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A review by fictionandfauna
Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Ali Hazelwood wrote in her author's note that she struggled to write this one and honestly, it shows.
Overall, I did enjoy this book, but there were many moments that hit a lull, and I began to get frustrated with Elsie's naïveté/gullibility/plain stupidity?! For a doctor, she could be quite dumb a lot of the time which had me gripping the page in annoyance.
Elsie's tendency to mould and shape herself to suit whatever someone wants felt overly contrived and became her whole personality (along with eating nothing but cheese apparently). I wished Elsie had more meaningful, complex character traits that weren't just things she liked to eat or watch on tv.
Like many of Hazelwood's books, I felt there were unresolved plot lines. The biggest instance being the constant mention and build up of 'Kirk' who Cece is fake-dating. In almost every chapter there is a build in the story which we expect to get some sort of big, satisfying payoff around, some big reveal on who Kirk is. But it felt like Hazelwood rushed to finish the novel and "tied up" this loose thread in a throwaway paragraph which felt like a huge let down after getting so invested in this storyline throughout the book.
There's definitely a pattern of unresolved storylines across Ali Hazelwood's books and characters. Missed opportunities to explore the complexity of the characters that she does well to build in the first two thirds, but seems to lose track or give up in the final third.
Perhaps this book is just not meant to be taken that seriously, but taking the time to fully explore the characters immediately surrounding the female lead would result in an ultimately far more satisfying pay off.
Instead, I'm left a little disappointed.
That being said, I did especially like the conversation on normalising fake-dating as a side gig, as well as the extremely cute friendship between Elsie and Cece which was my favourite of all.
Overall, I did enjoy this book, but there were many moments that hit a lull, and I began to get frustrated with Elsie's naïveté/gullibility/plain stupidity?! For a doctor, she could be quite dumb a lot of the time which had me gripping the page in annoyance.
Elsie's tendency to mould and shape herself to suit whatever someone wants felt overly contrived and became her whole personality (along with eating nothing but cheese apparently). I wished Elsie had more meaningful, complex character traits that weren't just things she liked to eat or watch on tv.
Like many of Hazelwood's books, I felt there were unresolved plot lines. The biggest instance being the constant mention and build up of 'Kirk' who Cece is fake-dating. In almost every chapter there is a build in the story which we expect to get some sort of big, satisfying payoff around, some big reveal on who Kirk is. But it felt like Hazelwood rushed to finish the novel and "tied up" this loose thread in a throwaway paragraph which felt like a huge let down after getting so invested in this storyline throughout the book.
There's definitely a pattern of unresolved storylines across Ali Hazelwood's books and characters. Missed opportunities to explore the complexity of the characters that she does well to build in the first two thirds, but seems to lose track or give up in the final third.
Perhaps this book is just not meant to be taken that seriously, but taking the time to fully explore the characters immediately surrounding the female lead would result in an ultimately far more satisfying pay off.
Instead, I'm left a little disappointed.
That being said, I did especially like the conversation on normalising fake-dating as a side gig, as well as the extremely cute friendship between Elsie and Cece which was my favourite of all.