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rachelfayreads's review against another edition
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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Sexism, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
lidotchka's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
As someone who has never ventured into the world of romance novels, The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood was a delightful and refreshing first read in this genre. I wasn't sure what to expect, but Hazelwood's charming storytelling and well-crafted characters won me over completely.
The plot centers around Olive Smith, a third-year Ph.D. candidate, who finds herself in a fake-dating arrangement with the enigmatic and brooding professor, Adam Carlsen. What starts as a ruse to convince her best friend that she's over a past relationship gradually blossoms into something genuine and heartfelt. The chemistry between Olive and Adam is palpable, and their interactions are filled with witty banter, emotional depth, and just the right amount of tension.
One of the standout aspects of this book is Hazelwood's ability to blend scientific academia with a romantic narrative seamlessly. The lab settings, research challenges, and academic politics are depicted with authenticity, adding an extra layer of realism to the story. As someone not typically drawn to romance, I found the scientific backdrop both fascinating and relatable, making the romance even more compelling.
Olive is a wonderfully relatable protagonist—intelligent, awkward, and determined. Her journey of self-discovery and the gradual unveiling of her feelings for Adam is beautifully paced and genuinely heartwarming. Adam, on the other hand, is the perfect mix of aloof and caring, with a backstory that adds depth to his character and makes his developing relationship with Olive even more satisfying.
The secondary characters also add richness to the narrative, providing both comic relief and poignant moments that enhance the central romance. The themes of vulnerability, trust, and the importance of following one's passion are woven throughout the story, making it more than just a typical romance novel.
While the book is near-perfect, the reason for the 4.5 stars rather than a full five is that some plot points felt slightly predictable. However, this minor drawback did not significantly detract from my overall enjoyment of the story.
In conclusion, The Love Hypothesis is a fantastic introduction to the romance genre. Ali Hazelwood's engaging writing, combined with endearing characters and an intriguing setting, made this a thoroughly enjoyable read. If all romance novels are this captivating, I may have just found a new favorite genre!
The plot centers around Olive Smith, a third-year Ph.D. candidate, who finds herself in a fake-dating arrangement with the enigmatic and brooding professor, Adam Carlsen. What starts as a ruse to convince her best friend that she's over a past relationship gradually blossoms into something genuine and heartfelt. The chemistry between Olive and Adam is palpable, and their interactions are filled with witty banter, emotional depth, and just the right amount of tension.
One of the standout aspects of this book is Hazelwood's ability to blend scientific academia with a romantic narrative seamlessly. The lab settings, research challenges, and academic politics are depicted with authenticity, adding an extra layer of realism to the story. As someone not typically drawn to romance, I found the scientific backdrop both fascinating and relatable, making the romance even more compelling.
Olive is a wonderfully relatable protagonist—intelligent, awkward, and determined. Her journey of self-discovery and the gradual unveiling of her feelings for Adam is beautifully paced and genuinely heartwarming. Adam, on the other hand, is the perfect mix of aloof and caring, with a backstory that adds depth to his character and makes his developing relationship with Olive even more satisfying.
The secondary characters also add richness to the narrative, providing both comic relief and poignant moments that enhance the central romance. The themes of vulnerability, trust, and the importance of following one's passion are woven throughout the story, making it more than just a typical romance novel.
While the book is near-perfect, the reason for the 4.5 stars rather than a full five is that some plot points felt slightly predictable. However, this minor drawback did not significantly detract from my overall enjoyment of the story.
In conclusion, The Love Hypothesis is a fantastic introduction to the romance genre. Ali Hazelwood's engaging writing, combined with endearing characters and an intriguing setting, made this a thoroughly enjoyable read. If all romance novels are this captivating, I may have just found a new favorite genre!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Death of parent
idk_indigo's review against another edition
lighthearted
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? Yes
4.0
This book was mixed for me.
The good:
I loved the MMC which is surprising because I don't usually like grumpy male characters. Like, what do you even have to be grumpy about, not enough women to oppress? Shut up! But he was slay, I loved his soft side and I loved that we got to see so much more of him through his friends and through his work and conversations with Olive and stuff. He was cute!!
Olive's small circle of friends was so wonderful, I think they could've been more developed but I really appreciated that she had a little found family while she was navigating stressful situations!
The PhD/academia setting was honestly so much fun, I don't believe I've ever read a romance novel set at a university and I loved seeing all of the little insider things -- people stealing petri dishes, fighting for funding, insufficient research results, etc. it was so cool!
Anxiety representation in an FMC!! Demisexual representation! Yippee!
The sexy scenes! There weren't that many of them (only 2, I did keep count) and they were like a 2/5 in terms of spice: not graphic at all, but I loved them!
The miscommunication! Tbh the trope is growing on me, I really used to dislike it but now I'm like yeah, man, that's life. I thought overall it was pretty realistic, maybe a tiny bit far-fetched (but that was about the fake dating more than the miscommunication) but I was like honestly yeah that would happen to me... I'm a lesbian btw, if that explains anything
The love story itself was so intriguing, I found myself smiling blushing giggling lying on my stomach kicking my feet in the air teehee
The bad:
Olive was very meh for me, I thought her personality was sort of whatever. I struggled to grasp her motives sometimes, and she often felt very helpless and damsel in distress-y. Which, I'll be so honest with you, did not match up at all with what I would hope from a PhD student in STEM. Obviously people (and characters) are nuanced but like sheesh...
And a subsection of my previous complaint, it often felt like Adam was such a stereotypical hero. Buying Olive Starbucks and her saying this is food for the next 2 weeks, which mind you was never addressed again. And that one scene where hepins some guy up against the wall and she's all like "Daddy it's not worth it!" I understand that it wasn't supposed to be cringe but it was and also didn't match up with anything we know about Adam up to that point...
It also felt like, regarding the PhD program, that there were so many inconsistencies with "I'm so busy, I never have any time for anything besides school," and then scene upon scene of them doing anything but studying... Very much, for me, a case of telling not showing.
Olive being afucking virgin but also not really I'm sorry but I'm over it and I hate that trope so much. Shut up!
The MC's backstories, they felt very underdeveloped and it felt like Olive's trauma didn't really have much at all to do with her love story.... not that you need trauma to fall in love or whatever, but I think most MC's with a fair dose of childhood trauma at least have a main "issue" that is counterintuitive to their love story. Eg., FMC with overbearing parents feels intense perfectionist tendencies, leading to a job/career she hates and her eventual breakup (Happy Place, Emily Henry). Or FMC who was betrayed by her brother over a business deal finds it difficult to trust men, especially relating to finances (The Duke Gets Desperate, Diana Quincy). Olive's trauma was like... damn I grew up alone so I have anxiety.... oh, yeah, and like I have a crush on this guy... the two were never connected it just felt like she was talking about it just to talk. Which, like same girly pop I love yapping but I'm also not a MC in a romance novel. Idk
The professor/student relationship, I know it wasn't the worst but it also wasn't the best and the other professor and Olive becoming friends after he startsbanging her best friend and then they meet each others' parents after, like, less than a week of banging seemed a bit inappropriate.
Anyways, 4 stars! #adamandmeshouldbebesties #myfavoritecolorisgreentoo
PS., I will be so honest with you, this feels like a story one might write about the crush they have on their teacher idk I didn't mind it though
The good:
I loved the MMC which is surprising because I don't usually like grumpy male characters. Like, what do you even have to be grumpy about, not enough women to oppress? Shut up! But he was slay, I loved his soft side and I loved that we got to see so much more of him through his friends and through his work and conversations with Olive and stuff. He was cute!!
Olive's small circle of friends was so wonderful, I think they could've been more developed but I really appreciated that she had a little found family while she was navigating stressful situations!
The PhD/academia setting was honestly so much fun, I don't believe I've ever read a romance novel set at a university and I loved seeing all of the little insider things -- people stealing petri dishes, fighting for funding, insufficient research results, etc. it was so cool!
Anxiety representation in an FMC!! Demisexual representation! Yippee!
The sexy scenes! There weren't that many of them (only 2, I did keep count) and they were like a 2/5 in terms of spice: not graphic at all, but I loved them!
The miscommunication! Tbh the trope is growing on me, I really used to dislike it but now I'm like yeah, man, that's life. I thought overall it was pretty realistic, maybe a tiny bit far-fetched (but that was about the fake dating more than the miscommunication) but I was like honestly yeah that would happen to me... I'm a lesbian btw, if that explains anything
The love story itself was so intriguing, I found myself smiling blushing giggling lying on my stomach kicking my feet in the air teehee
The bad:
Olive was very meh for me, I thought her personality was sort of whatever. I struggled to grasp her motives sometimes, and she often felt very helpless and damsel in distress-y. Which, I'll be so honest with you, did not match up at all with what I would hope from a PhD student in STEM. Obviously people (and characters) are nuanced but like sheesh...
And a subsection of my previous complaint, it often felt like Adam was such a stereotypical hero. Buying Olive Starbucks and her saying this is food for the next 2 weeks, which mind you was never addressed again. And that one scene where he
It also felt like, regarding the PhD program, that there were so many inconsistencies with "I'm so busy, I never have any time for anything besides school," and then scene upon scene of them doing anything but studying... Very much, for me, a case of telling not showing.
Olive being a
The MC's backstories, they felt very underdeveloped and it felt like Olive's trauma didn't really have much at all to do with her love story.... not that you need trauma to fall in love or whatever, but I think most MC's with a fair dose of childhood trauma at least have a main "issue" that is counterintuitive to their love story. Eg., FMC with overbearing parents feels intense perfectionist tendencies, leading to a job/career she hates and her eventual breakup (Happy Place, Emily Henry). Or FMC who was betrayed by her brother over a business deal finds it difficult to trust men, especially relating to finances (The Duke Gets Desperate, Diana Quincy). Olive's trauma was like... damn I grew up alone so I have anxiety.... oh, yeah, and like I have a crush on this guy... the two were never connected it just felt like she was talking about it just to talk. Which, like same girly pop I love yapping but I'm also not a MC in a romance novel. Idk
The professor/student relationship, I know it wasn't the worst but it also wasn't the best and the other professor and Olive becoming friends after he starts
Anyways, 4 stars! #adamandmeshouldbebesties #myfavoritecolorisgreentoo
PS., I will be so honest with you, this feels like a story one might write about the crush they have on their teacher idk I didn't mind it though
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders and Sexual harassment
Minor: Grief and Death of parent
fairylass's review against another edition
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
This book… wow! I’ve had it in my library forever after a friend gifted it to me and let me just say, I absolutely regret not reading it sooner! It’s definitely become one of my absolute favorites.
I heard that this book is Reylo fanfic, and tbh, I’ve never watched any Star Wars movies. I know, I know! Regardless, the MCs’ dynamic was to die for - very much grumpyxsunshine. I loved the academic science background; it added so much to the plot and really grounded this story. The pace felt fast (in a very good way), but perhaps that was because I flew through because I couldn’t stop reading!
Very much a happy ending as well! I rated the whole book five stars and honestly couldn’t pick a flaw out of I was asked. The spice is a healthy medium with one or two descriptive scenes and some tension throughout.
10/10 recommend!!
I heard that this book is Reylo fanfic, and tbh, I’ve never watched any Star Wars movies. I know, I know! Regardless, the MCs’ dynamic was to die for - very much grumpyxsunshine. I loved the academic science background; it added so much to the plot and really grounded this story. The pace felt fast (in a very good way), but perhaps that was because I flew through because I couldn’t stop reading!
Very much a happy ending as well! I rated the whole book five stars and honestly couldn’t pick a flaw out of I was asked. The spice is a healthy medium with one or two descriptive scenes and some tension throughout.
10/10 recommend!!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Sexual harassment
Minor: Medical trauma
lucindarella321's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Cancer, Sexism, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
pianokeys's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Sexual content, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
spookyyzoeyy's review against another edition
emotional
informative
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This book is a solid two for me. There were just a lot of issues that I had with the book that are most likely me specific. Things were done in a mostly alright way. The story either felt really bland or too intense and there was no inbetween. The characters also felt very one sided after a few chapters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer and Death of parent
Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual harassment
sunshinekmp's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Cursing
Minor: Vomit and Alcohol
sarahweyand's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Friends who came with me on the camping trip where I read this in 24 hours know how I despise this book. I'll keep my review short mainly because I don't want to waste my digital breath, but this book continues to solidify that Booktok books and romance novels are not for me.
The positives here are that Hazelwood wrote a very easily digestible novel that was fun to yell and complain about, although that doesn't mean it was good. Also, this book is based off of Reylo fanfiction and I think Adam Driver is hot so that was fine by me.
My biggest issue here is that miscommunication does not constitute a plot, much less the foundation for a cute and healthy relationship. I sort of actively hated Olive for the whole book because I thought she was stupid. If the two love interests communicating in a healthy manner means you wouldn't have a story, I don't want to read what you came up with. Sorry!
While that was my #1 issue, I also didn't enjoy the big big guy/little bitty girl trope being shoved so forcefully down my throat. I'm also not a prude by any means (I mean if this is Adam Driver fanfic I better be rewarded for my suffering), but having one 30 page long sex scene seemed unbalanced compared to the relative chasteness of the rest of the book.
Okay, I'm done now.
The positives here are that Hazelwood wrote a very easily digestible novel that was fun to yell and complain about, although that doesn't mean it was good. Also, this book is based off of Reylo fanfiction and I think Adam Driver is hot so that was fine by me.
My biggest issue here is that miscommunication does not constitute a plot, much less the foundation for a cute and healthy relationship. I sort of actively hated Olive for the whole book because I thought she was stupid. If the two love interests communicating in a healthy manner means you wouldn't have a story, I don't want to read what you came up with. Sorry!
While that was my #1 issue, I also didn't enjoy the big big guy/little bitty girl trope being shoved so forcefully down my throat. I'm also not a prude by any means (I mean if this is Adam Driver fanfic I better be rewarded for my suffering), but having one 30 page long sex scene seemed unbalanced compared to the relative chasteness of the rest of the book.
Okay, I'm done now.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Cancer and Death of parent
mayaishere's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-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
4.0
This book was so adorable and cute. I loved it. I was relieved that it didn't have many "the deed" scenes (except that one chapter I kind of just skipped). It was a lovely story and I couldn't help but smile like an idiot while reading the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault and Sexual harassment
Minor: Death of parent