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lomesia's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content
kimveach's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Another great novel by Ali Hazelwood. In the author's own words, this is "a love story set against the backdrop of academic politics." It also talks clearly about the misery of a person with a Ph.D. trying to get a decent-paying job with benefits.
Once again, her books follow the standard romantic trope, but that is not what most of the book is about. It's what makes her romance books stand out.
Once again, her books follow the standard romantic trope, but that is not what most of the book is about. It's what makes her romance books stand out.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Ableism, Medical content, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Chronic illness
Moderate: Death of parent
tigerkind's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I’ve previously been kind of “meh” about Hazelwood’s books but I feel like this might’ve been her best one yet. Likeable, relatable characters for the most part, a realistic story arc and actual real-life issues? Great stuff. Not amazing-life changing, but very solid.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Chronic illness, Vomit, Sexual content, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Classism, Abandonment, Child abuse, Cursing, Mental illness, and Alcohol
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Misogyny, Outing, Bullying, and Vomit
indieandajean's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Help, I've been impaled.
It's always been easy for me to relate to Ali's characters, but our heroine Elsie is just a little too relatable for comfort. This one is for all the people pleasers in the world, it's got a message for us all and we need to hear it.
Loved all the attention to academic politics and the way it shows the very real problems with the adjunct system. Also I always love a good star wars & Reylo homage, which are always sprinkled in here and there (I can only assume Millicent is one of these and obviously there's a straight up Kylo and Rey call out too).
Overall, another amazing piece of steminist fiction!
It's always been easy for me to relate to Ali's characters, but our heroine Elsie is just a little too relatable for comfort. This one is for all the people pleasers in the world, it's got a message for us all and we need to hear it.
Loved all the attention to academic politics and the way it shows the very real problems with the adjunct system. Also I always love a good star wars & Reylo homage, which are always sprinkled in here and there (I can only assume Millicent is one of these and obviously there's a straight up Kylo and Rey call out too).
Overall, another amazing piece of steminist fiction!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gaslighting, Sexism, Chronic illness, Sexual content, Bullying, Emotional abuse, and Misogyny
Minor: Toxic relationship, Medical content, and Classism
lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Like most of the internet, I am committed to the Ali Hazelwood fan club.
"Love, Theoretically" follows Elsie and Jack. Elsie is an adjunct professor that is barely making ends meet, so she also works as a fake girlfriend. She seems to be balancing her two worlds perfectly, until she discovers that the older brother of her favorite client, Jack, is also the guy who ruined her mentor's career, and who now has the power to influence her career.
Although I did enjoy that this story was a different academic plotline, this book still felt very similar to Ali Hazelwood's previous works. Her books all have the same ingredients, but the ultimate outcome varies from book to book. With that in mind, I did enjoy this book much more than her previous book, but not quite as much as her first book.
I really enjoyed how driven Elsie is, and how much of an impressive work ethic she possesses. She also is a diabetic, so it was nice to see some new representation in this book. Additionally, I enjoyed seeing the life of an adjunct professor. I also did enjoy Elsie and Jack's dynamic together. Jack is a misunderstood fella, and I enjoyed getting his full story.
The spicy scenes were written pretty well, and I definitely can see improvement in Ali Hazelwood's writing skills.
Overall, this was a fun book, that I enjoyed, but will probably not think too much about.
"Love, Theoretically" follows Elsie and Jack. Elsie is an adjunct professor that is barely making ends meet, so she also works as a fake girlfriend. She seems to be balancing her two worlds perfectly, until she discovers that the older brother of her favorite client, Jack, is also the guy who ruined her mentor's career, and who now has the power to influence her career.
Although I did enjoy that this story was a different academic plotline, this book still felt very similar to Ali Hazelwood's previous works. Her books all have the same ingredients, but the ultimate outcome varies from book to book. With that in mind, I did enjoy this book much more than her previous book, but not quite as much as her first book.
I really enjoyed how driven Elsie is, and how much of an impressive work ethic she possesses. She also is a diabetic, so it was nice to see some new representation in this book. Additionally, I enjoyed seeing the life of an adjunct professor. I also did enjoy Elsie and Jack's dynamic together. Jack is a misunderstood fella, and I enjoyed getting his full story.
The spicy scenes were written pretty well, and I definitely can see improvement in Ali Hazelwood's writing skills.
Overall, this was a fun book, that I enjoyed, but will probably not think too much about.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Medical content, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Death of parent
nzmerchant's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Loved the romance, loved how the main character’s people pleasing nature was handled because I relate to that a lot and it gave me a lot to think about, love the academia because it’s so far removed from my work and it gives such an interesting inside view into things. And I just love supportive men who want the best for their women - is it weird that that’s my kink???? Anything Ali Hazelwood touches is magic and this might be my favourite book from her thus far.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Medical content, and Misogyny
lizzieinmt's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is by far my favorite of Ali Hazelwood's novels. I found the main characters sweet and funny and heartbreakingly real, and their relationship was wonderful. I liked how she edged close to a lot of the romance troupes used in her other books but then cleverly reimagined them. It wasn't frustrating to read through until they fell in love, but rather I found my self rooting for them the entire time. 10/10.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Medical content
roorooreads's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
May contain very minor spoilers.
This is the first Ali Hazelwood I haven't given a 5 star and its super hard not to but in the name of honesty I have to give this one somewhere between a 4 and a 4.5. This book was hilarious at times and I really enjoyed watching Elsie grow. However the academia got a bit too much at times. I loved getting to see the politics and the interview process but when physics itself was being discussed it was in a way that made it hard for me to read and understand. My other criticism lies in how long the middle portion if this book felt. The beginning flew by and the ending was so good but the middle was hard to get through. I know Hazelwood is famous for slow build up in the middle of her books but this one was too much for me mostly because I felt very little spark from our heroine's perspective in regards to the obviously budding attraction. I needed a bit more from that because it was obvious Jack was totally gone for her.
This is the first Ali Hazelwood I haven't given a 5 star and its super hard not to but in the name of honesty I have to give this one somewhere between a 4 and a 4.5. This book was hilarious at times and I really enjoyed watching Elsie grow. However the academia got a bit too much at times. I loved getting to see the politics and the interview process but when physics itself was being discussed it was in a way that made it hard for me to read and understand. My other criticism lies in how long the middle portion if this book felt. The beginning flew by and the ending was so good but the middle was hard to get through. I know Hazelwood is famous for slow build up in the middle of her books but this one was too much for me mostly because I felt very little spark from our heroine's perspective in regards to the obviously budding attraction. I needed a bit more from that because it was obvious Jack was totally gone for her.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, and Medical content
Moderate: Misogyny
lindseyhall44's review against another edition
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I am a firm believer that Ali Hazelwood's novels get better and better each time. And while this one in particular didn't surpass Love on the Brain for me (my favorite of hers, unpopular opinion I know), it was arguably her best.
There are so many amazing aspects of Hazelwood's authorship that it's hard to chose a select favorite. That being said, for me, I will always marvel at her protagonists. The strong, intelligent women that Hazelwood creates are easy to root for, and even easier to find as role models. I loved how they tackled the problematic status quo of Academia, without the help of their male love interests. Elsie has resonated more than her others, however, because of the anxiety representation and her people pleasing tendencies.
Another thing, this book is funny. I actually caught myself laughing out loud, which is rare for me in media.
Whatever perceptions about Love, Theoretically you have prior to reading, get rid of them. This is a fun, refreshing read, that I will always recommend.
*Not sure when I developed such a strong love for Ali Hazelwood books, but now she is an auto-read author for me!
There are so many amazing aspects of Hazelwood's authorship that it's hard to chose a select favorite. That being said, for me, I will always marvel at her protagonists. The strong, intelligent women that Hazelwood creates are easy to root for, and even easier to find as role models. I loved how they tackled the problematic status quo of Academia, without the help of their male love interests. Elsie has resonated more than her others, however, because of the anxiety representation and her people pleasing tendencies.
Another thing, this book is funny. I actually caught myself laughing out loud, which is rare for me in media.
Whatever perceptions about Love, Theoretically you have prior to reading, get rid of them. This is a fun, refreshing read, that I will always recommend.
*Not sure when I developed such a strong love for Ali Hazelwood books, but now she is an auto-read author for me!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Sexism, Medical content, and Death of parent
mezzoanddolce's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I would've rated this 5 stars if it weren't for t1d being portrayed somewhat inaccurately. As someone who has had type 1 diabetes for almost 17 years, there were just somethings that I couldn't forget about in this book. One that when Elsie passed out that she just *magically* woke up and was "fine" afterward, and the, of course, over-dramatization of it (aka falling into Jack's arms when she was low and "about to pass out" (when her blood sugar was barely 70 something). From a young age, I was taught that if i passed out due to a low blood sugar, that I would have to go to the hospital. This didn't happen. minor spoilers: There was a scene in which Jack asks Elsie if her could help her with her pump site change; i REALLY wish we had been able to read that scene instead the story just skipping over it. It's something that, from my experience, is very stigmatized and not fully understood by people who don't understand type 1. So, if it had been in the story, i think it could have shed some light on it and helped the stigmatization of it.
Spoilers over
Aside from that, I loved this book and definitely feel that this is Hazelwood's best book so far. I appreciate that type 1 diabetes was featured in this and that the MC had it (I've never read a book where the MC has it. It's always a background character). I appreciated the scientific references and both Jack and Elsie's character development.
Spoilers over
Aside from that, I loved this book and definitely feel that this is Hazelwood's best book so far. I appreciate that type 1 diabetes was featured in this and that the MC had it (I've never read a book where the MC has it. It's always a background character). I appreciated the scientific references and both Jack and Elsie's character development.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Sexual content, and Medical content
Moderate: Cursing and Death of parent