Ratings:
Star Rating: ★★★★★
If This Book Was a Movie Rating: R
Review:
“I’m going to kill you,” he gritted out, little more than a growl. “If you say another word about the woman I love, if you look at her, if you even think about her - I’m going to actually kill you.”
DECEASED.
I AM DECEASED.
THAT’S IT.
DONE.
KAPUT.
WASHED UP ON THE SHORE.
*gasp*
PEOPLE I LITERALLY CAN’T TAKE THIS, THE BOOKTOK HYPE DID NOT STEER ME WRONG WHAT.
“I wish you could see yourself the way I see you."
AHHH WHAT AM I GONNA DO WITH MY LIFE NOW ALI.
*cries and squeals from deep joy and sadness that this stack of papers exists and she now has to wait months for more Ali Hazelwood*
I guess before I go scouring the internet to find the cover for the sequel (called Love on the Brain yes go add it to your tbrs right this moment), I guess I should actually sit down and write a review ;P
Olive Smith is an overworked and underpaid grad student at Stanford University, deep into researching the ability of blood biomarkers to detect pancreatic cancer. Olive loves her work and loves spending hours with her multichannel pipettes, but she has rather significant social problem on her hands. A few weeks back, Olive took a cute guy named Jeremy to her best friend Anh’s birthday party. Olive had thought her mini-date was going well, but over the course of the party, she noticed how well Jeremy and Anh were hitting it off. Looking at each other like they were the only ones in the room, talking to each other at every opportunity, laughing over their research projects.
Olive was disappointed, but, being the loyal best friend she was, she decided to stop going out with Jeremy so Anh could be with him instead.
Unfortunately, Olive had overheard Anh say that Jeremy had asked her out, but she refused because she didn’t want to break her friendship with Olive.
Olive then did the obvious smart thing: stepping in and blurting out that she actually had a date.
The real problem is, Olive didn't. And said that she was going to be on a date tonight.
And instead she was at the lab recording data.
Recording data when she caught a glimpse of Anh walking towards her.
Olive panicked, and did the only thing she could think to do.
She grabbed the nearest guy and kissed him full on the mouth.
When Olive thought about it, it really was a bad idea all round.
That is, it was bad until she pulled back and actually saw who she was kissing.
Then it just got to be a utterly perfect disaster.
Because she was kissing Stanford’s lead computational biologist. The most antagonistic, unapproachable, and completely feared lab tyrant on campus.
Dr. Adam Carlsen.
Life just got so much better.
EEEEEKK OMIGOSH I LOVED THIS SMMMM <3
The plot was perfectly paced, had just enough characters to keep me interested without losing me in names, and it was absolutely THERAPEUTIC to read about romance in science fields do you know how many of these books I’ve come across?? *massive heart eyes*
However, I feel the need to mention this very clearly: the vast majority of this book is cute and adorable and at a PG-13 max (for language).
The reason I called it R is because there is one graphic bedroom scene. It’s Chapter 16. The whole chapter. I’ve heard it’s good from people who like those scenes, but I literally had to skip the entire chapter because I physically couldn't read it lol
So thought I’d share because I really appreciated someone telling me that before I read it :))
Otherwise, this book is SO DANG ADORABLE AND SWOONY AND THOSE TROPES THO GASP. It has grumpy meets sunshine, fake dating, forced proximity, academic rivals to lovers, slight age gap, if-you-touch-her-i’ll-kill-you, and omigosh even more but I don’t want to spoil them all soooooo NEXT.
Characters.
Let’s start with le supporting characters.
My two favorite side people were probably the best friends to the MCs: Anh and Holden.
First off, Anh is an amazing leader, organizing conferences for BIPOC women in STEM, and networking support groups for BIPOC women in STEM in universities across the US.
OK GO OFF QUEEN YES.
On a much more Isabelle-has-this-pet-peeve-that-didn’t-happen-and-she's-ecstatic-about-it sort of note, I loved how after learning Olive and Adam were weren’t actually really dating, Anh didn’t question her and Olive’s entire friendship.
LIKE OMIGOSH ACTUAL TRUST THANK YOU SM.
I know a few people who didn't like Anh, but any best friend who throws her bestie in deliciously angsty forced proximity situations that I may swoon over is 100% a true-blue bestie fight me.
Holden was an absolute blast. He told so many weird, random stories about him and Adam (you know, those stories that only a BEST friend would remember and dare to tease you about for the next twenty years). 50% of the humor in this book was from this man alone *claps enthusiastically*
Also, anyone who mutters “mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell” in his sleep is automatically a bestie for life.
internet og bonus points if you can tell me why ;)
Finally, we have our main duo: Olive and Adam.
ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR OLIVE AND ADAM OMIGOSH THEY DESERVE IT.
Olive was a biology girlboss and I was living for every moment of it. I’m literally doing a research project rn about brain cancer, and it was actually really fascinating to compare her methods for her project on pancreatic cancer with my own loll it was accurateeee
also she made me want to go study for my calculus exam so like this girl’s magic i tell you
“Hypothesis: The more I mention an attachment in an email, the less likely I will be to actually include said attachment.”
Maybe the most relatable statement from this entire year. Or decade, really. See, this is exactly what I mean when I say I want a character to be relatable: DETAILS. Details for things that only those who truly relate would understand the visceral annoyance of.
SO BASICALLY I LOVE OLIVE YES.
and then lastly: Adam.
ADAM WAS THE MOST BROODING MOODY HERO WHO’S SECRETLY A CINNAMON BUN I’VE EVER MET OMIGOSH I LOVE HIM.
He was a) so dang SMART and b) was the most caring fake boyfriend/something more that I’ve literally ever seen. Like read this:
“She loved him even more for it. For looking at her like she was the beginning and the end of every thought.”
PLEASE I WANT THAT AKCIEJEKKSSM
*swoons onto squishy pillow*
omigosh ahhhh love this book so muchhhhh go read it rn so we can fangirl over it together <33
Friend me on Goodreads (yes, you, I wanna be your friend): https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/136268749-isabelle
Buy this book: https://www.amazon.com/Love-Hypothesis-Ali-Hazelwood-ebook/dp/B08T6XN4FP/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1640050068&sr=8-1
Recommendations If You Liked This Book:
Love on the Brain (book #2 in this series) by Ali Hazelwood
Loathe to Love You by Ali Hazelwood
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