A review by naturally
Love on the Brain, by Ali Hazelwood
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
this book is basically 'the love hypothesis', but in a different (and more annoying) font. the marie curie trivia was a nice touch at the beginning, but there were times throughout the book where I felt it was excessive. same goes for the millenial humour and pop culture references...
bee had a super interesting profession, so it was nice to see her...actually doing science-y sh*t (this is something i feel was lacking in tlh). however, i found it hard to believe that she would be so...dumb in other aspects of her life? from self deprecation to the way she dragged out the jokes about levi hating her, she was a cringey character and i hated to see her put herself down repeatedly :(
levi felt very flat, but i will say, he and bee had great chemistry. awkwardness and overemphasis on size-difference aside, the sex scenes were hot idk
the entire third act was kind of a mess, and the reveal of the antagonist completely changed the tone of the whole book. after that, it was hard to get back into the groove of the story. yet, i'm still willing to give 'love, theoretically' a chance. if i don't like it, it may just be a sign that ali hazelwood's work isn't for me.
bee had a super interesting profession, so it was nice to see her...actually doing science-y sh*t (this is something i feel was lacking in tlh). however, i found it hard to believe that she would be so...dumb in other aspects of her life? from self deprecation to the way she dragged out the jokes about levi hating her, she was a cringey character and i hated to see her put herself down repeatedly :(
levi felt very flat, but i will say, he and bee had great chemistry. awkwardness and overemphasis on size-difference aside, the sex scenes were hot idk
the entire third act was kind of a mess, and the reveal of the antagonist completely changed the tone of the whole book. after that, it was hard to get back into the groove of the story. yet, i'm still willing to give 'love, theoretically' a chance. if i don't like it, it may just be a sign that ali hazelwood's work isn't for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, and Gun violence
Minor: Sexual harassment