I knew this was a 5 star read for me by about 25% of the way through it. I loved Hallie. I loved how she dealt with her trauma and abuse. I love how she stood up for herself, but was also clearly frightened. I loved how Hayden was there and ready to protect her, but he did that by standing behind her. He was never trying to be prince charming and save her, he just wanted to be there. He fought for her in a way that felt real. He didn't force or beg her to stay. He didn't try to guilt her. He just loved her. I thought their relationship progressed very naturally and I laughed and smiled the whole way through. I loved the writing. I loved the side characters. I loved every single aspect about this. I loved that Hallie never made fun of Hayden for believing in conspiracy theories, she poked fun at him, but was never hostile or thought he was crazy for it. Hayden never got combative and tried to force her to believe. They just fit so nicely together.

I've used so many words to say: I adored this book and I will absolutely buy in the day it comes out.

I loved this book. It had so much heart and these two characters deserved a HEA. I look forward to more books from this author.

The romance between Hallie and Hayden was fun and engaging, and I enjoyed the conspiracy theory elements.

However, some parts felt a bit predictable, and the pacing was uneven at times. While the chemistry was palpable, I felt the story could have been tighter. If you enjoy lighthearted rom-coms with a unique twist, it’s worth a read, but it didn’t fully captivate me as much as I hoped.

Thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for the eARC!

Love and Other Conspiracies struck a perfect balance for me: it was so earnestly nerdy with banter and quips aplenty, yet also full of deep empathy when addressing grief and trauma. Hallie and Hayden’s chemistry is insane, but their individual and shared growth show that you can come out on the other side triumphant. I truly cheered and had a whole ass moment when Hallie sent The Email near the end of the book.

This book is a bear hug for anyone who is lonely, who embraces their weirdness even though it isolates them, who is consumed by grief, who is rediscovering who they are after losing themselves in an abusive relationship, who is afraid to let anyone see their most vulnerable self, who fears they aren’t good enough. And the dorky bits about cryptids/conspiracies are so, so much fun. Thank you Mallory Marlowe for this hopeful and romantic and nerdy (debut!) novel, and for the hilarious recurring joke about Zak Bagans.

An interesting take on rom coms. I didn't think i would like a rom com that involved big foot but this ended up being cute.

I loved reading this book! Its sweet light hearted and fun! Hallie and Hayden are an unlikely team. Hayden believes in cryptids and conspiracies while Hallie is the classic non-believer. Through out their adventures in producing a show for Skroll they two develop and unlikely romance in which Hayden gets her to atleast believe in something. . her self!

the characters are lovable and quirky with that one exception! The different adventures and settings keep you reading for more!

arc provided by netgalley

My most anticipated romance release of 2024! I have been recommending this one to anyone who will listen (and some who refuse to listen!). This adorable book is a swoony-slow burn that isn't afraid to tackle the shitty things life throws at us, namely, podcast bros. Hayden our MMC thankfully restores our faith in some bros. I personally appreciated Marlowe's real-life interest in the paranormal - I think she wrote this for me! Excellent banter, smoldering chemistry, well-done spice aaaannnddd our FMC Hallie totally gets to stick it to her sh*tty ex in a truly cathartic way. THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE, BABIES!

Love and Other Conspiracies by Mallory Marlowe was an absolutely delightful read. From the moment I opened the book, a smile graced my face and stayed there until I reached the final page.

This is a debut romance from Mallory Marlowe, and while I absolutely loved the subject matter, the romance fell completely flat for me.

I was SO excited for this one because I love anything supernatural, and love that supernatural romances are becoming more popular.

THe first red flags for me were Hallie's budding emotions that seemed incredibly random and one-sided. It started early, and beyond just immediate attraction which, fine, I totally get, took a really sharp turn into her saying things like "I can't hook up with a co-worker" or "it would be inappropriate to start a relationship with someone I'm working with" when this man hadn't seemingly returned almost any feelings towards her. There was just nothing he did that indicated that he felt the same, and she continued to talk about all of these feelings as if he also was exhibiting them.

It became repetitive as well, by the 40% mark I was a little tired of her bringing up how she simply couldn't hook up with a co-worker.

This was single POV as well which didn't exactly help as I think there would have been more depth to Hayden and an understanding of his budding emotions if we had that dual POV. Hayden just wasn't a fully developed character.

If you need a change up in your reading or pallet cleanser book between intense thrillers, you gotta try this one! This one is absolutely hilarious & will make you giggle the whole way through.

Hallie is trying to keep her job of being a producer, but needs to prove her worth before getting laid off. She comes across Hayden’s podcast and YouTube channel about conspiracies and other theories that he challenges through his travels and studies. She decides to reach out and see if he’d like to partake in a tv series that features what he does — & it soars from there!

I loved how quirky our two main characters were & how light this style of writing was. Hallie is very driven & you can see her confidence build overtime. Hayden is your dreamy MMC but I did take a star off bc I was hoping he was a little more confident in himself with relationships than what it showed. It fit his character development through the book, but I like them a little manlier 😂 LOL. Overall great read and super fun!!!

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for my digital arc!

This was such a cute little romance, and it was an absolute delight to read. I loved all the cryptid and conspiracy theory bits thrown in, which are topics not usually touched on in romcoms.

The buildup of the relationship between Hayden (conspiracy theorist and cryptid afficionado) and Hallie (self-proclaimed non-believer) felt natural and organic. Despite their apparent differences, they were a great match for one another. Their electric chemistry helps develop their workplace romanc into a healthy and caring relationship.

This book also touches on some tough subjects as well, and it was nice to see these characters work through their feelings and grow together.

This is Marlowe's debut novel and I look forward to seeing what other stories she has in store.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the eARC for review.

1.5 -- this was so disappointing and I'm going to try my best to outline all the things that didn't work for me, so that other people know what they're getting into. I have no doubt that this is gonna land great for some people, but it did not for me. I am very picky with romances and even more so with romcoms. That said, I was super excited when I read the blurb for this one and requested the ARC right away.

The biggest disappointment was that the monster-hunting was entirely glossed over. In my opinion, there is absolutely no reason to base your concept off of buzzfeed unsolved without actually including that in the book itself. I was expecting to see Hallie and Hayden get closer over the course of writing their scripts and shooting their episodes. Maybe something spooky happens, and they have to lean on each other and then it's like an "oh, touching" moment. But nope! Basically all of the cryptid and ghost hunting was a fade to black. The most egregious example was the Bigfoot hunt. It's "time to hunt Bigfoot" -- paragraph break -- [arrive home from Bigfoot hunt]. Like, what?! It's a waste of my time to not deliver on a premise that is meant to be different and stand out.

In that vein, for a MC that is sooo concerned about how she does or doesn't stand out amongst her peers, etc. Hallie is... boring. The romance is boring. The sex scenes were boring. The villain was boring. The story -- because it doesn't actually use the cryptids to the benefit of the plot -- is boring. Nothing about this stands out from any other contemporary romcom. Well, "contemporary." There were many parts of this that read like they were written in 2011 and not edited for a 2024 pub date. The blue hair, the quirky patterned leggings, the Nyan Cat Conference Room. I was just waiting for someone to have a mustache tattoo. But then it was clear that it was supposed to be set in 2024 because of influencer talk, etc. It made all those references seem really cringe and out of place.

The third act drama didn't quite land because it presupposes that there is audience overlap with a Joe Rogan knockoff and the cryptid hunting show. Mehhhh, I found that a little hard to believe, even if it was just trolls. Plus, speaking of YouTube... Now, I may have a different perspective on this because of my own personal circumstances. My partner is a YouTuber, so there were a number of things that Hallie and Hayden were doing where I was like "uhhhh, I don't think someone with a hefty following would be doing that on social media." In particular, that they were live updating their pages with where they were and what they were doing and also that they had comments/DMs turned on for their social media. Yeah, no. I can see where it can add to the ambiance of creating the image that they make YouTube videos, but... Comments, especially. The comments felt included to inject drama into a situation that would otherwise fall very flat and be repetitive of the same conflicts that had been happening the whole time.

Finally, Hayden. I found his character to be really lackluster, even though he should have been so fun! It felt like he was there just to tell Hallie how great she was and give her orgasms she never succeeded in having with other people before. There was some attempts at depth added with his parents, but it struggled from the same issues that I had with the rest of the book. Telling rather than showing. And there would be these moments of learning more about Hayden but the whole moment is us just in Hallie's head hearing about how she's reacting to this information. None of it stands on its own. Then, there's the podcast to webseries jump. Hayden had a popular podcast and had guest starred on a TV show successfully for YEARS and then all of a sudden when it's the webseries, he's wooden and not good at conveying information. It didn't track. It felt contrived so there was a reason why Hallie had to be cohost when it could have been as simple as Skroll being like "hey you need a cohost." But nope! Hallie is the special one, Hayden can't do it without her. Even though he had been for years. My final critique on Hayden's character is less with this book specifically and more the romance genre (and society lol) at large. Here is this podcast guy and cryptid hunter who has a history of being bullied as a kid. And he's the lead in a romance! But don't worry. He's still 6'4" with a six pack who runs a marathon every morning and has a perfectly chiseled jaw with just the right amount of scruff who is killer at sex and always smells amazing even after the marathon. Oh but no he's still a weirdo nerd, he has glasses! duh! Can a romantic lead PLEASE just be a guy? Like, just some guy PLEASE. This would have been the perfect opportunity for something unconventional. But like with most everything else in this book, it doesn't actually want to break the mold. It just wants to pretend that it's breaking the mold.

It's passably readable, so I didn't DNF. If you want a buzzfeed unsolved esque romcom, skip. if you like generic romcoms, you'll probably dig this.

I had a great time reading "Love and Other Conspiracies." At one point, I found myself wondering if this was a "Buzzfeed Unsolved" fan-fiction, but in the best way.

The charming banter and tension between the characters were perfect. It's very much a scenario where coworkers are forced to be in close proximity, and naturally, the "one bed" trope takes the spotlight here. I'm a sucker for the "one bed" trope, and adding ghosts to the mix got me very excited.

I really enjoyed the conspiracy and cryptid information throughout the book. As someone who falls somewhere between being a skeptic and a believer, I thoroughly enjoyed diving into the world of the mystical within the story.

Overall, "Love and Other Conspiracies" was a delightful read that flawlessly blended romance and a touch of the unexplained.
I give it 4/5 stars and 3/5 on spice.

Thank you to Mallory Marlowe, Netgalley, and Berkley Publishing group for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Berkley for my copy. Wow wow wow! I can't believe this is a debut. This cutie will be one of my fave romances of the year, no doubt. Laugh out loud with plenty of tenderness, swoon and banter- this love story was hilarious. I loved how the characters took care of one another and how their romance grew.

Hallie Barrett does not believe in herself because her toxic ex has led her into believing things about herself that no one else does. When her job is on the line and she has to brainstorm a new production idea, she finds Hayden, the conspiracy theorist who runs a podcast, and her future looks bright.

I absolutely loved Hayden and Hallie and this was probably one of my favorite romances I have read in a long time. It perfectly satisfied by romantic nerd side. Their characters are wonderful and the story was great. I also happened to unintentionally learn a few cryptid facts in the process which doesn’t hurt. The banter between the main characters was perfect and I binged the last half of this book so quickly. There is some spice and I would recommend checking the author’s trigger warnings, but I will definitely recommend this book to people I know.

Thank you so so much to Netgalley and Berkley for the early copy of this wonderful romance.

I was impressed by this debut romance with major Mulder and Scully vibes. Female main character Hallie (definitely the Scully here) works for a company that seems to me to be a fictionalized version of Buzzfeed, and she's in a tight spot professionally since she broke up with her boyfriend/coworker/star of her web series. Desperate to avoid losing her job, Hallie is looking everywhere for inspiration when she stumbles upon Hayden Hargrove, super handsome cryptid expert with a cult following. Hallie convinces Hayden to let her produce a pilot episode of a series that takes his popular podcast on the road to investigate cryptids and other unbelievable creatures/entities. Hallie and Hayden have great chemistry, and she ends up finding herself in front of the camera as well as behind it. As they travel together, they get closer and closer, revealing their vulnerabilities to one another and carefully building a relationship, all while trying to keep their show afloat so that Hallie can keep her job. This was really cute but also didn't shy away from past trauma for the characters, so it felt well-balanced to me. A solid contemporary romance with a bit of will they or won't they (find Bigfoot).

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for an advanced readers copy of this book.

Calling all resident Believers: Mallory Marlowe must be one of us, because she really nailed it with all the details for the creepies, cryptids, and 'Out There' gems in her debut novel. I absolutely ADORED this book and you will too!

This cute story had all the pieces and parts we love to see - humor, romance, adventure, consent, and (spoiler!) a happy ending. I think we can all appreciate the tall, handsome, and super nerdy MMC (plus the cute, spunky, blue-haired FMC.) Men should take notes from Hayden... the way he showed our Hallie what she truly deserved in this life was top-notch.

Overall, it's a light-hearted romp with the paranormal. There was great chemistry and dynamic between our main characters, which made it easy to fall in love with them and cheer for their happily ever after. We get to see our girl find some strength and step in to her power (hello chapter 24!) and take down toxic masculinity. Plus nothing beats a good, emotionally-healthy man who knows how to care for a partner. Life kept getting in the way and keeping me from reading this one, but once I really got to sit down with it, I didn't want to put it down.

Bonus points for the copious X-Files references! 👽 "I've tried to look as serious as I can. Jeans and a gray turtleneck with a black blazer on top. I look like a contemporary Dana Scully, which explains why Hayden hasn't been able to stop eyeing me."

I would follow Hayden and Hallie into the woods to go 'squatchin' any day.

📚Trope(s): He Falls First, Opposites Attract, Grumpy/Sunshine
What you get: 👻🛸🏕️
⭐️Plot: 4/5
🔥Chemistry: 5/5
🌶️Spice: 3/5
(There are definitely some more graphic spicy scenes, but overall, I found this pretty tame in comparison to other popular reads.)

THIS WAS ONE OF THE CUTEST ROMANCE NOVELS I'VE READ IN SOME TIME. Honestly, a stunning debut from Marlowe and a breath of fresh air in the romance genre, especially from Berkley. I loved everything about this book, but Hallie was an especially stunning main character. Her confidence in her work (and badass skills) are evident, however, it was heartbreaking the ways that an emotionally abusive ex could zap that self-confidence in a second. Enter Hayden -- the dorkiest man who ever lived who is somehow perfect for Hallie both professional and personally.

I think the single POV really worked for this book, mostly because until the very end, I couldn't tell if Hayden *really* believed in cryptids. Both characters were genuine and pure and their slow slide into love (with the added bonus of public shipping) was a delight to read. I also appreciated the way the third act was handled, in addition to Hallie's own investigation in her sexuality.

10/10 I cannot wait to read more from Marlowe!

This story revolves around Hallie who is looking for a new storyline on her job when she finds Hayden who is a conspiracy theorist. She sets up a meeting with him to see if they could work on a show based on finding cryptids and aliens and things like that. He agrees but only if Hallie will be his co-host.

You could not have a more opposites attract romance than this book. He believes in anything and everything conspiracy theory wise and she is just not a believer at all. Yet, even though they such different viewpoints. There is a connection and an attraction between the two of them.

Such a good debut romance book. There is a subplot of this book that is a little more of a heavy subject matter so it's not all light-hearted but the majority of this book is just very fun. It definitely puts the com in rom-com.

ARC Review: Love and Other Conspiracies by Mallory Marlowe
Pub Date: August 20, 2024
Thank you to @Berkleyromance for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Let me start with this - I think this book is perfect. You read that right - I think this is my favorite contemporary romance of the year so far and it's going to take a whole heck of a lot for that to be dethroned.

This book is so funny and chock full of banter but it also tackles heavier topics really well and in a way that doesn't make the book itself feel heavy. I highlighted so many sentences that made me actually laugh out loud.

Both characters have heavy things to contend with. Hallie is recovering from a controlling relationship and trying to regain confidence, and Hayden is grieving his father and dealing with his mom's high expectations. Throughout both of their growth in the story, they treat each other with such care and understanding. Their communication is so freaking swoony!

Read this for:
- Monster hunting and conspiracy theories
- Banter on banter on banter!
- Laugh out loud moments
- Only one bed
- Ace-spec rep
- Sick/Comfort

It's a book that I have already preordered in physical copy and audio because I know I'm going to want to reread again and again. I have not a single note - I love love love this book and need everyone to read it!