I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.I am quickly becoming an Ali Hazelwood stan, as her BOOKS.DON'T.MISS. Thought I have my favorites over others, every time I pick up one of her romance novels, I am completely transported into a story with steam and science- an amazing combination! I consider myself #blessed that I continue to be approved for ARCs of her novels via NetGalley, and Love, Theoretically is one of the best romances I've read in 2023 (and I've read mostly romances this year).

First off, I am sooooo happy that all of her novels are set in one universe, and I am absolutely delighted when Easter Eggs to her past works appear. In this particular novel, we get to see the couple from The Love Hypothesis (which I loved) and I adore how she doesn't take the obvious route of just plucking a secondary character from one of her novels to write about, it's more subtle than that. For even more fun, there's even a nod a very famous Twitter account from Love on the Brain (iykyk). Also, I love how her novels all focus on women in different STEM fields, with Love, Theoretically focusing on physics (a subject I avoided like the plague in high school and took Anatomy instead, but I still found it captivating to read about- we stan an author who educates and entertains us at the same time!)

Hazelwood is the queen of the hate-to-love romance trope, and this novel is no exception. The story follows Elsie, a year out of grad school who is a struggling adjunct trying to find a stable, health-insurance providing job in the harrowing field of academia, who also moonlights as a girlfriend-for-hire to supplement her meager adjunct pay. She has a fave client (who is a loveable cinnamon role and a great secondary character), but the only downside of working with him is the weird animosity she gets from his older brother. Surprise, surprise, it turns out said older brother is a well-respected physicist who just so happens to be part of the interview process for a very coveted job Elsie is pursuing. It's the perfect premise for the hate-to-love trope!

While Else isn't my favorite of Hazelwood's protagonists (that honor is still held by Olive), she was just so incredibly funny. I laughed out loud so much while reading this book, and not just from the banter between the protagonists, but from all of the other small, world building elements- from Elsie's eccentric yet loving roommate CeCe who's unknowingly fake-dating a massive tech CEO to her ongoing secret rivalry with Cece's pet hedgehog, who she's convinced is out to get her. I feel like we as readers don't often talk about world building in contemporary novels, but I loved that Hazelwood takes the time to really craft an intimate view of the environment her protagonists live in. I truly felt engrossed in this story in a way I usually only am when reading fantasy novels, and I'm sure it's due to the fact that I had so many niche details to fall into when reading Elsie's story.

Also, can I take a second to talk about how Hazelwood manages to write hate-to-love so well without creating a toxic love interest? Jack can be arrogant, standoffish and hard to read but as the relationship between him and Elsie unfolds, it's evident that he's a good dude at his core (some of his previous professional antics aside). I loved how understated of a love interest he was in some ways (quiet, super chill but still well respected in his field, not showy, etc) and it was still super hot.

Elsie as a protagonist won't be for everyone. It's almost comical how severely she lets others take advantage of her (she takes the term "people pleaser" to a whole new level) and sometimes it almost felt unrealistic (like with her family, good God). However I like how Jack continually calls her out on this and pushes her to be better, and she really has a very defined character arc that's motivated by her romance but still very much hers- Jack helps give her the confidence to ask for what she needs and that's just as important as their romance, in my opinion.

Also there was just so much awesome representation of girl power and women supporting other women (and the acknowledgement of how that can be hard, especially in the STEM field where things are so cutthroat). CeCe, George, the professor who advocates on behalf of Elsie's candidacy, several of Jack's female friends...it was really wonderful to see.

Overall: Love, Theoretically was the Ali Hazelwood book with the most chemistry for me (haha...but they're physicists...I'll see myself out...). It was wonderfully slow burn, full of great, atmospheric settings and fun and fleshed out characters. I would read another 3 books just about Elsie and Jack (though I suppose the most I can hope for is a cameo of them in a future novel!) I cannot WAIT to read whatever Hazelwood puts out next, and I'll happily read 50 more enemies to lovers, hate to love, trope filled romances by her!

my favourite Ali Hazelwood book!!! Jack & Elsie brought something different to the table. They communicated more and even tho there was some “aloofness” and “obliviousness” it is her best book to date.

Jack was DREAMY😍 and the most fleshed out MMC Ali has written. We get a ton about his back story and family which felt different from her other books. And Elsie!!!! My fav Ali heroine!! She wasn’t cringey and I LOVED her. She’s sassy, relatable, real, and felt like a part of me. Also the type 1 diabetes rep was amazing. Ughhh I adored this book so much. Even found myself tearing up a bit at some points!

I didn’t love the “conflict” but I didn’t hate it either and it wrapped up very quickly.

Overall, loved this one.

And those cameos from our fav characters omg🤭🤭😂

Thanks Berkley for the ARC, I am SO thankful for this opportunity!

This is the third book I’ve read by Ali Hazelwood. She writes contemporary romcom novels about women in STEM and academia. Don’t worry if you’re not into science because honestly, her books are so much fun to read!

This one is probably my favorite of the three. I thought the characters were fun and entertaining. The miscommunication and the third act break up was a bit bleh but I still really enjoyed the book.

This is my favorite Ali Hazelwood novel yet! I originally thought nothing could top The Love Hypothesis but I was sorely mistaken!

I absolutely love all of Ms. Hazelwood’s STEMinist romance books and I was so excited to read Love, Theoretically. The author did say in the Author’s Note section (yes I always read those!) that this book is her most academic/academic politics book she’s written so far and it absolutely is. That being said, it doesn’t take away from the love story or the brilliance of the characters, it fully enhances them and the reader experience.

Love, Theoretically is not just a hot love story with a super hunk who looks amazing shirtless, it’s a story of truth and self-discovery. Elsie adjusts her personality to people-please everyone she meets (definitely has some emotional baggage). But the one person she can’t fool is her nemesis Jack Smith. Not only is he the brother of her fake boyfriend (long story) he’s also on the committee in charge of deciding her professional fate and who gets the job of her dreams. Awkward to say the least! As the two spend more time together through the interviewing process, Elsie discovers that she doesn’t hate Jack, “not even close, not even a little bit, not even at all.” (10 Things I Hate About You reference 😉)

OMG this book has all the feels! I really enjoyed reading it and I couldn’t put it down! I love a smart heroine and Elsie is amazing. She is smart, funny and easily relatable. Elsie changes faces to give everyone what they want–so they won’t get mad and leave her. The process to learn how to stand up for herself and be truthful with others about who the “real” Elsie is, that took a lot of courage, especially taking the chance of that person deciding to leave or not “like” her. I feel like such a proud mom when she actually started believing in herself in that way.

Jack. What is not to love about this guy? Yeah he’s a big jerk but he’s got some scars of his own and as Jack and Elsie gravitate towards each other, it becomes important for them to share each other's hopes, fears, hurts and hearts. So beautiful! I love how patient Jack is and how he “saw” the real Elsie and wouldn’t stop fighting for her to be revealed. *Swoon*

Love, Theoretically may be an academic love story about physics but there is crazy chemistry between Jack and Elsie, so much so that I may have blushed a time or three! It was an absolute joy to read and I am desperately looking forward to Ms. Hazelwood’s next book. What science discipline will she tackle next?

This is now the third book I've read of Ali's, and safe to say, it's my favorite. I've adored all of Ali's past books, as they keep being exactly what I needed at the time, but this one really takes the cake for me!

First off, I'd love to thank Netgalley and the publisher so much for giving me early access to this book! As always, all thoughts and opinions are still my own, and I read an earlier version of the book, meaning some things may have changed between this version and the published version!

I feel like anyone who was worried that Ali's stories would begin to feel too formulaic after Love on the Brain needs to read this book. It really feels like Ali is really coming into her own with this book, and showing her strengths and capabilities as a romance author, beyond the fantastic fanfic we know her for! While Love, Theoretically is still very much an 'Ali' book, it also shows her potential for range and variation in her characters and plots, while still keeping a strong, connected feel to her books. Jack and Elsie are not just another copy of Adam and Olive, but their own characters in their own right, and I love how deeply this book explores and proves that to us.

In general, there is so much more depth here. In her author's note, Ali says this book is the most academic one she's ever written, and she's right! There is even more focus on this side of the characters' lives, and it comes to life as more than just a background that the romance takes place in. But somehow, Ali also manages to balance this with a strong romance as well, blending the two together in such a way that they manage to hold each other up. I also feel like this book has so much more emotional and character depth as well, on an individual level. Elsie is a people-pleaser, consistently putting her pieces together in different ways to best make the people around her happy. She's a thousand different Elsies, a mosaic of Elsies, and it's honestly heart-wrenching to see her start to see herself, know herself, and choose herself. And it's also beautiful to see the line of Elsies begin to fall away, and become just Elsie. I always thought that the strongest aspect of Ali's books would be the romance, but honestly, I love what she did here with Elsie's character, and I'd recommend it just for that part alone (though I of course adored the romance as well!!!)

Ali's past works have already made me a lifelong fan, but this book truly cements that. I'm left excited and refreshed and feeling so whole and happy. This book was just a wonderful way to spend an hour, an evening, a whole day, and I'm left brimming with excitement for all her future works (and excited to see everyone else fall in love with Elsie and Jack just like I did!)

I posted this review on Goodreads and my blog, and will also be posting an Instagram post tomorrow to further promote the book and my review!

Elsie Hannaway is living a dual life. She is a theoretical physicist who is struggling to make ends meet and a fake dater to survive. When a job at MIT is something she really needs. She has to face Jack Smith, the person responsible for showing theoretical physicists in poor light, who also happens to be her current fake boyfriend's brother. Sparks fly and Elsie is finally able to show her true self to Jack, but can they survive?

When Ali Hazelwood writes a book, it becomes the most anticipated read. This book was cute and gave the same vibe as her previous books. Nice to see the STEM rep in romance. Her characters and writing is cute but the freshness of Love Hypothesis and the magic it created doesn't show up here. Liked it more than Love on the Brain!! Love the Adam and Olive cameo! I just can't get enough of them.

Thank you @prhaudio for the complimentary audiobook. Thank you @berkleyromance for the free book!

I've been lucky enough to read along Ali Hazelwood's journey (as an author) from the beginning, and boy have I grown to love her. 'Love, Theoretically' is proof enough to this reader that Hazelwood has come into her own as a romance author, and it is clear that she loves what she's doing. Cleverly written, Hazelwood has provided a perfectly witty romance novel that I am already excited to read again!

One of those books that reminded me why I love reading romance 🥰 Ali Hazelwood is the master of writing women and stem & swoon worthy romance!!
I absolutely inhaled this read 😂 this review is short because I have nothing but praises for Love Theoretically! Hope you guys love this one too 😍

4.5 'Honesty' Stars!
ARC provided by the the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Oh yes, fortune definitely smiled on this girl right here with Ali Hazelwood’s newest release. I can 100% state that Love, Theoretically is my top favorite novel from this author and that Jack Smith is her best hero to date. PERIOD. I literally stayed until late (on a week day!) because the slow burn was killing me and I can now say it was oh-so-worth the wait (and lack of sleep). What a beautiful love story and what a couple!

So, Love, Theoretically is Hazelwood’s newest standalone romance and it’s the story of Elsie Hannaway and Jack Smith, who happens to be the hot/grumpy brother of her favorite fake-dating client. Again, we are in the world of STEM, with very smart and unique people, a very intelligent but hated man and a woman after her dream job. However, Jack is on her way, in more ways than one. Is it really hate what is happening between these two or are those intense looks the start of something Elsie wasn’t expecting?

“You shouldn’t let me talk to you like this.”
“I like it, actually.”
“You like being yelled at?”
“I like to see you. When you’re not trying to be someone else.”

Ali’s style just feels so fresh and new and I love it. I have really enjoyed her previous books but this one just took it to the next level for me. And yes, it’s definitely because of Jack Smith. ALL THE SWOONS. Like a ton of swooning happening. This man! I just melted every time he interacted with Elsie. What starts as hate (for her) turns into such an amazing connection between these two people. And this man, he FALLS HARD people and I am here for it. Yes, he takes his long ass time but the burn is so good and so very worth it. That last 30-40% of the book was pure FIRE. I seriously love this couple so much!

“You could be my entire world,” he whispers. “If you let me.”
“I think I will.”
“Then I’m sorry.”
“What are you— ah, what are you sorry for?”
“Because I’m never going to let you go.”

Therefore, I am rating Love, Theoretically with 4.5 STARS because I devoured this novel like a crazy person. This is the highest rating I’ve given to Ali’s work (I still hope that epilogue was a bit longer!) and she 100% deserves it. This is my new favorite book by hers and I hope many others agree her style and characters bring a new freshness to romancelandia that we always love to get. Also, please do yourself a favor and meet Jack Smith, you’ll thank me later!

Elsie is barely making ends meet as an adjunct teacher, so she takes on a side job being a fake date for those in need. However, there’s light at the end of the tunnel because she’s interviewing for her dream job. To her horror Jack Smith, the brother of one of her fake-date customers is on the panel set to interview her. Jack knew her as her brother’s librarian girlfriend, suspiciously perfect, but finding out she’s one of the physicist interviewees and lying to his brother puts his back up. Thankfully, this farce doesn’t go very far.

I adored both Elsie and Jack and rooted for their romance! They had such an intense connection right from the beginning and I loved that neither played games! After years of adapting herself to please others, being with Jack, who wanted her honesty, was refreshing and a relief to Elsie. These two brought out the best in each other! And my goodness, this romance was spicy! But, thankfully, not just sex, sex, sex either. Their interactions were so fun, so delicious, I just couldn’t put this story down!

Love, Theoretically is my favorite Ali Hazelwood to date! My review doesn’t do the story justice. I’ll just tell you that I absolutely loved this romance so hard! One of my favorites of 2023!

I alternately read an e-copy and listened to the audio version. Thérèse Plummer’s performance, as usual, was excellent! Both her female and male voices were wonderful! I listened at my usual 1.5x normal speed. A definite recommend!

PUB DAY REVIEW: if you're reading this or after 6/13/23, I will save you some time and just get to the point — get your booty in the car/train/whatever your preferred mode of transportation is to grab a copy of Love, Theoretically ASAP! Jack and Elsie provided all of the brains, swoon, and spice that I hoped Ali Hazelwood would deliver with this newest release. Between the gorgeous cover and the wonderful content contained inside, this book is going to look stunning on your shelf.

4.5 stars!

As a faithful lover of The Love Hypothesis, I worried Ali might never reach the same high she achieved with Adam and Olive's romance. But those nerves were quickly quelled once the plot was established and Jack and Elsie's dynamic started to shine. Though The Love Hypothesis remains my favorite Ali title, Love, Theoretically is a worthy love story that emphasized the importance of respecting one's partner. Because the main characters are workplace rivals, I appreciated the journey they navigated since their feelings were growing as their separate professional ideals clashed, making for a bit of a sticky dynamic. Now, I will admit there was some miscommunication between the two, but I didn't mind it much since it always seemed as though they had the other's best interests in mind.

And true to form, Ali made sure to write a love interest, Mr. Jack Smith, that loved his girl as we all deserve to be loved. That man was entirely consumed by his adoration for Elsie, this wildly intelligent woman that blew into his life unexpectedly. He had some of the greatest love declarations I've ever read as he championed her progress and growth. He was just so lovely. Also, I think this might just be Ali's spiciest book with the way it had me blushing and more on my lunch break at work. (LOL we've all been there)

A massive thank you to NetGalley, Berkley and Ali Hazelwood for this eARC in exchange for an honest review. My physical copy arrives tomorrow and I can't wait to transfer all of my highlights and annotations over, to relive my favorite moments.

Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood is another one of her wonderful enemies to lovers standalone novels. We meet, Elsie Hannaway, our heroine, who is very talented and has a PH.D in theoretical physics; she is very well admired, but she is still trying to land a tenure. During the day, Elsie is an adjunct professor, teaching at her mentor’s school, but not able to make any money, until she hopes to be offered a well-paying job. At night and weekends, she resorts to fake-dating to make enough money to pay of her living expenses, as well as loans.

One of her best fake-dating customers is Greg, who she helps pretend to his family as his girlfriend, and to her shock, his brother is non other then Jack Smith, who is the man in charge of physics department at MIT; one of the decision-makers who will decide if she’s the right candidate for her dream job at MIT. Elsie does not plan on giving up, as the physics and theorist side are fighting who is best for the school, so despite Jack determination to make sure she does not get the job, she will not give up. Elsie finds Jack annoying, but she is also very attracted to him, and knows she needs to avoid reacting to her feelings

Once Jack learns that Elsie was a fake dater for his brother, he begins to find himself enamored by Elsie; he begins to court her (even if he is voting for the other candidate), and a romance between them begins. Jack turns into a sweet, passionate and gentle person, who is falling in love with Elsie, and will do anything for her (except not vote for her). Elsie knows she can no longer resist Jack, and the chemistry between them explodes. They were so great together, and wonderful banter between them.

What follows is a fun, humorous, sexy and entertaining story, with a fabulous couple, excellent secondary characters, great banter, as well as being steamy. There are some surprising developments closer to the end, and I loved how Elsie was able to stand up to fight on some issues. But most of all I loved Jack, how he put Elsie first, always helping her throughout. Elsie realizes that Jack’s candidate was indeed the best person for the job, and in the end, and to her surprise she gets a job offer. I suggest you read Love Theoretically, so very well written by Ali Hazelwood. This was too much fun to miss.

3.5 Stars

Elsie has struggled a bit in life. She is pursuing her dream job at MIT’s physics department. In the meantime, she is working as an adjunct professor and a fake dater to pay the bills. I found the whole fake dater to be rather interesting. She is an all-around good girl, except she is just too much of a people pleaser.

With her sights on the dream job, she narrows in on Jack, the head of the physics department. He destroyed her mentor’s career and is the brother of her favorite client. How is she supposed to go up against him? He has the ability to grant or dash away her dreams. Elsie is determined not to go out without a fight.

Jack did not know Elsie was working at MIT. He has no plans on giving her the position but the more time he spends around her, the more he realizes that who he thought she was, in the beginning, a complete façade. In fact, he is enjoying getting to know the real Elsie.

I came into thinking it may be a miss. I’m not going to lie. I have had a few misses by the author, but she did manage to lure me right in this time. I’m so glad to have read this enemies-to-lovers STEM romance. The two characters rub each other wrong but have such strong chemistry.

Jack comes around way longer quicker than Elsie as she held onto resentment for what transpired between him and her mentor. I really disliked the whole mentor ploy because it was a very weak attempt to create angst between them. At that point, it really didn’t hold weight and made Elsie appear childish at times.

Overall, I recommend

~ Samantha

I’ve been looking forward to this book from the moment Ali gave me a synopsis of it! Ali writes STEM love stories in a way that shows what it’s like to be a woman in a male-dominated field while highlighting the good parts. As someone that left academia I appreciated how realistic Ali described what it is like to find a job after finishing your PhD (the struggle is real).

I loved how unique this felt in the way that Elsie thought about physics and related it to her life. I related way to much to how Elsie people pleased by shapeshifting into someone she thought they’d see as more palatable, more lovable. Elsie felt flawed and real and just genuinely like someone that was trying to figure out who she was.

Jack was a secret, but not so secret, cinnamon roll. The life he lived after his mom passed felt raw and unsteady in a way that I wish no one ever had to experience. I loved how straightforward he was, that he encouraged Elsie to be herself, and that he wanted to know the things that Elsie liked best (like the Twilight saga).

I appreciate how Ali touched on the struggles of living with type one diabetes in the US and how healthcare and income dictate your level of care. Insulin is a basic right and everyone deserves access to it. I related to the feelings Elsie had about owing her family something because of how expensive living with T1D is. However, her family sucked and I am eternally grateful that mine has always supported me and reaffirmed that I don’t owe them anything for their assistance because that’s what love is.

Ali writes found family so well that it makes me ache for those types of friendships earlier in my
life. I loved the chaotic energy of Cece and the scenes with her were some of my favorites.

I can’t wait to see what Ali comes up with next!

Love, Theoretically is the newest release from Ali Hazelwood and this is my favorite yet! From the bright yellow cover, to theoretical physicist Elsie who fakes her way through life pleasing those around her, to experimental physicist Jack who calls her out and wants to know the real her!

Elsie is a theoretical physicist and adjunct professor who moonlights as a fake-date-for-hire to make ends meet. One of her fav clients is Greg, where Elsie poses as his librarian girlfriend when he’s around his family. The only annoying part about it is Greg’s rude older brother, Jack. Elsie’s fake-dating cover gets blown when she is a candidate for a faculty position at MIT and meets the head of the MIT physics institute…Jack again. At first he’s confused why a librarian is there and then he’s even more confused when he finds out she was fake dating his brother.

This was honestly just fun! I liked the blend of academia, the politics behind that, and of course the romance which starts out a bit “hate” to love. Unlike this author’s previous heroes, Jack is confident and upfront about his thoughts. He’s been frustrated with himself for secretly wanting his brother’s girlfriend, only to find out she never was. I loved how he wants Elsie to be herself, he notices how she just fits into whatever social situation she’s put in and will change her personality to fit and please others. He calls her out multiple times and just wants to know the real her. Elsie has type-1 diabetes so we do get some moments in here of her living with that. We also get an Olive and Adam appearance (couple from The Love Hypothesis).

I’ve read all of this author’s books and novellas now and while I think she definitely has a specific style she writes, this one felt more refreshing and a bit different than her other 2 books compared to one another! The others were okay/good, but this one was great (for me)!

Thank you to the publisher (Berkley) for an ARC via NetGalley, all thoughts in this review are my own!

I absolutely adored this book! This might be my fave of Ali’s yet! In true Ali fashion, you’ve got your nerdy, quirky STEM babe that finds herself in an enemies-to-lovers situation with a hunky scientist! Then you’ve got your endearing side characters, and in this book, there was even a pet hedgehog named Hedgie! Ok, so, the formula does seems similar to Ali’s previous books, but I fell in love with all the characters and the story immediately. Plus, I loved that there was diabetes rep and Ace rep in the book!

I loved the witty banter and there were definitely some laugh-out-loud moments. I loved Elsie’s sassiness and Jack was so swoony! The book is a bit of a slow burn, but there was a decent amount of steam; Jack was so attentive, caring, and patient with Elsie, which I adored.

I really appreciated the Author’s Note at the end. I was not surprised to hear that the book was inspired by true events. Ali wanted to focus on the politics of the STEM academia world, and I think she did a job with it in the book. 4.5⭐️

Many thanks to @berkleyromance and @prhaudio for the complementary eARC and audiobook in exchange for my honest review!💕

I loved The Love Hypothesis, and since have not cared for any of the novella's. Love, Theoretically I was blown away with, and I think I might even like Elsie more than Olive which I did not think possible.

A definite five star read, I honestly started reading and the first time I stopped I was already 41% into the book. I couldn't put it down, and I had been holding off reading it since I had been so disappointed with the last three reads. The chemistry and banter between Elsie and Jack is off the charts, and Greg and Cece are both outstanding side characters. I loved the character building for both, and Jack's Grandma was a kick.

“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'm not totally enamored with Ali Hazelwood's work- it can be overly tropey for my taste, and a tad one-note. I rated it three stars because it was fairly predictable when it came to the plot, and I'm kind of sick of Hazelwood's helpless female protagonists. I also didn't love the workplace-iness of this one, which feels less than ethical. I enjoy the writing, but ultimately I wasn't thrilled.