Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood – Nerdy, Flirty, and Full of Feels (But I Still Love Olive & Adam More)

Hey book besties! So, I was supposed to post this on Friday… then shifted it to Saturday… and now here we are — Tuesday. 😅 Life’s been a whirlwind lately, but instead of beating myself up, I’m choosing to show up with softness (and a slightly delayed book review). Because reading should be a joy — not a deadline.

So here it is: Review #14, and this time I’m diving into Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood — the reigning queen of STEM-lit romcoms. If you’ve read The Love Hypothesis (like I have, twice), you already know what you’re in for: brilliant women, grumpy-but-soft men, and enough slow-burn tension to make your glasses fog.

Science + Sass + Kind-of Enemies-to-Lovers

Meet Bee Königswasser — neuroscientist, cat-emoji user, Marie Curie fangirl. She’s quirky, chaotic, and 100% convinced that Levi Ward, her tall, broody NASA co-lead, can’t stand her.

Naturally, they’re assigned to the same project. And naturally, tension ensues.

But here’s the twist: Levi’s not distant because he hates her. He’s distant because he’s been in love with her for years. That reveal? Immediate serotonin. Their chemistry is delightfully awkward, full of miscommunication, longing stares, and sweet gestures that sneak up on you. Hazelwood’s formula is predictable — but comforting.

Familiar Formula, but Still Fun

If I’m being totally honest, this book gave The Love Hypothesis 2.0 energy. That’s not a diss — there’s comfort in the familiar — but it didn’t pack the same emotional punch for me.

I loved Bee and Levi, but I found myself comparing them to Olive and Adam (who still own my nerdy romantic heart). The plot moves fast, the banter is sharp, and the added NASA backdrop is a cool switch-up. But emotionally? A tiny bit less impact.

Still, Bee’s chaotic internal monologue and her deeply feminist lens made her voice stand out. She’s smart, sensitive, and relatable in a very “I overthink everything while pretending I’m fine” way.

💔 Favorite Quote:

“What’s the point of loving someone if they don't know you exist?”
— Ali Hazelwood, Love on the Brain

Oof. That one stung. Bee’s vulnerability cuts through the humor, grounding the story in real emotional stakes.

Final Thoughts

If you love:

• Women in STEM owning their brilliance

• Grumpy x sunshine slow burns

• Academic settings with a side of space tech

• Romance that makes you giggle and feel

Then Love on the Brain is a solid pick. It’s charming, nerdy, and packed with enough chemistry (literal and emotional) to keep you turning pages. While it didn’t fully dethrone The Love Hypothesis for me, it definitely holds its own.

Book Review Life Update 📚

Now for a little trilogy update — I’m almost halfway through As Good As Dead, the final book in the Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series. It’s intense, twisty, and honestly a lot to emotionally unpack (in the best way).

So here’s the plan: my review for that will be up this Sunday instead of Friday — just for this week! With exams and life still catching up, I’m choosing grace over guilt. But next week? We’re back to our Friday reviews. 

Thanks for sticking with me through the delays, the detours, and the DMs where we scream about fictional men. Let me know — are you Team Bee & Levi, or still loyal to Olive & Adam?

Until Sunday — for a murder-y kind of love finale 🖤🔍

The Spanish Love Deception – Banter-Packed, Beautifully Messy, and So Worth It – Backtracking with Heart

“You don’t need to be fixed, Catalina. You are whole just the way you are.” — Aaron Blackford

Hey hey, lovely people! It’s time for Book Review No. 13 (unlucky for some, but we’re making it work 😄). I know I’d promised to review As Good As Dead, the finale in the Good Girl’s Guide to Murder trilogy — and believe me, I’ve been trying! But life has been a whirlwind lately: exams looming, work deadlines piling up, and health acting up. I’m just four chapters in and trying not to break my trilogy streak. Still reading, still trying. But in the meantime, let’s rewind a bit.

We’re revisiting a gem from my 2023 shelf: The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas — a book I didn’t review back then, but one that’s stayed with me long enough to deserve its spotlight.

❤️ Fake Dating, Real Feelings

This one’s a classic enemies-to-lovers setup wrapped in a fake-dating bow. Catalina Martín is desperate for a date to her sister’s wedding in Spain — her ex will be there, and she’d rather not show up alone (understandably). Her solution? Bring Aaron Blackford, her annoyingly perfect colleague who offers to step in as her pretend boyfriend.

Yes, it’s predictable. Yes, it’s trope-heavy. But the execution? So satisfying. The slow burn is real — and delicious.

✈️ Spain, Sizzle, and Emotional Unpacking

The book beautifully blends rom-com charm with family drama, cultural expectations, and that aching feeling of not quite fitting in. The Spain segments are vivid — full of warmth, food, awkward reunions, and heartfelt conversations that show just how layered Catalina’s world really is.

Aaron, who starts off as cold and condescending, ends up being surprisingly kind, patient, and attentive. Their chemistry evolves with each interaction, and honestly, the way he shows up for Lina? Top-tier fictional man behavior.

🧠 Light, But Not Shallow

Romances often get dismissed as “fluff,” but The Spanish Love Deception carries a quiet emotional weight. Catalina’s inner conflict — her anxiety, her work struggles, and her complicated family dynamic — adds depth that might take you by surprise.

There’s also a subtle exploration of healing and self-worth. One quote that especially stood out (yes, I underlined it in dramatic fashion):

                     “You don’t need to be fixed, Catalina. You are whole just the way you are.”

It hit hard. Because sometimes the reassurance we need isn’t about change, but acceptance.

📘 Final Thoughts

This was one of those feel-good reads that I didn’t expect to feel this deeply. It’s funny, heartwarming, a little dramatic (in a good way), and packed with moments that make you smile, sigh, and maybe reread that one scene a few times. You know the one.

If you’re into fake dating, slow-burn romance, or the classic “grumpy x sunshine” pairing, this one’s a must-read. It reminds you that love — the messy, awkward, vulnerable kind — is always worth the leap.

So, while my trilogy goal is on hold (for now), I’m glad to keep showing up here — one review at a time. Let me know: Are you into enemies-to-lovers too? Or did Aaron Blackford win you over like he did me?

Taking a Slight Turn: Into the Heart of Human Darkness

Hey hey! I know, I know — this week was supposed to be about As Good As Dead, the much-anticipated finale in A Good Girl's Guide to Murder trilogy. Trust me, I was just as excited to finish the set. But life, as always, had other plans: exam prep, work stress, a pesky flu, and basically the entire plot of a chaos novel crammed into my schedule. I’m only about four chapters in (I know, I know…), but I’m still challenging myself to finish it by next week. No promises, though — fingers crossed!

So, for review number 12, I decided to shift gears and revisit a classic that has stayed with me since my undergrad days: Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. A book I never would've picked up on my own, but one I’m genuinely grateful to have encountered through my literature course.

A Journey Inward: The Darkness We Don’t Talk About

Heart of Darkness isn’t your typical adventure story. On the surface, it’s about Marlow, a sailor who journeys up the Congo River to find Kurtz, an ivory trader who has "gone native" deep in the African wilderness. But once you start peeling the layers, you realize it’s not just about colonialism or exploration. It’s a deep, unsettling look at what lies within us all when the masks of society are stripped away.

Told as a story within a story (Marlow narrating to fellow seamen aboard a boat on the Thames), the book creates this echo chamber effect — you’re never quite sure what version of the truth you’re being handed. And maybe that’s the point.

The Real Darkness

What hit me hardest during my re-read (this time for my second-semester exams!) was the terrifying clarity with which Conrad portrays the human psyche. It made me reflect on how civilization is just a thin layer of order that can crack under pressure. Kurtz, who was once seen as a genius and a beacon of European ideals, ends up consumed by power and brutality when left unchecked.

"The horror! The horror!" — these iconic last words are more than just dramatic flair. They are a terrifying mirror to the chaos that brews beneath restraint, to the sheer vulnerability of human morality in the face of unfiltered desire.

There is this creeping suggestion that everyone carries the seeds of destruction within them — a "heart of darkness" that flourishes in the absence of societal boundaries. The book doesn’t offer comfort or clarity. Instead, it asks questions that sit with you, long after you've read the final page.

Why It Still Matters

Would I recommend this book to someone casually looking for a cozy weekend read? Probably not. But if you want to dive into something that challenges you, makes you uncomfortable (in the best way), and makes you think about history, power, and your own inner compass — then yes, absolutely.

Heart of Darkness is brief but heavy. It’s a book that forces you to pause. To consider. To question. And sometimes, that’s the best kind of reading.

So, that’s review number 12! Slightly unexpected, deeply introspective, and 100% worth it.

Let me know — have you read Heart of Darkness? Did it leave you spiraling too? Or are you planning to pick it up now? Let’s chat in the comments!

And yes, As Good As Dead is still on the table for next week — I’m not backing out just yet! Stay tuned for (hopefully!) the trilogy finale review!

Until next Friday ✨