Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood
I think this is my favorite Ali Hazelwood book so far, but I’ve only read three so I can’t say for sure 😂 I have a soft spot for MMCs who fall first and fall hard in love. Jack is exactly that, and his care and concern for Elsie really made me love this story even more. I especially liked how he encouraged Elsie to be honest and speak her mind by giving her a safe space where she could truly be herself without fear. I just adore romances where the couple brings out the best in each other. And Elsie — honestly, I think we can all learn something from her. It’s wonderful to be kind and attuned to other people’s feelings and needs, but not when it comes at the expense of your own.
There are a lot of STEM and academic references in this book, which might be off-putting to readers who prefer more straightforward, romance-centric stories. But I actually enjoyed that aspect. The representation of the plight of women in the scientific field was insightful and added depth to the story. It highlighted the challenges they face, not just professionally, but also in how they’re perceived and valued in male-dominated spaces.
I think every Ali Hazelwood novel has that trademark wit and humor, and of course, always leaves you with something HUGE to ponder about 😂 if you know what I mean 🙈 please excuse this sad attempt at being funny haha
Rating: ★★★★☆
The many lives of theoretical physicist Elsie Hannaway have finally caught up with her. By day, she’s an adjunct professor, toiling away at grading labs and teaching thermodynamics in the hopes of landing tenure. By other day, Elsie makes up for her non-existent paycheck by offering her services as a fake girlfriend, tapping into her expertly honed people pleasing skills to embody whichever version of herself the client needs.
Honestly, it’s a pretty sweet gig—until her carefully constructed Elsie-verse comes crashing down. Because Jack Smith, the annoyingly attractive and broody older brother of her favorite client, turns out to be the cold-hearted experimental physicist who ruined her mentor’s career and undermined the reputation of theorists everywhere. And that same Jack who now sits on the hiring committee at MIT, right between Elsie and her dream job.
Elsie is prepared for an all-out war of scholarly sabotage but…those long, penetrating looks? Not having to be anything other than her true self when she’s with him? Will falling into an experimentalist’s orbit finally tempt her to put her most guarded theories on love into practice?