A review by mattiedancer
Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood

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

3.5

Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood

**SPOILERS**
Writing: 3.75⭐️/5 
I do like Ali Hazelwood’s writing. I appreciate that this one – while keeping with the funny, quirky, academically driven voice she’s known for – did venture away from feeling like a copy-paste of her other stories. I like how she brings a sense of humour to her writing without diminishing the story or the characters.

Characters: 3.5⭐️/5
Alright, so while, yes, these are very similar characters to her other novels, I appreciated the attempts to move away from her favourite tropes. Our MC is less self-assured than other protagonists in their personality. I loved how Elsie was a self-proclaimed people-pleaser (perhaps just because I definitely related to that). That being said, there are still a lot of similarities to her other protagonists, and I do wish she had stepped even further out of her own shadow with the characters.

Plot: 3.25⭐️/5 
I do think Hazelwood tried to venture past her regular tropes here and, while I think that worked well in many sections, there were several portions of this novel that simply seemed to drag. The crux of the conflict in the novel felt slightly forced, and Elsie’s switch from avoiding Jack to running after him felt sudden and out of character. That being said, there are several wonderful sections of this novel’s plot that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Who Should Read This Book? 
Fans of Ali Hazelwood; nerdy romance fans; fans of Twilight (trust me); someone looking for a quick, mostly lighthearted read.

Content Warnings? 
Gaslighting, misogyny, sexism, mentorship abuse, toxic relationship, death of parent, grief, medical trauma

Post-Reading Rating:  4⭐️/5
Awww. I had fun.  I also really loved her tongue-in-cheek reference (and avoidance) of her fave trope: fake dating. 

Final Rating: 3.5⭐️/5 (3.56)
Expand filter menu Content Warnings