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noellegrace8's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
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? It's complicated
3.5
This was a good read! The characters have a black-cat-golden-retriever thing going on. This book depicts some issues I wouldn't otherwise be informed about - academia politics in the science profession. I liked watching it play out, and I loved getting to know Olive's background along the way. Her project is interesting. I also liked Adam's emo-ness, as well as the two side-characters Malcolm and Holden. And the demi/sapio representation with Olive!
This being said, there wasn't a terribly detailed plot line; it's mostly just a PhD student trying to get through her program while also navigating her past experiences as well as her current relationships. Additionally, there were many times I wondered why Olive didn't just say no to some things Ahn asked of her during the fake dating, especially because Olive didn't seem the type of person to be pushed around. I also found a few too many similarities between this book and the only other Ali Hazelwood book I've read: Love, Theoretically. I got a little tired of hearing about how the female lead couldn't read anything on the male lead's face, some of the cheesy dialogue or circumstances, about the tallness, washboard abs, and dimples of the dudes, and the best female friend who is kind of loud/obnoxious and pretty much only present to further the lead's story. I also would liked to have seen some more communication between the main couple before they moved along with their relationship, because there was a lot of lying involved initially. And, as just a nit-picky thing, I hate that some of the characters say "Ol." To me, it just doesn't sound like an organic nickname and is too phonetically similar (when you're listening to an audiobook) to Ahn's name.
I love a book that can make me cry, and the aftermath of the incident with Tom did just that. It is worth noting that what happened with him in the book could be a trigger for some people. It was jarring, although well-written.
Finally, while I've heard this began as a Reylo fanfic, I really don't see much of a connection to their story. Olive in particular is nothing like Rey. Adam is merely an indistinct shadow of Kylo. And to be honest, Adam just doesn't have much character at all.
I give Callie Dalton 4/5 ⭐ . She very much has a Valley Girl voice, which is a sensory frustration for me. She can sometimes be a tad overdramatic in her reading efforts, but also, her male voices are quite good.
This being said, there wasn't a terribly detailed plot line; it's mostly just a PhD student trying to get through her program while also navigating her past experiences as well as her current relationships. Additionally, there were many times I wondered why Olive didn't just say no to some things Ahn asked of her during the fake dating, especially because Olive didn't seem the type of person to be pushed around. I also found a few too many similarities between this book and the only other Ali Hazelwood book I've read: Love, Theoretically. I got a little tired of hearing about how the female lead couldn't read anything on the male lead's face, some of the cheesy dialogue or circumstances, about the tallness, washboard abs, and dimples of the dudes, and the best female friend who is kind of loud/obnoxious and pretty much only present to further the lead's story. I also would liked to have seen some more communication between the main couple before they moved along with their relationship, because there was a lot of lying involved initially. And, as just a nit-picky thing, I hate that some of the characters say "Ol." To me, it just doesn't sound like an organic nickname and is too phonetically similar (when you're listening to an audiobook) to Ahn's name.
I love a book that can make me cry, and the aftermath of the incident with Tom did just that. It is worth noting that what happened with him in the book could be a trigger for some people. It was jarring, although well-written.
Finally, while I've heard this began as a Reylo fanfic, I really don't see much of a connection to their story. Olive in particular is nothing like Rey. Adam is merely an indistinct shadow of Kylo. And to be honest, Adam just doesn't have much character at all.
I give Callie Dalton 4/5 ⭐ . She very much has a Valley Girl voice, which is a sensory frustration for me. She can sometimes be a tad overdramatic in her reading efforts, but also, her male voices are quite good.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Cancer, Misogyny, Sexism, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
Minor: Death, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness, Violence, Grief, and Death of parent
idk_indigo's review against another edition
lighthearted
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
4.0
This book was mixed for me.
The good:
I loved the MMC which is surprising because I don't usually like grumpy male characters. Like, what do you even have to be grumpy about, not enough women to oppress? Shut up! But he was slay, I loved his soft side and I loved that we got to see so much more of him through his friends and through his work and conversations with Olive and stuff. He was cute!!
Olive's small circle of friends was so wonderful, I think they could've been more developed but I really appreciated that she had a little found family while she was navigating stressful situations!
The PhD/academia setting was honestly so much fun, I don't believe I've ever read a romance novel set at a university and I loved seeing all of the little insider things -- people stealing petri dishes, fighting for funding, insufficient research results, etc. it was so cool!
Anxiety representation in an FMC!! Demisexual representation! Yippee!
The sexy scenes! There weren't that many of them (only 2, I did keep count) and they were like a 2/5 in terms of spice: not graphic at all, but I loved them!
The miscommunication! Tbh the trope is growing on me, I really used to dislike it but now I'm like yeah, man, that's life. I thought overall it was pretty realistic, maybe a tiny bit far-fetched (but that was about the fake dating more than the miscommunication) but I was like honestly yeah that would happen to me... I'm a lesbian btw, if that explains anything
The love story itself was so intriguing, I found myself smiling blushing giggling lying on my stomach kicking my feet in the air teehee
The bad:
Olive was very meh for me, I thought her personality was sort of whatever. I struggled to grasp her motives sometimes, and she often felt very helpless and damsel in distress-y. Which, I'll be so honest with you, did not match up at all with what I would hope from a PhD student in STEM. Obviously people (and characters) are nuanced but like sheesh...
And a subsection of my previous complaint, it often felt like Adam was such a stereotypical hero. Buying Olive Starbucks and her saying this is food for the next 2 weeks, which mind you was never addressed again. And that one scene where hepins some guy up against the wall and she's all like "Daddy it's not worth it!" I understand that it wasn't supposed to be cringe but it was and also didn't match up with anything we know about Adam up to that point...
It also felt like, regarding the PhD program, that there were so many inconsistencies with "I'm so busy, I never have any time for anything besides school," and then scene upon scene of them doing anything but studying... Very much, for me, a case of telling not showing.
Olive being afucking virgin but also not really I'm sorry but I'm over it and I hate that trope so much. Shut up!
The MC's backstories, they felt very underdeveloped and it felt like Olive's trauma didn't really have much at all to do with her love story.... not that you need trauma to fall in love or whatever, but I think most MC's with a fair dose of childhood trauma at least have a main "issue" that is counterintuitive to their love story. Eg., FMC with overbearing parents feels intense perfectionist tendencies, leading to a job/career she hates and her eventual breakup (Happy Place, Emily Henry). Or FMC who was betrayed by her brother over a business deal finds it difficult to trust men, especially relating to finances (The Duke Gets Desperate, Diana Quincy). Olive's trauma was like... damn I grew up alone so I have anxiety.... oh, yeah, and like I have a crush on this guy... the two were never connected it just felt like she was talking about it just to talk. Which, like same girly pop I love yapping but I'm also not a MC in a romance novel. Idk
The professor/student relationship, I know it wasn't the worst but it also wasn't the best and the other professor and Olive becoming friends after he startsbanging her best friend and then they meet each others' parents after, like, less than a week of banging seemed a bit inappropriate.
Anyways, 4 stars! #adamandmeshouldbebesties #myfavoritecolorisgreentoo
PS., I will be so honest with you, this feels like a story one might write about the crush they have on their teacher idk I didn't mind it though
The good:
I loved the MMC which is surprising because I don't usually like grumpy male characters. Like, what do you even have to be grumpy about, not enough women to oppress? Shut up! But he was slay, I loved his soft side and I loved that we got to see so much more of him through his friends and through his work and conversations with Olive and stuff. He was cute!!
Olive's small circle of friends was so wonderful, I think they could've been more developed but I really appreciated that she had a little found family while she was navigating stressful situations!
The PhD/academia setting was honestly so much fun, I don't believe I've ever read a romance novel set at a university and I loved seeing all of the little insider things -- people stealing petri dishes, fighting for funding, insufficient research results, etc. it was so cool!
Anxiety representation in an FMC!! Demisexual representation! Yippee!
The sexy scenes! There weren't that many of them (only 2, I did keep count) and they were like a 2/5 in terms of spice: not graphic at all, but I loved them!
The miscommunication! Tbh the trope is growing on me, I really used to dislike it but now I'm like yeah, man, that's life. I thought overall it was pretty realistic, maybe a tiny bit far-fetched (but that was about the fake dating more than the miscommunication) but I was like honestly yeah that would happen to me... I'm a lesbian btw, if that explains anything
The love story itself was so intriguing, I found myself smiling blushing giggling lying on my stomach kicking my feet in the air teehee
The bad:
Olive was very meh for me, I thought her personality was sort of whatever. I struggled to grasp her motives sometimes, and she often felt very helpless and damsel in distress-y. Which, I'll be so honest with you, did not match up at all with what I would hope from a PhD student in STEM. Obviously people (and characters) are nuanced but like sheesh...
And a subsection of my previous complaint, it often felt like Adam was such a stereotypical hero. Buying Olive Starbucks and her saying this is food for the next 2 weeks, which mind you was never addressed again. And that one scene where he
It also felt like, regarding the PhD program, that there were so many inconsistencies with "I'm so busy, I never have any time for anything besides school," and then scene upon scene of them doing anything but studying... Very much, for me, a case of telling not showing.
Olive being a
The MC's backstories, they felt very underdeveloped and it felt like Olive's trauma didn't really have much at all to do with her love story.... not that you need trauma to fall in love or whatever, but I think most MC's with a fair dose of childhood trauma at least have a main "issue" that is counterintuitive to their love story. Eg., FMC with overbearing parents feels intense perfectionist tendencies, leading to a job/career she hates and her eventual breakup (Happy Place, Emily Henry). Or FMC who was betrayed by her brother over a business deal finds it difficult to trust men, especially relating to finances (The Duke Gets Desperate, Diana Quincy). Olive's trauma was like... damn I grew up alone so I have anxiety.... oh, yeah, and like I have a crush on this guy... the two were never connected it just felt like she was talking about it just to talk. Which, like same girly pop I love yapping but I'm also not a MC in a romance novel. Idk
The professor/student relationship, I know it wasn't the worst but it also wasn't the best and the other professor and Olive becoming friends after he starts
Anyways, 4 stars! #adamandmeshouldbebesties #myfavoritecolorisgreentoo
PS., I will be so honest with you, this feels like a story one might write about the crush they have on their teacher idk I didn't mind it though
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders and Sexual harassment
Minor: Grief and Death of parent
relin's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.75
Knowing this Originated from fanfic helped a lot. I do think this particular romance did a much better connection from the start then some of the previous works. It was a fun rollercoaster that left me wishing for just a touch more!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, and Sexual content
Moderate: Sexual harassment
Minor: Cancer, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment
sunflower7skull's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I'm usually not one for romance, but I actually really liked it! I found the writing of the bonus chapter to be a bit cringy but otherwise I really enjoyed it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
jadeandherbunny's review against another edition
emotional
funny
medium-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Grief
fmt23's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
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
As soon as you forget that it started as a Reylo Fanfiction it's actually quite enjoyable
Content Warnings
Minor: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, and Sexual assault
hecksbecks's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I understand now why there had been so much hype around The Love Hypothesis. Well written, intentional and creative I would read more from Hazelwood in a heartbeat. Her characters are not complex and the story is easy to digest but these are not bad things. It feels good to read a romantic story about two adults that act like children in love; it’s wonderful! It feels real! Adam and Olive, and the pining for one another is everything important in the book. Even the subtle introduction a social issue and how it was not only applied but confronted was well done. Enjoyable read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Death of parent
tymtoread's review against another edition
emotional
funny
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
4.75
Fabulous, show-stopping, never-been-done-before (by that I mean done at least a million times but not in this way). I love a good man-pines-over-a-girl-who-has-no-idea-the-depth-of-his-feelings-for-her moment. Grumpy × sunshine. All the fun things.
Also, also, women in STEM. What a novel concept (not really, but its nice to see it in the romance genre, or ANY genre, but I digress).
Also, also, women in STEM. What a novel concept (not really, but its nice to see it in the romance genre, or ANY genre, but I digress).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, Grief, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
Minor: Bullying and Toxic friendship
alexreadsstuff's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
wackzo's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Cancer, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Vomit, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment