Book Review: Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood

Happy Tuesday and a very happy book birthday to LOVE ON THE BRAIN by Ali Hazelwood! This is such a fun and charming rom-com with amazing characters and a swoon-worthy enemies-to-lovers romance. Let’s check it out!

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About the Book:

Title: Love on the Brain

Author: Ali Hazelwood

Page Length: 368

Publication Date: Aug. 23, 2022

Publisher: Berkley Books

Synopsis: From the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis comes a new STEMinist rom-com in which a scientist is forced to work on a project with her nemesis—with explosive results.

Like an avenging, purple-haired Jedi bringing balance to the mansplained universe, Bee Königswasser lives by a simple code: What would Marie Curie do? If NASA offered her the lead on a neuroengineering project—a literal dream come true after years scraping by on the crumbs of academia—Marie would accept without hesitation. Duh. But the mother of modern physics never had to co-lead with Levi Ward.

Sure, Levi is attractive in a tall, dark, and piercing-eyes kind of way. And sure, he caught her in his powerfully corded arms like a romance novel hero when she accidentally damseled in distress on her first day in the lab. But Levi made his feelings toward Bee very clear in grad school—archenemies work best employed in their own galaxies far, far away.

Now, her equipment is missing, the staff is ignoring her, and Bee finds her floundering career in somewhat of a pickle. Perhaps it’s her occipital cortex playing tricks on her, but Bee could swear she can see Levi softening into an ally, backing her plays, seconding her ideas…devouring her with those eyes. And the possibilities have all her neurons firing. But when it comes time to actually make a move and put her heart on the line, there’s only one question that matters: What will Bee Königswasser do? 

LINKS:   Goodreads   |    Amazon

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My Review:

I really enjoyed Love on the Brain! It is similar to The Love Hypothesis in that it has a female STEM protagonist, an enemies-to-lovers romance, a moody and broody male love interest, miscommunication, fun and awkward antics, and more. However, it feels fresh, and it is delightfully entertaining!

Bee has such a strong voice, and I love her bubbly, quirky personality. And she’s so funny! Obsessed with Marie Curie, Bee also has a quick wit and rambles when nervous, and she can be really awkward. I love that she embraces who she is and what she wants. She is a determined, goal-oriented, and strong person, and I kind of want to hang out with her and dye our hair together and maybe go get matching tattoos. She and her friends (not her ex-ones. They’re terrible!) sound like people I’d want to be friends with, and their conversations, joking, and connections are fantastic.

And can we talk about Levi Ward? Smart, sweet, sexy, patient, and awkward Levi Ward, oh how I love you! Levi’s been pining for Bee for a long time, but he hides his feelings behind a grumpy, brooding exterior. Of course, Bee thinks Levi hates her. What else would she think? But the more Bee gets to know Levi, the more she sees what a kind, generous, and sensitive man he is. She also starts to realize the depth of his feelings and that she might have misinterpreted past behaviors.

Bee and Levi have a fabulous enemies-to-lovers romance, and their journey from nemeses to friends to more is pretty swoon-tastic. The way Levi PINES for Bee – Oh my word!!! I love romances with great banter, tender moments, and some funny ones too. Bee and Levi have that in spades. I’ve heard their story compared to You’ve Got Mail meets The Hating Game, and that is such a perfect description. I love how these two knock down the walls between them and face their feelings all while working on cutting-edge science.

This is such a fun and charming read, and it has similar vibes to The Love Hypothesis, so if you liked that one, you’ll definitely enjoy this one too. There’s also a bit of a mystery that threatens Bee and Levi’s project and Bee’s future career, and there are some relevant messages about gender biases and inequities, grief, friendship, family, and loss. Thanks so much to Berkley Books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

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Rating:

Favorite Parts:

• The romance!

• The STEM setting.

• The Star Wars references. Love it!

Favorite Line:

If there is one thing men hate more than a smart woman, it’s a smart woman who makes her own choices when it comes to her own sex life.