Hello there, bookworms and Happy Thanksgiving weekend! I know we’re at the end of it, but I hope you had a great holiday with friends, family, and loved ones that included good food and relaxation. Personally, I spent most of this weekend either running like a maniac or trying to rest because I haven’t been feeling so great (not covid related). Thankfully, I went to the doctor last week so I’m hoping to hear the results of some tests I had done so that I can move on with trying to feel better/normal. That also means that I failed at NaNo this year, but if I’m being honest, November is like the worst time of year to ignore the world and get 50,000 words down on the page. Between work, life, and holidays, it’s not feasible. I’ll get back to work on all of that in the new year (fingers crossed).
On the reading front, I finally started my ever-growing stack of Christmas TBR books. There’s just something about a feel-good holiday story (especially a Christmas romance) that makes you want to curl up and get cozy. Before I dive in to start reviewing them for you as we count down to Christmas, I wanted to jump on here to bring you another book review. Let’s talk about The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood!
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. But 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.
This was one of those books I saw all over my Instagram feed. I caved to pressure and the hype and had to grab a copy of this book for myself. This is the first book of Ali’s that I’ve read, but I’m thrilled to say I’m eagerly awaiting more from her in the future.
While I’m really bad about seeing the obsession with bandwagon books, movies, shows, etc, I’m happy that this wasn’t the case with this charming story. When it came to Hypothesis, I totally understood the hype. My reading has been in a semi-funk all year and I haven’t found many books I could fully obsess over, but The Love Hypothesis might’ve broken the curse. Even though it took me longer than normal to read, I found myself slowing my binge reading on purpose just so that I could spend more quality time with the characters.
Not only am I a sucker for a professor/student romance (see also my Gabriel’s Inferno obsession), but I absolutely adore the grumpy boy/sunshine girl trope. These pages are chuck-full of a slow-burn romance that you can’t get enough of. Adam is a man of few words and has a reputation of being spikey with most while Olive is awkward at best. However, when they’re together, they converse easily and gently, and develop a bond few others seem to understand.
To witness them bud from a clumsy encounter in a science lab, to fake dating, to friends, academics, and everything beyond is charming, sweet, sensual, and so much more. Even though this book was 350+ pages, I could’ve certainly used more of Adam and Olive. Being with them felt like a reminder of when I first started falling in love with romance novels back in 2012-2013. Since it looks like Ali has plenty more books coming in the new year, I’ll be sure to add them to my never-ending TBR and eagerly anticipate their arrival.
If you haven’t yet met professor Carlsen or grad student Olive, I can’t urge you enough to grab your copy now. It’s just as adorable as everyone has been saying and absolutely worth ignoring life and responsibilities for awhile in order to lose yourself in the world of Stanford science and all the drama and hijinks that go with it.
Until next time, stay safe and happy reading! xx
