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Cover of The Love Hypothesis

The Love Hypothesis

by Ali Hazelwood

🌶️🌶️🌶️moderate·spoiler

Why Read This?

The BookTok phenomenon that launched a thousand STEM romances. Adam Carlsen is the platonic ideal of the grumpy-soft hero—terrifying to everyone except Olive. The fake dating setup is deliciously messy, the academic setting feels authentic (Hazelwood is an actual neuroscience professor), and the slow realization that fake feelings became real hits perfectly.

Synopsis

When a fake relationship between scientists meets the irresistible force of attraction, it throws one woman's carefully calculated theories on love into chaos 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. And 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.

At a Glance

4.10 ★ Goodreads
Spice Level🌶️🌶️🌶️moderate
Endingspoiler
PairingM/F
Romance Pacingslow burn
Energylow

Top Tropes

meet cute

Mood

lighthearted

Book Details

Goodreads Rating

4.10 ★

Page Count

400 pages

Published

2021

Primary Genre

Rom-com

Pairing

M/F

POV

Third Person

Romance Pacing

Slow Burn

Cliffhanger

spoiler

Audiobook

Available

Yes

Format

Solo Narrator

Narrator

Callie Dalton

Narrator Count

Dual

Tropes

RomanceMagicActionAngstWorld
Theme Constellation

Mood & Vibe

Mood

Writing Style

lighthearted

Story Pacing

medium

Emotional Weight

moderate

Energy Required

low

Vibes

academia after darklab coats and longinggrumpy genius softensSTEM girls deserve love too

Characters

FMC Archetype

bookworm/scholarsunshine/optimist

MMC Archetype

grumpy protectorscholar/intellectualsecretly softprotective love interest

Relationship Dynamics

intellectual connection

Spice Details 🌶️

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Spice Level 3

Spice Style

emotional / intimate

Getting Steamy

forehead touching

Bringing the Heat

None
Browse more books by spice level →

World & Setting

World Type

academy / school

Primary Setting

academy / campus

Fantasy Creatures

Representation

BIPOC MC

Reading Context

Emotional Payoff

Best Time of Year

anytime

When & Where to Read

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