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rebe_shelton's reviews
695 reviews
Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
I was pretty excited to grab this ARC after more than mildly enjoying The Love Hypothesis. However, this book did not cut it for me. I really doubt I would have even finished it if not for getting an advanced copy and feeling obligated to review. In all honesty, I hate-read my way through the majority of this novel. I"m going to try to limit any spoilers, but beware, this review will not be pretty.
First of all, Love on the Brain definitely read like the younger, less popular, version of The Love Hypothesis. The characters felt recycled and brought all of the worst parts of their Love Hypothesis counterparts to Love on the Brain. Adam and Levi? Both "asses," both so super tall 🙄, both unrealistically crushing on a girl for years without knowing anything about her, hell, they even both wear the same black Henley shirts. Olive and Bee? Both super QuIrKy, body-obsessed, skinny, petite, so smart but tHeY dOn'T kNoW iT. It wasn't fun to feel like I was reading the same characters from The Love Hypothesis, just in a different story. (Side note, there were even two lesbian side characters in a similar vein to Holden and Malcolm in the LH, who I actually enjoyed and wished there was more of. But it also just felt like Hazelwood threw them in for representation this time while still mainly presenting a heteronormative, sexist relationship).
Second. I really can't stand how body-obsessed Hazelwood seems to be. The readers are CONSTANTLY getting reminders of Levi's hotness, his height, how BIG he is (if you know what I mean...), and Bee's petiteness. I saw a lot of this in The Love Hypothesis as well, but it just felt really intense in Love on the Brain. Some examples:
- Levi is so tall. Like SO TALL. He's the tallest person Bee has ever seen. So tall.
- He also has biceps. BICEPS! Oh my god, look at his biceps. Such big biceps busting out of his shirt. Biceps.
- Bee: "I can't believe I'm having sex with someone with a six-pack." 🙄🙄🙄
- Bee is 5'0 exactly, and petite, and we get reminders of this so much throughout the book. Like how she sleeps in a twin bed (at 28 years old), wears shirts that she's had since middle school (at 28 years old), and pretty much every time she and Levi have sex we're reminded that she's so small for his big c**k.
- Bee waxes her chuncha every month. No, that's not a word I made up, it's in the book. She's a 28-year-old neuroscientist but she's too immature to say mons pubis.
It also just really annoyed me how much time and effort was spent on explaining to the reader how vegan she and Levi are. Like that's fine, be vegan, but when it's paired with the obvious body obsession, it comes across as shame-y. ALSO, of course, she hates exercise. Why would a naturally petite and skinny vegan need to exercise?! Bee's entire physical appearance just screams fat-phobia and infantilization of female bodies and it disgusted me to be perfectly honest.
So now let's talk about Bee's personality which I equally hated. She comes across as really stubborn and childish. She insists to herself and out loud throughout the entire book that Levi hates her, even when presented with contrary evidence. She gives him the silent treatment after he decides to do something in his own department because he didn't get her permission first???? (Which he doesn't need because it's his department). AND THEN when he breaks the silent treatment by apologizing, she doesn't accept it until he apologizes in the way she wants him to. Eventually, I just started reading everything she says and does as really immature. She's supposed to be a grown-ass woman who's smart enough to have obtained multiple degrees, but she doesn't read that way at all.
Now the romance. As I've mentioned, the trope in this novel is the "enemies to lovers." Except they never were enemies, Bee just assumes things that aren't true. Which is understandable...in the beginning. But, when things begin to change and you start to see another side to a person, wouldn't you just, I don't know, communicate? Ask questions? Believe what's being said to you? Well, not quirky Bee. She justifies every romantic action of Levi's by saying it's not real. They're just friends, but not even friends because he HATES her. He has to hate her because that's what she's decided and she can't change that. It became so absolutely grating that if I wasn't scared to break my Kindle, I would have thrown it across the room. Here's an example to show you just what I mean:
"It's not a date.
But if it were--which it isn't--it would be the best date of my life.
Of course, because it's not a date, the point is moot.
But, if it were.
Though it's not.
Even when, I must admit, it almost feels like one."
Do you...do you see what I mean? And this mental back and forth happened A LOT. I really hated her by the end of the novel.
Okay so now let's talk about the women in STEM aspect and how there was still actually a lot of misogyny and sexism in this book. If the goal of The Love Hypothesis and Love on the Brain are to encourage more women to be in STEM, they're doing a terrible job, but this book especially. Bee isn't a particularly likable character (as I've already established), but she's also not someone I would want my daughter to look up to. She is presented with two tough situations, one at the beginning of the novel, and one at the end. Both times, she wants to pack her bags and give up, and it's not until a man saves her that she decides it's worth staying. Not to mention that she literally faints, like, a lot, and Levi is there to save her each time. Does that not scream Damsel in Distress? The sex scenes also just disgusted me. She takes directives and does exactly what Levi wants/tells her to do. I literally wanted to throw up, I'm not kidding, during the scene where she is forced to swallow his cum. He calls her a "good girl," tells her that she's "built to do this, built for me." I just, I don't know a stronger word for disgust. Loathe maybe? Abhor? Detest? All of those are what I felt.
Conclusion? Levi and Bee both need extensive therapy to resolve their childhood and adult trauma surrounding relationships. The whole book was a case study in attachment theory that wasn't adequately resolved. I would even venture to say that Levi and Bee are trauma bonded. (Case in point, Levi begging Bee to stay and saying that he didn't even need her to admit to herself that she loves him. Broke my heart, poor man needs help).
If I could give this book zero stars I would, but I'll give it one if just for the fact that I learned that Marie Curie's notes are radioactive and kept in a lead box in France and can't be opened until the 3500's. That was the most fascinating paragraph in the entire book.
First of all, Love on the Brain definitely read like the younger, less popular, version of The Love Hypothesis. The characters felt recycled and brought all of the worst parts of their Love Hypothesis counterparts to Love on the Brain. Adam and Levi? Both "asses," both so super tall 🙄, both unrealistically crushing on a girl for years without knowing anything about her, hell, they even both wear the same black Henley shirts. Olive and Bee? Both super QuIrKy, body-obsessed, skinny, petite, so smart but tHeY dOn'T kNoW iT. It wasn't fun to feel like I was reading the same characters from The Love Hypothesis, just in a different story. (Side note, there were even two lesbian side characters in a similar vein to Holden and Malcolm in the LH, who I actually enjoyed and wished there was more of. But it also just felt like Hazelwood threw them in for representation this time while still mainly presenting a heteronormative, sexist relationship).
Second. I really can't stand how body-obsessed Hazelwood seems to be. The readers are CONSTANTLY getting reminders of Levi's hotness, his height, how BIG he is (if you know what I mean...), and Bee's petiteness. I saw a lot of this in The Love Hypothesis as well, but it just felt really intense in Love on the Brain. Some examples:
- Levi is so tall. Like SO TALL. He's the tallest person Bee has ever seen. So tall.
- He also has biceps. BICEPS! Oh my god, look at his biceps. Such big biceps busting out of his shirt. Biceps.
- Bee: "I can't believe I'm having sex with someone with a six-pack." 🙄🙄🙄
- Bee is 5'0 exactly, and petite, and we get reminders of this so much throughout the book. Like how she sleeps in a twin bed (at 28 years old), wears shirts that she's had since middle school (at 28 years old), and pretty much every time she and Levi have sex we're reminded that she's so small for his big c**k.
- Bee waxes her chuncha every month. No, that's not a word I made up, it's in the book. She's a 28-year-old neuroscientist but she's too immature to say mons pubis.
It also just really annoyed me how much time and effort was spent on explaining to the reader how vegan she and Levi are. Like that's fine, be vegan, but when it's paired with the obvious body obsession, it comes across as shame-y. ALSO, of course, she hates exercise. Why would a naturally petite and skinny vegan need to exercise?! Bee's entire physical appearance just screams fat-phobia and infantilization of female bodies and it disgusted me to be perfectly honest.
So now let's talk about Bee's personality which I equally hated. She comes across as really stubborn and childish. She insists to herself and out loud throughout the entire book that Levi hates her, even when presented with contrary evidence. She gives him the silent treatment after he decides to do something in his own department because he didn't get her permission first???? (Which he doesn't need because it's his department). AND THEN when he breaks the silent treatment by apologizing, she doesn't accept it until he apologizes in the way she wants him to. Eventually, I just started reading everything she says and does as really immature. She's supposed to be a grown-ass woman who's smart enough to have obtained multiple degrees, but she doesn't read that way at all.
Now the romance. As I've mentioned, the trope in this novel is the "enemies to lovers." Except they never were enemies, Bee just assumes things that aren't true. Which is understandable...in the beginning. But, when things begin to change and you start to see another side to a person, wouldn't you just, I don't know, communicate? Ask questions? Believe what's being said to you? Well, not quirky Bee. She justifies every romantic action of Levi's by saying it's not real. They're just friends, but not even friends because he HATES her. He has to hate her because that's what she's decided and she can't change that. It became so absolutely grating that if I wasn't scared to break my Kindle, I would have thrown it across the room. Here's an example to show you just what I mean:
"It's not a date.
But if it were--which it isn't--it would be the best date of my life.
Of course, because it's not a date, the point is moot.
But, if it were.
Though it's not.
Even when, I must admit, it almost feels like one."
Do you...do you see what I mean? And this mental back and forth happened A LOT. I really hated her by the end of the novel.
Okay so now let's talk about the women in STEM aspect and how there was still actually a lot of misogyny and sexism in this book. If the goal of The Love Hypothesis and Love on the Brain are to encourage more women to be in STEM, they're doing a terrible job, but this book especially. Bee isn't a particularly likable character (as I've already established), but she's also not someone I would want my daughter to look up to. She is presented with two tough situations, one at the beginning of the novel, and one at the end. Both times, she wants to pack her bags and give up, and it's not until a man saves her that she decides it's worth staying. Not to mention that she literally faints, like, a lot, and Levi is there to save her each time. Does that not scream Damsel in Distress? The sex scenes also just disgusted me. She takes directives and does exactly what Levi wants/tells her to do. I literally wanted to throw up, I'm not kidding, during the scene where she is forced to swallow his cum. He calls her a "good girl," tells her that she's "built to do this, built for me." I just, I don't know a stronger word for disgust. Loathe maybe? Abhor? Detest? All of those are what I felt.
Conclusion? Levi and Bee both need extensive therapy to resolve their childhood and adult trauma surrounding relationships. The whole book was a case study in attachment theory that wasn't adequately resolved. I would even venture to say that Levi and Bee are trauma bonded. (Case in point, Levi begging Bee to stay and saying that he didn't even need her to admit to herself that she loves him. Broke my heart, poor man needs help).
If I could give this book zero stars I would, but I'll give it one if just for the fact that I learned that Marie Curie's notes are radioactive and kept in a lead box in France and can't be opened until the 3500's. That was the most fascinating paragraph in the entire book.
The Couple at Number 9 by Claire Douglas
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Violence, Sexual assault, Murder, and Dementia
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Infertility and Suicide
The Children on the Hill by Jennifer McMahon
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
WOW!! It has been years since a book has been able to surprise me so well. In reality, I could have guessed it, but I was so absorbed and wrapped up in these characters, I felt deliciously blindsided!
The Children on the Hill explores relational trauma and what a person chooses to do with that trauma. I loved everything about this book, from the character development, the plot, the pace, the conclusion. It really has been a long time since I've read a mystery that I so thoroughly enjoyed every aspect.
Don't mind me, just on my way to tell absolutely everyone I know to read this book!
The Children on the Hill explores relational trauma and what a person chooses to do with that trauma. I loved everything about this book, from the character development, the plot, the pace, the conclusion. It really has been a long time since I've read a mystery that I so thoroughly enjoyed every aspect.
Don't mind me, just on my way to tell absolutely everyone I know to read this book!
The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I really wasn't expecting this one to make me as emotional as it did. It was a slowwww burn but ultimately worth it. Not quite what I had expected but I ended up really enjoying listening to it!
The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Whew, this one was a wild ride, and I'm not sure I fully enjoyed it??
To start, this book is kind of like an inception of sorts. We're reading a novel about a writer who's writing her own book while the leading novelist gets feedback from a colleague via email—confused yet? It's okay; it won't take long for the premise to become apparent. And I have to admit that I actually loved the plot within a plot aspect.
The downsides for me were that I really didn't feel any connection to any of the characters. I don't think anyone was particularly well developed, and I found myself not invested in any of them. Another issue was the lack of a plausible conclusion. I feel there were many unanswered questions and subplots that I was expecting would get delved into more and were not.
Overall, the writing style was different, and I loved it. The plot, also awesome. Points taken for lack of character substance and disappointing ending. I also hope the myriad of grammatical and spelling errors will be fixed before publication.
To start, this book is kind of like an inception of sorts. We're reading a novel about a writer who's writing her own book while the leading novelist gets feedback from a colleague via email—confused yet? It's okay; it won't take long for the premise to become apparent. And I have to admit that I actually loved the plot within a plot aspect.
The downsides for me were that I really didn't feel any connection to any of the characters. I don't think anyone was particularly well developed, and I found myself not invested in any of them. Another issue was the lack of a plausible conclusion. I feel there were many unanswered questions and subplots that I was expecting would get delved into more and were not.
Overall, the writing style was different, and I loved it. The plot, also awesome. Points taken for lack of character substance and disappointing ending. I also hope the myriad of grammatical and spelling errors will be fixed before publication.
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
What I liked:
It was a quick, easy read that made me smile through many parts. I've seen some reviews mention Olive as acting immature but I really enjoyed her banter and her personality. I felt really endeared to her. And even though there were a few, small hints of "I'm not like other girls," it wasn't overbearing or central to the story thank god.
I also really enjoyed the romance part. I liked how the author played on the fake dating tropes and wasn't afraid to mention, through Olive, how she was utilizing them.
One of the things I hate about the romance genre in general is the lack of communication for absolutely stupid reasons. When I got to the point in this book that I knew it was coming, I crossed my fingers it wouldn't be too bad, and honestly I think the author handled it really well and I was very pleasantly surprised.I felt for Olive when she had to decide whether to report Tom or not. When SA/SH aren't reported, it usually is because the victim feels like they won't be believed and/or that they feel like there is a lot to lose. I wept with Olive knowing that her original decision didn't come lightly and wept again when she had proof and then wept some more for all the victims who don't have that. All of that to say, the lack of communication at the end made sense and wasn't just a silly reason that would have easily been side stepped if the characters just talked to each other.
AND of course I loved the best side characters, Holden and Malcolm. Praise to these two for being amazing friends and just so cute every time they come on the page. Malcolm was also the voice of reason many times which I completely appreciated.
What I didn't enjoy:
The asexual aspect. At first I was so excited to hear that Olive thought that she may be asexual. As an asexual person, I'm loving that more books are choosing to represent my sexuality. However...it just didn't hit right for me with this one.MOSTLY because during the sexy scenes, Olive thought about all the things she "shouldn't" want to do but only wants to do with Adam. Asexuality is not just needing to find the right person to help you get over your sex hang ups. It does seem like Olive is more demisexual, but even still. If there are parts of sex that make you uncomfortable or grossed out, those don't automatically go away just because you find the right person. This line of thinking perpetuates the culture of "corrective r@p3" of asexual individuals and it just didn't sit right with me.
The constant mention of bodies/subtle hints of fatphobia. Like we get it, Adam is tall and muscular and handsome and absolutely perfect. He's also more than his body and the constant ogling was so uncomfortable. Olive constantly mentions how she's "too heavy" for Adam and he reassures her that she's not but again, we get it, you're petite. Adam makes fun of her for the entirety of the novel for how much she eats and what she chooses to eat. But it's okay because she's SKINNY. Because it's 100% okay for skinny people to eat whatever they want and all they want, but you know if it was a fat character, we'd then be subjected to how much she eats and it would be a shameful thing. *insert eye roll*
NOT even to mention that diabetes is mentioned several times when Olive chooses a sugary drink or snack. Yes, because that's how a debilitating autoimmune disorder works. Be careful Adam, your ableism is showing.
Anh. Fucking Anh. I actually really didn't like her and found her to be quite emotionally abusive to Olive. She tried to excuse it all in the end by saying that she just thought Olive needed help being close to Adam. Newsflash Anh, not everyone in a relationship has to act like you would in a relationship to be valid.
And I think that's all! Overall, a cute, quick read where I did mostly enjoy the characters and the story!
It was a quick, easy read that made me smile through many parts. I've seen some reviews mention Olive as acting immature but I really enjoyed her banter and her personality. I felt really endeared to her. And even though there were a few, small hints of "I'm not like other girls," it wasn't overbearing or central to the story thank god.
I also really enjoyed the romance part. I liked how the author played on the fake dating tropes and wasn't afraid to mention, through Olive, how she was utilizing them.
One of the things I hate about the romance genre in general is the lack of communication for absolutely stupid reasons. When I got to the point in this book that I knew it was coming, I crossed my fingers it wouldn't be too bad, and honestly I think the author handled it really well and I was very pleasantly surprised.
AND of course I loved the best side characters, Holden and Malcolm. Praise to these two for being amazing friends and just so cute every time they come on the page. Malcolm was also the voice of reason many times which I completely appreciated.
What I didn't enjoy:
The asexual aspect. At first I was so excited to hear that Olive thought that she may be asexual. As an asexual person, I'm loving that more books are choosing to represent my sexuality. However...it just didn't hit right for me with this one.
The constant mention of bodies/subtle hints of fatphobia. Like we get it, Adam is tall and muscular and handsome and absolutely perfect. He's also more than his body and the constant ogling was so uncomfortable. Olive constantly mentions how she's "too heavy" for Adam and he reassures her that she's not but again, we get it, you're petite. Adam makes fun of her for the entirety of the novel for how much she eats and what she chooses to eat. But it's okay because she's SKINNY. Because it's 100% okay for skinny people to eat whatever they want and all they want, but you know if it was a fat character, we'd then be subjected to how much she eats and it would be a shameful thing. *insert eye roll*
NOT even to mention that diabetes is mentioned several times when Olive chooses a sugary drink or snack. Yes, because that's how a debilitating autoimmune disorder works. Be careful Adam, your ableism is showing.
Anh. Fucking Anh. I actually really didn't like her and found her to be quite emotionally abusive to Olive. She tried to excuse it all in the end by saying that she just thought Olive needed help being close to Adam. Newsflash Anh, not everyone in a relationship has to act like you would in a relationship to be valid.
And I think that's all! Overall, a cute, quick read where I did mostly enjoy the characters and the story!