I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

Trying to get onto the tenure path is more of a struggle than theoretical physicist Elsie Hannaway expected it to be. Working as an adjunct professor at three different Boston universities, she is spread too thin, and has no time for research. So getting the interview at MIT is a dream, and nothing can go wrong, right? Well, the fact that one of the interview panellists happens to be Jack Smith - or Jonathan Turner-Smith in scientific circles. Jack is both the man who ruined the career of Elsie's mentor, and the brother of the guy she is 'fake-dating'. Jack knows she is lying, and seems to hate theoretical physicists on principle, so why is she so attracted to him. And why can he see the real Elsie, like no one ever has done before?

Wow, just wow! I don't actually know why I'm surprised with how much I loved this book, but it was phenomenal! Elsie's character was someone who had always been a people pleaser, who changed herself and her actions in order to please the person she is with. She managed to use it to her benefit by working for 'Faux', a fake dating app, turning herself into the perfect date, which is allowing her to survive because adjuncting does not pay well. Her favourite 'client' is Greg, who she has had a number of dates with, and that's where she meets Jack. Jack seems to hate her from the beginning, always staring at her, and asking her leading questions about her 'boyfriend'. So when she realises that Jack, who thinks she is a librarian, will be on the interview panel, and hates theoretical physicists, she needs to put her best game face on. But it doesn't work with Jack - she can't read him like she can other people, and she is always her true self, even when it gets her into trouble.

The chemistry between the pair was unreal, and they embodied a fantastic enemies-to-lovers trope perfectly. I liked how he didn't sugarcoat the negatives, and always spoke truthfully to Elsie, encouraging her to do the same. It was hard for her, especially after her past with JJ and her mother's controlling nature, but it was so worth it. Jack really cared about Elsie, even when it was hard, and he poured his heart out to her - in public, as well as in private. A beautiful STEMinist love story, though I wouldn't expect anything less from Ali!

This was such a nice summer read.

Elsie is a Theoretical Physicist applying for her dream job. However, her side job - being paid to be a girlfriend - is about to make things complicated when one of the professors interviewing turns out to be her "boyfriend's" brother and the man who wrote an article years before slamming theoretical physicists.

Slightly predictable in places but it didn't detract from some fantastic storylines. I loved women supporting women, especially in STEM. I also enjoyed the debates between physicists, it did remind me of The Big Bang Theory, but if you read the authors note at the end, she mentions how it was based on a real article. It also showed how far women in STEM have come but how far they've yet to go.

Very much enjoyed and will read more Ali Hazelwood's books!

Ali Hazelwood's best book so far. An enjoyable read with likeable characters. The plot didn't feel like it was overdone or stereotypical. However, there was a third act break up which is a feature I didn't enjoy but it managed to redeem itself shortly after.

Love, Theoretically is definitely my favourite book by Ali Hazelwood so far.

Elsie is a brilliant main character, and i enjoyed her journey from start to finish. The disability representation, and knowledge surrounding that was great to read. I loved how this book wasn't just a romance. It was about honesty, and Elsie learning who she really is without having to please everyone all the time. As someone who can relate to that, it was amazing to read how she eventually fought for what she wanted and stuck up for herself.

As always the representation for women in STEM was fantastic. It was really clever how she had a jealous moment about another woman in STEM but quickly realised how silly she was being, and was apologetic and supportive. It's definitely easy for people to fall into holes of being mean, and the developed plot surrounding stereotypes was a hit with me.

Jacks story hurt my heart and i just wanted to give him a big hug. How he was there through Elsie and put her first, helped her find her voice made me swoon. I just would have liked to find out more about him, and not just her. What's his favourite movie or food? I think a couple of basic things were missing there.

Overall, i really loved this and I'd recommend it to everyone who loves a good romantic comedy.

My review:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

One of the things that I really like about Ali Hazelwood's books is that the setting is always going to be something STEM related, and since I don't know much about that world, I find the insights to be fascinating!

The world of politics in academia was well written, and the romance was great!

I have loved every Ali Hazelwood book I've read so far, and she has become one of those authors that I'll read whatever I can get my hands on!

I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Little, Brown Book Group.

I loved Ali’s previous books and really enjoyed this one as well. Definitely on my read again list. Fantastic characters and interactions throughout.

My favourite Ali Hazelwood book so far :)

So glad I liked this after not enjoying Love on the Brain! I think it's because the characters in Love on the Brain had very over-exaggerated personalities (which grated on me) but the characters in Love Theoretically felt more toned-down.

Elsie and Jack had great chemistry and I had the biggest smile on my face the whole way through. I stayed up until 1am to finish it!

This is a slower burn but there were a couple of steamy scenes, which I appreciated for the way they showed the connection between the characters (rather than being there for the sake of it).

There's also diabetes rep which I've never read in a book before.

Physicist Elsie Hannaway currently hates her jobs, being an adjunct professor and faux dating. So when an opportunity arises for her to go for a new job she is over the moon, until one of the interviewers is one of her fake dates older brother and the most loathed man against theorist.

But soon these two will be just what the other needs in their life with just a little romance.

Hazelwood once again gives us the perfect amount of spice in an enemies-to-lover romance. I Love the character of Jack as he was so understanding the patient with Elsie. But I also loved the character of Millicent and although they were only small scenes this character really stood.

This was an easy read and a great escapism into romance which I highly recommend. Love this author who is one of my go-to reads.

I was enjoying this but then I’d think about it critically and then it kinda ruined it…there’s just something about Ali Hazelwood heroines that irk me.

I find Ali Hazelwood’s books really enjoyable. I’ve read all of the Steminist novels and the Loathe to Love you short stories. Whilst enjoyable and very fun to read, I can’t help but feel like I’m reading the same story again with a few things swapped out. The same quirky innocent sunshine female who’s never enjoyed sex before with the same surly brooding and dominating grumpy male. The setting changes, minor details changes but these characters feel overall the same, following what feels like the same themes with some plot changes here and there.

That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy this and Ali Hazelwood’s previous books because as I said they’re immensely fun and very entertaining reads. I would say I even enjoyed this one more than Love on the Brain and similarly to The Love Hypothesis, but I can’t shake the argument/feeling that I’m being sold the same book.

I’m conflicted because I loved this book, but it’s The Love Hypothesis 3.0.

Where do I even begin this one…

Let me start by saying that Ali Hazelwood knows how to grip readers and keep them wanting more. She knows how to make the readers laugh, or get riled up, or cheer.

However: I laugh in the face of anyone that says her books are feminist. They are the most exclusionary, white feminist romance books I’ve ever read.

1. She does not know how to write diversly (instead she lobs off most diversity in her books on side characters, we have yet to see any Queet romance nor any BIPOC protagonists) - also (I will expand in this later) her love interests are all basically identical (tiny girl, massive guy) with no room for fat rep either, tall girls, short guys etc.
2. Her books are detrimentally biologically accurately - only the more ironic since she comes from a science background. Her sex scenes in particular are almost harmfully written in how in accurate they are.
3. She infantilises all the women in her books to the point where their naïveté is beyond unrealistic - again - these women are all in high positions in science field and highly intelligent
4. Every single book is the exact same plot with the exact same characters with the exact same jobs - the STEN setting is beyond overdone and you can predict the plots of her books form the get go
5. All the men are written in all the way that women have fought to not it be portrayed as in media by men. Ali Hazelwood has made it quite clear that 1. Men have to be 6 foot 5 and the bodies of captain America to be attractive 2. Women have to be atleast 2 feet shorter and can’t be plus sized or tall 3. Men have to have wieners so huge it requires both hands otherwise not hot 4. The size difference needs to be referenced ATLEAST once in every interaction (40+ times in this one book)

The author makes what I’m sure in her mind is a feminist note on how science is dominated by “white, cos, het men” in this book: and I laugh at you Ali Hazelwood. I laugh that you can recognise these bias in academia and yet you can’t recongnise it in YOUR OWN WRITING. That’s just fucking embarrassing.

Ali Hazelwood, to have the nerve to point out lack of diversity in the world of science and yet inability to persue any form of diversity in her own books. Where is there a single love intersted that isn’t
1. White
2. Cis
3. Het
4. Tall
5. Incredibly muscular (and yet DOES NOT) go to the gum
6. Wealthy
7. In leadership roles in job

How fucking FEMINIST of you Ali Hazelwood. SCREAMS feminism to me.

Now: let me give you a list of (nearly) every single time Ali Hazelwood mentions the size difference between our protagonists:

1. “I mixed him up with with the refrigerator, they are similarly sized after all”

2. “He’s an imposing, sky soaring presence”

3. Big bicep reference

4. “Stepped into his chest like a super massive black hole - which it wasn’t - a black hole that is - plenty of super massive though”

5. “Strong arms”

6. “He’s some kind of PE teacher, Greg mentioned, unsurprising since he’s built like someone who has a CrossFit decal on his car and drinks protein shakes while reads men’s helps powerlifting column”

7. “And then there’s this sandy haired brick house - a foot taller than his tallest relative - all masculine features”

8. “Shrinking the entrance to half its size with his overgrown shoulders”

9. “Twice as broad as the guy next to him”

10. “His huge hand lifts”

11. “He lifts me effortlessly like I weight less than …”

12. “His giant paws tighten around me - they span my waist”

13. “Our size difference sits somewhere between obsurt and obscene” WE GET IT ALI HAZELWOOD

14. Described putting her nails in his chest feeling like granite

15. “He’s a giant mountain of muscles after all”

16. “His biceps no one except people who work out for a living should have”

17. “Another reference to his broad shoulders”

18. Calls him massive again

19. “His many feet and inches and pounds”

20. “His forearm is corded with muscle”

21. “He is big, and well muscled, …. The bulk, the mass, the abs, the biceps and triceps stretching under the ink. But he’s not made the way I thought he’d be. I expected a gym rat body with 0.3% body fat and bulging veins. But he’s a little different. He’s real, imperfectly usefully strong. There’s something unrefined about him as though he’s stumbled upon all this mass by chance, as though he’s never even thought about taking a mirror selfie in his life…… why do I find the idea of someone NOT going to the gym attractive”

I was positively seething by the time I read this quote which was already TWENTY size references deep into this book - and at this point I realised that not only is Ali Hazelwood most definitely delusional but she’s without any remorse making it clear that men that aren’t built like this are not attractive at all.

Ali Hazelwood has written how HUGE and MUSCLE this guy is and then makes it clear this man DOES NOT go to the gym. Tell me Ali Hazelwood: how does one get fucking massively muscled working in a lab? How? People do not magically come out if the womb looking like hulk.

So why is Ali Hazelwood so okay with saying that men must look like captain America to be enough.

Let me say this to any man that has read these books and felt like they are less: Men are enough, in whichever height or size or appendage length. Just as women are enough in our heights and figures and sized of our ass and tits. All that matters is we are kind and respectful and treat each other with love.

Ali Hazelwood is a feminist that likes to disregard all her own ideas of feminism to suit the females romance reader gaze. What an inspirational writer.

Let’s keep going with more size references

22. His shoulder under her palm was “solid”

23. Innuendo joke and Ellie says “we all know yours would be bigger”

24. “It occurs to me … that the attraction has little to do with him being tall or handsome, and everything to do with how perceptive he is”

HAHAHAHAH oh Ali Hazelwood you do make me laugh. We are on reference 24 (and not even 50% through the book) and NOW you’re saying his height and appearance ARENT what make his attractive despite those being the ONLY compliments he has been given the entire BOOK. What a joke.

More references

25. “Strong hands on my waist straighten me”

26. Says his arms are like iron - solid

27. “Jacks forearm is there with its roped muscles”

28. “He looks like an oak tree on steroids with a 6 foot wingspan. Is he even human?”

29. A long joke about his bed being bigger than a king (emperor or galactic dominator) size and custom made and the person had a good look at him and said we’ll need a lot of wood for this monstrosity like you.

30. A reference to the “very very very big” thing under the covers

31. “He’s huge, probably always ravenous… big portions”

32. “You have really big hands”

33. “He’s so wide and heavy”

34. He’s much bigger than ex - she’s worried he won’t fit…. “A physical improbability”

Here I pause again: Ali Hazelwood… my friend… have you ever been in contact with a dick in your life? I’m sorry but every SINGLE one of your love interests seems to have a mega schlobg that requires BOTH HANDS. Perhaps, if you have no experience with “slapping jimmies” you shouldn’t base your career around writing these scenes.

35. “You’re big”

36. “His big body wrapped around me”

37. “Even like this he’s taller than me” (she’s on the counter)

38. “He’s way too tall for me”

Knowing that I also zoned out and forgot to note around 5 or 6 other references means at my guess Ali Hazelwood gives up around 45 references to this size difference.

My parting words: let’s stop slapping “feminist” on this authors books when her idea of feminism is to create more harm than good

Love Theoretically

Here we meet theoretical physicist Elsie, who teaches during the day in a position that has a lot of hours and not enough money. At night she sells her services as a fake girlfriend, not an escort and nothing untoward.
She has a very loyal customer who she gets on really well with, until she meets his brother, who takes an instant dislike to her. Elsie has no idea what she’s done to offend him and why is he staring so coldly into her soul!
Things get even worse when Elsie applies for her dream job, no more working all hours of the day and night and a proper pay check at last… that is until she discovers that one of the assessors is the disapproving brother.
Worse still he also happens to be the man who, as an experimental physicist, wrote a paper that undermined theorists works and theories and ruined her mentor’s career.
What will Elsie do? … and why is Jack so annoyingly handsome?

Another fantastic enemies-to-lovers story from the rom-com Queen Ali Hazelwood.
I’m loving her women in STEM stories.

Ali Hazelwood is back and just as good as ever!

It’s theory versus reality in the world of physics as our enemies to lovers protagonists must fight not just their own feelings for each other but the long held enmity of their peers. Sweet and spicy, this is a perfect edition to the Love Hypothesis universe (and watch out for those cameos!)

It's funny trying to write a review for a book you've loved to your very core all I can think is omg I loved it! But I'll try to put it into words just how much I loved. Love Theoretically was definitely everything I wanted in a romance and then some!

Seriously it's insane how much of a chokehold Ali Hazelwood had me in with Love Theoretically Elsie and Jack hadn't even kissed yet and I was a goner for these two, smitten from page one I was. Everything was just the right amount in here just the right banter, the absolute perfect amount of enemies to lovers felt so well done, perfect spice and an absolute gem of a hero who tells it like he sees it and is ride or die for our Main character and Elsie who I connected with instantly and rooted for her from the first page.

Then there's the absolutely loveable side characters like can millicent be my grandmother she's got so much sass and knows how to use it, I adored her, Cece and George these characters have my heart I'm still thinking about them all a week later and know this is a book I'll return to again and again I'm so excited to go back and meet Olive and Adam after there cameo in here too. Absolute 5 stars cannot recommend this enough and will definitely be in my favourites of the year!

Thank you so much to the publishers via netgalley for the e ARC which I voluntary reviewed.

Ali Hazelwood never misses. I always know exactly what I'm going to get with these books, and everytime it's exactly what I need (and yes, I cry every time). I absolutely adored Elsie and Jack's characters and their relationship, and watching it develop throughout the book was the perfect slowburn he-falls-first story. Jack being desperate to look after Elsie was so wholesome as he truly helped her to become the best version of herself.

Elsie's deep-at-her-core anxiety was (scarily) relatable and the way she moulded herself due to her deep-seated fear of rejection brought me to tears on multiple occasions. Even though we saw a lot of Elsie's personality switching, I do wish we saw more of this and explored it in more depth, but she was still an incredibly well fleshed out character and one of the best I've read from Hazelwood.

The more in-depth exploration into science and the world of STEM was also so fun to read and I really enjoyed getting to read about the split between theoretical and experimental physicists and how they work together within the industry and in academia.

You know what, I was really struggling with this book in the beginning and I was even contemplating putting it down for a bit and possibly not returning. Fortunately, I persevered, and I ended up really enjoying Love, Theoretically! It's definitely not Hazelwood's strongest book. I think a lot of readers will struggle at the start because the romance takes so long to get going. But if you are already a fan of her works, like I am, and have faith that it will get better then I would recommend continuing on through the somewhat difficult first few chapters.

It took about 100 pages for me to really get into this book and start liking the romance. While we're introduced to the main character and her love interest and their dynamic quite early, it took a long time for me to connect with and understand their energy. But I loved it once I got used to it!

Of course, there are the usual tropes of the guy being Just So Big and the female main character being super tiny. I was expecting this from Hazelwood at this point, and I had a good laugh with my spouse about the "oh I'm so tiny" comments because we may or may not know some real people who come out with that in real life.

Also, I'm pleased to say that I think Hazelwood has improved in the sex scene department! After THAT scene in The Love Hypothesis, I kind of lost hope, and I can't remember really being into the love scenes in her sophomore book. Thankfully, I ended up quite enjoying the scene in this one. It's still slightly cringey and not really my thing, but it wasn't as bad as the scene in her first book.

All that to say, I really enjoyed this because it was a fun, light read while also tackling slightly deeper topics, but not so much that it's going to ruin your evening.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

This is actually the first Ali Hazelwood I've got round to reading (even though I own her two others!) but I can now see why she's a must-buy for a lot of readers. I really enjoyed the way this narrative progressed, and the romance element felt quite natural within the context of the rest of the story. I also loved that there were other elements to focus on, such as the misogyny inherent in STEMM disciplines and the power dynamics between lower and higher-ranking academics. I found these aspects really interesting and true to life. Plus obviously the spice was great! A really fun but also thought-provoking read.

This was a million times better than The Love Hypothesis and I am literally obsessed with it! It was so funny, Jack and Elsie had insane chemistry - Jack is the best book boyfriend Ali Hazelwood has written and I will stand firmly by that. My academic background is not in STEM in any way, but I loved getting this insight into what STEM academia is like - the politics, the gender bias - it was so dramatic and I loved it.

I saw someone say that Elsie is the epitome of the song mirrorball, and that is so true! I really felt for her throughout this book; she’s having to unlearn the way she’s molded herself to fit into everyone else’s needs and expectations for her whole life, to the point that she doesn’t even really know who she is anymore. It was wonderful getting to watch her grow and develop as a character, and how all Jack wanted was to see the real her… they were literally made for each other. They had me giggling away, especially with how much Jack just LOVED her and would do anything for her and she was his biggest weakness…. obsessed.

Of course, it's similar to Ali Hazelwood's other work - Jack is a very very tall man, it's her classic STEM romance formula... but I don't know, there was just something about this one that felt different, and I wouldn't hesitate to say this is her best book yet. Ali Hazelwood's found the formula that works for her, and honestly good for her!

Having been delighted by Love to Loathe You, Ali Hazelwood’s STEMinist novella collection, I’ve been looking forward to reading Love, Theoretically and thankfully it did not disappoint.

In order to service her student loans and make ends meet, theoretical physicist Dr. Elsie Hannaway supplements her low paying work as an adjunct professor by utilising her people-pleasing skills, and an app called Faux, to offer her services as a fake girlfriend. Unfortunately her two worlds collide when the deciding vote for Elsie’s appointment to her dream job at MIT turns out to be in the hands of the brother of a client, Jack Smith, who knows her only as a slightly vacuous children’s librarian.

Therein lies the ‘enemies-to-lovers’ set up, Jack suspects Elsie is a scheming liar, and as it happens, Jack, who is professionally known as Jonathan Smith-Turner, turns out to be the experimental physicist who once published a paper that humiliated Elsie’s field and nearly ended her mentor’s career. Sparks fly even as Elsie fights for her career, convinced that Jack is aiming to sabotage it. I really enjoyed the development of their relationship, there’s plenty of chemistry and banter, but they also share some touching and vulnerable moments.

There’s a lot of emphasis on Elsie’s people-pleasing nature, with Hazelwood making the point that though such a skill is useful, it can come at a cost. Elsie’s personal growth throughout the story is well paced and convincing. Also of note, Elsie is a Type 1 diabetic and Hazelwood works this into the story with ease.

Tall, smart, reliable, and honest, with a sympathetic background, I found Jack to be a very appealing lead. Several of the minor characters in the novel, including Elsie’s roommate, CeCe (and her pet hedgehog), Jack’s brother, Greg, and their sharp-tongued grandmother Millicent, in particular, are also a joy.

Hazelwood’s focus on women in STEM careers is a unique element of her romance novels. In Love, Theoretically the field is physics, of which I know almost nothing than what I gleaned from The Big Bang Theory, nevertheless I appreciate the way in which relevant detail is seamlessly integrated into the story. The author also highlights some of the issues in academia, including low pay, job insecurity, politics, and for women in particular, the plague of misogyny.

Witty, romantic and charming, I adored Love, Theoretically.

4 stars ✨

i don’t think Ali Hazelwood ever misses the mark because this was ANOTHER amazing read! The characters, the plot, the humour, the romance and Elsie’s personal growth was chefs kiss.

It had me full on giggling and kicking my feet in the middle on an airport, so much so my sister asked me what the hell was wrong with me. Jack, babes, blonde men don’t do it for me but you, i’ll do whatever you tell me to🧎🏽‍♀️

The middle did drag on just a little bit but i still loved it. I loved Elsie’s character so so so much, i related to her the most out of Bee and Olive so she holds a special place in my heart. But also can we talk about that Olive and Adam cameo 😭😭 my heart was so full and ugh it was so cute!