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icarusandthesun's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
30% cute, 70% questionable.
the cute: romance, science, social commentary!
i liked nearly everything about levi, from his calm demeanor, to his rationality, attitude and (soft) personality. bee and levi shared some cute moments, and their relationship seemed genuine and built on common interests and values (veganism, science, cats, hummingbirds, movies and music), which i enjoyed. i liked the banter, and both characters as a couple were likable enough. i enjoyed the science talk, and the feminist and social commentary, and the facts about Marie Curie!
the questionable: everything else.
the characters, especially rocío and kaylee, seemed like cheap clichés. the 'villain' was disney-esque (seriously, there is an "i'm telling you all about my evil plans and schemes" scene, which could've been copy-pasted into a mystery book for children and no one would've batted an eye).
bee started to seriously get on my nerves circa 60% into the book. she makes my sense of delusion seem like a daydream in comparison: "he hates me", "this is not a date", "we're just friends-with-benefits", la di da – girl, he literally asked you to move in with him, be for fucking real.
the miscommunication was hard to read sometimes, and so was her crying over every single roadkill (she's an empath and i'm a cold bastard, apparently).
the plotline with her ex-fiancé tim and ex-best friend annie was anticlimactic, utterly pointless and boring – first and foremost because tim has no redeeming qualities, is a completely unambiguous, black-and-white character that served only as a tragic background for bee and to explain her immense fear of social commitment. he's shoved into the readers' faces ("he's bad!") and it stays that way from start to finish. (nearly the same thing applies to annie.)
the ending (and big reveal) was goofy at best, and a shitshow at worst. it completely took me out of the illusion of the book.astronaut with gun pressuring scientist to suicide. Félicette, a CAT, jumping the villain so that bee could escape. need i say more? seriously, whom was this written for? 6-year-olds? (i briefly considered throwing my copy against the nearest wall.)
levi and bee got some closure and a nice ending, which is cool. the romance was the only thing carrying this book at this point, so an epilogue that was not completely disappointing seems like a big-enough win to happily accept and glutton over.
fun! wouldn't read again.
the cute: romance, science, social commentary!
i liked nearly everything about levi, from his calm demeanor, to his rationality, attitude and (soft) personality. bee and levi shared some cute moments, and their relationship seemed genuine and built on common interests and values (veganism, science, cats, hummingbirds, movies and music), which i enjoyed. i liked the banter, and both characters as a couple were likable enough. i enjoyed the science talk, and the feminist and social commentary, and the facts about Marie Curie!
the questionable: everything else.
the characters, especially rocío and kaylee, seemed like cheap clichés. the 'villain' was disney-esque (seriously, there is an "i'm telling you all about my evil plans and schemes" scene, which could've been copy-pasted into a mystery book for children and no one would've batted an eye).
bee started to seriously get on my nerves circa 60% into the book. she makes my sense of delusion seem like a daydream in comparison: "he hates me", "this is not a date", "we're just friends-with-benefits", la di da – girl, he literally asked you to move in with him, be for fucking real.
the miscommunication was hard to read sometimes, and so was her crying over every single roadkill (she's an empath and i'm a cold bastard, apparently).
the plotline with her ex-fiancé tim and ex-best friend annie was anticlimactic, utterly pointless and boring – first and foremost because tim has no redeeming qualities, is a completely unambiguous, black-and-white character that served only as a tragic background for bee and to explain her immense fear of social commitment. he's shoved into the readers' faces ("he's bad!") and it stays that way from start to finish. (nearly the same thing applies to annie.)
the ending (and big reveal) was goofy at best, and a shitshow at worst. it completely took me out of the illusion of the book.
levi and bee got some closure and a nice ending, which is cool. the romance was the only thing carrying this book at this point, so an epilogue that was not completely disappointing seems like a big-enough win to happily accept and glutton over.
fun! wouldn't read again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Infidelity, Sexual content, and Death of parent
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders
the_reading_italian's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-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? It's complicated
4.0
I loved this!! There was a bit too much drama for my tastes, but I had so much fun with the characters. I personally was absolutely in love with Levi from the beginning - I'm a sucker for the 'he falls first, and harder' trope - so I am very glad I picked this up. If you enjoy anything else by Ali Hazelwood, I would recommend reading this!! It's fantastic
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence and Sexual content
Minor: Car accident and Death of parent
madanxiety's review against another edition
3.0
This being my third Ali Hazelwood read, I think it's safe to say she has found her formula. For those who might not have read yet, I mean that the archetypes of her two leads are pretty much exactly the same every time. Ultimately, the similarity among all her books is more comforting to me than it is boring. I think most romance readers are attracted to the predictability and optimism of the genre, so I can't complain. It's like eating your favorite breakfast - one you've had hundreds of times in your life, and yet it sates you every time. Her formula isn't my ideal fantasy as a lesbian, lol, but I still find it entertaining. And hey, wlw got some rep in this book!
Aside from the wlw side-plot, this book did set itself apart from her other novels in 1-2 major ways,the major way being that there is a GUN! Lol, I was not expecting that level of high-stakes. The other stand-out feature was that the smut seemed a tiny bit kinkier/dirtier than her other novels, specifically with a dom/daddy vibe. I'm glad Hazelwood didn't lean into that as much in the other novels that bigger age gaps/power imbalances.
Aside from the wlw side-plot, this book did set itself apart from her other novels in 1-2 major ways,
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, and Sexual content
Moderate: Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Toxic friendship
madisonthacker'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? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment
Moderate: Animal death, Cursing, Mental illness, Suicide, Medical content, and Car accident
Minor: Abortion and Alcohol
sarahaurora628's review against another edition
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was my first Ali Hazelwood and I liked it 🤷♀️ I loved all the side characters and the male lead. I thought the main character had so much potential which is such a shame because I found her kind of annoying 🫣 I love her back story and interests but being in her head made me roll my eyes a lot. I wanted to like her so badly but she came off kind of try hardish. That being said by the 2nd half I was routing for her. I think the smut was well done, I don’t remember cringing at them. I loved the love story, plot, and twists and I want a Levi Ward. He is so funny, the ladder back and forth actually made me laugh
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism
Moderate: Gun violence
Minor: Animal death, Death, Gore, Car accident, and Death of parent
asourceoffiction's review against another edition
funny
relaxing
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
4.0
There are a few things in Hazelwood's books that aren't really my cup of tea. They're quite predictable, especially in terms of the romance, I don't care about the smut, and sometimes (like in this case) the main character is incredibly dense about whether someone loves or hates her.
But I love the stories about women in STEM and the fact they're not all just fluffy romance. That was enough for me to like The Love Hypothesis. In Loathe to Love You (the collection of short stories) it wasn't and I didn't really enjoy it as much. But Love on the Brain has surpassed them all. The STEM story is so much fun and I love Bee's affinity (obsession?) with Marie Curie.
My absolute favourite thing about this book is how funny it is. I actually laughed out loud at times, and that connected me more to the characters and story than any of the other books so far. A lot of it was predictable but there were a few surprises outside the romantic element, and because of the humour I really enjoyed reading it.
But I love the stories about women in STEM and the fact they're not all just fluffy romance. That was enough for me to like The Love Hypothesis. In Loathe to Love You (the collection of short stories) it wasn't and I didn't really enjoy it as much. But Love on the Brain has surpassed them all. The STEM story is so much fun and I love Bee's affinity (obsession?) with Marie Curie.
My absolute favourite thing about this book is how funny it is. I actually laughed out loud at times, and that connected me more to the characters and story than any of the other books so far. A lot of it was predictable but there were a few surprises outside the romantic element, and because of the humour I really enjoyed reading it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, and Sexual content
Moderate: Infidelity, Death of parent, and Abandonment
lifeofawannabee's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
daisyfont's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Sexual content
Moderate: Infidelity, Toxic relationship, and Death of parent
Minor: Gun violence, Suicide, and Alcohol
ksmith_23's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Gun violence, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, and Sexual content
Moderate: Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment
pippinthepuffin's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
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
4.0
Is it basically the plot of “The Love Hypothesis” with a dash of “You’ve Got Mail”? Yepp
Is it hella nerdy? Of course!
Did I enjoy every single second of it? ABSOLUTELY YES.
Is it hella nerdy? Of course!
Did I enjoy every single second of it? ABSOLUTELY YES.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Car accident, and Death of parent