“The Love Hypothesis”, Ali Hazelwood
Published September 14, 2021
When a fake relationship between scientists meets the irresistible force of attraction, it throws one woman's carefully calculated theories on love into chaos.
As a third-year Ph.D. candidate, Olive Smith doesn't believe in lasting romantic relationships—but her best friend does, and that's what got her into this situation. Convincing Anh that Olive is dating and well on her way to a happily ever after was always going to take more than hand-wavy Jedi mind tricks: Scientists require proof. So, like any self-respecting biologist, Olive panics and kisses the first man she sees.
That man is none other than Adam Carlsen, a young hotshot professor—and well-known ass. Which is why Olive is positively floored when Stanford's reigning lab tyrant agrees to keep her charade a secret and be her fake boyfriend. And when a big science conference goes haywire, putting Olive's career on the Bunsen burner, Adam surprises her again with his unyielding support and even more unyielding. . . six-pack abs.
Suddenly their little experiment feels dangerously close to combustion. And Olive discovers that the only thing more complicated than a hypothesis on love is putting her own heart under the microscope.
“I’m starting to wonder if this is what being in love is. Being okay with ripping yourself to shreds, so the other person can stay whole.”
I’ve been a die-hard fan of Ali Hazelwood since her AO3 days as the iconic ever-so-reylo, so when Head Over Feet made the leap from fanfic to full-blown published novel, I was vibrating with joy. I even got her to sign my handbound copy when she visited Sac with Julie for the Forget Me Not book tour. Watching her rise from beloved fic author to romance publishing powerhouse has been like watching your friend win an Oscar. She is firmly cemented as one of my auto-buy authors; if she writes it, I’m preordering it yesterday.
What begins as a spontaneous, slightly chaotic kiss between an awkward Ph.D. candidate and a notoriously grumpy professor spirals into a fake dating arrangement that’s somehow both ridiculous and weirdly plausible. This book is a masterclass in slow-burn tension—lap-sitting, sunscreen-slathering, science conferences, and a shared hotel room—all layered with genuine emotion and an irresistible will-they-won’t-they.
The Love Hypothesis is one of my all-time favorite books—not just because of its Reylo-coded DNA (though, yes, that definitely adds to the flavor), but because it’s an utterly charming, slow-burn, fake-dating masterpiece with all the emotional payoff a girl could ask for. This book captures the pressures of academia, imposter syndrome, and the courage to put your heart (and career) on the line. I own multiple copies, like a dragon hoarding emotionally intelligent paperbacks, and even picked up a Spanish edition (La hipótesis del amor) so I could practice conjugating verbs while re-living the romance.
And don’t even get me started on the upcoming movie. I’m already planning my viewing outfit and emotional breakdown. They had the funniest opportunity to do something, and they did it—by hiring Daisy Ridley’s husband to play Adam Carlsen. The Reylos keep winning. I’m going to be so insufferable about this on my Instagram stories way after the movie comes out.
Ali deserves every bit of success coming her way, and I will be first in line for whatever she dreams up next.
Content Warnings
Note: This is not an exhaustive list of content and trigger warnings.
consensual sexual content • sexual harassment • sexual assault • misogyny • cancer
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Owned: signed hardcover from Book of the Month; signed paperback; Kindle Edition