I'm not sure why I waited so long to read this BUT it was worth the wait. I really enjoyed this book and feel like it is the perfect companion to the other titles in this world by Hazelwood. If you're a cynic you might say they're all the same but there are beautiful distinctions that allow us to get different perspectives on academia, science, women in STEM, LOVE even, you name it!

Jack and Elsie (aka Elise to her longtime mentor) have met over family dinners while she fake dates (in a very non traditional romance novel way) his brother Greg. Then they meet at her three day interview for a position in his department at MIT. So like, the biggest of all the deals. Especially for a adjunct without health insurance.

And then of course the universe keeps throwing them together AND Greg makes a few special appearances that ramp up the action in this slow burn but also not super typically paced romance novel.

The first section could be said to focus on Elsie's relationship with Greg and her 3-day interview (including mishaps and excellent dad jokes). The second is some of the fall out from those three days and the beginning of what might be a beautiful relationship between Jack and Elsie. And at the 60% mark (when I normally expect the lead couple to get together!) we kind of get that - but moreso in the form of Jack formally asking Elsie on a date. And then we wait some more. And then somehow in the third section we get zero to sixty for the relationship AND the third act breakup AND the result of the job interview (although yes that's closer to the 60% mark) AND some fabulous girl power moves (that involve article publishing and jello).

So yes, this review includes a few tiny spoilers, but read the book anyways - it's everything and more !

4.5 ⭐ I personally think that these these two books have been such a joy to read. I loved the themes of self discovery and learning to put up boundaries that Elsie experiences. I found them to be so deeply personal.

Love, Theoretically follows Elsie, an adjunct professor who is actively interviewing for tenured roles. Because she makes no money, she signs up for basically an escort service where men or women can hire her to be their fake girlfriend. Which is how she meets Greg, who needs her to help get his family off of his back. While spending time with his family, she meets his older brother Jack. He’s incredibly skeptical of her from day 1 and makes Elsie nervous for Greg’s cover being blown. But Jack turns out to be someone even more significant in Elsie life and career.

@entirelybonkerz posted about Ali Hazelwood saying that even though these books aren’t spicy they are so important when it comes to intimacy and boundaries and that she wished she could give them to her younger self, and that’s exactly how I felt reading Love, Theoretically. I wish younger me could have learned about intimacy, boundaries and incredibly respectful men from a book like this.

I enjoyed this book. It was different from her previous books in that it focused a lot on Elsie and her mental and professional journey rather than focusing on the romance, which I have mixed feelings on. The romance was fun, and I enjoyed the amount of tension throughout the book. However, Hazelwood was VERY heavy-handed in mentioning Elsie's masking and people-pleasing tendencies. It got repetitive toward the end and also became the focus of her relationship with Jack. Apart from this, I liked the different storylines and I appreciated the ace/aro spectrum representation. I thought it was well done.

This has got to be my favorite Ali Hazelwood yet.

Was there a big guy and a small woman? Yes. But it wasn't overdone. It was just right!

I loved the story of these two, and especially their own personal struggles they dealt with. Beautifully done!

This is my first read of this highly talked about author.
I can definitely see some of the appeal in which readers flock towards her books. They have this dash of the drama, this hopefulness of love and chemistry, wish cheesy moments.
It’s cute and fun, light hearted, and enjoyable.
Rating 3.5

Ignore all of the people saying that this is a carbon copy of The Love Hypothesis. For one, most of them haven't even read it... And for two, the remake is NEVER better than the original.

And hey, hi, hello - this book is really great. Like REALLY REALLY. Give me a short diabetic queen fighting the fight against academia any day. Elsie and Jack are fundamentally different from Ali Hazelwood's previous couples - there's admittedly some strife between them, but it's not caused by any miscommunication trope. The steamy bits were exceptionally hot in my opinion, even when compared to her other books. I really enjoyed all of the little subplots and the overall focus on being honest with yourself. Elsie is so talented, but she improves so much as a character when she stops being a doormat. Jack is a SBD all the way through and Cece is the ultimate BFF with a vengeful hedgehog. I'm taking out a second mortgage in the Aliverse y'all.

*Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

I had heard great things about Ali Hazelwood, and I wanted to read something more light and fun, so I was ready to dive in. The book started slow, and I had a tough time staying fully invested in the book. There were some entertaining parts, and I loved that the story was centered around a woman in the STEM field. The science environment gave the story a fresh and exciting feel, but I felt the rest of the story was just mediocre. I was not fully invested in Elise and Jack's romance. I loved their bickering at the beginning of the book, but once they started to get into a relationship, I felt that their chemistry wasn’t the same anymore. I enjoyed their tension more than their developing romance, which disappointed me. I still enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone who wanted to read about a woman in STEM with a light and fun fake relationship troupe!

Thank you to NetGalley and to Berkley Publishing for giving me a copy of the book.

Elsie Hannaway is a theoretical physicist who is working away as an adjunct professor in an overall less-than-ideal situation, especially financially speaking. So to make ends meet, she offers up her services as a fake girlfriend which allows her to use her special skillset of molding herself into whatever version of her that people want.

Everything is more or less smooth-sailing until Elsie finds out that the older brother of her favorite client, Jack Smith, ends up being the experimental physicist who she despises and who also sits between her and her dream job.

Add in a big of forced to spend time with one another through the interviewing process and some secrets and this book makes for a delicious slow burn.

Love, Theoretically is my favorite Ali Hazelwood book. She really delivered with this one. As always I was smiling and kicking my feet around during the super cute parts that were mostly top-tier banter, and there were loads of moments that had me laughing I also cried once because I just felt so seen.

If you were a fan of any of Ali Hazelwood’s other books, you’ll also really enjoy this one. Especially if you love a good cameo from previous characters because this book had Adam & Olive in it just the perfect amount to be excited but not to have them overtake the story!

This book is heavy on the A+ banter and the “let me take care of you” with a delicious serving of “I see the real you” that will have you swooning especially with Jack as the leading man. I am super excited to get a physical copy of this one and have already preordered it.

Thank you so much Berkley Romance for sending me an e-ARC copy to review!

Love, Theoretically is my new favorite Ali Hazelwood book-- and maybe a top romance of 2023!

Elsie is an expect, at both theoretical physics and twisting herself to fit other people's needs. Levi is the first person to see right through her act, and an experimental physicist-- which makes him infuriating. Even worse? He's the older brother of the guy she is fake dating... and on the hiring committee of the job she desperately needs. When Elsie and Levi meet, more often than either of them would like, sparks fly. It's not clear if it is from them butting heads or their explosive chemistry. In this feminist STEM romance Hazelwood wraps her adult debut trio of workplace enemies to lovers standalones to a close-- with a bang. If you've loved Hazelwood's previous books, you should pick this one up! I cannot wait to see what she writes next :)

ps. there is an Olive and Adam cameo that will bring a huge smile to all The Love Hypothesis fans out there <3

Sigh. I’ve been sitting with my feelings on Love, Theoretically for a while now, attempting to gather them into coherent thoughts. I’m not entirely sure that’s possible. Do I love this book beyond words? I think… yes. Yes, I do. Is this my favorite book by Ali Hazelwood? Undoubtedly, yes. Do I wish Jack was real? Duh. So, thank you for this book, Ali Hazelwood and Berkley. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

When Ali Hazelwood, the Queen of STEM, puts out a book, I know I’m going to have to read it. There is something so intriguing about being surrounded by the scientific world combined with comedy and romance. But when she puts out a book with enemies-to-lovers (my favorite trope), I know I’m going to devour it. And devour it, I did.

As someone who has read every book Ali Hazelwood has put out, I have to say most of her books follow the same pattern. I was finding myself leaning away from her books as I craved something different - something unexpected - instead of the same story plotline as her previous books. So I let my arc sit for weeks, struggling to pick it up. But once I finally sat down to read this, I 100% regretted waiting even a moment to start Love Theoretically. This may honestly be my favorite book of hers to date. Sorry Adam, but Jack has stolen my heart.

While Hazelwood’s signature writing style was still apparent, this one felt different. It felt more mature, funnier, sexier, and more sincere than her last few releases. We still get the slightly awkward FMC and the tree trunk MMC but in a more interesting and sincere presence. We still get the spice but more classy and less stilted. We still get the instances of quirk but more interesting and even more hilarious scenarios than before.

The star of this book for me was Jack. Just a dark, broody, intense, intelligent man who knows what he wants and isn’t afraid to go for it. I loved how Jack helped Elsie find herself without trying to change her or impede her in anyway. He truly wanted what was best for Elsie even if it wasn’t the best for him and I loved seeing that on the page. His sincerity and love shone so well that he has become an instant favorite book boyfriend.

Elsie is Hazelwood’s typical FFM. Fun, quirky, intelligent, and a slight push over. She is a caring woman who allows people to push her around for the betterment of all, at least that’s how Elsie looks at it. It was really fun watching her grow and figure out how to say no.

A people pleasing woman who can’t say no. A strong man who knows how to push all her buttons. On top of that academic rivals: one responsible for the demise of the other’s mentor’s career. About to work together at the same university. Whatever could go wrong? Que the enemies-to-lovers STEM story we didn’t know we needed.

I am going to recommend this to all my friends so much they’ll probably get sick of hearing me talk about it. If you’re still debating on whether or not to pick this one up take this as your push to do it. And if Hazelwood ever wants to write more on these two I will be the first person in line waiting for that piece to publish because I could read so much more about Jack and Elsie.

Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood

While you read this review, please know that I am screaming, crying, and have fainted away. I am in love. I have (once again lol) been ruined by a fictional man, who in actuality is Ali Hazelwood's genius and hilarious imagination. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Elsie is a theoretical physicist, an adjunct professor, a professional fake date, and for better or for worse, has perfected the art of erasing herself to people please. Jack, the brother of her favorite fake date client, begins to see through it, but he doesn't understand why or how deep her deception goes. When they realize who the other person is, that they are professional rivals, and that he is a part of the hiring team where she is interviewing-- it seems like things could not possibly get any worse for Elsie. . .but maybe throw in *developing feelings for the rival* just to see!

• I'm going to start with what I loved most: Jack. He is by far my favorite AH hero. So swoonworthy. Holy heaven above. He's hard for our heroine to read, but he isn't mono-syllabic or surly (though we like that sometimes, too, of course!) He actually talks a lot and he loves clear, honest communication. He strikes a balance between broody-bossy-daddy and golden retriever that I didn't know existed. The dialogue in this book was wonderful!

• The pacing was perfect. There are a lot of romance novels where a character is trying to get a job or promotion and is up against the love interest in some way. It seems like the pace and arc of a lot of these books are similar, and the third act conflict is related to the outcome of the rivalry or competition. I loved that this book had a different arc--it was fresh and so enjoyable.

• The tension. UNPUTDOWNABLE. I had one of those nights (ha ha it's actually every night) where my baby woke up, so I began to read while rocking her back to sleep. And then stayed awake hours longer because I *could not* put it down.

• The story has lovely layers. I love that we get fake dating, but it's not between the main characters. I love that there's a professional rivalry, but it's not like other rivals to lovers tropes. There's a mistaken identity and secret that creates the first conflict, but it doesn't remain through the whole story.

• Obviously, all science related puns were over my head. But I was aware of them. 😅 I really loved the theoretical vs experimental physics stuff. Every bit of what makes this a STEMinist romance just works so well. I felt like the world of physicists in academia that AH built for this novel was very believable and accessible.

• It's heavenly. The whole book is heavenly!!

• Elsie's growth arc - the people pleasing is sad. It doesn't exactly create the most loveable heroine, for her to be unable to be herself almost 100% of the time-- but I did love her growth and honestly, by the end, I have zero complaints about this book. It was perfect to me!

Thank you so much Netgalley and Berkley. All opinions are my own!

Hazelwood continues to create stories about love that absolutely knock my socks off.

Elsie needs this job. Not only will it help with her diabetes, but it means financial stability and the ability to complete her own research. That is until her fake dating app gets in the way. One ofher fake boyfriend's brother is on the hiring team and he can't stand her. Despite all that, Elsie is determined to get this job and to ruin Jonathan Turner-Smith's life in the process. Somewhere along the line, she ends up finding out that he doesn't hate her and that he sees her truly. Will Elsie be able to be herself and find happiness?

This book was everything. First we got some mentioned and reoccurrence of some of my favorite characters, which only made me love the story more. I found Elsie really relatable, as a people pleaser myself, finding the parts that match certain expectations can be draining.

I was able to guess the villainous end twist, but only because I figured there was going to have to be one. I found the pacing steady, with easy highs and lows to follow. I think this book had the most academic language ( I looked up a lot of new words for better context) but I loved reading about academic politics, it was fascinating.

And of course, what is an Ali Hazelwood novel without another man to adore. The relationship between Jack and Elsie is perfection. A beautiful misunderstanding of his intentions and his ability to see right through her. It gives them some unequal footing, which is addressed, but also allows Elsie this beautiful space to grow into herself in the later half of the book. And the spice? The spice was perfect. The build? The flirting? All chef's kisses.

Perfection, go read it now.

okay Ali Hazelwood this was so fun! It took me a little bit to get into but as always Ali Hazelwood kept me entertained! I will never get tired of reading STEMinist romcoms.

Thank you Netgalley and Berkley Romance for providing me with an e-ARC to review. All opinions are honest and my own.

Rating: 3.75 out of 5 stars
Rep: Physicist, LGBTQIA+rep, ace-spec side character,
TW: strained familial relations, death of a parent (past), terminal illness (past), sex (on the page), sexism, attempted sexual assault/groping, inequalities in academia

At this point in time I have read every traditionally published adult romance novel written by Ali Hazelwood, so I would consider myself a Hazelwood connoisseur. As I’ve stated in the past, if Hazelwood’s overall writing, flow, banter, and wit did not jive with you, you simply may not be a fan of her work, which is ok. However, if it was the plot that you didn’t enjoy in a previous book, then I would say go into this one open minded.

Out of her three full length novels, this one sits at number three (the lowest) on my list. I still had fun with it and voraciously devoured it, during a relatively melancholic point in my life. So I must admit a reread may be in order, as I cannot adequately recall the entirety of the book, but I still have a good grasp on the heart of the story to write a review. I would say this one is the most STEM heavy. I’ve been waiting for one of her novels to be as direct as this one, so I did enjoy following Elsie, a Theoretical Physicist, hence the title of the book. Due to the more focused approach on physics in this book, I felt it was the one which took the hardest jab, offering criticism, perspective, and insight into the sexism and general inequality which plagues academia. Conversations regarding the amount of work and time one must take to climb the “ladder of success” while barely being able to sustain oneself on said ladder. The differences in respect and wage between tenured professors and, essentially, everyone else slaps you in the face. The narration takes a small bite into the large pie of how intersectionality and prejudice play a major role on who does and does not “succeed” and the rate of “achievement.” You really get a greater understanding of the obstacles people are forced to grapple with if they wish to be and remain in academia, while essentially dealing with abuse, in various forms, especially institutionalized economic abuse.

One of the most delightful aspects of the book was the inclusion of the fake dating trope, one of my absolute favorites when done well, however it was completely turned upside down. Instead of fake dating the male love interest, Elsie joins an app, to financially support herself, re: economic abuse, serving as a dating escort, no sexual services are rendered. While this serves as lighthearted at times providing comedic relief, this job serves as a conduit to demonstrate how women are both used and abused. Served as a means to appease and serve the ego’s of some men and the ire of others. However, via the app she secures a long-term client, Greg, younger brother of Jack. Cue, conflict, frustration, pining, the usual.

Jack, do you remember him from <i> The Love Hypothesis </i>? I sure didn’t it took me longer than it should to clock him and once I did it made this reading even more enjoyable. Yes, there is indeed an Adam and Olive cameo which will soothe the hearts of anyone who adored their story.

Okay, so let’s get back to my general consensus on the story. Honestly, the pacing felt off to me. Not in a bogged down manner, necessarily, or that it was too rushed, but while reading I was extremely convinced I was coming to the end of the story, only to realize I had only hit the halfway point. Granted, this is a four hundred page romance novel, which is a bit heftier than I tend to prefer for the genre. Elsie was not my favorite of Hazelwood’s female leads however, Jack was an interesting and dynamic character which aided in the overall development of the plot. One day, hopefully, please, we will be graced with a dual point-of-view (POV) story, which I truly believe would elevate Mrs. Hazelwood’s writing style. She clearly knows how to write a man and the crumbs she gives us are mesmerizing, so imagine a whole novel???

I guess I never much considered the rivals which exist in academia, and while I’m sure they exist, they only existed to me in my periphery. This warring between Theoretical and Experimental Physicists was a delight for me, someone outside of this sphere. Knowing this point of contention was loosely based on a true event (per the Author’s Note), it was a clever inclusion by Hazelwood. It also highlights the ramifications of disciplinary conflicts and how the actions of one, or a few, can greatly impact the many. I wholly appreciate the truth and meatiness of conversation regarding several injustices that truly do impact the lives of many academics. I believe people in higher education, regardless of emphasis, will resonate with several aspects of this story. So all in all, the academia was great, the relationship however, could have been tightened for me. She did work to add more depth as the story went on, but what can I say I like my romances profound and heavy, at least, when the author makes me believe they should be.

3.75-4 Stars - After finishing her phd, Elsie pictured a dream career continuing her research in theoretical physics. Instead, she's working as an adjunct professor teaching way too many classes, miserable and broke, and having to work as a fake girlfriend for hire to make ends meet. Overall, Elsie's side gig is ok...she's providing companionship and using her skills as a perpetual people pleaser to be whoever her clients need. But Elsie dreams of a better job and a better life. This opportunity seems finally in her grasp when she scores a final interview for a faculty position at MIT...only to discover that the final decision comes down to experimental physicist Johnathan Smith-Turner. The professional rival of all theorists AND (unbeknownst to Elsie) the brother of one of her regular fake-girlfriend clients...who seems to loathe the very sight of her.

I have read Ali Hazelwood's other books as well (and enjoyed them!) and I have just started to notice that her heroes and heroines are ~very~ similar in each book. This isn't necessarily a bad thing...they just seem a little interchangeable just with different scientific disciplines. The heroines are kooky quirky and teeny tiny with no clue how beautiful they are. The heroes are big and broody bad boys of science who have secretly been obsessed with her since the moment they laid eyes on her. I did like the set-up of this book with Elsie fake dating Jack's brother, but I feel like this plot point was kind of a throw-away. It was ultimately unimportant to the major conflict of the book.

The strength of Love, Theoretically is really in Elsie's insecurity and uncertain situation. It is a reality for a lot of people entering into the workforce to be underemployed and stretched thin across multiple jobs with no healthcare and student loans. This coupled with Elsie's insecurity and people pleasing made her a very empathetic and relatable character. While Jack's obsession with her felt a little unjustified and little too insta-love for me, I appreciated the care that is shown in overcoming Elsie's fears and insecurities. It didn't feel like Jack just fixed all of her problems, but more like he helped Elsie work through them on her own.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I think this might be the most nuanced of Ali Hazelwood's books so far and I'm looking forward to seeing how she continues to grow as writer.

I was so excited for a new Ali Hazelwood! I can always trust her to give me a smart book with lots of feels. While I loved the premise of this one, the characters were a little harder for me to fall in love with. Jack was the misunderstood brooding hero, which I love always, but Elsie was a little too naive for my taste. She was the crowd pleaser and kept trying to move up in her field, but kept getting held back. She is trying to get a fellowship, but the panel of people that has to decide has Jack on it and she knows Jack doesn't like her.
It was quite obvious to me pretty early that he couldn't get her out of his head, but she was stubborn to that fact. She kept believing the worst about him and just writing off the things he did for her. I really couldn't find Jacks character as believable as the other men Ali has written. I really was struggling with how "popular" he was and well known outside his field.
The ending of the book was really sweet and I did love the romance. If youlove Ali Hazelwood and all the smart couples she writes, you will like this too.
Thank you to Berkley, Ali Hazelwood and Netgalley for an early copy.

Even though all Ali Hazelwood books tend to be some combination of a smart, funny girl who gets thrown into a situation with a giant handsome guy and he is obsessed with her while she is oblivious + science, I can't help but be charmed by them every single time. Her humor and banter writing skills are some of the best out there, and I will inevitably read whatever she writes like my life depends on it.

What science genre and giant man type will we explore next?!

As I said, I didn’t love Ali Hazelwood’s debut so I was nervous to start Love, Theoretically yet I had no reason to be. The story follows Elsie who is a theoretical physicist and adjunct professor who is also hired to be people’s fake girlfriends. If it sounds a little unbelievable, it is but it’s part of the charm.

It all comes to a head when Elsie comes face-to-face with Jack who is her fake boyfriend’s brother and someone who seemingly destroyed her hopes at a career. Of course, the two are forced together as Elsie is interviewing at MIT and that’s where Jack works so from there, it’s a waiting game.

While the two have some animosity toward each other, it’s so clear they want each other, and watching these two smart idiots fall in love was great. I don’t want to give away too much because I feel like it’s best to go in, not knowing everything. While this was a solid read for me, it wasn’t a perfect read yet it’s easily my favorite Ali Hazelwood I’ve read yet.

That’s not to say I have no complaints about Love, Theoretically. I will say that all of the scientific stuff went over my head. However, I do think upon reading the author’s note, it made sense yet that can offputting to some readers. I also don’t particularly enjoy the way this author writes sex scenes.

Other than that, this was a pretty well-rounded book and a massive surprise for me. I think if you didn’t love her debut, you might end up enjoying Love, Theoretically as I did. Coupled with the cute cover and just downright undeniable connection these two had, you’ll be thinking about Elsie and Jack long after you close the book.

Ali Hazelwood can do no wrong! I loved this book. I loved the characters. Jack just might be my favorite guy Ali’s written. He is PERFECT. The plot did feel a bit similar to the first two books but considering I ate those ones up, I didn’t mind. It also seemed a little more science-y than the previous two, which I also didn’t mind. Reading it made me feel smarter lol. & the Oliver & Adam cameo made my heart BURST, I missed them so much!