Ali Hazelwood, the woman you are.

I knew this was going to be another win for her and to no one's surprise, it was. Rue and Eli bring us another STEM romance and I was hooked from the start. We got a little bit more of a slow burn in this one as our main characters and love interests are very right person, wrong time kind of vibes and I LOVE a slow burn, no matter how big or small. Rue is determined to protect her best friend, mentor, and the reason why she ended up where she is now in food preservation. Kline has been the best experience for her but when the people who are here to basically audit their loan coincidentally overlap with the most recent attempted hookup of Rue's, she is less determined to work off some tension and redirects all focus to protecting her job and her friend.

Eli is part of the organization that has purchased the loan that Kline needed and are using this time to do some digging. Eli didn't expect to walk into any room after the night he had, coming face to face with a woman he can't stop thinking about. Enamoured is probably the best word to use when referring to Eli's feelings to Rue. He sees this woman as everything she was when he met her last night and so much more now that he's seen her at work. But the two can't get their wires crossed no matter how much they feel for the other.

DENY, DENY, DENY!! That's what they DO

I loved it. I ate it up. It was sweet, Eli was wonderful even when he wasn't, Rue was great. Soooo saucy ;). There was no point in this where I felt it wasn't going to be as great as a typical Hazelwood release is. I love this woman.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for sending me an ARC of Not in Love in exchange for an honest review.

Rue Siebert is a biotech engineer at Kline, a food science start-up. She’s a “serious, distant girl” who has trouble reading and being read by others. She’s also uncompromising, with a dating app profile that reads “only casual—no relationships or repeat meetings.” She plans a casual hookup with Eli, a man she met on an app, but circumstances conspire against them. The next day, Rue learns that Kline is at risk of being taken over by Harkness Group, a tech-focused private equity firm, and that Eli is one of Harkness’s partners. Rue wants to save Kline and its founder, Florence, from Harkness. Eli wants control of Kline for his own reasons. But Rue and Eli want each other too, and when one night is not enough, they both try to have it all even though there’s no way they can both get everything they want….

Not in Love hits similar beats as Ali Hazelwood’s first three books, but in a consistently better way. Because there are multiple potential antagonists, the plot is a bit less predictable. It’s still a STEM story, but setting the characters in the private sector rather than academia put a fresh spin on things. My past reviews of Ali Hazelwood’s first three books commented (with increasing emphasis) that each one tells the love story between a pretty, smallish woman and a giant, strong man where the woman cannot stop think and talking about how giant and strong he is. So, is Not in Love, as I once requested, “a romance between two characters of unremarkable height?” Not quite, but Rue is … also tall … not quite as tall as Eli, but tall enough that his being tall and broad is rarely commented upon. The absence of the constant “he’s so big” commentary really does give Not in Love a very different feel and tone.

But the best part is probably this: each of Ms Hazelwood’s earlier novels have been positioned as enemies-to-lovers. But, as I’ve asked before, is it really an “enemies-to-lovers” story if one of the characters has been in love with the other one the entire time and the other one somehow didn’t see it? What sets Not in Love apart and above is that Eli and Rue really are enemies, fighting for or against Harkness’s hostile takeover of Kline. They each have complicated pasts that draws the other in, and their chemistry is crackling, like two live wires. Even though they know they shouldn’t, they just can’t stop themselves from getting closer and closer. It’s intense and, I’m not sure there’s another way to say it, just plain hot.

I enjoyed Ali Hazelwood’s first three books, especially The Love Hypothesis, but Not in Love is easily my favorite. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5. Highly recommended.

Is it crack? Is it crack that she puts in these books? Because that’s the only explanation for how bingeable and amazing it feels to read these. And in all honesty, this is her best book yet. It’s also by far her spiciest book yet (which I LOVED).

If you were previously put off by certain things in Ali’s previous books, let me tell you what is NOT in this one:
-No big man-tiny girl
-no fake enemies to lovers
-no incessant miscommunication
-no 3rd act BS that comes out of nowhere
-no weird s3x scene that makes you go wtf

Instead, what we do get is:
-Two very damaged MCs who are actually self aware and communicate
-Open communication around boundaries and limits and stories that reveal inner truths
-Actually really well written spicy scenes (and lots of them!)
-Angst that actually makes sense within the story
-An incredibly well done confession scene that brought me to tears

So yeah, I loved this and highly recommend it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the preview. All opinions are my own.

First, thank you for the opportunity to read this advance copy. I've enjoyed Ali Hazelwood's book but I think this one might be my favorite so far. An excellent story with really great characters. I can't speak to the accuracy of the science or working in a lab but characters working out their issues and finding happiness is always a wonderful read.

Ali Hazelwood solidifies herself as an auto-buy author for me with every single book that she releases and Not in Love is no exception. While this book is very different from Ali's previous books, it still has that Ali Hazelwood touch and flare that makes it an instant favorite. This book put me through the ringer emotionally and left me relating to it a lot more than I had originally anticipated. But just like every other one of Ali Hazelwood's books, I walk away feeling nothing but satisfaction and an excitment to have a physical copy to add to my shelf.

I do want to preface everything by saying Ali Hazelwood has provided Trigger and Content Warnings for this particular book on her website and I will include them below because this book does deal with heavier topics!

The premise of a hostile takeover with people falling for each other on opposing sides is the perfect concoction for a modern rivals-to-lovers and Ali Hazelwood did a phenomenal job breathing that trope to life with Rue and Eli. Their chemistry was off the charts and I am obsessed with this particular "meet-cute" and how everything progressed relationship-wise throughout the story. This book, from start to finish, was a complete joy and I devoured it. The tension, the banter, the depth both individually and together was so great and I really think Ali shined with this book. I hope that we get more dual POV books from her in the future because it was honestly such a delight.

Rue, the fmc, is a biotech engineer working at Kline (the start-up company that Eli is trying to essentially take over). I appreciated how her background was discussed and how that part of her past really drove her to pursue the job that she has and develop the stuff that she does in this book. While this is another woman in STEM, I feel like it wasn't as technical as all of Ali's previous books so if that was something you didn't enjoy in her other novels, I'd still suggest giving this one a chance. Rue had so much depth as a character and I related to her on a lot of levels (which is probably why I ended up crying on multiple occassions). I honestly would take on the world for her and just appreciate her overall as a character and loved her as the main character of this book.

I don't think I've seen anyone talk about this particular aspect yet and I would love clarification from Ali Hazelwood herself but Rue, to me (a neurodivergent person) felt like she was also neurodivergent but I haven't seen it confirmed anywhere.

Eli, the mmc, was impossible not to fall for from the very first moment we are introduced to him and it only becomes more impossible as the book continues. This man was swoon-worthy, down-bad, a dirty-talker who looks at Rue in such an awe-inspiring sort of way. His personality was a lot different, I think, from Ali's other male leads. He was super charming, charismatic, and laid-back. When I say it's impossible not to like him, I really mean it. He also has a giant dog named Tiny and he has curly hair and was a hockey player. So . . . honestly what's not to love? He is so opposite of Rue and I think that was really endearing in this particular context, especially because he never felt like Rue needed changing or to be anything other than exactly who she is.

The supporting cast of characters are really wonderful and I loved the chemistry and flow that we saw within all of the different relationships throughout the book. There's a lot of depth to everyone on the page and we get to see more of that as the book goes on instead of just keeping it surface level. I just really love how real this one felt with everyone's quirks and baggage regardless of whether they were the main characters or just background characters.

The overarching conflict and plot was enjoyable. However, Ali's books definitely have me wondering (as someone who has never been in STEM in any capacity) if people are really as untrustworthy and cut-throat as they are in her books. So someone will have to share that information with me because wow. LOL

I want to say thank you to Berkley Romance for sending me an e-ARC of Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood. This book is one of my most anticipated releases for 2024 and it was phenomenal being given the opportunity to read it before it's release date.

TWs/CWs: (taken from Ali Hazelwood's website) a lot more graphic explicit scenes. childhood poverty and food insecurity, anxiety around food, mentions of addiction (secondary characters), social anxiety, parental death (accidents, illness / off page, in the past), parental neglect, power exchange, attempted assault of the fmc by her brother (she is unharmed), pregnancy of a secondary character (only mentioned briefly)

- dual pov
- "let's get it out of our system"
- she's grumpy / he's sunshine
- STEM (but the least out of Ali's books)
- forbidden romance
- insta lust
- angsty
- difficult familes
- traumatic pasts
- he's obsessed
- rivals with benefits
- secret entanglements
- he falls first
- found family
- slow burn romance but fast burn spice
- rivals to friends to lovers

My Ali Hazelwood Ranking:
Love, Theoretically
Not In Love
Bride / The Love Hypothesis
Check & Mate
Love on the Brain
Loathe to Love You Novellas

Every Ali Hazelwood book I read makes me like her even more, and this was no exception! While I’ve only read a few of her books, I feel like this one had kind of a different vibe. There was a lot of past trauma for the MCs, questioning their capacity for love, difficult family situations, and in Rue’s case, food insecurity. Rue was more interested in hookups than relationships, so this was definitely on the spicier side (and Eli did not disappoint).

I loved Rue and her dry sense of humor, I deeply related to her social awkwardness and general lack of chattiness. I loved Eli’s POV as well, we love a man who falls head over heels first and accepts every part of you. The forbidden romance trope always hits, but I especially loved the vulnerability in this one and how it makes you believe that happy endings are possible.

Thank you to Berkeley Publishing for the ARC!

This is Ali's steamiest book yet with a little kink. I enjoyed it but it's different from her other books. It's not really a rom-com, it doesn't have the fun quirks that Ali's books normally have but it's not dark. There are issues regarding the fmc discussed like neglect, poverty, and food insecurity that are serious. The STEM aspect wasn't as prominent as in her other books aside from the takeover plot which seemed to be there to create a push and pull between the main characters. I loved the mmc Eli so so much, he's probably my fave Ali mmc after Jack. His dirty talk was so go, he had a way with words 🤭. There are a lot of steamy scenes in this since it is a forbidden relationship but I loved how they came to terms with their feelings for each other. Overall I liked this and it's one of my fave Ali books. Thank you Berkley for this arc for an honest review.

Read for:
- Stem romance
- Dual pov
- Spicy romance
- Kinks
- Forbidden romance
- Instant attraction
- Horny af
- He falls first

I loved this premise and was thoroughly pulled into the story. I appreciated the quirks of the main characters and how their unique struggles and traumas were addressed. Some of this was predictable, the characters weren’t always likable, but I do think that was kind of the point in many ways. I so appreciate that Hazelwood’s characters are always so intelligent and that her works focus on women in STEM. Nothing will ever live up to The Love Hypothesis for me but this one was so good and came quite close :)

Thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for the ARC.

Beautifully written and unlike her other books. A broody, stoic, intense TALL FMC with an MMC who would do anything for her. This book explores building intimacy in spite of s€x. So well done

I don't think it's possible for me to dislike any of Hazelwood's books. I keep warning myself that this new one might not be as good, but they are always as good! Not in Love was another winner for me and I expect will check out like crazy.

Ali Hazelwood did it again!! This was so different than her other STEMinist novels, but I loved it all the same. The emotions were more raw and their emotional wounds cut much deeper than the other books. Let me tell you, I LOVED ELI KILLGORE.

Wow. This book surprised me in the best way. In the Dedication, Ali said that this book would be different from all the other books she’s put out, and it was. Quite different, actually. Like I said, it took me a little by surprise and I absolutely loved it.

I love that while this is her steamiest book yet, it’s also the most emotionally vulnerable. I love that we get to see our MCs really, truly getting to know each other on a personal level; it made the romance something to root for. We see so much growth from our MCs, and the journey made my heart smile.

Both Rue and Eli had been through so much–in their personal and professional lives. There were some heavy topics that were discussed (CW below) and I feel like that was handled carefully. I loved that it was such an integral part of the story, their story.

Overall, this was more nuanced than anything I’ve read by Ali (I’ve read them all) and I absolutely loved it. If you’re an AH fan, fret n0t because this is still very her. If you felt like you’ve never connected to any of her past books, I urge you to give this one a try! And did I mention this was DUAL POV?! Yup.

CW: child neglect, starvation+food insecurity, parental death, grief

Thank you so much for the ARC, Berkley.

I utterly adored this book! I love her writing, and this latest book was so entertaining, I loved the set up, and I couldn't wait to see how they were going to deal with their competing interesting but growing attraction. It was just so good and I couldn't get enough!

These two and the connection were pretty steamy! That they were on opposing sides, but still had that connection, I just loved it! And their conversations where they offered up hard little truths about themselves and their past, just deepened their bond, and I loved that!

The one thing that I really wanted to know, was what happened between Eli and his group, and Florence. It kept being alluded to, that Rue didn't know the truth about what Florence was like. So it had to be something. And oh, the truth hurt when it came out!

That ending was pretty satisfying! I loved how it wrapped up the story, with her relationship with Eli and with Florence, and that they both went through it, but that they were happy with what the future held. It was just so much like a nice warm hug and I loved it!

This book was another fantastic read and I can't wait to read more by Ali Hazelwood!

I really enjoyed this latest from Ali Hazelwood--sharp, fun, sensitive. Characters felt fully realized and I was rooting for both of them. Definitely more intense than her STEM rom-coms!

Not in Love
Rating: 5/5⭐️
Recommended: Yes!

Review: While this wasn’t my favorite Ali Hazelwood book, I still absolutely loved it! This book was definitely spicier than Ali Hazelwood’s other books, but it still felt like a slow burn which I loved. I highly recommend checking this one out if you love rivals to lovers and Steminist novels.

It wasn’t a bad book, there was just something missing. It’s a lot more spicy than her other books which is surprising, and once again I love the inclusion of her knowledge in stem. But there’s something about this book that wasn’t right. Maybe it was the love interest Eli? Like he was cute and he never forced the fmc to do anything yet for some reason I still felt like he was pushy. He rubbed me off the wrong way. That being said it is ALOT different than her other works so you can save yourself from saying it’s copy and paste😂

I still enjoyed it, like it was good, but I guess it just wasn’t my cup of tea especially after reading Bride and love theoretically which were automatic 5 stars for me.

Another winner from Queen Ali Hazelwood - I’ve yet to read one of Hazelwood’s books that I don’t absolutely love. Rue and Eli are the latest STEM couple to steal my heart - but this book sets itself apart from Hazelwood’s other STEM romances - the characters are raw and different and for that reason, I won’t soon forget this one!

4.5 stars

Thank you to Berkley Romance for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

I always have a great time whenever I read a Ali Hazelwood novel and it is definitely no different with Not in Love. I read this while traveling and honestly, I was kind of happy that I had a full day of traveling ahead of me so I would be able to enjoy the book without any interruptions. Rue Siebert and Eli Killgore are two of the sweetest characters written by Hazelwood and I wanted nothing but the best for them. I thought their chemistry was well done and the side characters also felt very real. I will say that this was not my favorite of Hazelwood's novels but it's still good, none the less. Overall, I think this book will be enjoyed by everyone who picks it up especially those who already know the joy of Ali Hazelwood.

More than any other work it feels like Ali has found her voice as a writer. Both filthily and tenderly imaginative with complex main characters who believed navigating a path to the state of happy was incomprehensible and impossible.
Rue and Eli have a love story that resonated with me as a reader.
It’s a story of fragile hope because hoping has always felt like free falling or being chased by a horde of killer bees.
It’s a story of reluctant healing because confronting the scars that have defined your decisions is like having your heart plucked from your chest with a pair of rusty tweezers.
It’s a story of shelter because sometimes home is a person more than a place and they were just out there waiting until the stars aligned.

just like every ali hazelwood story, this was fun! it was spicy and engaging, but it definitely is not my favorite in terms of emotional connection between the love interests.

rue and eli had insane chemistry!! while I still think bride gave us ali’s hottest couple, not in love gave us ali’s most sex-forward, sex-positive story. their physical connection provided rue and eli with a confined environment within which they could adjacently deal with their feelings while being close in the only way they truly know how. it was hot, but the emotional connection was just too understated for me.

eli was hot, though. the definition of down bad.