Ali Hazelwood
Ashleigh (Grade 10)
Rating: 5/5
Elsie Hannaway is a brilliant theoretical physicist and adjunct professor ready to step outside her comfort zone to work on her career. Her unfortunately dry paycheck has also urged her to take on a second job as a part-time fake girlfriend. Leading a double life has been easy up until now, since she’s kept her clients separate from her real life.
Enter Jack Smith, brother of her favourite client and obstruction to her dream job in the MIT department of physics. Who is not aware that Elsie has run a double life up until this point. Suddenly, Elsie’s carefully crafted false personalities are crumbling and she is learning the extent of her consequences. Is she ready to admit that Jack Smith, her academic rival who destroyed her mentor’s career, is also kind and sweet and handsome? Secrets unfurl and motive is brought to light as the two navigate the idea of friendship or even a relationship.
This romance novel is a wonderful book between two brilliant physicists who are figuring out what love could be for maybe the first time. As an adorer of academic rivals to lovers, their relationship certainly won me over quite quickly.
Readers will watch as the competitive smack talk slowly develops into sweet encounters between Elsie and Jack. How they struggle to figure out different relationships and mature as adults. Her, always desperate to please others, him, unfortunately closed off and unreadable. The ironic pair face their individual challenges and readers will be excited for their true happy ending. Complexities rise, and Elsie will have to ask if her all is enough. How far do her lies go? Are her people-pleasing tendencies holding her back?
Love, Theoretically is another brilliant novel by the spectacular STEMinist author Ali Hazelwood. As well as romance, Ali always teaches the readers something new about the worlds of science and adds just the right amount of comedy. This book was heartwarming, informative and a pleasure to read. What’s more is that the novel also introduces ideas of self improvement and honesty, as well as healthy communication in a relationship, which is a good inspiration and model for any romance readers.
In contrast to comedic effects of the book, itcalso briefly implies the serious subject of sexual assault, but is not discussed outright or more than once (a character is believed to be coaxed into sex). Though it is a darker subject, to address it in a book like this in a manner that may be similar to many real life experiences was good for awareness and relation with the readers. For the community of smut readers, I’m sure you’ll find this book entertaining and a bit heartwarming, because Ali Hazelwood’s unique take on sex scenes makes them fiery but healthy.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has read any of Ali Hazelwood’s previous books that is desperate for more, physics nerds at heart, STEMinist readers and teenage girls (around 13-16 specifically). I hope you all get to enjoy this book as much as I did, happy reading!