I love a lot of tropes from this book: age gap, forced proximity, enemies to lovers, and guy falls first. I liked that this book was dual POV and we got both Liz and Tom's perspectives. I loved that Liz knew what she wanted and didn't conform to societies standards about marriage and kids. I enjoyed their banter and thought they had a cute relationship.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, the publisher and H.L. Macfarlane for this copy.

I'll start saying that, due to the physical appearance, the clothes and the name of the MMC, I awfully suspect this book was originally a Tom Hiddleston fanfiction, which could explain to a certain level the quality of this work.

The addition of nerdy anime culture cheered my little geek heart. I loved how badass the FMC was, the humor was on point, the sexual tension was boiling hot...

Unfortunately, it wasn't enough, because the enemies to lovers part was disastrously written and the STEM part was barely non-existent and bland, a mere excuse for the characters to engage in conversation.

I'll start saying many scenes were too cliché and, if you've spent a considerable time reading in fanfiction sites, you would recognize most scenes and instantly know how they're going to develop from the beginning to the end, making most of the book completely predictable and robbing interest from the reader.

Most of the time I loathe the miscommunication trope when the characters decide to not communicate properly for completely stupid reasons, so the constant miscommunication in this book was infuriating. At least they expressed themselves quite good when they finally did.

The attraction between Tom and Liz is 95% sexual and they mostly talked when they were drunk. They didn't make much effort to know each other besides the fact that they work in STEM and like anime, and the only time Liz learns more about Tom in depth is when she violates his privacy and raids his entire room while he's not there, without his permission. MAJOR RED FLAG.

They say they love each other but, do they? There was some chemistry but that's it, which detached me from the relationship. I wanted them to actually bond apart from being horny and f******.
Also, the Calippo scene was too cringe for me 😬.

Tom was one of the most annoying and unappealing love interests I've ever read. For a nearly 40 year old man, he made really selfish and immature mistakes that put me off, even if he owned them later. He broke many boundaries and lines. If he was a real man and he did those things to me, I would consider him a massive walking red flag and I would stay as far away as I could from him.

The book became slower and more tedious in the second half since it was just Liz and Tom thinking about their sexual attraction and what should they do about it. Seems like the author didn't know what to put in the middle of the story until the truth came. The last chapters were boring. I saw myself DNFing most of the time. To say that I was more interested in Jim and Jenny than Tom and Liz...

Also, a minus point for Tom Hiddle- I mean, Tom Henderson, for hating High School Musical. How dare you.

I really enjoyed following the story of Tom and Liz, especially as it took place in Glasgow.
Although there was a rather large judgement error from Tom that had red flags all over it, I did begin to thaw my contempt for his actions.
Great book to get lost in and loved the 2 love stories/plots side by side.

Alas, I really couldn't get into this, and I ended up not finishing it. Thank you for the opportunity to read it though!

I think I might DNF this. I'm 40% in and feel like it's dragging.

It reminds me of the love hypothesis a bit. And also weird sexual tension. And I'm a bit put out that both the main characters parents are engaged and their kids didn't even know they were dating post spousal death. And the main characters wanna bone each other. I'm normally a patient person but I don't think this is it for me. And I'm trying to be better about giving myself Grace snd DNFing ARCs. Because had this not been sn arc I would have DNF

I love a good rom com. This was able to break me out of a significant reading slump. As a math educator the title had me hooked and then the leads joined the party and I was sold.

This wasn't for me. I was hoping it would be like The Love Hypothesis but doctor's but it just wasn't. It also didn't help that I didn't like the female main character. She was just a little annoying to me. I don't think it was fair of me to hope it would be like The Love Hypothesis and that's my fault. I would be willing to pick up more from this author though. I just hope that it's not doctors because I think doctor books are not for me. This is a side note but the cover is so so cute. I also know I'll be recommending this to people.

Soooo to be honest I only started this book because I had read the love hypothesis and i thought the premise was similar. Despite actually having things in common the love hypothesis is funnier, I think my problem with it was that it's set in the uk so the sense of humor is different than what I like. I would also like the protagonists to be younger because sometimes they are very immature and it doesn't seem true to their age. but it's a cool book nothing wow but it's good

This book is Un-honeymooners meets Love on the Brain/Love Hypothesis. It was incredibly well written and is one for the masses.

This hate to love meets second chance love story follows Liz and tom. Both aren't looking for the white picket fence dream but what to have someone by their side to share their lives with. when Liz and tom first meet sparks fly until the next day tom get word of something... Four years later things would bring Liz and tom into each other lives unexpectly and the banter fly this book is a slow book and a lot of teasing and I will say this book had me laughing out loud at times with that said i enjoyed my read of this and give it 4 stars

Not what I was expecting at all but a good reading in the end. I love Stem books and characters of the Stem love and this book delivers that in a good way. Enjoyable plot and characters, lovely writing and structuring of the story. A quick read that it wasn´t a favorite but one I recommend nonetheless.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a fairly easy read. I read it all in one go, I was pleased it was set in Glasgow and the author makes many references to the west end and further beyond Glasgow. The story telling was good, I enjoyed the characters - the author displayed their flaws, their weaknesses and their strengths well, and their development throughout. I enjoyed the journey the two main characters took, I had no major issues with the story. The spice was teased throughout and it was well written.
I did find a few typos in the book (three if I remember correctly!). I don’t like the cover (cartoonish). And I don’t feel that the book title relates well to the story either. I also didn’t enjoy the wedding speeches at the end, they felt really over dramatic.
Overall a three star, good read with room for improvement.

It was good filled with thigh clenching smutt. A age gap forced proximity romance.

I really enjoyed this book and I actually laughed aloud during some chapters because of the banter between the two main characters.

Although through one chapter the forced proximity gave me second hand embarrassment. Like when the mc’s mum walks in on them. I also didn’t really like the mc’s possessiveness.

Would and have recommend this book.

This novel features plenty of good and sleazy smut, forced proximity, age gap romance, and enemies to lovers. There were a few things I didn't like, such as Tom's excessive possessiveness, which was almost unpleasant. Liz had her "what the frick Liz" times, which caused me to squint. But in this book, it all just seems to match.

I actually laughed aloud during some sequences because of the witty banter and sass that Tom and Liz exchange. Liz and Jenny's relationship, who will soon become her stepmother, was adorable. I adored how much Jim's hatred for Tom and his crude remarks about him made me think of my own father.

If you’re looking for a good enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity romance with a STEM background, look no further. I’ve given this a 3.5 stars but I’d round it up to a 4 rather than down to a 3.

I really appreciated all the character details and elements of the story arc because it really rounded out the book - they’re both huge anime nerds, they work in a genetics lab (and we actually see them talk about science woo👏🏼), there’s a delicious slow burn, an age gap (which I didn’t even realise at first😅), and both main characters don’t want marriage or children. I really appreciated seeing that in a romance book. I feel like that sentiment is growing more common so weaving it in was a great way to remind everyone that it’s okay to not want marriage and children and, spoiler alert: still be happy and fulfilled!

I’m so glad to have read an enemies to lovers where the enemies part actually made logical sense for once!! Both of the characters in this book are flawed and they make mistakes and do the wrong things. The enemies aspect felt justified instead of a superficial miscommunication to enhance the plot.

It is definitely a bit of a slow burn / drawn out tease between Tom and Liz however, and I did find some of Tom’s actions to be a bit fucking creepy so… I wasn’t in LOVE with the romance like I was hoping to be unfortunately.

The forced proximity element is usually something I enjoy but this one felt ever so slightly a little weird to me, because it’s not just them in the house. There’s a scene in particular where they’re play fighting on the sofa and… Tom’s mum walks in on them🥴. Considering that Tom is in his 30s and Liz is in her late 20s, it was just a bit odd having everyone live in the same house.

I do feel like mentioning that if you found The Love Hypothesis a bit cringey, you’ll prefer this so much more, not to mention this has got some great British humour. I don’t usually like comparing books but since they’re both enemies to lovers & STEM based, I couldn’t help but notice this difference.

very steamy which I liked, and their was great chemistry, but both were pretty bratty, but I have read it twice!

The Unbalanced Equation by H. L. Macfarlane is an enjoyable romance read that provides a welcome break from more intense books. The story follows the relationship between mathematician Sarah and rock star Alex, who fall in love despite their vastly different backgrounds and lifestyles.

One of the strengths of the book is its well-developed characters. Sarah and Alex are both complex and multi-dimensional, with their own strengths, weaknesses, and struggles. Macfarlane does an excellent job of exploring their individual journeys and the challenges they face as a couple, making it easy for the reader to become invested in their relationship.

Another positive aspect of the book is the unique setting of the world of academia and rock music. The author clearly has a deep knowledge and appreciation for both of these fields, and this comes through in the richly-drawn and detailed descriptions of the characters' respective worlds.

It's definitely a slow-burn, and some may find the book to be somewhat formulaic or predictable in its plot and themes. The "opposites attract" trope is a common one in romance novels, and while Macfarlane adds her own unique spin to it, some readers may find that it doesn't quite offer anything particularly new or surprising.

The Unbalanced Equation is a well-written and enjoyable romance read, with well-developed characters and a unique setting, making it a worthwhile read for fans of the genre.

Elizabeth thinks she has rid herself from Thomas. To her surprise she ends up in the same lab as him and to add to her frustration, their parents decides to get married. A romantic comedy with a close proximity and enemies to friends trope. An intelligently written rom-comedy with entertaining characters.

Disclaimer: Thank NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for this copy and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was good and fun read. I was a bug fan of Tom in the beginning but toward the middle parts and his slight of hand of controlling her/situation was a turn off. I was frustrated with their slow dance and avoidance of actually admitting they liked each other. That was dragged out far too long. Liz was feisty I like that in a character. Although she went a little nutzo too. Cute story but way too much drama in the middle.

I wanted to really love this story but I just couldn't, the MCs were toxic and a blatant red flag.
It's not badly written it's just that the portrayal of it all was too childish for this grownup character.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book received from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.