I wanted to love this book. The whole "academic rivals falling for each other" thing? That's totally my jam. But, honestly, it was a bit of a rollercoaster, and not always in a good way.
Look, there were parts I really enjoyed. The author definitely nailed the whole "stuck in academia" vibe, and I could totally relate to the characters' passion for their work. And when they were bantering? Some of those lines were genuinely funny.
But then... things got a little wonky. It felt like the story couldn't decide if it wanted to be a slow-burn romance or a fast-paced plot-driven thing. So, we'd have these long, drawn-out scenes, and then BAM! Everything would suddenly happen super quickly, and I'd be like, "Wait, what just happened?"
And the characters? I liked them, I really did. But sometimes they'd do stuff that just didn't make sense. Like, their "enemies" thing would flip on and off like a light switch, and the romance felt a little... forced at times. I wanted that slow, delicious build-up, but it just wasn't always there.
Honestly, it felt like the book had all the ingredients for a great story, but the recipe was a little off. It's not a terrible read, and if you're looking for something light and fluffy, you might enjoy it. But for me? It was just... okay. Like, a solid "meh." So, I'm landing on a 2 and a half stars (rounded to 2). It's a "could have been better" kind of situation.

I enjoyed this story with all the characters. The main characters were Elizabeth Maclean and Thomas Henderson.

Elizabeth Maclean is a PhD. assessor, she is starting her postdoc. She is happy that she won't be having to see Dr. Thomas Henderson again. He was not nice to her during her assessor classes.

Dr. Thomas Henderson lab is out of commission because of a fire. His friend offered up some space in his lab for Dr. Thomas to work at. Dr. Thomas is surprised to see Elizabeth Maclean there in his friend lab.

This was a fun story to read. It had action and drama throughout. There were quite a few giggles within.

I received a complimentary copy via Netgalley. This is my honest, unbiased opinion.

I really Loved this story with relatable characters, awesome levels of steam and great, witty dialogue and lots of heart! Go read it now!

Two of my favorite love plots: enemies-to-lovers and stem. Book didn't disappoint. Love both characters and reminds me a bit love hypothesis.

Not what I was expecting at all but a good reading in the end. I love Stem books and characters of the Stem world and this book delivers that in a good way. Enjoyable plot and characters, lovely writing and structuring of the story. A quick read that it wasn´t a favorite but one I recommend nonetheless.

Book was boring and I couldn't stomach it. Tom's behaviour really peeved me off which made the book really unenjoyable for me.

I was unable to get this title downloaded before it was archived. I am not able to leave a proper review due to the inability to listen to the title. Thanks!

Enemies-to-lovers? Sign me up! I was eager to dive into this book, knowing I’d get a good dose of angst and fiery tension. However, while the premise was promising, I struggled to connect with the characters. I understand that the initial discomfort and friction are part of the trope’s charm, but something about these characters felt too distant, leaving me without much to adore about them.

The writing also had moments that felt a bit off for me, making it hard to fully immerse myself in the story. That said, I can absolutely see why fans of *The Love Hypothesis* will enjoy this one. The characters are fun, realistically flawed, and the tension between them is *chef’s kiss*.

The pacing is spot-on, keeping the story moving without feeling rushed, and the romance builds up beautifully, with just the right amount of spice to keep things steamy but not overwhelming. While it wasn’t quite my cup of tea, I can appreciate how well-crafted the dynamics and banter were.

If you’re a fan of enemies-to-lovers with sharp dialogue, sizzling chemistry, and a satisfying arc, this book is definitely worth a read!

The Unbalanced Equation by H.L. Macfarlane is a delightful enemies-to-lovers rom-com with a unique academic twist and plenty of laughs. Liz thinks she’s finally free of her critical PhD assessor, Dr. Tom Henderson—until a lab fire forces them to share not just a workspace but, after a family surprise, a temporary home. The added chaos of planning their parents’ wedding only heightens the tension (and sparks) between them. Macfarlane masterfully combines sharp humor, sizzling chemistry, and heartwarming moments, making this an irresistible read for fans of witty, slow-burn romances like The Hating Game and The Love Hypothesis.

This was a great easy read. The author did a great job keeping the reader engaged and hooked into the book

This book has all of my favorite tropes - enemies to lovers, workplace romance, forced proximity... Definitely a spicy book, but felt like there could be a little bit more depth to it. A good pallet cleanser.

This book was very cute and entertaining, but there was just too much details as to what was happening with the main characters. It felt like a country song, pandering to give everyone something, but it lost it's cute charm because it was so focused on trying to include something for everyone.

I feel like this book would have been better for me if it was not written in dual first person POV. My issue with the book is that it can be quite confusing if you're not used to reading a dual POV.
Besides this, I think this would be a fun quick read for fans of contemporary STEM romances.

Okay so this romance novel hit off quite well until it didn’t.

My main issue was that after subplot after subplot turned into coincidence after coincidence or was it just there stars colliding 🤷 who know but i really didn’t want to find out. I ended up DNFing this book around the 20% mark.

I probably should have reread the blurb before requesting this book.

Thanks Netgalley and Books Go Social for the digital copy of The Unbalanced Equation for reviewing purposes.

This was such a fun book! I loved the story line and all the characters. I would definitely recommend this book. I did read this book in one day!

Thank you for the opportunity to review this book.

I really liked this book since I’m a big fan of the Enemies to Lovers’ trope!

Liz and Tom’ chemistry was TOP! The story kinda reminds me of the love hypothesis but it has its own charm. I absolutely recommend you to read this book.

The Unbalanced Equation is a slow-burn contemporary STEM romance novel. The science flair in the book makes it more interesting. Elizabeth and Tom's enemies to lovers gives a great slow burn. And the pace from annoyance to connection is well paced. The witty banters are hilarious.
The secondary characters, particularly friends and family, add depth to the story and provide moments of levity. The dynamic of family and friends adds depth and light-heartedness. The author's writing really brought out the character's emotions such as Elizabeth’s frustration and Tom’s guilt.

Even though the plot was a lil predictable but still I devoured it. I would say that Tom's character in the beginning was really off-putting. his behavior almost mad e me drop the book. I'm not into the whole "I like the girl but since i can't act mature, I'll just treat her poorly". Even though the 4 years were not shown in the book, but still knowing the fact and a lil after that is disappointing.

If you are into slow burn, workplace romance and STEM with wit and humor, it's the book for you,

This was cute. Quick read. Had all my favourite tropes, but fell alittle short. Still cute but only 4 out of 5 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley for the eArc copy.
DNF book.

I'm sorry, but I don't like this book and the story. I chose not to finish the reading because the storyline is too slow and nothing happened in nearly 200 pages.

2.5 ⭐️⭐️✨

For fans of:
- forced proximity
- workplace romance
- enemies to lovers
- second chance
- age gap
- guy falls first

I just couldn’t get on board with the miscommunication. It was too much and made me want to bang their heads together.