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.
I absolutely loved this book!
I have found myself in a bit of a book rut lately and have resorted to re-reading old favorites of mine. IAD series, Badger Chronicles, and Drake sisters to name a few. Some I have written about and some I have yet to post a review to, but probably should. Being in the book slump is probably the worst place I can ever find myself when looking for something interesting to read. I find myself easily bored and uninterested in the thousands of books I thumb through almost daily. Then this gem wades through the abyss of my seasonal depression and beckons me in even as I’m hunting for a Christmas present to a friend. It was just the thing I was looking for.
This book is funny and awkward and more realistic than most of the romances I read. Olive is adorably naive and a nerd of the best sense. While Adam is awkward, brilliant and HOT. I loved reading through the mishaps and bumps of their “pretend” relationship and I winced right along with her. While my own dating mishaps are not exactly the same, I am awkward myself, and could empathize with her in some of her most embarrassing moments. It was easy to place myself into the storyline, even though I am not a science PH. D candidate. She was likeable and so realistic that it was a balm to my literature deprived soul. Adam was the misunderstood jerk, that wasn’t really a jerk at all. (I’ll let you read the book find out how.) He is beyond intelligent and unintentionally hot (because that was never his aim) and even in all of the shenanigans he treats Olive like the amazing equal and individual that she is. The man most of us wish that we could find.
This book is sweetly romantic and adorably cringy is some of the best places that just seems to fit into the spirit of this book. The romance is slow building and believable. Not the unrealistic love at first sight that you see in most romance books anymore. Don’t get me wrong, I do love a great feel-good quick romance book like any other girl. I just enjoyed this breath of fresh air in my stagnate TBR pile.
This romance does contain a pretty steamy segment that I was not anticipating, but definitely appreciated. Otherwise, it is a relatively tame book in comparison to some of the others that I read and review semi regularly.
Ali Hazelwood is a new author worth keeping an eye on. Give The Love Hypothesis a shot and I promise, you won’t be disappointed.
Luna Luvbook 