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suedeauxnim 's review for:
Not in Love
by Ali Hazelwood
Ali Hazelwood novels give me complicated emotions. I like many things about this book. I like how the main characters communicate with each other. I like how the book intertwines their physical and emotional relationship. In terms of pure romance, this story felt very grounded and compelling and sweet and cute. I’m not the demographic for the sex scenes, but I even still can like how their sexual relationship changes as they become more emotionally open and communicative with each other. It made these scenes feel more relevant to the story than in most of her novels.
That being said. Ali Hazelwood has a knack for writing characters with interesting romantic/sexual quirks that I wish she would commit to. Rue not enjoying penetrative sex is cool! It doesn’t really change her and Eli’s relationship, but it allows for representation that isn’t often present in spicy media. Similarly, Ali Hazelwood will often write very Asexual or Aromantic coded characters with scenes that feel like a deeply poignant exploration of being Aro/Ace that resonant with me more than I’ve seen anywhere else. These deeply interesting a resonant character traits make it ultimately far more disappointing and disheartening when by the end of the book Rue is just getting off to penetrative sex or any characters Ace/aro coded characteristics are fixed by finding their true love. Every time it feels like an unnecessary waste. The book wouldn’t lose anything if they never had penetrative sex. But it would ultimately gain a deeply unique take on the genre that would be so cool to see.
If Ali Hazelwood ever chooses to actually explore these concepts in one of her books, I genuinely think I would be five stars and one of my favorite books of all time. There are scenes in her novels that I deeply love and resonate with despite their later dismissal by the narrative. But until that book comes, I don’t think I will ever leave an Ali Hazelwood novel without a bit of disappointment over what could have been.
In all a great romance that I wish didn’t pull its punch nearly as much
That being said. Ali Hazelwood has a knack for writing characters with interesting romantic/sexual quirks that I wish she would commit to. Rue not enjoying penetrative sex is cool! It doesn’t really change her and Eli’s relationship, but it allows for representation that isn’t often present in spicy media. Similarly, Ali Hazelwood will often write very Asexual or Aromantic coded characters with scenes that feel like a deeply poignant exploration of being Aro/Ace that resonant with me more than I’ve seen anywhere else. These deeply interesting a resonant character traits make it ultimately far more disappointing and disheartening when by the end of the book Rue is just getting off to penetrative sex or any characters Ace/aro coded characteristics are fixed by finding their true love. Every time it feels like an unnecessary waste. The book wouldn’t lose anything if they never had penetrative sex. But it would ultimately gain a deeply unique take on the genre that would be so cool to see.
If Ali Hazelwood ever chooses to actually explore these concepts in one of her books, I genuinely think I would be five stars and one of my favorite books of all time. There are scenes in her novels that I deeply love and resonate with despite their later dismissal by the narrative. But until that book comes, I don’t think I will ever leave an Ali Hazelwood novel without a bit of disappointment over what could have been.
In all a great romance that I wish didn’t pull its punch nearly as much