Well oh my God. This book nearly set my house on fire. Also it's sweet and lovely. But spicy. SPICY.

I love Eli. I love Rue. I love Ali Hazelwood. I. Love. This. Book. Ali never misses. Her MMC’s are ALWAYS my favorites. Nothing & no one beats her heroes & Eli just might actually be my top Ali boyfriend. The mouth on that man?! Immaculate. I adored all of the characters & their backstories were heart wrenching & everything was so relatable & raw & real & I loved every second.

I adore these two and their story! I feel like this is so different from Ali Hazelwood's other books and I really enjoyed it. I loved being in both of their heads and the distinction between the two. Rue was so immensely relatable and Eli was the softest, hottest man I'm obsessed with both of them. Definitely Ali's spiciest book and I ate up every second of their chemistry.

Sat for anything Ali writes and this was so freaking good!!! Not only one of Ali’s hottest books yet!! But probably her most emotionally vulnerable , it had me over here tearing up. I also felt like the stem aspect took more of the backseat in this one and the romance was more of a focus point, which I personally really loved!!! I feel for a loss at words because I really do think this was so perfect! The spice had me sweating, truly the Eli the MMC could tie me down any day, the way Ali writes men who are just so caring and understanding but also ultimate simps for their women!!! OBSESSED!!! Rue had me crying, my girl has been through it and she needs to be protected at any and all costs!! Watching her open up+ find trust in Eli and getting a view into their emotional connection was so sweet!
Can’t wait for everyone to experience this one!

I loved the attention Ali Hazelwood has brought to the STEM community. This novel was a different twist but still highly enjoyable and a unique love story full of passion. I cannot wait to share my full thoughts and review. She has an amazing way of crafting her characters.

As a huge Ali Hazelwood fan for years, this book did not disappoint!! I was obsessed with the banter and angsty tension between characters as well as the overlying story with STEM qualities. I absolutely adore her writing and cannot wait for her next release!

Socially awkward scientist Rue finds herself in an unexpected affair with Eli, one of the people in charge of taking over her boss’ company. What starts out physical turns into so much more.

I loved the fact that he fell first (and hard). Rue was a complex, interesting character and Eli seemed to love every weird, quirky thing about her.

There were ups, downs and plot twists along the way, which made for a really interesting story line. Perfect for the science buff! The spice was hot and unique thanks to the “not a fan of penetration” aspect. Overall a cute love story.

A socially anxious girl who has her walls up high meets one of the men responsible for possibly taking over the company she works for and all kinds of drama ensues. This book was sexy and full of a lot of open communication, which I loved! Ali Hazelwood knows how to write men who fall absolutely head over heels for her female leads. However, the romance in this one felt a little bit insta-lovey at times. I wanted more time spent developing the trust that comes with a relationship, but often our characters used sex to communicate. I just wish we had more time in their heads apart from their obvious infatuation with each other.

This book was a deviation from the normal narrative script that Hazelwood normally follows, and for that I applaud her. I will continue to read any and everything she writes!

Hey queen!! Girl, you have done it again - constantly raising the bar for us all and doing it flawlessly. I'd say I'm surprised, but I know who you are. IVE READ IT UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL!!!
Thank you so much for this arc, l'm eternally grateful 🫶

I've read every single one of Ali Hazelwood's published books (except Love on the Brain) and they just keep getting better and better (how is that even possible bc they were already so perfect).

I can confirm, this is Ali Hazelwood's spiciest book to date; the spice was SPICING. I was literally gasping for air and had to put my book down multiple times to collect myself because omg THE MOUTH ON THAT MAN. It wasn't overdone either, it was the perfect amount and their romantic connection was strong.

Eli Killgore is like every other Ali hazelwood man. Completely, utterly perfect and obsessed (AND AN EX COLLEGE HOCKEY PLAYER SCIENCE NERD WHO WEARS GLASSES). He definitely made the list of my top book boyfriends.

BUT BUT BUT...
This time it's even better because we GET HIS POV!!!!! I really hope she keeps writing dual pov because it was such a game changer.

Now on to our fmc. I absolutely love reverse grumpy sunshine and it was done perfectly!! Rue is such a black cat, it was so entertaining and refreshing to read. Also for everyone who hates how most of her fmc's are small and the mmc's are huge, I'm happy to inform you that Rue is 6 feet tall in heels and an absolute boss bitch.

The romance and chemistry between Eli and Rue was one of a kind (I can't even put it in words). They had a magnetic connection and are the true definition of soulmates. They would have found eachother no matter what and fallen in love every single time. Their romantic connection was THAT convincing.

I don't really want to say TOO much more about it because the release date is so far away, but just know that this is top tier Ali Hazelwood and a MUST READ.

Things you'll find in this book:
✨ forbidden romance
✨ "let's get it out of our system"
✨ black cat x golden retriever // reverse grumpy sunshine
✨boy obsessed & he falls first
✨dual pov
✨angst
✨found family
✨STEM setting

There is a before this book, and an after this book. And, it is so delicious and exquisite that it changes the reader no matter what. Eli is the first time we get a man properly desiring snd vulnerable while Rue struggles with her emotional capacities in a way that has not been done by Ali Hazelwood before. It disrupts the traditional romance arcs in the best of ways. And, while it could leave a person with a reader hangover, it is so well executed that by the end it feels to satisfying to mind any potential hangover.

Ali Hazelwood could never have us disappointed. It was a whirlwind story of power and love with enjoyable characters and a fascinating plot line. I loved it.

This may be Ali Hazelwood’s best book.

The lead characters in Hazelwood’s books are often rifts of one another. And that remains true for this book. Furthermore, Hazelwood’s books have common plot points, which again are present in this book.

But for all the commonalities, this book stands out amongst her others. I enjoyed Rue as a character. As a lead character, she has a personality not often explored in romance books, and I appreciate the emotional depth and growth she undergoes. I also enjoyed Eli as a lead, but I was truly captured by Rue.

The book is certainly spicier than Hazelwood’s previous books, but the scenes did not override the book's plot either, which I appreciate.

I would suggest a trigger warning for food insecurity be added to the beginning of the book. While not troubling for me as a reader, it’s something decently explored in the book and could be troubling for an unsuspecting reader.

Overall, 4.5 of 5 starts. This book will likely be in my top 10 reads of the year.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC.

4🌟!!

I enjoyed this one! I think it was a bit different than Ali’s other books, which was nice. It definitely didn’t dethrone Love Theoretically as my fave Ali book as the first bit was slow for me, but I ended up enjoying it nonetheless.

This book explored a lot of deeper topics that can be tough to read, like raising younger siblings and food insecurity. The food insecurity, in my opinion, was dealt with delicately, yet in a very real and vulnerable way.

This is DEFINITELY one of Ali’s spiciest (if not the spiciest) books, and sexuality plays a huge role in the story. I do wish that we got a liiiittle less spice and more conversation and emotional connection at times, but that just might be me!! It definitely felt a little insta-lovey on Eli’s part, but his personality made up for it haha.

While I didn’t relate too much to any character, I was still able to connect with them and cheer them on. These characters feel a lot different than Ali’s other characters for some reason, and it felt sort of refreshing???

Other things I loved:
- Eli’s words of affirmation and reassurance
- The banter!!
- Seeing the way Rue slowly let him in
- Sharing stories
- HOW DOWN BAD ELI IS!!!!
- Dual POV with Eli’s POV being in 3rd person 🥰
- Rue’s work and why she does it
- Rue’s loyalty

Overall, Ali Hazelwood still holds a spot on my auto-buy author list, and I really enjoyed! Thank you so much Berkley and NetGalley for the ARC! 🫶🏻🫶🏻

WOW WOW WOW WOW

Read this in one sitting on a plane ride. At first, I was intrigued because it seemed so different from her other adult romances, and I had an ever so slightly harder time getting into the actual science/business plot. However, once I got it I GOT it, and I looooooved how Rue was a bit prickly. She's tall, curvy, and kind of antisocial. Her character is incredibly well developed.

The romance was HOT and the end made me cry. fiiiiiive stars this woman can do no wrong

Ali finally wrote a book I don't love. The tropes were TROPING too hard in this one and I didn't love the FMC as much as I normally do. Still better than many other romances and with a read.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Receiving an advanced copy was a delightful surprise. I believe both existing fans and newcomers will find it equally enjoyable.

First, thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for an ARC of Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood.

This book is different from her other STEM titles in that it really focuses more on the romance and less on the science. It is also extremely steamy- much much more so than some of her others.

I liked the main characters and appreciated the alternating points of view, but I did not enjoy this one like I have her others. It didn't give me enough backstory and character development.

I really enjoyed this one! It was very different from Ali’s usual romances to me. Yes it was still a STEM type of romance but it wasn’t her usual “big large tough man small tiny quirky girl” that we see so often. We had a tall fmc (finally) and yeah the mmc was a big former hockey player but not in an obnoxiously overdone type of way. So I really enjoyed the change there.

This is definitely her most serious book yet as far as the topics and mental health issues that it covers. I honestly really appreciated that and loved that she made these characters so complex because while I couldn’t 100% relate to them, I could still connect to them so well. I could relate to Rue a little bit with her feelings towards being around people and social anxiety so that was really lovely to read.

I adore Eli. He is the sweetest mmc who would do anything to make Rue happy and comfortable. He sees her for who she is and doesn’t push her into anything she doesn’t feel comfortable doing. He is a man obsessed and I loved it. The character growth from both characters was amazing. And the love declaration?!?!? Bye.

I enjoyed the plot line of what was going on at Rue’s work and how this affected her relationship with Eli. While a bit predictable, it was still very entertaining and enjoyable.

My ONLY complaint (and this is 100% a ME thing) is that there was too much spice. For me. Totally understand it plays a part in how they met / Rue deals with relationships but I would’ve loved to see even more of that emotional connection instead. Literally my only complaint. I loved everything else about this book and loved how different it was compared to her previous romances.

Thank you Berkley & NetGalley for the early copy.

Thank you for the ARC copy. I am a huge fan of Ali and have read all her books! I love her characters and spicy themes. This book was of course just as good and spicy. I think this was the spiciest book by her. Still keeping the amazing theme of female bad ass scientists. I will continue to read Ali.

Loved the characters and overall storyline. I wish there was a little less patent talk and family conflict.

Ali Hazelwood’s darkest, dreamiest, most unnerving book to date with steam that just won’t quit. Diving deep into the mindset of young academics set on revenge— she highlights the lengths women will go to survive in a field that walks all over them.

Hazelwood gets better with each book, and this turn to darker subject matter is just what we all need. Focusing on unresolved trauma and intellectual property theft issues, this book will keep you on the EDGE of your seat— do not miss it!

Thank you to NetGalley & the Berkley folks for an arc to review 💕