Books

Book Review: The Love Hypothesis

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9 November 2021

By Michaela Makusha

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The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood is the latest read from my to-be-read list that has been interrupted by my studies, but we all need a break from Plato every now and then.

I didn’t know what to expect from the book. I don’t read many romantic books, but this was recommended by friends, Twitter, Pinterest and TikTok, so I had to see what the hype was about. I wasn’t disappointed.

This book is so charming! Olive Smith, the protagonist is a shy, intelligent and hardworking biology PhD student who prefers her work in the lab and enjoys sugary drinks from Starbucks.

Little attacked by how relatable she is.

To selflessly let her friend date her ex-boyfriend, she lies and tells her she has a new boyfriend now. The problem is, her friend almost caught her in the lie, so she does what we would all do, and kisses the first guy she sees.

This happens to be Dr Adam Carlsen, a young handsome, yet bullish professor who everyone is scared of. He agrees to be her fake boyfriend, surprising her with his kind heart. The relationship, of course, grows from pretence to real chemistry between these two socially awkward scientists.

We have every classic romance trope after trope here. When mixed with science and academia, it makes for a really interesting, funny and heartwarming read.

Recommended Reading: Book Review: Bridget Jones’s Diary

All the characters are so well written, intelligent, and endearing. Not only are the main couple charming, but the side characters – Adam’s colleague Holden Rodriquez, and Olive’s friends Malcolm and Anh – are also lovely, and I was just rooting for everyone to do well.

It’s also filled with delightfully diverse characters. And in every rom-com, there’s a villain who is disposed of in the most satisfying way.

It also has a great commentary on the difficulties of academia, as well as women and people of colour in STEM. It also has changed my mind about scientists, so there’s that.

It’s a funny, romantic and easy read that will have your attention and have you smiling from cover to cover.

4.5/5

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