Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood

70 reviews

jilliri's review against another edition

lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Another book about a petite, bird-like, fragile fmc that could have so much potential in the stem world if only her insecurities and ailments didn’t hold her back. 

Luckily she meets the biggest of big men who is built like a tree, and seeps sexual tension that has all the girlies pulled “tight like a bow string” 🤦🏻‍♀️ anddddd just the right influence to toss our female leads insecurities aside and thrust her into her dream career as a the most successful science nerd of highest importance. 

And they live happy ever after. The end. 

Sigh. If you’ve read one of Ali’s books…you’ve read them all.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Sexism, and Toxic relationship

itsgnat's review against another edition

lighthearted medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

lmy612's review against another edition

lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Not my favourite by Ali Hazelwood and that’s a shame because I was so excited to read this!

MFC, Elsie, is the dumbest smart person out of all of Ali’s novels. She doesn’t speak up for herself. Ever. With anyone. She moulds herself into whoever she thinks the person she’s speaking with wants her to be—dates, her mother, best friend, mentor, coworkers, her students, random people she’s meeting for the first time. This is her personality and I guess her idea of survival mode in academia? But it is cringy to read. 

Elsie and MMC, Jack, have a major height difference which is such a common trope I’m beyond tired of it. She needs to crane her neck to look up at him. She needs to stand on her tippy toes and pull his face towards her to kiss. His pen!s pokes her in the stomach. She’s a small-average height woman and he’s a giant. We get it. 

Elsie’s interactions with her mother felt forced. Phone calls with and memories of mommy dearest are added sporadically throughout the book. Mom calls and expects Elsie to break up fights between her two older brothers—who are  adults. We never meet the mother or the brothers so, even though their  interactions give examples of Elsie putting up with a lot of garbage from a lot of people, they felt like unnecessary characters. 

Elsie and her best friend/roommate have an odd cheese obsession. This is focused on so much it is actually a character trait. Cheese is one of the few things they have in common, but they make it work. 

Elsie does grow throughout the book with Jack’s help. She starts to tell people what she thinks and how she feels which made me proud. One of Elsie‘s dislikes is her best friend ’s taste in movies. But even though Elsie starts voicing her opinions by the end of the book, in the epilogue she’s sitting through yet another movie she doesn’t  want to be watching. Furthermore, the person she’s watching this movie with told her earlier in the book that they would never watch her favourite movies with her ever again. So Elsie is expected to compromise for their tastes, but they won’t compromise their’s for her? Eww. No thank you

The ending was meh for me. It didn’t feel as climatic as it could have been. 

Sorry. This storyline and the characters just really weren’t for me.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Chronic illness, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Misogyny, Abandonment, Acephobia/Arophobia, Death of parent, Medical content, Outing, and Sexism

chasingpages1's review against another edition

emotional funny informative lighthearted relaxing medium-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? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Sexual content, Chronic illness, Gaslighting, and Medical content

Moderate: Outing, Death of parent, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Grief, Acephobia/Arophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, and Mental illness

Minor: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Ableism, Classism, Alcohol, Pregnancy, and Drug use

meredith_williams_'s review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted 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

3.0

As an author, Ali Hazelwood falls into the same camp as Elena Armas for me. I know when I pick up one of her books I will have to endure a plethora of cringey elements to her writing style (the incomprehensible height difference between her MMC and FMC, the extremely millennial humor, the almost hyperbolic quirkiness of her main characters, etc.) but I’m willing to do so for her silly, smutty, STEM romcoms that are nothing short of a fun time! Did I like that there was a hedgehog subplot in this book? No. Did Twilight need to be brought up every 5-7 pages? No. Do I think any actual 27 year old girl would willingly pair a sweater dress with thigh highs and then leave her apartment for a date? No.  But did I enjoy the academic enemies to lovers trope? Yes! Did the banter have me giggling and kicking my feet the whole time? Yes! Did I think the book explored some surprisingly deep truths on honesty and self advocacy as a form of love? Yes! 

If you enjoyed The Love Hypothesis (or Love on the Brain, though personally I try to forget it exists!) then you’ll like Love, Theoretically. If you can’t put up with cringe in exchange for a fun plot then look elsewhere for your romcom fix! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing and Sexual content

Moderate: Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, and Sexism

Minor: Outing

notmollie's review against another edition

funny lighthearted relaxing 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Cursing, and Chronic illness

Moderate: Gaslighting

Minor: Abandonment, Acephobia/Arophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Body shaming, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, and Toxic relationship

gabyhat's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful 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? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content

Minor: Medical content, Toxic relationship, and Death of parent

hopecobblepotworld's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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

5.0

I should write a long review and at some point I will but right now all I can say is I loved Love, Theoretically. I never thought Ali could write something as good as The Love Hypothesis. Well,  she did.  Brava!

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Content Warnings

Minor: Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Ableism, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Death of parent

britwalsh16's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I read this book in a day! I Love Ali Hazelwood, & the world she has built with her books! I’m not a STEM girl, & honestly I hated science class in school, but this world she created is addicting, even without a love of science! I loved seeing the callbacks & Easter eggs from her other books too; especially the cameos of past characters Adam & Olive! I loved being able to see what they are up to now!
As for the characters in this book, their chemistry was off the charts, Jack & Elsie make an adorable pair, & it’s fun seeing a fake dating trope where the couple that’s faking it ISNT the ones who fall in love! Not something you see often. 
But also, this book really called me out with Elsie & her people pleasing!  I’m not as good as Elsie, I can’t read people & make myself into the version they want, but I do people please A LOT! & some of the quotes in this book really hit close to home!  Idk if that’s a good thing or not yet. Lol 🤷🏻‍♀️ 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Chronic illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Emotional abuse, and Medical content

Moderate: Acephobia/Arophobia, Death of parent, and Gaslighting

Minor: Toxic relationship

geagleson9's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing tense 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Cursing

Moderate: Death of parent and Misogyny

Minor: Acephobia/Arophobia, Sexual harassment, Medical content, Toxic relationship, Sexism, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Chronic illness, Alcohol, and Mental illness