Shout out NetGalley for the eARC.

Not necessarily a big fan of this work by Hazelwood. I have enjoyed her other works that I’ve read so compared to those this just wasn’t doing it for me. I feel her other books are so much better in terms of the characters, the story and how the elements/plot connects. This just seemed like a steam fest with forced slow burn romance

"There was something all-encompassing about his presence, something physical and visceral and simmering that had a near chemical effect on me.”

‘I’ll never be easy to be around, Eli.’
“He knew that. He loved that. He wanted nothing more than to learn every inch of her, his complicated, mercurial dream girl.”
‘I can imagine worse fates.’

As an @alihazelwood stan, I’ve loved all of her stories and forays into various genres. Not In Love is no exception, but it’s also a departure from her typical romcom. There is great banter, lots of chemistry, and plenty of women in STEM representation, but Not In Love is also much heavier and more melancholy than her previous books.

The atmosphere of this book is darker, and the subjects of food insecurity, neglect, and emotional trauma/unavailability lay heavy on my heart. I felt for Rue, Vincent, Eli, and Maya, and found myself having to take occasional breaks from this story. It taxed me more emotionally than Ali’s other stories, so definitely heed the author’s note and trigger warnings on this one (thank you, Ali for including those!)

The steam in this one is also darker and more pervasive, and Ali also gives a good explanation for that in her author’s note. For me, it was intense, but I understood why it was written that way.

With all of that being said, I adored Tisha and Minami!! They offered humor, loyalty, and much-needed levity to this story. Everyone needs friends like them in their corner, and I was so glad Rue and Eli had them. I also loved Tiny (give me a dog in a book, and they will always get a mention!), Hark, and Sul.

Most of all? I loved how accepting Rue and Eli were of each other, and how they grew in trust and love together. Their journey had its ups and downs, but they really did fit each other, and I loved how they didn’t compromise themselves for anyone.

I listened to this one and really appreciated the dual narration and perspectives of Rue and Eli, brought to life by @callie_dalton and @jasonclarkereads . They did an incredible job!

An emotionally deep, dual POV, friends with benefits that turns into so much more. This had great emotional depth, childhood trauma, food insecurity and neurodiversity rep. I loved that this was such a complex love story that wasn't an easy HEA. Likely my new fav by this very favorite author and great on audio. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!!

Not In Love is the newest contemporary adult romance from Ali Hazelwood and the tone is somewhat different from her others. Rue and Eli meet and find they have a strong attraction to one another, but Rue doesn’t do repeats so they leave it at that. However, they soon find themselves thrust into each other’s presence as well as on opposite sides of a messy business take over. The attraction doesn’t fade and they are drawn to each other for other reasons as well.

I’ll be honest, I had a really hard time connecting with these characters for the majority of the book. Rue is detached from the other world and Eli comes across as a guy who is out to sabotage everything Rue and her friends have worked for. It’s hard to root for a couple when there’s no reason to want them together. It’s Ali Hazelwood, though, and I’ve loved all of her books, so I pressed on and I did love how it all came together. The last 25% or so of the book shed light on what was actually going on and explained the motives of both characters in much more detail. To some degree I understand why Hazelwood left this until end for Rue to discover but it would have helped me as a reader to be more engaged with the characters, especially Eli, if I’d had more of that information earlier in the story. Then I could have been rooting for him even when Rue wasnt.

Overall, I did enjoy the story, but it won’t be on my re-read shelf as most of Hazelwood’s other books are.

Where do I even start? I thought this book would be great because Ali Hazelwood is great at rom-coms (not so much fantasy, but that’s another story). Maybe I was under the wrong impression, but this book is NOT a rom-com. She has a disclaimer at the beginning saying this book is not a rom-com, so at least I had the warning going in.
The MFC has 0 emotional bandwidth. She had a traumatic childhood and, as a result, has little to no emotional availability. In reality, she barely has emotions. At all. She is robotic until after 50% of the way through and even then only has emotions like 3 times.
Eli, the MMC, is obsessed with her. So obsessed with her, (SPOILER) he finishes in 30 seconds or less. One pump and done kind of guy. He admits that she makes him feel like a teenager all over again, but it seems a little exaggerated.
Rue and Eli together are awkward. Stunted. There’s no real conversations between them. They share these “stories” that Rue believes makes her The worst person ever. They share these stories and it’s goes nowhere. There’s no conversation around them. Nothing to get to know each other better. It’s just this random information and then BAM, they’re banging. After 50% of the way in, it’s just sex every chapter. So, if that’s what you want, you’ll get it. This book is just them wanting to have sex with each other and then having sex with each other. They apparently fall in love, but I’m not sure it’s love. It’s more like lust. I can’t see it being love when they know all of 5 things about each other and spend the rest of their time getting down and dirty. Since this isn’t a rom-com, don’t expect any banter. You won’t find it. Also, the climax of the story is less than impressive. I blinked and it was over. I didn’t realize it was the grand finale for a hot second, that’s how insignificant it was. Basically, there’s a whole subplot going on that’s the idea around the book but the actual story is Rue and Eli wanting to have sex and having sex. Everything else is added in filler story to hit a certain word count.

Ali Hazelwood (The Love Hypothesis, Love Theoretically) turns up the heat in Not in Love, a sizzling contemporary romance featuring a biotech engineer and the man trying to take over the company she loves.
After a tough childhood and years of study, Rue Siebert finally has the job of her dreams working for her mentor Florence Kline and an almost-filed patent for a revolutionary produce coating. When Rue learns that a private equity firm has bought Kline's debt, she's ready to fight. Except one of the firm's partners looks just like the man she almost hooked up with the weekend before and they are unfortunately, disastrously still drawn to each other.
Rue and Eli initially agree to the sort of sex-only relationship that never works in romance novels. It's a delight to watch them break their rules as they fall together, despite all the reasons they shouldn't.
"...[H]e wanted to spend the rest of his life cataloging the ways she shouldn't have been right for him, and she still managed to be perfect." [93%]
This push-pull drives the plot, but is anchored by well-developed backstories and friendships for both characters. Not in Love is full of Hazelwood's trademark humor and nerdy science references, but higher in heat than her first several novels. This blend proves irresistible, making for a fast-paced story of forbidden love and professional betrayal that Hazelwood miraculously brings to a hope-restoring conclusion. This is sure to be a win for those looking for some spice with their STEM.

I’ve loved or at least passably enjoyed all of Ali Hazewood’s other books, but this one just wasn’t it. I’m iffy on the one-night stand/hookup to more trope anyway, unless the chemistry and stakes are there, and they just weren’t.

ali just created my new personality: complicated, mercurial dream girl

this book is different from ali’s others, there’s an air of tragedy — in fact, tragedy is kind of a big theme in this book. are some people destined for a tragic ending? that’s the question our two main characters return to.

there’s unrequited (sort of) love. there’s pining. and there’s working through some deep sh*t. and there’s also a lot of spice.

oh! and it’s dual-pov! we finally get an ali man POV *but* it’s third person (so well done). this is the first book I’ve read that switches between 1st and 3rd POV. rue is in 1st; eli is in 3rd. the switch was very jarring at first but once I got used to it, I enjoyed it. it felt fresh. honestly, this whole book did. it was gritty, and i loved that. I only wish we got *more* of these characters’ back stories; I think they could have fleshed out a touch extra.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ali Hazelwood is an auto-buy author for me and she likely will be forevermore ♾️ Not In Love is full of the banter and swoony moments that Ali is known for but it’s also got a lot of angst and emotion.

What to expect 👀
- Dual POV
- One Night Stand (kinda…its just a kiss)
- Workplace romance (Corporate takeover)
- Secret relationship
- He falls first and hard af
- SPICY

My Thoughts 💭
- Eli was such a love! I enjoyed his character a lot and he was the perfect mix of strong, tender, and funny.
- The plot was interesting, another STEM romance but this time we get the corporate aspect. If you too have been victimized by corporate America over the past year this may drum up some emotions lol
- I liked Rue at first and felt for her butttt toward the end I was over it. I totally get she had a difficult past and isn’t good in social situations but I felt like she just came off whinyyy. I know this was supposed to be angsty (angst in a book is already not my fave) but I didn’t get that gut punch…I just got annoyed 🙈

Overall, this was t my favorite book of hers but there were some great moments!

4.5 Stars

“If I’m not careful – if I don’t pace this just right, she’s going to run. I need to take it slowly.”

There’s no question that Ali Hazelwood is one of our favourite Authors. Her beautifully written stories always consume us from the moment we turn the first page until we reach the last. Her characters are intensely lovable for their quirks, their humour yet they also all have that ‘something different’ that makes us fall in love with every single one of them. We want to know them; we want to be their friend and we want to protect them. We fall in love with them page by page. Not In Love gave us everything we expected from this Author. Everything we look for in her stories and everything we needed to fall in book love. Without question Eli Killgore is one of the most soulful and beautiful characters we’ve come across in a while and as for Rue Siebert, well she just unapologetically honest and uniquely beautiful.

‘There was something all-encompassing about his presence, something physical and visceral and simmering that had a near chemical effect on me.’

Rue and Eli’s journey is one of the more melancholy stories we’ve read by Ali Hazelwood. It had an atmosphere which felt very heavy at times with less humour interspersed compared to what we’re used to. We hasten to add that whilst still labelled a romcom it felt anything but on many occasions such was the effect of the subject matter. Yet, there was quick witted banter to be found, in amongst the more heartbreaking and morosely poignant moments. As we mentioned, we fell in love with Eli and Rue, we fell in love with their journey, we loved their friends and once again we fell in love with yet another story from Ali Hazelwood. Now we’re hoping for a Conor Harkness book with a certain someone’s little sister perhaps?

“I’ll never be easy to be around, Eli.”
‘He knew that. He loved that. He wanted nothing more than to learn every inch of her, his complicated, mercurial dream girl.’
“I can imagine worse fates.”

This wasn't my favorite Ali Hazelwood novel. I found Rue to be likable and it was interesting how her experience with food insecurity informed her research. She and Eli definitely had sexual chemistry, but there was something about Eli that didn't work for me and I'm not sure exactly what it was. In the end, I just couldn't see them together.

Rue Sieber, PhD biotech engineer in food sciences, works for a startup where she has the goal of improving the food supply. Rue has been mentored by her company CEO, Florence Kline, who founded the company. Rue is the very definition of an introvert coming from a difficult childhood; she has no game when it comes to relationships or dealing with people on a personal level. Rue has one-time hook-ups with men and hard rules about no repeats. When her workplace is assailed by a group in a hostile takeover bid, Rue’s way of life is threatened especially since the money man of the group, Eli Kilgore, was nearly one of Rue’s prior evening App generated “dates.”

With Kline in their sights, Eli and his business partners have an agenda for taking over the company that relating to Florence and some bad blood history. Once Eli meets Rue and begins to surreptitiously court her in a way that Rue is very uncomfortable with, his attitude begins to change. Eli and Rue have a lot in common with hard childhoods, single minded career focus, and previously eschewed committed relationships. Rue’s awkwardness when it comes to other people makes her very wary of Eli, not to mention the whole issue of his being an enemy of her beloved boss.

Once they embark on their secret affair, each must come to terms with their intense relationship, and where it might go. Rue feels deep emotions for Eli that are foreign to her while he has been so focused on his company’s goal that nothing else has mattered much for years. They are both on shaky ground with the potential for a lot of heartache personally and professionally.

I am of two minds on this story. Ms. Hazelwood’s writing is witty, intelligent, and generally always a fun time usually focusing on STEM themes. I like the characters for the most part as well as the plot for this romance; however, it veers seriously into the realm of erotica and kink with several pages given over to their sex life. I think that steamy level detracts from the overall story especially with some descriptive language that I find reductive to women; perhaps, how well this story is received depends on the target audience. I would say this is my least favorite of this author's stories.

3.25 stars

Me being a woman in stem who is in the early process of getting her masters degree, reading Ali’s books tend to give me anxiety. All of the talk about stealing someone’s research or ideas in this book and the hardship of being a woman in stem stressed me so freakin bad! As much as I love reading her books, they could be too much for my overthinking mental state.

Now to the romance part of the story. I enjoyed this book. It’s just that I think the physical connection between them overshadowed the emotional one. Also, I’m not a fan of the insta-lust friends with benefits storyline. I agree that sometimes it work, but for the majority of time it doesn’t. I liked Rue so much. And as much as the side plot gave me anxiety, I enjoyed it as well. This wasn’t a bad book, it just wasn’t a personal favourite.

Huge Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing this copy.

I always jump at a chance to read Ali Hazelwood's books. I fell in love with her writing and super swoon-worthy love stories starting with The Love Hypothesis, and I've enjoyed every book she's written. This is as swoon-worthy as her other romances, though it wasn't my favorite. I think it's because it took me a minute to like Rue. Eli, I loved from the start. And I actually think this is one of her steamiest stories, and Eli's bedroom talk was hot!!

The story delves into some heavier topics, but there are humorous and light-hearted moments as well. These and the romantic scenes balance out the more serious topics well. And the writing, like all of Hazelwood's books, is fantastic. She has such an engaging style, and her stories always have such strong character development and growth.

If you've read other books by Hazelwood, you'll love this one. It's fun and entertaining, the characters are layered and interesting, and the romance is steamy and swoon-worthy.

I really enjoyed this one. The plot with the boss was super interesting. The friendships were great and I enjoyed watching Rue and Eli come to terms with their feelings.

This is another fun read from Ali Hazelwood. Told in dual perspectives, which I love in romance novels, this book starts off with a bang - no slow burn here! As with all of Ali Hazelwood's stories, there is a lot of humor, and the banter between Rue and Eli is quite entertaining. I found Rue's story to be intriguing, and I loved that she isn't a typical romance FMC. Eli is just adorable; I think readers are going to fall in love with him immediately.
This is going to be a hit this summer! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Not in Love is a deeply emotional romance. Rue and Eli both have dark pasts revolving around family abuse, neglect and food issues. When they meet via a one night stand hookup app, the chemistry is palpable, but they are interrupted by Rue's brother. Thinking the night is over, Rue goes home, only to be thrust into Eli's orbit at work when Eli's company comes to buy out the company Rue works for. They can't seem to stay away from each other and decide to "Get it out of their System" but the chemisty only gets stronger.

I loved this book. Yes, it's spicy, but the undertones of deeper emotional issues had me so invested in both Rue and Eli.

Ali Hazelwood is everything. That's the whole review.

Not really. This book is a little darker than her previous books. Our protagonists have dealt with food insecurity and absent parents (Rue) and being thrust into guardianship of a sibling (Eli). They have both experienced multiple, complex traumas and bring those with them into their relationship with each other. Rue and Eli meet for the first time on a failed hook up mission. They meet later at Rue's job as a biotech engineer at Kline, where she is working on technology that will extend food shelf life. Eli and his business partners are working to take Kline over. Their burning attraction is at odds with their professional interests, but neither can deny what they feel.

Things I loved: more representation of women in STEM (plus female villains in STEM!!!), representation of people experiencing complex PTSD, discussion of food insecurity, people talking openly and honestly about boundaries and needs in sex, self awareness of tropes, spice, the chemistry.

Things I didn't like: I missed a little bit of the humor that Ali Hazelwood's books usually have, but everything doesn't always have to be funny! Still easily a five star read!

Thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4⭐️

I don’t know what Ali hazelwood puts in her books, but I swear at this point its crack 😭 bc now where the hell am I supposed to find me a Eli??!

And Rue??? yeah thats my girl!! I absolutely adore her, and I wanna give her the best hug ever 🥹🫂 she’s incredible, and what she went through was heartbreaking. I am so glad that she has Eli, because my man will always be there for her!

Eli’s obsession with Rue was everything to me! like he was just so in love with her and I absolutely loved it! he was so patient with Rue, giving her time to come to terms with her feelings. like no man in real life would do that nowadays!! 😭

I don’t know what to tell y’all except that you HAVE to read this book!! I love it!!

Also it’s spicy 😏😏🌶️ more than her other books!

Thank you PRH Audio and Berkley Romance for my gifted copies. All opinions are my own.

I’ve been a fan of Ali Hazelwood ever since I read the Love Hypothesis! This was another win for her.

Rue and Eli initially meet through a dating app and meet up at a bar when her brother shows up and ruins their night. They are both surprised when Eli shows up at her employer the next day, having bought the company’s loan.

Despite the distrust Rue has for everyone, and especially Eli, as a member of Harkness, they develop a relationship. It starts as simple sexual, but becomes much more.

I liked how Rue and Eli shared the worst parts of themselves as they learn more about each other. They have to learn to trust each other despite the difficult situation they’re in. I loved how gone Eli was for Rue! This was steamy! It’s technically classified as erotica, but I’m not sure it was much steamier than others I’ve read. I was heartbroken for Rue and how the situation at Kline turned out.

The duet narration by Callie Dalton and Zachary Webber was perfect! I can’t wait for more books from Ali Hazelwood!