A review by might
Formula for Love by Amelia Simone

3.0

I liked this book and premise overall, and am here for the academia+nerdy+women in STEM storyline. Ultimately, for me, the pace was too slow and the slow-burn didn’t build enough tension, but this was a solid 3-star read.

Ed & Rita are very cute together…eventually. They are such a good match for one another, but misunderstandings abound. Ed is a self-proclaimed data nerd who has difficulty connecting with people, and sets off on a systematic plan to make new friends. Rita is a surprise curve ball for Ed and not part of his plans, but she ends up being the best friend he could have asked for. Making friends as an adult is super hard ya’ll, so this was a relatable premise to kick off Formula for Love.

What I liked:

Great portrayal of a lead with a disability. It represented how migraines affected the whole person and their lives, and my empathy was really high for Rita going through it. I liked how the strong, capable, educated, and smart women were depicted on page. There was a set-up for Sid to get her own story, and she seems like she’d be a badass lead for her own novel.

What I didn’t like.

I think a lot of the themes that are being explored in this story are good and important, but it’s frustrating because while Ed feels neurodivergent-coded, that’s never named or explored as part of Ed’s difficulty connecting with people. Ed also has pretty terrible social anxiety, but again, it’s not named or discussed in terms of mental health or how he’s treating that.

I received a free copy of this e-book from Booksirens in exchange for my honest review.