Full Book Review of The Love Hypothesis
Check out the full book review and recommendations for The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood. This is fun romance read with one of my favorite tropes-fake dating! If you’re a fan of romance, keep reading below.
Here’s a short synopsis of the book:
“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.”
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Full Book Review Without Spoilers
If you’re into binge-worthy modern romance books, check this one out! I finished this book in just two sittings because I couldn’t put it down. Ali Hazelwood has a way of writing that makes you keep coming back for more.
This book does an impeccable job of combining the fake relationship with the grumpy/sunshine trope with a wonderful amount of hilarious banter. Although Olive is more of a stressed graduate student sunshine, but that really makes it better in this academic setting. And this is in adult romance that contains a little bit of spice.
The broody MMC, professor Adam Carlsen, is one of the grumpiest grumps I’ve seen in a romance book, but in the best way. Even though Adam doesn’t say a lot throughout the whole book, he really makes the whole romance story. So if you like the grumpy/sunshine trope, you need to check this book out.
Characters
This is a romance novel with very realistic characters that you can easily relate to or imagine meeting in real life. Olive especially is someone you grow to like throughout the book, and you even start rooting for Adam even though he’s the grump.
Plot
This is a true romance in the sense that the plot purely moves along the relationship. So, the plot of this book is really all about the romance even though there are significant events happening in the background like Olive and Adam’s research projects. It is still a pretty fast paced book that’s hard to put down.
Writing
This is the first Ali Hazelwood I’ve read, so the writing style was new to me. But she has a great way of writing the main characters and the dialogue to really pull you in to the story. I was interested in the characters and the romance for the entire book.
Full Book Review With Spoilers
You’ve been warned that from here on out there will be spoilers.
Even though you know they’re going to end up together in the end, the path to get them there takes you on plenty of ups and downs. When they finally get to the conference together at the end, you just want to scream (in a good way). The fake dating is written just right to not get too cheesy but effortlessly build the tension between Olive and Adam. And, in a weird way, Adam’s appeal is irresistible by the end.
It may be a little cliche, but, when it comes to romance books, I’m all for the happy ending. I do wish we would have gotten to see Adam and Olive actually together in a relationship at the end, though.
My biggest complaint is that Olive’s lack of communication in the second half of the book was used to complicate things. Olive should have just told Adam about what Tom said right away even if she thought Adam may be mad. But what romance book doesn’t have a little bit of that, and the frustration just made me want to get to the end more.
Pros of the Book
There’s a realistic amount of awkwardness and not liking each other at the beginning of the fake relationship. Especially on Olive’s side, there’s not an immediate attraction or real feelings at first. Instead, it beautifully builds throughout the fake relationship.
Another big pro of this book for me is the banter between Olive and Adam. For Adam being a grump and not saying much, there’s so many great scenes with banter that will make you squeal. Well written banter is one of my favorite thing in a romance book.
Cons of the Book
If you like a unique romance book with very little cliches, this may not be the book for you. It’s a bit predictable, but what contemporary romance isn’t. The cliches are at least given a unique setting and plot.
Conclusion
Overall, this is an addictive, binge-worthy modern romance with a well written fake dating situation. This book did get me back into reading romance after feeling bored with it for a long time. It may be a little bit cheesy, but you can look right past that once you get into the book.
You can find the book here.
I have a full summary of the book here if you need a refresher on any of the main points.
Rating-4 Out of 5 Stars
While it’s not my favorite ever romance, this was a very enjoyable read that left me with all kinds of feelings. I was thinking about the characters and the fake dating timeline even after I had finished the book. It may not be for everyone, but I really liked reading this one.
Here’s how I rate all my books: My Rating System
Is The Love Hypothesis Spicy?
Yes, The Love Hypothesis has an explicit scene towards the end of the book. It’s a total of a chapter and a half.
Who Would Enjoy Reading?
If you’re a fan of modern romance or rom-coms, this is an addicting read. Even more so if you’re into the fake-dating trope, as that part is especially well written. It does also have a small amount of spice if you’re looking for that in your romance books.
What to Read After The Love Hypothesis
If you enjoyed this book and want something similar, I have a few recommendations. There’s lots of good romance books out there, but these are a few with very similar vibes or writing.
Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood
If you liked the writing of this book, try Ali Hazelwood’s next book that’s also a STEM romance. You can find the book here.
Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams
Here’s another romance that’s so hard to put down! Practice Makes Perfect is an addicting blend of fake dating and opposites attract that pulls you in right away. You can find it here.
The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren
If you’re a big fan of the fake dating trope like me, try this new romance book. The Paradise Problem is equally binge-worthy! Check it out here.
