The Love Hypothesis

Written by Ali Hazelwood

Narrated by Callie Dalton and Teddy Hamilton

Now see Adam pine for Olive in a special bonus chapter!

The Instant New York Times Bestseller and TikTok Sensation!

As seen on THE VIEW!

A BuzzFeed Best Summer Read of 2021

When a fake relationship between scientists meets the irresistible force of attraction, it throws one woman's carefully calculated theories on love into chaos.

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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Penguin Audio
• Release date: Sep 14, 2021
• ISBN: 9780593457573

Ali Hazelwood

Ali Hazelwood is the New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling author of multiple romance novels, as well as a writer of peer-reviewed articles about brain science, in which no one makes out and the ever after is not always happy. Originally from Italy, she lived in Germany and Japan before moving to the US to pursue a PhD in neuroscience. She recently became a professor, which absolutely terrifies her. When Ali is not at work, she can be found running, eating cake pops, or watching sci-fi movies with her three feline overlords (and her slightly-less-feline husband).

Reviews for The Love Hypothesis

[jah1743 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Perfection! No notes! Can't wait for the movie adaptation. ??

[hsarai87 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book! The tension was so good to read especially when it all unfolded!

[rmarcin-630843 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Such a cute rom-com!!! Olive Smith is a PhD student at Stanford, interested in pancreatic cancer research. She isn't looking for love, but tries to encourage her friend, Anh's, relationship with Olive's former boyfriend. She must convince Anh that Olive is dating someone else, and randomly kisses a professor, Adam Carlsen. He agrees to her plan of fake dating. I loved the characters and thought Olive was funny and sweet. A great escape from the crush of real-life!

[headinherbooks_27 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Love! love! love! I must've laughed in almost all chapters of this book. It is filled with humor and sarcasm. The dialogue is amusing and relatable with good banter. The characters are loveable and witty. Overall, it's charming, heartwarming, smart, and funny. By the end of the book, your face will hurt from laughing, and your heart will feel warm and fuzzy. I highly recommend this to anyone!

[huyen_24 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Second read through and I still love it. I love how silly but memorable their meetings are and how they slowly build up to something real and precious. The puns kept me laughing when I wasn't crying or melting. The side characters are amazing too. I love reading about women succeeding in male fields and how they deal with the insecure and sexist assholes. Remember, "Carry yourself with the confidence of a mediocre white man" lol.

[smashbasile · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Absolutely fantastic read! I was so invested in this "fake" relationship!

[katiekrug · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is exactly how I like my romances - smart, funny, with great secondary characters, and two main characters you want to root for. I really liked the STEM setting and the context of women in science, the pressure of academia, and found families.

My one, minor quibble is that bits of it got a little repetitive.

4.25 stars

[notyourdad · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

ALL of the praise for Ali Hazelwood! This book was quirky, interesting, and adorable. I couldn't put it down. The relationship between Olive and Adam was so frustrating, it left me needing to read more just to see what would happen next and if they were going to work things out.

10/10 use of a meme towards the end of the book, and the keyboard mash in the acknowledgments. I just really enjoy a writer who can use memes to the benefit of the story. It makes all of the characters feel modern and real.

Overall, 5 stars out of 5 stars and I cannot wait to read more of her work.

[frances_001 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed reading this one. The male lead was definitely really cool ?

[LyssEsquivel · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Gods, I didn't know I needed to read it, I'm simply happy now, what a beautiful story. (Translated from Spanish)

[JulesBS · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Incredible, funny, academic. This book exceeds all my expectations, Ali never disappoints with her romance novels and always outdoes herself. This is the third book I've read by the author and it's definitely my favorite so far. It reminded me a lot of the big bang theory; if you like the series and romance novels, then this book is for you. ? (Translated from Spanish)

[Lectora Nocturna · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The typical plot of pretending to be a couple with characters who supposedly can't stand each other. Quite entertaining, fresh, and light, with a touch of drama. Although it is fairly predictable, it is still enjoyable. An ideal read to enjoy at the beach or between heavier reads. It has hardly any sexual scenes, if not to say that there is only one. (Translated from Spanish)

[Saramp96 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The book is entertaining. It starts from a premise that I liked at first because finally the main couple would be on equal footing in terms of abilities and strengths. A vampire forced to marry a werewolf. Of course, it had to be an enemies to lovers story, reinforcing the concept with a forced wedding and knowing that vampires and werewolves have always been natural enemies.

Far from being a dark fantasy, the humor in the novel is appreciated because it makes the reading more enjoyable. After this, I feel that by the halfway point, the entire concept and development have been somewhat wasted. There comes a moment when Misery, our vampire protagonist, hardly shows vampiric behavior in action; I even forgot she was a creature because she acted just like an ordinary character, except for a couple of details. On the other hand, with Lowell, the opposite happens, and we are very much aware of all the werewolf traits in this version by Ali Hazelwood.

What I liked the least were the excessive sex scenes and realizing that any vampiric or lycanthropic skill shown in the book was linked to sex. These were already too excessive and, for me, lose their charm. One encounter, two, I find spicy, but more... It becomes tiresome.

So, it’s a funny and entertaining book; it was just what I needed, as it remains within my comfort zone—young adult literature—so I don't get overwhelmed by my beloved Kristin Hannah. ? (Translated from Spanish)

[rulitooo · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I find it a fun and funny book, but the characters make you want to push them; they're too slow ?. It gave me a lot of smiles, since Olive is great at getting into trouble. The story centers on an unexpected and almost random romance ? with a really nightmarish teacher... Dr. Carsen, although Adam at the end wasn't as annoying as he's made out to be at the beginning... he's quite smitten.... As the plot progresses, it tackles important themes like sexual harassment and abuse of power, among other things. The protagonist is quite scatterbrained and goes through a million thoughts in her head... although in reality, she almost never hits the nail on the head... I laughed a lot. (Translated from Spanish)

[carmontoya84 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It's one of those novels that entertains me and gives me moments of relaxation. (Translated from Spanish)

[jennybeast · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

There are a lot things I really liked about this -- realistic depictions of grad school and its grinding effect on the people experiencing it, the glories of pursuing things you are passionate about, the excellent snarky dialogue, and fierce friendships. Honestly, just a great read all around, and I loved how they dealt with misconduct. The only things that made me vaguely uncomfortable were the comments about Olive's size (characters who are "almost too skinny" aren't my jam, plus lots about feeling petite), it was a cis-het-white-contemporary romance (fine, but I haven't read one in a long time and was surprised is all, and there's the lovely almost-ace thing going on), and the sex scenes were possibly a little too realistic (again size). No real complaints, though -- it was a silly, swoony rom-com of a book with pleasing supporting characters and a satisfying story.

[Lomy84 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Although it is completely predictable from the first chapter, it is entertaining and easy to read. (Translated from Spanish)

[fannuty · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Although there are people who think the vampire/werewolf theme is outdated or has become tedious, the truth is that I have always loved this type of book... especially if there's some drama involved ? I can't help it, I'm a bit of a romantic with unconventional love stories!
The fact is that I really enjoyed it because the author doesn't beat around the bush. From the very first page, she tells what needs to be told without the need to include 500 pages of filler that don't contribute anything relevant. She goes straight to the story itself, focusing on the protagonists while still giving attention to all the secondary characters that appear, who are all amazing in their own essence.

Told from the perspective of the protagonist, Misery will see how her life changes radically when her father forces her to marry a werewolf for the common good of their species. Although she agrees to be the beautiful bride of that wedding for very different reasons.
What she doesn't know is that, while searching for answers about the whereabouts of her best friend who has disappeared without a trace, she will gradually realize that perhaps her true home has never been with her father or with the humans she spent so many years with since she was a child...

If you want to know Misery's story and meet Lowe, you'll have to read her story ? (Translated from Spanish)

[Leo.Parda · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

How to start this story, which has met my expectations?
Well... I expected something different, but hey... not so bad.

I wouldn’t categorize it as a fantasy story, even though the characters are a werewolf and a vampire.

But it has been very romantic.

To achieve peace between human, vampire, and werewolf species, they need to exchange, especially vampires and werewolves, to strengthen their bonds.

Misery, the vampire whose family has sent her to live with humans since she was young, returns to her territory because her father wants to unite all species, as there may be a war. The pact is for her to marry the alpha of the werewolves, Lowe.

She accepts it because a few months ago, her best friend, a human, disappeared... and all the clues she has lead to that alpha.

As soon as they meet... from the very first moment there is a bubble between them, that strong attraction, knowing it could be dangerous because they are so different... leads to certain truths and secrets that will gradually bring them closer, but... to what extent will that strength be good?

Lowe’s family and Misery’s family... especially hers, since she has always felt a great abandonment from her own... to what extent does she have support? And her best friend, is she really missing because of the werewolves or did she leave of her own will because she has something to hide?

There is much uncertainty between two species that have always been enemies, polar opposites, and a disappearance in between... where the romance between the protagonists also has to deal with the fact that although their ancestors were enemies, things can change.

It reminded me a bit of the Twilight saga.

It was good. (Translated from Spanish)

[alesagro16 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

? The Love Hypothesis.
✍? Ali Hazelwood.
⭐4.8/5.

Honestly, I needed to read a book like this for a while; it filled me with all the possible feelings and emotions, and I was quite hooked. To be honest, I loved it. Although it is in some ways a "predictable" story, I feel it gives you more than expected, breaking all the expectations I had for it. I really enjoyed the development of the plot, as situations unfolded gradually; it didn't feel rushed or too slow, just at the right pace.

The characters were also my favorite part; I loved both protagonists, how they developed, how they acted, their personalities, everything. Adam, the type of man I personally want; he is the kind of guy who solves and solves again, his personality is 10/10, his behavior with Olive, everything. Olive, a character with whom I identified a lot; I liked learning a bit about her past, and something that impressed me quite a bit was the reason for her research and her passion for it.

Something else I think is important to mention is everything related to the doctorate, the research, and her projects, which, although it's something I'm not very informed about, was quite interesting to read.

A story of "fake relationship" that we should all read without fail. It surprises you a lot, leaves you more than satisfied, and I believe it lightly touches on important and real themes. I loved it; everyone, go read it!✨ (Translated from Spanish)

[KeyDaniela · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

At first, it seemed somewhat dull to read, but as the chapters went by, I became quite hooked on the story, so much so that I ended up finishing it in just a few days. It's a fast-paced novel, with a story that's easy to follow. (Translated from Spanish)

[criis06 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

? Finally, I bring you this review that I've been eager to post. I finished the book a few days ago, but I hadn't had the time to sit down and write it, and I must tell you that this book…
Marvelous! ??
I loved it from start to finish, the setting is very good, the author's writing style kept me very hooked, the characters and their relationships I adored.
Lowe, you hold a place in my heart, and Ana and Serena… I love them ??
•
? For me, the plot was great, I was intrigued throughout the whole story, and the ending seemed fantastic to me, quite sudden, it must be said, but nothing that displeased me.
•
? Fun, light, intriguing, and very sexy
It has everything it needs to be a book that entertains
•
? Supernatural beings
? Arranged marriage
? Romantasy (Translated from Spanish)

[TatianaHerondale · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Even though everything was cliché and predictable, I was loving it; I was even thinking of giving it 5 stars, which is hard for a romance book to earn from me. Now, why didn't I give it 5 stars?

With "The Love Hypothesis," something very strange happened to me: I loved it at first; I was in love with the book, the characters, the couple, and how sweet Adam is with Olive. But when I got past the halfway point, I simply lost that excitement and no longer felt the same way as before. I can't pinpoint a specific reason, although I have a slight suspicion it started when Olive became more consistent with her feelings, which is odd because that should excite me ? and that's why I say what happened to me is strange.

The easiest way to describe what I felt is, for example, when you have someone very close (family, friend, or partner) and you love them a lot, and you enjoy spending time with that person, but one day you feel like you can't stand them, and it’s not because you don't love them or because they did something wrong; it’s just that day you can't tolerate that closeness (or something like that ?).

Another complaint, but this is more personal, is how they can give me a chapter that is just spicy?! I’m sorry, but I don’t like +18 scenes in books; a scene here and there doesn't bother me, but in this case, it lasted a whole chapter! ?

If I plan to continue reading the author, it’s because I did like it; I just stopped being so excited about the book. (Translated from Spanish)

[Itziar · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the first novel by Ali Hazelwood that I read and I can say that I like it. A charismatic relationship, a fantasy world with potential, and some well-developed creatures. I liked it a lot and I will definitely read The Love Hypothesis soon! ??? (Translated from Spanish)

[mambo8 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A fresh and quick story that grabs you from the first chapter and leaves your heart aching by the last one. (Translated from Spanish)

[mdmsalas · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this story that mixes romance with fantasy. The author has a very fresh and light writing style that makes you devour the story. It also has touches of humor. It's narrated in the first person, and you empathize with the character from the beginning. You never lose interest in continuing to read at any moment. (Translated from Spanish)

[CamilleLA · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Well, I didn't know what to expect... and I had a great time.

It's a romance with a bit of adventure, but it's fun. The character of Misery is sharp, with incredible humor, and Lowe is great, serious but like a soft toy.

It's fun, reads quickly, and brings more than one smile. Not bad, right?? (Translated from Spanish)

[Vesyance · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Once I finished it, I perfectly understood all the hype surrounding this book. Simply brilliant. It captivates you, a lot, and the protagonists are among the most beautiful... (Translated from Spanish)

[Sihaya ??‍♀️??‍♀️??? · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I had a heavy time reading the novel, it has very funny moments. The story is told through the eyes of Misery, a vampire who becomes a Guarantee for the second time in her life, this time entering the world of werewolves. She is a character without filters and struggles to understand the way humans and werewolves live, causing very funny situations. I had read that it was a unique novel, but by the end, it feels like there will be a second part. It is true that the main story is complete, but it hints at another one. (Translated from Spanish)

[Pepi18 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A beautiful book, super sweet and with a romance that is not slowburn at all. It gets to the point right away. Very loving and filled with really nice scenes. (Translated from Spanish)