Book Review: Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood

Title: Not in Love
Author: Ali Hazelwood
Pages: 384
Publication Date: June 11, 2024
Publisher: Berkley
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Contemporary
Synopsis:

A forbidden, secret affair proves that all’s fair in love and science.

Rue Siebert might not have it all, but she has enough: a few friends she can always count on, the financial stability she yearned for as a kid, and a successful career as a biotech engineer at Kline, one of the most promising start-ups in the field of food science. Her world is stable, pleasant, and hard-fought. Until a hostile takeover and its offensively attractive front man threatens to bring it all crumbling down.

Eli Killgore and his business partners want Kline, period. Eli has his own reasons for pushing this deal through – and he’s a man who gets what he wants. With one burning exception: Rue. The woman he can’t stop thinking about. The woman who’s off-limits to him.

Torn between loyalty and an undeniable attraction, Rue and Eli throw caution out the lab and the boardroom windows. Their affair is secret, no-strings-attached, and has a built-in deadline: the day one of their companies will prevail. But the heart is risky business – one that plays for keeps.

LINKS: Goodreads | BookBub | Amazon | Bookshop.org

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I always jump at a chance to read Ali Hazelwood’s books. I fell in love with her writing and super swoon-worthy love stories starting with The Love Hypothesis, and I’ve enjoyed every book she’s written. Not in Love is as swoon-worthy as her other romances.

It took me a minute to like Rue, but as you get to understand her, her outward demeanor makes total sense. I liked her growth over the course of the story and ended up really enjoying her journey. Eli, I loved from the start. He’s sweet and smart and so into Rue.

Rue and Eli have a super steamy, secret relationship that’s complicated by a potential takeover at Rue’s job. I actually think this is Hazelwood’s steamiest stories yet! Eli’s bedroom talk was super hot, and there were a lot of sexy times, so if you’re into closed-door romance, this is definitely not the book for you. lol It did feel like Rue and Eli’s relationship was more sexual than emotional, but once they allowed themselves to be more vulnerable with each other, their true feelings began to show. It was pretty swoon-worthy!

The story also delves into some heavier topics, especially in relation to work struggles, company takeovers, and gender biases, but there are many humorous and light-hearted moments too. These and the romantic scenes balance out the more serious topics well. And the writing, like all of Hazelwood’s books, is fantastic. She has such an engaging style, and her stories always have such strong character development and amazing banter. I just adore the banter!

If you’ve read other books by Hazelwood, you’ll love this one. It’s fun and entertaining, the characters are layered and interesting, and the romance is steamy and swoon-worthy.

• enemies to lovers
• grumpy/sunshine
• forbidden romance
• STEM themes
• dual pov

“If her heart has to be broken, I’d rather it be me. That way I can help her pick up the pieces.”

“I’m sorry.” His Adam’s apple moved. “I forget to look at other things, when you’re around.”

“He could see himself doing things that ranged from embarrassing to reckless to illegal just for five more minutes with her.”

I’m originally from Italy, lived in Japan and Germany, and eventually moved to the US to pursue a Ph.D. in Neuroscience. I recently became a professor, which absolutely terrifies me. When I’m not at work you can find me binge-watching shows with my three feline overlords (and my slightly less feline husband), running, or eating candy.

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