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.
Hypothesis: This book will be uber cute and nerdy in all the delicious ways.
Findings: I fell in love with Olive and Adam from the prologue.
Olive has this quirkiness that is awkward yet endearing. I love her passion and rawness. You can tell she is one of those girls who tries to do the best she can for herself and screw the rest. I was so happy for her to finally find something(one) that made her feel a bit more alive.
Adam Carlsen, I mean… brooding teacher fantasy come to life here. I have to say Adam wasn’t ever an “asshole” or comical. He was real, single-minded, and very much what I’d expect from a Bio Ph.D with a heart of gold.
Conclusion: I thoroughly enjoyed this adorable story from beginning to end and I am so exited to see what Ali comes up with next. As a fellow teacher I am all about my two worlds colliding.
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