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.

Yes, its another stoic BIG guy and a petite lady. Yes, it's another STEM book. BUT, this is actually my best Ali Hazelwood yet! I know, shocking right?

First of all let me just say that this is in no way TLH part 3 like her last books were (especially those novellas, yikes). Love Theoretically is actually Ali's best written book and her characters shine off the pages.

Elsie the dear FL is a Theoretical physicist by day and a fake Girlfriend for hire by night. Right off the bat, I was drawn to Elsie and her life. Ali made her shine and I felt all her pain and innermost thoughts. From her struggle as an adjunct (which phew, been there, do NOT miss hit), to having a chronic illness and learning from a child to make herself as 'inconvenient' to others as possible, I fully empathized with her and I loved seeing her journey and growth.

Jack Smith (LOL) was a classic gruff ML. He was fine, but what I really appreciated was his consideration of Elsie particularly during their intimate moments.

The book shines with secondary characters including Ceecee (love the sismance), George, and Hedgie :) As I said earlier, this was Ali H's best written book and I could see her growth as an author in the deft way she characterized even the secondary characters.

So while there are familiar beats here like 'a bad saboteur' and 'grumpy silent guy falls first in silence', this book was still a whole lot of fun to read.

Huge thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC

4.5 stars

Another amazing rom-com from Ali Hazelwood! This one was funny and witty and relatable (even for a non-scientist!) You can tell how knowledgeable Ali is about STEM but she still writes these scenes in a way that is easy to understand for non-scientists. I absolutely adored Elsie and Jack, the development of their relationship, and the plot line. This story felt very realistic!

Jack was obsessed from the start but it was so HEALTHY! The way he always wanted her to be herself, gently encouraged her, gave her space when she needed it, and always put her career first was so so sweet. And I of course went nuts during the Adam and Olive cameo - it was such a pleasant surprise and I loved the little touches Ali made to their relationship, like Elsie thinking that Olive would know nothing about faking dating hahaha. Overall this was such a happy and fun read with serious touches on the female experience, women in STEM/academia, and another swoony book boyfriend. I loved it!

I really loved this book! It’s my second favorite Ali Hazelwood next to The Love Hypothesis (soft spot in my heart) but I think this is her best written story yet. By far the hottest Ali Hazelwood too (😮‍💨). Those spicy scenes! Ali GAVE. I, of course, was delighted. They lived in my head rent free. I really really really adored Jack and Elsie. Jack as the main male character gave SO much, we saw so much out of him with his personality, character, wit, headstrong communication, and love. His confessions, how transparent this man was, what comes out of his mouth!! Please 🤚🏾

With Elsie, she was a character that had so much growth individually and in a relationship. I loved the diabetes representation!! So many soft spots for me and this novel. Also Jack’s patience with her and how much he is willing to learn from her, already has, was endless. ”You could be my entire world.” And how he was always willing to call her out until she was able to even do the same. I just loved all their endearing and romantic moments! Watching them fall in love. Seeing a man fall first and be absolutely obsessed? My favorite PATTERN.

I loved how Elsie and Jack challenged each other. Jack is commanding in honestly such a hot way and that’s what Elsie needs. ”I hate giving credit to a white dude who probably went to kindergarten at a French château.” LMAO this is from Elsie’s BFF in the book.

I see why Elsie feels the way she did in academics since she almost couldn’t get into her Ph.D., the mentor issues, the lack of confidence coming from her family, her autoimmune disease, and feeling like a burden to others. A mirrorball girly!

The quotes in this book, the confessions, the grovel (might I add I actually enjoyed a third act break up for the first time????) are quite the best that has ever been in an Ali Hazelwood book. I was thoroughly impressed. And just so happy reading!

The academics and science in this book were also the MOST academic and science I’ve read from Ali, and I think those in academia and scientific fields will appreciate that. I always enjoy reading about it since I’m not in this field! STEM in books! 💯

Looking past how it tends to be similar tropes, formulas, and patterns that she frequents in her stories (which I understand people get exhausted by) I really enjoyed this with them! For so many reasons.

P.S Lest I forget to mention the Olive and Adam cameo! LOVED.

“You could be my entire world. If you let me.”

First, I love the name Elsie.
Second, I get Elsie. I see Elsie. I feel Elsie.

Elsie is a people pleaser. And before you ask, I am not. But I understand her. So damn well. See, I’m not a people pleaser but for a long time I wished I were. I even tried. Briefly. It didn’t really last. My incredible stubbornness, short temper and the inability to rein in my opinions always stood in the way of me and people pleasing.

But nonetheless I wished I was a people pleaser because — as Elsie — I thought maybe if I could be what they wanted then they would like me. And if I could just be what they liked then they wouldn’t leave. I never pulled it off but I wondered.

And I wished I had a Jack to tell me to stop thinking like that, way before I actually did. To find (comfort in) my (oh so loud) voice. Because Jack is a gift we don’t deserve but like the selfish bastards we are… we’re taking him. 🥹

What’s inside:
🖤STEM romance
🖤hate to love
🖤he falls first
🖤fake boyfriend’s brother
🖤I see you
🖤Olive and Adam cameo

The Love Hypothesis was my first contemporary romance ever. It made me fall for a genre that is now my favorite. And for that it will always have my heart. But this one might just be my favorite Hazelwood. 🥹

Adult. 5 glorious stars ⭐️

This has been one of my most anticipated releases for 2023 so you KNOW when I saw this arc pop up in my inbox I RAN to my kindle and prayed to the powers that be that my reading slump wouldn’t do me dirty on this one. She absolutely did not disappoint 💅

As with all of Ali’s books, I freaking love the STEM/academic settings. It’s so unique to her writing and she just does it so well that I *almost* feel like I understand science.

I absolutely ADORED these two characters together. Elsie is the mirrorball girlie to end all mirrorball girlies. Constantly looking to please everyone around her and morph into a different version of herself for everyone she meets. EXCEPT. Enter Jack. The one person she can’t get a read on, and also the one person not afraid to call her on her shit. We stan. Now the best way I can describe Jack is a big tree. Too tall and wide for his own good. Overly protective. Just wants to take care of and provide comfort and shelter for the things around it. So again. We stan. The way this man just sees Elsie for HER. Encourages her to do the things that make HER happy. Buys the entire twilight dvd set to better understand HER. WE 👏 STAN 👏

All this to say, this is actually the first book of hers I haven’t given 5⭐️s🫣 IM SORRY!! There was just something missing for me personally. It felt kind of unfinished, and I wanted a HECK of a lot more out of the epilogue. It’s also definitely giving the love hypothesis 2.0, but I for one am very pro adam driver coded men so I’ll let it slide 😂

I sped through this book. There were times where I did have to stop and reread some things to make sure I understood correctly, because the MC's voice had a tendency to have side thoughts.

I did like the Jack, the love interest. I think he's such a dream. But more importantly, I think what this story did was show how there are negative sides to the world of academia and the importance of good mentors.

Love, Theoretically is a quirky and thoroughly charming tale that offers a witty and delicious romance. The story follows the journey of two individuals who are brought together by fate, but their love is put to the test by the challenges they face. Hazelwood's writing style is engaging and captivating, drawing readers in with her clever use of language and relatable characters. This novel is a must-read for anyone who enjoys a heartwarming love story with a touch of humor and a lot of heart.

I adored The Love Hypothesis. It's my favorite Ali Hazelwood book to date. I think this one was a case of it's me and not the book. I didn't connect with the characters the way I did with Hypothesis. I will definitely recommend it to others who enjoy romance reads!

I am not a huge reader of romance books, but I have found I really enjoy Ali Hazelwood's work! I love that her heroines are smart, likeable people! This remains the case in her latest book. Elsie is an absolute delight!
I also really appreciated that in this book the two main characters are NOT bitter enemies to start off with. Elsie is pretending to date Jack's brother. However, Jack and Elsie quickly realize they are smitten with one another, and readers are not left to lament the characters inability to figure their lives out. The real issue is that Jack is also her potential boss.
This book was exactly what I was hoping for!

4.5/5⭐️

This was a fantastic enemies to lovers rom-com! I loved the authentic, flawed, smart, endearing main characters and the delightful side characters, especially Millicent and Greg. There was even an Adam & Olive cameo! I also found the Inside glimpse into the surprisingly cutthroat culture of academia fascinating. Elsie’s journey especially resonated with me as she figures out how to put herself first; if you’ve been listening to Taylor Swift’s “You’re Losing Me” you likely will enjoy this one #pathologicalpeoplepleaser !

Yet another fun and predictable Ali Hazelwood book. This one fits the same formula as her last two (small cute scientist falls for a tall and brooding scientist) but I still enjoyed it even though I knew exactly what I was getting. I enjoyed the fun quirky parts such as the date-for-hire app which add humor to the story. Again, there was a plot where the female lead has to stand up for herself against a well know man in STEM.

The only problem I had was that there seemed to be a bit of a disconnect in the characters relationship building from after about 50% through. We went from Elsie and Jack not knowing each other and having clear boundaries to a steamy hook up. It just felt a bit rushed and out of place.

Overall, if you enjoyed Ali Hazelwood's past books and don't mind the same formula, you'll enjoy this one!

Another favorite from Ali Hazelwood. I will read anything she publishes. She so perfectly captures the pressures women in academia and STEM face, while not weighing down the levity of a good steamy romance. And it IS STEAMY. I loved the strong side female characters and I loved the little nod to sex (adjacent) work positivity. I return to Ali Hazelwood's books again and again when I want a good HEA, steamy, with a good helping of feminist rage read. Easy five stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ali's done it again! I was head over heels for elsie and jack, and I love the way ali's mmcs are always down SO BAD for the fmcs! it's so obvious and I eat it up every single time

Her main character has a chronic illness!!! The willingness that a certain character shared to learn about her illness and how to help her and be supportive of her needs was so wholesome and so good. I'm chronically ill myself and that's always at the back of my mind when the thought of being in a relationship comes to mind. Who is going to want to deal with this or even understand that sometimes I'm not going to be operating at 100%? So, reading a romance novel with a chronically ill main character made me feel super seen even though we do not share the same illness.

(For a full review, I provided a link to my blog)

Thank you so much to Berkley Romance for an advance copy of this!

I feel like I may be in the minority of this but I really enjoyed this book! The first 40% to 50% of the book was a little slow but then took off and I was all about Elsie and Jack!

"I get along with people: I give them what they want, and all I ask in return is that they not actively dislike me."

I was such a fan of The Love Hypothesis (the first book that I read in a day) BUT my TBR got way out of control and I still haven't read Love on the Brain. So this might be a hot take since from different conversations I've had with other book readers who got an early copy - the description & body type of Jack & Elsie did not bother me. Could there be more of a variety? Always but I think I was more turned off by Hazelwood's constant reference to it more so than them being the same build as prior work. I think I have just learned to lean into the campiness that Hazelwood writes.

There were definitely things that worked for me and then those I thought was unnecessary (mostly with Elsie's family).

"Maybe it's that he always looks like how I feel: tired & overwhelmed."

This definitely had a LOT of science terms that I pretended to understand what was happening. Could I have googled the difference between theorists vs experimentalist, perhaps? (I am not that much of a dummy where I couldn't infer what each mean but that is besides the point)

I thought it was really great how Hazelwood brought to light that just because 1) you are a doctor, 2) that you are an adjunct at top schools doesn't mean that you are rolling in money. And as a lot of 20 somethings and even those in their 30s, you do extra jobs to get that extra cash. Also how it is a real thing to not have health insurance and paying so much money for medicine to keep you alive (which should not be the case).

She works for a fake dating app called Faux where she meets Greg Smith. She accompanies him to a family event where she meets Jack Smith-Turner his brother. She was taught to hate him by her mentor after an article he wrote turned out to be untrue and flipped the science world upside down. One thing I related to was Elsie passion for cheese. I too look at cheese like how others may look at porn.

"I don't care much about most people, but I can't stop paying attention to you."

Jack Smith-Turner.
There were a few moments even ones that don't seem like a big deal that just made me SWOON.
Giving kisses on the temple? SWOON
Wanting to learn how to change her insulin pod? SWOON
Constant sweet talk? SWOON

He just made me really happy. I love that he fell first. He just wanted the best for Elsie even when she couldn't see it herself. I love how protected he was of her & never doubted his feelings towards her. He knew she would get to the same point as him and was patient with her.

One thing that I was SUPER surprised & elated was how open door this one is. I confirmed with a reader friend who also got an advance copy that this definitely was Hazelwood's spiciest book. I definitely spent some late night reading when I hit the point because it was just SO good & was making my blush.

I am looking forward to going back and reading Love on the Brain and looking forward to her YA debut.

4.25