women’s fiction this month. This one had a plot similar to Better Than the Movie where she needs help from one guy to get the “popular” one and then *spoiler alert* falls for the wrong one!

It was super funny and I loved the banter between Anna and Marco, but seriously Anna was so delusional at times. She didn’t even know Craig and was convinced she was in love with him.

I would’ve loved to see in Marco’s head. I think that’s my preference for dual POV, because I thought he was amazing and such a book boyfriend, but I wanted to know why exactly he was in this “fake relationship” with Anna. A couple things were mentioned, but idk I wasn’t sure I bought it tbh

Anna definitely have off “not like other girl” vibes. Marco dates models and actresses and then see her and is immediately smitten.

I thought her job sounded so cool and never really put thought to the idea of a cosmetic chemist. I’d like to see more of her bestie, Catalina.

If you like this author’s other books, I’d def recommend this one. She has a lot of Star Wars and Lord of the Rings references too which was fun.


3/5

“In case you didn’t know, the ugly duckling never had to change. She just needed to figure out that she’d been a swan all along.”- Marco

I’m a huge sucker for a fake dating trope and this one was no exception! It had some Love Hypothesis vibes with the love of Star Wars and Lord of the Rings references but many of the characters were nerdy so..

Anna is a cosmetic scientist who loves makeup and creating it but doesn’t use it often. She believes herself to be in love with Craig who is the owner of her company’s son. Problem is Craig isn’t in love with her.

Enter Marco! Marco is the CEO of this cosmetic company and also the half brother of Craig. For reasons you will find out, Marco and Anna decide to fake date so she can seem more appealing to Craig and Marco can seem more responsible to his dad.

This was so sweet and adorable and those kissing scenes were 🔥 for my smut lovers please know this one doesn’t go any further than kissing but I didn’t mind 😏

Ms. Wilson is such a favorite of mine; I know going in I am going to be treated with a great love story. I love diving in blind and seeing where things go. I loved Anna and especially Marco, they have such a great relationship. I definitely plan on reading this one again and again.

Wowza. This was a fun book! I literally laughed out loud at one point which hardly ever happens for me. I am frequently amused while reading but actual laughing? Rarely. I love when books make me laugh. That was the first stand out point.

Second, I loved the chemistry. It was growing, expanding and combustible. So, so good. I could feel it. Those make out sessions were fire.

Third, these characters are smart. I love smart and witty characters. Nerdy ones too. But does Star Wars and Lord of the Rings references make you nerdy? How about D&D? Probably. I must be nerdy too. :)

Anna and Marco have a very interesting first meeting (poor Anna). Marco is so attentive and so present with Anna. He listens, he remembers and he really tries to help Anna feel that. That right there might be the sexiest thing about him.

Content: kissing, making out.

The title of this book did not deceive because this novel is definitely full of excellent, palpable, romantic chemistry! It sizzles. I really loved Anna and Marco and did not want to put down this book. This was a binge worthy contemporary romance full of spot-on pop culture references from Star Wars to Lord of the Rings and many many things in between. There were moments where I was applauding Anna’s opinions and laughing out loud with the dialogue.
I am not good at science, but I loved the smart and scientifically minded Anna as well as how Marco matched her step for step. The plot was fun with some fake dating that of course turns into the real deal. Anna was incredibly relatable as a heroine and I love that she wasn't always put together and glamorous, but Marco saw the real her and respected it as well as fell for her authenticity.
The kisses in this book will curl your toes, they are hot hot hot all while staying in the sweet and swoony category. I loved the tension and build up.
There is some innuendo and while there is no language that I would consider swearing, there is some innuendo with words sounding like cuss words.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and will definitely reread my favorite parts over and over again.
I received an advancer reader ebook copy of this novel from Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Sariah if you read this I am so sorry!! I love you girl but lord all I wanted to do was jump into this book and slap Anna up side the head as hard as I could. Seriously, I understand that some women characters need to be weak but this girl. Lord she needs some help from a medical professional. If you read this review go check out Wilson's other stories because they are so freaking good. But this one nope I just can't.

This book did not disappoint. Clearly, Sariah Wilson is an auto-buy author.

Anna is a cosmetics chemist, and she’s at the end of her rope.

Hopelessly in love with one of her bosses, Craig, she’s held back by her immediate supervisor, who ignores her ideas and ridicules her in front of her colleagues.

(Craig is pretty bad, too. He calls her a “lady scientist”. Oof.)

Anyway, when Anna realizes that Craig is engaged, his enigmatic half-brother Marco (who is the cosmetic company’s CEO) suggests a plan that may benefit them both, and it involves my favorite trope: fake dating!

I loved this. As a socially awkward scientist myself, I related hard to Anna’s nerdy references met with silence and the sexism she experiences in her career.

I also immediately liked Marco. Their meet-cute was perfect, and he was so kind to her.

Marco may be one of my favorite book boyfriends. What’s better than a sexy *and* nerdy CEO who treats our FMC like a queen?

This was a slow-burn, but so worth it. I loved the chemistry, literal and figurative, between our MCs, the nerd references, and the fun names for Anna’s grandpa’s birds.

Anna completely won me over throughout the book, too. She started unable to stand up for herself, and wow did she grow! I was so proud by the end.

Five stars! I loved this delightful rom-com!

Thank you SO MUCH to Amazon Publishing for providing me an early copy of this fun read!

'The Chemistry of Love' by Sariah Wilson does very much live up to its title. It is indeed that and so much more. I have read and loved Sariah's work and have loved her writing style. I love her female protagonists. She always gives them the most unique occupations and the sass and personality that go with their occupations, Fake love or Fake dating is a trope I love to read as to go through the journey of two people falling in love with each other. This is one of the best stories I have read in this trope.

In the Chemistry of Love, Anna Ellis, is a cosmetic chemist who is a geeky, smart, intelligent and funny in her own sweet way. She lives with her grandparents and is close to her colleague cum best friend Catalina Diaz. Their friendship is testament to the saying that opposites attract. She is in love with her boss Craig Kimball. Does Craig love her as well or why does she fake date Marco and how does this story end? Read the story to find out.

The premise of the fake dating is mutually convenient. The chemistry and banter between Marco and Anna is really enjoyable. I love how the author puts in the thoughts going through Anna's head in italics to let the reader know what she is thinking. The other relationships that Anna has, with her grandparents and with her best friend are portrayed in a fun and authentic manner. Anna's clumsy nature gives a realism to her personality. The story is unputdownable and I read it in one day along with my other chores.

I am happy that I started my New year of 2023 with this fun and enjoyable book. If you love to read stories with geeky woman lead, a handsome and sensitive hero and a lot of chemistry and fun banter then this story is definitely for you.
I thank the author and Netgalley for providing me an eARC and the opinions expressed are all mine.

Anna is on a mission. Craig is her soul mate. He just doesn’t know it yet. When sweet but nerdy Anna is “rescued” by golden boy Craig years earlier she decided he is her end game. But Craig doesn’t know she exists. When she joins forces with Craig’s (insanely hot and secretly nerdy) half brother Marco to try to snag Craig’s attention, Anna wonders if maybe she’s pursuing the wrong brother.

I’ve loved Sariah’s sweet but steamy style or writing for years and The Chemistry of Love is a perfect addition to her stack on my (virtual) shelf.

Chemistry of Love was such a delightful read. It utilizes one of my very favorite romance tropes, fake dating, but does it in a new and fresh way. Anna and Marco definitely live up to the title of their story- their chemistry is off the charts! I love how Sariah Wilson is able to write such swoony, sizzling hot romances without ever crossing the line into more explicit content. The connection between her romantic leads is always palpable without needing to be spelled out in graphic detail. I think Anna and Marco may be my new favorites, and considering how many times I've read and re-read all of Sariah's books, that's saying a lot. This books contains all of the humor and heart you could want and I can't recommend it highly enough!

As a chemist, I wanted to like this book so much, however, the horrible science and characterizations of women in science were awful. If I picked this up at a bookstore, I would have put it down without buying it in the first few pages. The chemist drinks out of a beaker from the lab ON PURPOSE! TWICE! Even in a cosmetic chemistry environment, this would NEVER be allowed. This book perpetrates the stereotype that women in STEM fields are nerds/dorks about everything. The female main character (Anna) sums her personality up by Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and Muppets. This is so irritating! Anna is so clueless when it comes to determining someone's personality. She characterizes her grandma so poorly and doesn't speak nicely of many people besides her best friend who she only has known a handful of months but talks to all the time. Marco is just a knight in shining dorky armor who she manages to realize she's in love with as they fake date. Shocker. Literally, this woman has nerd as her only personality trait and thats not what scientists are! And the science is wrong! A reaction is not endo and exothermic at the same time. Comparing the two people in relationship to baking soda and vinegar and how they don't go together. The lame "I'll have H2O too" and "adenine so I can be paired with U" jokes are added like they were the top hit on a Google search for lame science jokes. Most things are described with poor science references or nerdy references. Catalina saying she will settle for the nerdy guy who is decent looking because at least he won't cheat on her?! Seriously? This book isn't even kind to male scientists. Anna's "brilliant" makeup idea - nope, not possible. Similar things exist but they aren't based on neuroreceptors because the science is not there yet and may never be there. Additionally, making a new makeup, that contained a previously toxic substance in a bedroom? And then wearing it and making out with another biochemist while wearing it for "science"?! Heck no! That lipstick would be subject to so much testing to make sure it isn't toxic and that wouldn't be possible from a bedroom. Also, Anna is poor, but manages a lab from her bedroom?! She makes the same expensive products for cheaper in her room to give to her grandma's friends? No way! Just because you know the ingredients, does not mean you know how to make something exactly like the one you can buy on a shelf! Can you imagine this with baking? A baker tells you what's in their cake and magically you can make it so much cheaper then what its sold for? Also, for cosmetics, where ingredients come from matters so much and that can really drive up cost. As a chemist, I am furious that this book was written and essentially undermines women in science so poorly. No quality research was put into this because all chemists would be appalled from chapter 1 with drinking from lab beakers. Writing is too cheesy and lacks serious character development.