A review by pattyrisu
Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood

funny lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.0

Too much text, too many unnecessary references. It has been clear that she likes physics, and it seems reasonable to me that if something funny happens she uses a scientific metaphor to explain it, BUT ONE NOT 7 FOR EVERY THING THAT HAPPENS. It was obvious from the first moment that Jack had feelings for her (after seeing her 2 times counted) and the declaration of his feelings couldn't have been more insubstantial. I found the sex scenes to be about as exciting as doing crossword puzzles and once they allow themselves to have physical contact it all scales too quickly. None of the characters seemed very real to me, especially considering that they all had the same way of expressing themselves (with 50 metaphors per sentence and a lot of references to the culture of the moment) and it made me feel that they were all cut from the same cloth: that of the protagonist. I give it that score because despite everything it wasn't terrible. I was able to empathize with Elsie's people-pleaser side and it's also the first book I've read by Ali Hazelwood and I think I had my expectations too high.