Reviews with content warning for Sexism - La química del amor

This is my 3rd Ali Hazelwood, and I loved the characters in this one. I felt like I could relate to them more than any of the ones I read previously, and they were more fleshed out. They were all kind of odd and interesting. I absolutely loved the humor Rocio added. And Levi was so much more real than Adam in Love Hypothesis, and they had better everyday chemistry. I appreciated that there was not another issue of inscrutability regarding the female lead trying to read the male lead. In fact, a lot of this book differed from how her others are, which was refreshing. But yeah, I was frustrated at times by Bee's lack of ability to see that this guy doesn't hate her. It became unbelievable at some point.

The premise is interesting and chapter headings are as clever as ever. I didn't like the way Bee treated Levi toward the end, but I was glad it got resolved quickly enough. Speaking of resolution, it gets almost cheesy at some point, especially with the protective cat, and the severe tension of the ending is uncomfortabbly unexpected. Plus the twitter subplot is built up so much with very little reward. But the epilogue was actually useful! Normally, I don't really see the point of prologues & epilogues, but this one was worth the pages.

I give Brooke Bloomingdale 5/5⭐️. She does the perfect narration.

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madanxiety's review against another edition

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3.0

This being my third Ali Hazelwood read, I think it's safe to say she has found her formula. For those who might not have read yet, I mean that the archetypes of her two leads are pretty much exactly the same every time. Ultimately, the similarity among all her books is more comforting to me than it is boring. I think most romance readers are attracted to the predictability and optimism of the genre, so I can't complain. It's like eating your favorite breakfast - one you've had hundreds of times in your life, and yet it sates you every time. Her formula isn't my ideal fantasy as a lesbian, lol, but I still find it entertaining. And hey, wlw got some rep in this book!

Aside from the wlw side-plot, this book did set itself apart from her other novels in 1-2 major ways,

the major way being that there is a GUN! Lol, I was not expecting that level of high-stakes. The other stand-out feature was that the smut seemed a tiny bit kinkier/dirtier than her other novels, specifically with a dom/daddy vibe. I'm glad Hazelwood didn't lean into that as much in the other novels that bigger age gaps/power imbalances.

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madisonthacker's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

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

3.5

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anna_iz's review against another edition

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funny 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

4.5

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ly555's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

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

3.0

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sarahaurora628's review against another edition

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hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was my first Ali Hazelwood and I liked it 🤷‍♀️ I loved all the side characters and the male lead. I thought the main character had so much potential which is such a shame because I found her kind of annoying 🫣 I love her back story and interests but being in her head made me roll my eyes a lot. I wanted to like her so badly but she came off kind of try hardish. That being said by the 2nd half I was routing for her. I think the smut was well done, I don’t remember cringing at them. I loved the love story, plot, and twists and I want a Levi Ward.

He is so funny, the ladder back and forth actually made me laugh

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asourceoffiction's review against another edition

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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

4.0

There are a few things in Hazelwood's books that aren't really my cup of tea. They're quite predictable, especially in terms of the romance, I don't care about the smut, and sometimes (like in this case) the main character is incredibly dense about whether someone loves or hates her.

But I love the stories about women in STEM and the fact they're not all just fluffy romance. That was enough for me to like The Love Hypothesis. In Loathe to Love You (the collection of short stories) it wasn't and I didn't really enjoy it as much. But Love on the Brain has surpassed them all. The STEM story is so much fun and I love Bee's affinity (obsession?) with Marie Curie.

My absolute favourite thing about this book is how funny it is. I actually laughed out loud at times, and that connected me more to the characters and story than any of the other books so far. A lot of it was predictable but there were a few surprises outside the romantic element, and because of the humour I really enjoyed reading it.

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