riveting, humorous and compelling.
i loved everything about this book! from the enemies to lovers trope, to the plot that flowed so smoothly throughout the story that i couldn't keep the book down for the life of me.

as a stem student myself, this was so fun to read! the plot twist that brought tom and liz together into one single shared living space after being supposed 'enemies' is something that in all caps I DID NOT SEE IT COMING. the chemistry between the characters was superb, and i have no comments on the oh so obvious tension between tom and liz.
i think it's safe to say that tom is a yandere given his manipulative side (which is completely inexcusable you rich brat) :p

overall, this was such a cute story! i am such a sucker for STEM based romcoms, so i saw the cute cover and the description, and i knew i had to read this book at all costs.

anyways, this book did not disappoint, i reckon i'll reread it over and over again to experience the whole fluffy feeling it gave me.
looking forward to read H.L MacFarlane's other works!

i highly recommend this book to anyone who loved The Love Hypothesis!

thank you netgalley for the ARC.

I went into this with the thought it may be like the Love Hypothesis - and while there were very small similarities, it was definitely different.

It's the classic story of man falls for woman, works with her and can't date her, and then they all move in together because their parents get married. Wait, what!? It was the kind of predictable that only the best romance novels can bring.

So many parts of this book made me laugh out loud, get angry (Tom is quite manipulative and then swoony after and it was a little whiplash-like), overall it was a fun read. I didn't personally feel like I could connect with Liz, I just didn't resonate with her at all, but I think she will absolutely resonate with many other readers.

Would definitely recommend this book!

Thank you to Net Galley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you love anything written by Ali Hazelwood you are going to ADORE this book!

This book has all the best tropes that every book needs. It took those characters and amplified them 100% . I also love that its dual POV so you get to see both sides. But, with that being said I didn't fall in love with the characters in this book like I did in the The Love Hypothesis. It did feel like I was reading a knock-off of a Ali Hazelwood book, which is why I gave it three stars.

Overall, it was a great read and I definitely recommend this book!

The Unbalanced Equation is a STEM enemies-to-lovers story about a post-doc and her former PhD being thrown together in both personal and professional settings that force them to confront their feelings for each other (which include a classic strong dislike mixed with mutual physical attraction).

MacFarlane’s writing is excellent. I polished this book off within hours - and that’s saying something since I’ve been in a relative reading slump these last few weeks. I felt invested in each of the characters. The two main characters - Tom and Liz - have excellent chemistry. I also particularly appreciated the deliberate emphasis away from marriage and children.

That being said, let’s discuss the main male protagonist’s character. Tom was written well enough that I didn’t hate him. However, he had clearly been atrocious and unsupportive as a supervisor. He let the personal affect his professional responsibilities. Then, when he and Liz are actually building a tenuous platonic relationship, he continues to invade her privacy and sabotage her personal life. The dual-POV style of the novel actually hurt Tom’s character in this case. We keep seeing that he knows what he’s doing is wrong, but he never gains the courage to be honest about what he’s doing or feeling. That seems like a not-so-solid start to a long-term romantic relationship. Miscommunication can be so central to developing drama in a story. However, deliberate lack of communication just feels frustrating.

Liz also makes a handful of references to Tom’s privilege throughout the book, noting specifically that he gains these as a rich white man. But nothing significant seems to come out of this - nor is there more of a discussion of this. If there wasn’t going to be a discussion or deeper critique of this, I’m not sure that it needs to mentioned at all. White male and economic privilege isn’t something to just be tossed around lightly as a characteristic of a main character without acknowledgement that there is something that’s going to be done about it. (And this means more than what the epilogue covers too, without going into spoiler territory.)

Overall, though I focus a lot on my frustrations with Tom’s characterization, I did enjoy the book quite a bit and am still rating it three stars. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-ARC!

Are you a fan of Ali Hazelwood’s The Love Hypothesis or Love on the Brain? Re-reading Talia Hibbert’s Take a Hint, Dani Brown? Did you pre-order Jenny Howe’s The Make-up Test?

Well then, I have a recommendation for you! Don’t bother with The Unbalanced Equation by HL Macfarlane. It is nothing like those books. Sure, all of them are based in academia but that’s where the comparison has to end. The Unbalanced Equation is a messy book that reads like it was written in the last century and by that I mean the 1980s.

Liz, a 23-year-old graduate student, drinks heavily with Tom, a professor ten years her elder (this age difference is fine with the author but she uses disparaging language to describe a relationship where the woman is significantly older than the man). Liz ends up nearly naked due to some drink spilling, of course. They almost have drunk sex. Then, the next day, surprise, surprise, he’s her PhD advisor. Because he’s already madly in lust with her, he decides the only way to protect himself from her irresistible charms while they work together is to be deeply abusive to her throughout her graduate studies.

Swearing to hate Tom for all eternity, Liz gets a postdoc job with Tom’s best friend; and due to some mischance, Tom has to share lab space with Liz (of course). And then they discover (together, at a dinner) that Liz’s Dad and Tom’s mom are getting married.

Yeah. We’re still not done. Liz gets kicked out of her apartment and has to move in with Tom and their parents. I’d say you can’t make this stuff up but the author literally made up this story so …

Now that we have them living in the same house, working in the same lab, about to become step-siblings (that’s especially weird), it seems to be time to address their really unhealthy past. Right? Wrong. There is still absolutely no accountability for Tom’s treatment of Liz during her studies.

Look. I imagine this is a book the author cared deeply about but wow is it toxic. Liz uses sex – the promise of sex, the possibility of sex – to manipulate Tom. Tom lies and conceals to keep Liz living in his house. They drink to excess and nearly have sex over and over again. Truly, there are so many behavioral red flags in this novel, that it’s virtually unreadable. On top of that, the damn thing is long and about as interesting as reading your tshirt’s care label.

Even more annoying, the author – whose literal craft is writing – misused words frequently. It was such a common problem that I began to doubt my vocabulary and started looking up definitions. Seriously. I can’t give you any examples because I read an ARC; but trust me when I say that you won’t care enough about this to make the examples interesting.

The Unbalanced Equation was an absolute hoot! Tom and Liz are two scientists who absolutely hate each other because of an interaction when they first met...or do they? When they find themselves living together (along with their parents!) due to some unforeseen circumstances, the forced proximity causes them to reevaluate how they really feel about each other. Tom and Liz were both extremely relatable as they tried to navigate their adult lives while falling in love! Their journey, while being full of mimosas, anime, tulips, and some heartbreak, is one that will entertain any reader who joins them. (Also, I don't think I've ever before enjoyed a side character shipping our main characters as much as one of them did in this book.)

I've been looking for STEM romances. Why? I am 100 percent an English major, and science tanked my GPA in school. However, Ali Hazelwood put a longing in me for these kinds of books, and HL Macfarlane didn't disappoint.

The banter, oh my GOD, THE BANTER. I am a sucker for good banter, and this EXCELLED. The storyline is a little complicated with a bunch of oh my god conflict moments, but holy crap it delivers. The angst got me a little bit (I'm incredibly impatient) and Tom was manipulative and they both were a tad immature, but overall, I enjoyed the plot and the characters. This book had me laughing out loud constantly, especially with the banter. The banter makes this book.

4 stars ☆ I was very entertained from the start and their banter with each other was just perfect for me. I also didn't expect the spice in here, it would get you a bit blue balled plenty of times but it's still worth it lmaoo.

But the main reason I picked this book up because of the tropes:

Age gap ✓
Enemies to lovers ✓
Forced proximity ✓
Workplace romance ✓
The guy falls first ✓

Like who wouldn't want to read this book?! Definitely recommend if you liked these types of tropes.

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for the ARC !!

This was a fun book but wasn't anything special. I did like how both the female main character and the love interest had no interest in marriage or kids which was something I almost never see in romance books.

3.75 rounded up to 4 stars.
A big thank you to H.L Macfarlane and her publishers for granting me the opportunity to read with an ARC! I absolutely adored this book. The book follows Liz, a smart, driven postdoc and her former PhD assessor, Tom, who has been pining after her for YEARS after an encounter at a department social that should have very well set things underway between the two of them, had the stars aligned that way.

Tom’s plans are seemingly upended after he has no choice but to serve as her PhD assessor while Liz completes her doctorate studies. In a somewhat selfish defensive mechanism, Tom treats Liz much harder than any of the other PhD students. His reasoning? If he were to treat her poorly enough, then he certainly would not be attracted to her anymore, and her to him.

Four years later, their paths cross again when Liz accepts a postdoc at her former university’s lab under professor Daichi Ito, who just so happens to be Tom’s best friend and newest temporary addition to the Ito lab after an accident burns down Tom’s lab. The two of them find out they still cannot escape each other when Liz’s dad and Tom’s mom announce to them at dinner that they will be getting married after meeting in a grief support group. Liz’s life takes another spin towards a downward spiral after she is kicked out of her apartment and with little options forced to move into the townhouse where Tom, his mother, and her father are all currently living. Under the same roof, Tom and Liz’s relationship goes through many different ups and downs.

Liz and Tom’s dynamic, despite their age gap, is spicy and fun. The chemistry and the banter between the two of them was fun to read. The tension between the two of them really has you turning the page to find out when they’ll finally give in.

What I didn’t love was the parent’s storyline - I think this book could have been better without it I found myself as a person with a stepbrother finding that part of their sexual relationship a little weird. I also found it a little weird/selfish that both Liz and Tom used their respective toasts to their parents to declare their love for each other, which just made the parent storyline so much more out of place. I also think that at some points both Liz and Tom crossed a line with each other in their manipulative moves that were kind of a turn off. Liz wasn’t without fault, but Tom’s behavior was much worse and also basically an invasion of privacy.

Overall, it was a fun read! Thank you again to NetGalley and H.L. Macfarlane for the chance to read.

ARC read

I enjoyed this book so much! I was engaged with both perspectives of the main characters from the get go. I’m getting into the romance genre and found there were so many funny and relatable moments. If you’re a fan of enemies to lovers and forced proximity tropes with a bit of spice, then this is for you.

With the opening scene, the stage is set between our two main characters Liz and Tom having an instant attraction at a teacher/student mixer at their university. Unfortunately, Tom is assigned Liz’s assessor for her PhD, so he takes the professional approach and decides being an asshole is the best way for them not to like each other over the course of her PhD.

Fast forward 4 years and some unfortunate circumstances sees them having to share the same lab. About 11% in, a twist that no one could have seen coming, places them in more of a forced proximity besides working at the same lab. From there, there’s a bit of manipulation on Tom’s part and game playing on Liz’s part (as revenge for Tom’s treatment during her PhD), to see their relationship grow, in a sort of twisted way.

I enjoyed the interactions between Liz and Tom. For people that can’t talk about their feelings and using sarcasm to deflect, it was funny to read, though also frustrating that they couldn’t communicate at times. Don’t get me wrong, the frustration fit well with the story and admittedly at the end of the book, both MCs accept their need to grow up.

If I wasn’t so busy in my real life, I could have read this book much faster as it’s easy to read, flows well and the story engaging. I definitely wanted to know more of how they would come together and kept turning the page in order to find out more. If I had to put my book down, I was thinking about when I could get back to it. It was nice to read a romance set in Scotland too. Such a great read and the ensemble of characters in the book worked wonderfully. Would recommend to anyone who love romcoms.

Love!! Has a very unique twist to the enemies-to-lovers trope, there is back and forth sarcasm. Fun times!
Has science talk and anime which I know nothing about, but did not distract me from the overall story. Dual POV, love it. Gives the reader a chance to see into the mind of both characters and their feelings of one another. Has a nice flow, very easy read.

Thank you Netgalley for this arc.

This is a double POV love story that I absolutely loved!

We follow Liz as she goes through her studies as a scientific researcher in her late twenties. A woman who refused to settle down for compromises and who has a very annoying, rude, but dangerously handsome Professor Henderson.

Professor Henderson. The man of the hour. A man with a crush, but you know, just a crush right? Oh, how glad he was that Liz got stuck with him day in and day out for three months.

I loved these two. Liz and her complete denial. Tom with his puppy love self. The lengths they went to get on each other's nerves. The banter was five stars.

I do think the story was a tad bit long. And sometimes Tom did feel like a 25 year old guy more so then an almost 40 year old man.

Otherwise I highly recommend this romance book to everyone!

I had never heard of the author before picking this book simply based on the cover, description and title but man it was so darn good. At times there were some slow parts, but in the end a slow burn was perfect for scientists. I would highly recommend this book and am so glad I got the chance to read the ARC. Definitely add this to your TBR.

My word, what a book. I really enjoyed reading this book because who doesn't love reading about Academia and seeing character growth. I went into the book blindly and am glad I decided to read it because it was an amazing read and I cannot wait to explore more from the author.

Thomas Henderson took the possessive hero to another level, even if some of his choices were questionable, the justification he used for himself for them was enough to make us readers believe he did not mean bad but just did not have much foresight.

Liz was a refreshing read, a grumpy woman who stuck to her morals and she was a FMC with whom I related a lot, be it her firm beliefs, her focus on her job and her future and everything in between.

All in all, it was an amazing read and I would recommend you all to add it to the TBR and read it for sure when it drops in a few days.

What can I say about this book? I loved it, actually to say that I loved it is not enough.
FINALLY a book where the female protagonist actually has a personality, and it's not all about the love of the male character.
FINALLY a romance where the female has other plans for the future, I can't say much or I'll spoil everything.
I finished this book in a couple of days and it was really slow burning, I just kept turning to page cause I needed to know more, and read more (y'all know what I mean).
To all the men out there, even though Tom Is a bit of a prick he made raise my bar just a little bit higher now.
Read this book, you won't regret it.

*Earc provided by Netgalley*

I thought this book so absolutely cute! This book gave me “Love Hypothesis” vibes.

While reading, I found myself laughing and smiling uncontrollably. This book incorporated a lot of my favorite reading tropes which included:
• age gap
• enemies to lovers
• and STEM!

Would definitely recommend this book.
4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

i was super excited to read this because who doesn’t love a enemies to lovers STEM rom-com.

it has two POVS which is nice to know how both characters feel within the same moments and i enjoyed the funny sarcastic banter.

even though it was a very short dialogue i loved how the author added something about jenny having a rough birth with thomas, as someone who suffered a severe traumatic birth last year and still struggle to this day it was nice to read in a book because these are real life issues.

the only plot point i didn’t like was the two main characters elizabeths dad and thomas’ mum getting together/married making them step siblings. the two characters were in their older adult years though so i know a lot of people don’t really mind it however that’s just a personal preference but the book was still a light read and i really enjoyed reading it.

thank you netgally for letting me read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

When people say forced proximity trope, they really mean it for this title lol!! I love science. I love romance, And I loved this book. It was silly and sweet and all of the tropes that a romance lover could want. It makes me excited to read more from this author!!!!!

This book was such a pleasant surprise. I read this after finishing another STEM based romance and this one definitely deserves the praise and accolades for a book well written. This was delightful, sexy, and funny, so pretty much it’s a complete package in the romcom world.

As I stated I really enjoyed my experience reading this. I will admit at times I thought the book was getting a little long but then the characters would reel me back in and I would be a goner again for the story telling. However, I probably could have used a little more climax (pun intended) after their third act breakup and perhaps a little less wedding details. Either way, I still really liked this book and thought it was a job well done.

Tom. Oh Tom. He needed a swift kick in the pants for most of this book. He’s the quintessential “bad behaviors for right reasons” type of guy. If we break it down he’s very manipulative to Liz in pretty much every conceivable way. She’s quick to forgive and forget and while that’s a good thing I think she needed a few more days of eating ice cream on her friends couch before she rushed off with him into the night.

I enjoyed the sexual tension between these characters. Initially that’s what pulled me in. The chemistry was palatable and I loved it so much. The conversation in the bar with him telling her he’d have sex on the table with her just about gave me a heart attack, but only in the best way possible. The pay off was worth the wait and I was extremely gratified with how that aspect of their relationship panned out.

This book is so close to being a five star but I sometimes struggled with Tom and Liz both stepping over the threshold of is it consensual or is it not? The shower scene (while hot) rubbed me the wrong way, as did the hotel scene where she clearly asked him to leave but he didn’t. I still enjoyed it, but I can see how some people might find that more off putting. Either way I will sing this books praises to anyone willing to listen. Also, I can’t wait for the audiobook to be able to hear Scottish accents. That will just be the frosting on top of the cake.