valetica's review against another edition
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Moderate: Sexual harassment
eikaia's review against another edition
funny
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Sexual harassment
mayablythe's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Sexual harassment
sarahflanders's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Death of parent, Sexual harassment, and Sexual assault
booklovinmamas's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
I received a copy of The Love Hypothesis from the publisher when it was released, and the book had been staring at me to read it whenever I walked by it. I was hesitant because I’ve been burned lately by cartoonish covers being labeled as Romance, but once I started reading them, I realized they should have been labeled Women’s Fiction/Chick Lit. In the case of The Love Hypothesis, I didn’t get burned this time because this book was a Romance, and I enjoyed the storyline with this one and adored the characters.
This was the first book I read from author Ali Hazelwood, too, and I’m kicking myself for not reading her sooner. The whole time I was reading this book, I couldn’t wait to tell my oldest daughter, who is away at college right now, about it. This book is something I know she would enjoy, especially with it being a STEM romance.
I’ve always enjoyed the fake dating storyline in romance books and loved how Olive and Adam ended up stumbling into it. The whole reason behind the ‘fake relationship’ was to convince Olive’s friend she had moved on from a guy that her friend now was seeing that Olive used to date. Adam agreed to fake date Olive until a certain deadline. The more time they spent together, though, the more one of them or both were going to start having genuine feelings, and I was all for them developing into a real relationship, especially with how they had an instant chemistry between the two.
I adored Olive’s character and hated knowing what she went through when she was younger. She was a driven, brilliant character that I connected with right away, and she reminded me of my oldest daughter. I hated what happened to Olive during the conference and wanted to comfort her and encourage her to tell someone. Yes, this scene did bring out some emotions in me because I had experienced something similar while working in the Navy and hated that I never had the encouragement to do something about it. No woman should ever feel they can’t speak up about this issue, especially when the person threatens her. I’m grateful for how the book addressed the issue and thankful for Olive having some amazing friends and how Adam handled it, too.
Adam may have been a difficult college professor and a grump at times, especially to certain people, but he wasn’t that way with Olive. He had agreed to fake date her, and he was one of her biggest supporters. I loved how he was with her when they did eventually give in to their attraction to one another. (I highly recommend listening to the book because you’ll get a chapter in his POV, and you’ll fall head over heels for the man.)
This book is told mainly in the FMC’s POV, which I usually prefer reading dual, but I didn’t mind with this book. I preferred not knowing what Adam was thinking because it made it more mysterious.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and I give the story 4.5 stars; I can’t wait for my daughter to read it when she has time between taking notes, writing essays, and studying for her degree. I also can’t wait to read more books from Ali Hazelwood.
Here are some of the trope(s)/element(s) that I found while reading this book that may appeal to readers:
💙STEM Romance
💙Fake Dating/Relationship
💙Age Gap
💙Grumpy vs. Sunshine
💙Slow Burn
💙STEM Romance
💙Fake Dating/Relationship
💙Age Gap
💙Grumpy vs. Sunshine
💙Slow Burn
Story Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️.5
Steam/Spice: 🌶.5
Standalone or Part of Series: Standalone
Would I recommend this book? Yes.
Genre/SubGenre(s): Romance | Contemporary Romance
Graphic: Sexual harassment and Sexual content
Moderate: Death of parent and Cancer
falling_through_the_pages's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Sexual harassment
cams's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Cancer, Sexism, and Death of parent
eh1736's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Sexual harassment
fransbooks's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Moderate: Sexual harassment
auudrey's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Sexual content and Sexual harassment