Wow, this was a rough one. I only made it about 15% through before giving up because the language was just…. Dreadful and deeply irritating. It was an utter mess of science references that I didn’t understand and ultra hip slang that I also didn’t understand. This book will not age well.

“Because I knew that if we’d start doing this, we would never stop. And that’s exactly how it is. There is no universe in which I’m going to let you go.”

Elsie and Jack. She’s a theoretical physicists and he’s an experimental physicist. They’re academic rivals but he’s been smitten since the beginning. She’s a people-pleaser but he sees right through her and just wants her to be honest with herself.

🧬READ IF YOU LIKE🧬:
- academic rivals to lovers
- he’s grumpy
- fake dating services
- theoretical physicist x experimental physicist
- women in STEM
- twilight, bill nye & cheese
- physics puns
- witty banter & bickering
- he falls first/boy obsessed
- t1d representation

cw: mention of seizure, toxic/difficult relationship with family, glycemic attack, death of loved one, controlling & manipulative mentor

Thank you to @netgalley and @berkleyromance for the advanced copy! Love, Theoretically is now available!

This is perhaps my favorite Hazelwood novel. The STEM-conflict at the book is maybe a little heavy, but it balances the romance and the characters well. There were moments where I found this book to be just so flirty and fun to read. A must-read for fans of Hazelwood's romances.

We’ve been taking a break from club reads during the summer and vibing with solo reads only, HOWEVER, the BBC will always stop everything for an Ali Hazelwood novel. Her book, The Love Hypothesis, did start us on this journey after all… So we took a one book hiatus from our hiatus, to read Love, Theoretically, Ali’s newest STEM romcom. Whoo! Was it worth it! (We read this book the day it came out, however we are on summer time when it comes to writing reviews, so apologies for the delay.)

Love, Theoretically follows FMC Elsie: theoretical physicist, people pleaser, and fake girlfriend for hire, and MMC Jack: experimental physicist, cinnamon roll, brother of one of Elsie’s clients, and member of the hiring committee for her dream job. We’ve got a little enemies to lovers, mistaken identity, personal growth, and STEM. There are so many layers in this book: behind the scenes academia, theoretical vs experimental physics, good old fashioned sexism, found family, humor, and steamy-sweet romance.

This was an easily-given 5 stars from each of us. It’s Hazelwood magic! This felt more reminiscent of The Love Hypothesis than Love on the Brain and the Loathe to Love You novella series (which are great but simply not the same level). It was smiles, laughter, and swoons balanced perfectly with real life and the look into the woman in STEM life.

Read it! Read it now!

Loved it! Every Ali Hazelwood book I read is better than the last and that's saying something! The characters' wit and charm and dialogue were some of the best in romance books.

one thing about me is I’m an ali hazelwood stan first and human second. I love alis books and loved this one also. I might a bit bias in my love as I’m a stem girly (im a biology and chemistry major in college) so I eat up these stem romances but I also just love the characters. I absolutely loved this one. it had me kicking my feet and giggling, there tension was so good and don’t even get me started on there banter. there’s just something about rivals that hits different. also jack’s actually expressing his emotions I DIED. elsie is the biggest mirrorball coded girly (like me) and I loved her so much. AND THE OLIVE ADAM CAMEO MY BABIES. overall absolutely obsessed, loved so so much.

So this book was simply delightful. This is actually my fave of her books! Elsie is many things. She’s an adjunct professor. She’s a brilliant mind working on a tenure. She also makes very little money and makes up for that by playing the role of fake girlfriend. She tries to balance her life but it all comes crashing down when the person standing in the way of her dream job at MIT is the older brother of her favorite client.
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I am always all in on enemies to lovers and this one had me laughing throughout!
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Huge thank you to @berkleypub @berittalksbooks @thephdivabooks @dg_reads @prhaudio and @netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
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I've devoured everything Ali Hazelwood has written, and I can confidently say that Love, Theoretically is her strongest work yet!

Once again taking place in the vast, soul-crushing world of STEM, Ali's new couple Elsie and Jack are enemies to lovers, theoretical vs experimental physicists (which is a rivalry, apparently??!). Tired adjunct professor Elsie meets Jack when she is fake-dating his younger brother (and telling everyone she is a librarian), only to soon discover that he is ALSO a physicist, and on the interview panel for the prestigious job she desperately needs. If that isn't awkward enough, Elsie realizes that he's the same Jack Smith that she has hated since middle school (for reasons I won't spoil here).

Despite the odds stacked against them, sparks fly and Elsie discovers that maybe Jack isn't a villain, and is perhaps exactly what she's been looking for.

Ali has done such an amazing job crafting vivid, endearing, and relatable characters in this book. Elsie's struggles with being vulnerable and constantly trying to people=please came across very authentically, and I dare say Jack is a serious contender for Best Hazelwood Book Boyfriend (sorry, Adam Carlsen).

Check out my full review on my podcast The Nerds Awaken!

I am so conflicted. Even though I gave it a three star rating, I did enjoy the book. I have enjoyed all of Ali Hazelwood’s books. It’s a STEM romance, enemies to lovers trope, steamy scenes, and strong female lead; everything I like in a summer romance read. BUT, I just couldn’t get through this one as quickly as her other romances. I felt some parts fell flat. Maybe it was the premise of the fake girlfriend, or she was dating the male lead’s brother. I am not sure what it was, but I still recommend reading this one as well as all of Ali’s other books. They are fun to read.

I think this might be my favorite Ali Hazelwood book! It was cute, fun and just the right amount of steam. And I absolutely loved both of the MCs, Elsie and Jack.

One of my favorite parts about this book was their relationship dynamic. With Elsie having such a need to please people and constantly being stuck in the role of taking on different identities, Jack makes her speak her mind even when she doesn't want to. It's so natural for Elsie to just run and it was refreshing to see a couple truly communicate.

Jack was hilarious and he knew Elsie inside and out.

Such a fun read and one that I'd absolutely read over and over..

I liked this one but I didn’t love it as much as Love on the Brain. It’s funny because so many loved her first one and then disliked that she follows a recipe, but for me, this new one felt so…realistic? Like, I love realistic romances, but there was so much happening and the main character was so frustrating and the book moved so fast and so slow at the same. It was unrealistic but also too realistic. It was something else. I don’t know how to feel. I would recommend it though, but I don’t think that I loved it. 3.5 out of 4

Elsie and Jack make me swoon for the better. SWOON! I love how we get these male characters that are not afraid to admit how they feel for the one that they are slowly falling for. Ali has done it once again!

SHE CAN’T KEEP GETTING AWAY WITH THIS!!! Okay, I really, really enjoyed this book. I laughed, I cried, I felt all the feels. But ultimately, I wonder how many times Ali Hazelwood can write about a little tiny white woman who hates a big tall white man and thinks he hates her too but he doesn’t, he’s been in love with her since Day 1. This is her most academic work yet, and really fun. Elsie is both so likable and also a master manipulator and chronic liar, which makes for fun reading. She meets Jack when fake dating his brother, but has no idea Jack is on the hiring board for a tenure track position she’s interviewing for. And she also doesn’t know that he wrote an article that denigrated her choice of career some years ago. It’s sexy, it’s fun, and it’s the exact same book the author has written two other times already, just with her best characters yet.

Love, theoretically is the first story I’ve read by this author and I absolutely loved the story, her writing style and characters. The author has created characters with depth to them and interesting backgrounds that grow over the course of the story, both professionally and personally. Elise/Elsie Hannaway is a struggling adjunct physics professor working three jobs, barely making ends meet to pay rent and buy insulin to control her diabetes. As a side job, she is a fake girlfriend for anyone who needs a paid companion for events. She gets into a predicament when her side job runs into her professional job when she applies for a tenure position at MIT. Her fake boyfriend’s brother is on the hiring committee and turns out to be her archenemy as well. Years ago, he wrote a damning article maligning her mentor and her academic field of theoretical physics. Now she has to walk a tight line during the interview process and making nice with the one man she hates with a vengeance.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story so much because of both main characters, Elsie and Jack. First, I saw so much of myself in Elsie it was pretty scary. She is a people pleaser. She will assess the situation and become the person that person would like, and she is very good at it. When she first showed up as Greg’s girlfriend, Jack saw firsthand how she could work a room and run interference for his brother Greg and become a different version of herself for each individual. Elsie has been doing it for so long with her family, her best friend and the interviewing committee, that I’m pretty sure she doesn’t show her true self to anyone. Jack sees this and points it out to her and wants her to be honest with herself and him. Jack was such an adorable hero in the story. He is protective of family but also sets boundaries because of past hurts. He fights his attraction for his brother’s ‘girlfriend’ but doesn’t relent when it comes to figuring out Elsie’s end game. It took Elsie to point out his faults after being under his microscope whenever they’ve spent time together and it was a real eye opener to him. Both understand the other and help point out how they behave and how much they are alike as well.

Ms. Hazelwood has written one of my favorite books of this year and I have to hand it to her for doing such a wonderful job. Developing characters over the course of a story, and to do it with witty banter, humor and lovable secondary characters, is such a feat. It may be a bit formulaic but it works for me. I loved the happy ending and this one was done well in spades.

Ali Hazelwood can do no wrong! Love Theoretically is, by far, her best one yet! I loved the slow burn, the academic rivalry, and the STEAM! Oh boy was it worth the wait!

I love every single new book that comes out from Ali Hazelwood. This one delved deeper into the world of academia and as someone who works in it, I LOVED it. The race to get a position and the preconceived notions about it were so accurate, I was back at the rat race that is finding a job. This was another hot, fun read between two science nerds that somehow always have bangin' bods and crazy minds. There's plenty of hi jinx to keep you entertained as well. All characters are well rounded and make you itch for more!

I really enjoyed this one! This is my second Ali hazlewood book and I just love how she writes a story! I loved her take on the fake dating trope in this one to! I thought it was done so well and different than other romance novels! I loved Elise as a character too and really related to her and trying to be what everyone else wants instead of being her true self. I also loved her growth in this one, we really see her blossom in this story and she comes into her own by the end and I loved when she took her own power back. I also loved Jack, he was such a great character and I loved how he helped Elsie along and really helped her see what she deserved In life with out pushing her to hard. He really let her do it on her own but with gentle pushes and just showing her what she deserved in life. And once again as not a science girl at all I fully enjoyed a science based story with out being confused and I love how Ali does that!

I devoured this—Ali’s writing absolutely shines. The divinely nerdtastic physics puns. The snappy banter. The beautifully nuanced friendships. The ensemble cast. Elsie’s growth arc, unlearning codependence and facing her fear of vulnerability. Jack being gone from day one, loving her so openly and fully, pushing past his pride and growing, too in taking accountability for his past. And that steam! It was a slow burn, but wowwyy did it burn when we got there. I devoured this—Ali’s writing absolutely shines. The divinely nerdtastic physics puns. The snappy banter. The beautifully nuanced friendships. The ensemble cast. Elsie’s growth arc, unlearning codependence and facing her fear of vulnerability. Jack being gone from day one, loving her so openly and fully, pushing past his pride and growing, too in taking accountability for his past. And that steam! It was a slow burn, but wowwyy did it burn when we got there.

Thank you, NetGalley and Berkley, for the ARC—all opinions are my own!

What does Ali Hazelwood put in her books?! This was another incredible win and omg these characters were so adorable. I loved them to bits and I'm just such a fan of these STEM romances. No wonder people have been loving this one - I think this might be her best yet!

I love a enemies to lovers, I love Ali Hazelwood, and I really loved this book.

This book was fun, it was sexy, it had heart and a really look into the process of being hired by a university which I have never read a book about (especially a romance one). I really enjoyed both Elsie and Jack and how their hatred of each other turns steamy.

This was such a fun book and I enjoyed it a lot.