Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood

We love to love science

Ali Hazelwood is one of my comfort authors. I know her books will always make me feel happy and mentally stimulated. Her characters bring their intelligence and quirks to an otherwise stuffy academia setting. Plus she masters true love every time!

I speed-read Love, Theoretically because the characters gripped me with their charm. Hazelwood subverts the fake-dating trope by introducing Elsie (not Elise) on her third fake date with the kind data scientist, Greg. But it's his enigmatic older brother, Jack, who towers over his entire family and becomes the love interest for our heroine. Jack and Elsie progress through the story as adversaries, both combating politics in the MIT physics department. Hazelwood did not hesitate to shed light on the misogyny and sexism that still impacts women in STEM careers. Some of these scenes alluded to one of my favorite reads of the year, Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus.

Although Elsie's stunted career makes me feel sad and defeated, Hazelwood's effortless humor and romantic encounters soothe any woes. Plus we get one of my favorite archetypes: Rich Grumpy Grandma. Jack's grandmother was a standout secondary character and I couldn't stop myself from smiling whenever she showed up on the page.

I’m glad to see chronic disease representation in a romance as well. Sure, there’s a few books out there already, but it’s nice to see more frequently that romantic leads have some relatable illnesses. Elsie has Type 1 Diabetes and she handles it marvelously. It isn’t a huge catalyst in the story and I was comforted seeing her go about her day-to-day life without it affecting her or her love life much.

If you haven't read any of Ali Hazelwood's STEMinist books before, this one is fine to begin with, but fans of The Love Hypothesis will get a special treat around the midpoint of Love, Theoretically. So I actually recommend starting with that one first. I love a good crossover.