The many lives of theoretical physicist Elsie Hannaway have finally caught up with her. By day, she’s an adjunct professor, toiling away at grading labs and teaching thermodynamics in the hopes of landing tenure. By other day, Elsie makes up for her non-existent paycheck by offering her services as a fake girlfriend, tapping into her expertly honed people pleasing skills to embody whichever version of herself the client needs.
Honestly, it’s a pretty sweet gig—until her carefully constructed Elsie-verse comes crashing down. Because Jack Smith, the annoyingly attractive and broody older brother of her favorite client, turns out to be the cold-hearted experimental physicist who ruined her mentor’s career and undermined the reputation of theorists everywhere. And that same Jack who now sits on the hiring committee at MIT, right between Elsie and her dream job.
Elsie is prepared for an all-out war of scholarly sabotage but…those long, penetrating looks? Not having to be anything other than her true self when she’s with him? Will falling into an experimentalist’s orbit finally tempt her to put her most guarded theories on love into practice?
“There is no universe in which I’m going to let you go.
I want to be with you, on you, every second of every day.”
Hazelwood, Ali. Love, Theoretically (p. 377). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
The teacher in me and the reader in me were both SO happy while reading this book. I love Ali’s flawless execution of romance and STEM and angst and sexiness. Love, Theoretically is a perfect example of all those wrapped into one and I could not get enough of it.
I love how Elsie is such a diverse character with so many things that make her uniquely Elsie. That fact that she has diabetes, that she’s a people pleaser, that she over-analyzes everything, that she’s insane intelligent… it makes her so real. It helps so many more people connect with her and I adored to see it written so beautifully.
“That’s not how love works, Elsie. But don’t worry for now. I’ll show you.”
Hazelwood, Ali. Love, Theoretically (p. 302). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
On the side, Jack, I adored from the moment we meet him. Broody, built, intelligent, kind, tattooed… YEP I am 100% a sucker for his type. His “I’ll take care of you attitude” makes you swoon right away, yet his banter keeps you there.
I always love the romantic academia worlds that Ali Hazlewood creates… she’s so amazing at making them spicy but nerdy yet perfect. I adored Love, Theoretically and cannot wait for Ali to keep writing amazing stories and I want them all.
Jotted by Jena 