I lovedddd this book, and I could not put it down. I love that Ali strayed from her usual formula to give us something different, while still incorporating a woman in STEM as our FMC. It was nice to have a happy/golden retriever MMC as opposed to the usual grumpy brooding one. I also loved that this was dual POV!

This is definitely Ali’s steamiest book yet, but it worked for me because I felt like each interaction helped us understand both of them better as people, and their connection. I also really enjoyed that Ali dove deeper into some more serious topics, as both of them had some childhood trauma that impacted them as adults— and was crucial to the story.

There were only a few things that didn’t work for me— Rue’s relationship with her brother felt weird. What he wanted seemed really fair, and she kept blowing him off instead of trying to find a solution but then saying he was at fault. I also felt like the side characters in this book were quite weak compared to her other books. I felt like Rue has such a cool bestie, and had the opportunity for her to play a bigger role in the book— and she didn’t! Same with Eli’s sister.

Still loved this one, and think so many are going to love too!

Rue Siebert is a biotech engineer at Kline, a start-up business where she works with her best friends, Trish and Florence. Rue has had a difficult childhood and has difficulty letting people in. She prefers one-night stands with no strings attached.

When Rue's almost hook-up with Eli Kilgore is interrupted by her brother, she is relieved - especially when she finds out that Eli and his partners have started a hostile takeover of Kline.

But even though Rue never has a second date, she makes an exception for Eli, if only to get him out of her system. Soon they are both torn between their attraction to each other and their loyalty to their respective companies.

Why We Love This Book: If you love Ali Hazelwood Books, this pick from the spring 2024 book releases will not disappoint you. It is a very steamy pick, even when compared to Hazelwood's other romances. Her books always depict women in STEM and we love a strong female protagonist.
Trigger Warnings: This book talks about food insecurity and its lasting effects

YA I ATE IT UP THANK YOUUUUUUUUU!

I’m down BAD for this pairing! 🫦

This might be my favorite Ali book!!

It follows Rue who is a biochemical engineer (women in stem >>>>) who matches on an app with Eli who works in finance for a night of entanglements until he shows up at her work place to possibly acquire the company she works for! Uh oh!

(What ever will they do with all this tension, secrecy
and angst! )


One of my favorite things while reading about this couple was the nonverbal communications between Rue and Eli. He completely understood her and admired her through so many cues when she couldn’t verbally communicate it at times.

To be loved is to be seen and this story embodied that in the most beautiful way!!

The understanding and acceptance of just being who you are in their relationship actually had me sobbing! It was so😭😭😭😭 and so🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹


Also lemme get into the spice real quick buckle up my friend. Every chapter this man OOOWEEE HE WAS TALKING IT THROUGH TO HER LEMME TELL YA.

When I thought damn he can’t get anymore 🥵🫦 Ali said clutch ur pearls bestie then BAM he’d say something WILDT.


There’s a grand gesture that had me punching the air because you can see the love being reciprocated and how special that moment was!!



Thank you Berkley romance for sending me an ARC forehead kisses to u all!

WOW. ali hazelwood’s spiciest book yet and i LOVED it. i could not get enough of this book, i’m serious. her books continue to get better and better with each release, and this one was no exception. the characters felt so complex and realistic, and the plot + the obstacles it brought were so believable (which can feel rare in the romance genre). the way that eli loves rue??? TO DIE FOR.

this book also takes place in my hometown (austin) and my university was mentioned constantly (UT), and it was both bizarre and heartwarming to read about the neighborhoods i’ve lived in. i also appreciated how ali gave a realistic depiction of the sexism within UT as an institution.

For Dr. Rue Siebert everything is going perfectly. She works for a great company where she gets funding for her research, and her boss is one of her best friends. But one day everything seems to be falling apart- Kline-the loan for the company she works for has been taken over by Harkness. When the smug CEOs of Harkness show up at her workplace to explain the takeover, Rue recognizes one of the CEOs as the man she met online.

Eli Killgore is proud of Harkness, the company built by him and his closest friends. Their end goal in sight, Eli celebrates by matching with a beautiful woman online. She is everything he wants in a woman but their date is rudely interrupted. Imagine his surprise when he sees her the next day at Kline. Will Rue and Eli keep to their own sides, or will the growing attraction between threaten to destroy everything they created?

I loved this latest by Ali Hazelwood full of the same snark, sparks and Reylo shenanigans.

Thank you SO MUCH to the publisher for providing me a free eARC for review! This one is out June 11!

Rating: 5/5 stars

Rue and Eli are on opposite sides of a hostile takeover of the food tech start-up where she works—but their attraction might prove impossible to resist.

Are you tired of hearing about how much I love Ali Hazelwood? If so, TOO BAD. Every time I read a new book by this woman I become even more in awe, because there is truly nothing she can’t write: STEM rom-coms? Check. Novellas? Check. Young adult romance? Check. Paranormal romance? Check. And now, erotic romance with SO MUCH heart and an absolutely beautiful character arc about realizing your own worth and learning to love others and yourself????? CHECK ONCE AGAIN.

This was genuinely one of the most lovely and poignant books I’ve ever read, while also being one of the swooniest and spiciest. I love a “he falls first” book, and Eli fell HARD, y’all. This man was down bad and I loved every single second of it. I’m also so picky about third act conflicts but this one was PERFECT—it made sense in the context of their relationship and added stakes to the story without feeling over-dramatic or unnecessary.

Truly, my only complaint about this book is that I have now finished it, because I never wanted it to end.

CW: Poverty/food insecurity/child neglect; mentions of death of parent

Relieved about my rating because Bride was blah for me. The duet audiobook narration definitely helped. I generally dislike books where MC1 is first person and MC2 is third person, but it was easy to ignore that in audio (especially because both narrators would speak in both POVs).

It’s interesting to see the author’s note categorizing this book as a darker, erotic romance. I mean, yes? And also no. My main issue is that I don’t think AH is fantastic at sex scenes. Decent and better than most writers, sure. But memorable enough for me to get hooked and hang onto every description? No. AH’s strengths lie elsewhere. I kinda glazed over most of the explicit content, which is unfortunate since there’s more here compared to prior installments. But outside of that, I was totally invested and moved by the characters.

I don’t *totally* understand what dual POV added to the book, tbh. We get it, the hero isn’t as evil as the heroine assumed. But I didn’t need the hero’s thoughts to know that, lol. It was abundantly clear from the heroine’s initially-oblivious perspective. I mean, I liked getting to know the sister and the colleagues, but there’s a version of this book that would’ve been equally informative/successful without Eli’s POV. AH is so good at dramatic irony and it would’ve been more impactful with only Rue’s narration. My feeling of dual POV romance can be summed up as: do both characters experience an equally-significant emotional journey and change? No? Then why am I reading about both characters’ thoughts!!! Eli isn’t a static character, but Rue’s emotional journey is a 100x more complicated and interesting.

Read via audio (narrated by Callie Dalton and Jason Clarke).

Not in Love is NOW my new favorite book by this author. We are back in the world of STEM to meet Rue and Eli. Rue is a biotech engineer, and owes her success to her mentor and company. When a equity firm makes a play for the company, Rue's lifework is in jeopardy. Eli is part of the hostile takeover, and is viewed as the enemy.

These two meet the night before on a dating app, specializing in one-night only rendezvous. This no strings attached fits both of their lifestyles, until feelings get in the way. Their chemistry is undeniable. Eli's sexy talk, and swoon worthiness is scorching hot.

Hazelwood writes fun, interesting, lovable characters. I especially appreciated the duel POV, alternating between the love interests.

Not in Love leaves the readers giddy, joyous and blushing.

Thank you, Berkley.

📣 a steamy shouldn’t be attracted you, but I totally, totally am contemporary between two science-lovers who are pitted against each other

Thanks to the publisher for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

📖 what’s something you’re not in love with? I’m going to say fire ants. Horrid creatures & they’re everywhere where I live!

Well Not In Love by Ali Hazelwood is interesting. I knew that the reported high angst would likely not be my fave but it wasn’t *too terrible* for me.

It’s definitely helped by the copious amounts of steam throughout the book. NIL is a romance where I think you can feel the tension & desire from the beginning.

There are moments of Hazelwood’s trademark quirky humor throughout, too, although I wish there had been more. I love how modern her humor is & how much it uses contemporary culture & I missed some of it as the angst & some overall heavier themes intermittently took front stage.

Maybe what touched me the most about this romance is the acceptance both leads have for each other. FMC Rue can be so critical of herself but Eli likes all of those things that have caused her social discomfort in the past.

But there are a couple of things about the book that bothered me—for the sake of being too spoilery, I’ll mention them in the comments below👇🏻 .

So this wasn’t my fave Ali Hazelwood so far but it was good & will probably be a bigger hit with those who like that back & forth!

4 ⭐️. Out 06/11.

CWs: food insecurity, loss, parental estrangement.

[ID: Jess wears a multicolored plaid dress & reclines on a bed. In the background, also on the bed, is a gray cat. Farther back is a yellow wall, a bookcase, & a desk with some plants.]

What didn’t work for me too much: Eli’s consideration & conceptualization of penetrative sex, which Rue establishes at the beginning she doesn’t want to have. I think all of those moments in the book would have bothered me less if they had discussed earlier why she didn’t want to have it. Because that discussion happens later in the book, his interior thoughts about it gave me some ick. (2) The supposed betrayal of Florence’s friendship, which is pretty much glossed over at the end bc of what Florence has done to other people. I kinda get it, but also, it felt like the betrayal had been built up into this thing & then there isn’t satisfying closure for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Okay the title is a lie! literally in the first chapter of eli’s pov when he first sets his eyes on rue, he’s already in love. Ali Hazelwood never fails in writing DOWN BAD men and science drama

I wasn’t expecting this book to be (very very loosely) giving Romeo and Juliet vibes but make it lab-office setting. The forbidden aspect is definitely there where I can feel the angsty tension between rue and eli even through the pages - their tension was PALPABLE

Even though rue and eli’s relationship was more physical based, their relationship was still EVERYTHING! I love how the couple are able to admit their vulnerabilities and flaws to each other without feeling judged. Also the way eli loves rue has me screaming!!

Wow Eli definitely served obsessed boy loserism !!!!!!! MALEWIFEEE ENERGY !! BRING REAL MEN LIKE HIM BACK Ali Hazelwood just knows how to write YEARNING MEN. i feel like the hottest part about him was how respected rue's boundaries, and limits. also eli just reminds me of the song “seven” by jungkook, latto

Rue was such a complex introvert yet relatable character with her social anxiety and commitment issues - she’s so real! Even though rue’s character seemed closed off and stand offish at first, you learn more about her and her layers. Also learning about her childhood makes you want to give her a big hug! I love her so much she’s so pookie

also love the check and mate mention with nolan and mallory !!!

Overall, Ali Hazelwood wrote another amazing romance about women in stem and their loser men that pines for them!

Unfortunately, I too, was Not in Love with this book.

If you enjoy Ali's spicy scenes you'd probably enjoy this. He basically has a magical peen that cures her apathy? distaste? for penetrative sex and that's basically the whole novel. He's down bad from page one and she's falls in love slowly after some pretty impressive wand work. The rest of the book is pretty much background noise. Her back story really did not make any sense at all and I wasn't quite satisfied with the conclusion plot-wise of the book.

Nonetheless I will continue to read every single thing Ali writes. Til the next one!

Rue Siebert's stable world is upended by a hostile takeover led by the alluring yet off-limits Eli Killgore, starting a secret and temporary romance with an expiration date tied to their competing companies. Rue and Eli navigate the challenges of the collide of their professional and personal worlds.

Not in Love is unlike any of Ali Hazelwood's previous books. I absolutely loved the dual POV, which worked exceptionally well. The angst and forbidden romance added a thrilling dynamic, and the pining between Rue and Eli was captivating. Despite their differences, it made perfect sense for them to be together. I appreciated the mystery surrounding Eli's role and the unpredictable ending. Both the romance and the plot kept me engaged throughout the story. This is definitely Ali's steamiest book yet and truly deserves all the stars!

I'm so glad there was an author's note on this one because it's definitely not what I would think of as an Ali book! That being said, I think this is one of her best written books and I really enjoyed the read, even if it was heavier than I was anticipating. Eli and Rue both had such rich backstories and histories and their HEA felt really earned. This is a standout!

This book had a little bit different tone than Ali’s usual books, but that does not mean it was bad. I enjoyed the story. It kept me engaged throughout and I flew through this read in two days. There were some moments in the book I could not believe that this would be published through Berkeley! All of this to say is that this is probably my second least favorite Ali book. That however, does not mean that this book is bad! Ali has masterpieces and this is just adding to her list.

Not In Love by Ali Hazelwood
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Rue is a scientist working at a company with her friends. Eli is a finance guy who’s group wants to takeover the company Rue works at. They are meant to be enemies and yet they wind up as secret lovers.
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What I liked:
-Both Rue and Eli had a lot of back story that helped explain what was motivating their choices. I loved gradually learning each of their stories.
-I loved Eli and his sister and the way they interacted. I also loved how Eli’s friend group was a found family.
-Rue and her bestie getting roasted by the lawyer little sister was hilarious. 😂
-This was a four star book for me all the way through until the last 15% of the book where things got very emotional and all the most meaningful conversations happened. Then I had to give it 5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
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I will say that this isn’t my favorite Hazelwood book to date. That would be either Love Hypothesis, Check and Mate or Bride.

I received a complimentary advanced copy of NOT IN LOVE by Ali Hazelwood. Thank you to PRH Audio for the chance to provide an honest review.

NOT IN LOVE follows Rue and Eli. Rue is a biotech engineer working for a woman she admires along with her best friend. She is happy with her life as it is and isn't looking for a relationship. She prefers an occasional hook-up with a man she will never see again. Eli is one of these men, but their evening is interrupted. She still figures she'll never see him again until it turns out he is one of the business partners looking to take over the company where she works. Eli has reasons for targeting this particular business, but with Rue caught in the crossfire, things get complicated.

I think this book felt very different from the Ali Hazelwood books that I have previously read. It felt like there was a lot more sex and a lot less science compared to her previous women in STEM stories. The book does start off with the main characters connected through a desire for a sexual relationship, so that does wind up understandably taking up much of the page time. That said, I did enjoy the business maneuverings and the way things got complicated on that end.

I did really enjoy the friendships in here and the way people supported their found family. There were some twists to that which were somewhat expected, but for the most part I think it showed healthy friendships and people willing to open and change their minds.

I’m not sure how I want to rate this. On one hand I appreciate that Ali Hazelwood dipped her toes into a bit more new adult instead of formulaic rom-com. On the other hand this was my least favorite of her books. My biggest problem with the book was the character building & relationship building. When NA authors write characters who are flawed from past trauma their characters behaviors, words, actions etc, usually seem to flow and connect back to that trauma and makes the reader feel something for the characters. These characters, Rue & Eli, their backstories and trauma didn’t connect to the majority of their characterizations. There seemed to be a lack of connection & depth between who the characters were and why, if that makes sense. And because of that I think it was hard for me to feel any connection to these characters or the story, and so where the “spicy” scenes were supposed to be a plot device to move the characters forward, they were just eh, there. I do love the cover of this and the writing itself was wonderfully classic Ali Hazelwood.

I enjoy a good STEM meet-cute novel. This time we meet a food scientist, Rue, who is living a content life until a hostile takeover of the company she works for. Of course, one of the evil partners in the takeover is caught under Rue's spell making things more difficult. Can we say forbidden love theme? I was all in- Ali Hazelwood always puts out a fun read.

Rue works at Kline with her friends, Tisha and Florence, who is also her boss. Then, Harkness walks in to take the company over. And with them, Eli, the handsome man she met for a hookup that never happened last night... He's the enemy, but she can't seem to keep away from him despite feeling ashamed that she is betraying her friend... and he is completely head over heels for her.
This is a STEM, enemies to lovers, he falls first romance. Eli was OK. I found it disappointing that it seemed that most of what he wanted from her was sex. Rue, I found a bit annoying, but not enough to dislike her. Were they cute together? Sadly, I didn't feel the connection. Despite all of the spicy scenes (many of them, and lengthy ones), I just couldn't feel the tension between the two MMCs. I couldn't feel the emotional attachment. This romance fell a bit short for me. It was more of an emotional read the her other romances, packed up with childhood trauma. I didn't dislike it, but jt was not as amazing as we are used to from her. Maybe take a little more time writing the next one? I don't mind waiting. It was still an entertaining read, and it was a bit different than what she usually does (for once, the MMC is not a giant and the FMC is not tiny).
I received an advance review copy of this book for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I mean it’s Ali Hazelwood so I knew I would love it! This book is a lot spicier and angsty than any of her previous books, but as always we have two damaged and flawed characters with incredible chemistry navigating the world of STEM.
Although I have not lived the experiences these characters went through, they felt very real and dealt with the care they deserve.
I love Ali and I would read her grocery list, and this book wasn’t an exception.