Hypothesis: I will fall head-over-heels in love with Adam Carlsen and relate to Olive Smith in an embarrassing (but also comforting) way. This will be one of the best books I have read and absolutely lives up to the hype.
I have had Ali Hazelwood's The Love Hypothesis on my bookshelf since the end of December. It was one of those "bookstagram made me buy it" type of things. Plus, having worked in Barnes & Noble at the time, I always saw it and, quite often, shelved it during the morning shelving process. And, let me tell you, it did not disappoint.
I think here, we should debrief the "book boyfriend." According to Urban Dictionary, a book boyfriend is defined as follows:
Adam Carlsen is 100%, without a doubt book boyfriend material. And I love him. And I want him to be real.
So, I will be honest, I picked up this book not knowing what it was about. And, typically, I wouldn't read a book where there is a professor-student relationship, but I've heard so much about it and I kind of felt a bit of FOMO. Plus, I already bought it months ago. But, let me tell you, it was the cutest book I have ever read. Like, really rom-com, Hallmark-esque, which I love. If my life could be a Hallmark movie, I would be overjoyed. But it's currently a rom-com, just more comedy than there is romance. Because there is no romance.
If you're looking for a cute romance book, I would highly recommend this one. (Warning: there are a couple 😬 chapters that I basically skimmed through, but that's just two out of 22 chapters, not including the prologue and epilogue.)
Why I Loved This Book
I am a sucker for cute romances, but I usually read YA romance. This is the first romance, romance book I've read. And I can see why so many people are hooked on them.
In the beginning, we meet Olive. She has yet to interview for grad school and happens to run into a random bathroom to hopefully help her burning eyes. Why? Because she wore expired contacts. Right off the bat, I was smiling.
She meets a man there who claims she is "in [his] bathroom." They have a brief conversation, where Olive can't actually see the guy she's talking to. And he ends up convincing her to go after her degree.
Two years later, Olive is in her third year of grad school and making ground-breaking discoveries on her research. Right off the bat, in chapter one, she is kissing none other than Adam Carlsen: broody, mean, and grumpy in the grumpy x sunshine trope. You'll just have to read it to figure out why. It's actually really cute and shows Oliver's true character. Also why I love the book.
And their fake-dating experience begins.
I loved watching the relationship between the characters develop (i.e. how they talk to each other, how her friends react to their "relationship," etc.). There is witty banter, shots fired, and a total understanding of who I am as a person, because I am Olive. Except I didn't study science and I haven't, nor plan to, enter a fake dating relationship with a professor at a school I do not attend. Other than that, I am Olive. Olive is me.
Not to mention, I basically read this book in a day. And I loved it. I could not put it down. It's probably my favorite read of the year. And I've read a lot of good books this year.
Why You Should Read This Book
"'This guy, he's...' She swallowed. What was he? Quick, Olive, quick. An immunologist? Icelandic? A giraffe? What was he?" (pg. 180)
"Carry yourself with the confidence of a mediocre white man." (pg. 198)
Also...
and...
and this too
And, naturally, I can't forget this *cough cough* @ Adam Carlsen
Conclusion: This book made me want to laugh, cry, crawl under a rock and hide from the second-hand embarrassment. I am Olive. I can barely tell people how I feel sometimes, let alone guys I like. This book is me. And somewhere out there is my Adam. Except just nicer, less broody, and not grumpy. But loving, funny, understanding. And head-over-heels in love with me. I loved this book and I am tempted to read this again and tell Ali Hazelwood to just take my money because I want to read her books now. But, like, not actually take my money, you know? But I will buy her books.
My Rating:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Please read this book. Experience an epic, funny, whirlwind of a story.
(Just a little midnight reaction I thought you'd enjoy.)
If I could put this book into one song:
If you've read this book, tell me what you thought of it in the comments below. Let's start a conversation!
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