Love Theoretically

This book is my favourite Ali Hazelwood book! I love the friendship between Elsie and Cece and how Cece was always there for Elsie. I also love how the relationship between Elsie and Jack developed and although it was quite slow at first but once they admitted their feelings for each other it wasn’t slow at all and I enjoyed reading it so much. Their witty banter is everything and I admire the way Jack could see through Elsie and how he helped her in being true to herself. Also, the chapter with Adam and Olive made me so emotional since I’ve missed them so much and it definitely made me cry happy tears.

The story is set against the backdrop of women in STEM and follows a girl named Elsie who is a theoretical physicist. She is an adjunct and trying to earn living for herself. She lives with a friend in a shabby apartment from past seven years and has diabeties. She is in need of a proper job to get insurance to treat herself medically and complete her research. She also starts a job of fake dating to earn some extra money. All is going well until Jack Smith, the annoyingly attractive and arrogant brother of her favourite client, turns out to be the coldhearted experimental physicist who ruined her mentor's career and undermined the reputation of theorists everywhere. And he is the same person who rules the physics department at MIT, where she has been offered her dream job. The characters are well developed and relatable. Elsie's journey from being many Elsies that everyone wanted to the one and only Elsie which she wanted to be is heart touching. Jack's emotional depth is beautifully potrayed making him a swoonworthy and sympathetic hero. The romance between Elsie and Jack is built on a slow burning connection which adds depth to their relationship. Hazelwood has expertly balanced the moments of tenderness and moments of tension keeping the readers engaged in the love story. Love theoretically dvelves into the theme of healing, forgiveness and second chances. It reminds us that sometimes the hardest battles are the ones we fight within ourselves. All in all, I loved reading the book and recommend to all the romance readers out there My rating : 🌟🌟🌟🌟/5

There may be quite a few story-arc spoilers or character-arc spoilers, so if you haven’t read the book and want to not be spoiled, do not venture further, my friend. When I started this book, I was sure it was going to be like all the other Ali Hazelwood books I’d read so far; AKA Love Hypothesis 2.0, then 3.0 and then again. Truly for a bit I was sure that’s where it was heading because the hero was once again big, big, muscles, big and the heroine was small, quirky, struggling. Nothing wrong with any of these things, except that’s all we ever see in all the other books too. However, to my pleasant surprise, the book took a turn to different quite soon and I think this book has been the most successful in attacking my emotional centres. In my opinion, this book delves more into the personal lives of the characters than their professional lives—even though that’s certainly a part of the story. The fact that the characters don’t work together during the course of the book (like in the previous AH novels) helps in making the book feel more itself than like its predecessors. One of my least favourite tropes is the miscommunication trope and I’m quite happy this book doesn’t feature it. Also, while the synopsis calls them “rivals” and the setup matches the description, the story doesn’t follow an enemies to lovers arc. The characters fairly get along even when they ‘hate’ each other. Also, the love interest is a typical AH hero, so… *shrug* expect devotion and obsession. This book is, interestingly, mostly about Elsie finding herself. Yes, I know the other books also feature this aspect; but this is the book that does the most justice to it in my opinion. Elsie (as we’ve seen in some of the previous AH books, I think?) struggles to say no. She also often becomes the personality that she thinks the person in front of her wants her to be—which, given her fake-girlfriend gig is great, but personally not so much. Even if you don’t relate to this particular aspect of her, there’s something very heart-moving, raw and exposed about the book; especially in those moments when Jack (the love interest), sees right through her pretences and calls out her lies. There’s a moment in this book when the heroine makes a momentary mistake that I thought was a very natural response to pain and societal conditioning. I like that she internally struggled, apologised and spoke about it and I personally respect the author more for having had her character make that slip. It’s that conditioning we need to fight, even at our weakest not just at our strongest. The female friendship in this book is lovely, I love that her friend has a distinct personality and she’s known to drop the odd gem. There’s a particular moment when she gives her opinion about Elsie’s (and the reader’s) idea of something and calls it what it is. Talking about friendships, I’m super happy to say the hero of this book, Jack, had fantastic friendships. Bless his soul. After the past few books being all about the love interest’s best friend being the main antagonist of the story, I’m super happy to see an AH book with a hero with heathy platonic relationships and a family in friends. All these interactions were so lovely. Jack was a bit of a surprise. He was introduced a certain way and then revealed to be very different from that. My favourite part of how his character is written is how up-front he was about his feelings. Usually the confession in Hazelwood’s books are towards the end to solve the miscommunication trope (*bombastic side-eye*). But in this book the confession happens at exactly the perfect time. (SEE! STOP MAKING MISCOMMUNICATION A TROPE PEOPLE. ITS TIME IS OVER IN THE BOOK WORLD, LET IT RIP.) However, being the person that constantly watches out for Elsie’s wants and needs, it often feels like he’s overlooking his own OR he’s taking decisions that warp the natural flow with which something would happen. This too, was addressed and I enjoyed that it wasn’t overlooked and the hero wasn’t perfect. Heck, the heroine calls him out on something and he behaves exactly the way he would expect Elsie to when she’s called out. The diabetes rep was definitely one of my favourite parts of the book. It wasn’t thrown in as an add-on and was given importance. I personally loved it, however since I haven’t lived with the condition I can’t attest for how accurate it was. So I apologise if I’ve missed something important that wasn’t done right. There’s a lot of strength, vulnerability and determination in this book and it’s closest to being my favourite Ali Hazelwood book so far (and no, Love Hypothesis never was my favourite; *hides from thrown stones coming her way*). Four stars! Only knocking off a star because as different as the book was, the characters were quite the same and the general task the MC has to achieve is fairly the same. Also, the book kiiinda reads like a mild fan-fiction of The Hating Game. Happy reading!

There is a reason why I am an Ali Hazelwood fan and have elevated her to almost a divinity in my eyes. This book just proves that. I love how Ali Hazelwood works on her romance arc. It feels natural and takes its own shape rather than making the romance fall into a predesigned template. This simplicity in Ali’s work romance is what makes her romances the BESTTTTT. Love Theoretically has everything that she started in Love Hypothesis and much more making this book yet another amazing addition to her STEM series. (Insert chef’s kiss) I loved how she took everything from the Love Hypothesis and used these elements to create a new story that still was a fresh experience. I can see haters saying that this is another Love Hypothesis in a new packet. DON’T LISTEN TO THEM. yes, I will admit that the book has all the same elements but the way she uses these same ingredients to create a completely new story is what floored me. HAIL QUEEN! HAIL Love Theoretically is a slow-burn romance but let not that mean that the book is slow. NOPE! In fact, the whole journey of these enemies, forced together, suffering together and then finding an amicable middle path and eventually realizing a spark between them and finally acknowledging it and acting on it…. this whole process so delicately and well handled that you can actually see the growth and progression. Usually, Enemies lovers romance will have page 1 enemy, Page 2 sexual tension Page 3 Sex and more sex.. So basically in a flick of a page animosity ended and intimacy on.. with you left wondering why they were enemies in the first place. 80% of the time the reason behind animosity is even more ridiculous. That is why I loved how in this book, they had a reason why these characters had a bit off vibe in the beginning yet the book is not screaming at every line that they hate each other. You can see and make that comprehension for yourself. Conclusion In conclusion, I am a devout fan of Ali Hazelwood and that is why I would be the last person to say anything against her books. So for me, this book was yet another example of why I love her books and romances. She knows how to build them and hook her readers. If you love a nice, cosy romance without all the cheesiness, then this book is for you. I AM AN ALI HAZELWOOD FAN. Period.

The writing is well delivered. The characters are really interesting and the story overall is good! Loved it🎀🫶🏼🥹

Novel is good ofcourse it's ali hazelwood we are talking about. But the packaging of amazon is not upto the mark. I mean the pages from the corner are folded. Come on Amazon do better, even meesho's packaging is better than yours.

Review: "Love Theoretically" is a captivating romance that blends STEM, enemies-to-lovers, grumpy sunshine, banter, and angst. Set in the competitive world of academia, it follows Dr. Elsie Hannaway a theoretical physicist, and Dr. Jack Smith, a charming experimentalphysicist, as they navigate their growing attraction and complex emotions. The chemistry between Elsie and Jack is palpable, their banter and interactions full of wit and charm. What sets this book apart is its authentic portrayal of the STEM world, adding depth to the story. As Elsie and Jack's relationship develops, the reader is taken on an emotional journey filled with laughter, frustration, and heartache. In conclusion, "Love theoretically" is a must-read for fans of enemies-to-lovers tropes and character-driven romances. With its engaging plot, well-developed characters, and sizzling chemistry, this book is sure to leave readers eager for more.

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