The Love Hypothesis: A TikTok sensation and must-read STEM romance

This contemporary romance deserves all the hype and praise it's receiving! Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5) "The Love Hypothesis" by Ali Hazelwood is an enchanting and delightfully funny romantic comedy that adds an academic twist to the classic enemies-to-lovers trope. With its witty banter, endearing characters, and the perfect blend of humor and heart, this book had me hooked from the start. Olive Smith, a PhD student in biology, shows us the ups and downs of being a woman in STEM. Her career is put on the line after meeting the charming and enigmatic Dr. Adam Carlsen. Sparks fly and witty banter ensues in a strained proffessional partnership-turned-romance. This was such a refreshing read, with exciting plot twists and well-developed characters. The story went beyond the classic rom-com by incorporating intellectually stimulating details as well as an emotionally satisfying plot line (still thinking about their twitter banter). The perfect read for understanding the impacts of the glass ceiling for women in STEM, written by a woman in STEM. Considering this was her debut novel, I am thoroughly impressed! I also love Ali Hazelwood's writing style! I was engaged with laugh-out-loud moments and steamy one-liners; a well-paced, immersive read that I could not put down until completion + LOVE THE DEMISEXUAL REP, was amazing and heartwarming to see this rare bit of representation in fiction. Ultimately, "The Love Hypothesis" is not just a story about love; it's a celebration of passion, hard work, and the courage to follow one's heart. It reminds us that even science and logic can't always predict matters of the heart. Sometimes, love is most beautiful experiment of all.

Honestly for what started as a star wars fanfiction the book is good! I got frustrated with Olive and Ahn (who only seemed to be part of the book to make Olive uncomfortable as a plot device??) It's a very easy read. Not the best written or most imaginative writing. But easy, fluffy slop. And sometimes that's just what you need.

The Love Hypothesis was the first rom-com trope book I ever read, and I loved it! From the very first pages, the story had such a captivating feel and vibe. The dynamics between Olive and Adam felt smooth and engaging, almost like Cheers in a science lab. I adore that unique atmosphere throughout the story. The side characters were also fantastic and humour-filled, which complemented Ali Hazelwood's superb writing. It was such an easy read that drew me in completely. I will check out more of the author's talented works and highly recommend this as a must-read!

I wasn't planning on reading this book through the night and being a zombie in the morning but y'know what? Olive and Adam are more than worth the dark circles and red eyes! I'm ngl, I went into this feeling more than a little nervous cos the hype is absolutely wild around it, but I'm beyond chuffed to say that it was *chefs kiss* and definitely lived up to all the hype! The academic setting, the endearingly awkward moments, the witty and cheeky banter, the CHEMISTRY! And bedroom Dr. Adam Carlsen? HELLO! It was unexpected (not sure why cos the man is fine) and it was hot AF. So wow (so wow)! 🥵 Like, I don't know if I can even form coherent and non-rambly sentences for this review because I loved it so much? I'm gonna try though but also who am I kidding? This is going to be rambly and gushing and probably a mess but I hope it convinces you to read the book! 😂 You know when you start a new book and almost immediately know, within the first few pages, that you're going to love it? That was this book for me! Hazelwood's writing is so easy to read and full of quirky and humorous moments that made it so difficult to put this book down. I was surprised to find that I also really enjoyed the academic setting and I liked that it wasn't just a 'background' aspect to the story but an integral part of it. Although I'm not familiar with the academic world myself, I could tell that Hazelwood was and that came through clearly in the writing and it was immersive. It's a cutthroat world and the misogyny is rampant, as evidenced by Olive's and Ahn's experiences, and I appreciated that Hazelwood doesn't shy away from the harsh reality of what it's like to be in academia in general but specifically to be a woman in academia, in S.T.E.M. While the setting was great, it was the characters that won me over and I adored every single one of them. This book had such a fantastic cast of characters and I loved that the side characters felt well fleshed out too! I was immediately charmed by Olive's slightly chaotic and anxious but entirely adorable nerdy energy. She's wickedly smart and super passionate about her research into pancreatic cancer, but she's also witty and absolutely hilarious! She's a literal ray of sunshine and I loved being in her head so much that it was so easy to root for her success and happiness. I adored her friendships with Ahn and Malcolm, her ride or dies, and their friendly banter had me constantly laughing out loud (so much so that my sister asked me what I was reading that was so hilarious)! They were such a great group of friends and I loved seeing them achieve their dreams and finding their happiness alongside Olive. Now let's talk about the grumpy star of the show, Olive's long-time secret-admirer and everyone's favourite nightmare: Dr. Adam Carlsen. He's an absolute genius who takes his responsibilities as a science mentor very seriously and cares about his students and their success despite maybe not vocalising that in ways that people prefer. Underneath his gruff and intimidating exterior, he's loyal, so freaking cheeky and a total sweetheart, especially when it comes to Olive. I can't even describe the way my heart swooned at all the ways he was a simp for her but I am grinning big just thinking about it right now! Also, listen. I'm a big fan of hugely nerdy men that are hulkingly built (the contrast tho) and what can I say? This man was everything! And I mean, I already mentioned how knee-quakingly hot Adam is when he's unleashed in the bedroom so... I mean, I guess I'm just a fool for this man. 🙃 Although their fake dating kicked off pretty early in the story, the progression of their romance from strangers who tolerate each other on weekly fake dates to tentative yet adorable friends to swoontastic lovers was immaculately done! Watching them slip into easy, comforting, and totally cheeky banter the more they spent time together made me ridiculously happy. There's no doubt that Hazelwood does the slow-burn build-up extremely well and the more they got to know each other and found themselves in relationship-esque situations that had me squealing and giggling with utter delight, the more invested I became in their relationship. I mean, there was hand-holding, lap-sitting, sunscreen applying on naked backs!!! And I. Pls. I swoon. I cannot. I loved it so much and it's rare that I immediately want to go back and read the swoony bits the minute I finish a romance, but I immediately want to go back and read the swoony bits in this book already! 😂 I honestly don't know what else to say about this book other than to keep gushing about how swoony the romance was and how happy their interactions made me. I'm so glad that I finally shook off the nerves and dove into this because it was amazing. The only regret I have is that it's over and I already can't wait to read it again at some point because this has fast become one of my favourite romances—and definitely one of my top reads in 2021! All I can say is READ IT! Also, I thought I'd share some content warnings below because there are some topics and events that may be triggering for readers, so please read with care ❤️ CW/TW: Sexual harassment, mental abuse (between mentor/mentee, recounted), death of a parent (pancreatic cancer)

An easy read that requires very little thought. If you pretend they’re 18ish instead of 30ish, then this is a nice, coming of age romance. Not great but not bad, with some cute bits and some cringe bits. It’s a fake dating story between PhD student Olive and university professor Adam. I enjoyed the moments where they connect and start falling for each other. In some ways, they were a super sweet and endearing couple. But there were bits I just couldn’t get into. A lot of the drama is juvenile and doesn’t feel right when you consider the age range of the characters is 26-34.

Ending was a little tiny bit rushed to me, but otherwise, it was phenomenal. I lovedddddd both MCs which is rare for me

i actually shocked myself at how quickly and deeply i fell in love with adam carlsen, i’m obsessed with him🥵. WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG TO READ THIS AMAZING BOOK?!🥹 olive is so sweet, caring, funny and super smart, she puts on this bubbly front but when you find out more about her my heart cracks a little, and you realise how strong she is too💗. she’s literally the cutest human, she got herself into this whole mess of fake dating a professor, because she cares so much for her friend she just wants him to date her “ex” so her friend can be happy!🥹 adam is so rude, like SO RUDE😮‍💨 so naturally, i love him🥲 the way he’s so different with olive just made me swoon, i just love how blunt he is with everything lol. their little coffee dates had me swooning so much! sarcastic adam was lovable but protective adam🥵😮‍💨!! i loved the whole university/lab setting of this book, as a fellow woman in STEM and having spent countless hours of my bachelors and masters in a lab doing research (when all my friends were enjoying their summer), i related so much! a part of my wishes i had found my adam carlsen, unluckily for me all the professors i had met just would never make the cut🤣🤣 olive is literally living my dreammm. which made me adore this book a thousand times more! — and also i’m a little bit of a geek for biology/chemistry🥲. it was so well written, i’m not a massive fan of third person writing but it was done so well i didn’t even notice it, actually it was so good i forgot i was even reading🥰. if you love age gap, grumpy/sunshine and student/professor tropes, you will LOVE this spicy read! do not like the adorable cartoon cover deceive you, this book is spicy🌶 — the build up was 🔥. academia but make it funny and spicy! the ending🥹 i actually wanted to cry, i just love olive and adam so much! one of my favourite reads and new favourite authors, can’t wait to read love on the brain!🤩

Our main character Olive is a third-year Ph.D. candidate, pumpkin latte obsessed and one of the most fun characters I’ve read about (and got to know even greater as the book went on) in a very long time. At the beginning, she’s desperately trying to convince her best friend Anh that she’s dating someone so that Anh will finally take the plunge and date a guy that Olive isn’t interested in (although Anh thought so, which is why she wouldn’t go for it.) The first guy that Olive finds on campus is Adam Carlsen. Tall, brooding and a widely-known pain in the butt, he’s a young professor that’s very well known for being anything but kind. She kisses him when she knows Anh will see, sealing her fate. But she’s shocked to discover that Adam has his own reasons for wanting a fake romance, and before she knows it, they’re embroiled in a romantic façade over coffee dates, embarrassing scenarios and line-crossing moments. Olive can’t deny that she’s falling for Adam. Once thought to only be an idiot in general, she starts to see something brighter beneath the surface. The more that they find themselves turning their fake romance into a real connection, the harder it is to see the finish line coming up where they’ll both no longer need to hide behind the false narrative they began. But after a science conference throws Olive into a traumatic frenzy – and she crosses the line firmly with Adam, too – things go from zero to one hundred in the blink of an eye, throwing both of their fates up in the air in the follow-up. Overall, The Love Hypothesis threw me. I’m usually not a fan of third-person POV, but somehow I managed to gel with Olive’s character immediately. I completely adored the subtle, yet powerful romance between her and Adam, and his character was equally as *chef’s kiss*. I loved that there was so much girls-supporting-girls, representation and no cliff-hangers, leaving everything in a place that made my heart happy. It was truly what I can only describe as a grumpy-meets-sunshine romance with flawless banter and wholly loveable characters, with a little extra spice thrown in. Five massive stars!