Love, Theoretically has Ali Hazelwood at the top of her STEM romance game.

This is my favourite Ali Hazelwood to date: Love Thoerteically is funny, smart, sexy and delves into the fascinating world of academic jobs, politics and the pettiness that some of the world's smartest thinkers can sink down to. Now, full disclosure, I work at a university with theoretical and experimental theorists, so I think I loved the STEM aspects of the book because it mirrored some of my daily life. I’ve seen people online saying “is this any different from Ali’s other books?” The answer is yes - ok so Ali writes STEM romances, so there are obviously similarities. And she definitely has a big man fetish (seriously all of her leading men are these hulking men who could probably pick me up with one hand. It’s frankly hot). But this book delivers - it dives deep into our main characters life and work and explores the fascinating (to me anyways) politics behind academia; all the while delivering some seriously scorching sexy times. This needs to be on your summer reading list

Jack and Elsie are so funny and real. Elsie is a poor adjunct professor who is trying to make ends meet. There is a fascinating fake-girlfriend story line at the beginning of the relationship that pulls Elsie and Jack together (and involves Jack’s delightful brother, Greg). It isn’t the main focus of the whole book and I enjoyed it as it structured their relationship. What I realy liked was how the book explored Elsie’s pathological need to please other people - to the point that she had lost her complete identity and didn’t actually know herself. Enter Jack: he’s kind of an anti-hero at the beginning of the story but holy crow does he worship the ground Elsie walks on. He falls first and watching him work to show Elise how much she deserves in life and how far he’s willing to go to show her how amazing she actually is warmed the cockles of my heart. Watching the two of them explore their own identities, complicated histories and their own desires and needs (both in bed and out of it) makes for a really satisfying romantic arc in the novel. And good god, Jack could teach men a thing or two about pleasure…ladies get your men to read this book!

There is a delightful amount of backstabbing academic politics and university research discussions. However it isn’t boring: Love, Theoretically has a strong supporting cast of characters who really round out Elise and Jack’s story. There’s also a slew of very funny physics jokes that I plan on using in my day job.

Love, Theoretically is funny and smart STEM romance that is a summer must read.

Thank you to Penguin for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the latest STEM romance from Ali Hazelwood that centers around Elsie and Jack, Both are Physicists, she is theoretical and he is experimental. Elsie is struggling financially and cant pay her bills with her meager adjunct professor salary and hires herself out as a fake girlfriend. She is a people pleaser and finds that fake dating is well within her skill set. Her favorite client happens to have a hot, brooding older brother. Both of Elsie’s worlds collide when she finds herself face to face with the brother, Jack, who happens to be on the hiring committee for her dream job at MIT. Both have reasons to not to trust the other but find themselves attracted to each other anyway.

This was another hit from Hazelwood. This has a lot more science references that were over my head but I enjoyed it anyway. As with her previous novels the heroine is extremely smart but emotionally not so much. The love interest is huge and the heroine tiny. I enjoy the science setting but would love to see her mix up the story a little bit more. Try a different formula. Overall it was a fun read and I will continue reading Hazelwood’s books.

3.5 ⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest reveiw.

This book was very sweet! Our main character Elsie is very quirky and it took me a little time to vibe with her personality, but I think she will be relatable for many readers. It was nice to watch her find her voice and her inner strength throughout the book. The romance is definitely a slow burn but it was enjoyable to watch the pining that you knew was happening from one end of this romance! There were many moments in this book that I laughed out loud and highlighted because they were gold. While this isn’t my favorite Ali Hazelwood I’ve read, I still recommend it to fans and new readers of hers! 3.5 stars!

I cannot tell you how much I loved Love, Theoretically! I am going to try, but it will be a lot of "Gah" and "Swoon".

Elsie is a phenomenal heroine that I think will really click with a lot of readers. If you are a people pleaser, you will understand Elsie like she is your soul sister. She is so passionate about theoretical physics, but it isn't paying the bills. So, she uses her ability to read people to be a fake girlfriend for hire. She can make just about anyone love her! Jack is the brother of one of her fake boyfriends and she cannot figure him out. At first, neither could I, but he sees through Elsie's "con" and calls her out. Turns out, he is the man she has hated since middle school (by name only).

I adored Jack and Elsie together because Jack was so determined to get her to be honest. He really wanted to find out about HER-not what she thinks other people want from her. He manages to crack her shell and honestly, it had me in tears! I loved how he loved her. There are great supporting characters as well in George, Cece, and Greg. It is also humorous, in both actually funny ways and groanworthy puns! I loved that everyone in the story is intelligent and hardworking. Elsie and Jack are both brilliant and it is super sexy!

One of the signs that I know I'm reading a fantastic book? I keep giggling out loud, and reading parts to my husband. This book was FULL of them! Ali never fails to make me laugh, blush and kick my feet. I adored Elsie and found her extreme people pleasing to be so relatable. And when Jack occasionally let his "lizard brain" take over- ah I just loved them! There's spice, but it's high quality in my humble opinion, doesn't come too soon and didn't feel like too much, pretty much perfect to me. Honestly was a perfect read for a rom com mood and I highly recommend!

Oh fun! This has all the tropes AND all the smiles. Elsie and Jack are rivals and enemies (of a sort) until they aren't. What distinguishes it from the pack is the fact that it's set not only in academia but features physicists. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Good characters, snappy dialogue, and a zippy plot make this a fine read.

The overall plot wise, it is very similar to love hypothesis. Overworked poor superstar grad heroine, rich scientist genius hero. Characters are completely different and detail’s completely different. I loved this book and couldn’t put it down.

I adored this. I freaking adored this. I adored this one so much, I want to scream it out into the world.

Yes, it's like the other books, but it was also different. Incredibly different. Yes, it was set in the world of STEM, it had a quirky main character, it had a MMC that the FMC thought hated her. Similarities? Yes. But it felt different.

So different. I really don't know how else to explain it. But damn, I really enjoyed this one. I devoured it within hours. Something about the way that Elsie and Jack connected was... beautiful and well... Their relationship was written in the stars.

Also, I think I have a new kink because the way that Jack wanted to take care of Elsie? Hot. I loved how caring he was and how he truly saw her. Also, play "Mirrorball" by Taylor Swift because that is Elsie's freaking theme song (same, girl, same.)

Anyways, Ali, I adore you, and I really loved this book. You have not disappointed at all with all of your books. Thank you for bringing light to STEM women.

This actually ended up being very pleasant and even a bit swoony. But it was a lot at the beginning.

I keep trying these books from Ali Hazelwood, waiting for the one that clicks into place for me. This one might not have been a home run score, but it did grow on me and I ended up caring about this characters quite a bit.

I think the main stumbling block for me is what makes it work for others: the author really wants you to feel what it can feel like in Academia. In this one, it's about interviews and uncertainty and trying to please everyone. I believe she succeeds, but for me it made the first 60% of this story a huge slog. I just didn't care about all the intricacies and it had me skimming quite a bit.

Like.. did i NEED all these emails from students? No.

But Jack is where this one really shined for me. I felt more personality from him than from the 2 previous heroes. He sees through a lot of Elsie's BS really quickly and even when he is worried she is lying to his brother he is still so into her. He is also a caregiver and so good at withstanding her coldness to him.

I am also glad that the conflict was very minimal and felt well laid out. Because it took us SOOOO long to get things moving, if we were set back too far I might have checked out.

Overall I enjoyed myself and I even swooned for Jack a few times. This one was the steamiest thus far, but we still have a good slow building smolder.

4 stars
2.5 on the spice scale

Thank you to NetGalley & Berkley for the ARC

Ali Hazelwood is a joy to read, and one of my favorite aspects of her writing style is the humor and witty banter between her characters. I lost count of how many times I literally laughed out loud while reading this book. Per Ali’s style, it’s STEM focused, so if you’re not into science-y types of plots then this might not be the book for you, but it doesn't bother me. I might not understand all the science talk, but it’s never a distraction from the story. Also, having a child with Type 1 diabetes, I truly loved that Ali created a female heroine with the disease because you rarely see that. The only thing that bothered me is the fact that the Type 1 Diabetes arc didn’t seem very well researched. Instead of using the opportunity to spread more information about T1D, there was a lot of MISinformation instead. While I understand that most readers don’t have to deal with the disease and will never even notice the inaccuracies, there are some of us who do have to deal with it on a daily basis. So, it helps when an author does the research to make it believable. Still, I’m grateful Ali brought some awareness to T1D. I wish more authors would do the same.

Ali Hazelwood. Never. Misses. While nothing can surpass the high that Levi and Bee gave me, Jack and Elsie came close. I am a huge sucker for an academic rivals to lovers story, and the banter between the main couple was electric from the beginning of the book. Elsie is both a theoretical physicist and a professional fake girlfriend, which made her an incredibly fun heroine. Jack, on the other hand, is an experimental physicist and just so happens to be a famous critic of Elsie’s field, which makes him the bane of her existence. The pair were so well-suited for each other, and I loved watching their relationship develop. The only thing that kept the story from being a full five stars was the amount of scientific terminology, which caused me to struggle to get into the book, but that is less of a mark against Hazelwood’s true strength as a romance writer than it is my own personal issue. Overall this was a fun and engrossing read, perfect for anyone loves a good rivals to lovers romantic comedy. (🌟:4.5/5)

What’s it about (in a nutshell):
Love Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood is a heartfelt, fun enemies-to-lovers romance that is quirky, nerdy, and full of physics fun. My hat is off to any author who can make physics sound fun, as Hazelwood does in this story.

My Reading Experience:
I found myself instantly immersed in the story. It begins with a scene where the main character, Elsie, is pressed against the brother of a man she has been fake dating for the last six months in a BATHROOM STALL. She ponders how exactly she found herself in this position. Everything about it made me wonder what led to her being in that position too. I don’t know what intrigued me more - being stuck in a bathroom stall with a man or the fact that she had been fake-dating the man’s brother. I couldn’t have been more intrigued.

I loved the romance, full of snarky dialogue, witty comebacks, and starts and stops. I don’t know if I ever fully bought into the two characters together, but it was a fleeting concern, as the story was just too good to care. And for those concerned about open and closed-door scenes, know there is a large section of door-wide-open scenes after the halfway point. I prefer closed-door, but the story without the steamy scenes was so good I didn’t feel like I missed out by fast-forwarding through the scenes.

The plotline about how Elsie struggled to find a spot in the academic world and all she had to do to make ends meet was so relatable. Professionally speaking, finding your place in the world is often challenging, so I can see many readers commiserating with Elsie as I did. I became so invested I cheered for her success and shed a tear for her dealing with one setback after another. And to see her passion for physics and her determination to stay in that world was beyond inspiring and admirable.

Also, I think the plotline regarding Elsie’s type 1 diabetes was very well handled. It was informative and sympathetic and made me aware of issues I didn’t know about. This storyline also made the overall story much more important and added a layer that took it beyond the typical romantic comedy.

Characters:
Elsie is the main character. She reminded me of a female Sheldon (Big Bang Theory) in that she knew she wanted to be a theoretical physicist from a very young age. I hadn’t heard of physics beyond the basic apple falling story at this age. She is quirky and holds a lot of guilt for how much work her type 1 diabetes was to her family as she grew up. All the responsibility she felt and how that made her a people pleaser to an extreme created so many emotions in me as the story unfolded.

Narration & Pacing:
Elsie tells her story in first-person narration; this technique is perfect. It keeps the pace quick and allows the reader to experience the world as Elsie is experiencing, taking the relatability factor to unusual heights.

Setting:
Love Theoretically is set in Massachusetts near the MIT campus and other colleges of note. I can’t imagine any better setting for a story based on the academic world.

Read if you are in the mood for:
A medium to a fast pace
A funny, lighthearted, emotional read
A character-driven story led by a relatable and flawed character
Strong character development
Enemies to lovers trope

Queen Ali does it again. Every day I pick up a book hoping that it will give me the same sort of rush and emotion that Love Hypothesis gave me. Love on the Brain didn't deliver half as much as Love, Theoretically did.
Am I a scientist? No.
Did I spend the entirety of undergrad avoiding physics and chemistry by taking forensic science and astronomy? yes
Did I know what Elsie was talking about half the time when it came to theoretical physics? Not a lick.
BUT, Ali Hazelwood has a wonderful talent of making STEM relatable (or at the very least, not intimidating). The unstable life of a post-grad student with no funds and slim job prospects; the uneven power dynamics between mentees and the mentors we think we owe our entire careers to; the instinct to morph yourself into someone that will be liked and acceptable; being the daughter your mother depends on to "deal' with difficult siblings.... I know all of that. I saw myself in Elsie. And the conversations between her and Jack about honesty and being around someone you don't have to be a personality contortionist... a true attack, really.
Jack is something else. I do not accept the light hair. But that's neither here nor there. He's sexy and brooding in a way that isn't standoffish or emo (not that thats a bad thing, love you Adam); but it was a refreshing twist to see how open and clear he was about his feelings.
The smut is also just getting better and better, I had to take a lap halfway through.
I will be handselling the hell out of this book until further notice. If you like fun dialogue, screaming at main characters, and appreciate Twilight for the masterpiece and cultural reset that it is, this ones for you.

3.5 stars

When I first read the synopsis of Love, Theoretically, I immediately thought it sounded similar to two of Hazelwood's previous books. In all honesty, if you've read her books before, then you will notice similar themes in Love, Theoretically. Ali Hazelwood found a template that works for her. I know exactly what I'm getting myself into when I pick up one of her books. There are no surprises, which can be a good thing if you're looking for something easy to read.

Love, Theoretically is a slow burn enemies to friends to lovers romance. Elsie is a theoretical physicist and adjunct professor. She also moonlights as a professional fake girlfriend to pay her bills. Her latest client's older brother Jack doesn't like her. She doesn't care about him...except Jack happens to sit on the hiring committee at MIT, where Elsie is interviewing for her dream job.

We all want to find a partner who sees through us and understands us completely, especially when we have difficulty expressing ourselves. Elsie finds that in Jack. He sees through her act from the beginning and he understands her completely. While that is nice and all, it's also a little too idealistic. Sometimes, Jack comes across as Elsie's therapist, instead of her boyfriend. His psychoanalysis of Elsie is a little too on the nose, and it really took me out of the story. Maybe Jack should have been a psychoanalytic therapist instead of a physicist lol.

My favourite thing about this book is Elsie's breakdown, which sounds a bit dark, but hear me out. Everything about Elsie's breakdown is so well-written, clearly showing how her reaction is a culmination of everything that she didn't allow herself to feel. And I love seeing her get angry and lose it for once. She is her most authentic self in this scene and it triggers a chain reaction that pushes her toward self-awareness and growth.

There's also a conflict regarding an article Jack had written that destroyed Elsie's mentor's career. And I think this is where the story lost me. I couldn't understand why it took Elsie so long to confront Jack about the article. They are both aware that she hates what he did. But that article is the elephant in the room and they don't address it until the very end. I don't get how she was able to see past the article to date Jack 🤔 In addition to this weirdness, the pacing in the second half is very strange. And lastly, while I enjoyed the slow burn, there simply wasn't enough pining in this book for me. I think it's probably because Elsie was too much in her head, so I didn't get to feel the strong pining-hero feels I usually get from Hazelwood's books.

Overall, this was a predictable Ali Hazelwood romance, but fun to read nonetheless.

This was my favorite of Ali Hazelwood's books. I enjoy a story with found family and witty banter and that's what this had. If you've read her other books, the plot will not be surprising but it doesn't matter. This is a story about relationships, and the characters and relationships were delightful and felt authentic.

First things first, how fabulous is that cover? All of Ali Hazelwood’s books have the best covers, and you can tell it’s going to be a swoon-worthy romance before you even open it up!

Hazelwood has a formula to her writing that works so well, and I always find myself easily pulled into her stories and fully invested in her characters. The quirky FMC and the hunky and broody MMC, both super intelligent and working in STEM careers, and the fun sidekicks may be similar to her other novels, but they feel wholly different.

I have to say, any book that references Star Wars and Twilight and has a swoon-worthy and intense love story, relatable (and comical) characters, and an engaging plot is okay in my eyes.

A theoretical physicist and adjunct professor struggling to make ends meet, Elsie earns money on the side as a date-for-hire. She is a people pleaser, putting her own needs and desires aside for the sake of others and taking on the personality she believes the other person wants. She constantly tries to fit into the mold she thinks others want instead of being her true self.

Elsie grows so much throughout the story, and I like that she faces some of the things in her life she’s been ignoring like difficult family relationships, work worries and changes, and being true to herself. And when an opportunity to quit teaching, which she hates, some of these issues come to a head. (By the way, the emails she receives from her students are hilarious! As a former teacher, I can attest to receiving similar outrageous messages.) Elsie’s developing relationship with Jack and his support and challenges push her to be more reflective, self-aware, and self-assured. He’s the first person to see through her façade, and he will accept nothing less than the real her. He pushes her out of her comfort zone, much like she does with him.

Jack is intense and serious, and he sounds like a gorgeously grumpy dreamboat. I adore how he accepts Elsie flaws and all, and there’s an emotional depth to him that makes him even more appealing. Jack pines for Elsie quite a bit, especially when he thinks she is dating his brother. He also grows because of Elsie’s influence, which I loved. Elsie goes through a lot and proves to be an intelligent and strong person. She offers insight into a past situation that makes Jack look at his actions from a different perspective, and she humbles him a bit.

With two dynamic characters like Elsie and Jack, it’s no wonder they have such a fantastic and swoon-worthy romance. What starts as an antagonistic relationship quickly turns into something else as they clear up miscommunications, secrets are revealed, and an unexpected romantic relationship blooms. Elsie and Jack have fantastic banter and some incredibly funny conversations, and I love all of the pop culture references and the sizzling chemistry between them.

I always enjoy Hazelwood’s stories. Her stories are engaging and engrossing, and she always creates compelling and fully fleshed out characters that are easy to become emotionally invested in. They are layered and complex and messy and relatable. And cheers to the Adam and Olive cameo! So excited to see them again! Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

First of all, a big thank you to NetGalley, Berkley, and Ali Hazelwood for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

SOOOOOOOOOOO real talk: Love, Theoretically did not supplant TLH in my affections but it's definitely TIED. I mean. Olive>Elsie but Jack>>>Adam. JACK (*swoooooon*). Jack is the confident, assertive, patient, communicative, HOT, talented (IYKWIM), ground-worshipping man of my, er, Elsie's, dreams. Don't get me wrong: The Love Hypothesis is a favorite for a reason but every single scene with Jack made me smile. Incidentally I'm also reading a YA romance on NetGalley that Ali blurbed; it's really an unfair comparison just how MUCH better Ali's book is. I'm no physicist, as my (a) current job and (b) hard-won B- in HS Physics Honors would indicate, but I got the jist of the science well enough. It's not crucial to the story that the reader understand the lingo so don't let the science-talk deter you. The punny jokes were funny (except for a few that went over my head) and frankly I think the academic infighting and politics were relatable enough to appreciate. I wasn't familiar with the drawn-out interview process for faculty positions, nor was I aware that adjunct professors are given so few benefits and such little pay. I was today years old, I guess.
Anyways, back to the story: I won't recap the synopsis but suffice to say, Ali's take on fake (faux!) dating is interesting. I wonder if such an app really exists? I mean, I'm not a target provider nor a target consumer but it makes me wonder. I really liked Greg and I was happy that he found a measure of peace with his family. Cece was cute, too. (Side note: I tend towards people-pleasing as well but MY GOD I cannot, will not, absolutely won't, sit through even one of those horrible movies, let alone hours of them, SAVE YOURSELF ELSIE!) But Jack, and the authentic Elsie that Jack helped emerge from her many oniony layers, were amazing and I enjoyed all of the minutes of the two of them together on the page. Ali Hazelwood's writing style really works for me, I guess, as I stayed up WAY too late, two nights in a row, devouring it.

(I enjoyed the Olive and Adam cameo, too. Just saying.)

I have already purchased this book for our collection at work and will be purchasing my own copy to sit proudly next to TLH on my bookshelf at home. Since that means some other poor book is getting the axe, you know it must be good. YMMV but in my opinion, this was absolutely awesome.

Ten months ago, Elsie graduated with a Ph.D. in theoretical physics from Northeastern. She doesn’t make enough as an adjunct professor, so she’s got a side hustle working for Faux (app) as a fake girlfriend. There is something off-putting about her favorite client’s brother, Jack. She can’t read him and be the best Elsie for him like she does with everyone else.

Elsie applies for a full-time job with MIT and discovers that Jack is none other than Jonathan Smith-Turner, the experimental physicist that ruined her mentor’s career. She’s determined to get the job to show Jack and all experimental physicist that theoretical physicists are not fake scientists.

Love, Theoretically is another delightful, standalone STEM-based romance from Ms. Hazelwood. Falling in the enemies-to-lovers trope, Elsie and Jack’s romance takes time to slowly develop, simmering until it explodes. There is a lot going on outside of the romance, yet it impacts their relationship, and as the story unfolds, the larger picture is slowly revealed.

At first, I didn’t care for Elsie. She is quick to assume, not listening to others because she “already knows.” She evaluates everyone and gives them the Elsie she thinks they want, never disagreeing or being her real self. Additionally, she wants Jack to suffer for his part in ruining the careers of several theoretical physicists, including her mentor, and her fantasies would go a bit too far. While there were times I didn’t much like Elsie, I came to love and respect her over the course of the story. The author spends a lot of time helping the reader understand Elsie’s issues and insecurities, both via her own revelations and via Jack’s love and affection. Watching Elsie evolve over the course of the book is heartbreaking and beautiful.

Jack is a saint. Although we don’t get his POV, it’s obvious he cares. There are little things the reader realizes Jack is doing for Elsie, to be kind to her, sprinkled in here and there. Jack recognizes his obsession for Elsie right from the start. At first it’s physical yet completely intangible, but then he gets to know her and it’s passion and love. He’s protective.

While there is a lot of jargon and science, I’m a STEM nerd and enjoyed it. I don’t think the book would have been as good with a dumbed-down vocabulary. In the end, I enjoyed both the romance and character growth of Elsie and Jack and recommend Love, Theoretically.

My Rating: A-/B+

Elsie is an adjunct phsyics professor who makes money on the side by fake dating people, but when she interviews for an incredible tenure track position at MIT she knows things will change. Except one of the members of the interview panel is not only an academic rival, but also the brother of the man she's been fake dating to help him avoid his family's questions.

I loved Elsie and Jack, and their rivalry to romance. I loved this just as much as I loved The Love Hypothesis. A fun and steamy science romance.

Ali Hazelwood does it again! This book has the same charm that The Love Hypothesis has, and it reminded my why I got hooked on Ali Hazelwood in the first place. This book leans in heavily on the STEM/science side, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. This book also takes the fake dating trope, and introduces something new and fresh, a love story between the main character and the fake boyfriend's brother. Elsie, the book's main character, says it best, "I like simple, straightforward romance stories with dramatic characters and improbably high stakes."

From the first chapter, the romance feels intense and meaningful, and it doesn't hurt that you're also rooting for a super smart main character who wants so badly to make it in the academic world. It also felt so good reading about a main character that is confident and direct about how he feels, and he so clearly sees who Elsie is even when nobody else does. I also love that this book doesn't mess around with blurred ethical lines of romance in the workplace/school. There's a little cliched dialogue in here, but it is still way more enjoyable to read than many other romance books. I read this book in one day, and I am already looking forward to the next Ali Hazelwood romance.