Everyone that knows me knows that Queen Ali is my #1 gal (or is it that I am her’s?!)! If she writes it, I am going to read it!! I may or may not have cried tears of joy when an early copy of this book landed in my inbox. The biggest thank you to Berkley for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review!

Not in Love Ali’s first non-rom-com venture in her body of work. Tonally it is a bit of deviation from her past novels in that the themes are a bit heavier, the humor while still there, and true to form in what readers know and love in an Ali novel, is a bit lighter, and the spice? It’s cranked up tenfold. While still set in STEM like her original STEMinist novels, Not in Love is not set in academia, but in industry where our FMC Rue, a biotech engineer, works at a start-up focused on food science. Enter our MMC Eli and his business partners who have bought the loan of Rue’s employer and are out to seize control of the company… *cue ominous music and hostile take over* Rue and Eli simply cannot have ~relations~ while on opposing sides can they?! Noooo that would be EXTREMELY ill advised and irresponsible!! But what if they cannot stay away from one another?? Perhaps they will have to be enemies (or are they?) with benefits?? OH SHUCKS!! What a shame! Oh and did I mention, this is Ali’s first dual POV!! *screams incoherently*

Whereas Ali’s early novels follow a typical tried and true rom-com formula (which has worked for me (and many readers!) but has been a critique from others), Not in Love completely flips that formula on its head. What do I mean?? The spice of course! It’s not something we’re slow-burning waiting for, it is present throughout and frequently. Making this, yes, Ali’s spiciest book yet!

When I start a new Ali book I just know I’m going to have a good time!! And of course Not in Love was no exception. I loved it your honor!! Did you except me to say anything else?! Who do you think I am?!? Not in Love showed up in my inbox at just the right time because I’ve been struggling recently to find a book that I love. But then *enter new Ali book to save the day*!

I absolutely loved reading a dual POV Ali novel! Because her men?? You KNOW they are pining but GOOD GOD to get to be able to be in Mr. Eli Killgore’s head and witness it first hand?!? *yeah.gif* *nods emphatically* *furiously signs petition for more dual POVs*!! And Rue, my babygirl, I just want to protect her from the world (as does Eli!)! Neither of these babies have had an easy life, and I think Ali did a great job of handling the heavier themes such as food insecurity, grief, and child neglect with care. There is something so special about characters that Just Get Each Other™ and that is Rue and Eli from the start. The two of them have this thing where they tell each other stories from their past, or thoughts that they have, that aren’t shiny or pretty or good. And the unflinching honesty and non-judgmental way in which they are able to bear witness and see each other through them?? *sobs* both of them needed that so much and I will just weep right now for them both having found each other!

Despite heavier themes, and despite not truly being a rom-com, in true Ali (me) reads Ali (Hazelwood) fashion I found myself frequently laughing out loud. I somehow think it might be impossible for Ali to write something that isn’t funny and that I don’t find funny?? Her humor still shines through in her characters, in their thought processes, and the way in which they joke with each other. Ali also always writes lovable side characters (and pets!) and Not in Love is no exception on that front. I particularly loved Eli’s sister Maya and Eli’s dog Tiny (and Eli’s love for him)! I also really loved the storylines with Rue and Eli’s previous coaches. *whispers* is this low key Ali’s hockey player/ice skater romance era??? I was not anticipating this before starting the book, but we absolutely loved to see it! And lastly, such a small small thing, but I LOVE a name drop of characters from previous works! I may or may not have screamed outloud! Ali, please never ever stop the name drops!

Man oh man I am so sorry! A new Ali book always always ALWAYS brings out the wordiest of reviews from me! I just LOVE HER SM WHAT’S A GIRL TO DO?! TL;DR of it all? It’s a yes from me!! I laughed, I cried, I had a bang-up good time! And as always, I am eagerly awaiting whatever my girl pens next!

Not in love has the Hazelwood effect we all love but it’s a distinct departure from what we’ve come to expect from Ali - the story has deeper elements that add a lot of depth to the characters while still maintaining the quirkiness we’ve learned to expect and love in her writing

Both Rue and Eli have experienced trauma in their pasts and the story works to show how that’s effected them in their adult lives and how together they can overcome it

I loved these characters wholeheartedly and while there were a lot of things they weren’t saying to each other they still communicated effectively when necessary. Eli’s patience and understanding of Rue makes him a top tier MMC in my opinion, truly the man is an actual angel.

Rue is admittedly and understandably not quick to trust (putting it lightly) but she immediately feels an undeniable connection to Eli that she can’t explain and while she tries to fight it she fails at miserably.

This story is less STEM focused and more character focused and is definitely Hazelwood spiciest book yet. While the spice is great it is also a huge part of Rues healing journey and gives us an amazing glimpse into how supportive and understanding Eli is while displaying how much he truly cares for Rue.

Even though this book is different it still has the Hazelwood charm so there is great banter and sexual tension and moments of comic relief.

I can’t wait to see what Hazelwood writes next!

Thank you for early access to this title! I found Not in Love to be smart and at times very spicy! We get to know Rue and Eli - both smart and successful- with traumatic stories from their childhood and teen years. I enjoyed the honesty between these two and the theme of kindness and decency towards each other, and from the people in their lives who helped them during tough times. And did I mention the chemistry between Rue and Eli?!

Today I’m reviewing Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood. In this contemporary romance, we follow Rue, a biotech engineer at a food science start-up, and Eli, who works at the private equity firm, whose plan is to take over the company Rue works for. The stakes are high for both Rue and Eli, both have reasons to hate each other, but there’s an undeniable chemistry that these two can’t resist exploring.

Hazelwood penned an authors note to her readers about how this book is a bit different from her other STEM romance novels. With themes and content that can be emotional and deeper in scope. And Rue in particular is a very different character from the three other ladies who star in Hazelwood’s novels. At first glance she seems aloof, frosty, and blunt. Even though she’s the grumpy to Eli’s sunshine, Rue is a complex character who readers will find a soft spot.

Fans of Hazelwood’s STEM romance novels will love her hallmark humor, witty banter and dialogue, plus the emotional struggle of choosing between a shot at being in love or fighting the work takeover by the man Rue might fall for.

A conundrum you’ll want to find out for yourself. 😉

This one was a bit different from what Ali Hazelwood usually writes. I usually know what I am expecting from her romance books: grumpy sunshine characters, rivals to lovers trope, slow burn romance, and endless banter between characters. And this one, we get more of insta love trope, bit of enemies to lovers trope, dry humor vibes, deeper issues between characters, and dual povs. 
I am not hating this book. I just needed to readjust what I typically expect from her. And it’s still a good romance read. Not my particular fave from her, but still enjoyable read. 
I truly appreciate the dual povs! I literally love how obsessed the male love interest was. He literally will do anything for her. Like seriously! And I love an obsessed male interest. She needs to keep

🌟🌟🌟🌟/🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Not In Love is by far Ali Hazelwood's spiciest book. Rue and Eli use sex as a coping mechanism to avoid the complexity of their relationship and how what they are doing could impact the people in their lives. True to Ali Hazelwood, our FMC is a women in STEM but instead of her typical college setting, it’s in a tech start up.

It was fun to see Ali deviate from her norm (outside of Bride of course) and have her classic STEM romance in a professional setting. At times I did struggle with the amount of spice, although done well, it felt like it was being used to drive the plot forward.

Overall, I really enjoyed Not in Love and absolutely recommend to anyone who loves romance, women in STEM, and an MMC who is down BAD.

This was a weird one for me. I love all of Ali Hazelwood's books, and don't get me wrong this is still a really good book, but it might be one of the ones I have liked the least by her. Still a solid 4 stars but it doesn't get to the higher rankings that her previous books had for me. What I liked, I actually was into the business side of this, her science takes are always cool but this time it had the business intrigue and an M&A side that totally targeted me and I liked it. I kind of like the business side more than the romance side, because although I was all over the relationship by the end I did not necessarily love the way there as I do in many others. However I did appreciate how much thought was put in character development (and especially of Eli) to actually understand their motivations (and some of the dumb decisions they make) Definitely a book you should pick up for the summer, a perfect beach read it is.

Sexy, steamy stem! This book has so much the characters have so much depth. I love the way that they talk to each other, The story itself was great. It was just overshadowed by ALL OF THE SEX. There was so much sex, that I felt it overshadowed how great this book could have been.

Thanks so much to Berkeley and NetGalley for this advanced reader copy!

I’ll admit, I was nervous about this book after LOVING Bride and Love, Theoretically. I just didn’t know how it would measure up and WOW was I happily surprised!! This book felt fresh in Hazelwood’s collection of work but familiar at the same time. She blended the STEM and romance beautifully here and I absolutely loved the characters in this one. The villain of the story is complicated and shocking, and the group of friends is so fun to sink into and watch move through things together. Now the romance….WOW. I couldn’t get enough of them. Never wanted to put the book down. The heat, the charm, the understanding — it was such a beautiful exhibition of Hazelwood’s romance talents.

I’ll read anything from her!

one thing i'm always going to do is eat up a ali hazelwood book. this was fun! rue is different than ali's typical FMCs. she's a bit aloof, standoff-ish, and is actually aware of the mutual attraction that exists between her and eli. it doesn't take long for them to realize they have to do something about it.

the reviews are correct - they are ali's horniest couple. eli's thoughts are filthy and his mind is constantly consumed by all things rue siebert. its insta-love, but done in such a way that you can't help but enjoy. ali is the best at writing obsessed-with-their-fmc men and eli is no exception. at the same time, he cares for her so unconditionally, doing the smallest of things to make her feel comfortable. he takes time to understand her quirks and even appreciates that he has to work for it. he wants to earn her trust, her love, and makes sure she's aware of that. a man!

thank you berkley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review

This was very much no plot just smut romance which isn’t my favorite thing but it’s Ali hazelwood so it’s pretty much always going to get a high rating. I did like that she tried something different but not my favorite of hers.

Ali Hazelwood is always a must read for me! Another angsty “they shouldn’t be together” delicious STEM read. One of her spiciest ones yet it was a joy to follow along with Rue and Eli as they embark on hidden relationship due to their Jobs. Loved it!

If angst was a book, it would be Not in Love. Ali Hazelwood has written the perfect enemies-with-benefits book to ever exists] and this is now my favourite trope! I loved every second of this book.

Move over SJM. Ali Hazelwood has proven in this novel that she can write grief like the best of them! This is not necessarily a love story. This is a story of two people who depend too much on others and slowly learn to depend on themselves.

Ren is not well adjusted, and it's apparent from the beginning of the book. Having grown up with food insecurity she has a hard time trusting anyone but herself. She also presents in a way that could be seen as being autistic. She is very reserved and only talks when she is sure of what she is saying and relies on sex and physical intimacy as a way to decompress, despite never having been in a long term relationship before. All of these thing I personally related to and was able to connect really well with Ren, which I have never been able to do.

Eli seems well adjusted. Golden boy who pulled his sister and himself up "by their bootstraps" after everything fell apart, but he still has some underlying repressed trauma to work out. Eli isn't as well fleshed out as Ren, which I think is okay. Eli seemed like a character who was written solely to find a way to support Ren and he did that in the most extraordinary way possible. I did not miss having some of his backstory left out. It was definitely more endearing to see Eli slowly coax vulnerability from Ren.

All in all I was very impressed with this new Hazelwood installment. I would go so far as to say this is her best book yet.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-m/f contemporary romance
-rivals to friends to lovers
-this is just a hookup
-consensual kink
-hoooorny
-steminist
-insta attraction
-he falls first and hard
-wait are these feelings?

I love this book. I am forcing myself to write a review rather than immediatley reread it. There is just a magic to Ali's writing that is so compusively readable, and the moment when I had to go live my life I was counting down the moments until I could read again.

Rue and Eli have their lives figured out. And also just really enjoy sex, a hookup app later these two just have incredible chemistry and Eli's life turns on its head. I adored how just completely feral he was for Rue, even when he didn't recognize it at first, her mere existence just wrecks him in the best way and I ma here for it. I loved that we got to just see them fall in love. Their truth game felt so reminiscent to me of The Truth Above Forever by Sarah Dessen and I just ate it up.

Rue has such a wall around her, and to see them slowly break down, for her to trust and just want to be with Eli and grapple with that just made me want to hug her. How vulnerable she was, how she took her time, and her journey was such as beautiful and tender as Eli's at in her own time in her own Rue way. And gosh can we talk about the sex scenes, this was increidbly horny and I could just keep reading and living in this incredible. Just devestated the book is over but just another Ali masterpiece. This hit the you are the last person in the universe I should be falling for but I can't stay away from you vibes. Addictive perfection is Ali's brand.

This book was so different from other Ali Hazelwood stories, but it was great! Much more mature, and it was interesting to see how that played out in Hazelwood writing. The characters also felt a little more unique and diverse than her others which I loved!

WOW! This is the 6th Ali Hazelwood book I've read, and she is still fantastic and incredibly gifted.

This book gave a different vibe from her previous. It felt like the characters were more serious, and they represented a more realistic romantic relationship in today's society. I will say, the academia elements went right over my head. I am not familiar with academic research and start ups, and maybe wish I knew a bit more before reading this book.

Overall, this book is a great addition to any library and a great addition to Ali Hazelwood's work.

This book hooked me in from the first chapter. I loved the character development and how the story progressed.

Oh. My. God. New favorite Ali Hazelwood book unlocked?? And we finally got dual pov!!!

There’s just something about the way that Ali writes that makes my brain happy and content. Do I understand some of the science stuff? No, but I nod my head and agree with the characters cause in the moment I too am a smart and hot scientist.

Right from the start, I was hooked on how Rue and Eli met, which you can just FEEL the tension between them through the pages. Not only that, but they’re vulnerable with each other and share intrusive thoughts and traumatic experiences that no one else knows about. And yet, they both stay because why?? That’s right, they have feelings for each other!!

Rue and Eli were both so well written and complex with their background, especially how Rue grew up and how that had made her into the woman she is now. She may seem cool, calm and collected, but Rue is extremely shy when it comes to meeting new people. Except when it comes to Eli, who is down right obsessed with Rue the minute he meets her (we love to see it).

It’s a horny forbidden work place romance and I have not stopped thinking about since I finished it days ago. I firmly believe that Ali gets better with each book she writes and you can see her growth within the range of genres she works with.

Thank you Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for sending an arc for my honest review!

Some tropes:
-workplace /forbidden romance
-lowkey enemies to lovers
-“once to get it out of our system”
-dual pov
-HOT THICK TENSION
-found family
-hot women in STEM

Ali did it again. I eat it up and she just keeps feeding me.

Once again a main character that isn’t perfect and is smart and successful. I love all the STEM girls and all the guys. This one was no different

I was rooting for Eli from the start and I won’t deny that. What a great slow burn but also good on her for the representation
Thank you for this arc. Can’t wait for the release. It will join my Ali shelf 💕