A review by al_exposition
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

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

4.5

spotify link for a playlist of songs that fit olive and adam <3: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5oekY5WK7fmgFJm8mK9fDt?si=Y8aRX-PJRoeiKLZhKxbfIw&pi=u-Wf7Tx9enTfmu

disclaimer: i'm just a girl!

wow... i genuinely loved this book so much more than i thought i would. to be so real, i went in with low expectations because of all the tiktok hype, but i'm so glad that i read it.

plot points and my opinions:

your why
  • the fact that we open up with olive talking to ~mystery man~ about her why for wanting to go to graduate school?? that was toooo good imo. i think it hits extra hard for me because i literally am in graduate school, and because a lot of my internal monologue when thinking about what to do for my future has just been "well why do i want to do this??" and it's genuinely a tough question to answer. for me, im in grad school because i need to be in order to get a job. but i've also asked myself this question in relation to other things as well, so that personal connection immediately got me hooked.

their banter + plot progression
  • if there's smth i love between main leads, it's their mf BANTER! the little inside jokes they have and the way their communication gradually became more friendly and fun felt so natural and not rushed
  • speaking of pacing, i LOVE that we dived into the plot asap. i m tired of 100 pages of context like - we got so much of olive and adam's characterization in the first 20 pages, but then also throughout the book. again- the pacing was so good where we got information about each character in an organic and need-to-know-basis kind of way (the ending was a littleeee rushed imo but that's fine)
  • lord how i love that they communicated when they had their first disagreement

[that thing]
  • tom. woof this was tough. on one hand, i appreciated it being there because it's a horrendous reality that when trying to advance your career as a woman, there are men who will use their power to coerce and force you into giving them sexual favors. but on the other hand it's like - did i miss a tw? i feel like i missed a tw because no way they the author dropped in sexual harassment sans-tw.
    • aspects about this plot point that i genuinely liked:
      honestly tom's monologue about how people wouldn't believe her and that her accomplishments were only because of adam...? that HURT to read but it was so well written like even EYE got gaslit.
      • the depiction of olive's turmoil about it. being scared that nobody would believe her, that it would ruin adam's future, and most importantly: HOW HER FRIENDS REACTED. reading how malcom and anh reacted. i cried. i crode. i crew. they were so supportive in the way that they needed to be, and they made sure to reassure olive that they would be there for her every step of the way. and they were. idk i just love the scene of them all huddled together.
        top 5 scenes in the book imo
    • aspects about this plot point that i wanted to die at:
      other than the fact that it happened... adam's reaction. LKSADJFLAKSJDFLASDK JUST- HIM SCREAMING OUT "THE WOMAN I LOVE" AND BEING AN ALPHA MALE ABOUT IT. AT HIS JURASSIC AGE... yeah... and then olive having to step in and be like "it's me!!! this isn't u!!!! he isn't worth it !!!!!" oh lawrd i can't it's cringe central but yk what yolo dolo man.

representation
  • olive being demisexual <3 like ik it's not explicitly said in the text but come on yawllll iykyk and i knoww. i really like the representation sprinkled throughout the book like where malcom is queer and anh is a poc who cares about uplifting women in stem. 
  • were someee of the depictions of these two stereotypical? just a tad like malcom being sassy and anh's main character arc being about her women in stem journey. like ik they were more than those things, but they felt central to their character. meanwhile, olive being demisexual was secondary to her actual research. does this make sense? anyways, this is the main reason why my rating got knocked down a little bit.

misc:
  • hehe,,, strangers to
    single-sided crush
    to mutually beneficial fake dating to miscommunication to
    double single-sided crushes
    to lovers to ~lovers~ to strangers to lovers to MY FAVORITES!!!


dear isabella (if you're reading this since ik ur a goodreads fein): you're soooo sick and twisted for gifting me this book. but it was SO GOOD and i think i read it at a perfect time in my life. honestly, if i had read this in 2023 i think i might've crashed out but i love it as a 2025 reader OKAJSDFOAISJDFO
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