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A review by aliciasrealm
Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood
4.0
Elsie Hannaway is a theoretical physicist, stuck working as an adjunct professor until she can land a better job that offers a liveable wage and health insurance. To make ends meet, she has a side gig as a fake girlfriend, a job that is perfectly complimented by her people pleasing nature. When she discovers that Jack, the older brother of her favorite client, is actually the infamous experimental physicist who singlehandedly destroyed her mentor's career and the entire field of theoretical physics, her side gig just might end up costing her career. But while Elsie has every reason to hate the man, his ability to make her feel like it's okay to be herself just might win her over.
On the surface, the setup feels expectedly similar to The Love Hypothesis and Love on the Brain, featuring a woman in STEM whose career aspirations are threatened by a man who is a complete jerk (but also handsome and intelligent). She's struggling financially while he has a great career. He's a hulk of a man who wears Henleys and feels the need to conceal his feelings for her. There's the fake dating plot and a fairly expected betrayal. Still, I can't deny that this was a fun read, and if you liked the two prior novels then you'll probably like this one.
I liked Elsie and Jack. The banter is fun. I really wish we could get one story that doesn't rely so much on miscommunication or deliberate withholding of information to create an unnecessary conflict, but at least in this one the worst example is resolved sooner than later, and the rest are somewhat tempered with some unexpectedly honest conversations early in the story. The main conflicts and resolutions are believable. I skimmed over the sex scenes so I won't comment on those. Overall, I liked this one a lot more than LotB, even if at the core it still feels formulaic.
On the surface, the setup feels expectedly similar to The Love Hypothesis and Love on the Brain, featuring a woman in STEM whose career aspirations are threatened by a man who is a complete jerk (but also handsome and intelligent). She's struggling financially while he has a great career. He's a hulk of a man who wears Henleys and feels the need to conceal his feelings for her. There's the fake dating plot and a fairly expected betrayal. Still, I can't deny that this was a fun read, and if you liked the two prior novels then you'll probably like this one.
I liked Elsie and Jack. The banter is fun. I really wish we could get one story that doesn't rely so much on miscommunication or deliberate withholding of information to create an unnecessary conflict, but at least in this one the worst example is resolved sooner than later, and the rest are somewhat tempered with some unexpectedly honest conversations early in the story. The main conflicts and resolutions are believable. I skimmed over the sex scenes so I won't comment on those. Overall, I liked this one a lot more than LotB, even if at the core it still feels formulaic.