Reviews with content warning for Cancer - The Love Hypothesis

Olive is your typical adorkable heroine—clumsy, socially awkward, and prone to overthinking every life choice. It’s cute for a while, but by the tenth rambling monologue, I wanted to sit her down and force-feed her a dose of self-awareness. Adam Carlsen? Tall, brooding, a certified grump with a heart of gold—basically a romance novel Mad Libs. He’s fine, but his backstory is so thin it might as well be printed on a napkin. The side characters, particularly Anh and Malcolm, exist solely to meddle in Olive’s life and push the plot forward. And don’t get me started on the villain—was he written by a middle schooler who just discovered what “cartoonishly evil” means?

Atmosphere/Setting – 6.5/10

A romance novel set in academia? Sounds refreshing! Except... it barely scratches the surface of what being in STEM is actually like. There are some fun nods to grant writing and research, but if you were hoping for a deep dive into the cutthroat world of academia, you’re out of luck. The lab setting exists purely as a backdrop for awkward flirting, and outside of campus? Good luck remembering a single vividly described location.

Writing Style – 7/10

Hazelwood’s writing is fun and breezy, and Olive’s inner thoughts are often hilarious—until they’re not. She has a tendency to over-explain everything, as if the reader has the attention span of a goldfish. The humor is hit or miss, with some genuinely funny moments but also a heavy reliance on fanfiction-style quirks (stammering! Face-palming! Falling into people’s arms!). If you like dialogue that reads like a rom-com script, you’ll be happy. If you prefer subtlety and emotional nuance, well...

Plot – 6/10

It’s fake dating, people. If you’ve read one fake-dating book, you already know exactly where this is going. The reason for the arrangement? Flimsier than Olive’s old contact lenses. The inevitable misunderstanding? Predictable. The central conflict? Wrapped up so neatly you’d think it came with a bow. It’s not a bad plot, but it’s so formulaic you could set your watch by it. If you’re looking for twists, complexity, or anything that might make you pause and think, keep walking.

Intrigue – 7.5/10

Despite the predictability, I have to admit—it’s addictive. The chemistry between Olive and Adam is solid, and even though I knew exactly how every single plot beat would play out, I still wanted to see it unfold. The book does a great job of keeping things moving, even if the stakes feel about as high as a friendly game of Uno.

Logic/Relationships – 6/10

Olive and Adam’s relationship is built on the kind of contrived setup that only works in rom-coms, and even then, you have to suspend a lot of disbelief. The faculty-student dynamic is swept under the rug so aggressively it might as well be collecting dust bunnies. There’s chemistry, sure, but their emotional connection? Meh. Side relationships, like Olive’s friendships, exist only to facilitate the romance, and the antagonist is so over-the-top he might as well be twirling a mustache.

Enjoyment – 7/10

Look, I rolled my eyes a lot while reading this book, but I still had a good time. It’s fun, fluffy, and undeniably charming in places. Will it change your life? No. Will you devour it in one sitting and then immediately forget half the plot? Absolutely. If you’re in the mood for a predictable, trope-heavy, serotonin-boosting rom-com, this will hit the spot. If you’re looking for depth, originality, or a romance that isn’t built on pure nonsense, you might want to keep browsing.

Final Verdict: 6.5/10

The Love Hypothesis is basically the book equivalent of a Hallmark movie with a STEM twist. It’s cute, funny, and ridiculously predictable. It leans hard on tropes, but if you’re here for the fake dating, grumpy-sunshine dynamic, and awkward flirting, you’ll have fun. Just don’t expect emotional depth, a believable setup, or a villain with more than one personality trait.

Content Warnings

dealfea's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Content Warnings

jasmine_94's review against another edition

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medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

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melissam92's review against another edition

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emotional funny medium-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? Yes

3.0

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accioakshita's review against another edition

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lighthearted medium-paced

3.0

Honesty, just read it for the banter and grumpy/sunshine trope.

it's tough to get a demi main character(even if that's done poorly); so that's a plus..
but the plot was really stretched and predictable (but i guess that's true for most of the romances)

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jelena_minshall's review against another edition

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funny hopeful 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

Content Warnings

tessalouise14's review against another edition

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funny 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

4.0

This book is SO cute.

I love the fake dating/enemies to lovers trope. It's so cute. Olive and Adam developing at characters is so cute and heartwarming.

The only thing I'll warn is Olive can get a little annoying. Granted thats the trope, but she gets a little whiney. But still, a very cute love story and such WHOLESOME moments.

Content Warnings

im_guppie's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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