4 🌟's!

📝 tropes: enemies to lovers, workplace rom, forced proximity, forbidden/taboo rom, stem rom, banter, age gap
🌶 spice: 2.9/5
❌ CW: sexual harassment

hello was not expecting this to be this good??? i randomly decided to pick this ARC up on Netgalley after reading the premise and it sounding intriguing... little did i know how trope-tastic and fun this one was going to be!

this one has a kind of bonkers plot??? that i was very much here for. tom and liz meet in an earlier timeline where they actually hit it off and were almost getting to second base but things happened and the next thing ya know, our hero, Doctor Thomas Henderson, a PhD assessor, is being assigned to assess our heroine, Elizabeth Maclean, forcing him to switch gears and make their what-coulda-been romance into a strictly professional one. aka, he's a man and starts treating her like shit/coldly for the rest of her doctorate years.
they meet once more when Liz is pursuing her post-doc and Tom has to work in the same lab as her but no more are they buddy buddy.. we get our enemies to lovers entry and a sizzling attraction GAH🤩 the forced proximity doesn't stop there my friends! my jaw dropped when the plot became that both our MC's parents are actually GETTING MARRIED???!?!?! i was very (still am) kinda weirded out that that they are technically step-siblings🥴 but for romance purposes, im just gonna act like that's not a thing lol. so yeah, the setup for this book was so chaotic but fun and slightly messy and i absolutely ate it up.

i could not put this one down you guys!! the banter, the tension, the hate to love.. everything just works🤌🏽 we have a lot of cute moments where they go to halloween parties together, watch anime and cuddle, get snowed in, etc. and it was all just so !!! coupley-romantic in that contemporary way and i freaking adored it🥺

i definitely think it could've shortened down a lot more bc i found myself skimming the last 10% for sure and some background stuff throughout.. nevertheless, i was pleasantly surprised by how much i enjoyed this contemporary, stem romance ... this gave what ali hazelwood's love on the brain should've given 🥲 highly recommend it tho friends!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to the author for e-ARC via Netgalley. Releases 9/15/22!

If you read The Love Hypothesis and thought, “I wish this were enemies to lovers and also had more spice,” then The Unbalanced Equation is for you.

Set in Scotland, the book follows Elizabeth, who just landed a postdoc position and has to share a lab with Professor Tom Henderson – the Ph.D. assessor who made her life hell, but whom she has a lingering crush on anyway.

Then, the two of them find out that:
• their parents are engaged to each other
• they’ll be moving in together
• neither of them can ignore the attraction they feel

So they decide to torture each other. The banter is 💯, the spice is very hot, and the facts that they both love anime and neither wants marriage or kids make them feel refreshing rather than carbon copies from other books.

I will say that I didn’t adore Tom – it’s pretty much the first time I’ve found a character who would absolutely be considered a rake a little lacking – and I wanted to see a bit more groveling from him for everything he put Elizabeth through. But, I am an Aries, so of course I did.😆 Nevertheless, I appreciated his flaws and character development!

Ultimately, The Unbalanced Equation is a quick read that’s a whole lot of tropey, spicy romcom-y fun – and it might even have you looking into anime.

🌟: 3.75
🌶: 2.5

If you were a fan of The Love Hypothesis, then you would most likely like this one too. Very similar vibe. Enemies to lovers based in a science setting. It does seem to be a bit of a slow burn. This book took me a little bit to get interested, but definitely worth it!

I received this ARC book through net galley for an honest review. Release date is 9/15/22.

This book is a 3.5/5 stars for me. It's enemies to lovers/age gap/STEM-inist/forced proximity/he falls first/rekindled romance novel that takes place in a work-like setting. The story follows Liz, a post-doc, and Tom, her old PhD assessor who is now essentially her co-worker in the same lab. Tom and Liz have crossed paths before, where he fell for her, but due to circumstances (to not spoil the story), he had to hold back. They reconnected a few years later in the most interesting of circumstances. Not only are they coworkers, they soon turned into step-siblings. The relationship is full of tension and very hot and heavy. The banter between characters is great, however, I felt like the progression was a little slow. Because the build up took so long, it took me a while to really get into the book. I almost DNF the book at one point. This story, to me, feels like a very dragged out version of The Love Hypothesis. The dialogue is what kept it very witty and interesting, but other than that, the book somewhat fell short for me. I still enjoyed it but just took a little longer to get through.

First of all, thank you so much for this free copy and oportunity to read this book in advance.

What really interested me was the enemies to lovers, STEM context and fun interactions between characters, and let me tell you: it delivered. It was exactly what you expected it to be.

At the same time, it was a bit underwhelming, for the same exact reason. It was sooo predictable. My other issue with the book was that it was that the relationship was a bit odd. The whole step siblings but not really, the toxic advisor, the age gap, it didn't sit right. Especially with all the "sabotaging" and "manipulation" from the male character, he is supposed to be almost 40! On the other hand, I didn't feel like what he did was bad enough for it to be the main conflict between the two.

I would have enjoyed this book more if two things were different:
- I would've liked MORE enemies context. It never felt liked they hated each other, probably because we get the first chapter in this POV, but also because they start teasing and flirting too soon. Also, as a reader you never really buy that they hate each other, you don't even understand why. It's the tension and the conflicting feelings that make enemies to lovers fun!
- If I hadn't read Ali Hazelwood's book first. It feels very similar.


However, its a great and fun read! I read it fast and you really can't put it down, no matter how predictable it gets, like a Netflix or Hallmark movie.

Really interested to see what she writes next!

The Unbalanced Equation
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Romance
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 9/15/22
Author: H.L. Macfarlane
Publisher: BooksGoSocial
Pages: 416
Goodreads Rating: 3.48

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and BooksGoSocial and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: After suffering four years of scrutiny from her PhD assessor, Elizabeth Maclean believes she’s finally free of Dr Thomas Henderson’s tyranny when she begins her postdoc. But when a fire goes off in Tom’s lab (stupid undergrads) he ends up working in the same lab as Liz. To make matters worse, Tom’s mum and Liz’s dad announce their impending marriage after a whirlwind romance. So when Liz’s landlord tells her to move out, pronto, it tips her over the edge. Desperate for a place to stay and in need of a saviour, the last person Liz expects to offer her a temporary home is Tom himself.

My Thoughts: My favorite trope is the enemies to lovers trope and this one is 100% with STEM and forced proximity splashed in. This was a feel good romcom that I devoured pretty quickly. The story is narrated by Liz and Tom, in a dual POV. I love when you get both sides of the romance, it gives you the full story. The characters were well developed with depth, witty banter, chemistry, tension, and creatively written. The author’s writing style was complex, had steamy tension, created that wonderful banter, and kept me engaged. If you love The Love Hypothesis or The Hating Game, this is the book for you! I absolutely adored this book. This book releases on 9/15/22 and I would suggest preordering!

This is a super cute romance with an enemies to lovers (kinda) vibe. This book follows our two main characters Liz and Tom who are both scientists. They had an adorable meet cute but then the next day, Tom got assigned to oversee Liz's Ph.D work. In order to stay professional, Tom distances himself from Liz.

Fast forward a few years, and now Tom and Liz's parents are getting married and it forces them into close proximity. The romance that unsues from there was so fun.

I really enjoyed getting to see both characters grow throughout this story. Their eventual self awareness was awesome to see in a romance. My only issue with this book is that I didn't love the third act conflict, but I understood why certain choices were made.

If you are looking for a fun, nerdy romance then head definitely give this one a try. It releases on September 15, 2022.

The Unbalanced Equation tells the story through alternating points of view of Tom and Liz. They are both researchers at the same university who have a meet cute but before they can act on their attraction Tom is made and advisor to Liz while she finishes her degree. He decides to hide how he feels but being a jerk and she comes to believe he never liked her in the first place. Of course in typical rom com fashion they are thrown back together after Liz graduates and have to work closely when Toms lab burns down. To add another wrinkle Liz’s dad and Toms mother fall in love and are getting married! I thought this book had a good premise and I did like all the characters. My only major complaint would be the length it was well over 400 pages and just felt like it could’ve been wrapped up a little faster. Along those lines it felt like a few storylines could’ve been cut out especially one involving Liz’s ex coming back in the pictures after over 4 years. It really didn’t go anywhere and didn’t seem to add much to the story. This is my first book by the author and I did enjoy it and would continue to read more from them And recommend this book.

I live for great, quick witted dialogue. The Unbalance Equation is filled with smart banter. I couldn’t stop smiling and laughing. Tom made some morally questionable choices, Liz valiantly puts him in his place. This book was fun and the perfect fall read.

This was definitely an adorable read!

The Unbalanced Equation was an extremely easy and adorable read with amusing bickering and laugh-out-loud events. It is told in a dual Pov by our main characters, Liz and Tom. The story was fluffy and spice, I truly did find the premise interesting and engaging which had me rooting for our dynamic duo.

Unfortunately, the enemies-to-lovers trope wasn't very compelling for me because of how immature the characters were. I enjoyed the bickering until it was overdone which only made it childish.

Even still, I will definitely recommend this book to anyone in mood of a fluffy, lighthearted read because this story and its characters have moments that will make you swoon!

<i>I would like to thank Netgalley and BooksGoSocial for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.</i>

Gosh I just really enjoyed this book. I loved the banter between Tom and Liz. This book kinda had it all.
-Dual POV
-Enemies to Lovers
-Work Place Romance
- Second Chance
-Women of STEM
-Spice

Tom fell for Liz in there first meeting but didn't get a chance to act on it. Then the very next day finds out he has to mentor her and then places her in the no go zone. Yeah he goes about not acting on his feeling wrong but then he gets a second chance on making her his.

This was the fist I read anything by this author and I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading other of her books.

To say I’m obsessed would be an understatement. A hot, intelligent, wealthy man with similar taste and goals as the main female character, yes, please! I loved the dual perspective so we got to see how much they liked each other and were complete idiots about it. Did I think someone needed to slap Tom (the male main character) in the face a few times for being manipulative? Yes, a few times.

Read this book in one sitting. We love women in Stem!

Now to some things I didn’t love but understood that it needed to occur for there to be a plot. Their parents' engagement is the thing that brought them together and the Mom’s not-so-subtle remarks get them together. Tom’s lab burns down forcing him to be in the same lab as her.

Fun and cute enemies to lovers workplace romance with a twist. The plot is pretty convoluted - they end up working together AND their parents are engaged. This is after they had a one-night kind of thing. But, somehow it all works and we are rooting for them to finally work it out, because it is clear (for better or worse) they belong together.

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!

Liz and Tom meet at a mixer prior to her starting her PhD, steamy glances and flirtatious conversation lead the evening to....getting doused in mimosa? Both needing to find dry clothes and wanting to reconvene where the conversation was obviously heading, but instead they find out the next morning that Tom is now Liz's assessor for the next few years leaving the desires of the night before, unfortunately unfulfilled.

Tom, determined to keep things professional, over corrects turning into an icy authoritarian but just towards her.

4 years later, a fire in Tom's lab puts him working on the same bench in Liz's postdoc lab, they find out that their parents who met at a grief group are getting married (much to their surprise) AND, Liz gets kicked out of her flat only to move in with Tom (and their parents while their home is being renovated) while she looks for a new place.

So much angst, banter and years of pining, a scheming match making friend plenty of laugh out loud moments will leave you turning page after page to try and see who will give into their feelings first.

3.5 🌟, it felt a little emotionally manipulative between the main characters at certain points, and while the 3rd act reconciliation didn't feel rushed, I wanted a tad more closure in the epilogue. Overall this was a cute, faced paced one sitting read that I couldn't put down!

Thank you Netgalley, BooksGoSocial and Macfarlane Lantern Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my review!

At first, I was putting off reading this book because I thought it was going to be The Love Hypothesis again - younger female, hunky angry advisor, STEM, etc. I'm so glad I pushed past those initial feelings because I truly enjoyed this book.

The Unbalanced Equation follows Tom and Liz, four years after they hit it off at a party. Four years after he unexpectedly became her PhD advisor and turned into a massive jerk. In multiple ways, after they thought they'd finally gone their separate ways, their lives are intertwined more than they ever expected. Can he redeem himself after four years of being her worst nightmare? Can she reconcile the old Tom with the new Tom she's seeing now? Read and find out!

I do feel there was a missed opportunity to talk more about Liz's desires to go into gene therapy and Tom's pivot into that field himself. It felt like both wanted to go that way because of losing their parents, but it was never stated. It felt like a missed chance for emotional bonding.

Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for this ARC.

Reading the first chapter, I didn’t want this book to suck me in — I’m not a science person or someone even remotely familiar with anime. Turns out the book was adorable, funny, and compelling regardless of my quibbles.

I read this one in two sittings! A great enemies turned lovers plot with lots of laugh out loud moments along the way!

Liz hates Tom. Then one day they find out their parents are getting married, and they all move in together.

Honestly the book wasn’t terrible it just felt weird to me. Tom was an alright character and Liz wasn’t as bad as Tom. it really could’ve been better. Like the characters were alright I liked Tom sometimes but then the rest he was meh. Same with Liz. And the plot was a little weird like you just found out your parents are getting married to each other and you’re kissing and having sex. 😭😭

Also I don’t think Liz should have forgiven Tom so fast.


Spoilers:





When I started this book I was hoping the parents wouldn’t actually get married but nope they did! And the way they became a couple at their wedding made it even worse. Like that’s your step sister . It was even weirder that everyone was just okay with their relationship as if they aren’t step siblings. I definitely would’ve liked it a lot more if the parents didn’t get married and they just called off the wedding. But yea I still don’t get how everyone was okay with it like even the parents 😭

3.5 ⭐️

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

To be honest, I was a little hesitant during the first few chapters, but I ended up really enjoying this. Most of my worries at the start (stem)med from the fact that it was very similar to The Love Hypothesis, but I also found the characters a little bit flat to begin with. It very quickly picked up for me though and began to come across as the individual story it is. I loved both the main characters, and enjoyed their easy banter (when they weren't hating each other). The forced proximity trope was perfect for this storyline and some of the scenes were so cute and romantic. I also liked that the chapters alternated between them, as it gave greater insight into their thoughts and feelings. Their views on long term relationships were refreshing to see in a romance novel and I hope to see more of it. I also loved the relationship they had with their parents and their friends, it was very wholesome and loving.

There were a couple of small things that frustrated me. Without spoilers, there were 2 moments where the main characters manipulations of each other went a step too far for me. The other was that some chapters felt like they could have continued the scene but instead skipped ahead in time which I found a little abrupt, which is only really a negative because I wanted to read more!

I think I'm always going to be a fan of STEM set novels, but I really enjoyed this romance and honestly wish I could start it again for the first time!

I requested this from NetGalley because it’s clearly meant to be similar to The Love Hypothesis which it is but nowhere near as good. The main characters aren’t particularly likeable and behave quite childishly for people aged around 30. The setup reminded me a lot of a 90s/00s teen romantic comedy movie with the main couple's parents getting married and them all living together for needless reasons. They behaved like teenagers playing silly games and with him being an asshole towards her for no real reason. His meanness made no sense and seemed to conflict with his personality which made it stand out even more. This happens off the page but it’s referenced often enough to seem like a different character all together is being discussed altogether.

The pacing was pretty slow which doesn’t work very well for a romantic comedy and I felt the story dragging and tiresome to read.

Having said all that negative stuff though, I did enjoy some of the banter between Thomas and Lizzie, especially in their initial meeting and I always love a pining hero.