Love, Theoretically

I read Ali Hazelwood's first book, The Love Hypothesis, and absolutely loved it, then I bought her new book, Love, Theoretically, and I - if possible - loved it even more. Her protagonists are all scientists / academics -- no small-town bakery owners here! (Not that I don't love me a good small-town bakery romance, too. But it's nice to have some representation with protagonists a little closer to home!)

In Love, Theoretically, Elsie is a recently-graduated theoretical physicist, who makes ends meet - barely - by adjuncting at four schools, and working for a fake-dating site on the side. It's something she's good at, as she's an instinctive people-pleaser, and excellent at figuring out which version of Elsie will make somebody the show more happiest. She's applied for her dream job at MIT, and landed an interview, only to find out that Jack Smith-Turner, rising star of the department, is not only the brother of her current fake-dating client, but is also the person who ruined her mentor's career and nearly discredited her whole field years before. And even worse, she can't figure out which version of Elsie he wants her to be... other than the real one that it seems like only he can see.

I loved this book. Caps-lock LOVED it. Do I know anything about theoretical vs. experimental physics, or liquid crystals, or anything like that? No. But it doesn't matter, because Hazelwood captures the world of academia so well, which I think is similar across disciplines: the subtle and not-so-subtle currents of departmental politics, the stresses of job interviews, the soul-crushing awfulness of adjuncting. (She starts most chapters with e-mails from Elsie's students that are meant to be exaggerated for comedic effect, but I swear I've actually received versions of some of them.) I haven't read many other novels with academics as main characters, and of those, most if not all have been about historians (who then go off and have various adventures or solve historical mysteries). Hazelwood's books are the first time I can think of that I've seen STEM academia portrayed in a way that truly feels familiar.

And oh, my, the romance. It's really good. Really, really good. Both characters have their emotional baggage to work through - a bit more for Elsie than Jack, although it's not entirely one-sided. The themes of advocating for yourself and what you want, not what you think will make others happy, were handled so incredibly well. The growth of Jack and Elsie's relationship is woven around and through with the academia plot so that it all feels like one integrated story, instead of a romance novel with some workplace drama tacked on (or vice versa). And Jack is one of the most appealing male romantic leads I've read lately - smart and funny and willing to call Elsie on her bullshit and strong and capable and thoughtful and quietly but deeply caring.

If you are in a STEM field and like romance at all (or maybe even if you think you don't?), Hazelwood's books are worth checking out. show less

This book hit me in ways I wasn’t expecting. Ali Hazelwood delivers a romance that’s funny, vulnerable, sharp-witted, and emotionally satisfying. If you’ve ever felt like you had to perform for the world just to be liked, this book will hit home.
This is very much a he-falls-first romance, and the dynamic is so well done. Jack doesn’t want a version of Elsie—he wants her. And when that starts to sink in, you can feel Elsie’s walls begin to crack.
The connection between them is layered and emotionally intelligent. There’s no third-act breakup, no dramatic misunderstanding. Just honest, thoughtful conversations, gradual vulnerability, and some incredible tension.
Favorite Quote
“Have you ever considered that maybe you're show more already the way I want you to be? That maybe there are no signals because nothing needs to be changed?”
Be still, my people-pleaser heart. show less

This offered a love interest between two physicists. Elsie was much too emotional for my comfort, and Jack was too sure of himself. But I still liked them. The one sex scene was done well.
Jack’s love expressed itself by meeting Elsie’s needs, and also empowering herself to consider what she wants and naming and acting upon them.

This book came out at the perfect time -- I’d just survived a work deadline and was ready for some escapist reading.

Elsie has a PhD in theoretical physics, insulin-dependent diabetes and a talent for pretending. Her job as an adjunct professor, teaching across three different universities, doesn’t give her job security, health insurance, or time to pursue her own research, and she’s been making ends meet with fake-dating gigs. Being invited to interview for a tenured faculty position at MIT is like light at the end of the tunnel -- until she runs into the brother of her favourite client. Jack has not only been suspicious of Elsie’s relationship with Greg, he turns out to be an experimental physicist with a reputation for having show more a poor opinion of theorists.

I really enjoyed how intensely Hazelwood captures Elsie’s feelings about all the big and messy things in her life. The challenges and insecurities of her current employment. The emotional rollercoaster, the hopes and anxieties, that come with applying for her dream job. Elsie’s emotions were relatable and cathartic. As I’ve definitely said more than once, I like how Hazelwood writes about couples who accept and support each other, mistakes, insecurities, messy emotions and all, and Elsie and Jack’s relationship isn’t an exception.

And I prefer single POV romance. I liked the extra level mystery here, getting to examine clues and speculate about what Jack’s side of the story is.

(And, yeah, there are a few aspects of this novel which don’t appeal to me particularly, but those are outweighed by everything which did appeal.)

It’s not that I don’t like teaching. It’s just that . . . I really dislike teaching. Really, really, really. I’m constantly drowning in the ever-swallowing quicksand of student emails, and I’m way too screwed up to shape young minds into anything that’s not aberrant. My dreams of physics academia always entailed me as a full-time researcher, a blackboard, and long hours spent pondering the theories on the equatorial sections of Schwarzschild wormholes.
And yet here I am. Adjuncting and fake-girlfriending on the side. Teaching load: 100 percent. Despair load: incalculable.

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If anyone here knows Ali Hazelwood please tell her I am fully devoted to her. This book! I love the deep dive she took into explaining how awful life can be for academics working as adjuncts. Elsie has a PhD in theoretical physics and is adjuncting at several Boston area schools. Jack, an experimental physicist, is a full professor at MIT. He is only 5 years older than Elsie, in his early 30's, and he owns a townhouse in Boston while she lives in squalor, picks up a very very unique second job to make rent, and rations her insulin since she is paying out of pocket. In the program I work in none of our adjuncts (and there are many) depend on their adjunct salaries. We have a very unique graduate program that is of great interest to many show more many lawyers and investors in tech related fields, and we are grateful they want to be part of the program. Some fly in to adjunct and stay in the city for weeks at a time, and they actually lose money on the deal. In undergrad programs though the majority of teaching is done by adjuncts and most of them, like Elsie in the book, have no cache of cash. They are supporting themselves by stringing together work at several institutions for meager wages and no benefits. This is after, minimally, 7 years of post-secondary education. Many have to rely on SNAP to feed their families. Adjuncts are the gig workers of academia. A friend of mine with a PhD in anthropology was adjuncting at 2 schools nearly 100 miles apart from one another. Most terms there were at least two days per week where she taught at both and so was driving well over 400 miles per week just for work. She finally quit and now works in a coordinator role at a law firm, a job for which she needed nothing more than a community college Associates degree. For this she spent $250,000 on school (after loans and grants and not including loan interest.) She now makes nearly twice as much as she did as a professor (and she does not make much) and has benefits. Hazelwood's passion for this topic comes through loud and clear and I was all in.

Also, the book is hella sexy and Jack is one of my favorite book boyfriends ever.

Also also, for those who have read Ali's earlier books there is a fun cameo appearance by Olive and Adam, and a fleeting reference to Bea, so that was awesome.

Also, also, also, I listened to the audiobook and the narrator, Therese Plummer, was excellent. show less

Elsie has been breaking her back to try and make it as a theoretical physicist in academia. She's slogging through multiple adjunct professor positions and the only thing helping her make ends meet is working for the app Faux, where she works as a fake girlfriend for clients. All that is about to change though as she has an interview for an amazing job with MIT that will keep Elsie in insulin and cheese far better than her current gigs. The only problem is that one of the members of the interview committee is the older brother of one her fake dating clients who seems to hate her (and who she kind of hates in return). But as the interview process throws them together more and more often, Elsie discovers that the supposed hatred between show more them might be another emotion entirely.

I had a great time with this romance novel. If you've read an Ali Hazelwood, you'll know what to expect as this is once again an enemies to lovers book featuring a petite woman and a giant (and well-endowed) man. But the formula works and the details unique to this book are what makes it fun. Elsie is a well-rounded character and I loved her many quirks (particularly her love of Twilight). The slow burn of her relationship with Jack is really well done and I was delighted with it throughout. Also, for fans of [The Love Hypothesis], Adam and Olive have a cameo in this novel that shouldn't be missed. Recommended for contemporary romance fans. show less

Having been delighted by Love to Loathe You, Ali Hazelwood’s STEMinist novella collection, I’ve been looking forward to reading Love, Theoretically and thankfully it did not disappoint.

In order to service her student loans and make ends meet, theoretical physicist Dr. Elsie Hannaway supplements her low paying work as an adjunct professor by utilising her people-pleasing skills, and an app called Faux, to offer her services as a fake girlfriend. Unfortunately her two worlds collide when the deciding vote for Elsie’s appointment to her dream job at MIT turns out to be in the hands of the brother of a client, Jack Smith, who knows her only as a slightly vacuous children’s librarian.

Therein lies the ‘enemies-to-lovers’ set up, show more Jack suspects Elsie is a scheming liar, and as it happens, Jack, who is professionally known as Jonathan Smith-Turner, turns out to be the experimental physicist who once published a paper that humiliated Elsie’s field and nearly ended her mentor’s career. Sparks fly even as Elsie fights for her career, convinced that Jack is aiming to sabotage it. I really enjoyed the development of their relationship, there’s plenty of chemistry and banter, but they also share some touching and vulnerable moments.

There’s a lot of emphasis on Elsie’s people-pleasing nature, with Hazelwood making the point that though such a skill is useful, it can come at a cost. Elsie’s personal growth throughout the story is well paced and convincing. Also of note, Elsie is a Type 1 diabetic and Hazelwood works this into the story with ease.

Tall, smart, reliable, and honest, with a sympathetic background, I found Jack to be a very appealing lead. Several of the minor characters in the novel, including Elsie’s roommate, CeCe (and her pet hedgehog), Jack’s brother, Greg, and their sharp-tongued grandmother Millicent, in particular, are also a joy.

Hazelwood’s focus on women in STEM careers is a unique element of her romance novels. In Love, Theoretically the field is physics, of which I know almost nothing than what I gleaned from The Big Bang Theory, nevertheless I appreciate the way in which relevant detail is seamlessly integrated into the story. The author also highlights some of the issues in academia, including low pay, job insecurity, politics, and for women in particular, the plague of misogyny.

Witty, romantic and charming, I adored Love, Theoretically. show less