A review by serafinam
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

emotional funny medium-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

4.0

Olive is the kind of girl that would do anything for a friend, including kissing the biology department's most feared faculty member...

I've been hearing amazing things about this book for months and for some reason never got around to reading it. When I finally did manage to pick it up, I couldn't put it down! I loved Olive, even if she made me want to pull my hair out sometimes, and the chemistry between her and Adam was tangible. Anh could be a little frustrating sometimes but her love for Olive was easy to see. Adam was by far my favorite character in the book; a perfect Byronic hero nestled in a modern romance.

Hazelwood's tone was strong and consistent throughout the book and worked well to keep readers engaged. She expertly she weaved academic and scientific jargon throughout the pages without alienating non-STEM interested readers. I've heard some people say that it was hard for them to suspend their disbelief about Stanford's handling of faculty/student relationships but I think Hazelwood does a good job of providing an explanation that fits within the realm of the novel.
I've also heard that The Love Hypothesis is an adapted Reylo (Kylo Ren & Rey) fanfiction. You can certainly see aspects of those characters in Olive and Adam but the story has no trouble standing on its own.

I highly recommend this novel to anyone looking for a sweet, exciting romance that both pays homage and defies popular tropes. I'm eagerly looking forward to reading more from Ali Hazelwood!
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