Scan barcode
chloelj27's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Cursing
Moderate: Gaslighting, Death of parent, Gun violence, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Car accident
edensreadingcorner's review against another edition
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Violence, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Child abuse and Death of parent
niliii's review against another edition
emotional
funny
fast-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism
Moderate: Infidelity
Minor: Violence, Gaslighting, Animal death, Antisemitism, and Toxic relationship
thatswhatshanread's review
funny
hopeful
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? It's complicated
4.0
First and foremost: Ali Hazelwood knows cute and quirky to a very tall, dark and handsome T. “Love on the Brain” was science + cuteness, encapsulated. You don’t have to know anything about neuroscience or space to understand the workplace romance fleshed out amongst these pages. It’s quite endearing, if a little repetitive. As many have pointed out, the plot and characters are very similar to Ali’s first steminist romcom and one of my personal favorites of all time, “The Love Hypothesis”. Forgive me for comparing them, but it absolutely happened!! I had no control over it!!
I love Levi, and I love Adam. But Olive >>> Bee for sure. Moving on.
For a neuroscientist working on a NASA-funded project, Dr. Bee Königswasser is quite the oblivious Damsel in Distress™ when it comes to her supposed grad school nemesis, Dr. Levi Ward. She is Tiny and Clumsy and Alternative Hair. He is Massive and Closed Off and Beautiful Green Eyes. Levi avoided her in grad school at all costs because He Hated Her So Much And There Is No Other Explanation.
It’s your typical enemies-to-lovers romance, but I appreciated that the “enemies” part didn’t fester long. We all know the “enemies” trope is never that accurate considering at least one party is secretly in love the entire time. In this case, it’s glaringly obvious to everyone except our stubborn MC.
I enjoyed this novel, but it didn’t give me all of the swooning and butterflies that TLH gave me. Which, understandably, is hard to achieve. Still, I think it has long been a dream of mine to score a NASA scientist who named his cat Schrödinger.
Extra points for the extra steam in this one, though 🔥
I love Levi, and I love Adam. But Olive >>> Bee for sure. Moving on.
For a neuroscientist working on a NASA-funded project, Dr. Bee Königswasser is quite the oblivious Damsel in Distress™ when it comes to her supposed grad school nemesis, Dr. Levi Ward. She is Tiny and Clumsy and Alternative Hair. He is Massive and Closed Off and Beautiful Green Eyes. Levi avoided her in grad school at all costs because He Hated Her So Much And There Is No Other Explanation.
It’s your typical enemies-to-lovers romance, but I appreciated that the “enemies” part didn’t fester long. We all know the “enemies” trope is never that accurate considering at least one party is secretly in love the entire time. In this case, it’s glaringly obvious to everyone except our stubborn MC.
I enjoyed this novel, but it didn’t give me all of the swooning and butterflies that TLH gave me. Which, understandably, is hard to achieve. Still, I think it has long been a dream of mine to score a NASA scientist who named his cat Schrödinger.
Extra points for the extra steam in this one, though 🔥
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Toxic relationship, Animal cruelty, Chronic illness, Gaslighting, Animal death, Cursing, Death of parent, Infidelity, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Sexism, Medical content, and Misogyny
Moderate: Abandonment, Stalking, Bullying, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Panic attacks/disorders, Emotional abuse, and Grief
Minor: Gun violence
soniajoy98's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Misogyny, Gun violence, Sexual content, Sexism, Abandonment, and Cursing
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Gaslighting
stardustandrockets's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It really had me in the beginning as being extremely cookie cutter and like the rest of Hazelwood's work. Which, it is, but it also had me on the edge of my seat. Was I also screaming at Bee for being am idiot basically the whole book? Yeah. But that's nothing new for me when it comes to romance books.
I know a lot of people had issues with this one (I see you, twitter discourse), but I enjoyed it overall. Though do I agree that all the male leads are basically carbon copies of each other in some form or fashion? 100%. Are they giants with large dicks? Absolutely. Weirdos in bed? Yup. (That's also coming from a sex-repulsed asexual, so take it with a grain or five of salt.)
I know a lot of people had issues with this one (I see you, twitter discourse), but I enjoyed it overall. Though do I agree that all the male leads are basically carbon copies of each other in some form or fashion? 100%. Are they giants with large dicks? Absolutely. Weirdos in bed? Yup. (That's also coming from a sex-repulsed asexual, so take it with a grain or five of salt.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Gun violence and Death of parent
maxinesf's review against another edition
emotional
medium-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Sexual content, Gaslighting, and Toxic relationship
nikitanavalkar's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
If I haven’t said it enough times before, let me reiterate. Ali Hazelwood writes men of everyone’s (aka mine’s) dreams, and the task of writing real men should be handed over to her forevermore. And Levi Ward might be her best creation yet. Hold on, better than Adam you ask? To which I say Levi made me want to ask Adam who? JK I still love Adam too but I can hardly see beyond the Levi shaped stars in my eyes at the moment. He’s awkward yet alpha, mysterious and sweet, cold and considerate, brilliant, obvs, the quintessential Cute Hot Sexy guy, and the things he says will make you melt into a horny, emotional puddle. The thing is, he doesn’t have as much ✨ presence ✨ as say Adam did (idk how to explain it, maybe it’s that Bee thinks of Madam Curie as much as she does of Levi) but he’s as much, if not more swoonilicious. I mean, cook, nerd, cat dad. What else do you need?
Bee is also a quintessential Ali heroine, quirky, brilliant, funny, and adorably awkward. But she’s like the 2.0 version, in that she’s amazing and I love her. With her Marie Curie obsession and her useless autonomous system, and also her obsession with feral things like cats. And her assistant. And the secondary characters especially April Ludgate, I mean, Rocio, and Elle Woods, oh sorry Kaylee are a goddamn delight. These two are so different from each other and yet I’d die for either of them. Also Bee’s twin Reike even though she hardly even physically appears in the book.
The story of academic politics and intrigue as Levi and Bee reconnect as coworkers after a past as academic nemeses is crazy fun. Seemingly opposites but two people who have a surprising amount in common, they serve a bit of You’ve Got Mail too. Ms Ali has a way of taking tropes and making them her bitch, like you think this trope is obvious? Of course it is and we’re going to use it and laugh about it but we’re also going to swoon anyway. Rivals to lovers? Ridiculous size difference? Literal swooning in Bee’s case? Growling humans? GOOD GIRL? You’re gonna see it all and enjoy every minute. And you know a book with well written good girl placement is hot; don’t get me wrong it’s still a slow burn and not smut personified, but Levi’s horny pining for Bee will give you the good kind of tingles, and him saying sweetly dirty nothings to her when they get it on will restore your faith in science. Or scientists? Idk just go enjoy the treasure that is Levi Ward and Bee Koni—can’t even spell her name—being all adorable together.
Bee is also a quintessential Ali heroine, quirky, brilliant, funny, and adorably awkward. But she’s like the 2.0 version, in that she’s amazing and I love her. With her Marie Curie obsession and her useless autonomous system, and also her obsession with feral things like cats. And her assistant. And the secondary characters especially April Ludgate, I mean, Rocio, and Elle Woods, oh sorry Kaylee are a goddamn delight. These two are so different from each other and yet I’d die for either of them. Also Bee’s twin Reike even though she hardly even physically appears in the book.
The story of academic politics and intrigue as Levi and Bee reconnect as coworkers after a past as academic nemeses is crazy fun. Seemingly opposites but two people who have a surprising amount in common, they serve a bit of You’ve Got Mail too. Ms Ali has a way of taking tropes and making them her bitch, like you think this trope is obvious? Of course it is and we’re going to use it and laugh about it but we’re also going to swoon anyway. Rivals to lovers? Ridiculous size difference? Literal swooning in Bee’s case? Growling humans? GOOD GIRL? You’re gonna see it all and enjoy every minute. And you know a book with well written good girl placement is hot; don’t get me wrong it’s still a slow burn and not smut personified, but Levi’s horny pining for Bee will give you the good kind of tingles, and him saying sweetly dirty nothings to her when they get it on will restore your faith in science. Or scientists? Idk just go enjoy the treasure that is Levi Ward and Bee Koni—can’t even spell her name—being all adorable together.
Content Warnings
Minor: Gaslighting
kayladaila's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Gaslighting, Gun violence, Misogyny, and Sexism
Minor: Death of parent and Abandonment
bedtimesandbooks's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Death of parent, Infidelity, Sexism, Car accident, Gaslighting, Chronic illness, Medical content, Toxic friendship, Misogyny, Death, and Grief
Minor: Gun violence