Love Theoretically
Ali Hazelwood
Publisher: Berkley (USA) (Penguin Random House) & Sphere (UK)
Release date: 13th June 2023

Anyone who reads romance will have heard of Ali Hazelwood. It’s my first time reading her, but I’m an instant Ali Addict.
In this novel, ten months ago, Elsie graduated with a Ph.D. in theoretical physics. Instead of ending with a well paid academic job, she’s in a poorly paid sciencey job * yes I made that word up * and running herself ragged between teaching classes whilst rationing insulin. As the pay isn’t much, she has a second job being a fake girlfriend through the Faux app.
Her current favourite client Greg Smith has hired her to accompany him to his grandmother’s birthday party. Dealing with his neurotic and strange family has its challenges, but his brother Jack? That’s a whole other story.
The Smith family are lots of fun. Millicent Smith – the rich grandmother whose birthday it is – is an absolute hoot. Her reaction to the gift of a “mud bath voucher” is hilarious and on point for her. Just like Elsie, I adore Grandma Smith. This collection of loveable eccentrics remind me a bit of the family in “While You Were Sleeping” with Sandra Bullock.
Hazelwood has a terrific turn of phrase, particularly with metaphor, similes, description, and dialogue.
The narrative voice – i.e. Elsie – is very strong and laced with sardonic humour. From her description of Millicent and Jack, to that of the hedgehog as “that malignant sentient pincushion,” it is simply delightful. We also have a large number of science metaphors, physics puns, cheese porn and emails from students whose metaphorical dog ate their homework.
The science? Well, as the girl who got F in physics I have no clue, however Hazelwood moved to the US to pursue a Ph.D. in neuroscience and is a processor with peer-reviewed articles behind her.
What was one hundred percent accurate about the science community though, was the nerdier aspects. I’m a SF Group committee member, and friends with a number of scientists, plus I’m a writer. You add that all up and I can spot a nerd or geek at fifty paces and the group social interactions are spot on.
As for the academia settings, and students, her epistolary excerpts of emails are groan-worthily accurate ... This one is nothing compared to some of them. I give you ...
“From: SandraShuberton@ gmail.com
Re: Thermodynamics Essay
Doctor Hannaway, ma’am, it’s been 23 hours, have you graded my essay yet?”
Amidst the humour there’s a lot of drama too.
Women in STEM and academia and the discrimination they face, family baggage, identity, gender, and sexuality.
For Elsie specifically, the emotions revolve around her low self esteem and her need to please everyone.
She has spent her life moulding her public personality to fit the needs of those around her. Not to mention her health issues which have fed into her need to be little trouble to anyone.
She is so adept at being a fake girlfriend, because her entire life is being whatever she thinks the other person wants to see, or who they want to be with.
Jack though, as well as Cece her roommate and Greg her fake boyfriend/friend are some of the few to really see, and like her as she is. Again I’m reminded of a classic rom com here; Bridget Jones.
Which brings me back to romance – and Jack. Ooh boy! He’s seriously lumbersexual, smart and growly. And big. And tall and oh so yummy.
Unfortunately he’s also her sworn enemy in the physics field and the man who potentially holds the key to her career.
As with all good romances, we have a number of popular tropes here; fake-dating and enemies to lovers for starters.
Add in the sizzling chemistry born of physics-fuelled hate and when their lips crash together – it’s one hell of a Hadron Collider!
There’s a grand gesture, self discovery and of course, the HEA.
You'd be stupid not to buy this book, or get it from a library. I mean ... It’s not rocket science.

Every single Ali Hazelwood book I read, I fall more and more in love with her characters. I love the way she writes, I love the way she develops the plot, I myself am a scientist so I adore the way science is fed through the plot. There's nothing to me, better than a MC who is also a women in STEM. Literally, she never fails.

And this book. WOW. The dynamic between Elsie and Jack - talk about tension. Two rival physicists who work in different aspects of physics. The tension that built up in this book was to die for, I read this on the train, on the tube, when I was walking. I just couldn't put it down.

I also love how each book has a introduction to previously talked about characters, we get little insights into Olive and Adam in this book (BRILLIANT).

Thank you to NetGalley for the early copy in exchange for my opinions.

For more reviews, please check out my Instagram and TikTok at @blondesbooknook and my Twitter at @lausbooknook

Ali Hazelwood is BACK and I mean that in the way that her writing doesn’t feel like a forced copy and paste of her other stories. This one has her personality and personal touch shining through and I’m so glad I held out and gave her another chance after the nonsense LotB and Loathe to Love you novellas.

I really enjoyed this story and the characters! It wasn’t too exaggerated for tropes, in the sense that grumpy wasn’t too grumpy and sunshine wasn’t too sunshine (does that even make sense??). The miscommunication trope is always ridiculous so the fall out always feels unnecessary. Especially in this book. But luckily it didn’t last way too long.

These characters felt flawed and real. The representation of diabetics was new and needed! I don’t think I’ve read a book yet with a diabetic MC and she was written extremely well. It didn’t feel like HELLO LOOK AT THIS NEW REPRESENTATION I HAVE that some books do where it feels forced and thrown in just for the audience. This felt natural.

I also loved how fluffy it was! Though I will admit as a woman in STEM myself, it has completely put me off pursuing academia 😳🥴 sounds horrendous.

I’m just really happy I enjoyed one of her books again

I love all her books , but this one was just amazing and I couldn’t stop reading.
The romance was so perfect .
The fake dating , grumpy sunshine and put in that mix also academic rivalry. It was absolutely perfect read and it as had a bit of spice that made it all more enjoyable to read.

This is a enemies-to-lovers (academic rivals)/grumpy x sunshine/STEM romcoms/HEA guaranteed.

There’s not a Ali Hazelwood book that I wouldn’t read and this really cemented that. The fmc is really relatable and I really enjoyed how the Mc was patient with her. I was really hyped when I saw Adam and olive was also featured in here.

If there's anything an Ali Hazelwood book can't heal! Honestly, for me the books are always pure comfort. I am aware that females have to work twice as hard in male dominated industries, however the issues, setbacks and hostility faced by female STEM professionals is unknown to me so I do enjoy reading Hazelwood's writing for exploring these within the narrative in each book so far.  LT covers the threat and challenges that female STEM professionals face when senior cis white males act as mentors and how their influence is not always progressive. In the foreground, Jack and Elsie's journey and connection blossoms from being rivals in their respective disciplines to learning how they can bring out the best in each other. The supporting characters, in the form of Greg and Cece especially, are well written - everyone would want a best friend or sibling like that. This was an easy read for me that got me out of a reading slump. I am aware that the basic plot is (arguably) repeating itself in 'Aliverse' but still there are enough twists and turns and quirks that kept things fresh for me. I was hooked! Thank you @netgalley and @LittleBrownBookGroup for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the characters in this book. Elsie is such a relatable character for me as she’s always observing people to see how she can change herself to give them the version of herself that they want even if that’s not her true self. It was beautiful to see her change out of this and become her own self and care less about what other people wanted and started to do what she wanted. I also loved Jack. He was so sweet, gentle and patient with Elsie. I loved every second that they were together and how he really wanted to get to know the real her. The storyline was so interesting and I couldn’t help but be excited at what was going to happen. I also loved when we got to see a glimpse of Adam and Olive. Millicent is by far my favourite side character, I loved her so much.

This book was amazing !!! One of my favourite reads of 2023 so far !! I've re-read the book already just incase I missed anything. Completed my first reading in one go it was just too good to put down !! An ode to 2000 RomComs humour and fun with a dash of science in an academic setting. Definitely recommending to everyone have already recommended it to three of my friends and pre ordered a paperback from Amazon.

I loved Elise and Jack, even before we were supposed to like Jack !

It is fair to say I'm a huge Ali Hazelwood fan. I own all her books to-date and I loveeee them🤍

No Spoilers Summary:
Love, Theoretically features academic rivals Elsie Hannaway and Jack Smith, in an enemies-to-lovers (academic rivals), fake-dating (with a twist), "STEMinist" romcom.
Throughout the book Elsie goes on a bit of a journey of self-discovery and personal growth, while navigating challenges when her regular job and other job collide.
Although it follows the same sort of formula as Ali's other books, this one has enough differences to make it stand out from TLH and LOTB.

Things I loved in this book:
Diabetes rep
Character growth of the FMC
LGBTQIA+ rep (ACE character)
The communication! Jack was great at this and Elsie tried!
A guest appearance from a previous couple! 🤩
Witty banter
A fun, easy read (though a bit science-heavy in parts!)

Tbh I found some of the writing a *little* cringey at times, but it suited the book and the FMC's personality, so it worked in its own way.

Read this if you like:
enemies-to-lovers (academic rivals)
grumpy x sunshine
STEM romcoms
HEA
Spicy, open-door scenes

CW- gaslighting and controlling behaviour (not MMC, although the way MMC talks on occasion may be triggering to some people as he is very direct).

Publication date: 13th June 2023

Overall this is a 4 ⭐ read for me. It wasn't my favourite Ali Hazelwood book to-date, but I still enjoyed it and will read it again. And although I received an eARC of this book earlier this year, I am going to buy the paperback version, so I can keep my Ali Hazelwood collection intact! 🥰

Thanks to Netgalley/Little Brown Book Group for giving me a copy of this book in eARC format in exchange for an honest review.

#alihazelwood #lovetheoretically #stemromcom #netgalley

(links to be added when review posted on Instagram on publication date).

This is my first book by Ali Hazelwood and honestly, I was impressed and I liked it. Now, I have to check other books as well. I liked the characters that were really well written and the background of the whole story that gave us context to their feelings and how they matured and grew up. Loved all the jokes and puns on physics too.

Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood is a great new edition to the nerdy corner of the world that is academic romance!

We are thrown into the deep end when introduced to the main character; Elsie, a broke, people pleasing physicist who has an unusual but thematically fitting side gig of being a 'fake girlfriend' to bring in extra money. Her romantic counterpart is Jack, a complex (and unfairly tall and attractive) problem that Elsie now can't seem to escape from!

I adored Elsie as the main character, as she had me giggling at all the relatable internalised dialogue that I'm sure many people pleasers will be familiar with. I also loved the representation of Elsie as a diabetic character because its not something I've come across in other literature despite it being such a prevalent condition many people live with. Jack was equally charming, with a complex personality, intelligence and charisma and I think he was the perfect love interest for Elsie.

Despite the romance being exciting and more than a little spicy, there is also a dynamic plot dealing with the intricacies of academic workplaces and the politics surrounding them. Whilst I'm not overly familiar with many advanced elements of physics, I found the discussion of theories very convincing and these dialogues made the characters and the surrounding world feel authentic and natural whilst still being understandable for those not in the field. By incorporating this scientific jargon, the characters felt realistic and had me far more invested in the world.

It's vary rare I pick up a book and get completely hooked from start to finish but this was one of them for me! The pacing was great and I struggled to put it down so it's definitely convinced me to pick up a lot more of Ali Hazelwoods previous works because I NEED more!

This would be a great read for anyone who is a sucker for a nerdy romance, enemies to lovers tropes or just generally wants a garenteed enjoyable read from start to finish! I'm very grateful to Ali Hazelwood and her publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review and NetGalley for making this all possible!
5/5

I really enjoyed this. It's one i could have read in one sitting, if I'd had the time! However, I feel like it's quite similar to Hazelwoods other books and I was a little disappointed by the similar storyline...
While Elsie seems the strong female in STEM, she struggles to say no. To her family, to her friends, to her advisor (who doesn't even use her correct name..) Until she meets Jack. Jack is an anomaly and on their first meetings Elsie isn't able to read him like she is others. However, as the story goes on this turns out to be what Elsie needs.
The chemistry was fab between the characters and Jack is exactly the kind of man you could fall for.
Like I said, I enjoyed the book and if it had been my first All Hazelwood I would have loved it!

Tw manipulation/controlling behaviour

My second book by this author and in my opinion even better than the first which I loved. I read liked Elsie and Jack even at the beginning when Jack wasn’t supposed to be likeable. Great characters and a great storyline

I'm definitely in the minority here, but this one fell flat for me. I really struggled to get into it and ended up putting it away half way through.

I fell in love with Hazelwood’s writing in The Love Hypothesis, and this was just as sweet and spicy as I had hoped it would be.

Ali has such a great way of making you fall in love with her characters immediately, and you can’t help but binge read the entire story because you need to know what happens. I loved the dynamic between Jack and Elsie. Jack is so easy going and ridiculously charming, you can’t help falling for him right alongside Elsie. He is so different to the silent and broody types she has written in previous books, and it was refreshing to have that change.
I enjoyed how in depth into the STEM world we dove as well! A little heavier on that plot side of things and it was great.

I can’t wait for what is to come next from Ali!

I think at this point I will read anything that Ali writes 😍 I adore the way Ali writes and her ability to suck you into the main character's life, and Love, Theoretically was no exception.

Elsie felt like such a real person and her and Jack's chemistry was undeniable. As their enemies to lovers relationship develops there's also many laugh out loud moments interspersed with resolute STEMinism. Other tropes covered are fake dating and he falls first. This book is quite science heavy and some of it went over my head, but I'm glad these details were included because it made everything seem more authentic. Also, I (kind of) work in STEM and my workplace got mentioned which felt surreal!

I will say that almost all side characters had very similar personalities (quirky, same sense of humour etc.) which seemed too coincidental, and some scenes towards the end felt more stretched out than they needed to be. But by the end of the book it left me with an overwhelmingly positive impression and the ending was perfect, so it's a five star read in my eyes despite these minor flaws.

Some quotes:

"STEM culture has been a boys' club for so long, I often feel like I can be allowed to play only if I follow the rules men made."

"I hate that I look at Jack Smith, with his good jaw and his good dimples and those good hands, and find him handsome. Maybe I just won't look."

"He looks like an oak tree on steroids with a six-foot-eight wingspan. Is he even human?"

"Academics are awkward, resentful nerds unable to interact with our colleagues without litres of ethanolic lubricant."

Thankyou to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this ARC.
I love Ali Hazelwood and was so excited to recieve this ARC.
This book was so sexy, clever and fun and i really loved it.
I was glued to my kindle and could not put this book down!
This had a great story line with well written characters.
Thankyou again!
5/5 stars

If there is anyone who can write a great STEM romance, it’s Ali Hazelwood.

Out of all her books, I think this might be my favourite. I mean hello, she’s brought us an enemies to lovers book!!

This story revolves around Jack and Elsie who start out as enemies due to Elsie believing that Jack ruined her mentors career, dislikes theorists (her field is theoretical physics), is hiding something from his brother and sits between her and her dream job.

Elsie has a side gig (fake dating) to help her pay off her student loans and finds out that Jack is the brother of her best client, Greg. Jack, surprised to learn that she’s not his brothers girlfriend and instead works in a field he cannot stand, realises while obsessing about her, that he’s supporting someone else for the job Elsie wants.

Jack is cocky, charming, confident, knows what he wants and goes for it. Elsie is a people pleaser who has a lot of difficulty saying no but she’s driven and doing everything she can to make her dreams come true.

I love these two as a couple, and I really enjoyed this book. Oh and for the fans - we also got a tiny Olive and Adam cameo!!!

I recommend this to anyone who loves Ali’s books and anyone looking to get into Ali’s books. You won’t be disappointed.

Love, Theoretically was probably my favourite Ali Hazelwood to date – it's a bit less tropey and a bit less dramatic than her other books, and I really liked the love story between Elsie and Jack. I also really enjoyed reading about the politics of academia and all the toxicity there. Still, I don't love how intense the love interests are (a personal preference I'm sure) and, honestly, Ali Hazelwood needs to stop writing books about massive men because it's just a bit weird at this point.

Ahhh my poor heart 🥹 I say this about all her books, but it was the purrrfect read *chefs kiss*.

Ali Hazelwood is as usual a romance goddess, plucking on my heart strings and making me cry and laugh at the same time. Reading her books is always like digging into my own psyche. Her characters are SO RELATABLE it hurts.

About the book… Elsie is a brilliant theoretical physicist, juggling a stressful teaching adjunct job, family who only call her when they need her to buffer between her brothers’ love drama, a prickly porcupine roomate who may or may not hate her, struggling to make ends meet & afford to buy life saving insulin and her favorite cheese. Being a woman STEMinist is hard enough without having to cater to the expectations of everyone else. But she sure tries! She embodies something in every one of us, moulding herself to fit the vision of something someone else wants to see. In a word… exhausting. I could completely relate to her struggles to adapt to each environment and unconsciously masking herself to the point she doesnt truly know who she is.
Jack is well.... my new book boyfriend?! (sorry Adam, gotta make room). Despite his (yet to be acknowledged) grevious mistake in discrediting all theoretical physicists with a stunt years ago, he is the one person who sees her for who she is, and wants only her true self, flaws, Twilight addiction, cheese fetish & all. The only problem is, he is the one person who’s standing in her way of her dream job. Their story is a mix of love at first sight / enemies to lovers with a dash of Big Bang Theory flashbacks of theoretical vs experimental physicists war thrown in. Just what I needed!

I cant wait for my preordered copy to arrive to do a reread and ofcourse I’m going to go nuts buying special editions, as usual.

To wrap it up, I will just say… Ali, WE NEED MORE !!!! Cannot wait to read her next book. And just like Olive & Adam, I hope we get a cameo of Elsie & Jack in the next book 🤞


Special thanks to Netgalley and Little brown publishing for giving me a chance to read the book in advance for an honest review.