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Chapter One
Hypothesis: When given a choice between A (a slightly inconveniencing situation) and B (a colossal shitshow with devastating consequences), I will inevitably end up selecting B.
In Olive's defense, the man didn't seem to mind the kiss too much.
It did take him a moment to adjust-perfectly understandable, given the sudden circumstances. It was an awkward, uncomfortable, somewhat painful minute, in which Olive was simultaneously smashing her lips against his and pushing herself as high as her toes would extend to keep her mouth at the same level as his face. Did he have to be so tall? The kiss must have looked like some clumsy headbutt, and she grew anxious that she was not going to be able to pull the whole thing off. Her friend Anh, whom Olive had spotted coming her way a few seconds ago, was going to take one look at this and know at once that Olive and Kiss Dude couldn't possibly be two people in the middle of a date.
Then that agonizingly slow moment went by, and the kiss became . . . different. The man inhaled sharply and inclined his head a tiny bit, making Olive feel less like a squirrel monkey climbing a baobab tree, and his hands-which were large and pleasantly warm in the AC of the hallway-closed around her waist. They slid up a few inches, coming to wrap around Olive's rib cage and holding her to himself. Not too close, and not too far.
It was more of a prolonged peck than anything, but it was quite nice, and for the life span of a few seconds Olive forgot a large number of things, including the fact that she was pressed against a random, unknown dude. That she'd barely had the time to whisper "Can I please kiss you?" before locking lips with him. That what had originally driven her to put on this entire show was the hope of fooling Anh, her best friend in the whole world.
But a good kiss will do that: make a girl forget herself for a while. Olive found herself melting into a broad, solid chest that showed absolutely no give. Her hands traveled from a defined jaw into surprisingly thick and soft hair, and then-then she heard herself sigh, as if already out of breath, and that's when it hit her like a brick on the head, the realization that- No. No.
Nope, nope, no.
She should not be enjoying this. Random dude, and all that.
Olive gasped and pushed herself away from him, frantically looking for Anh. In the 11:00 p.m. bluish glow of the biology labs' hallway, her friend was nowhere to be seen. Weird. Olive was sure she had spotted her a few seconds earlier.
Kiss Dude, on the other hand, was standing right in front of her, lips parted, chest rising and a weird light flickering in his eyes, which was exactly when it dawned on her, the enormity of what she had just done. Of who she had just-
Fuck her life.
Fuck. Her. Life.
Because Dr. Adam Carlsen was a known ass.
This fact was not remarkable in and of itself, as in academia every position above the graduate student level (Olive's level, sadly) required some degree of assness in order to be held for any length of time, with tenured faculty at the very peak of the ass pyramid. Dr. Carlsen, though-he was exceptional. At least if the rumors were anything to go by.
He was the reason Olive's roommate, Malcolm, had to completely scrap two research projects and would likely end up graduating a year late; the one who had made Jeremy throw up from anxiety before his qualifying exams; the sole culprit for half the students in the department being forced to postpone their thesis defenses. Joe, who used to be in Olive's cohort and would take her to watch out-of-focus European movies with microscopic subtitles every Thursday night, had been a research assistant in Carlsen's lab, but he'd decided to drop out six months into it for "reasons." It was probably for the best, since most of Carlsen's remaining graduate assistants had perennially shaky hands and often looked like they hadn't slept in a year.
Dr. Carlsen might have been a young academic rock star and biology's wunderkind, but he was also mean and hypercritical, and it was obvious in the way he spoke, in the way he carried himself, that he thought himself the only person doing decent science within the Stanford biology department. Within the entire world, probably. He was a notoriously moody, obnoxious, terrifying dick.
And Olive had just kissed him.
She wasn't sure how long the silence lasted-only that he was the one to break it. He stood in front of Olive, ridiculously intimidating with dark eyes and even darker hair, staring down from who knows how many inches above six feet-he must have been over half a foot taller than she was. He scowled, an expression that she recognized from seeing him attend the departmental seminar, a look that usually preceded him raising his hand to point out some perceived fatal flaw in the speaker's work.
Adam Carlsen. Destroyer of research careers , Olive had once overheard her adviser say.
It's okay. It's fine. Totally fine. She was just going to pretend nothing had happened, nod at him politely, and tiptoe her way out of here. Yes, solid plan.
"Did you . . . Did you just kiss me?" He sounded puzzled, and maybe a little out of breath. His lips were full and plump and . . . God. Kissed. There was simply no way Olive could get away with denying what she had just done.
Still, it was worth a try.
Surprisingly, it seemed to work.
"Ah. Okay, then." Carlsen nodded and turned around, looking vaguely disoriented. He took a couple of steps down the hallway, reached the water fountain-maybe where he'd been headed in the first place.
Olive was starting to believe that she might actually be off the hook when he halted and turned back with a skeptical expression.
"Are you sure?"
"I-" She buried her face in her hands. "It's not the way it looks."
"Okay. I . . . Okay," he repeated slowly. His voice was deep and low and sounded a lot like he was on his way to get ting mad. Like maybe he was already mad. "What's going on here?"
There was simply no way to explain this. Any normal person would have found Olive's situation odd, but Adam Carlsen, who obviously considered empathy a bug and not a feature of humanity, could never understand. She let her hands fall to her sides and took a deep breath.
"I . . . listen, I don't mean to be rude, but this is really none of your business."
He stared at her for a moment, and then he nodded. "Yes. Of course." He must be getting back into his usual groove, because his tone had lost some of its surprise and was back to normal-dry. Laconic. "I'll just go back to my office and begin to work on my Title IX complaint."
Olive exhaled in relief. "Yeah. That would be great, since- Wait. Your what?"
He cocked his head. "Title IX is a federal law that protects against sexual misconduct within academic settings-"
"I know what Title IX is."
"I see. So you willfully chose to disregard it."
"I- What? No. No, I didn't!"
He shrugged. "I must be mistaken, then. Someone else must have assaulted me."
"Assault-I didn't 'assault' you."
"You did kiss me."
"But not really ."
"Without first securing my consent."
"I asked if I could kiss you!"
"And then did so without waiting for my response."
"What? You said yes."
"Excuse me?"
She frowned. "I asked if I could kiss you, and you said yes."
"Incorrect. You asked if you could kiss me and I snorted."
"I'm pretty sure I heard you said yes."
He lifted one eyebrow, and for a minute Olive let herself daydream of drowning someone. Dr. Carlsen. Herself. Both sounded like great options.
"Listen, I'm really sorry. It was a weird situation. Can we just forget that this happened?"
He studied her for a long moment, his angular face serious and something else, something that she couldn't quite decipher because she was too busy noticing all over again how damn towering and broad he was. Just massive. Olive had always been slight, just this side of too slender, but girls who are five eight rarely felt diminutive. At least until they found themselves standing next to Adam Carlsen. She'd known that he was tall, of course, from seeing him around the department or walking across campus, from sharing the elevator with him, but they'd never interacted. Never been this close.
Except for a second ago, Olive. When you almost put your tongue in his-
"Is something wrong?" He sounded almost concerned.
"What? No. No, there isn't."
"Because," he continued calmly, "kissing a stranger at midnight in a science lab might be a sign that there is."
"There isn't."
Carlsen nodded, thoughtful. "Very well. Expect mail in the next few days, then." He began to walk past her, and she turned to yell after him.
"You didn't even ask my name!"
"I'm sure anyone could figure it out, since you must have swiped your badge to get in the labs area after hours. Have a good night."
"Wait!" She leaned forward and stopped him with a hand on his wrist. He paused immediately, even though it was obvious that it would take him no effort to free himself, and stared pointedly at the spot where her fingers had wrapped around his skin-right below a wristwatch that probably cost half her yearly graduate salary. Or all of it.
She let go of him at once and took one step back. "Sorry, I didn't mean to-"
"The kiss. Explain."
Olive bit into her lower lip. She had truly screwed herself over. She had to tell him, now. "Anh Pham." She looked around to make sure Anh was really gone. "The girl who was passing by. She's a graduate student in the biology department."
Carlsen gave no indication of knowing who Anh was.
"Anh has . . ." Olive pushed a strand of brown hair behind her ear. This was where the story became embarrassing. Complicated, and a little juvenile sounding. "I was seeing this guy in the department. Jeremy Langley, he has red hair and works with Dr. . . . Anyway, we went out just a couple of times, and then I brought him to Anh's birthday party, and they just sort of hit it off and-"
Olive shut her eyes. Which was probably a bad idea, because now she could see it painted on her lids, how her best friend and her date had bantered in that bowling alley, as if they'd known each other their whole lives; the never-exhausted topics of conversation, the laughter, and then, at the end of the night, Jeremy following Anh's every move with his gaze. It had been painfully clear who he was interested in. Olive waved a hand and tried for a smile.
"Long story short, after Jeremy and I ended things he asked Anh out. She said no because of . . . girl code and all that, but I can tell that she really likes him. She's afraid to hurt my feelings, and no matter how many times I told her it was fine she wouldn't believe me."
Not to mention that the other day I overheard her confess to our friend Malcolm that she thought Jeremy was awesome, but she could never betray me by going out with him, and she sounded so dejected. Disappointed and insecure, not at all like the spunky, larger-than-life Anh I am used to.
"So I just lied and told her that I was already dating someone else. Because she's one of my closest friends and I'd never seen her like a guy this much and I want her to have the good things she deserves and I'm positive that she would do the same for me and-" Olive realized that she was rambling and that Carlsen couldn't have cared less. She stopped and swallowed, even though her mouth felt dry. "Tonight. I told her I'd be on a date tonight ."
"Ah." His expression was unreadable.
"But I'm not. So I decided to come in to work on an experiment, but Anh showed up, too. She wasn't supposed to be here. But she was. Coming this way. And I panicked-well." Olive wiped a hand down her face. "I didn't really think."
Carlsen didn't say anything, but it was there in his eyes that he was thinking. Obviously.
"I just needed her to believe that I was on a date."
He nodded. "So you kissed the first person you saw in the hallway. Perfectly logical."
Olive winced. "When you put it like that, perhaps it wasn't my best moment."
"But it wasn't my worst, either! I'm pretty sure Anh saw us. Now she'll think that I was on a date with you and she'll hopefully feel free to go out with Jeremy and-" She shook her head. "Listen. I'm so, so sorry about the kiss."
"Please, don't report me. I really thought I heard you say yes. I promise I didn't mean to . . ."
Suddenly, the enormity of what she had just done fully dawned on her. She had just kissed a random guy, a guy who happened to be the most notoriously unpleasant faculty member in the biology department. She'd misunderstood a snort for consent, she'd basically attacked him in the hallway, and now he was staring at her in that odd, pensive way, so large and focused and close to her, and . . .
Maybe it was the late night. Maybe it was that her last coffee had been sixteen hours ago. Maybe it was Adam Carlsen looking down at her, like that. All of a sudden, this entire situation was just too much.
"Actually, you're absolutely right. And I am so sorry. If you felt in any way harassed by me, you really should report me, because it's only fair. It was a horrible thing to do, though I really didn't want to . . . Not that my intentions matter; it's more like your perception of . . ."
Crap, crap, crap.
"I'm going to leave now, okay? Thank you, and . . . I am so, so, so sorry." Olive spun around on her heels and ran away down the hallway.
"Olive," she heard him call after her. "Olive, wait-"
She didn't stop. She sprinted down the stairs to the first floor and then out the building and across the pathways of the sparsely lit Stanford campus, running past a girl walking her dog and a group of students laughing in front of the library. She continued until she was standing in front of her apartment's door, stopping only to unlock it, making a beeline for her room in the hope of avoiding her roommate and whoever he might have brought home tonight. It wasn’t until she slumped on her bed, staring at the glow‑in‑the- dark stars glued to her ceiling, that she realized that she had neglected to check on her lab mice. She had also left her laptop on her bench and her sweatshirt somewhere in the lab, and she had completely forgotten to stop at the store and buy the coffee she’d promised Malcolm she’d get for tomorrow morning. Shit. What a disaster of a day. It never occurred to Olive that Dr. Adam Carlsen— known ass— had called her by her name.
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Ali hazelwood.
Ali Hazelwood is a multi-published author—alas, of peer-reviewed articles about brain science, in which no one makes out and the ever after is not always happy. Originally from Italy, she lived in Germany and Japan before moving to the U.S. to pursue a Ph.D. in neuroscience. She recently became a professor, which absolutely terrifies her. When Ali is not at work, she can be found running, crocheting, eating cake pops, or watching sci-fi movies with her two feline overlords (and her slightly-less-feline husband).
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Customers find the book witty and fun to read. They also describe the story as captivating, compelling, and diverse. Readers find the characters relatable, dynamic, and vulnerable. They describe the book as cute, sweet, and a bit spicy. Customers also mention the book blends scientific curiosity with matters of the heart.
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Customers find the book readable. They mention the banter is good, incredibly witty, and light-hearted. Readers also appreciate the humor and wit. They say the story moves quickly and the word vomit thoughts are beyond hilarious.
"...I liked the friend group and the amount of humor and nuance in the writing . And let's speak a moment about the cover...." Read more
"...This is cute and sweet. It’s cheesy , but it knows that it is, and I think that makes it all the better.Olive is adorable...." Read more
"I loved this book! It was sooooo good ! This was my first time reading something by this author, and I am totally in love...." Read more
"...something up it hits them upside the head but when it does it was well written and the scientist can be just as passionate and romantic as..." Read more
Customers find the story relatable, captivating, and compelling. They say the author does a wonderful job of creating a diverse romantic read. Readers also mention the characters are relatable and believable. They describe the book as an easy and fun read.
"...So yeah, calling all geek-girls, this is a great romance book and I will definitely be reading more of the author's work in the future." Read more
"...is probably not going to be everyone’s favorite FMC but she’s dorky and believable ...." Read more
"...And it is definitely a love story. The romance is central throughout , with a light, fresh feel that gets richer and deeper as the story progresses...." Read more
"...This is a great story , and I definitely recommend giving it a try." Read more
Customers find the characters relatable and dynamic. They appreciate the vulnerability and depth of the characters. Readers also say the science references help add depth to the characters and offer good conversation fillers.
"...Still, Ali creates such great, complex characters that even when I didn't relate, I CARED...." Read more
"...I really love her writing style. The characters were super smart but not so smart that everything went over my head.I just loved Olive...." Read more
"...Loved the academia with the romance. The characters felt easy to relate too , the writing style is top tier Ali, I really enjoyed reading this book!" Read more
"...The character development that Olive had was super necessary and I loved how the author showed it at the end." Read more
Customers find the book cute. They say Adam is cute, the illustrations are amazing, and the voice is vivid and distinct.
"...And let's speak a moment about the cover. The Illustrator is amazing and honestly, her cover is what sold me to take the leap and buy the book...." Read more
"... Adam is cute . I really wish this was dual POV. I would LOVE to experience the pining and brooding that I know was going on in his head. But alas...." Read more
"...Well, it's all pretty great, actually. This has such a vivid , distinct voice that I am very much looking forward to whatever's next from..." Read more
"Okay, so not my favorite Ali book. It was cute tho. I read it in two sittings.I’m always down for a fake dating story...." Read more
Customers find the book sweet, with a nice bit of spice. They also love the banter and chemistry between Olive and Adam.
"...This is cute and sweet . It’s cheesy, but it knows that it is, and I think that makes it all the better.Olive is adorable...." Read more
"...This book does contain spice . I would say 2.5 spicy peppers out of 5 spicy peppers...." Read more
"I love how the story unfolds, spice is there but minimal ...." Read more
"FINAL DECISION: This book is fun and light, like cotton candy . Even the "serious" storyline is really fluff because it lacks complexity...." Read more
Customers find the chemistry in the book tangible right from the start. They also appreciate the academic setting and nerdy references to science and research. Readers mention the book is entertaining and educational at the same time.
"...I felt the world of academia was well established as it was shown, not told...." Read more
"...Tall, academic , and sweet… he’s what dreams are made of..." Read more
"Please read because the chemistry is undeniable !!" Read more
"..." is a delightful and charming romance novel that combines scientific curiosity with matters of the heart...." Read more
Customers find the book heartwarming, funny, and tender. They say it gives a great sense of the hardships and adventures of graduate students. Readers also mention the book is sweet, fun, and slightly depressing.
"...The sex scene felt both hot and yet in some moments awkward , tender, and exposing (making it feel all the more real)...." Read more
"...It's a slow burn romance with one incredibly intimate and dynamic love scene - the intimacy and emotional connection are the shining stars here...." Read more
"...Olive had was so real that Ali makes it relatable and shows the real emotions and struggles that comes with it. Definitely a good read! 💯..." Read more
"...She is so selfless ...." Read more
Customers have mixed opinions about the pacing of the book. Some mention they love it, while others say it's painfully mundane.
"...A perfect summer romcom. This was easy to read and I finished it very quickly ...." Read more
"...The runtime is a bit longer than I'd like (11 hours), and I found it difficult to listen to the narrator's voice at a faster speed...." Read more
"...it’s a super fast read , b) it’s highly addicting, and c) Adam and Olive’s relationship/banter is the best...." Read more
"...On the other hand, this book have a lot of unrealistic situations , if you read this book don’t look for real things or amazing book to read, it is..." Read more
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If, like me, your catnip is the taciturn, brainy, hot hero who is secretly a big squishy marshmallow at heart, look no further than this awesome debut!
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.
Ali Hazelwood is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Love, Theoretically and The Love Hypothesis, as well as a writer of peer-reviewed articles about brain science, in which no one makes out and the ever after is not always happy. Originally from Italy, she lived in Germany and Japan before moving to the US to pursue a PhD in neuroscience. When Ali is not at work, she can be found running, eating cake pops, or watching sci-fi movies with her three feline overlords (and her slightly-less-feline husband).
An Indie Next Pick! "A literary breakthrough… The Love Hypothesis is a self-assured debut, and we hypothesize it's just the first bit of greatness we'll see from an author who somehow has the audacity to be both an academic powerhouse and divinely talented novelist."— Entertainment Weekly “ C ontemporary romance's unicorn: the elusive marriage of deeply brainy and delightfully escapist... The Love Hypothesis has wild commercial appeal but the quieter secret is that there is a specific audience, made up of all of the Olives in the world, who have deeply, ardently waited for this exact book.”—Christina Lauren, New York Times bestselling author “Funny, sexy and smart, Ali Hazelwood did a terrific job with The Love Hypothesis .”—Mariana Zapata, New York Times bestselling author “This tackles one of my favorite tropes—Grumpy meets Sunshine—in a fun and utterly endearing way...I loved the nods towards fandom and romance novels, and I couldn't put it down. Highly recommended!”—Jessica Clare, New York Times bestselling author "Pure slow-burning gold with lots of chemistry."—Popsugar "A beautifully written romantic comedy with a heroine you will instantly fall in love with, The Love Hypothesis is destined to earn a place on your keeper shelf."—Elizabeth Everett, author of A Lady's Formula for Love "Smart, witty dialog and a diverse cast of likable secondary characters...A realistic, amusing novel that readers won’t be able to put down."— Library Journal, starred review "Hilarious and heartwarming, The Love Hypothesis is romantic comedy at its best...a perfect amalgamation of sex and science, sure to appeal to readers of Christina Lauren or Abby Jimenez."—Shelf Awareness "With whip-smart and endearing characters, snappy prose, and a quirky take on a favorite trope, Hazelwood convincingly navigates the fraught shoals of academia...This smart, sexy contemporary should delight a wide swath of romance lovers."— Publishers Weekly
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By ali hazelwood.
Book review, full book summary and synopsis for The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood, a delightful rom-com about a fake relationship between a biology Ph.D. student and a professor.
In The Love Hypothesis , Olive is a third-year biology Ph.D. candidate who shares a kiss with a handsome stranger in order make her friend think that she's in a relationship. She's horrified when she realizes the "stranger" is Dr. Adam Carlson, a prominent professor in her department who is known for being a hypercritical and moody tyrant.
She and Adam each have reasons for needing to be in a relationship, and they agree to pretend to date for the sake of appearances. Of course, as she gets to know Adam, it's only a matter of time before she starts feeling something for him, and it becomes clear that her little experiment in fake-dating just might combust...
(The Full Plot Summary is also available, below)
Three years prior, Olive Smith talks to a guy when she's in the bathroom fixing her contacts (and can't see) after her Ph.D. candidate interview. She tells him about her passion for her research. She doesn't catch his name but remembers the conversation distinctly and wonders about the guy she met.
In present day, Olive is a biology Ph.D. student researching early detection methods for pancreatic cancer. She kisses a guy randomly in order to trick her best friend into thinking she's dating someone (so that her best friend Anh won't feel bad about dating Olive's ex). That guy turns out to be Dr. Adam Carlson , a young, handsome and highly-respected tenured faculty member in her department. He's also known for being hypercritical and moody.
Meanwhile, Adam's department chair is worried that he's planning on leaving for another university and has frozen some of his research funds. So, Adam he agrees to pretend to be in a relationship with Olive in order to give the impression he's putting down "roots" here, in hopes they will unfreeze the funds.
As Olive and Adam fake-date, they get to know each other. Olive sees that Adam is demanding and blunt towards his students, but not unkind or mean. Olive confides in him about her mother getting pancreatic cancer, which is why she's doing her research.
Olive soon realizes that she has feelings for Adam, but she's afraid to tell him. When he overhears her talking about a crush, she pretends it's about someone else. Olive also hears someone else refer to a woman Adam's been pining after for years and is surprised at how jealous she feels.
In the meantime, Olive needs more lab space and has been talking to Dr. Tom Benton for a spot at his lab at Harvard. When Tom arrives in town, it turns out he's friends with Adam. Adam and Tom are friends from grad school, and they have recently gotten a large grant for some joint research that Adam is excited about. After Olive completes a report on her research for Tom, he offers her a spot in his lab for the next year.
Olive and Adam's relationship continues to progress until they attend a science conference in Boston. Olive's research has been selected for a panel presentation, while Adam is a keynote speaker. There, Olive is sexually harassed by Tom, who makes advances on her. When she rejects him, he accuses her of someone who sleeps around to get ahead. He also says that he'll deny it if she tells anyone and that they won't believe her.
While Olive does finally sleep with Adam at the conference, she soon tearfully breaks things off since she doesn't want to complicate things with Adam's joint research project with Tom. Adam is also in the process of applying for a spot at Harvard.
Olive is certain no one will believe her about Tom until she realizes that the accidentally recorded the conversation where he made advances and threatened her. Meanwhile, Olive's roommate Malcolm has started seeing Dr. Holden Rodriguez, a faculty member who is a childhood friend of Adam's. Olive and Malcolm turn to Holden for advice, who encourages them to tell Adam about the recording. He points out that he thinks the main reason that Adam is considering a move to Harvard is because Olive is supposed to be going there.
Olive finds Adam and shows him the video. He is incensed at Tom and reports it to their faculty. When Adam returns from Boston, he reports that Tom has been fired. Meanwhile, Olive has been reaching out to other cancer researchers for spots at other labs, and she's gotten promising responses. Olive tells Adam that she loves him and that she never liked anyone else. Adam admits that he remembered her from the day he met her in the bathroom and that she's the one he's been interested in for years.
Ten months later at the anniversary of their first kiss, Olive and Adam re-create the kiss to mark their anniversary.
For more detail, see the full Chapter-by-Chapter Summary .
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The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood came out a few months ago, and I didn’t really pay much attention to it. However, people seem to really be enjoying this book, and after reading The School for Good Mothers , I was really in mood for something light and fun.
In the Love Hypothesis, Olive is a third-year biology Ph.D. student at Stanford who ends up fake-dating a young and handsome tenured professor in her department. All the usual rom-com shenanigans ensue.
The Love Hypothesis is an unapologetically cheesy rom-com novel — with an upbeat attitude, meet cutes, fake-dating tropes, etc. — but it’s also a genuinely fun and often funny book. It hits a lot of familiar notes if you’re familiar with this genre, but somehow Ali Hazelwood has arranged them in a way that ends up being delightful and entertaining.
The book is super melodramatic at parts, uses so many tropes I couldn’t even list them all here if I was inclined to do so and is predictable in the way that rom-coms are always kind of predictable. That all said, I still had a fantastic time reading it and it flew by.
This is a short review because honestly it’s not that complicated to explain that this book is super cheesy and super fun.
If you like “chick lit” and rom-coms, you should definitely look into this book. I tend to be a little hypercritical of books in this genre, but I really enjoyed The Love Hypothesis . I found myself smiling and chuckling quite a bit as I read it.
This book is a straight-up cheesy rom-com — it is funny, melodramatic and fun as hell. I thought it was great.
See The Love Hypothesis on Amazon.
Narrated by : Callie Dalton Length : 11 hours 8 minutes
I listened to about half of this on audiobook. I think the audiobook is solid. The narrator is easy to listen to and does a good job with it.
Hear a sample of The Love Hypothesis audiobook on Libro.fm.
Read the first pages of The Love Hypothesis
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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.
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Hehehehehehehehehehehehehe thx!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Paperback by Ali Hazelwood
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 on her way to a happily ever after was always going to be tough, scientists require proof. So, like any self-respecting woman, 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 he agrees to keep her charade a secret and be her fake boyfriend. But when a big science conference goes haywire, their little experiment feels dangerously close to combustion. Olive soon discovers that the only thing more complicated than a hypothesis on love is putting her own heart under the microscope. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781408725764 • Author: Ali Hazelwood • Publisher: Sphere • Format: Paperback • Pages: 384 • Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.6 x 2.8 cm
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By ali hazelwood.
27th September 2021
Fiction & Related Items / Romance / Adult & Contemporary Romance
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48 pages • 1 hour read
A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Prologue-Chapter 3
Chapters 4-6
Chapters 7-8
Chapters 9-11
Chapters 12-13
Chapters 14-15
Chapters 16-19
Chapter 20-Epilogue
Symbols & Motifs
Important Quotes
Essay Topics
Olive Smith is the main character and protagonist of The Love Hypothesis . She struggles with her self-image and tends to focus on all the ways she feels messy, rather than all the accomplishments she achieves. Since her mother died 10 years ago, she’s been alone, and her professional life is driven by the desire “to be less lonely” (8). After meeting Anh at their Stanford orientation and later Malcolm, Olive feels close to people for the first time in a long time, but her years of being by herself make it difficult for her to understand that people want to be around her. By extension, she struggles with the idea of people caring, even as Anh, Malcolm, and Adam continually show their support. She attributes her difficulties to being “wrong” in some way, demonstrating how her life events have had an impact on her that make her emotions difficult for her to confront.
By Ali Hazelwood
Check & Mate
Love on the Brain
Love, Theoretically
Not in Love
Appearance Versus Reality
View Collection
New York Times Best Sellers
Pride Month Reads
The Best of "Best Book" Lists
Truth & Lies
Valentine's Day Reads: The Theme of Love
IMAGES
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COMMENTS
Quick Recap and Chapter-by-Chapter Summary for The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood. Prologue Olive Smith is an applicant for Stanford's biology Ph.D ... In the meantime, Olive needs more lab space and has been talking to Dr. Tom Benton for a spot at his lab at Harvard. When Tom arrives in town, it turns out he's friends with Adam. Adam and ...
The Love Hypothesis is a romance novel by Ali Hazelwood, published September 14, 2021 by Berkley Books. Originally published online in 2018 as Head Over Feet, a Star Wars fan fiction work about the "Reylo" ship between Rey and Kylo Ren, ... Dr. Tom Benton ...
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood (2021) follows a female scientist's comedic journey to true love that's fraught with lies, tears, and awkward moments. The book was an instant NY Times bestseller, a BuzzFeed Best Summer Read of 2021, and Goodreads Choice Awards finalist. Born in Italy, Ali Hazelwood moved to the United States via Japan and Germany to pursue a Ph.D. in neuroscience.
An Indie Next Pick! "A literary breakthrough… The Love Hypothesis is a self-assured debut, and we hypothesize it's just the first bit of greatness we'll see from an author who somehow has the audacity to be both an academic powerhouse and divinely talented novelist."— Entertainment Weekly " C ontemporary romance's unicorn: the elusive marriage of deeply brainy and delightfully escapist...
The Love Hypothesis. The Instant New York Times Bestseller and TikTok Sensation! As seen on THE VIEW! 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 ...
About The Love Hypothesis. Now see Adam pine for Olive in a special bonus chapter! 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.
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 ...
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 ...
An Indie Next Pick! "A literary breakthrough… The Love Hypothesis is a self-assured debut, and we hypothesize it's just the first bit of greatness we'll see from an author who somehow has the audacity to be both an academic powerhouse and divinely talented novelist."— Entertainment Weekly " C ontemporary romance's unicorn: the elusive marriage of deeply brainy and delightfully escapist...
The Love Hypothesis. 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 ...
Christina Lauren, New York Times bestselling author of The Unhoneymooners. *. 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 ...
Praise for The Love Hypothesis An Indie Next Pick! "A literary breakthrough…The Love Hypothesis is a self-assured debut, and we hypothesize it's just the first bit of greatness we'll see from an author who somehow has the audacity to be both an academic powerhouse and divinely talented novelist."—Entertainment Weekly "Contemporary romance's unicorn: the elusive marriage of deeply brainy ...
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood came out a few months ago, and I didn't really pay much attention to it. However, people seem to really be enjoying this book, and after reading The School for Good Mothers, I was really in mood for something light and fun.. In the Love Hypothesis, Olive is a third-year biology Ph.D. student at Stanford who ends up fake-dating a young and handsome tenured ...
for only $0.70/week. Subscribe. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of "The Love Hypothesis" by Ali Hazelwood. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
The Love Hypothesis has wild commercial appeal, but the quieter secret is that there is a specific audience, made up of all of the Olives in the world, who have deeply, ardently waited for this exact book." —New York Times bestselling author Christina Lauren "Funny, sexy, and smart. Ali Hazelwood did a terrific job with The Love ...
Ali Hazelwood is the New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis, Love on the Brain, Love Theoretically, Check & Mate and Bride, as well as a writer of peer-reviewed articles about brain science, in which no one makes out and the ever after is not always happy.Originally from Italy, she lived in Germany and Japan before moving to the US to pursue a PhD in ...
Chapter 20 Summary. Olive goes to the restaurant where Harvard's biology department took Adam for dinner. She plans to surreptitiously get Adam's attention and motion for him to check his phone before leaving, but he sees her immediately and leaves his dinner meeting to talk to her. Tom interrupts them, and Adam orders him to leave, his ...
Olive soon discovers that the only thing more complicated than a hypothesis on love is putting her own heart under the microscope. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781408725764. • Author: Ali Hazelwood. • Publisher: Sphere. • Format: Paperback. • Pages: 384. • Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.6 x 2.8 cm.
The Love Hypothesis is a 2021 Rom Com novel written by Italian author Ali Hazelwood. Third-year Ph.D. candidate Olive told her best friend, Anh, that she is on a date. Alas, she is not. She was only pretending to make Anh believe she is really, actually, over her last date, Jeremy. When she sees Anh walking towards her that night, she panics ...
Chapter 12 Summary. Adam goes away for a few days to work on research with Tom. While he's gone, Olive spends time with her friends, works, and tries to forget about her emotions. Anh and Olive get together for beer and smores, and Anh lays out her plans for the future. Despite all the struggles, she wants to stay in academia and carve out a ...
The Love Hypothesis was one of these books. With whip-smart and endearing characters, snappy prose, and a quirky take on a favourite trope, Hazelwood convincingly navigates the fraught shoals of academia... This smart, sexy contemporary should delight a wide swathe of romance lovers.
Chapter 7 Summary. A few days later, Olive is working in the lab when Greg, one of her lab mates, storms in. Adam failed his dissertation proposal, which will set him back months. Unsure what to say, Olive apologizes, feeling genuinely sorry. Greg gets in her face, saying she doesn't care because if she did "you wouldn't be able to ...
Olive Smith. Olive Smith is the main character and protagonist of The Love Hypothesis. She struggles with her self-image and tends to focus on all the ways she feels messy, rather than all the accomplishments she achieves. Since her mother died 10 years ago, she's been alone, and her professional life is driven by the desire "to be less ...