Not in Love is Ali Hazelwood’s best work. Each book is better than the one before. I simply couldn’t put it down. This might be the book of the year.

I love Ali Hazelwood’s books!! This book had fantastic characters that I empathized with and lots of spice! I didn’t want to stop reading!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early readers copy to review.


Things this book did well:
-first FMC in an Ali Hazelwood book that isn’t petite and tiny and smol
-the female friendships in this book are refreshing and wholesome
-the FMC has a conversation about how hard it is for her to reach orgasm from solely PIV sex which I thought was so refreshing to see in a romance book and it is very realistic for a lot of women and I think it’s a needed conversation in this genre


Things this book did not do well:
-of course that last bullet point is negated by the fact that the MMC has a magical penis that of course gets her off
-the main characters in general felt very flat and one dimensional
-there was also a point where I thought she could’ve very easily made the MC be aro/ace to have a little bit of diversity and inclusion, and I kept waiting for her to name it and it never happened. Very little of the actual story would’ve changed but I think it could’ve made a lot of readers feel seen anyway.

Overall, very weak and I think I’m done with this authors adult contemporary romances. I have her YA book and her paranormal romance book left but I think this is the end of the line for me and her STEMinist books.

Ali continues to reign supreme as Queen of STEM Romance Novels. Rue is a biotech engineer working for a small start-up; Eli and his finance bro partners are part of a business takeover of the company. They're pitted against one another but true to any enemies-to-lovers romance, they just can't seem to stay away from each other. I loved Rue's social awkwardness and the way that she and Eli were slowly able to become more open and emotionally available to one another. Fans of Ali will love her newest novel, as will other readers looking for a spicy contemporary romance novel.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with an advanced copy of this novel via NetGalley.

Rue is an engineer working at a biotech company when she encounters Eli at a bar. They are both enchanted with one another even though nothing romantic happens. Rue is startled to find Eli is part of a company takeover at her current employer. Out of loyalty to her beloved boss, she doesn’t want anything to do with Eli. However, these two have a magnetic pull to one another and can’t seem to stay away. This begins their forbidden, secret romance. Rue must decide if Eli can be trusted with her heart and her job.

Ali is back with a STEM romance, and dare I say, this is her spiciest book yet! There are many open door scenes in this book due to Rue and Eli’s physical connection and the way they both initially embrace a sex-positive, no strings attached type of romance. However, there is plenty of depth to the story as both Rue and Eli come from difficult upbringings. I really enjoyed this aspect of the story because it helped explain both of the characters’ personalities, insecurities, and allowed them to connect on a deep emotional level. Ali’s signature humor is present in this book despite some serious topics and it’s somehow balanced enough to be emotionally vulnerable but not overpoweringly tragic. Readers can expect secret romance, grumpy (FMC)/ sunshine (MMC), and the “let’s just get it out of our system” tropes. If you enjoy a spicy, female-empowering, funny romance with depth, you are going to LOVE this one!

Thank you to Ali Hazelwood and Berkley Romance for the arc and my spot on the book tour.

Ali Hazelwood has gone above and beyond with this rom-com. I laughed and cried throughout the entire book. The sexy scenes were very sexy. How could you not love this cute couple, Eli and Rue?

I didn't know scientist could be sexy, but boy was I wrong. I loved the sex forward thinking of this book. I had not heard this term before, but I enjoyed finding out what it meant.

This is a phenomenal book. Be aware she has kicked the STEAM up a notch. Be careful reading it in public on a Kindle with size 20 font.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I've read all of Ali Hazelwood's work. This title was more angsty and less cute rom com but still had that same flavor of romance that her fans will appreciate.

Although "Not in Love" suggests otherwise, the novel is a pretty classic romance. Rue is a straightforward scientist who doesn't do relationships, just one-time hookups. Eli works in finance after his science dreams fell though, but he is hung up on the past wrong-doing that caused his career change. After meeting on an app for a hookup, Eli and Rue feel sparks, although things are complicated when Rue discovers that her place of business is being taken over by Eli's financial group. As a close friend of the owner, Florence, Rue feels like pursuing anything with Eli is an act of betrayal, but she cannot stay away.

I liked this book. I read it in one sitting, and found it super engrossing. This title does explore some heavier topics, like food insecurity and poverty, and I can tell that a lot of care was put into it discussing the issue, but it didn't always feel authentic. The financial takeover plot was predictable. I knew immediately who not to trust, and I think the story could be improved if it had kept you guessing more. But overall, if you like spicy romance, this is a solid choice

Not in Love is another great one by Hazelwood! I always enjoy that her characters are relatable with backstories that create depth, and this one does not disappoint. While it's a little less STEM heavy, it is not forgotten and helps to drive the story. I like that Hazelwood is also becoming more brave with the spice without getting lost in it.

I love Ali Hazelwood, and I will obviously still consider her one of my favorite romcom authors after this book, but I wasn't a huge fan of this departure into erotic romance. Rue and Eli meet through a hook up app--Eli because...???... and Rue because she thinks she's too weird and standoffish to have actual relationships, or something. Her reasoning for hooking up once and done with men is nebulous at best--there's never any concrete reason why she acts this way with men and sex in particular. Eli, despite telling half this book from his perspective, is mostly a black box about it.

And this is why I found myself less and less enjoying Not In Love--I couldn't get a firm grasp on the characters or their motivations. I could guess the external motivations easily enough since that's a common problem in academia, but the characters and why they're throwing themselves into cheap sex to start, why Eli suddenly has this overwhelming obsession with her, why Rue is the way she is and how she breaks free of it...all a mystery. The book spends so much time on sex scenes (that were hot, I will admit it, even though after I couldn't keep count anymore they grew wearisome) that I found myself unable to understand how the characters developed.

I'm looking forward to the Bride sequel and all the other romcoms that will come from Ali Hazelwood, but this book was not it.

Wow. This was honestly so much more emotional and poignant than her other books about women in stem (and I loved those, too). These characters have more complexity than the grumpy/sunshine tropes we’ve become accustomed to in the Steminist series. This story didn’t feel like it was evolving around science and campy humor, but around the characters and their growth instead.

This story builds slowly, but once I got halfway I couldn’t put it down. Eli and Rue build a relationship by sharing their most shameful secrets with each other, and their strictly physical relationship grows into a beautiful dual POV about love, trauma, and feeling worthy of happiness. This book is heartfelt, he falls first, and is probably Ali’s steamiest stem book.

Ali Hazelwood’s newest novel is one to be read quickly, and hungrily, and will ultimately leave you wishing you had savored it more. I am still in the thrall of it. This is, by far, my favorite book from her yet.
If Bride was a departure from her earlier work, I’d argue that this is an even bigger one. No, there are no werewolves or any other kind of mythical creature, and yes, it still places a heavy focus on women in STEM and positive female friendships. But the tone is wholly new.
Not In Love is Hazelwood’s angstiest book - and also the most erotic. These are two very flawed people trying to figure out if they’re capable of feeling what is becoming more startlingly apparent between the two of them. Rue, the female lead, is a food scientist with strong neurodivergent tendencies, and she’s still struggling to overcome the trauma of food insecurity as a child. Eli is still isn’t sure what exactly love is supposed to look or feel like. They’re both fine in the assumption that there are no happily-ever-afters waiting for them. They are deeply flawed, and they know it - even go to lengths to remind themselves of it. And that’s what makes them jump off the page. The complexity of their personalities and relationships is portrayed vividly, with no clear villains and plenty of moral ambiguity. The characters are portrayed as nuanced, real human beings, making the story emotionally compelling and thought-provoking.
This is a great read for fans of Emily Henry (hi, it’s me) and those who like a male lead who is OBSESSED with the FMC. It’s sad, contemplative, hopeful, and pretty damn kinky to boot. Highly. Highly. HIGHLY recommend this one.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the ARC of Not in Love by the iconic Ali Hazelwood!

Not in Love centers around Rue Seibert, whose loyalties are tested when a hook up gone wrong turns out to be a leading man in the business that’s planning to takeover the company she’s spent years working for. Everything’s she’s worked for as a biotech engineer is threatened the moment she realizes just who Eli Killgore is. But her feelings on relationships and love and truth are threatened just the same.

THIS BOOK!! The overall tone of this novel is very different from previous Ali books and I credit that to the protagonist, Rue. I see what you did with her Ali! Rue is midnight rain, she’s a dark forest, she’s black coffee, and I loved her.

Unpacking trauma from Rue and Eli’s lives were a big part of them building connections and I like how Ali included the bitter, ugly parts of life that most people want to hide.

This book isn’t sunshine and rainbows, but it’s still a beautiful romance that I hope finds the right readers. (It’s for the eldest sibling with years of guilt for leaving home, it’s for women that know what it’s like to fake it for male pleasure and learned they deserved better, it’s for people who fell victim to lies from someone you thought you could trust.)

Angst level 100000000. The sexual compatibility of these characters… so good. In it, the book explores what I would say is way more than the average romance book spice scenes. Ali really went all in here and I’m not mad at it!

Overall, I do wish we had a little more time to develop the mental connection, but a lot of it came from physical connection so I get it.

Another solid romance from the ever-talented Ali Hazelwood!

5 ⭐️
Ali Hazelwood does it again! This is now my favorite book by her & i’m actually obsessed with it!!

This is definitely Ali Hazelwood’s most adult book in terms of the themes mentioned & the development of the relationships in here. It didn’t focus as much on STEM as her other books, and I really enjoyed the way I just got to focus on the romance.

I have so much love for Rue. She is not your typical bubbly & bright girl, but she is just so alluring and interesting to read about. AND SHE’S TALL! (as a tall girl, I loved not having to read about how tiny the fmc always is) Rue has a rough childhood and her past definitely has an effect on how she is socially & emotionally. I found myself relating to her social anxiety and her issues with love. She’s my favorite Ali Hazelwood fmc for sure!


I loved the way Eli saw Rue for who she was, accepted her, and loved her unconditionally. They saw each other wholeheartedly and I think Ali did a great job at portraying their relationship and the growth they went through. The secrets they told each other, and the way they both accepted each other regardless of what was said was probably my favorite part of this book. Eli was such a comforting & lovable mmc! He was down sooo bad for Rue and I love him!!

This book was spicyyyy and yes I ate it up!!

Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for the arc!

ali published a literal omegaverse rom-com this year and somehow this book managed to be the most refreshing and strange of her collected works (and i mean that in the best possible way)

naturally i won’t be spoiling a thing, but there’s a lovely little letter at the beginning of this book from our stem queen that explains that we are in for a bit of a tonal shift. we’ve got dual pov and some previously unexplored topics. i prepared myself for that, but i was in no way ready for her two best characters to materialize out of thin air and win my heart in the opening chapter alone. it is absolutely smuttier than her previous works, but it’s done so differently. rue isn’t quirky, adorably awkward, and showing off a pair of galaxy tights (i love you ali but i have yet to recover from this). she is such a breath of fresh air as a romance character, and eli has moved to the top of my list forever.

even the stem aspect is really different from her other books. the conflict was real and understandable in a way that, in the past, just kind of sailed right over my head. the supporting cast is complex, lovable, a bit hatable - we’ve got some honest to god villains people!! no, it isn’t wildly unpredictable, but it put me through the ringer more than once.

cannot wait for this to come out and to hear what all you beauties make of it!! massive thank you to berkley for the arc - this is out june 11th so get your preorders in!! get excited!! because as if her entire trajectory wasn’t proof enough, ali brings it better and harder every single time.

also not one but two hazelwood books in my top reads of 2024, what a gift 🫶🏻

NOW THIS BOOK WAS SO INCREDIBLY GOOD. I love love love Ali Hazelwood and everything that she writes. This book was her but different. You can tell that her writing has evolved and improved from her first couple of books. I finished this book and I wanted to cry because it was over. Rue and Eli were just so freaking adorable. The way that he was ready to give up his LIFE'S WORK to make sure she was able to accomplish hers?????? It was just too good. UGH LITERALLY I CANT STOP THINKING ABOUT IT. I LOVED EVERY SINGLE SECOND OF IT AND I DIDNT WANT IT TO EVER EVER END.

Thank you so much to Berkley, Ali Hazelwood, and NetGalley for allowing me to read this!!!


100/100 STARS

Thank you NetGalley for providing this arc of Not in Love. I'm a fan of Ali Hazelwood's books, especially with Bride coming out this year as well. However, this book (as stated in the beginning) is a bit different from her other books in that it takes a more serious tone and more sex scenes (lol). While I loved the conflict and the resolution of the story, it was a bit hard to believe in the relationship that was trying to form. It talks about love when it's just sex between them. Nonetheless, I love that she's branching out to different genres and challenging her to write different stories that still has her writing and STEM in it.

This book is not only beautifully written but it has the perfect amount of heart and complex emotion while giving the doses of humor needed to keep you grounded and intimacy to keep you hooked. The characters feel alive and relatable even without the relatable circumstances. I loved getting to see character from Hazelwood with such a complex history and how she was able to keep her iconic tone while staying true to the characters trauma. As always Hazelwood makes her love for STEM and academia palatable for readers without said background while letting her love for science shine through. I loved this different yet familiar take from her and I hope to see more!

ughhhhh. I love Eli and Rue so much. Their story was so perfectly paced. Their communication was so good, especially on Eli’s front. He was so understanding of the entire situation and Rue’s feelings that it made him so much more likable. The plot itself puts Rue and Eli in a tough situation, but they really never let that stop them from feeling what they feel for each other. This book is a lot more physical than Hazelwood’s previous works, but it’s what worked for Rue. Without the physicality and intimacy of their relationship, it would’ve turned out differently in the end. Eli was patient and understanding, and their intimacy and communication is what opened the door for an honest and trusting relationship to flourish.

Seriously Ali Hazelwood's best work!!! I thought no book could replace Love Theoretically for me as my favourite book by her but this one has me in a chokehold right now

This book was definitely an emotional one and I think very different from her usual books, though it had a science element to it I think the focus was more on the romantic side which I loved so much! The slow burn between them had me hooked!

I always love how Ali writes her characters and I didn't feel any different while reading this. Rue is shown as a realist, her emotions are written all over her and she doesn't hold back from speaking her mind. I love that she's not shy to be 100% herself and fully lives by the statement "take me as I am". I loved to read about how she was herself throughout the book and Eli loved her for that exact reason. He never made her feel like she had to change herself or made her feel small for how she felt about certain things. The patience he has with her seriously warms me

The angst in this book was my FAV! not only was this book super spicy 🥵 but I loved to see Eli pining over her throughout. Rue is portrayed as somewhat emotionally unavailable but Eli truly brings out the best side to her and helps her see the good in life. I think after they both come from traumatic backgrounds, the bond they create is so special and they truly have my heart ❤️‍🩹

Thank you to netgalley and Berkley for this ARC!