For a book which deals with so many large themes - love, time, the purpose of life - the story seems in many ways quite small. The relationship between Sophie and Jake was sweet and lovely in its specificity, and the writing was quite strong; it has a Time Traveler’s Wife mixture of romance and literary touches, though it remains more approachable. However, the themes and relationships didn’t feel completely resolved to me, and the second part of the plot seemed quite quickly over with and somewhat more disconnected, especially considering how carefully detailed the first section was. Will likely be popular with fans of Jojo Moyes or those who liked Cecelia Ahern’s Love, Rosie.

The Love Proof is a joy to read for its language, ideas, and vivid characterization of Sophie, an unpretentious prodigy. The vibe is Einstein's Dreams meets The Night Circus, only the circus is Yale and the magic is made up of the powers that drive us: ambition, love, and of course, physics.

*Spoilers Ahead*

The frustrating part of this read is the forced conflict between the protagonists. When Jake initially forces a break between him and Sophie, he's "acting in her best interest" because he's decided he knows best. When Sophie's heartbreak leads to a major breakthrough in theoretical physics, he has every intention of at last reuniting with her... until he decides, yet again, that the distance between them is essential to Sophie's continued scientific contributions to the world. Literally one conversation between these two would have solved the conflict and led to a satisfying HEA. Instead, Act III is imbued with artificial tension. Sophie or Jake could have reached out to the other at any time, putting an end to their angst and suffering. For two extremely smart people, this seems... underwhelming.

Henry's vivid scene-work and powerful imagery brings Sophie and Jake's world(s) to life with lyrical precision. She handles the shifting third person narration beautifully, without losing the powerful intimacy of a more limited narrative mode.

Overall, The Love Proof is a lovely read without much in the way of plot. The dreamy-yet-precise writing will keep readers enthralled, even if frustration with the central romantic relationship will likely leave most frustrated.

This is a nice fiction book about the love between two college students and how they grow up to separate paths in life. Jake decides to end things with Sophie and he realizes that her love for him was making her not thrive in the field of Physics even though she was considered a prodigy. And not long after they are separated she indeed goes on to have a major breakthrough. But what he doesn't know is that the breakthrough only happened because of him. It's an interesting love story with some Physics and futurism (the book goes all the way up to 2048) thrown in.

Compulsively readable, this singular love story will keep me thinking for a long time. I loved how Henry harnessed physics to underscore Sophie and Jake's story, and while I know next to nothing about theoretical physics, I still found the presentation accessible.

What makes this story especially interesting is that I can't quite figure out how I feel about Sophie and Jake as characters. I rooted for them and I also saw several flaws in their individual characters and in their relationship. I also think that Henry placed those flaws intentionally. I'd love to talk about this book with others, because it gave me so much to think about. How does someone pursue their dreams while also in a relationship? Does someone with a gifted mind have a responsibility to develop that mind to its fullest potential? What is heartbreak and how does it play into our destiny? And ultimately, what Sophie seeks so ardently, how does love affect our experience of time?

Unfortunately this doesn't come out until February 2021, so put a pin in this and please get back to me so I can talk some of this out.

{Thank you to Atria books for the free egalley. All opinions are my own.}

I wasn't sure if this one would work for me given I'm usually not much of a romance reader and really just a downright cynic, but the philosophy and science angle really drew me in. I'm so glad I gave this a chance. It was heartfelt, complex, and so very human (despite the science of it all). The characters were frustrating at times, yet real and you wanted to see them grow and evolve. An absolute gem that I will recommend to many friends!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

Goodness gracious did I enjoy this book! Read it in two sittings. It's a romance, but there is nothing sweet or gushing about it, in fact it's a bit heartbreaking. It's also chocked full of super interesting bits of science. Science things from everyday life that really make you stop and think. This book is uplifting, it's sad and it teaches you things. What a great combo right?!

A story of physics and love and the connection between the two and looking to answer the question can you love without losing yourself.

Such a sweet, tender, smart love story that’s verrrrry heavy with the scientific talk.

I was certain this was going to be a new favorite!!! I was looooving the beginning. I liked both characters and felt invested in their love story…but the second half totally lost me. I can’t say much without spoiling, but even though I didn’t enjoy where the story went, I still feel like the first half was so beautifully done I still suggest you give this a try!!

Read if you like love stories that span decades.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria for the book in exchange for an honest review!

OMG - this novel was absolutely gorgeous. Somehow, the author managed to make physics and the concept of time relatable to a decidedly unscientific person (me). The love story between Sophie and Jake was stunning and I loved every single moment of this beautiful book.

The Love Proof is the ultimate insta-love story. Jake and Sophie make eye contact across the room at university and literally all else is history. They are instantly connected in a way in which neither understands and time is the only correlation.

Although this idea of instant or love at first sight is hard to for most authors to portray without it being cheesy or hard to believe, it’s the core of this whole novel. It fits and works its way out through science. After a massive heartbreak, Sophie, a genius physicist, searches for the proof of love through block theory and discovers it.

**Spoilers below**

I really enjoyed this novel. The only thing I really disliked was that the characters went twenty-five years apart, when they could have been together the whole time. All because Jake thought he would be “selfless” and do what was “best” for Sophie; which, true it was the drive that helped her discover the proof of love. It ruined both of them though. Twenty-five years, they thought of each other deeply and yet never breeched that divide. Sophie thinking Jake wanted everything and Jake thinking he was holding her back from her potential because she gave everything up for him… which she didn’t care about because she loved him!

Overall, I love the science tie ins and it's a sweet story. Thanks Atria Books and Netgalley for giving the opportunity to access this ARC. I really enjoyed the book and look forward to adding it to my library upon its release.

I finished this book then struggled to come up with words to review it. I enjoyed the story. Sophie Jones is a prodigy who is interested in the concept of time. She reads about physics from a young age and does not form relationships outside of her parents. Then the first week at Yale she meets Jake Kristopher. They are drawn together like magnets. Both are instantly in love. Time passes, changes come, and the story unfolds. Madeleine Henry spends time showing us who Sophie and Jake are as individuals and as a couple. She also shows us how Sophie views the concept of time.

I was intrigued about the theory Sophie studies more than the love story though they are inseparable. How does time pass? Does it speed up and slow down? And how does being in love effect time? The theories Sophie studies are interesting. Why are some memories more vivid than others? That was what I was left thinking about. Was it the best love story ever? Meh. Maybe not. But if you are not interested in reading about love then why would you pick this book up?

This book is perfect for readers who enjoy a story about couples who encounter obstacles to their being together. It also appeals to those who have an interest in the concepts of time, love, and memories.
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

I tried to give this book a good chance. I picked it up and forced myself to read it a couple of times before I had to admit it just wasn't for me.

In the beginning there was just too much too quickly. It was overwhelming and unrelatable and I didn't get a chance to try to get into the mindset needed to take in this book. I felt that the characters were unlikeable and unrelatable and I couldn't bring myself to invest in this story. That on top of the story line taking just too long to build up created an unlikeable experience.

That being said, I can appreciate Madeleine Henry's writing. She has a unique style and I really wanted to like this book. In the end it just didn't do it for me, but that doesn't mean I am going to write Henry off as an author. I am certainly going to give her other books a try.

I really enjoyed this one but felt that I didn't really connect with any of the characters on any level. It is super original which I loved and the writing was great but again, I just couldn't connect to any of the characters.

This story was beautiful, raw and deep. I found it fascinating how it describes love as an all consuming force. I loved watching the relationship of Jake and Sophie unravel. I liked how their love shook their core and transformed them.
I could feel the pain between the characters as the years went on.
I definitely recommend this book to others

This book was sad and uplifting at the same time. The characters were really well-developed and I liked the writing for the more part. Although the pacing lost my attention at time, the story was intriguing enough to keep me going.

Wasn’t a fan of this book. Slow and not very interesting. I kept reading hoping it would get better however; it never did.

Unfortunately I didn't like this one. I stuck it through because I was really excited about the premise. The writing felt overwrought and kind of cheesy. I would not recommend it.

This is such a sweet story about how the ones we love are always with us and the impact of true love. Sophie is a physics prodigy who meets Jake in their freshman assembly at Yale. They are instantly drawn to each other and spend much of the next four years inseparable. Anything more will give away too much of the story, so I’ll stop there.

This book contains the perspectives of lots of different characters and sometimes goes back and forth from paragraph to paragraph, which I found distracting. I also didn’t love how paternalistic some of the relationships were and how some story lines didn’t wrap up. The book is pretty short so it could have taken a bit more time to tie up loose ends. Epilogues people!

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review. Opinions here are my own.

Sophie is a child prodigy, who chooses to not skip grades on her way to Yale. Almost immediately upon arrival, Sophie meets Jake and they quickly fall in love. Jake slowly starts to see that their relationship is pulling her from her studies. When Sophie faces loss, yet still feels a connection to love, her work takes on a new life and she is determined to prove her thoughts.

Spanning decades, The Love Proof is an unusual love story about lasting connection, time, and intuition. It explores the course that perfect love can take between imperfect people, and urges us to listen to our hearts rather than our heads. (This section taken from Goodreads synopsis)

This was such a great story of first love, loss, connection, and time. I was hesitant at first that the physics aspect would be too technical, but I quickly drawn into the story of Sophie and Jake. They had such an immediate attraction and their relationship felt like it was so easy, but when Jake sees Sophie abandoning her studies for him and calls it off, everything is thrown into a loop. I loved following their stories of their time apart, and the ending was just perfect. This book left me with a smile on my face and in my heart.

This is a beautiful love story. I would read this book over and over. Since my own husband is a mathematician, this story felt close to home, which is what made it stand out to me in the first place. Highly recommend this one.