Review: The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
SYNOPSIS:
As a third-year Ph.D. candidate, Olive Smith doesn’t believe in lasting romantic relationships–but her best friend does, and that’s what got her into this situation. Convincing Anh that Olive is dating and well on her way to a happily ever after was always going to take more than hand-wavy Jedi mind tricks: Scientists require proof. So, like any self-respecting biologist, Olive panics and kisses the first man she sees.
That man is none other than Adam Carlsen, a young hotshot professor–and well-known ass. Which is why Olive is positively floored when Stanford’s reigning lab tyrant agrees to keep her charade a secret and be her fake boyfriend. But when a big science conference goes haywire, putting Olive’s career on the Bunsen burner, Adam surprises her again with his unyielding support and even more unyielding…six-pack abs.
Suddenly their little experiment feels dangerously close to combustion. And Olive discovers that the only thing more complicated than a hypothesis on love is putting her own heart under the microscope.
REVIEW:
*Book Received in Exchange for Honest Opinion/Review*
I am going to preface this review by saying that I have my graduate degree in chemistry and I have been a long time romance reader. This is the first book I have read where STEM graduate school is ACCURATELY portrayed. I wanted to shout with joy that Olive wasn’t walking around in booty shorts, flip flops, and a face full of make-up everyday. Thank Ali Hazelwood for capturing women in STEM so well!
Now lets dive into the romance, I love a fake dating troupe. How this whole mess starts was hilariously awkward and delightful. Olive just seems to dig herself into a deeper hole every time she opens her mouth. Too be fair though, I loved how Adam, while portrayed as a hard *ss, seems to take everything in stride. There is definitely an underlying chemistry between Olive and Adam, and the two form a genuine friendship over time. The emotional-aspect of their relationship, I adored.
But I didn’t like the physical aspect of their relationship. As in it went from practically non-existent to full-throttle in pages. To be honest, I was really taken aback by the progression here. Especially given the fact that Olive just went through something traumatic, it left my heart aching for Adam, who seemed to be being used as a distraction. The pacing of their physical relationship felt off and by the time things did happen they felt rushed. But in the end, things wrapped up nicely and it was awkward, adorable, and endearing.
REVIEW:
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