**3.5-stars rounded up**

I don't think I have ever rated a Hazelwood book under 4.5-stars, so we've entered new territory here. This was still a good story, all things considered, but I didn't find it as witty, swoony, sexy, or as charming as her previous books. I also felt less STEM-vibes than I am accustomed to with her writing.

In this we are following Rue, a biotech engineer, and Eli, who works in finance, think venture capitalist, and they're brought together as Eli and his partners are beginning a takeover of the company that Rue works for, Kline. Because they find themselves on opposing sides, it does have a bit of a forbidden romance feel initially. For me, I would have loved if that had been dragged out a little further. They didn't keep it secret for very long.

Maybe I am supposed to believe it was because their chemistry is so strong everyone could just see it...

I loved Eli. I actually felt like he could be Hazelwood's sexiest male lead to date. There was something about him; strength, confidence and kindness for days. I'm in love. Then there's Rue. My gym shoes have more personality than her. No offense.

Every moment from her perspective bored me. I felt absolute zero connection to her and I understand her background, and I guess that is why Hazelwood made her feel more dead fish than engaging female lead, but I wasn't into it. I struggled to picture the two of them together. At the start, it's just supposed to be a hook-up, right? So, I get that. She's a wildly attractive woman, who seems to only want one thing. What guy wouldn't be attracted to that?

As the story continued though, I just couldn't get behind the idea of him becoming so magically obsessed with her. It made no sense to me, thus causing the entire story to feel a bit...put on, I guess. Which, for the record, I have never felt with one of Hazelwood's books before.

Also, there was one aspect of Rue's backstory that felt more like a platform than a genuine part of her character. It just felt oddly placed the way she discussed it. It came off like she needed an interesting, tragic backstory to explain the way she was as an adult. I know it is a serious topic, and I always appreciate when authors include things worthy of discussion, it just felt too strange in this story, with everything else going on. I would have rather spent more time exploring the business, the takeover and Rue's research.

This all comes off as pretty negative and I don't mean it to be. After all, my opinion on Rue all comes down to personal taste. I feel like for the right Reader, for one who can see a bit of themselves in Rue, they may adore this story. Taking everything into consideration, I still enjoyed this and appreciate Hazelwood's risks with the steamy scenes in this one; definitely dipping into some new territory here when it comes to pushing the limits, power plays, etc.

I also loved Eli's story, from his time in college to the present, including him becoming the sole guardian of his younger sister, Maya. I really felt for him in having to make those kinds of sacrifices, but what an incredible man he grew into. He's very emotionally mature.

I'm happy with the conclusion. Having been bored a bit throughout, the end really came together for me and is ultimately why I decided to round up to 4-stars. Overall, I had a decent time with this. There were some great moments. I walk away happy and anxiously anticipating Hazelwood's next release.

Thank you to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Hazelwood has made such a name for herself in the Romance genre and I'm so happy to be along for the ride!

I loved this book it definitely made me want to read more of Ali hazelwoods writing I’ve always heard good things about her books but this was my first time reading her book and I immediately bought two other books of hers right after I was done!

Ali Hazelwood has done it once again. She has knocked me out of my seat and has delivered a masterpiece. After reading her books, I surely thought nothing would top them. But one after another, I had a new favorite. But Not in Love has far surpassed the previous work. This book was not a romcom and it was all the better for it.

Rue and Eli are the sweetest couple, but I must admit I did not realize how much I would love the tropes in this book. I have never been a fan of he falls first, but this one did it for me. Eli has been head over heels from the start, making him all the more endearing. He took the time to get to know Rue, and how to work with her anxieties and boundaries. He first had to understand her to get her to open up and be open to love. It was perfection in a book.

Now I don't know what to do or what to read next. This book is a book I will recommend to everyone searching for a great love story. Because Rue and Eli have the greatest one.

A one night stand except its with the one person who is trying to takeover your company can't be a good idea right? Well Rue Siebert doesn't do relationships, she doesn't do love... she does casual hookups and one night stands, so when her one night stand turns out to be Eli Kilgore, the very man who is trying to takeover her workplace, Rue shouldn't want him right? Despite being on opposing sides Eli and Rue can't seem to pull away from one another, they keep being drawn back together, and despite their forbidden relationship, their "one night" turns into multiple nights... and possible something more. Rue doesn't know who to believe, her mentor who has been there for her or the guy who has been showing up for her at every moment. Eli wants revenge against the woman who stole his and his friends work and the best revenge is taking her company for her...yet he finds himself falling for a biotech engineer working under her. Eli can't get Rue out of his head, he'll do anything to just be near her, but can he break down her fortress and get her to see that what they have between them is very real and much more than just a hookup? Oh I absolutely devoured this book. This book was HOT. Eli and Rue were so so amazing to read about and their chemistry was off the charts. The relationship between them was so well built and well written. I can't get enough of them and I never wanted this book to end. I would absolutely recommend this book!

Release Date: June 11,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

I enjoyed this romance between the two Characters they have a different arrangement, but it makes for a great story.
Talk about spicy this book is hot. I am still semi new to reading Ali Hazelwood so I wasn’t sure what to expect with the spice but this one hit it hard and good.
If your in the mood to read a really good book about
Forbidden affair
Opposites attract
Friend with benefits
Dual POV
With spicy scenes
I’ve read reviews saying this was a little different for Ali Hazelwood which I was unaware of
So I hope she writes more like this one I am now a Ali Hazelwood fan

FABULOUS as always! Hazelwood cannot write a bad book. The quality of Hazelwood's work is on par with that of Emily Henry, Christina Lauren, and Katherine Center--just as thoughtful, just as nuanced, just as addictive. In a departure from the norm for Hazelwood, this book is sexier with more plot and character development originating from intimacy, which is exactly appropriate for the story being told. While all her books have always been sexy, the attraction stemmed evenly from looks, etc. and banter, behavior, etc. In this book, the attraction is more physical. I wonder if this is a new direction for Hazelwood, or just that this is what felt appropriate for this story.

One thing I have really loved about Ali Hazelwood’s writing is how she has really taken some risks in her past two books and for me personally, it has really paid off. Not in Love is raw and deep. Two flawed, yet loveable and relatable, characters coming together, working through their own respective issues, and inevitably, falling in love was a beautiful thing to read.

Get ready because this one will have all in the feels and probably sweating a little as well. This is definitely her smuttiest book yet, but it is also SO much more. I was prepared beforehand that this was not the laugh-out-loud romcom that I was expecting and that really helped ground my perceived expectations.

Think deep emotions, main characters working through their issues, HOT HOT spice, and get ready for a rollercoaster. It’s different. It’s deep. It’s enjoyable from start to finish. At this point, I will read Ali's grocery list if that’s all she gave us.

Not in Love is a sizzling, smart, and utterly unputdownable romance that brilliantly blends the high-stakes world of biotech with forbidden love. Rue Siebert, a fiercely independent biotech engineer, finds her meticulously ordered life thrown into chaos by Eli Killgore, the infuriatingly attractive man behind a hostile takeover of her company.
Eli is determined to win Kline at all costs, but Rue is the one variable he can’t control. Their chemistry is electric, their secret affair scorching, and their banter sharp enough to cut through the corporate tension. The author masterfully balances the intensity of their forbidden romance with the cutthroat world of business, making for a read that’s as intellectually stimulating as it is heart-pounding.
Not in Love is a whirlwind of passion, power plays, and emotional stakes, proving that all’s fair in love and science. If you’re a fan of steamy, high-stakes romances with a brainy twist, this book is a must-read. The author has outdone herself with this captivating tale of love in the lab and boardroom!
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

🫶🏽What I enjoyed
This is another women-in-stem story that we have come to expect from Ali, and I was really into the work place drama/scandal. Rue & Eli have chemistry from the beginning and I was totally rooting for them. Narration was by Callie Dalton who I LOVE, so all the starts for the audio production
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🤷🏻‍♀️What didn’t work for me
This isn’t necessarily Bride level spicy (no 🪢 here), but the number of spice scenes were high. The focus was primarily on Rue and Eli’s physical relationship, and I would have liked to see more of a balance among spice, emotional intimacy, and their lives outside their relationship

Ngl, this is a tough one. I knew this would be different from previous Ali Hazelwood stories, but I don't know if I like the darker take on some of the themes. I often found myself annoyed and frustrated by both main characters. Eli was confusing to me. Hazelwood writes his as this manly man who wants so badly to take care of a partner and likes to cook and who will financially be there and take care of things, yet I never really understood where his feelings came from. His obsession and possessive of Rue almost immediately came across as a little creepy to me? Then we have Rue, who I think was supposed to have some social challenges. Yet in her pov chapters, she seems pretty darn self aware to me. So I wasn't really buying the whole "I'm an oddball in a science field so it's ok for me to be awkward and emotionally immature." During so many parts, I felt like they were both equally unlikeable.
I also felt like the backdrop of the science company (fuel? food? chemistry? decide what you are!!!) added almost nothing to the story line. It could have been any type of company and it would have worked. This just seemed like a throwaway and a less developed STEM backdrop.
All in all, I still enjoy Hazelwood's writing. I just hope we go back to the more lighthearted and romantic stories!

A big shout out and thank you to the publisher for including me in the blog tour for Not in Love and providing me with a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Gosh.

Where do I start? (Some smart-aleck part of my brain is screaming ‘From the beginning, of course’ in a posh accent I do not appreciate. However, I shall listen to it.)

No one’s more thankful to have been able to read this book early. After Love, Theoretically I’ve been obsessively pursuing Hazelwood‘s next release. If you’ve read my review of Love, Theoretically (which I’ve linked for your convenience if you’d like to read) I was pleasantly surprised with how much the author’s work was adapting. Bride, (which was so perfect for me by the way) outside of being greatly suited to her style of writing, also had a uniqueness to it that was so enjoyable; however it was undoubtedly Ali Hazelwood.

But Not in Love is nothing like anything I’ve ever read by Hazelwood before. In fact if we’d done a blind study where I was not informed of who the author was, I would’ve never categorised this immediately as an Ali Hazelwood read and that’s a fantastic thing! It’s like Hazelwood heard every single thing I wished she had done differently with her previous work and served Not in Love to me with a “Here. Review this.” I’m not saying I was walking about upset about things, but some of her first few books read very similarly. Love, Theoretically deviated from that mould, Bride followed and Not in Love broke it.

If you’ve read Hazelwood before you know how her books sound. Or how they read I guess. There’s lots of humour, fun and angst. But Not in Love is by far one of the most saddest, emotionally charged stories I’ve read by Hazelwood. Not tragic, just… there’s a vein of melancholy that runs through the whole story. Yes, there’s some laughs here and there but it’s all dry humour which is perfect and never takes away from the whole tone of the book. The fluffiness you come to expect from Hazelwood is steadily absent. But the depth of suffering, vulnerability and pain Not in Love showcases is unmatched and I would change nothing about it. Nil. Nada. Zilch.

I love that the author gave a small disclaimer that ensured we knew the general nature of what we were walking into and she stayed 100% true to it. She never apologises, tries to sweeten or convert you to the characters’ line of thinking. Hazelwood says “This is who they are. Period.” No talk about understanding or accepting them. That’s a you problem. Perhaps it was this unapologetic honesty that made me fall in love with the characters.

There was a many layer set-up to the plot. There’s the major emotional plot with many subtleties; and there’s a plot linked to the lives of the characters in the story that’s more than it initially seems. My favourite thing about both these plots are their visible invisibility. You see them, but until all the threads are weaved, you don’t truly see them for what they are. I thought it was very well written and until most of it was basically revealed we don’t really guess the direction of things, which is amazing 🤌🏻✨.

The writing as I’ve mentioned earlier has a more serious and sad note to it, but it’s immensely gripping. I started the book with the intention of reading maybe a chapter and soon I was neck deep into it. My favourite part of this book’s narrative is how things aren’t just tossed aside as a plot device to turn up the angst, but everything is quietly considered and acted upon. There’s a LOT of communication, time taken to think about things, patience and eventually the overcoming of fear and embracing of love.

The pace is very even. It draws you in and in until the book takes over and you’re just sitting there done with the book, staring into space. The book is very rooted and doesn’t let you fly on giggles and swoons. I loved that.

There were a good number of characters and they were very well fixed within the parameters of their personalities/roles (both in my mind and in the book). Everyone’s sorted into neat categories and though we initially box them into certain types of people, the book slowly reveals more and more. I’m curious about this book, if it—unlike its predecessors—is going to expand into a series, but I’m not sure. I think Hazelwood has done this before, where she’s sort of set-up the possibility of another couple but I haven’t seen her start a series before. Let’s see, I guess.

I think Hazelwood, in my eyes, has only expanded and written better and better and better from Love, Theoretically. I can’t wait to see what’s next!

Five stars! Happy reading! Check trigger warnings as always.

Rue and Eli are on opposite sides of a hostile takeover of Kline. Rue works as a biotech engineer for the company and Eli works for Harkness, the company who’s taken control of their finances. However, before this happened, they met through an online app for a hookup, and made a connection.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed Not in Love. I got off to a rocky start, set it aside, read a few friends mixed reactions and then dived back in, a little more prepared for the story, and was hooked.

I’m not a big fan of the enemies-to-lovers trope if there’s a lot of mean back and forth. It’s hard to come back from that, but this wasn’t that. I’m also not a fan of more sex than plot, and there were quite a few sex scenes. I read a couple, (they were well done and very hot!) and then skimmed over the rest. The plot lines, the reason Eli and his friends were investigating Kline, what was behind the takeover, as well as Rue and Eli’s troubled backgrounds, were what grabbed my attention and kept me invested in the story. The story was more serious, less silly and laugh-out-loud than Hazelwood’s previous romances, and it fit the story. Even though they were on opposite sides of this conflict, they couldn’t stay away from each other. I truly liked both Rue and Eli and rooted for their HEA. I appreciated there wasn’t a dramatic third act breakup, too.

I alternately read an e-copy and listened to the audio version of the story. Callie Dalton and Jason Clarke did a phenomenal job narrating and I loved that they each performed their character the whole way through, even when it wasn’t their POV! Such a treat!

Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood is a fascinating forbidden romance between a researcher woman in STEM & the man that came to disrupt everything. Ali Hazelwood continues to showcase captivatingly unique & complex heroines & this is no exception. I love seeing fiercely intelligent women that defy societal expectations that are backed with incredible friends & heart-wrenching histories.

I would make sure that you have some milk on standby because this story brings the HEAT!!! Silly spice analogies aside, I think this may be her spiciest book to date & the characters’ chemistry is out of this world.

It’s no secret that I am a huge fan of Ali Hazelwood’s work & I am ecstatic to say this read is no different. I am always appreciative of how she incorporates science & academia into her work, especially with women at the forefront. I feel like I am constantly learning things & find it enthralling.

Not in Love is perfect for fans of…
🩷 Women in STEM
🩷 Spicy Romance
🩷 Forbidden Romance
🩷 Corporate Intrigue

The audiobook! I cannot recommend the audiobook enough. These two narrators are phenomenal & brought this story to the life. Callie Dalton & Jason Clarke are two narrators that made me fall in love with audiobooks, so I was ecstatic to hear them!

If you are looking for a delicious spicy & intriguing romance, I recommend checking out Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood!

Massive thanks to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing & Libro FM for the gifted copy, which I voluntarily read & reviewed.

4.5/5⭐️ maybe even 5/5⭐️??? I can’t decide!!!

I am a sucker for Ali Hazelwood. She just has this indescribable way of writing her male characters 🥵 I fall for them every time and Eli is not exception. He is freaking FILTHY and I loved every second of it.

I loved Rue! She was such a fun, refreshing FMC than most of the ones you read about in contemporary romances. She is quirky, relies on herself, and knows exactly what she wants and isn’t afraid to voice it.

I LOVE Eli. I love how he falls first and is such a goner for Rue from the beginning. Can he please be a real person?? Because the thoughts and monologues that that man spews 🥵

This might be the spiciest Ali Hazelwood to date and I ate👏🏻it👏🏻up👏🏻

“I’m going to want to see you every day. I’m going to learn more dishes and pack your lunch and write cute little notes on it. I’m going to ask you if you want to sleep at your place or mine and always assume that we’re spending the night together. I’m going to think about you all the damn time. I’m going to assume I’m watering your plants when you’re out of town. I’m going to hold your hand in public. I’m going to kiss you in public. I’m going to organize surprise parties for you with your friend. I’m going to send a hundred texts per day with stupid online shit I think you should see. Clingy as fuck, Rue. Can you do it? Can you live with me as your boyfriend?”


Huge thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

This is a tough one to review for me. This is my first Ali Hazelwood book that I did not thoroughly enjoy.

Let me preface this by saying, I am huge fan of Ali's. I lover her STEM romances and even her PNR book was a hit for me. But this one was just a miss for me in loving it.

This book is written in both first and third person POV. That was big struggle for me to adjust to. I cannot remember if any of Ali's other books were written like this, but if they were, it obviously did not hurt the story for me. However, with this one, I stumbled alot because Rue was written from her POV and Eli was written in third person and when the switch happened, but brain struggled with that.

Ali definitely stayed true to her characters and their mannerisms. I loved that Rue was very shy and struggled with with her awkwardness in social situations. Eli was a bit more difficult for me to connect to and that's because he was written in third person. However, the scene stealer was Rue's best friend, Tisha - loved her!

Overall, this one was just down the middle ok for me. It was not terrible, just not one that resonated with me like her other's.

I loved Rue. Loved her and felt for her and felt seen in ways that are difficult to put into words.

I loved that Eli loved Rue too. He accepted her as she was and was curious, happy, grateful to be in her orbit. His inner monologue was too much with how absolutely gone he was for Rue from the get go. Boy was OBSESSED.

While the content of the book was different (much spicier) and I’ve read a lot of critique about how this was done, I actually felt like Ali did a perfect job with this. Given the unique perspective and ways of processing relationships that Rue had, it made sense for the physical aspect to be the way into more.

As is always the case with Ali’s books, I felt like I saw where the plot was going from the get go, but was still excited to watch it unfold.

Highly recommending that you give this one a chance if you’re a fan of Ali’s work!

Rating: 4.5/5

The angst! He falls first! Forbidden! Spicy! Oh my! This one really said, he’s a simp. And I loved it!!!

I loved the dynamic between Rue and Eli. Rue is so self aware and I love that she was shaken up a bit and was challenged to see a different perspective. Truly enjoyed seeing her process it all. Eli was layered and he wasn’t what I expected. Getting to see his pov and hear his past only added to how deeply he fell for Rue. He works hard and gaining on Rue is no different. The entire plot of the hostile company takeover was so interesting to me.

I really enjoyed reading this one and watching them fall for each other.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an eARC via NetGalley to read. All thoughts and opinions are my own.


CWs: the author has a note at the beginning explaining some of the content warnings.


I enjoyed this one. I liked the dynamics of Rue and Eli’s relationship, and I liked watching it progress. Eli slowly broke down Rue’s walls, and I liked the way that it happened. I loved that the author included conversations about consent even after the characters had put things down in the app, and I liked that they continued to talk about communication and what they were doing. This book is heavier on the spice than some of the author’s previous works.
I thought the work plot line was really intriguing, and I liked the dual POVs (first-person for Rue, and third-person for Eli) so that we could better understand both sides.
I thought the pacing was good, and the writing style was easy to follow. Some of the topics of conversation were a lot heavier than others, but I felt that they were handled well. I was flying through this book, and I didn’t want to put it down!

I really enjoyed this book. I think one thing that set the tone off a little was the note saying this was erotica, because I wouldn’t describe it as that. it’s certainly spicier than some of Ali’s other work but not to that level in my opinion. I enjoyed the depth of each character and their backstories and how they got through them. while this was a fast fall, I still believed it. I also felt like Rue was relatable with how her mind worked and it made me love her

I am pretty sure I say this everytime, but I truly think this is my favorite Ali Hazelwood book yet. It made me feel my feelings (rude), and I absolutely cried through the last 30%. I so deeply related to Rue, and I was truly obsessed with how gentle Eli was with her. This is simultaneously Ali's spiciest and most emotional book, and its perfection. Highly recommend!