A review by samandthebookstack
Love on the Brain, by Ali Hazelwood
funny
lighthearted
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
5.0
Ali Hazelwood seems to be acutely aware of exactly which buttons to press to boost my seratonin production.
I loved The Love Hypothesis. It made my Reylo loving little heart so happy. It fixed some of the sadness that lingered in light of the way The Rise of Skywalker ended. (Ben Solo deserved better. JS.) I was hoping that Ali Hazelwood's next novel would give me the same vibes as TLH, and Love on the Brain delivered.
Our main characters, Bee (a neuroscientist) and Levi (an engineer), gave me the same vibes as Olive and Adam, and I didn't mind it one bit. You see, I have a type. He's tall, dark-haired and a tad broody but he exhibits all the cinammon roll qualities of a labrador retriever. He is smart, and heart-set on being a good person who isn't a bag of trash that refuses to face his own issues and trauma. But he's also intensely human and acts like an idiot sometimes. That is Adam's character in TLH, and it is also Levi's character in LOTB, and I loved it. I married this type of man and it's no coincidence that my husband also happens to be an engineer. As I said, I have a type. Mkay. Thank you, Ali Hazelwood, for effectively writing my husband into your novels. He's loving all the extra snuggles that result from your work.
Now...moving on...I loved Bee. I felt a deep camraderie with her character for one very specific reason: her poorly functioning autonomic nervous system. I have something called Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (or POTS, for short), and it is marked by...you guessed it...passing out. All. the. friggin. time. My own illness is far more severe than what is portrayed via Bee's character, but it still tugged at something very deep in my heart for me to see a character with autonomic dysfunction in a novel for the first time. I felt seen. Aside from that, Bee is relatable, she is stubborn, and she loves her work. I am so glad to see that Ali Hazelwood continues to use her work to highlight what its like for women in STEM (the good and the bad parts).
All in all, by the time I finished this book, I felt nostalgic. It was a comfort read and I remain dutifully obsessed with Ali's work and will continue to autobuy whatever she releases.
I loved The Love Hypothesis. It made my Reylo loving little heart so happy. It fixed some of the sadness that lingered in light of the way The Rise of Skywalker ended. (Ben Solo deserved better. JS.) I was hoping that Ali Hazelwood's next novel would give me the same vibes as TLH, and Love on the Brain delivered.
Our main characters, Bee (a neuroscientist) and Levi (an engineer), gave me the same vibes as Olive and Adam, and I didn't mind it one bit. You see, I have a type. He's tall, dark-haired and a tad broody but he exhibits all the cinammon roll qualities of a labrador retriever. He is smart, and heart-set on being a good person who isn't a bag of trash that refuses to face his own issues and trauma. But he's also intensely human and acts like an idiot sometimes. That is Adam's character in TLH, and it is also Levi's character in LOTB, and I loved it. I married this type of man and it's no coincidence that my husband also happens to be an engineer. As I said, I have a type. Mkay. Thank you, Ali Hazelwood, for effectively writing my husband into your novels. He's loving all the extra snuggles that result from your work.
Now...moving on...I loved Bee. I felt a deep camraderie with her character for one very specific reason: her poorly functioning autonomic nervous system. I have something called Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (or POTS, for short), and it is marked by...you guessed it...passing out. All. the. friggin. time. My own illness is far more severe than what is portrayed via Bee's character, but it still tugged at something very deep in my heart for me to see a character with autonomic dysfunction in a novel for the first time. I felt seen. Aside from that, Bee is relatable, she is stubborn, and she loves her work. I am so glad to see that Ali Hazelwood continues to use her work to highlight what its like for women in STEM (the good and the bad parts).
All in all, by the time I finished this book, I felt nostalgic. It was a comfort read and I remain dutifully obsessed with Ali's work and will continue to autobuy whatever she releases.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Medical content, Misogyny, Infidelity, Death of parent, Chronic illness, and Gun violence