Read If You Like
🤫 Secret pining
🙋‍♂️ He falls first
🔮 Crystals
👩‍💼 Job Interviews
🤡 Fake dating
😤 Enemies to lovers

Back in the STEM world with the queen and so happy to be here. This was one of my most anticipated releases of 2023 and it definitely delivered!

My thoughts 💭
- This is definitely the most science and academia heavy book of Ali’s. Because of that the first 30ish percent was a bit tough for me to get into. With that said it was kind of cool to see all the craziness that goes on in the academic world 🤯
- Dare I say…this was the steamiest of her books as well?? Idk my memory may be escaping me but the tension and build up to those steamy scenes was chefs kiss
- Jack was just 😍 I mean probably the most communicative man I’ve ever read and damnn it made him HOTTT.
- I randomly cried half way through this book?? Idk if that was supposed to happen or if it was a me problem but emotions were running high and I really did feel for Elsie 🥺
- Because Elsie’s character was more reserved this book wasn’t as lol funny as the first two. BUT I think Elsie and Jack had really cute Banter and Jack brought a lot of the humor. So did Elsie’s roommate Cece
-The cameo from Olive and Adam…it was so good to see them!! Plus there’s a brief mention of Bee🥲

Overall, I really enjoyed this one! Excited for everyone to read it!

I couldn't wait to read this one. I will read anything Ali Hazelwood writes. Although, this wasn't as good as her first title, library patrons should enjoy this. The heroine was a little needy and it dragged a little. You could tell where most of the plot points were headed, but you don't mind because you have such a fun time along the way.

Loved it! Hazelwood makes science sexy and also gives characters with disabilities and other medical issues a voice to say, "Yes, we still count and want romance too!"

If you've read Hazelwood's previous novels, then you know what to expect from this one. STEM main characters, guy falls first, academic rivals, and all the romance that comes along with it.

True to Hazelwood's writing, this book was funny and witty. She has a way of making even people who are way smarter than me feel relatable and charming. I was smiling and laughing through multiple parts of this book particularly anytime cheese was mentioned (spoiler alert: a lot).

Jack was a character that was a bit mysterious, but also so loveable that I found I didn't even care what he was hiding. I love that we saw a little bit of grump from him in the beginning then saw his true, flirty, understanding personality come out as misunderstandings were clarified.

Elsie was a character that felt fairly original and pretty relatable. She struggled with being herself around others and not lying about this or that just to please them. I loved seeing how Jack worked with her from where she was at instead of trying to change her completely. And seeing her blossum into her awesome theoretical physicist self was a transformation worth waiting for.

I have a complaint about this book which is crazy considering I've only ever gushed about her other novels. This book was shaping up to be better than her others which I was thrilled about. Then the second half came. The second half lacked a few things the first half had like romantic angst, a good conflict, and witty banter. It was lovely to see Jack and Elsie's relationship advance how it did, but it took away some of the magic.

Also, the conflict at the end was kinda trash. The conflict at the beginning was fire and I was so excited to see how everything shook out. And then once things did shake out I was left...dissatisfied. I think it could have dragged on longer or morphed into something else instead of leaving us with that dumpster fire conflict at the end.

Overall, this was a very enjoyable STEM novel from Hazelwood that I'd recommend. If you love Hazelwood's previous novels and love her formula, then you'll like this one. If you're looking for something entirely new from her...this isn't the book for you.

I adored this book, as is the usual with Ali Hazelwood! I am a die-hard fan at this point. I love the steminist component of every book, and how whip-smart her heroines are. I loved this one in particular, the plot more centered on Elsie's personal growth, and how that connected to her relationship with Jack. It felt like a book about Elsie, not just about her romance, and I love to see that. This book made me genuinely happy and I had a hard time putting it down to do normal chores and work! Absolutely cannot wait to see what Hazelwood comes up with next.

There is something about the author's writing that just pulls you into her books. The characters are always relatable and personable, they are written so well that it feels like you know them already. There's something that is so enjoyable in getting wrapped up in a book alongside the characters, and you feel as if you're right there in the story. I didn't love everything about the book, and there were a few moments that were just ok, but with the strong writing, the witty characters, and the story that kept you interested, it's hard not to enjoy this book. I enjoyed the people, the relatives, the side characters, the story, it was an easy and quick read and just a good heartfelt book.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

I really think Ali Hazelwood is using the same formula that worked for her when she wrote Reylo fanfic and applying it to other characters, which to me honestly feels a bit icky. This felt like nothing new and honestly, if you've read anything else by Ali you've read this one.

Love, Theoretically is another adorable STEM rom-com. Unfortunately, I feel like every time I read an Ali Hazelwood rom-com, I am just re-reading one of her previous novels. I did like it -- but I would have liked it better had it not reminded me so much of everything else she writes.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I will hand it to Ali Hazelwood--she's found her niche and her audience. I wish that Elsie and Jack had a little more depth as people--they both basically possess 1 personality trait--but the academic aspects are successful and the romance, when we aren't dealing with the frustrating and overdone third-act tension, is sweet.

This almost beat out Love Hypothesis as my favorite Ali Hazelwood book. Even if you know nothing about physics (now I know that theoretical and experimental physics exist!), you’ll love this book. Elsie is so funny, and Jack is what romance novel heroes are made of! This is a steamy, enemies to lovers, slow burn romance with some great banter, epic romantic declarations, and an evil hedgehog. I will be rereading this one over and over again!

That's a pretty unabashed 5 star. Can it be because of the cheese? The cheese (like literal gouda) made me smile every single time. Also? I too do not believe in blonde men but was able to work through my doubts (largely because of the cheese).

I loved this book! Even finished it in a day. Ali Hazelwood has a gift for drawing you in from the first page and keeps you wanting more. Also a fan of the STEM story lines Ali writes and this one was no different :)

The story is about Elsie, a post doc who is trying to find her way into the world of academia. She’s teaching a few classes, but earns next to nothing, which is a bigger issue since she has Type 1 diabetes. So her side hustle is fake dating (no extras!). She’s met Greg this way and has joined him at a handful of family gatherings over the course of the year. That’s where she meets Greg’s brother Jake when she lands a job interview at MIT, she ends up running into Jake enter a different name as the head of the physics department. There’s always been a chemistry between Jake and Elsie and the more time we spend together the more it evolves. They both end up realizing that they’re a perfect fit for each another, and can truly be themselves with one another.

I can’t wait to tell us when it comes out!

ALI!!!!! The banter!!!! The tenderness!!!! The hate to love!!!!! I cannot do it!!!! SO GOOD!!!

Ali Hazelwood fans will rejoice over Love, Theoretically. Rom-com fans will flock to it. I refuse to call this book anything short of a triumph. I LOVED it.

What made this book more enjoyable was the fact that I actually was able to imagine nanami kento as the love interest the entire time given his personality.

Now I have not read love on the brain yet, so I wasn’t expecting much heading into this book. But GOSH I actually loved it so much. In a once again, academia setting, I felt like it was SO different to the love hypothesis and I actually tolerated the characters. To me the mc felt so relatable, and strong witted, but also inside is dying from the things she feels like she cannot do. Them comes in Nanami Kento- who mind you I refuse to call Jack smith because that’s his name apparently- and seems to add a little more stress to her already stressful life. But he was everything, by far my fave man by Ali hazelwood. He was so calm and gentle despite his gruff persona, he hides this whole teddy bear inside him. Oh and did I mention he was the largest-

Yea she knew what she was doin there.

I loved the slow burn, the secretly obsessed guy that we had no idea was obsessed, the communication I also felt was done well in this book, with of course a few misunderstandings here and there, but I felt overall Nanami and Elsie we’re constantly able to come together at the end and resolve their issues. The rep over what a persons sexual desires are was also well done, and I was glad to not have too much smut in it because it much more enjoyable.

We also constantly got forearm p0rm so that was a plus. And FOR ONCE AN MC WHO ACTUALLY HATES COFFEE. FINALLY. I was waiting for ONE BOOK WHERE THEY CANT STAND THE SMELL OF IT.

Anyways, I can’t wait for you guys to read this and I hope it’s as good as promised for y’all🤞

Yes, yes, she's done it again. I loved reading this and stayed up way too late because I couldn't put it down. It has made me want to go back and read the other two STEMinist novels immediately.
So Elsie, a theoretical physicist, has just applied for her dream job at MIT. Between being an adjunct at two different colleges and going on fake dates to make rent and pay for her insulin this is the opportunity she has been waiting for. Unfortunately as her job interview beings Elsie is appalled to learn that one of her fake boyfriends' brothers is faculty and part of the hiring committee but also that he his her sworn professional enemy (due to an article he once wrote that damaged the whole theoretical physics field). Sparks between them obviously fly.
Elsie was very awkward, creating a different persona for herself based on what people wanted from her. Her heartbreak on the street outside of the movie theater had me in tears.

Another wonderful STEM romance from Ali Hazelwood, who remains an absolute powerhouse with the most distinctive voice in the genre, writing things that absolutely no one else could write.

Though I still laughed out loud many times, this one has a slightly more serious tone. Some will say that's a good thing. Some will say that's a bad thing. It's neither. It's just what this book and these characters required.

Ali Hazewood is a star that shows no sign of burning out.

his one is for those who have thought if I just anticipate their needs and be who they want me to be, they'll love me, If I'm not useful to them anymore they'll leave me, or have just wanted to have someone take care of them the way they take care of others.

Ali Hazelwood, you did not have to make me cry like this. Jack and Elsie's story is going to be a comfort read for me, I can feel it now. Though it's on the lower side of the spicy scale, it is sweet and fantastic for rom-com readers who love the "I want to/let me take care of you" tropes.

Love Theoretically does have a bit more academic content than the previous books, but it was still easy and fun to follow along with. Everyone who loves(d) The Love Hypothesis is going to be thrilled to see our favorite Grump x Sunshine duo make a reappearance that if you're like me, will have you dropping a few tears.

I can not wait to have a physical copy of this in my hands!


Thank you so much to the publisher(Berkley Romance) for granting me an ARC!

I LOVED Ali’s first book. I was a little disappointed in the short stories, but Love, Theoretically has me counting down the days until I can read anything else Ali writes. I laughed so hard it hurt. The characters are fantastic. The situation is ridiculous but somehow perfect. Read this book.

I feel like Ali Hazelwood has truly found her stride. In Love, Theoretically, she strikes a chef's kiss balance between disrupting toxic systems and writing bomb romance. Jack and Elsie are dreamy because they are brilliant, kind, and quirky. As someone who has a loved one with type I diabetes, I really appreciate the representation. So. Good.

It looked simple at first: rivals to lovers in academia. But in truth, it’s SO MUCH more than that. It’s a rivalry between two different sides of the physics battlefield, and the main characters stood on each side of it. It’s about self acceptance and setting boundaries. It’s about compromise.

Elsie is a people pleaser, always putting everyone first before herself, constantly shifting her personality to be liked. She doesn't care about her needs as long as people like her. She could read people like an open book, but not with Jack. No matter how hard she observed, she couldn’t crack him, and it made her anxious.

On the other hand… Jack got a lot to unpack from his past, and it made his guard always up. Together, they were a mess, but they’re slowly trying to navigate their situationship amid academia drama. It’s kinda slow-burn for a “romance book” level, but it fits the story perfectly. Their dynamics were nice, and so were their developments. Elsie is a “mirrorball” to “Bejeweled” personified (iykyk) and I’m so proud of her. And Jack, even though I don’t really like his mediocre name, his personality was anything but mediocre. I think Elsie-Jack is my fav couple in Hazelwoodverse(?) so far. God, I love them.

I felt like this book was specifically written for me. There’s a lot of trivial things I love. Adam-Olive's cameo and Bee’s presence just outside the pages were fun to read. And as someone who loved physics above all subjects in high school, this book made me feel nostalgic. Ah, good times🥲

If I see someone saying that this book is The Love Hypothesis 3.0 (like many who've said that Love on the Brain is TLH 2.0 even though it’s clearly NOT THE SAME) I’m just gonna assume that they hate science. End of discussion.

Ali, I hope you keep getting better at writing. I rarely enjoy adult romance but after loving Love on the Brain and Love, Theoretically, I decided that I will read every book you write.

P.s I need a friend like Cece
P.p.s once I paused reading this book to make a hot chocolate because the amount of hot chocolate mentioned was taunting me