Reviews with content warning for Grief - The Love Hypothesis

This book was a solid 4-star read. I have to praise Ali Hazelwood for making me like the type of main character I normally hate. Was the story predictable? Yes. Was it enjoyable? Also, yes.

The object permanence was definitely not there since every time I put this book down, I forgot I was reading it. BUT when I was reading the book, it was enjoyable and engaging. The story is your typical fake-dating romance, the characters and plot were predictable, and in all cases, it was a solid romance. There is very little to say against it other than the main character's best friend is shitty. I don't think Anh played the part well as a best friend, and I don't think she showed the same level of investment in her friendship as Olive did. However, Adam Carlsen???? My man! He was *chef's kiss* the definition of a man written by a woman. I love him.

Overall, an enjoyable and solid read.

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chelseasofia's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing 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? It's complicated

4.0

Ok, on the one hand this book was fun, had great STEM and science rep (which I know zero about but was delighted by the specificity of it all - it’s refreshing to see characters so knowledgeable in their field of work), and I really liked the characters and their growing relationship. They really *cared* for each other and were thoughtful about each other’s feelings and boundaries. It was fairly well written (not a ton of weird overly explanatory anxiety ridden character thoughts, only a few sprinkled hither and thither) and it did not feel like a chore to read (high bar I know).

On the other hand, I am tired of a few things that are still very popular in romance: the tall guy/short girl thing, likewise the repeated wonderment about how BIG he is (ok, I get it, a couple mentions would have been enough though), and the fact that two very intelligent people can’t make the logical conclusion to not pile on lie after lie, or that sacrificing yourself for the imagined happiness of someone else by continuing those lies is somehow “real love”, please. Also the miscommunications that don’t really make sense. Also the *ridiculous* ways that they’re forced to get closer in public (via Olive’s friend pressuring her) was just kinda dumb/not fully developed. I love tropes but let’s try and inject a little reality?

I did have to keep reminding myself that these people are in their 20s and not experienced at relationships, being honest with others about their feelings, or even with themselves. I know I didn’t tell someone I loved them when I was that age, so I guess I’m just over some of this stuff because I’ve read it a lot, and I’m old (sarcasm).

I did like Olive but I wished she didn’t have to be so unsure and tentative for so much of the book. And (spoilers?) when a big awful thing happens I wanted to scream at the way she was just going to push it down and try to continue as if nothing had happened. I guess that just means that I cared for the characters. But also, the big awful thing was really over the top, done by a capital-V Villain and it came completely out of nowhere. People who are abusers and manipulative don’t really go this hard this fast, do they? I wanted it to be a little more nuanced. But then again, maybe people are really this brazen and awful in academia. It did make for a great conclusion of the story later on.

The thing I liked most was them slowly becoming friends and coming to really care for each other in such a lovely way. And it all led to the one sex scene which was both tender and hot, with lots of good communication, plus the demisexual rep. Worth it. 🔥🔥🔥

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booking_along's review against another edition

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medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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kathis_wonderland's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted 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

5.0

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood is a wonderful fake-dating book. Olive is a scientist and wants her best friend to be happy. In order to achieve this, she kisses a man in front of her best friend to show her that she is over her last relationship. This man is Adam Carlsen, a professor at her university and a mean one. As they realize that they both would benefit from a relationship, they start a fake one.

I heard so many good things about this book and now I get the hype. This book is funny, romantic, sexy and so much more. I loved to read about women in STEM. This was really empowering, even though I would personally never pursue a career in STEM. I had to google several words used in this book... But that made it so authentic. I loved it! The short hypotheses at the beginning of each chapter were so intriguing. I always wanted to know what the hypothesis had to do with the chapter. Quite a clever move.

The chemistry between Olive and Adam was so good (and hot!). I loved that Olive just called out his mean demeanour. Even though Adam can be really mean to his students, he was so supportive of Olive. I loved Olive's friend Malcolm. I hope so much that he will get his happy ending. He kind of would deserve an own book.

I am still a little surprised that I love this book so much. Usually, I am a little scared if I find a book promoted on bookstagram as I have bought several that were promoted that were really really not good. But here, the hype is totally deserved. I can't wait to read Ali Hazelwood's other books!

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mollywoods18's review

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inspiring 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

4.0

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angelica95's review

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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luna_lovelace's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective sad slow-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

5.0

“I wish you could see yourself the way I see you" - Adam

Tropes:

Grumpy Sunshine, Opposites Attract, He Falls First, Slow Burn, Fake Dating

I loved reading this book from beginning to end. The opening was hilarious and immediately drew me in, leaving me thoroughly engrossed until the final page. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I laughed throughout the book, making the reading experience truly enjoyable. Although the spice level was on the low side, the build-up more than made up for it.

Olive is an incredibly selfless person who always puts the needs of others before her own, even when she knows she will be at a disadvantage.

For instance, she helps her best friend, Anh, pursue her crush, even though Olive used to have feelings for him too. This is where the fake dating comes in, but Olive did it for the sake of her friend. Additionally, there's a moment when she doesn't want to reveal to Adam what Tom said and tries to do to her because she's afraid he'll miss out on an important opportunity.

It's heartwarming to see how much Olive cares about the people she loves.

I also found Adam's character interesting. He's a highly dedicated professor who takes his research seriously, which unfortunately doesn't make him very popular. However, he has many close personal relationships that speak volumes about how much he's respected for his work.

Sadly, not all of his friends have his best interests at heart—looking at you Tom. There were several hints that Tom wasn't kind, especially when Holden warned Olive about him. I was shocked when Olive's friends found out the truth about Tom.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed reading this book and I can't wait to read more books by this author!

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