Love, Theoretically is another sweet STEM-themed romance from Ali Hazelwood, this one being more STEM-heavy and academic than her previous novels, as Ali points out in her authors note. I enjoyed reading about Elsie and Jack navigating their tumultuous feelings for each other to becoming cordial acquaintances to more. While the romance between Jack and Elsie has both its tender (and sizzling) moments, I do feel like both characters are muddled in comparison to their respective counterparts in The Love Hypothesis and Love on the Brain. Elsie, Bee, and Olive are practically cut from the same cloth, as are Jack, Levi, and Adam. Reflecting back on all three books, it's really hard to distinguish each main character from one another considering they share such similar personalities. And overall, Love, Theoretically felt very much like an ode to The Love Hypothesis, with very similar themes and many nods to Ali Hazelwood's debut dispersed throughout the book. Because of how similar the themes of both novels are, I was able to predict the multiple twists throughout the novel quite easily.

The Adam and Olive cameo was very cute, though, and it felt really nice to see what they'd been up to all this time! As we close out Ali's "STEM-inist" era, I look forward to reading her YA work next.

As far as I am concerned, Hazelwood can continue to write enemies to lovers with oversized romantic interest and their nerdy and absolutely brilliant counterparts for the rest of her life. Her novels are delightful and a soothing balm to the soul as her heroines are plucky, devastatingly brilliant, and find a way to worm a space into your heart.

"Love, Theoretically" is all about physics, specifically the branch focusing on the theoretical rather than practical application. Elsie Hannaway has been barely making it as an adjunct professor and therefore, has taken up faux dating to make ends meet. However, this all comes back to haunt her when a tenure professor position at MIT opens up and her fake boyfriend's brother is overseeing the interview. As if academic interviews weren't hard enough, Elsie has to prove herself to Jack Smith, the annoyingly handsome physicist, who questions her motives and singlehandedly destroyed her mentor's career and made it impossible for theorists to be taken seriously.

Even though the synopsis seems similar to Hazelwood's other titles, there is something more to Elsie than previous protagonists. Yes, she's nerdy and quirky, but there's an element of realness to her character that feels fresh and unique. In this story, Elsie is dealing with her incessant need to mold herself into whatever is the most convenient and pleasing to the person she's interacting with. She anticipates the needs of others and then accordingly adjusts her own to maintain peace and her relationship with other people. This seems to stem from a childhood, where Elsie's needs were never prioritized and affected her as an adult to the point that she's a pushover.

The other element of this novel that I really enjoyed is how Hazelwood captured the issues and conflicts of being an adult in the 21st century. This is a novel about someone in their later twenties, who hasn't made it yet. Elsie is struggling not only to afford her rent but to find a semblance of a life in her existence, which is being stretched in six different directions. It was nice to see a story that dealt with type 1 diabetes in a manner that didn't shy away from it but also illustrated how expensive it is to buy insulin and how much that hampers Elsie's ability to be financially secure.

Stability and independence are themes that crop up again and again in this novel. Hazelwood dangles these concepts like carrots in front of Elsie, who dreams of affording expensive cheese and not having to work three different adjunct jobs. It is these luxuries that resonate with me as a reader, who faces the same challenges and dreams of the same privileges. I may be alone, but Hazelwood did a wonderful job of portraying how much one job could make a difference. This also plays into the relationship with Jack as he pushes her to become her own person and fight for a position at MIT. All in all, this is still a fluffy romance, but there was more depth to it than Hazelwood's other titles and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Devoured this book in a day! Another winner from Ali Hazelwood. While definitely similar to previous titles, Hazelwood knocks it out of the park each time. Will definitely recommend to patrons looking for a STEM romance!

Ali Hazelwood has made a name for herself in the publishing world with a very specific niche: STEM themed romance novels. Her breakout debut, The Love Hypothesis, followed two biologists; subsequently, Love on the Brain tackled neuroscience. Her three novellas (recently compiled into their own bound book, Loathe to Love You) centered around three engineer best friends. Now, her third novel, Love, Theoretically, gets into what I consider the most fascinating branch of science: physics.

Summary:
Ali Hazelwood meets Helen Huang with her newest narrator, Elsie, a theoretical physicist and adjunct professor by day, fake girlfriend by night, and chronic people pleaser. Elsie Hannaway is a year out of her PhD program and "living the dream." She has a doctorate in theoretical physics, numerous awards for her work with crystals, and plenty of publications, but instead of continuing her research or working on her manuscript, she's an adjunct professor for a myriad of Boston colleges, teaching undergrad physics courses to students who couldn't care less.
Because adjuncting pays so well, Elsie also works as a fake girlfriend through the app Faux, which allows hundreds of eligible Boston bachelors to pay Elsie to come to family events, work parties, or act as arm candy for the night. Through years of practice as peace-keeper for her family, Elsie's expertly honed people pleasing skills let her become whatever version of herself her client needs in the moment. But no, she won't sleep with them.
Elsie's favorite client is Greg, a harmless guy with an incredibly judgmental family. Despite Faux's rules, Elsie and Greg have a longstanding contract where she'll play his fake librarian girlfriend whenever Greg's mother gets on his case about being single. Elsie loves helping Greg, but his brother seems to hate her, for reasons Elsie can't discern.
Meanwhile, in the academic world, Elsie is up for a position at MIT as a tenure-track professor in their physics department, a role that would pay her enough to quit Faux, finally have the healthcare to pay for her Insulin, and would allow her to complete her research on crystals. But, just her luck, who else would be on the hiring committee but Jack Smith-Turner, Greg's prickly older brother, and the author behind the paper that ruined her academic advisor's career, as well as made a joke out of theoretical physics as a field. Of course Jack recognizes Elsie, who never made the connection between Greg's brother and the Jonathon that ruined her advisor's career years prior.
Like any Ali Hazelwood novel, miscommunication, misplaced anger, and a whirlwind romance follow. Once Elsie manages to explain to Jack that she hasn't been lying to his little brother all this time, the pair warm to each other. Nevertheless, Elsie can't stop herself from wondering why Jack wrote the paper that made a farce of theorists and her advisor, especially when it seems like he has so much respect for her work.
As Elsie grows closer to Jack she feels guilty for "betraying" her advisor, but friendship with Jack has shown her that she doesn't need to be afraid of her own opinion, or using her voice instead of molding her personality to fit the needs of the person talking to her. To Elsie's theorist education, falling in love with an experimentalist is the epitome of a disaster, but even she can't deny how happy Jack makes her.
Will Elsie and Jack be fated for doom or destined to succeed? And can a theoretical physicist and experimental physicist ever truly overcome their academic disputes?

Thoughts:
Love, Theoretically is by far my favorite of Hazelwood's STEM love sagas. As a narrator, I found Elsie to not only be incredibly relatable (especially as someone who is about to graduate college), but I also enjoyed her focus of study the most. Hazelwood does such an incredible job layering science with plot, and always ensures the reader will understand even the most complicated of topics without dumbing anything down. The author's note mentions that Love, Theoretically is her most academically focused book, as the plot does spend a great deal of time discussing the politics of science in higher education, particularly the history of fraud, sexism, and laziness amongst the older generation of gatekeeping white men.
Similarly to my love of Elsie, Jack was my favorite love interest by miles and miles. I'm not always the biggest fan of the trope where the man is overly protective of the woman to the point of treating her like she's incapacitated, but Jack was protective of Elsie to the perfect degree. I loved how much he respected her as a scientist regardless of her past or other forms of income, and he made sure to own his wrongdoings and refuse to contribute to the sexism of his colleagues. I never worried for Elsie with Jack, whereas I had some negative feelings at points during Adam and Olive and Bee and Levi's respective romances.
I did want to know more about Elsie's family. I wish Hazelwood had spent more time explaining the dynamic between Elsie and her brothers, as they were written like elementary aged children despite being older than her. Furthermore, I feel like we were given a lot of details to follow about the twins' hijinks without ever meeting them or even getting a flashback to Elsie's childhood growing up with them. I hated Elsie's mom, not just because she was cruel, but because she seemed a little unrealistic. Even the worst parents in the world would understand what getting a doctorate degree meant, and for Elsie's entire family to not know about her level of education or awards in physics felt like a reach.

Overall:
Ali Hazelwood only continues to grow as an author with each publication. Hazelwood brings an element to the table that other romance authors don't: real-life experience in the fields she writes about. As a scientist herself, Hazelwood adds an authentic voice to each of her narrators that I always appreciate.
I saw preliminary reviews of Love, Theoretically that were afraid that this novel would repeat The Love Hypothesis based on the initial summary, but I did not find that to be true. Hazelwood uses her favorite tropes in each book, but plays with and manipulates the situations to be so different from each other that I haven't found anything to be repetitive. My heart ached for Elsie and Jack, and there were definitely points where I wished I could switch places with Elsie, which is how I know it was a good romance.
Fans of Ali Hazelwood's previous novels, Helen Hoang's Kiss Quotient, and Emily Henry's Book Lovers will not be disappointed with Love, Theoretically!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for an ARC! To state the obvious, if you enjoyed Ali’s previous novels and are looking for another fun book featuring the grumpy/sunshine trope, this is the perfect read for you! While there are similarities between this one and her previous books, I enjoyed this one just as much! The Love Hypothesis was the first book I read that incorporated STEM, women empowerment, and emphasized the hardships of working in academia within a male dominated field. Love, Theoretically is similar but also adds in the difficulties and frustrations of competing and interviewing for academic jobs, the power of authority figures, academic politics, and how words can hold such a powerful influence in both the academic and personal life of our protagonist, Elsie.

Elsie is an adjunct professor of physics at several Boston universities who fake dates to make ends meet. She is a relatable and likeable main character, and I think many of us can relate to the hardships of putting others’ needs in front of your own, shaping ourselves around other people, and having a hard time saying no to others. While fake dating her client Greg, she has many interactions with his brother, Jack. To no surprise, Jack ends up on the hiring panel for the faculty position she’s applying for. Jack reminded me of the endearing Joshua Templeman from The Hating Game. Jack is grumpy and serious but from the start, I could tell he had a soft spot for Elsie. Elsie and Jack had a fun back and forth banter and witty comebacks and Ali excelled at the slow burn romance for these two and the romance!!!

Love, Theoretically isn’t simply a boy meets girl and they instantly fall in love because they are both into physics type of story. Ali really takes the time to develop her characters, gave them both interesting and emotional back stories, passionately depicted their interest in physics, and overall, I really appreciated the open and honest communication between Elsie and Jack!! Ask questions! Talk things out! Share your feelings! Don’t run away when things get tough! Love! Simply, another great read by the wonderful, Ali Hazelwood. Thank you again to NetGalley and Berkley, this is perfect summer/beach read. Expected publication: June 13th, 2023

Ali Hazelwood's books pack a double (triple?) punch... they are so smart, hilarious, and full of lurrrrrve. I couldn't ask or more! I read The Love Hypothesis and was obsessed - but I have to admit I wasn't as crazy about Love on the Brain. But Love, Theoretically? THE BEST. Elsie is struggling through academia one torturous student email at a time while trying to balance family, friends, and that teeny tiny little thing known as a steady (livable) income. Jack Smith seems to have it all figured out, until Elsie comes into the picture and disrupts his carefully crafted experimentalist bubble. I love that Hazelwood's characters are intelligent, yet real. They can be professors and scientists and doctors while still facing tough life issues and laughing their way through the awkwardness of relationships and job interviews. Such a refreshing, funny, smart - and steamy - love story. Quite possibly my favorite of Ali Hazelwood's books to date. Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group, Berkley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Elsie is an adjunct physics professors, but that doesn't really pay the bills. At night she goes on fake dates to make ends meet and pay for her insulin. Everything is going well, she has an interview for a dream job at MIT, until she meets the hiring committee and finds out that one of her fake date's brothers, Jack, is on the committee. Jack has always hated Elsie, at least that's what she thinks, but the more time they spend together, the more she begins to question his feelings and her own.

Ali Hazelwood delivers again with a relatable heroine who is stuck trying to people please and more commentary on STEM and academia. The romance at the center of the novel is similar to Hazelwood's other novels, but the main characters, Elsie and Jack, are distinct enough to make this novel stand on its own. Fans of The Love Hypothesis and Love on the Brain will be excited for a new Hazelwood novel.

This is exactly what I was hoping for. I have loved what Ali Hazelwood has written so far and she did not disappoint with Love, Theoretically. Elsie's people pleasing tendencies are relatable and Jack's patience and understanding are a dream.

Ali Hazelwood does it again! Ali understands academia, and all its nuances, and writes page-turning romances in that setting. In Love, Theoretically, there are several twists and turns that make for a bit of mystery along the way. It's an outstanding read, with characters I'd want to be friends with. A few from a previous book even make a cameo!

Ali Hazelwood levels up her game with every book! Funny, poignant, maddening at parts because of sexism in STEM academia: this book has it all. Ali is an amazing romance writer and deserves all the flowers she gets!

ok i KNOW the discourse is that ali hazelwood’s books are all very similar but i’m just saying….. if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. i like her big, brooding, always-fall-first men, i like her academic settings, and i like her wit. there’s nothing wrong with honing your skills! i will always read her stuff QUICKLY and HAPPILY. thank you.

#netgalley

Let me start off with saying, I will always love STEM-meets-romance.
In her third novel, Love, Theoretically (following the successes of The Love Hypothesis and Love on the Brain), author Ali Hazelwood brings to life rival physicists Elsie Hannaway and Jack Smith. Elsie is an adjunct professor scraping by until the day she can research theoretical physics full time, meanwhile Jack is the experimental physics rising star at MIT. Two realms of physics at a head — so who will win? Without spoilers, this is a balanced mix of competition, romance (and spice), and the science Hazelwood is known to put in the heart of her novels (as well as some of her other favorite tropes of enemies to lovers, academia, fake dating, etc.) Keep an eye out for when this releases June 13th.
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the advanced copy!

What I loved about Love, Theoretically
-classic Ali Hazelwood humor
-the banter (gah the banter)
-the way I related so much to Elsie
-angsty in a way that I loved

Elsie Hannaway lives a double life…she’s an adjunct physics professor by day and offers herself as a “fake girlfriend” in the evenings. The extra gig in the evenings helps pay for some of Elsie’s bills; teaching alone definitely isn’t making all her ends meet. When Elsie’s most recent fake boyfriend ends up having a brooding older brother, Elsie doesn’t make much of it. She tries to avoid Jack Smith at all costs. Except Jack Smith ends up being on the hiring committee of a job that Elsie interviews for. Things get complicated when Elsie has to reconcile her two personalities while simultaneously trying to compete for her dream job.

Love, Theoretically was angsty, swoony, a bit taboo and messy (in the best way) and I absolutely loved this book. The romance between Jack and Elsie was slow burning, sexy and so damn sweet. I think my current boyfriend is whoever was in Ali’s most recent book and then she writes another hero who I can’t help but fall for. I loved how Jack saw through Elsie and didn’t let her be anyone but herself with him. Being vulnerable for your partner is scary and I felt all of these scary thoughts with Elsie while she slowly let go of her inhibitions with Jack.

But what I loved most about Love, Theoretically, was Elsie’s self discovery. I feel that so many of us deal with imposter syndrome. I know that I do - whether that’s in my field of work, at home or even on social media. It’s easy to fit ourselves into a slot to appease those of us around us. But what about what we want or what we truly believe. Sometimes those important parts of ourselves get pushed to the side and after that’s been happening for so long you forget about what really matters to you. I loved loved loved that Jack saw through this with Elsie. He was observant and sweet and never judging her - he only wanted to see her and want her to be her true self around him…swoon.

Love, Theoretically definitely moved its way up there as one of my favorite Ali Hazelwood romances.

Thank you, Ali Hazelwood, for another wonderful romcom for me to hyperfixate and swoon over.

We're given a female main character, navigating the world of STEM politics, as well as navigating her mental health, financial struggle, being a diabetic, family dynamics, career discomfort, and we get to really learn her as she learns herself.

Our love interest, Jack, is patient and encouraging and everything we all need in a partner. The book is definitely slow burn, but in the best way. We fall in love with the characters as they begin to fall in love with each other.

I adored Jack and Elsie so much because they were odd and relatable with an extraordinary love story.

The third time's the charm! While I have absolutely LOVED both of Hazelwood's previous novels, this one hooked me in INSTANTLY with the banter, electric chemistry, and the tense, forbidden aspect. It feels like her other work, but the vibe is also all its own - it progresses a little differently, the storyline is unpredictable, and the characters themselves are so rich and interesting. I loved that our heroine is strong and intelligent, yet also grapples with trying to find herself. And I adored that our hero genuinely loves the aspects of her that she is most insecure about. I loved that they push each other to be better, and it was EASY to see all of the ways they're perfect together. The forbidden aspect - our heroine is (fake) dating the hero's brother - adds a whole new layer of complexity to the relationship development, and it really ratcheted up the tension. I devoured this so quickly, and I was completely hooked the entire time.

The story follows Elsie, a struggling theoretical physicist who has been fake dating guys for years to pay the bills. Elsie is good at fake dating, because she's been molding herself into whoever other people want her to be her entire life, and it's as natural as breathing at this point. Except... there's one guy who can't seem to stand her, the older brother of her favorite client. They've only interacted a few times over the last six months, but it's easy to see that Jack is skeptical of Elsie. So when he discovers that Elsie isn't the sweet and demure librarian she claimed to be - she's actually a highly-regarded physicist who is interviewing for a job she desperately needs - it complicates their already-strained relationship. And when Elsie realizes that Jack might be the one who determines whether or not she gets the job? Well, she knows she has a rocky road ahead.

There's something about Hazelwood's writing style that I find immensely bingeable, and this was no exception. I didn't read the blurb before diving in, I just started reading - and I was gripped by the premise right away. The unique concept and unpredictability, plus the vibrant academic environment, added such a fresh feel to this. Yes, it still felt like Hazelwood's other work - with a heroine who works in STEM, a single perspective, an overwhelmingly large and intriguing hero, and enemies to lovers vibes - but I could also see the differences immediately. I loved that I wasn't quite sure how things would progress, and I really loved both Jack and Elsie. Elsie's personality-shifting was really interesting to read, and it was great that Jack could read her like a book. We get that fantastic friction of an enemies-ish to lovers romance, the forbidden element, the rivalry, and the sheer connection of two people who are perfect for each other. It kept me on my toes as much as they kept each other on theirs, and the whole book was one incredibly engaging ride to HEA. I absolutely loved it, possibly even more than the other two. Huge thanks to the publisher for the early copy, and I'm voluntarily leaving a review of this sexual tension-filled romance.

Queen of STEM romance, the birth mother of the most quirky, nerdy, entertaining, likable and very huggable characters is back! And she returned back with my all time favorite trope: enemies to lovers!

I can honestly say this is my favorite book of hers: because it’s FUNNIER, SEXIER, QUIRKIER! Did I tell you Jack Smith is the best book boyfriend she’s created? That sulking, intense, intelligent man knows how to make a girl happy! He’s passionate but he perfectly controls himself to put Elsie’s needs first. He’s caring, patient, gentle. I loved him!

And let’s introduce you dear Elsie who earned my ten thousand hugs. She’s graduated with Ph.D. in theoretical physics. When she couldn’t get an academic position she’s dreamt of, fake-girlfriending her way through her student loans turned into her only solution to put her out of her misery.

Even though she still lives in a crappy apartment she’s sharing with her bestie Cece, she still keeps her hopes high to find a better position in near future. She still tries to keep her head above the water as an adjunct professor, lecturing five different classes, reading students’ very sincere emails ( those emails made my week! I guffawed too loud) , grading labs, teaching thermodynamics. In the meantime, her mother forces her to become negotiator to solve her big brothers’ extra immature problems they’ve gotten themselves into!

Here’s the weakness of Elsie Hannaway: she doesn’t know the meaning of “no”! She can never say this word! She’s molding into different character for each person in her life, putting their needs first. That’s why she never thinks through what she really wants from the universe!

Then her path crosses with her big nemesis. She finds out her best fake-dating customer Greg’s brooding but also very charismatic brother Jack Smith is also the same person who has written an article that ruined her mentor’s career! And unfortunately he’s the same man who is ruling the physics department at MIT! He’s one of the decision makers who will decide if she’s the right candidate for her dream job. You may guess Jack supports another candidate for the job and he’s really shocked to find out Elsie is not librarian girlfriend of her brother as he’s been introduced. As an experimental theorist he has every intention to reject to work with a theorist!

Elsie has no intention to leave her dream position without a fight. She’s adamant to fight against the man who gets under her skin. Yes, she finds him very attractive. Yes, she wants to rip his clothes and kiss him senseless then punch him in the face. But she can restrain her feelings to be professional, right? Oh, you already know the answer!

Overall: Elsie and Jack were dynamites! I loved their dialogues, hilarious banters, blazing chemistry! That’s my favorite work of the author! I wish I could give more than five stars!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

What an absolute DELIGHT!!! Ali's protagonists are so likeable and the academic content/commentary is still accessible and interesting for people not in STEM. 10/10 let's keep this going.