Interesting plot and a lot of funny scenes. Both FMC and MMC have interesting and pretty similar characters. Although the MMC does some seriously messed up stuff.

It was fun, quick read with decent science jokes mixed in. Some of the drama felt unnecessary though. Overall, a great beach read.

This is a steamy STEM romcom. Elizabeth and Tom hate each other, but have to tolerate one another when an accident causes them to have to share a lab. Not to mention their parents are getting married. That’s a lot of coincidences! But, if you can suspend your belief, this one’s fun and quick and light hearted, and the main characters have lots of chemistry (ha, no pun intended).

I enjoyed it and am looking forward to checking out the second book in this series.

Thanks to Netgalley, Booksgosocial and HL Macfarlane for the ARC.

Thank you to Booksgosocial and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book put a fun twist on the grumpy/sunshine trope craze by instead being grumpy/grumpy. The cover is a bit misleading as it leaves you expecting a cutesy romcom but I guess you can’t judge this book by its cover. I didn’t connect with the characters but I think this book will be very appealing to the masses.

Sexy women in STEM, a brooding Love Interest and forced proximity? Sign me up!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book but it did feel a bit too much like The Love Hypothesis for me personally. I preferred H.L. Macfarlane's writing, but the similarity in plot threw me off quite a bit.

My review of The Unbalanced Equation by H.L. Macfarlane ♡︎

The Unbalanced Equation is a STEM romantic comedy that will have you turning every page to see what happens next.

Dr. Elizabeth Maclean is excited to finally be away from her rude PhD assessor, Dr. Thomas Henderson. Or so she thinks. When a fire goes off in Tom’s lab, they end up working in the same place, even on the same bench for three months. To make things even worse, Tom’s mom and Liz’s dad tell them they are engaged and having a Christmas wedding. Then, Liz’s landlord tells her she has days to move out. Now, they are forced to be around each other by both working together and living together while helping their parents plan the wedding. Will they be able to get to the same level they had when they first met?

I am not the biggest fan of the miscommunication trope, but I do think it was well done.

Some things I loved:

🤍 forced proximity

🤍 age gap

🤍 slow sizzling burn

🤍 I thought you hated me?

🤍 the tension! And the spice!

This book is perfect for those that enjoy Ali Hazelwood’s books!

Ratings:

★︎★︎★︎★︎. ➄︎ / ➎︎

🌶️🌶️/ ➎︎

I had the opportunity to read an advanced reader’s e-proof of The Unbalanced Equation by H.L. Macfarlane courtesy of Macfarlane Lantern Publishing via NetGalley. All opinions above are my own

A very fun read! The characters were so indescribable and unique. Pacing was a little slow at first but I really enjoyed the book once I got into it and the chemistry was undeniable.

"The Unbalanced Equation" by H. L. Macfarlane is a thought-provoking and engaging novel that delves into the complexities of human emotions and relationships. This book is a compelling exploration of the challenges and intricacies that define our connections with others.

Macfarlane's writing style is introspective and evocative, drawing readers into the minds and hearts of the characters. The characters in the novel are multi-layered and relatable, each grappling with their own internal struggles and desires.

At the core of the narrative is a nuanced portrayal of relationships and the delicate balance between love, expectations, and personal growth. The author's ability to capture the ebb and flow of emotions adds authenticity to the story.

"The Unbalanced Equation" successfully navigates themes of identity, self-discovery, and the impact of past experiences on present choices. The exploration of these themes adds depth to the story, making it resonate on a personal level.

In conclusion, "The Unbalanced Equation" is a compelling and introspective read that invites readers to reflect on the intricacies of human connections. If you're looking for a book that delves into the complexities of emotions and relationships while sparking introspection, this novel offers a thought-provoking and resonant narrative that will leave you contemplating long after you've turned the last page.

A run of the mill rom-com that will be enough to while away an evening but not going to set your summer on fire

I’m all for this new trend of women in stem getting banged while at work. Inappropriate in the read world, but so entertaining in the book world. If you love that type of thing, this one is for you.

I was provided a copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

The story is a sweet enemies to lovers involving scientists and it's Scottish setting to the best of its ability. Cute romcom.
However, the MMC drove me crazy with his immaturity. This book remains bingeable, if one can get past that.

Thank you Net Galley for this advanced copy! I’m sorry to say this book wasn’t my cup of tea! The plot is well thought but I don’t really like how so much stuff happened that it’s barely relatable to happen in real life, and I felt like the characters were more 18 than 30/40! But the banter and animosity was very good, and both characters were truly enjoyable.

3.5 stars 🌟
If you enjoyed the dynamic of The Love Hypothesis then you'll enjoy this read.
Although don't mistake this as basically a retelling as that it is not.
A spicy enemies to lovers read, enjoyable but I sometimes couldn't click with the writing style.
Will read more from this author though.

I've tried numerous times to finish this book, but unfortunately I decided to DNF it. As a women in the STEM world, I had such high hopes for this romcom, thinking that it would be as enjoyable as other recent STEM themed books.

I feel that the main issue I had while trying to read this was the ick factor I have with the particular trope chosen. I really am not a fan of characters who are step-siblings, regardless of how recent the inception of their sibling relationship.

I will still give other books by the author that are STEM based a try though.

I love romcoms! This was a quick fun read. Sorry for the late review- I read this book so quick I forgot to review it!

But I liked it!

This was not impressive. I thought it would be more along the line of Ali Hazelwood's work but the STEM part of the story is basically non existent which is a little disappointing. The story is all together just fine. This could have been better.

I really Loved this story with relatable characters, awesome levels of steam and great, witty dialogue and lots of heart! Go read it now!

I wanted to love this book so bad, but it totally wasn’t for me. The anime culture in the book really turned it off for me. I am not a big fan of that, so it made the book not work for me. If you’re a fan, you will love this book!

I love a lot of tropes from this book: age gap, forced proximity, enemies to lovers, and guy falls first. I liked that this book was dual POV and we got both Liz and Tom's perspectives. I loved that Liz knew what she wanted and didn't conform to societies standards about marriage and kids. I enjoyed their banter and thought they had a cute relationship.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, the publisher and H.L. Macfarlane for this copy.

I'll start saying that, due to the physical appearance, the clothes and the name of the MMC, I awfully suspect this book was originally a Tom Hiddleston fanfiction, which could explain to a certain level the quality of this work.

The addition of nerdy anime culture cheered my little geek heart. I loved how badass the FMC was, the humor was on point, the sexual tension was boiling hot...

Unfortunately, it wasn't enough, because the enemies to lovers part was disastrously written and the STEM part was barely non-existent and bland, a mere excuse for the characters to engage in conversation.

I'll start saying many scenes were too cliché and, if you've spent a considerable time reading in fanfiction sites, you would recognize most scenes and instantly know how they're going to develop from the beginning to the end, making most of the book completely predictable and robbing interest from the reader.

Most of the time I loathe the miscommunication trope when the characters decide to not communicate properly for completely stupid reasons, so the constant miscommunication in this book was infuriating. At least they expressed themselves quite good when they finally did.

The attraction between Tom and Liz is 95% sexual and they mostly talked when they were drunk. They didn't make much effort to know each other besides the fact that they work in STEM and like anime, and the only time Liz learns more about Tom in depth is when she violates his privacy and raids his entire room while he's not there, without his permission. MAJOR RED FLAG.

They say they love each other but, do they? There was some chemistry but that's it, which detached me from the relationship. I wanted them to actually bond apart from being horny and f******.
Also, the Calippo scene was too cringe for me 😬.

Tom was one of the most annoying and unappealing love interests I've ever read. For a nearly 40 year old man, he made really selfish and immature mistakes that put me off, even if he owned them later. He broke many boundaries and lines. If he was a real man and he did those things to me, I would consider him a massive walking red flag and I would stay as far away as I could from him.

The book became slower and more tedious in the second half since it was just Liz and Tom thinking about their sexual attraction and what should they do about it. Seems like the author didn't know what to put in the middle of the story until the truth came. The last chapters were boring. I saw myself DNFing most of the time. To say that I was more interested in Jim and Jenny than Tom and Liz...

Also, a minus point for Tom Hiddle- I mean, Tom Henderson, for hating High School Musical. How dare you.