The Love Hypothesis

The Instant New York Times Bestseller and TikTok Sensation!
As seen on THE VIEW!
A BuzzFeed Best Summer Read of 2021
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. But 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.
As seen on THE VIEW!
A BuzzFeed Best Summer Read of 2021
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. But 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.
BUY THE BOOK
Join a book club that is reading The Love Hypothesis!
Community Reviews
What Bookclubbers are saying about this book
✨ Summarized by Bookclubs AI
Readers say *The Love Hypothesis* by Ali Hazelwood is a charming, addictive romcom with witty banter, relatable STEM characters, and sweet fake-dating...
Nice romance. One steamy chapter.
I absolutely love Ali’s writing. As a woman in STEM it adds a relatable layer not often found in romances. Olive was not the most self aware of heroines. It was a bit frustrating at times but I loved getting her inner thoughts and rationalizations. Adam was phenomenal. I loved his dryness, surliness, and inexperience just as much as his assertiveness when he finally got what he wanted.
I can’t wait to read the interconnected books.
Easy read, I really enjoyed this! Some scenes were 🌶️🌶️ but I wish there was a bit more exploration of pancreatic cancer and about difficulties women in STEM face. I didn’t like the age difference between the main characters, it was like 12 years..💀 which was a bit mad. But overall really enjoyed the book and loved the ending! Looking forward to reading more of her work.
I picked this up on a whim. I loved that it revolved around women in STEM. Smart women can have romances, too.
The bonus chapter at the end showed part of the book from the male love interest's point of view. Very interesting take on it. I am glad that the book didn't alternate POV, since it would have given away a lot of the story. The reader was better off being in the dark, just like the main character was.
This was a fun read. I would recommend it.
The bonus chapter at the end showed part of the book from the male love interest's point of view. Very interesting take on it. I am glad that the book didn't alternate POV, since it would have given away a lot of the story. The reader was better off being in the dark, just like the main character was.
This was a fun read. I would recommend it.
This book was just plain fun. The Love Hypothesis is one of those reads that pulls you in quickly and is easy to fly through, especially if you enjoy a good rom-com with strong chemistry and witty dialogue. The premise is familiar, but it works really well here, and the banter kept me smiling more than once.
Olive is awkward, overthinks everything, and feels very human. Adam starts off intimidating and closed off, but watching him slowly soften is one of the best parts of the book. Their relationship development felt earned, even if you can see where the story is going pretty early on.
It is not a perfect book. Some moments are predictable, and a few plot points wrap up a little too neatly. But honestly, that did not bother me much because the story is enjoyable and the emotional payoff is there.
Overall, this was a great, feel good read and an easy recommendation. I gave it an 8 out of 10 and would absolutely suggest it for a book club or anyone looking for a light, engaging romance.
See why thousands of readers are using Bookclubs to stay connected.