First of all, I‘m thankful that I recieved this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review..anyway this book so cute. I haven‘t been able to put this book down at all. Honestly it kind of reminded me of „the love hypothesis“ BUT I have to admit that I like this one more. This book is such a cute love story that has so many good tropes in the book. But not only the main love story is amazing, also the side stories are amazing as well. I don‘t think that there is even one character I didn‘t like in this book, apart from Eli…fuck Eli. This book is so good and I can only recommend this one, everyone should read this once it‘s released.

4✨

I actually adored this. The Unbalanced Equation follows Liz, a postdoc, and her grumpy and possessive former PhD assessor, Tom, who has been pining for her for YEARS. It has all my favorite tropes, including

Enemies to lovers
Age gap
Forced proximity
STEM workplace

Tom is oh so hot and Liz was such a fun female main character. Their banter was top tier and the tension was SO. GOOD.

My only complaint was the conflict, but the resolution was super cute.

If you loved The Love Hypothesis and want another fun, steamy academic workplace rom com, pick this up when it comes out on September 15th.

Enemies to lovers is my favorite trope so I know I would like this. It's in an academic setting and both characters are SMART so it's another plus. Love the chemistry between the characters and it's fun to see how they come together. All the other characters are so much fun too. :) The entire book makes me smile and giggle and laugh! A terrific rom-com!

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

I really didn't know what to expect with this book and that sometimes turns into an utter delight. That's exactly how this book went for me.

Pure attraction at first sight brought Professor Thomas and a PhD student, Liz, together at a university mixer. Thomas had already made up his mind to ask Liz out when they got separated for the evening. As luck would have it, early the next morning, Thomas is asked by her superior to be Liz's PhD assessor for the next several years. What can Tom do except accept the assignment? He is trying to get his career off the ground anyway.

So Tom does what he feels he needs to do over the next few years - he is a complete jerk to Liz and he is harder on her than he has ever been in his life. He does it all under the guise of wanting to keep his distance and make her not flirt with him, but it just makes her hate him with a passion.

When she graduates, they run into each other again and are thrown together in some very unique and hilarious situations. Can Tom live with what he has done to Liz? If she finds out the truth, can she forgive him? This book is worth reading to discover the answers.

I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The opinions stated above are mine without biases.

I was provided a copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

A delightful entry into the burgeoning "STEMinist" romance catagory perfect for fans of The Kiss Quotient and any of Ali Hazelwood's work. The story is a sweet "enemies to lovers" "forced proximity" that utilises both its scientist leads and it's Scottish setting to the best of its ability. Although I wouldn't see this story reinvents the wheel for the genre, I don't think it should be asked to and The Unbalanced Equation is just a pleasant way to spend an afternoon.

I will say, I do have to agree with other readers and reviewer that the MMC is absolutely thick and 90% of the "drama" in their story is caused by this supposedly intelligent grown man acting like an outright toddler. (Oh no, I have to work with pretty girl, can't handle emotions so I will treat her like crap and make her experience in academics all that much harder because I am in fact an idiot sandwich). Despite this the book remains bingeable, charming, and a perfect quick read.

The Unbalanced Equation offers a second chance at love / enemies to lovers with deliciously doubled forced proximity, after the dreamiest of male leads falls for and loses our—equally well educated and whip smart—heroine within the very first chapter.

I’m a sucker for a romcom with STEM based / academic settings, so I downloaded an arc of this book on a total whim. When I tell you I could not put it down—H.L. Macfarlane will have you hooked and swooning within mere minutes and then you’ll wonder where your whole night went!

If you adored and devoured the Hating Game and the Love Hypothesis, you simply must read this book… but, do note, that Unbalanced Equation offers more steam (and pop culture references) than those two books combined. You were warned and you’re welcome!

Very fun read! I love nerdy and unique characters. The sexual tension and chemistry was sizzling. A few odd repetitive word choices (the characters "huffed" way too much), but otherwise I enjoyed it. Not a huge fan of the manipulative and inexcusable behavior, but for the sake of the plot I guess it worked. Would read this author again!

This was so entertaining and I enjoyed every second of it! I liked how the trajectory of Tom and Liz's relationship was not predictable from the start. I could not put this down!!! I am an absolute fan of books centered around scientists and it was evident that the author has a background in science, which I appreciate, since I am a scientist myself. Also, the banter and tension were EXCELLENT. A must read for those who like workplace enemies, close proximity, and steamy scenes.

After suffering four years of scrutiny from her PhD assessor, Elizabeth Maclean believes she’s finally free of Dr Thomas Henderson’s tyranny when she begins her postdoc. But when a fire goes off in Tom’s lab (stupid undergrads) he ends up working in the same lab as Liz.
On the same bench, no less.
For three whole months.
To make matters worse and much to their mutual surprise Tom’s mum and Liz’s dad announce their impending marriage after a whirlwind romance. So when Liz’s landlord tells her to move out, pronto, it tips her over the edge. Desperate for a place to stay and in need of a saviour, the last person Liz expects to offer her a temporary home is Tom himself.
Now stuck working together, living together and planning their parents’ Christmas wedding together, will Liz discover that Tom’s attitude over the last four years was all a ruse to hide his true feelings? Or are the two doomed to fail in their co-existence experiment?
Couldn’t put it down really enjoyable read totally recommend
Thank You NetGalley and BookGoSocial
I just reviewed The Unbalanced Equation by H. L. Macfarlane. #TheUnbalancedEquation #NetGalley

What do an almost one night stand, anime, a lab fire, and a marriage between widowers have in common?
Liz and Tom-two geneticists who are forced to work together…and then live together when their parents announce their impending marriage.

This book was such a fun read. Set in rainy Glasgow, it employed two of my favorite tropes-forced proximity and enemies to lovers to build a really engaging story about two geneticists and their hesitations about love. It also had a really lovely cast of side characters that I hope we get to see more of in the rest of the series. I particularly loved that this book didn’t skimp out on the science behind what these two do in their labs everyday…nor did it skimp on the spice ❤️‍🔥

Forced proximity
Enemies to lovers-esque
He's nice to everyone but her
Tension
Some decent spice
Scottish main characters - I really hope they do an audio version of this book with proper Scottish narrators because that would be amazing!

This is about a couple in STEM but I think that is where the love hypothesis similarities end.

Tom and Liz were equally endearing and annoying. There was a lot of anime talk in the book (which was way over my head). Tom had some pretty big red flags which I am choosing to overlook.

Jenny and Jim were so lovely together, they made my heart happy.

"Even if it's bad it's still sex. And trust me...it won't be bad."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Because I've liked you for so long I have your entire damn body memorised. So let me take the lead, if that will ease your nerves."

Thank you to the Author, Publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

I adored this book it’s a must-read I loved the banter between Tom and Elizabeth and the fact that he fell for her first and has been in love with her for years. I love all the people in the lab and how they know something is going on between them and the aspects of STEM being a bio major myself who’s applying to med school STEM romances have a special place in my heart. I also loved Tom meddling into Liz’s life and trying to find ways to keep her with him it was hilarious.

What do you do with a book that you devoured almost holding your breath? I know, you give it five stars. But what if the mmc deserves a smack on the head or even a kick in the nuts? 🤷🏻‍♀️

Tom and Liz first met on a department social. The attraction was instant, but they were interrupted and nothing happened. They were both hoping to meet again but the next day Tom found out he would be Liz’s PhD assessor. So no dating. And the total moron that he was, he figured the best course of action would be to be a total dick cause otherwise there would be flirting. 🤦‍♀️

Fast forward four years, Liz finished her PhD despite Tom’s best efforts and she is more than happy to be done with him. But life has a few surprises: it turns out they are now working together. Then Liz’s dad announces that he is marrying Tom’s mom. That’s not all! The final blow: Liz is being kicked out of her apartment. So she is temporarily moving in with her dad and his fiancée. Who are - yes you guessed correctly- temporarily moving in with Tom. Yaaaay, all four of them under one roof!

Sounds insane and contrived and all, but don’t let it deceive you, this book is amazing! Liz and Tom were great; their dynamic was just pure pent up sexual tension and I loved it 😍🌶🥰. The chemistry and banter were so well done!

What I didn’t love was all the manipulative moves, especially on Tom’s end. Like dude!! Not sure I would even want to talk to you after that shit show! Liz wasn’t without a fault either, but Tom really overdid it big time.

But then he melted my heart completely when Liz was on her period and he took care of her 🫠

I was about to rate it five stars but there’s this thing I’m allergic to. I can’t read public love declarations cause I cringe so hard I spill my drinks. So four stars it is. Four and a half maybe?

Anyway, read this book people, it’s so much fun!

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

"That’s the thing about hindsight: nobody has it when they actually need it."

°•*⁀➷

He falls first, and make it nerdy.

This was your typical semi-cringey, mostly funny rom-com that follow (for me) two very relatable nerds. Whether it be their shared love for anime, very entertaining bander, or their shared passion for science, none of it let me down.

I haven't been able to sit down and read a book in a while because of how busy the summer has been (audiobooks are my bread and butter), but I was happy to get into bed with this every night. To hang out with Liz and Tom and see what they came up with next.

I also just adored that it didn't push the normalcy of everyone (WOMEN!!!) wanting only marriage and a baby out of life. Liz and Tom are both so passionate about their life in academia and science and aren't looking for more than that. They're both so filled up on that part of their life that they just don't want the rest, and they talk about it many times throughout the book. It's one of the reasons why the ending is oh, so sweet. Family is what you choose to define it as, and seeing them love life outside of the expectations of others... it's inspiring. And not something you see in books a lot.

The only thing I didn't love was the parents addition to the storyline. It made both of them feel much younger than they were to have their parents around all the time, especially since so much of it revolved around them planning a wedding for them.

Make room on your TBR for a romcom perfect to start you back into school for the semester on September 15. I hope it's a nice little escape, just like it was for me. And thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

We follow the ins and outs of Liz and Tom as life throws everything at them. Tom treats Liz harshly for teh 4 years of her PHD and just as she thinks she is away from him, the book starts as they discover their remaining parents are in love and getting married,
Some great banter from Tom, Liz and Liz’ dad - a real star for me in the book. The sexual tension is strong and well dealt with and the turns are unusual but work well.
The book had a great first half and ending, but took a long time to do the unravelling.

This book was such a fun read!! I loved everything about this book. The characters were so authentic and I especially loved the chemistry between Liz and Tom. Their relationship was such a whirlwind, but that made the book so much more enjoyable. The character development between the two was probably my favorite, as I always love the enemies to lovers trope. There are so many genuine funny parts within the story, as both main characters are super smart and witty. I would definitely love to read more from H.L. Macfarlane!

Thank you, BooksGoSocial, for this copy in exchange for my honest review.

FOUR STARS!!!

“because I never knew how much I was waiting for you until I met you. How pathetic is it that I didn’t realize how lonely I was?”

SUMMARY: Thomas Henderson and Elizabeth (Liz) Maclean meet one night at a mixer for Liz’s undergrad class. Thomas is a professor who seems to catch Liz’s eye. After a few mimosas they start talking and really getting along. Orange juice is spilled on them and they to to Thomas’s office to clean up, once there Thomas gives Liz a new pair of clothes and then she leaves. Thomas since that moment had a crush on Liz. He wanted to find her and tell her the next day, since he kept and washed her clothes he had a reason to see her, but he finds out he will be her assessor. After that Thomas treats Liz terrible to avoid a bond. Four years later Liz and Thomas are brought back together because their parents are getting married. While Liz hates Tom she has no other place to live besides Tom, and Tom is now sharing a bench with her in the lab because his lab burned. Through all of this Tom still has feelings for Liz. Tom and Liz work through their relationship with many good and some bad events.

CHARACTERS-

Elizabeth Maclean: I really liked Liz she felt very real. She was a total nerd and it was really cute for the storyline. Since Liz was dealing with the grief and a dead parent she never really knew a healthy way to cope with problems, she lashes out. Her overcoming this and being able to love and trust was really heartwarming and I LOVED how she developed. Although towards the end I got a little angry with how she dealt with the Tom situation (wont go in depth bc this is mainly spoiler free) I completely understand why she acted the way she did. She was so finny though and her speech at her parents wedding really made me smile. ALSO!! Liz is a woman in STEM and that was so amazing yo read about. Liz was also so sweet and oblivious she made me kick and squeal, she never knew when people liked her.

Thomas Henderson: Tom was such a character. He was the biggest flirt and so charming while also having an amazing sense of humor. He’s also a complete nerd and neat freak which fitted this chaotic mind. Tom is the definition of boy obsessed he was utterly obsessed since day one. Also, he is super rich and has no problem making jokes about his LOADS of money, it becomes funny how rich he is. Tom was also dealing with the grief of a dead parent but he learned how to cope much faster since he had his best friend Daichi along with him. Every-time Tom spoke I smiled or was just in awe by him. While he did have his negatives I truly believe he proved himself worthy. The main negative about him was his manipulation of Liz’s situation so he could be around her longer to prove he was worth her love but overall he just didn’t know how to handle the situation.

Both of Liz and Thomas’s alive parents were so lovely but Liz’s dad took some warming up to because of how badly he treated Tom! BUT it was completely understandable why he treated him like he did at first.

THOUGHTS: Overall I really liked this book and thought it was for the most part a super cute cheesy romcom. The chemistry the characters had was undeniable- everyone in the lab felt it except them. The side characters were all so different and lovely that the story simply wouldn’t be the same without them. Thomas being such a romantic was so cute I couldn’t hold in my smile. The gestures he would do for Liz were SO cute and when Liz bought Tom a grow light and flower I nearly cried. The tropes in thus book absolutely SERVED I couldn’t be any happier with them. The boy obsessed, forced proximity, semi enemies to lovers and workplace romance were all so perfect. I absolutely loved everything. The only reason this book wasn’t a complete five stars was because sometimes the characters felt a little younger than their age and the miscommunication which isn’t a big thing for me.
CONCLUSION: In conclusion, The Unbalanced Equation was a super cute, light hearted, quick read that I would recommend to ANYONE. The chemistry between characters was unbeatable and the storyline/plot was simply perfect. The scenery of the fall and winter season in Glasgow was so pretty and I absolutely loved reading all about it.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for this ARC in exchange for a completely honest and full review!

I thought this book was so cute!! I loved all the tropes! Enemies to lovers, STEM. I loved the chemistry and banter between Liz & Tom and enjoyed watching their relationship grow. I really liked this book and finished it in one sitting!

Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for this arc!

Rating: 5 stars

I loved this book from the very first chapter. I was instantly drawn in from the first time we meet Liz and Tom and from the get go I was rooting for them.

I thought the characters were set up really well, I felt like I was constantly learning new things about the characters which made them more complex and interesting as the book went on. I was a big fan of Liz and Tom straight away, even though the two of them do make some questionable decisions at times throughout the book, I always found myself rooting for them.

This book is everything I could have wanted in a romance. I loved the dynamic Liz and Tom had together but also with other characters, I loved Jenny and Jim from the second we met them and how the two of them were constantly wanting the best for their kids.

I already know this is a book I will go back and read time and time again, H L Macfarlane has written an incredible book which I found difficult to put down as I constantly wanted to know what was going to happen next.

As a former science teacher, anything dealing with science is something that I can get on board with. This has some of my favorite tropes such as enemies to lovers and forced proximity. It was a read that I was able to get through in one sitting! The only thing I am not a huge fan of is the age gap trope, but that is just me. I would recommend this book!

Thank you to Netgalley, H.L. Macfarlane and BooksGoSocial for allowing me to read and review this book before publishing.

This book follows Liz and Tom who originally met at a social event for the university that Liz was attending for her PhD and when Tom worked. Liz and Tom hit it off at the event and happened to get a little drunk together when they both got spilled on by someone carrying a tray of mimosas. Liz and Tom go to get cleaned up and Tom considers asking Liz for her number until she disappears.
Flash forward 4 years and Liz hates Tom, he has made her life a living hell after he ended up being the assessor for her PhD. Little did Liz know that Tom was being terrible to her because he felt he needed to in order to avoid his feelings for her. What's happening 4 years later is Tom and Liz find out that both of their widowed parents are getting married, Tom's lab got burned down and he has to work next to Liz, and Liz got kicked out of her apartment and has to move in with Tom, his mom and Liz's dad. To say it's a mess is an understatement. Will Tom and Liz be able to tolerate living and working together? Going to have to read to find out.
This book was so fun it was a great STEM based romcom. Liz and Tom are certainly enemies to lovers and the process of them figuring out that they are not enemies was SO funny. I would describe this book to people as mix between The Love Hypothesis and Book Lovers. This book lived up to all of my expectations and if you like romcoms I would recommend picking it up!

This is the steamy love/hate story of two scientists who learn through a dinner that their parents are getting married. They are thrust back into each others lives with no escape; living together and working together.

The book is written from Liz and Tom’s perspective, which is something I really love. Knowing what’s going on, in both characters minds really helps to understand the story. I also really enjoyed the sarcasm/banter in the book with the main characters as well as the best friends of the main characters.

There was LOTS of spiciness and sometimes it was a little much but it was clear there was a ton of tension between the characters. There was lots of anime talk which if you are into, will love…but I am not.

Overall I really enjoyed it.



https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4910416729

I loved this book it was so cute and it had some of my favorite tropes in it
Age gap
Enemies to lovers
Tom and Liz are so cute and if you loved the Love Hypotheses please check this book out

🧪The Unbalanced Equation🧪

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

After suffering four years of scrutiny from her PhD assessor, Elizabeth Maclean believes she’s finally free of Dr Thomas Henderson’s tyranny when she begins her postdoc. But when a fire goes off in Tom’s lab (stupid undergrads) he ends up working in the same lab as Liz.

On the same bench, no less.

For three whole months.

Read if you like:
🧪enemies to lovers trope
🧪STEM
🧪The Love Hypothesis
🧪Age gap romance
🧪Forced proximity

I thought this was such a fun book! I loved the STEM aspect and the Glasgow setting. There were several cute twists throughout the book. I really enjoyed Liz’ character!

Grab a copy of “The Unbalanced Equation” available September 15, 2022!

#theunbalancedequation #netgalley #hlmacfarlane #bookstagram #booktok #bookish #bookrecommendations #readingrecommendations #bookaddict #romancereading

Tropes: enemies to lovers, age gap, forced proximity, workplace

Once I read the first line of this novel, I knew this book was written for a reader exactly like me - someone who enjoys a hysterical rom-com.

Even though I understood none of it, I loved the STEM rep in this novel. The author (to me at least) really sold the two STEM academics for me. I enjoyed their banter throughout and the tension between the two characters as they tried to figure out their feelings. I really saw myself as Daichi just anxiously waiting for them to get together!

I didn’t really like the addition of the parents relationship, it felt kind of awkward and unrealistic - I could’ve done with the lab being their only mode of forced proximity. Also did not like the plot line of Tom manipulating Liz’s entire life so she could remain in his life. I appreciated the character growth throughout the novel though and the importance of familial relationships.

While I appreciated all the anime references (and even the one HSM3 reference!!!), I can acknowledge it could have been too much for a reader who had no interest in something like that. In the end this book was a good lighthearted read for me!
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I'm a sucker for a good rom-com, and this read delivered that and then some! From sweet to spicy, we got a little bit of everything in this book. As readers we were given glimpses into Liz and Tom's lives as scientists, but also as they tackled more emotional topics such as helping their parents navigate life after loss.

Their quick wit and banter was fun, and I often found myself either laughing out loud or left with my mouth wide-open! The author did a fabulous job of bringing the scenes to life with her descriptions, and the characters were well developed. This was a quick read for me, and overall I enjoyed it!

[I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.]

The Unbalanced Equation follows the story told from the viewpoints of Tom and Liz, a pair of nerdy geneticists at the University of Glasgow. They meet just as Liz starts her doctorate and by a twist of fate, Tom ends up as her PhD assessor and therefore can’t chase after her to ask her out after a very Notting-Hill-esque orange juice spill moment. Fast forward 4 years to the end of her studies and an accident burning down Tom’s lab throws them together once more. But after 4 years of being horrendous to her, can he repair the damage?

A fantastic story set in the nerdy world of Uni science (a subject close to my heart!). It was great to read the biology parts and not wince at all the inaccuracies! For the non-scientists though, the science isn’t overwhelming. I wasn’t sure I’d get into the story for the first couple of pages as it was written quite formally from Tom’s POV, but thankfully as we get to know him, it’s obvious that it’s just the way he thinks when he’s being professional.

The story is engaging, the characters flawed but likeable and the sexual tension is sizzling! I read the second half in an evening as I couldn’t put it down. Overall a fantastic book and I can’t wait to read the follow up set in the same world.

A mean, sarcastic sense of humor, a string of wrongdoings and misunderstandings, and a bite of spice lead the way to romance in this book. The biting sense of humor definitely had me chuckling in places and the sweet moments took off the edge from some of the harder moments of the book. Liz did tend to come across as a little bratty in the way she sometimes treated Tom, while some of it was deserved, she also took it up a notch more than I liked at times. I enjoyed the book overall and I'm glad I was able to read an ARC of it through netgalley.

What a fun story The Unbalanced Equation is ! My very incredibly nerdy and dorky heart appreciated this rom com.

This story is about a stem researcher lady named Liz and a jerk of a scientist named Tom. After a few years of bad blood between the two, circumstances has them reluctantly orbiting back to each other. Liz is rightfully still furious and burned after what transpired between them in the past. Tom knows that his past actions will leave no room for his heart to get one last chance with her. In a desperate attempt to help them both move forward, he sets in place a motion of events that could potentially undo everything. When the secrets catch up, will it bring them closer or tear them apart for good ?

Some of the tropes are :
- Gumpy vs gumpy
-forced proximity
- 11 year age gap
- nerdy romance/humor
-second chance love
-academia romance

I would rate this 3 chilli peppers out of 5 for the steam. There aren't many sex scenes but the ones we got were great and the chemistry between Tom and Liz is undeniable. Also...Tom is a God in the bed room...lucky Liz !

Even though this love story is clearly about Tom and Liz ,we also get a huge glimpse in the love lives of their parents and this was one of my favorite parts about this story. It was so sweet and added a less selfish side to Tom that we didn't see often.

Unbalanced Equation is told in dual points, the chapters were easy to read, and flowed well together. It held my ADD attention from start to finish. Having things in common such as anime, nerd humor, ramen, ect made it easy to relate to the couple and quite enjoyable.

We were constantly told how horrible Tom was to Liz in their past but never really shown. I think I would have felt more feelings if we'd been given the chance to watch some of the events unfold.

Overall this is a pretty solid rom com and I look forward to reading H.L Mcfarlane's other novels.

This book was super cute and easy to read. It isn’t a deep romance or anything, it’s the perfect light-hearted RomCom.

This book was incredible! Liz and Tom are the perfect stem couple and you cannot tell me otherwise. This book at times reminded me of the Love Hypothesis in the points that it is a stem romance and the man falls first but it by no means felt like the same story. I loved how our two main characters shared a similar love of anime and the dual POV throughout this book. I will be reading more from this author in the future.

Dr. Tom Henderson is a wealthy Scottish professor of genetics at a university in Glasgow. Elizabeth Maclean is a PhD candidate in the same department where she meets Tom at a new student mixer. The two are immediately attracted to one another but Tom is surprised to find he has been assigned as Liz's assessor a few days later. To cover his attraction to Liz, Tom is exceedingly tough during his appraisal of her work, angering Elizabeth. Years later, the paths of Tom and Liz cross once again after a series of mishaps, including Tom's lab burning down and their parents announcing a surprise engagement. Liz and Tom once again face their attraction to each other but this time with years of animosity between the two.

This book is definitely for fans of The Love Hypothesis. It has the academia vibes, small age gap (a decade), size difference kink, sexy times in a hotel room at a conference, and flirty banter. It has a leg up over The Love Hypothesis in the steam department because it features multiple sex scenes (including a squirming-in-my-panties embarrassing moment where Liz is interrupted masturbating). While it is no Pride & Prejudice, it is certainly a fun enemies to lovers read. If you're not a fan of the miscommunication trope, BEWARE. It is full of it. Tom and Liz are both pretty immature and I was rolling my eyes toward the end, but overall it was a fun, sexy read with great visual descriptions and includes scenes at Halloween and Christmas (which is a cozy bonus in my book!).

CW: discussions of loss of parent to cancer

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. This is by far my favorite Rom-Com Ever!

If you loved the love hypothesis and you are a fan of the enemies-to-lovers trope, appreciate great banter and fall for flawed fictional men, just read this book. You would do yourself a huge favor!

I was not even 20% into it that I decided to preorder the physical copy because I HAVE TO OWN IT!

I am still shell shocked at how good this was. The characters, the plot, the setting, the references. Oh, so so soooooo good!

The author did a fantastic job with the dual POV, especially with Tom, with him she created a real man with good and bad. There is a lot of character growth too in between the lines and the cast is awesomely balanced.

I can’t pinpoint to a scene in particular I loved above the others because the whole book was fantastic. For me it had it all and I am so happy to see these characters again in her next book even if not as the main couple!

This is the book for you if you like:
- Enemies-To-Lovers
- Forced Proximity (work together/live together)
- Class difference
- Age Gap (11 years)
- Dual POV
- Great Banter
- LGTBQ+ rep
- Set in Scotland 😍
- Steamy

First, a sincere thank you to the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

This title was a wonderful addition into the growing STEM Romance genre. The Unbalanced Equation is a sweet "Steminist" "enemies to lovers" "forced proximity" romance that highlights it's incredible Scottish setting and scientist leads in a way that echoes the "grumpy/sunshine" trope found in Ali Hazelwood's The Love Hypothesis. Although I wouldn't say this title is making new ground in the genre, I think The Unbalanced Equation does the genre and tropes justice.

The characters are smart, funny, and absolutely adorable together. I will say that the male main character Tom fed heavily into adult toddler behavior that made it feel more like a bully romance than an enemies to lovers at times. Overall, the banter and steamy scenes really made The Unbalanced Equation stand out as a delightful romance read.

This was SUCH a good story! I really enjoyed the enemies to lovers and guy falls first. Those tropes while also taking place in the workplace, such a good pairing. This gave me Love Hypothesis vibes, in the best way. I've never read anything by this author and can't wait to continue with other stories!

I enjoyed 'The Unbalanced Equation' so much! This was the perfect sort of romance and read for me following some heavier reads. It definitely brought some desperately needed fun into my reading.

The story as a whole felt satisfying the entire way through. Every plot point stayed true to the characters, right through until the epilogue. I don't often like epilogues in romance books because I find then predictive and repetitive, but the epilogue in this novel felt like a wonderful way to wrap up the story between Tom and Liz.

Saying this, even the spicy scenes stayed true to both of the main characters which is such an important thing for me. It made the sex scenes read that much more intimate becuase the characters didn't totally transform into different people the moment the spice began. If you are looking for a romance book which is equal parts plot/romance and spice, then I think this is the solution to your search!

I also thought that the theme of second-chance-romance throughout this book was such a massive part of the book, even extending into the side characters. It's super well done and enjoyable and thankfully lacking the excessive flashbacks other second chance romances lean on.

I will definitely be keeping an eye out for H. L. Macfarlane's next romance publication after enjoying this one so much!

A fun read with the classic enemies to lovers trope. The first person POVs was well done and it was easy to distinguish the different voices. It was also great to have a strong female lead who never backed down.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own

Lizzie. Tom. These two are so incredibly SMART, yet so simple minded when it comes to the heart. Life could have been so much easier for them to just work together, but no - they had to have feelings for each other! And then their parents drop the bombshell! It was an entertaining ride. I enjoyed it very much. Even when I wanted to slap either of them! haha
You know the story - meet cute, hate, like, love, hate and love again. It's just a new setting, one that I haven't read before.
Rom-coms. Such great entertainment. I highly recommend "The Unbalanced Equation".

Thank you allowing me to read an advanced copy.

=^.^=

LOVE IT!! I absolutely devoured this one. I like a good romance with strong characters and this one was it. Loved the strong female character with a mind of her own. The STEM setting was a huge plus for me along with the context of their age gap and academic equation. The tropes in this book are brought out beautifully which was another plus.

The book has good supporting characters and the first few pages draw you in immediately. Loved the writing style and the witty banter of the characters make you laugh. Absolutely recommend this one to everyone looking for a cute romantic book.

Thank you NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I recieved this book on netgalley for arc in exchange of an honest review. This book is definitely for a science nerd like me. Though somebody with zero science interest can also enjoy the book. Loved the author's style of writing. If you fantasy a work romance book then thats a plus with this one. A good romantic novel with crazy anime lovers.!!

Tom is a professor who is attracted to Liz, one of his new PhD students. This is the first time that the handsome, wealthy, eligible professor is attracted to his student. In an effort to discourage any relationship, Tom is really hard on his criticism of Liz’s work. She can’t wait to be rid of him. When Tom’s lab has a fire in it, he is given a place in his friend’s lab only to find he will be sharing the lab bench with Liz. It gets worse when Liz heads out to meet her dad for dinner, and Tom heads out to meet his mother. Both are shocked to find they are holding hands with each other and hearing about an impending wedding. Tom’s mother is having a property remodeled for her impending marriage and will be moving into Tom’s large house until it is ready. His mother suggests Liz move in there also to save money and give them all a chance to get to know each other. I loved the characters in this book. Tom is the perfect privileged man who has no clue on how to win over a woman. Liz is extremely independent and quick to get angry with Tom even though she cares for him. Their parents are great examples of love and patience. Great book, great romance.

If you’re a fan of the love hypothesis, you’ll want to read this.

A stem romance with a grumpy man that has lots of tension, chemistry and steam. I loved the dynamic between the couple. It was full of banter, quick wit, and hot chemistry. It has unlikely roommates, forced proximity, hate to love, opposites attract and it was so much fun to read, It’s enemies to lovers, former professor and PHD student unlikely to fall in love but they do. There is boy obsessed, pining for years and the slow burn tension between them kept me turning page after page. It’s a workplace romance in academia and it was so much fun to read. I loved Tom and his grumpiness. Such a great steamy and chemistry filled romance book with a STEM plot.

Oh my goodness!! I am in love with H L Macfarlane's writing style in the Unbalanced Equation. For starters this book cover is absolutely adorable and it immediately gave me Love Hypothesis vibes. Because of how much I love and am obsessed with characters in STEM romance books, it was easy for me to jump right into a book that had the same vibes. Liz is this sweetheart character who is working on her postdoc and finally free of Tom, her assessor during her PhD. Obviously all hell breaks loose and the two of them are very much forced to be around each other ALL THE TIME. Not only is this an enemies to lovers romance book but it has my other favourite trope of forced proximity. Because of how much time they spend together, the readers get to see and experience their fire fuelling chemistry. Tom is definitely complex and you can't help but love his grumpy ruse when it comes to being around Liz. The two of them are addicting to read about, I cannot get enough of how much I really enjoyed their story. If your looking for a book that has STEM vibes with forced proximity trope this is definitely the book for you!

Decided to read this because of the cute cover. Yes I am one of those people who 100% judge a book by its cover. I did appreciate the TW since it is something I am currently going through with my own mother.

I wouldn’t necessarily call this enemies to lovers. Tom just decided to be a jerk imo for no reason especially since it all worked out in the end.

Nevertheless this was a 5 star read for me. I couldn’t put it down and read it one day. I loved it way more than The Love Hypothesis.

Enemies to lovers
He falls first
Forced proximity

Honestly, what else is there to say? This was one of my fav books of the year so far. The banter, spice, and overall story line were AMAZING. Liz and Tom meet at a university mixer and sparks fly, after some misunderstandings and unfortunate fate interference, Tom is assigned to be Liz's PhD assessor and he decides the only logical thing to do is be an asshat.... men, I swear.

Fate again interferes when Tom and Liz arrive to the same dinner to learn that their parents are getting married, and they're going to be forced together whether they like it or not. Liz decides that she's going to make the best of the situation, (for her anyways) and get back at Tom for all of the crap he gave her as her accessor. And queue the spice cuz that kicks up about ten notches when she is forced into living with him.

Such an amazing read, as previously said if you loved The Love Hypothesis you'll love this!

The blurb for this book with the recommendation to read if you like The Love Hypothesis was absolutely spot on, first and foremost.

This book had my favorite tropes- both MCs are *both* sunshine *and* grumpy, and the forbidden love situation of graduate school and professors. And on top of having these tropes, the author absolutely nailed them with an original, convincing, and incredible hot and heavy story. I was on my toes for most of the book, and the slow burn absolutely killed me, in the best way possible. This is a 5 star recommendation from me.

Liz and Tom have the perfect meet - cute at the student - staff mixer for first year PhD students that includes mimosas, rescuing a maiden, spilled drinks and leads to changing clothes and lingering looks in Tom’s office. Tom ends up becoming Liz’s PhD assessor and any hopes of a romantic entanglement have flown out the window in lieu of professionalism.
Four years later Tom and Liz are thrown together again without the student/professor dilemma in the way. But Tom has ruined any chances of getting to know Liz better or become anything other than colleagues due to the way he treated her during her PhD assessments.
Living in the same house, helping their parents with the upcoming wedding and working next to each other have their sexual chemistry and frustrations running high.
This is a great enemies to lovers rom-com that I would recommend to anyone looking for a snarky read!

Thank you to H.L. Macfarlane, BooksGoSocial, and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. The Unbalanced Equation comes out September 15, 2022!

The Unbalanced Equation stars postdoc Liz, who has finally has her dream job in a microbiology lab at the school she got her doctorate at. Everything is amazing until after an unfortunate fire, she is stuck working right next to the man who made her years getting her PhD a nightmare, enter Tom. Add in the complication that the day they find out they are sharing bench space, they also find out that their widowed parents are not only dating but are actually getting married. And because bad things come in threes, let's add in the fact that Liz has been kicked out of her apartment and now has to live not only with her dad and Tom’s mom, but also has to live with Tom himself. What really complicates is the fact that Tom does not dislike Liz at all, in fact he has been falling for her for years. Will the two be able to get through the years of animosity and finally get the ending they both have longed for.

I thought this book was so cute, but also incredibly sexy. I loved that both characters were flawed and that by the end they were able to at least start the journey to growing for themselves and each other. The reason I didn't rate this as a five star read for me was because I thought there was a lot of added conflict in the form of different men popping up with feelings in Liz’s life. They literally come popping out of the woodwork (I know that's an exaggeration, but still). It does have my new favorite scene where one character takes care of the other, specifically when the female character has her period. It was honestly so cute and exactly how I would want to be spoiled. I really loved this book and would recommend it to friends and family and really anyone who loves romance.

*Arc from NetGalley*

Pub date: September 15,2022

I ended up enjoying this book a lot more than I thought I was going to through the first chapter. I’m not a huge anime fan so they lost me a little bit with all that talk, but it doesn’t take away from the story for me.

I fell in love with these two and read the book in 2 days while still having to work 😝 so I definitely recommend picking it up when it’s released!

Liz and Tom are both researchers who have had a rocky past over the last 4 years. They find their way back in each other’s orbits and chaos ensues!

Enemies to lovers. Forced proximity. One bed, forced a bit?? (The conference 🥵)

4.5 🌟 for me on this one! Fantastic read, and I look forward to reading more from H.L. Macfarlane!

This book had NO RIGHT being this good! At first I though there were going to be too many typical romance genre tropes (grumpy/sunshine, workplace, forced proximity) but they all played together masterfully!