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 satisfying romantic comedy features smart, witty dialog and a diverse cast of likable secondary characters ... The setting, in Stanford’s STEM program, is essential to the plot and allows the author to write on the obstacles faced by PhD students, especially women in science programs ... A realistic, amusing novel that readers won’t be able to put down. Highly recommended for all collections.
The Love Hypothesis has to be the most adorable, geektastic–but most importantly–smartly written debut I’ve read in…forever. Author Ali Hazelwood wowed me with a diverse cast that was quirky enough to make me grin, and with a wicked smart heroine who got herself into a predicament that you could tell was going to blow up in her face. And you know what? It was worth every sharp intake of breath, giggle-snort, and sigh of relief experienced ... An absolutely stellar fake romance between a grumpy professor and a well-meaning grad student, The Love Hypothesis was everything I love about contemporary romance. I think Ali Hazelwood’s entertaining but still emotionally deep writing will spell nothing but success for her.
Hazelwood debuts with a charming, offbeat rom-com pairing a somewhat awkward doctoral candidate with a hotshot young professor ... With whip-smart and endearing characters, snappy prose, and a quirky take on a favorite trope, Hazelwood convincingly navigates the fraught shoals of academia ... This smart, sexy contemporary should delight a wide swath of romance lovers.
