Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reading copy! I loved this book, and full disclosure, I work in academia, so this story and the characters really spoke to me. This is a great addition to Ali Hazelwood’s STEM rom com world, BUT if one of your complaints about Hazelwood is that she writes similar books, this is definitely in the same plot zone and world of her other novels. Saying that, I did not mind at all - Jack is a great main male lead and Elsie’s imposter syndrome and molding to fit people based on trauma was well written and worked for me. There is just something so great about Hazelwood’s writing - she makes you feel like a friend, comfortable with the characters, and writes great banter. She’s also super funny, making me laugh out loud many times throughout this book and devour it in about 2 days (which is fast for me). This book might be a little “inside information” in terms of how it works within the world of academia, but as someone who works at a university and sees the issues of toxic masculinity and adjunct abuse, this story resonated with my experiences. I recommend this book for fans of Ali Hazelwood, STEM and academic settings, contemporary fiction, and romantic comedy.

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart


Review copy was received from NetGalley, Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

4.5 hearts

I'm all in for a stem world. The academics and politics fascinate me. Ok, the misogyny and treatment of women also infuriates me. The world in Love, Theoretically, is connected to some of the author's other books, which was only recognizable in a very brief mention near the end.

Elsie loves her work and she has a real talent. But she's starving herself and without health insurance because she's just an adjunct professor. She has no health insurance and she needs it. So she and her roommate also have jobs as fake dates to supplement their incomes. Suddenly, she gets and interview for a job she really wants at MIT, and the older brother of one of her fake dates is on the hiring committee.

Elsie is manipulated by her family, and her mentor, and works really hard for everything. If she's a little tired and used to putting on an agreeable face to the world, well it's what she needs to do to survive.

The annoying older brother, Jack Smith, is unreadable to her. (Jack Smith - lol) He knows so much more than he can tell her and he may have an easy road as a white male but he's not unfair. While Elsie battles him fiercely, he takes steps to protect her. While I dislike a situation where the woman is down on her luck / money, and the man has lots of money and influence, it is often the way it is and certainly shows how strong and capable the woman is.

I found this to be such an emotional ride as Elsie learns some truths about herself, and being herself. Of course, she and Jack are so compatible and the sparks lead to such a good relationship in the end. It was heart-warming. I loved all the feelings here and look forward to much more in this world.

4.5🌟 - I really liked it!

Thank you @berkleyromance and @netgalley for the E-ARC and @prhaudio and @librofm for the ALC!

I really liked this!! I thought the academic rivals plot was so fun, and loved the fake dating aspect! The STEM rep is always such a fun and a characteristic trait of her novels too which I love!

Jack was such a good MMC! I loved him, and how he was so honest and helped made Elsie her truest self ❤️‍🩹.

I love a he falls first trope, and this was the epitome of that 🤌🏻. This is my second fav of her books so far, and I can’t wait to see what comes next from Ali!

Elsie Hannaway is a theoretical physicist juggling many adjunct professor positions along with her side job of fake dating, in order to make rent. When a faculty position opens up at MIT, Elsie thinks this may be the solution to her career and money problems. However, she discovers the brother of one of her fake dating clients is part of the interview panel and Jack seems determined to keep Elsie from getting the job. Part of the enmity stems from Jack being upset with Elsie for seemingly lying to his brother, and the other part is the fact that Elsie is a theoretical physicist versus Jack's own field of study, experimental physics. What ensues is a lot of miscommunication, with Jack being antagonistic and Elsie feeling the need to be defensive. Their focus on honesty as their relationship developed was nice, but it was also frustrating how Jack kept deciding things for Elsie and it was good that was addressed to some extent. The most frustrating part of the book was Elsie's mother and her constant badgering that Elsie solve the issue between her twin brothers, despite that having nothing to do with Elsie whatsoever. The emails from the students to Elsie were rather humorous and a nice break between chapters.

When Dr. Elsie Hannaway, theoretical physicist, adjunct professor and Faux-dater realizes her latest fake-date has ties to her most hated experimental physicist -- the one who messed with her mentor and wrote about how her field of theoretical physics is a joke -- things go from bad to worse. It turns out he's more connected to her life when Jack Smith-Turner is connected to her dream job. She finds out just how small of a world it really is. And just how rigged academia can be. And maybe things just aren't exactly the way they seem with Jack Smith-Turner.

There is great romantic tension in the first third of this book. It was masterfully done and I could feel the sparks between Jack and Elsie in a major way and I loved it. I loved the emotional building in this part of the book. I just wanted it to go on and on.

I really did love Elsie, her humor and insight, even her cluelessness when it came to Jack. I loved it even move when she figured out what she wanted and decided to go for it. That was just lovely. This slow-burn, enemies-to-lover romance was just perfect for this reader. I love how it built up and that neither Jack nor Elsie were perfect in how they handled the stuff that is thrown their way.

I found this story to be an accurate representation of the sometimes nasty, back-stabbity world of research and faculty tenure I had to stop reading at the pivotal moment that Elsie realizes that she wants to be supportive of her female colleagues in science, but is lured into slamming one of them -- that was just so meaningful and real moment to me. A beautiful one too because women should always support other women in their career aspirations. The power moves made by Elsie's mentor also rang true unfortunately and it made Elsie's growth just that much sweeter.

I really liked Love Theoretically. Elsie is terrific, I connected with her right away. Jack took longer to show his heart, but he was a swoony romantic lead when it counted. They are hot stuff together, for sure.

So this is going to be on my favorites of 2023 list. The slow burn romance has great tension and doesn't disappear when the characters connect. The conflicts are realistic, timely and often gut-wrenching and I loved that about it too. A terrific romance in the world of STEM research.

There is just something about the books that Ali Hazelwood writes that has be hooked. I this story definitely stands strong among her other titles. Elsie had such a fun story and her work as a girlfriend for hire was a fun start to the story. I also love how supportive she was of Greg and genuinely wanted to help protect him from his family and their intrusiveness. I love how the story also took you through the academic process as well and allowed a look into that. As for the romance, I loved all the bickering between the two of them. I also loved how Jack was continually trying to get her to have and acknowledge her own voice instead of being who everyone else wanted her to be. There are definitely some other things I loved but they are full of spoilers. I loved this one and can’t wait to read what Ali puts out next.

My third Ali Hazelwood book and I don't know how to feel anymore.

You hear about how her books follow the same formula and you want to believe it's not true... but it is. Big man/ tiny woman, enemies to lovers, the guy falls first, an evil enemy ready to take down the FMC because misogyny in STEM. I genuinely loved it the first time around in TLH, but at this point it’s just become predictable and repetitive.

For this book, I of course still really appreciate the women in STEM themes and how Hazelwood doesn’t shy away from shedding some ugly truths on what this field, primarily dominated by men, can be like. I also liked who our FMC in this story, Elsie, suffered from chronic illness (type 1 diabetes) and the struggles of that while not have adequate healthcare felt relatable.

This book does also have more of an academia/ politics within it feel which made it a tad different than some of her previous stories. I did also like a few of the side characters, such as George, and hope we can somehow see more of her someday.

Aside from the aforementioned grievances, another thing I wasn’t a huge fan of in this book was Elsie herself. She is and always has been a people pleaser which is something I totally understand, but there were parts about this that just felt off. It’s hard to explain, but part of it was how Jack came in, told her to say “honesty” and BAM it was like there was never an issue. Sure it can be seen as sweet, but I just had a hard time with her character. Also, her obsession with cheese and Twilight was fun at first, but then I felt like it became a thing to constantly mention this and it became way too much.

While there were some qualities that made this book a little different, ultimately I found it too similar in structure and plot where I’m really wondering if AH can write anything else because I am tired of hearing the many adjectives to describe the big MMC. Like can we get something a little different?

Despite this, I can see myself still reading her books in the hopes of getting something new, but we shall see!

As with all of Hazelwood's previous releases, this one features a female character who works in a STEM field and is a badass of epic proportions. I loved the enemies to lovers banter and tension between the two main characters. There is also quite a bit of forced proximity in this book, which was well done. I very much enjoyed the story line and found myself laughing out loud on occasion. The romance is open door and very well done.

Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood is a standalone stem contemporary romance that delivered friendship, snark, science and a swoons. Theoretical physicist Elsie Hannaway when she goes head to head with experimentalist Jack Smith.

I loved the premise for Love, Theoretically. Elsie has spent her life changing her personality to please those around her. She is very aware of people’s needs & feelings. She’s a theoretical physicist stuck in adjunct professor position. Which equals dealing with students, low pay, and zero healthcare. She is trying to find a tenured position, but in the meantime she supplements her income through a fake girlfriend service.

When she is asked to interview, she is ecstatic, that is until she comes face to face with Jack Smith. Her mentor’s nemesis and the half-brother of the guy she’s been pretending to be a fake girlfriend for….lol. From time spent at family gathers to his broody personality, one can’t help but feel the sizzling charge between them.

This story had a lot going for it, from a look inside scholarly pursuits to battles between theorists and experimentalists. I liked Elsie, admired her smarts and respected her for keeping her client’s secret. While, I appreciated her ability to read people, and that Jack threw her for a loop. I hated how she let family and people define her. Hazelwood allowed for character growth, and I enjoyed watching Elsie find herself.

Jack was a swoon-worthy geek who fell for. I adored how he protected his brother and mother. Despite questioning her intents with his brother, Jack respected Elsie as a scientist and was patient as she worked through things.

The romance was swoony and not filled with miscommunication. It was refreshing. The back-and-forth banter, snark, science quibbles and heat keep me reading. Secondary characters from a snarky grandmother to Jack’s brother and Elsie’s roommate added to the story.

Love, Theoretically, is the perfect romance to toss into your beach bag this summer.

This is my second Ali Hazelwood book that I have read and I can honestly say I love the way she writes. I cannot wait to read more of her books!
Elsie is a physicist where she works as an adjunct professor for a college. This is far from what she wants to be doing but something has to pay the bills. She realizes that she needs to make more money so she begins fake dating people.
She has a client named Greg who she has broken the rules for a bit and went on a couple fake dates with to family functions and this is where she meets Greg's brother Jack.
Elsie is applying for a position at MIT where she would make way more money and not have to worry about how she is going to pay her bills. She goes in for a group interview and in comes Jacob Turner Smith aka Greg's brother Jack. She is now trying to prove to Jack that she isn't some crazy liar and lying to his brother Greg.
In all this we see the relationship between Elsie and Jack build and develop throughout the rest of the book.
I could not put this down it was very good. I cannot wait to read more of her books!

***ARC provided by the Publisher via NetGalley***

3.5 Stars

Elsie and Jack are rivals, mainly because they work in different branches of physics and Jack caused a physics scandal a few years ago that impacted Elsie's field more than his.

So, they are not a match made in heaven. Add in that she is fake dating his brother, initially thinks Jack isn't a physicist, a possible position at MIT that will solve all of her problems, and a vengeful mentor, and you have a whole lot going on that makes them being together seem...unlikely...at best.

I did believe in their romance, but I think I wanted more in the way of a connection with them in places. I liked his admission that he was angry that his brother was dating someone that he wanted, but I think I wanted to see it rather than hear it. There were times I did, but those left me wanting just a little more from him.

This book was quirky, but in a relatable way...although I will be the first to admit I didn't get all of the jokes and had to look up "Go" to figure out what it even was.

I enjoyed and recommend this title.

Ali Hazelwood has done it again! I've been obsessed with her "steminist" rom coms ever since I read The Love Hypothesis and her latest novel, Love Theoretically, which features two rival physicists, is full of the same nerdy, steamy goodness.

The story follows Elsie, a theoretical physicist currently working as an adjunct professor. To help out her finances, Elsie has a side hustle where people hire her to fake date them. One of her best customers is Greg, a super sweet guy who just wants his family to back off about his love life.

When Elsie has the opportunity to interview for a faculty position at MIT, she is thrilled until she finds out Greg's half brother, Jack, is on the hiring committee, a big problem because Jack has hated Elsie ever since Greg first introduced them. Or has he?

I didn't realize I was a fan of the "he fell first" trope until I read this book and realized that all of Jack's broody, sulky behavior was hiding the fact that Jack is attracted to Elsie and has been trying to hide it so as not to hurt his brother. He's also shocked to find out that Elsie is a physicist since she told Greg's family she was a librarian. One of Jack's most adorable qualities is that he is super protective of Greg so he is determined to find out why Elsie has lied.

I adored both Elsie & Jack and loved watching those rivals-to-lovers sparks fly between them. Jack is an incredible book boyfriend, actually giving Adam from The Love Hypothesis for run for his money.

Elsie is lovable too and what I adored the most about her is the growth that she experiences throughout the book. She goes from being the ultimate people pleaser who can never say no, to a much more assertive version of herself and it's just so wonderful to watch.

I also loved that their romance plays out against the background of academia and that Hazelwood exposes some of the less than ethical behaviors that can take place behind the scenes.

Love, Theoretically was everything I hoped it would be & more.

The things I love best about Ali Hazelwood's books are the bitingly accurate portrayals of what it's like to be a woman in STEM academia. They are consistent and really highlight how much work needs to be done in regards to workplace equality. At the same time, the characters all display a realistic passion for the sciences and an inherent social awkwardness that, as a former Caltech student, really ring true and make the book feel like coming home.

The romances are a little bit formulaic with the small woman, big hulking man trope, but they center ideas of being true to yourself and finding out what you really want. The leading men are always decent, kind, considerate and willing to (eventually) treat the women with care and understanding.

It was painful to watch Elsie contort her personality to fit whatever she thought the person she was interacting with would want to see, and I was so happy to see her work to shake those habits and learn to stand up for what *she* wants. Jack was hugely instrumental in helping her on the road to finding herself and it was so refreshing.

The fake dating plotline was hilarious, as was Jack's grandmother Millicent. I loved their relationship.

Every time I read an Ali Hazelwood novel I am transported back to my days as an aspiring scientist and they make me seriously nostalgic for both the good and bad parts of being in STEM and I find myself eager for the next hit of that nostalgia. There seriously aren't enough romances that capture that feeling of the peculiar world that is STEM academia.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for providing an early copy for review.

Where are my STEM girlies at?! 🧬

I always look forward to this time of year because a new Ali Hazelwood rom-com featuring a science nerd hits the shelves and I devour it immediately. LOVE, THEORETICALLY was no exception! In fact, this is my new favorite between the three adult novels she currently has.

This story featured everything I needed: excessive mentioning of cheese 🧀, hedgehogs 🦔, and SCIENCE! 🔬

Taylor Swift said it best in her newest song You're Losing Me: "I wouldn't want to marry me either, a pathological people pleaser." Enter: Elsie Hannaway, a brilliant scientist stuck in the life as an adjunct professor when she should be setting her sights higher, but instead allows people in her life to walk all over her. She knows she's capable of so much more and is in desperate need for health insurance due to her diabetes. Instead, she makes extra money on the side by fake dating. As you can imagine this gets messy quick.

This story follows the Ali Hazelwood formula of science nerd romance, which to some can be not their cup of tea, but for me this was everythingggg. Elsie and Jack have such great chemistry and their blossoming romance felt so natural. Jack is so patient with Elsie and allows her to break through her personal hurdles without any judgement or harsh attitude, which made me root for them even more! She really grows into her own throughout the book and sticks up for herself in a harsh academic world! I would love for a side story between George and her wife... they seem like such a cool couple!

The brief cameo of Adam and Olive from THE LOVE HYPOTHESIS and the quick mentioning of Bee/WhatWouldMarieDo from LOVE ON THE BRAIN caught me off guard in the best way.

If any of these books get a screen adaptation, I pray it's LOVE, THEORETICALLY. Now that Ali has covered chemistry, space engineering, and physics in her rom coms, I'll be waiting over here patiently for a fun story featuring meteorology!

I have SO MANY conflicting thoughts about this book (and it's predecessors) that I will divulge eventually - but for now I've come to the conclusion that if a book can drive me this bonkers and yet I read the last word with the biggest smile on my face and be this disappointed that it came to an end... I have to give it 5 stars. This might actually be my favorite of the author's 3 full length novels.

Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood is an enemies to lovers story that is quirky and entertaining; complete with likable characters. Elsie is a physicist who works as an adjunct professor at three different colleges, which results in crazy commutes, an ever-lowering salary and infuriating (and hilarious) emails from students demanding deadline extensions. This is not the dream research job Elsie always wanted, and the lack of health insurance means she’s forced to pay for insulin out of pocket (she’s a Type I diabetic), and somehow still be able to afford rent and food everything else. Then she and her best friend start working for Faux, an app where people can basically request fake dates for different events such as parties, work functions, etc. Then Elsie finds herself in the running for a tenure-track professor position at MIT. Except, once she arrives at the first function she has to attend for the selection process, she’s shocked to find Jack, the brother of one of her fake boyfriends is there, and that Jack is actually Jonathan Turner-Smith, MIT professor and infamous legend in the physics field. Jack has misread Elsie from the beginning, thinking the worst of her.

Elsie has learned how to perfectly customize her personality so it’s optimal for anyone she’s interacting with: even with her family and closest friend; being that she is a definite people pleaser, wanting to be accepted. Only, there’s a fine line between wanting to be liked and staying true to yourself. Everyone has different facets of ourselves that come out or held back depending on the situation we’re in, but Elsie seems to be stuck in a loop of compromising her wants and thoughts to appease everyone else. Jack, also a physicist like Elsie, is the first person who comes into her life who seems to see through this act and call her out on it. Unfortunately this seemingly perfect guy is also responsible for causing chaos in Elsie’s career, making Jack her number one enemy; which is unfortunate because Jack is on the hiring committee for a job Elsie is determined to be hired for.

Elsie is determined to prove herself to Jack in order to get her dream job; which is difficult since Jack thinks she’s hiding this secret life from his brother, and she can’t exactly contradict him without violating Greg’s privacy. Also, Jack needs to overcome his slight obsession with Elsie and actively try to hate her for catfishing his brother; despite the fact she’s not. This book really gets into the depth of scientific academia politics and you can’t help but fall into the rabbit hole along with the characters. I highly recommend Love, Theoretically to other readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

I fell in love with Jack and Elsie and just about devoured the entire book in one sitting (would have if life hadn’t gotten in the way).

Elsie, a theoretical physicist and adjunct professor, dreams of a tenure position. It looks like that might be within her grasp when she applies at MIT, but the annoyingly attractive Jack Smith stands in her way. He is an experimental physicist with a reputation for hating Elsie’s side of the physics divide. Elsie has a secret life, she supplements her income by offering her services as fake girlfriend and adjusting her personality to the situation as needed. She has one recurring client, Greg, who she has a soft spot for. And his brother is the same Jack that holds her professional future in his hands. Between the growing attraction to Jack, the uncertainty about her career, and keeping her other job a secret, something’s got to give.

Elsie was a chameleon of personality. She wielded her well-developed observation skills with unerring precision to become what the other person expected her to be. But Jack didn’t give her any ques to work with and this messed with her desire to please others. Jack was suspicious of her “relationship” with Greg, mostly because he was attracted to her from the start and poaching his brother’s girlfriend would not be on point.

I loved how Jack saw through all the veils Elsie wore and forced her to show her true self. Elsie and Jack are very similar to other characters created by the author, but the story will endear you to them and their unique personalities. Everybody needs a Jack in their lives. And I loved the way Elsie saw the world and approached pretty much everything in her life with an eagerness to learn.

The committee members who had to interview Elsie, along with Jack’s friends and Cece, were a hoot and I thoroughly enjoyed all of them. Greg was the sweetest.

The captivating writing will keep you glued to the pages, and I can highly recommend this if you like a steamy enemies-to-lovers romance with STEM elements and fascinating characters.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

She’s done it again! I really loved this book. The female main character, Elsie, is a super smart theoretical scientist. She’s a woman navigating a male dominated field and this book portrayed those challenges really well. Even though Jack was her rival, he never tolerated any bias or discrimination of qualified women as potential candidates for his team.

Jack is Elsie’s kryptonite and she can’t fake it with him. He sees through her fake “personas” and not only sees the real her but prefers it. He’s instinctively protective of her and even though he shouldn’t, given they’re supposedly rivals, he looks out for her during her interview process.

Also, I thought it was fun that Olive & Adam from The Love Hypothesis make a cameo!

Read For:
🔬 STEMinist romcom
☀️ Grump/Sunshine
❤️‍🔥 Enemies to Lovers
❌ Fake Dating
💥 He Falls First
💬 Witty Banter

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 / 5
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️ / 5

4.5 Stars

“What happened to you, Elsie?”

We LOVE Ali Hazelwood…and she’ll never know how much…she’s just over there writing these stories that have us falling in utter book love EVERY SINGLE TIME with their humour and slow romancing. And as for her characters… well, they steal our hearts time and time again, with their irresistible personalities, funny quirks, and excellent ‘funny bones’. Oh, and they’re filled with complete ‘geek speak’ which we find kind of hot!

“It’s easier like that isn’t it?”
“What is?”
“Never showing anyone who you really are.”

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, this Author has a formula, and it works. She knows what she’s writing about, and she isn’t afraid to highlight important issues whilst her characters are busy elsewhere trying to either avoid each other, avoid embarrassment, and avoid falling in love because you know, they hate each other. Yeah right! Love is inevitable and the journey to that realisation captured us hook line and sinker!

‘There’s something disarmingly, devastatingly self-confident about Jack. About the way he laid out all these facts without hesitating, as though owning his feelings is first and second nature.’

Jack Smith…be still our beating hearts! This guy literally had us laughing one moment and swooning the next. Talk about a man seeing through a façade and seeing the best in the woman he’s falling in love with, the best being Elsie’s inner truth. Elsie is a powerhouse and trying to draw out who she truly is rather than what others expect her to be was wonderful. We saw it too, Jack, and you did a stellar job with the brilliant, clever, funny, and super-sweet Elsie who didn’t stand a chance to hide! She fought a good fight though and we loved how their story played out. Another winner from this fabulous Author.

‘I think that wherever it is that we’re going, maybe, just maybe, it might turn out to be a place I never want to leave.’

I love these women of STEM romance novels of Ali Hazelwood’s. Not only are they cleverly written, but the characters are flawed, real, and go through all of the self confidence issues that regular folks like you and I face on a daily basis, but perhaps even more so! Elsie had a great back story that captured my heart immediately. Diabetic since her youth, she’s always felt like she was a burden to her parents and because of this kind of lets the world walk all over her. When she meets Jack, the person who she thinks is her arch enemy, she is shocked that he doesn’t appear to be what she’s always believed. As we read further into the story, we understand Jack more and more and find him very easy to love as well. Both characters have had things shape their lives and mold them into who they are today. Totally flawed individuals who have to grow to connect with this other individual who certainly seems to be their soul mate. Their story was certainly swoon worthy!

Romance novels have certainly evolved over the years and Ali Hazelwood’s have helped that evolution by writing about a segment of our female population that aren’t usually the heroine’s in romance novels. Kind of like the first “Wallflower” books in the historical romance genre (now totally overdone btw), these women of STEM are certainly intellectual, but Ms. Hazelwood does a great job of showing how these women of STEM have the same insecurities and messed up youths as the rest of us. Underneath those white lab coats are women who just want to be loved, just like you and I. I have a Bachelor’s in English and by no means am proficient in science, math, etc. but I LOVE reading these novels and identifying our likenesses. I also love the surly men who come to love these great women. If you’re looking for a different kind of romance novel, please give this book a try.

Love, Theoretically is an exceptional romance novel. Not only does it have my favorite trope, enemies to lovers, but it has a little mistaken identity and rom-com thrown in as well. What isn’t funny about a young woman who has to fake-date men for a little extra cash to survive? Those scenes make for some great storytelling! Jack is a beast of a physicist and a prime specimen of a man and their interactions have great chemistry and heat. His direct stares followed me into my dreams and haunted me. Really!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

I received a copy of this novel through NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review and it was honest!