I want this book in an IV and to have it injected directly into my bloodstream.

I absolutely ate this up, top to bottom. I did not go to bed last night, I read this book. I was obsessed. I was just absolutely blown away with this, and to think that this DEBUT was also written while the author was in grad school??? (okay, pop off sis)

First off, meet-cute on the airplane? This is what they mean when they say we need to bring back the gold age of air travel.

Second, fake dating? Yes, every one you have in-stock please.

Next, a tight timeline? It's magical. It's a deadline. It's pressure. It's antici....pation.

Finally, when he unexpectedly speaks German to her in front of Jacob? I had to be treated for rabies, the way I was frothing at the mouth.

I can't wait to absolutely devour whatever the author writes next!

This is one of my favorite romance reads this year! A really well done romance, with plenty of tension, a little slow burn, and a ton of chemistry between leads! I have been reading quite a few big contemporary romance authors and this book had more chemistry than most I’ve read! I highly recommend this!

I want to make a note about the Ali Hazelwood comparison (she is one of my fave authors)…which this will get because it’s a fake dating scheme in higher ed. The writing here does not have Ali’s quirkiness. So if you don’t like Ali’s writing, I’d still consider this book. If you do like Ali’s writing, I think you’ll love this book. Ali always has me yearning for the leads and Hannah did the same! I think the fake dating scheme actually felt more believable in this book. I’m shocked it’s a debut because the chemistry, writing, etc. felt higher quality than other big names I’ve read this year. There’s so much heart!

I can’t wait to see what else Hannah puts out next!!! Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC! Rooting for this one to be a big success! Go Hannah!!!

Love and Other Brain Experiments by Hannah Brohm furthered my adoration for STEM based romances. As a fan of Ali Hazelwood’s brand of academic banter, you’ll probably vibe with this one.

At its core, this is a second-chance rom-com… though it took me a hot minute to figure that out (I initially thought I was in for fake dating).
The miscommunication breakup backstory? Not my favorite, but the academic struggles were spot on. Frances battling for research grants while Lewis navigates pressure over his paper felt refreshingly real and relatable.

Lewis is down bad from the very beginning, holding Frances’s hand, cleaning her glasses, braving the public spotlight for her honor. Meanwhile, Frances is gloriously unapologetic about her career: passionate, clever, and unwilling to let anyone question her worth. The romance works because they’re both whole people, no evil exes stealing the spotlight, no cartoonish villains, just two nerds with complicated history, undeniable chemistry, and a lot of growth.

Was I 100% sold on the idea that fake dating could destroy her whole career? Not really. Did I want to scream at her when she was being unreasonable? Yes. . But the banter, the tension, the “we’re better together”, and the fact that this is Brohm’s debut? Absolutely adored it. I’ll be keeping an eye out for whatever she writes next.

✨E-ARC Review ✨

Trope -Fake dating , she wears glasses (and loves to help her clean them ) , woman in STEM, academic rivals, scientific conference, NYC setup

I have always loved books with women in STEM. And when I got to know it has an academic rivals-to-lovers as a trope? I ran and clicked on the Netgalley request so fast !! What a great debut book it is. I love reading this book each and every second of it.

The story opens with Frances, a neuroscientist, on a flight to a summer conference that could be crucial for saving her career. The catch? It’s hosted by her ex. On the plane, she meets Dr. Lewis, who needs help polishing the abstract for his research paper. She later discovers he’s the former colleague who once failed to credit her work. Upon arriving at the conference and learning her ex is engaged, Frances decides she needs to step up her game. She proposes a two-week fake dating arrangement with Lewis—she gets the networking boost she needs, while he gains a date to his brother’s graduation ceremony.

What I loved most about the story was its raw honesty. Frances’s frustration and sadness about research funding and academia resonated with me a lot and took me back to the days of writing my first research paper. That blend of vulnerability and authenticity made the narrative feel both raw and original. At the same time, the book had plenty of tender moments—like Lewis helping Frances through a panic attack, noticing her eating habits, cooking for her, and even memorising her research work. (Oh boy! 😌) Their gentle banter and his habit of holding her hand were just adorable.

I also loved the character growth in both of them—it felt unfiltered, real, and deeply human. Lewis’s constant support for Frances, allowing her to be her true self, genuinely moved me to tears. These are the moments that make me reflect on what relationships are really about: the freedom to be unhinged, to be yourself, and still be loved. And when Frances gave Lewis that little push, and he actually listened? I adored it.

So if you are looking for a book with a super cool and genius FMC (who is a neuroscientist ), who ended up dating her academic rivals for 2 weeks, thinking that she would not fall for him? Then this book is totally for you! (Pick this book if you are a fan of Ali Hazelwood for sure !!)

Thank you, Netgalley and Atria, for the ARC 🫶

3.5

This was a super cute rom-com with great banter and a fun fake dating trope. While the third-act breakup and miscommunication were a bit frustrating and the chemistry sometimes felt lacking, Frances and Lewis’s personal growth was really enjoyable. Overall, it’s a light, fun STEM romance that makes for a perfect palate cleanser.

This is my first book from Hannah Brohm and she did not disappoint. I love a STEM romance so I was really excited for this one - academic rivals, fake dating, slow burn, third act conflict all add together for a delightful read.

I did find that in the beginning, I had to Google certain words and phrases that I was unfamiliar with, and that took me out of the book for a minute. But about 1/4 of the way through, things started picking up and flowed from there!

I would recommend for anyone who is a fan of Ali Hazelwood's STEM books, but expect less on page spicy scenes.

Yearning? ✅ enemies to lovers? ✅ fake dating? ✅ microtropes aplenty? ✅

🌟🌟🌟🌟✨

Can we take a moment first to appreciate the acronym of this title because I cannot get over it

I loved this!!! The fact that Lewis is immediately and obviously (to everyone but Frances) down so bad!!! He holds her hand. He cleans her glasses for her!! He subjects himself to The Public Eye for her honor!!!!

And Frances is unapologetically passionate about her career in a way that no man would ever even have to consider being apologetic for. She’s clever and thorough and excited about the science, and unwilling to let anyone question her worth.

Her ex is a character, but not really - I loved that his importance was reduced down to the poor decisions he made and how they impacted Frances, rather than him being an actual side character to her current-day life. The circumstances matter, not him.

And those circumstances forced Frances and Lewis to reckon with their complicated history and the fact that they are both better and happier together. I love nerds being nerdy and in love!!!!

I absolutely loved this book! As a current doctoral student, this book felt very relatable, and I'm noticing lately that I crave relatable books. I never imagined that someone could write a romcom that has a grants trop that would capture me like this one did! I enjoyed the character development and honestly I wish there was a part two! The happy ending was what my soul wanted. This book may have spurred a new obsession with STEM/academic trop reads.

For those searching for a romantic comedy set around the world of science and brain chemistry, this is for you. It was filled with witty banter and some misunderstandings.

As a girl in STEM… I love this book! The chemistry between Frances and Lewis is perfection. God that tension! If you love slow burn, fake dating trope, you need to read this! This is such a great RomCom and even though you know how it will end, it’s still such a fun read. I devoured it in a day.

Thank you Hannah Brohm, Atria Books, and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC!

Absolutely adored this book and I can't believe it's her first. She knows how to write good romance with great banter and character development and I hope to see more from her!

The only thing I didn't totally love/is keeping me from giving it 5 stars: I was never really sold on the whole “one misconception could ruin her whole career” or that the discovery of the notebook couldn’t be explained away. I don't know, maybe just say you’re writing a joke rom com book together? It seemed like there were ways around the main issue.

Things I liked: THE CHEMISTRY, the plot point of “someone made a mistake in the past and people move on”, the growth for both characters, and the fact that Jacob wasn’t a huge part of the story or some kind of insane villain. These were like...just normal people, which I loved.

If you’re a fan of Ali Hazelwood’s STEM books, I think you’ll really like “Love and Other Brain Experiments” by Hannah Brohm. I happen to not really be a fan of Ms. Hazelwood’s books, but I do really want to give STEM-based romance books (yet another) try. This book is a second chance rom-com with a slight twist. It took me a while to realize that this book was a second chances (I thought it was more of a fake dating - but, no, as the book filled in some backstory things became clearer). I agree with other reviewers that the miscommunication break-up was - well, not good. However, I did really like the frustrations both had with academia - Frances’s hunt for research grants but also Lewis’s pressure regarding his paper. I think that this book had its moments, at times something was just on the edge of missing for me. Would I read another book by this author - yes, so that’s a good thing.

f you've been missing early Ali Hazelwood... I HAVE GREAT NEWS!

Love and Other Brain Experiments is such a binge-worthy STEM fake-dating rivals-to-lovers debut romance novel.
Honestly, it's as stunning as the cover.

Set in NYC, this story is everything you expect from a STEM romance: real academia struggles and drama, terms you mostly understand, and… well, intimacy for scientific purposes, right?
Did I mention they somehow always end up holding hands, from the moment they meet? Yeah, that.

Dr. Lewis North? Let's say he'll talk you through it...


A huge Thank You to NetGalley and Atria Books for the DRC!

Women in STEM is one of my favorite categories to read and I adored this romcom. I loved all the characters and the romance itself was sizzling!

“Love is accepting someone without revisions.”

Wow! I really liked this. This definitely did not read as a debut novel. Here were the highlights for me:

- The meet-cute was original and truly so cute!
- Vivienne’s character was unexpected and awesome. I loved that she could’ve been the catty, competitive new fiancé, but instead was genuinely kind and supportive
- Frances’ character growth was great to watch. In the end, yes, she wanted to fund her scientific research, but moreover, she was searching for a life with roots, security, and a way to establish her own path on her own merit. She was easy to root for
- Lewis was such a sweetie. The notebook, the glasses cleaning, the blushing - very endearing

My one complaint was that sometimes I found myself skimming the longer dialogue sections and descriptive paragraphs. The book dragged a little in the middle and sometimes felt just a little too long for me, but it did keep me engaged all the way to the end.

Overall, this book was great. If you like Ali Hazelwood’s writing but feel like she lets her own political or social views seep into her characters a little too much, this is the book for you! It had surprisingly relatable characters and offered an engaging look into the world of academia and research funding. I would definitely recommend.

This book was so sweet. It reminded me of Ali Hazelwood's "Love Theoretically' which I love! Two academic rivals forced to fake date for romance reasons. Lewis the love interest was such a great person to get to know. All the characters felt three dimensional, even the ex Jacob but only through the eyes of Jacob's finance Vivvenne. I totally felt the heartbreak and drama in the third act and really didn't want to forgive Lewis for making this mistake again. But in the end everyone makes mistakes and relationships need work and communication constantly. I was so happy these two got their HEA. I can't wait to read more books by Hannah!

If I recall correctly, this was advertised for fans of Ali Hazelwood-which to me meant smart romcom and so, of course, I was interested. Not knowing anything about Hannah Brohm or her writing, I dove in and found myself instantly engaged. The story of Frances and Dr North and the way they wound up fake dating was interesting, but I think the unknown to me politics of post graduate research jobs was even more so. The blatant misogyny wasn't surprising--as anyone living in the world knows it happens--but I guess I just thought that science would be better than that--clearly I was wrong. And yes, I know this story is fiction but it definitely like that part of the novel could be based on some real things. I also enjoyed the build up of their relationship and their love story and enjoyed how all of that played out.

A little spicy. A little romcom-y. A lot of commentary on being a woman in the world of science. And a lot of learning how to trust when you've been screwed over. Most definitely a good read.

I liked the plot of this one. Definitely a good STEM romance. The fake dating to real dating arc is definitely an interest of mine when it comes to romance novels. I did feel at times that it felt a bit rushed. Some details and conversations were left out to the reader perspective which could have added to the story. Overall, I thought this was a good romance and would recommend for others to read! Very Ali Hazelwood esque.

I am a huge fan of Ali Hazelwood, so I was excited to give this STEM romance a try. I am also a fan of enemies to lovers and fake-dating tropes! This book did not disappoint. Frances and Lewis were engaging and well-written characters. I was a little frustrated with both characters’ actions at times, but overall, I enjoyed this fun, easy read.

Thank you Atria for my copy! Gosh, this book was simply darling. Frances and Lewis's chemistry practically leapt off the page and I loved every second of reading this book. It was so fun to watch them go from strangers to rivals to fake dating to lovers. The story was well written and I enjoyed the academic/scientific elements as well as the character growth and development that occurred.