3.5/3.75

thanks to netgalley and berkeley pub for the arc

I’ve never felt so uncertain about a book. Now hear me out I 100% recommend it because I love actually loved it and loved some aspects of it but also because of these aspects I felt super detached from the characters and their feelings and it doesn’t make sense.
Let’s try to explain but first of all this book is super different from anything by Ali and anything in general because the characters are super unique. I honestly loved the representation of more cold characters, socially awkward but not in a funny way. It’s really portrayed in a straight way to the point where I was asking myself if Rue, the main female characters, doesn’t have an Asperger syndrome which I find really interesting and good in a book (but it’s just some social aspects where she struggles a lot that made me think of that it’s not said in the book).
Now, because of how hard it was for Rue to actually be social and talk about what she’s feeling, it kind of made me feel the same way but at the same time I don’t connect with it because it’s not my way of feeling and the way i’m being taught how to feel in books or society in general (don’t know if that makes sense). So I loved that but also it didn’t click ????

Anyways I still loved it and recommend it, I love that Rue is a tall ladyyyyyy she’s a queen and also for my smut lovers it’s super spicy 😮‍💨

I'm incredibly sad to say that I DNF'd this one. I personally didn't feel this had Ali's normal flair that I've come to love in her adult romances. Starting with insta-love and ending with Eli's entire personality being pining over Rue, this one was hard to want to continuously pick up and read.

one thing about me is i am first and foremost an ali hazelwood STAN before i am anything else. i feel like im always saying it every time i read a new AH book but this is seriously her best work yet 😭🩷

this book is insanely horny compared to her past books, the mouth on eli (and sometimes rue) *chefs kiss*. there were a lot of smutty scenes yet it still didnt overpower the plot of the book, i think there was a really good ratio on smut to plot. this book is also really emotionally vulnerable which i loved. i feel like eli and rue really had depth to who they are and there was a lot of growth from rue through out the book and eli was extremely patient and kind about it.

one thing about AH is she is going to write the HOTTEST, CUTEST, SIMPIEST man ever. i never thought that one of her men would beat out jonathan smith turner and then entered eli killgore. it took absolutely no time for me to be obsessed with this man. from the very start to the very end he was absolute perfection.

i really loved the fmc for this book, rue. shes so much different from any of the other fmcs ali has introduced us too, she has a pretty messed up past and has quite a bit of issues that have led her to really isolates herself from most things. eli throws off her entire world pretty much but yet she cant keep herself away from him 🥲

He couldn’t tell whether she was flirting, making fun of him, or dead serious. It was exhilarating.“
yall i cant even begin to tell you how much this line cracked me up and still does 😂 eli was so gone for this girl meanwhile could not for the life of him tell if rue was two seconds away from kneeing him in the junk and never talking to him again.

rue has some of the most dry humor a person could possibly have which made their bantering 10x funnier to me bc i felt like you could really feel how flabbergasted eli was by some of the things coming out of her mouth lmfao
~~~~
He stared, waiting for an answer. And then his eyes softened. The breeze picked up between us, and he kept looking, looking, looking. Looking.
“It’s unsettling when you do that,” I said softly. He turned away, chest heaving. “I’m sorry.” His Adam’s apple moved. “I forget to look at other things, when you’re around.”
~~~~
“Your damn mouth,” he murmured, “is the most obscenely lovely thing I’ve ever had the burden of seeing.”
“You’re not even watching.” She pressed a light kiss down his length, followed with a tender graze of her teeth. Her knuckles brushed against his testicles and oh, shit. “After all that talk about my mouth.”
~~~~
the last chapter & epilogue have to honestly be my favorite thing to ever exist. both were literally everything and more to me. im smiling and giggling to myself rn just thinking about the chaos of both of them 🤭

i know that this review is extremely all over the place, but trust me pls when i say this book is a work of art. i am extremely convinced that by the end of the year it will still be a top 3 of the year book if not possibly my #1 favorite. if i could rate this a billion and one stars best believe i would 😩

Entirely unsurprised to report that I ate this book right up. Ali Hazelwood’s latest is a fresh new take on a genre that she clearly dominates. Weaving in real and important themes of food insecurity, poverty and problematic power dynamics in academia, Hazelwood manages to educate her readers while simultaneously spinning an addictive tale. Complete with her signature style that blends spice and emotional intimacy, NOT IN LOVE is another win for a simply unstoppable romance author.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an ARC.

Another phenomenal Ali Hazelwood love story! I think this one might be my favorite out of her STEM romances, and that's solely because of the characters we fall in love with in the book. Not only do I find the two witty and complex, but I appreciate the well-rounded development of the supporting characters. I found this to be a great read that many will enjoy.

This one was a disappointment. I love the other titles by this author, so I was expecting a lot, but this did not deliver. The STEM parts of the novel were an afterthought. They played no part in the plot. The relationship between the two romantic leads seemed very troublesome. Fragile woman in distress saved by nurturing man came off condescending. There wasn't much connection between the characters besides in the bedroom. We will probably still order the book to meet patron demand, but this one was a dud.

I didn't enjoy this as much as I was hoping to! I've read all of Ali's work, minus her YA, but this and Bride have been misses for me. Ali definitely took the criticism about always having a teeny, tiny skinny female character and big giant male character to heart, but Ali pivoted hard and the FMC is almost 6 feet tall and an athlete.

Hearing about how awkward and terrible at being a human Rue was got old. It reminded me of when Jughead goes "I'm weird. I'm a weirdo" in Riverdale, and once I thought of that I couldn't get over it!

This was definitely Ali's spiciest book, and was very much instalove/lust.

Spoiler: the villain is, once again, exactly who you think it is.

3.5 Stars

Ali Hazelwood is one of the few authors whose book's I'll pay money for up front, no questions asked. Her brand of science-y romance is very appealing to me. While this one is a little bit different, focusing more on the private sector vs academic or governmental, you'll find much of the same touches you've loved in her other works.

I must admit I didn't love this one as much as her others. Everything worked for me, plot, characters, storyline. The only thing that didn't work was the number of spicy scenes. It got redundant and all seemed to blur together after a while. Some of the kinks used are definitely not my thing, which is probably why I didn't love this as much as the others. Not to say I wouldn't discourage anyone to pick this up. Lots of spice and kink may be right up another reader's alley, so don't be discouraged. Once again, I wish I could be friends with several of the characters in this book.

Not in Love is an adorable, slow burn romance. This read was a page turner that had me smiling and giggling the entire time. Ali Hazelwood truly knows how to write interesting, fun and lovable characters. Eli was the definition of golden retriever energy and I was living for it.

I found myself not only attached to the main characters, but the world that she built around them. This story was truly unique and original. I love reading a book that leaves me feeling giddy and filled with joy and this book did just that.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Ali Hazelwood yet again delivers a fast paced STEM romance! I really enjoyed the main character in Not in Love as she was so different than other main female characters Hazelwood has written before. Another highlight of this book was the dual-pov, I love when we get into the heads of the main character and their love interest and kept the conflict interesting as you could tell there was more than meets the eye. My only gripe with this book was the love interest being framed as a "good private equity" man. Knowing that private equity often bankrupts the companies they buy for quick gain I thought it was laughable she included a line about his private equity company never having had bankrupted any of the companies they purchase.

3.5 stars
I was a bit hesitant to jump into this one, but I'm glad I did. While I did find one part super annoying (I feel like the author feels the need to overly demean something for no reason in each of her books as a way to show her progressiveness... but it comes off just awkward and rude), I did enjoy how different this character was from her last few female girl characters.

I was obsessed by the end of the first chapter. If you love romance novels like I do, this should move its way to the top of the list. Eli falls fast and hard for Rue and I could not get enough of the way that this man was down bad for her.

Ali Hazelwood definitely took a turn from her usual STEMinist formula for this book, and I still enjoyed it! I think we all know what to expect from Ali Hazelwood’s books by now, and while they do all share similarities- I eat it up every time. However ‘Not in Love’ was different in a lot of ways from the plot, the relationship dynamics and the overall science content. It definitely took me longer to get into this book, and I would definitely say that it’s not as fun and fluffy as Ali’s other books, but I still think it was a great read. This book deals with a lot of deeper subjects that affect the character’s relationships and personalities such as child neglect, food insecurity, and taking on parental duties. I think that these were woven into the story and relationship between Eli and Rue really well and definitely added a lot of dimension to their romance. There is also dual POV in this which was a nice surprise and I know a lot of us have been rooting for it! Overall this wasn’t my fave Ali Hazelwood to date- but I still enjoyed it and was happy to see a bit of a different type of romance written by her!

This is another wonderful Hazelwood STEM story that I zoomed through. Rue and Eli are so perfect for each other. This is a forbidden romance – Eli is one of the partners trying to take over Kline, the Biotech company Rue works for. It’s an emotional and wonderful slow-burn romance and her steamiest book yet.

Rue and Eli connected on an app and were getting ready to meet up when Eli rescues Rue from an altercation and makes sure she gets home safely. The next time they see each other is at Kline’s big employee meeting about the takeover and Rue sees Eli with his partners on stage!

Rue is a brilliant biotech engineer who is working on her own project, a type of protective layer for fruit and vegetables to improve their shelf life. I admired this considering her past when she didn’t have enough to eat (childhood trauma and food anxiety). She is very reserved and quiet and loves her job. and she's worried about the takeover. She has a best friend Tisha, who is outgoing and very fun. I love the subtle humor between them. Rue has been working for Kline since before she finished her PhD a year ago and admires the CEO who is her mentor and friend.

As Rue and Eli get to know each other they find they have more in common than they knew. Their attraction is intense and I quickly turned the pages to see how they would be able to make their forbidden romance work. There are a few mysteries in the story. There is a mystery as to why Eli wants to take over Kline so badly and along the same lines, there is a villain that he and his partners are trying to uncover.

This story has some serious, heavier topics. Both Eli and Rue have childhood trauma and Rue has trouble from a family member that can be scary and is hounding her over inheritance issues. Eli is my favorite Hazelwood hero – he is patient and so kind. There is also a quick mention of our favorite chess players from Check and Mate! I am so thankful for my advanced copy of this fun book - I loved it! Thanks to Ali Hazelwood, Berkely and NetGalley for the ARC.

Ali Hazelwood has yet to dissapoint! Not in Love deviates slightly from her other novels (this one is definitely the spiciest one yet) but I think it's my favorite one so far.

I really enjoyed being in Rue's head as our main character. She is blunt and socially awkward, but not is a way that comes off as annoying. I will always love how strong and smart the author's female characters are. We do get chapters in Eli's POV as well and while the jump from Rue's first person to Eli's third person was a bit jarring at first, his chapters are also very enjoyable.

Rue and Eli are a great couple - there is plenty of communication, both in the everyday and on consent, and their conflicts don't feel like a convient way to move the plot along. They have real conversations about their wants, emotions, and past trauma.

There was more spice than I normally can tolerate in books but it didn't make me feel as bogged down as I would have expected. Ali Hazelwood writes her characters so well that even my ACE brain can wrap itself around the character's motivations enough to enjoy the spice for what it is.

If you've enjoyed Ali Hazelwood's books previously or enjoy reading contemporary romance, I'd recommend picking this one up.

Rated 5 stars. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC ebook.

Immediately sent in an order to buy this for my works catalog. Anything Ali Hazelwood is TOP NOTCH. I love everything she writes, truly and I personally own all of them as well. The chemistry (ha-ha) between characters are nothing short of quirky perfection.

Unfortunately, I think it's time for Ali Hazelwood and I to break up.

This book was even more boring than the last one. All the usual Hazelwood tech and scientific word vomit now sprinkled with more uses of the word "fuck"!

Ugh.

I kept going back and forth between a 4.5 and a 5 but the ending solidified this one as my favorite book by Ali. Love theoretically is my second favorite!!

The crazy thing about this is that tbh I couldn't relate to these characters as much as I related to Elsie and Jack from LT but I loved that because I was able to put myself in their shoes and understand them. You don't have to be 100% compatible with someone to understand what they're going through and feel empathy towards them. I loved these messy, complicated and complex characters so much. Eli and Rue got me GOOD.

They were everything to me. But what I loved the most about this story is how fun, fast paced and sexy it was. Eli is so hot and I loved how he accepted Rue as she was. She didn't had to change who she was in order to be seen by him. He understands her and worships her in a god kind of way. I loved that about this romance.

A few things that are worth mentioning:

- this has dual POV (his is written in 3rd person and it as a game changer) 10/10

- This one focuses the least in the STEM aspect compared to her previous books. The science of it all is in the background. The romance is the star of the show and I DEVOURED IT!

- This is her spiciest book (I haven't read bride) this is like a 6/5 in a spicy scale. PURE DELICIOUSNESS

- She incorporated the hockey trope in here and I was MELTING!!!!

- Her writing was IMPECCABLE!!! It's insane how good she wrote this one.

Perfect, just perfect!!!

Thank you so much Berkeley for the reader advance copy.

While there are other Hazelwood books that I've enjoyed much more (Love, Theoretically still holds the top spot overall), this one really seems to be evidence of how much she's grown as an author — and not just in terms of changing up the physicality of the characters she's written. The dual POV was an interesting shift, although I was a little thrown by the first-person/third-person difference between Rue and Eli at first, even if switching back and forth between them was less jarring as the story continued. Without going into spoilers, some sections of prose frankly blew me away, and this one really felt like it had more emotion and angst (in a good way) woven through the overall romance rather than hovering too much in straight rom-com territory.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this edition from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Hazelwood has completely knocked it out of the park with this one. Admittedly I've been a fan of her since her debut, but this spoke to me like nothing else.

Not in Love is another scientist romance, this time between Rue Siebert, a stoic scientist who'd rather keep people at arm's length than let them intuit the extent of her social failures, and Eli Killgore, a man looking to buy the company she works for and who finds himself fascinated by her against his will.

The characters feel remarkably real. I related heavily to Rue and found myself tearing up as she learned she could be happy. Eli and Rue's relationship was charged with brilliant sexual tension that I've rarely seen in other books, and the slow and devastating collide was thrilling to read about. Hazelwood has outdone herself with this one, I think, and I'm so thrilled to see where she goes from here.