Love, Theoretically

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

For me, Hazelwood as an author is such a mixed bag. She can write these characters that you can root for, clueless though they may be about the men interested in them. It's clear that while Hazelwood examines, criticizes and spends a lot of time generally pointing out academia's warts in an incredibly effective manner, she also creates universes of joy within academic settings.

I see her development as an author here, which is lovely, and this includes some of the more surprising turns of a scene that got me feeling things. I appreciated the Twilight threads running through this - and that the talent of Bella and Edward are thoroughly reflected in the people skills of Elsie (adapting to everyone's needs near here, like a mindreader) and show more Jack (the one she can't read).

She didn't need to read Jack, however, because he delivered one of the most fantastic alternatives to what Elsie was thinking that I have read (Joshua will remain untouched), and....yet....she still did not believe him. Or she kept forgetting? Or she couldn't understand his motivations aside from his declarations? And for being a heavily adaptable and socially capable human, that was weirdly inconsistent and provided no tension.

Aside from that there were times I was "EW GROSS"ing at the situations and the banter-Hazelwood's focus on size and superiority were no different here- he was in a position of power at the MIT - she was a candidate. While she was a candidate, there were a number of problematic situations, lines, and general issues. The academic is the only world in these books, and that's a shame. I would love to see beyond those walls and what these books could do with other settings.

Still, a fun addictive, and problematic read. 3.5 rounded down... show less

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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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

Yes, its another stoic BIG guy and a petite lady. Yes, it's another STEM book. BUT, this is actually my best Ali Hazelwood yet! I know, shocking right?

First of all let me just say that this is in no way TLH part 3 like her last books were (especially those novellas, yikes). Love Theoretically is actually Ali's best written book and her characters shine off the pages.

Elsie the dear FL is a Theoretical Physicist by day and a fake Girlfriend for hire by night. Right off the bat, I was drawn to Elsie and her life. Ali made her shine and I felt all her pain and innermost thoughts. From her struggle as an adjunct (which phew, been there, do NOT miss it), to having a chronic illness and learning as a child to make herself as 'inconvenient' to show more others as possible, I fully empathized with her and I loved seeing her journey and growth.

Jack Smith (LOL) was a classic gruff ML. He was fine, but what I really appreciated was his consideration of Elsie particularly during their intimate moments.

The book shines with secondary characters including Ceecee (love the sismance), George, and Hedgie :) As I said earlier, this was Ali H's best written book and I could see her growth as an author in the deft way she characterized even the secondary characters.

So while there are familiar beats here like 'a bad saboteur' and 'grumpy silent guy falls first in silence', this book was still a whole lot of fun to read.

Huge thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC show less

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

This was my Schrödinger’s reading experience: At the same time, this novel was what I expected - and it wasn’t at all. And by simply reading, I influenced the outcome of the experiment! Thankfully, it all went down in a very good way.

I smiled, grinned, and giggled my way through Hazelwood’s “The Love Hypothesis” and even a bit more so with her “Love on the Brain”. I almost feverishly waited for “Love, Theoretically” and while I found myself smiling at the very first sentence, for quite a bit of the novel, I didn’t really get the same “vibes”.

Elsie seemed so naïve (a Goodreads friend of mine put it less favourably as “dumb af”!) and I wasn’t entirely sure about Jack either.

And then I started to understand show more that Hazelwood didn’t seem to aim for the nerdy, uplifting, carefree romance/romcom I was expecting. She actually seemed to take time to build up both protagonists.

»Professionally, my life sucks a bit. Psychologically, I’m not, as some would say, “healthy.” Musically, I should hire a tuba to follow me around. But on the upside, I’ve been killing it in the lunch invite department.«

Elsie has been manipulated, psychologically abused, and gaslighted from childhood on by pretty much everyone - starting with her mother, her brothers, her (fake-) boyfriend, her mentor - everyone but her best friend and the latter’s hedgehog. (Who she’s deeply suspicious of anyway, though!)

Elsie is so injured and so insecure, that she hides her personality and instead applies a strategy she calls “APE” - “Assess” what the person she’s interacting with expects from her, which “version” of her said person wants to interact with. Next comes the “Plan” phase during which Elsie quickly calculates success chances, tactics, etc. to best please her counterpart and then she “Enacts” the plan most likely to succeed.

Elsie can “read” anyone and hide from anyone - but Jack. And Jack has a razor sharp bullshit detector when it comes to Elsie.

No wonder she’s constantly tired. Elsie is a chameleon, or a shapeshifter or changeling, if you will. She bends till breaking point and even with her best friend she’s not entirely honest.

Just like Jack I found myself wondering: »What happened to you, Elsie?«

Speaking of Jack: Jack lost his mother at such a young age, he doesn’t even have memories of her. What he got was a stepmother who ordered him to stop calling her “Mom” in a difficult situation. His father was pretty much absent. Greg, Jack’s brother, with his own issues is much of a confidant but not entirely either.

So we have two seriously “damaged” people meeting each other - and Elsie has been “trained” to despise or even hate Jack.

So, how do two people like that get together? Like hedgehogs, very carefully. (I am a dad so I’m allowed that joke!) In fact, they both hesitatingly agree on basic honesty and, like that, they grow together.

Don’t get me wrong: It isn’t all mental health and hide-and-seek between those two. Elsie, when alone in her own head, is a brilliant theoretical physicist and has very clear (and amusing) ideas…

»Experimentalists . . . well, they like to fuck around and find out. Build things and get their hands dirty. Like engineers. Or three-year-olds at the sandbox.«

(As an engineer I obviously find that comparison ludicrous and despicable but that’s theorists for you…)

I also cannot help but root for any person who believably says:

»I think I might be happy.
Though due to a lack of hands-on experience, I cannot be sure.«

As so often, there’s also lots to relate to:

»I love this. Just as much as I thought I hated him. And Jack’s right: this is going fast—too fast, maybe. But I wonder if certain relationships are living proof of Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle: their position and their velocity simply cannot both be measured at the same time, not even in theory.«

How often have I battled “Heisenbugs”? And didn’t my wife propose after a few weeks and didn’t we get married less than three months after our first meeting?

For once even the final “hiccup” between Elsie and Jack felt believable and, actually, right. It made sense on many levels and I felt a kind of pride in Elsie standing up for herself - at potentially huge cost to herself. Elsie felt like the most honest character Hazelwood has written so far. (And she’s right about the star of 2001 being HAL; about Lars von Trier; just not about Bing!)

»I’m a mess. A work in progress. I’m two steps forward and one step back. I hoard my cheese, and I can’t efficiently load the dishwasher, and I’m going to struggle with the truth until the day I croak.«

Also: An Adam and Olive cameo (and so nice!) and Bee is mentioned? I’m melting!

I remain convinced we’re pretty much all messes. Unique messes, messy messes, ugly messes, wonderful and horrible messes. First and foremost, though: Irresistibly human messes. I like that the novel celebrates that and shows how two messes can find love and happiness together.

This is certainly no perfect romance novel but it was nuanced, intelligent, empathic and, ultimately, something Ali Hazelwood is hopefully very damn proud of. I can hardly wait to see where Hazelwood takes us next. However else could I honour that but with full five stars out of five?

»I treasure my newfound feelings. Hoard them. Every once in a while I study them, turn them around, squint at them like they’re a ripe piece of fruit, plucked from a mysterious tree that shouldn’t even be growing in my yard. When I pop them in my mouth to swallow them whole, they taste at once bitter and delicious.«

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