The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood — Nerdy, Sweet, and a Little Predictable

My 9th book review is here! 🎉

Hey hey! Back again with my ninth book review — can you believe we’re almost at double digits?! This time, I’m diving into The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood — a book I finally picked up thanks to the chaotic charm of Bookstagram. After seeing it recommended literally everywhere, I thought, “Okay, let’s see what the hype is all about.”

And honestly? I got it. At least, I totally did when I first read it.

Nerds in Love + Fake Dating = A Classic for a Reason
The plot is simple and sweet: Olive, a PhD student, ends up fake-dating a grumpy, brooding professor (Adam) to convince her best friend she’s over an ex. One fake kiss turns into regular “pretend” meetups, and obviously… things get very real, very fast.

Is it predictable? Absolutely.
Is it still cute and worth the ride? Also yes.

There’s something oddly comforting about academic settings — messy buns, caffeine addictions, awkward lab run-ins. Hazelwood clearly writes from experience, and that grounding in academia gives the story a quirky, cozy vibe I really enjoyed. Honestly? Extremely relatable — minus the lab run-ins (not my world), but the messy buns and caffeine addiction? Yeah, that’s me.

And let’s talk about Adam. Tall, aloof, secretly sweet? Peak fictional man energy. He checks all the boxes if you like your male leads emotionally guarded but low-key romantic. Yes, I rolled my eyes. Yes, I still kicked my feet. No shame.

“You can fall in love: someone will catch you.”
— Ali Hazelwood, The Love Hypothesis

Tell me that didn’t melt something inside you. Go ahead, I’ll wait.

Looking Back With a Bit of Distance
Now that I’ve read more books (and explored heavier genres), The Love Hypothesis feels a little lighter than what I usually reach for. It’s cute and comforting, but not quite as impactful as I once thought.

That said — it hit right when I needed it. Sometimes a light-hearted, slow-burn romance with zero emotional damage is exactly the break your brain needs. And hey, my love for fictional men? Still going strong.

Final Thoughts
The Love Hypothesis is like that soft, silly rom-com you rewatch on a bad day — predictable, sure, but heartwarming in all the right ways. If you’re into fake dating, STEM girlies, and emotionally stunted men with soft hearts under all the grump — this one's for you.

It might not be a forever favorite for me, but I’ll always remember it as the first Bookstagram rec I ever followed — and that counts for something.

Book nine — done!
Still showing up every Friday, and weirdly proud of myself for it. Book 10 is going to be a fun one — I’m trying something new with a combo review. Until then, tell me — are you still riding the rom-com wave or has your reading taste done a full pivot too?

Let’s chat in the comments! 💬✨