What a fun read! Hazelwood brings her classic blend of snark, wit, humor, and heartbreak to this newest story. Though it has the usual tropes (namely "enemies to lovers"), Hazelwood always. puts a fresh spin on the romance genre through the thoughtful crafting of complex characters and multiple POVs, along with a surprisingly unpredictable plot. This is summer must-read for anyone looking for a side of spice with their science!

Not in Love was the sweetest and most angst-filled novel Ali Hazelwood has written to date and I absolutely loved it.

Eli and Rue meet for a one-night stand that crashes and burns before it ever begins. Finding out they are literally enemies complicates things even further: Eli’s company is threatening to destroy Florence, Rue’s boss and trusted mentor.

Eli and Rue stand on opposite sides, but their chemistry and attraction is undeniable and although they try, they simply cannot stay away from each other.

They initiate a secret affair and foolishly plan to keep it strictly physical. And, although they spend a great deal of time exploring the physical aspects of their relationship, they also find that their shared childhood trauma allows them to be honest with each other in a way they never expected.

I loved watching Eli and Rue break down their barriers, openly communicate throughout the entire story, and ultimately find love and safety in one another.

Also, it may be far-fetched, but I hope Ali Hazelwood gives Hark and Maya their own book.

Ali does it again!
She thrives in an academic world. The chosen family was wonderful. The complicated family dynamics was super relatable. The way the male MC stepped up to take care of his sister was commendable.

Advanced Reader Copy Review
Not In Love by Ali Hazelwood. I went back and forth on the rating between three and four stars, and I would give it a 3.75-star rating. There is a trigger warning page before the start of this book, with even Hazelwood discussing that this book might not be for everyone. Both main characters have experienced trauma in their past that leads them to have difficulties with relationships and processing emotions. So be sure to check that before reading the book. My primary thoughts about the teetering rating were that the plot was slow in the book's first half, and there wasn't a ton of character development. However, the plot exploded in the book's second half, leading to an overall understanding of the characters' actions. Overall, if you like Ali Hazewool, definitely read it. Just proceed with caution. Side note: Are we going to get a Hark and Maya book? I would be down for that!

Not in Love is a book that I’ve been incredibly excited about since I first saw the announcement last year, and it’s no secret that Ali Hazelwood is one of my absolute favorite authors.

I went into this book with the knowledge that it would have a different tone than Ali’s previous STEM romcoms. With the knowledge that it would deal with deeper topics such as grief and food insecurity, I went into it with an open mind, excited to see how such topics would be handled in the context of a secret relationship in the workplace between two rivals.

In short, it was handled beautifully. Rue and Eli were two incredibly complex characters, individually working through their own complicated pasts in a way that brought them together: a sex forward dating app meant to match people who are looking for similar things. This becomes complicated when they realize Rue is a scientist at Kline, and Eli and his business partners are set on taking over the company and its biotech. But as relationships with such a gravitational pull as theirs goes, they decide to engage in a secret affair.

This book was spicier than Ali’s previous work, but each placement taught us more and more about the characters. As they worked through their traumas in a more physical way, we got to see their healing journeys and how they helped each other through it. Rue was a very, understandably, distrustful FMC because of her history, and it was beautiful to see how Eli met her where she was and never expected her to be anyone other than herself. Characters who show up for each other and let each other exist in the purest forms of themselves are beautiful to witness, and Ali delivered this very well. We got a slice of the classic banter while still managing to hold the hard topics up to the light in a way that kept them at the forefront of character development.

Beyond the main characters, we got to meet a whole cast of side characters who were not only well developed, but truly displayed how found family and community can really help the healing process.

I truly recommend this read, because it’s nothing short of amazing 🩷

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

My love for this book is simply not enough to write in this tiny reviewer slot. I need loads of paper, endless amounts of pens and even quills, and finally all the time in the world. 😘🙌

This book was so different then what Ali usually writes, and I was utterly consumed by it. The tone of this book is much more serious and handles subjects like Grief, food insecurity, and child neglect.

It def is less of a rom-com and leans more towards another genre which Ali has dubbed "Erotic Romance." I think this is important to acknowledge because others might not enjoy this book for that very reason.

I personally fell in love with this book and everything it gave me 🧎🏻‍♀️.

Our two main characters are Eli and Rue who meet via a dating app (things don't quite work out the first time) but the sparks do fly. the following day they meet and it turns out that Eli and his business partners are trying to take over the company that Rue works for. And despite that... the attraction is THERE, therefore their affair begins. Leaving both Rue and Eli questioning everything.

This book had everything, Eli is a man who will HUMBLE himself before Rue. He is so whipped and in love that it fits like a glove 💋. If your man isn't as committed as Eli, you might want to THINK AGAIN 🫵.

The way that even fate was rooting for them too had me chuckling 🤭.

Rue and Eli are both individuals who struggle with the concept of dating. Some might find this annoying and therefore find this book not to be within their tastes and that's okay. But personally, I love it when two characters define their idea of love together rather than apart.

Rue was so me-coded, that I needed to catch my breath. She is a full-hearted introvert with very few friends and a lack of a social life. And yet, she is an amazing character that WINS you over. Despite her distant persona, she knows exactly what she wants and she is NOT apologetic about it. Rightfully so.

I would love to be your friend Rue!! I need you to teach me your ways so that I can also get myself a man like Eli 👀.

This was the perfect mix of Angst, Spice, and Drama wrapped up with a major bow of Horniness 🥵.

Ali and her work always manage to captivate me! And this book showcased exactly that.

I cannot wait for the world to have this book in their hands 🫶🏼.

This is not like any other Ali Hazelwoods and I am here for it!
Is 2024 the year of getting deep complicated romance characters?!
Everything in this book is different. The spicy sex scenes, the type of characters, even the amount of stem. But overall it is still a quick read and there is still an animal sidekick and free bride, Ali has proves she can do no wrong.

ali hazelwood’s novels will always be a hit for me. she is an auto-buy author and i will read any and everything she writes. not in love takes the cake for being my fav ali hazelwood to date. golden retriever x black cat will forever be my fav romance trope and eli + rue were so dang perfect. eli was such a lover boy and such a baby girl! i absolutely adored how he cared so deeply for rue. gimmie a mmc who is so obsessed with his girl and who will do any and everything for her. rue was and is MY GIRL. i related to her on such a visceral level. eli said it perfectly: “my sad, beautiful fortress girl” 🥹!!!!! the chemistry, tension, and swoony moments were there from the very start of this book. i was instantly rooting for them. not only was this top tier spice but it was also so emotional. i was one minute sweating from how hot they were and then the next minute crying bc i felt so deeply for these two. i can’t recommend this one enough and im so excited for you all to get your hands on it!!!

thank you berkley for the ARC!!! i had the most wonderful time! pub date: june 11th 💖

ali hazelwood’s novels will always be a hit for me. she is an auto-buy author and i will read any and everything she writes. not in love takes the cake for being my fav ali hazelwood to date. golden retriever x black cat will forever be my fav romance trope and eli + rue were so dang perfect. eli was such a lover boy and such a baby girl! i absolutely adored how he cared so deeply for rue. gimmie a mmc who is so obsessed with his girl and who will do any and everything for her. rue was and is MY GIRL. i related to her on such a visceral level. eli said it perfectly: “my sad, beautiful fortress girl” 🥹!!!!! the chemistry, tension, and swoony moments were there from the very start of this book. i was instantly rooting for them. not only was this top tier spice but it was also so emotional. i was one minute sweating from how hot they were and then the next minute crying bc i felt so deeply for these two. i can’t recommend this one enough and im so excited for you all to get your hands on it!!!

thank you berkley for the ARC!!! i had the most wonderful time! pub date: june 11th 💖

First of all, I've loved being included in these blog tours and truly appreciate the opportunity to participate! I've loved most books I've read by Ali Hazelwood, up to this point, so I was excited to check this one out! Unfortunately, I have to admit up top that not only was this my least favorite book by Hazelwood so far, but it was a let down of a read for me in most ways. Now, of course, this is a subjective take, especially the things that didn't work for me, and many of my complaints may work great for others!

First of all, I was disappointed to find that this was a duel POV romance story. Hazelwood has always been a favorite of mine for the simple fact that she writes single POV love stories, something that I always prefer. And, I'm sorry to say, but I think the change in format was for the worse in general. More often than not, I feel like authors end up using duel POV as a crutch when conveying the a love story. Instead of showing the romance building, the narrative simply switches between POVs where both characters simply tell the reader how much they adore the other. And we had much of that here. Gone was much of the nuance and the romantic scenes/action that show the characters growing to love one another.

What's worse, given the nature of the way this relationship builds, instead of telling the reader how much they each are growing to care for one another, we ended up with a whole lot of inner thoughts about simply wanting to jump into bed with one another. The male POV was especially rough in this arena. I don't care to repeat the number of times he reflects on how great of a lay Rue is. This is all fine and dandy, but not something I need to be in someone's head to hear about repeatedly.

I also thought the balance was off in this book between the spice scenes and the emotional development: there was too much of the former and not enough of the latter. Rue, in particular, had an interesting background and I enjoyed learning more about her backstory and watching her come out of her shell a bit Eli. But for his part, Eli felt a bit too much like your standard "golden retriever esque tech bro" type character. He also seemed to immediately fall into instalove/lust with Rue from their very first scene together, which didn't leave the story anywhere to go for him.

Unfortunately, I didn't love this book, which I'm so disappointed to report. I've really enjoyed Hazelwood's romances in the past, but many aspects of this were just never going to be for me (the duel POVS, the balance of spice to plot, etc.). Others who like these elements may enjoy this one more.

Rating 6: The duel POV hampered rather than helped the love story, and the spice scenes were not the best and overshadowed the plot.

Ali Hazelwood is a star and an autoread for me. To surprise of no one, this book was absolutely fantastic and I highly recommend it. I love the STEMinist series. I love that the characters are strong and self-sufficient and smart and in science. I love the relationships she writes about even if her formula (enemies to lovers plus power imbalance) are two of my least favorite tropes in romance. But the good outweighs the not-favorite-tropes because how good of an author Ali Hazelwood is. So keep them coming! Ready for the next one!

I absolutely loved this one from Hazelwood - sometimes she is hit or miss for me but this one is probably my favorite of hers so far!
Thank you for the opportunity to read early!

This is Ali Hazelwood’s spiciest read, and I am here for that! While the beginning took some time to get into, I ended up really enjoying the story and of course, all the science!

Read if you like:
-STEM setting
-Forbidden romance
-Grumpy heroine
-Spice

This had many of the trappings of a classic Ali Hazelwood--women in STEM, enemies to lovers, workplace romance--but it just felt unfinished. I wasn't drawn in by Rue and Eli's attraction, and the central conflict didn't seem like as big a deal as they made it.

Hazelwood also made the strange choice to have one of her dual POV characters narrate in first person, and the other in third person. This was jarring every single time they switched, and I don't understand why she wouldn't just pick one or the other. (I can't remember if she has done in this in previous books, but if so it didn't bother me as much.) And it kept me as a reader further from getting into Eli's head, which meant his side of the story wasn't as strong.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

*Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

What an angsty book baby. It's delectable even without the sexy scenes, but those scenes are well worth it. A corporate takeover, intellectual property drama, a friend group that I'd love to join? So MANY subplots! I love a STEM girlie going after a patent.

Rue and Eli are by no means meant to be. There's an intellectual attraction from the get-go that supersedes anything physical, and circumstance keeps thrusting them together. And then watching them grow together? Priceless! Seeing Rue learn how to pet a dog? Even better.

Can Maya and Hark get a book please?

Not in Love might be Ali Hazelwood's hottest book yet.

Yes, you'll still get the nerdy women in STEM thing and yes, you'll probably force REYLO fanfic out of your head at some point while reading it, but you also won't be able to put it down.

Not in Love is a gritty counterpart to Ali’s STEMinist romcoms. Ali’s notes at the beginning of the book help level set expectations for Rue and Eli’s story. As she notes, this is definitely a less comedic, more sexual story, but written in a way that drives readers through complex characters.

This was a different, emotional approach to romance in a way that shows Ali’s breadth as a writer. I enjoyed the dual POV and the exploration of characters that have prickly sides to them! Rue and Eli’s approach to navigating a sexual relationship as it transitions to a romantic one may not be for all readers, but it’s heartbreakingly relatable and poignant for the readers it IS for.

It was an honor to read this book and I love to see the ways Ali grows/changes/explores as a writer🤍

I could not put this one down!! THIS IS BY FAR ALI’S HORNIEST BOOK!!! Ahhh the SPICE WAS great, but at times it felt a bit redundant! I wanted to see more of their emotional connection, but I was happy to get it towards the end of the book. While this was spice heavy it also handled serious topics such as mental health + food insensitivity so well!! I loved seeing the different representation there as food is something I struggle with on and off!! I loved seeing an FMC (Rue) who was different from her others a lot more closed off and I def related to aspects of her.

Eli? FOREVER OBSESSED WITH HOW FERAL Ali writes her men. I loved how kind and patient he was with Rue. & never forced her hand. He just was so kind. & the mouth on this man? YES PLS 🧎🏽‍♀️

I absolutely loved the dual POV + specifically the 3rd POV from Eli!!! The forbidden aspect of their relationship was so thrilling I couldn’t get enough.

⭐️: 4.5/5

Rue Siebert has for the most part, achieved the things she dreamed of as a kid, until a hostile takeover threatens her place of work, Kline, headed up by Eli Killgore and his business partners. Rue finds herself torn between her loyalty to her boss and her company, and her growing attraction to Eli, but when they throw caution to the wind and engage in a no-strings-attached secret affair, it’s not only Rue’s company that’s at risk, it’s her heart.

I swear, Ali Hazelwood’s writing, stories, and characters are like crack. I can’t stop reading when I start, and I’m just so obsessed. I love how her female characters are always strong women in STEM, but are also not mirror images of eachother, showing that strength can come in different forms. I appreciated the warning she put at the beginning of the book about potential triggers, since it is true that this one deals with characters with more troubled and traumatic backstories than what may be more typical of a romcom. The story departs from Hazelwoods steminist novel norm too in the sense that there’s no fake dating in this one, which, although I love a fake dating romcom, was a refreshing change. I absolutely loved watching the story come together and the highs and lows of Rue figuring out herself and her life, and I can’t recommend this one enough! For me, this may have been one of Hazelwood’s best, although I’d be at a total loss on how to rank them, since they’re all so addictive and swoony. Definitely check out the CWs before jumping in though! 💕

3.75⭐️ Thank you so much Berkeley Romance for the ARC🤍

I have really enjoyed/loved all of Ali’s books, but I have to say this wasn’t my favorite of hers. This wasn’t a bad romance by any means, but it didn’t hit for me personally as much as her others.
One thing I have always really liked is Ali’s MMC’s, and Eli was no exception. I loved his personality and I’m always here for a guy that’s so down bad for the girl lol.
Rue wasn’t my favorite FMC, but I still liked her! I enjoyed seeing them come together.
The science in this one didn’t feel as sciency and I wasn’t really completely following at some points.
Overall, not my favorite, but glad & grateful that got a chance to read a free copy early!