Love on the Brain: From the bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis

Like many, my first brush with Ali Hazelwood was through the wildly popular The Love Hypothesis. Ironically, its very fame made me hesitant; I tend to shy away from the books everyone’s talking about. However, fate, in the form of a thoughtful gift-giver, intervened, and I found myself utterly charmed. So much so that the moment I had the chance, I eagerly snatched up Love on the Brain and let me tell you, Ali Hazelwood has officially earned a spot on my “auto-buy” author list – plot be damned, I trust her. While “The Love Hypothesis” thoroughly entertained me with its blend of sharp wit and surprisingly deep themes (all wrapped in classic rom-com tropes), Love on the Brain felt like a step up in maturity, both in its narrative and writing style. Fear not, fellow STEM enthusiasts, we are still firmly planted in the world of science! Our protagonist, Dr. Bee Königswasser, is an unforgettable character. With her vibrant hair and an endearingly quirky life philosophy – “What would Marie Curie do?” – she’s a breath of fresh air. This very mantra even fuels her engaging social media presence, connecting her with colleagues across the globe and offering glimpses into their diverse experiences within STEM fields. Hazelwood deftly uses Bee‘s journey to shed light on the persistent gender imbalances within STEM. Sadly, these environments often remain male-dominated, leaving women facing sexism and unequal opportunities. However, “Love on the Brain” transcends mere denunciation. Through Bee’s character, the author beautifully emphasizes the vital importance of female solidarity. Bee’s unwavering support for the women in her life, particularly her brilliant assistant Rocío and her equally sharp twin sister Reike, is a heartwarming thread woven throughout the narrative. One fascinating detail was Bee’s international background, her journey across various nations before settling down to pursue her academic and professional aspirations. This biographical tidbit echoed the author’s own global experiences, having lived in Italy, Japan, and the United States – a connection that adds another layer of appreciation for Hazelwood’s writing. Then there’s Dr. Levi Ward. Initially perceived by Bee as her cold and uncooperative archenemy from their university days (fueled by his apparent reluctance to collaborate or even acknowledge her presence), Levi gradually reveals himself to be the epitome of a “walking green flag.” In an environment seemingly working against Bee’s groundbreaking neuroengineering project at NASA, Levi emerges as her quiet champion, offering crucial behind-the-scenes support and advocating for her work without seeking recognition. Bee’s negative initial impressions, born from Levi’s reserved nature, slowly crumble as his genuine character shines through. It’s refreshing to witness a confident female lead like Bee navigate professional hurdles while grappling with personal vulnerabilities. Equally compelling is Levi, a man at the pinnacle of his career who still experiences relatable insecurities in everyday situations. This nuanced portrayal of both characters adds depth and authenticity to their relationship. Even if steamy scenes aren’t your cup of tea, the tender and heartfelt development of Bee and Levi’s romance is truly captivating. The storytelling itself is captivating, seamlessly weaving the intricacies of NASA and neuroscience into the narrative. Even for someone with zero background in these fields like myself, the concepts are presented in an accessible and engaging manner. The unexpected addition of a kitten roaming the NASA offices injects a delightful touch of levity. While some might draw parallels between “Love on the Brain” and “The Love Hypothesis”, I found them to be distinct and equally enjoyable in their own right. In conclusion, Love on the Brain is more than just a charming STEM romance; it’s a smart, witty, and insightful exploration of ambition, prejudice, and the unexpected connections that can blossom in the most unlikely of circumstances. If you’re looking for a book that will make you laugh, swoon, and maybe even learn a little about neuroscience along the way, then look no further. Ali Hazelwood has done it again, solidifying her place as a must-read author in the contemporary romance landscape!

I always always enjoy Ali Hazelwood books. No one writes pathetically in love men like her. It's delicious. The twist was obvious but I don't care, it was just fun to read and enjoy.

Loved this book! As someone who studied neuropsych at undergrad this was the perfect mix of science and romance/yearning for me. Such a good, quick read!

I love the nerdy bits and the (super accurate) jabs at academia (in particular what it's like being a woman in academia, and albeit indirectly, why so many of us have left). I liked those things about the previous book too. But this one... Through the whole thing I kept thinking 'have I read this book before?' even though it was delivered to my Kindle as soon as it was available. Book deja vu! It's driving me a little bit crazy to be honest. And I knew who the culprit was almost as soon as they were introduced. That's just boring. I gave it three stars because I did still enjoy it and would read more books by the author, but I would not be surprised if lots of people give it fewer stars.

It only lost a star due to the excessive miscommunication and the frustration that I had with Bee who, despite being an incredibly smart woman, seemed to be idiotically blind most of the book just to keep the plot going. Yes, her trauma made some of it understandable, but it was definitely pushed to the extremes, especially during the climax of the book. Otherwise it was a magnificent read and have many moments I saved and will remember fondly

Another great Ali Hazlewood book. I love her devoted heroes.

I have read all of Ali Hazelwoods books, The love Hypothesis was my favourite but wow, Love On The Brain has now drawn with it. I absolutely loved everything about this read. I read this book so fast I couldn't believe I had finished already, I needed more pages. I love the grumpy and sunshine trope and Ali creates it so perfectly with science. Bee Konigswasser is such a bubbly and talented young lady she is offered a job as a leader of Neuroengineering by NASA, this is a dream for Bee, until she realises who she has to co-lead with. Ali has a way with creating breathtaking men that make you fall deeply in love with them. Levi Ward is one of them, HOLY SMOKES !!!! Where can I find a bloke like him? Grumpy and dark and extremely attractive. Levi has made his feelings clear to Bee since grad school. But when Levi and Bee seem to be pulled together when Bee’s equipment and strange things start happening, as they work together to solve the case as well as try to work together with their job, Bee seems to think he is softening up on her and she starts to second guess her feelings for him too. I loved the mystery and the twists and turns in this book, as always Ali had us holding our breaths and our hearts melting the next. The romance is adorable. Laugh out loud moments you just can't get enough of her stunning books. They just bring a smile on your face no matter how many times you reread them, another stunning and extraordinary read, cannot wait for your next read Ali your writing and plots are just out of this world.

Ali Hazelwood knows how to write a steamy, when is it going to happen romance!

OMG OH MY GOD OH MIO DIO Questo libro é meraviglioso. Bellissimo. So cute e divertente. E Levi é così dolce, così bello, dio lo amo. Lo amo alla follia. Questo libro ti fa ridere, sclerare, innamorare, ridere. Bee Königswasser é una neuroscienziata. Con un ossessione per Marie Curie, tanto da aprire per gioco un profilo Twitter @WhatwouldMarieCuriedo? e inaspettatamente anni dopo diventa un profilo tra i più rilevanti nell'ambito scientifico femminile. Un punto di incontro. Una community. Una famiglia. Un libro che porta alla luce, in maniera leggere ed ironica, la situazione femminile delle donne nel mondo della scienza: una minoranza e non prese realmente sul serio. Sempre un passo indietro agli uomini. Sempre meno credibili di loro. Il profilo @WhatwouldMarieCuriedo? diventa allora un 'luogo' di sfogo e supporto, una crescita che Bee mai si sarebbe aspettata, hanno scritto articoli sul suo profilo, interviste (anonime, ovviamente, nessuno sa chi c'è dietro). Ora di fronte a Bee c'è una grande opportunità: lavorare ad un progetto rivoluzionare per la NASA. LA NASA. Sarebbe la svolta per la sua carriera. MA. C'è sempre un ma, no? non sempre le cose possono andare alla grande. Come quando il tuo fidanzato (Fidanzato con la lettera maiuscola, perché si era proposto) ti tradisce con la tua migliore amica facendoti annullare il matrimonio 6 mesi prima ma ormai é passato qualche anno, le cose si superano. Dove eravamo rimasti? ah si. Il suo co-leader non sarà altro che la sua nemesi della scuola di specializzazione. Il bello, alto, scolpito, ARROGANTE, che decisamente la odia Levi. Levi ed i suoi occhi verdi. Levi ed i suoi capelli neri. Levi ed il suo essere molto alto. Levi che l'ha sempre ignorata, evitata, screditato il suo lavoro, non l'ha mai guardata negli occhi, se c'era lei lui andava via. Quel Levi. Sono passati 6 anni da quando l'ha visto l'ultima volta. Ma nulla é cambiato. Levi la evita ancora. E' ancora freddo, distaccato, antipatico. Non vuole parlare con lei, solo per email posso comunicare! Ma c'è qualcosa che non va in questo progetto. Le attrezzature non arrivano. I giorni passano e la situazione di Bee é sempre più precaria; il suo capo misogino vuole rispedirla a casa e sostituirla con qualcun altro. Un uomo. Bee non ne pò più ed é sicura che dietro ci sia Levi. Nemmeno lui la vuole li. Eccetto che. Sarà proprio Levi ad essere dalla sua parte. Ad aiutarla. A battersi per lei. Proprio così! Secondo lui non c'è un neuroscienziato migliore di lei. E farà di tutto per non farla andare via. Avete amato Adam? Ecco, perderete la testa per Levi. Ali ha la capacità di scrivere personaggi maschili che ti faccio sciogliere il cuore senza cadere nello smielato e nascondendoli dietro comportamenti apparentemente da stronz*. Perché Levi fa tutto fuorché odiarla. E' tutto il contrario. Nemmeno sapeva che lei pensasse che lui la odiasse, per lui é totalmente inconcepibile come cosa. Soprattutto quando capisce che non é solo una fissa sua ma tutti alla loro scuola di specialistica lo pensavano. Alla Levi le confessa tutto. Cosa viene fuori? E' tutto una serie di incomprensioni, errori, e incapacità da parte sua di gestire determinati sentimenti e situazioni. Io persa per Levi. Poi è un nerd e si cresce un gatto. Totalmente andata, partita. Bee mi ha fatto ridere, e mi ha resa orgogliosa. In un mondo maschilista lei si é fatta valere. Ha creato un movimento. Lotta per il suo posto, meritato. Ma é anche spaventata dai legami e dalle relazioni. Secondo lei tutti vanno via, tutti ti lasciano. Fate un favore a voi stessi e leggetelo non appena uscirà! Fatevi scaldare il cuore da Levi, dalla sua intelligenza, dal suo essere incompreso. Un pò scontroso, decisamente introverso e chiuso ma autoritario (IN TUTTI I CAMPI, non solo sul lavoro). Ridete insieme a Bee, al suo essere tanto intelligente quanto un pò imbranata. Fatevi contagiare dal suo coraggio, dal suo volersi far valere.

My girlfriend loves this book.

ótima leitura!

So I didn’t realize I was reading the books out of publishing order (not that it matters until you get to the acknowledgement section!) BUT I think is one is my favorite Hazelwood so far. Which is saying something since I think I AM Elsie in many ways (Theoretically) and just CANNOT get enough of Adam (Hypothesis) and Ian (Below Zero). I am a nurse, so I feel about anatomy and physiology and pharmacokinetics the way Hazelwood’s book characters feel about their fields of science. I am currently working on my masters degree, and dream of joining academia teaching someday and maybe publishing before I die (dreams). These books feel like the world I wish I lived in, and are very real comfort blankets for my brain and emotions. So why is this one my favorite? First, can we just acknowledge that in a world where women are often required to the emotional heavy lifting for their partners and everyone else around them, Hazelwood’s stellar leading ladies are often lacking in that department yet have male partners that are grounded and capable of doing and holding emotional space where they can’t? It’s a running theme now, and I AM HERE FOR IT! It’s not just that they aren’t sexist or are willing to give women credit for their work. They go to therapy. They own up to mistakes, take perspective from others, and are often more open and capable of being emotionally available and vulnerable while the ladies have more work to do, make more errors, and are less capable in this arena. That is just spectacular and not always seen in romance. Second, Bee is such a believable character because she is so honest about how she loves studying the brain and neuroscience, yet reluctantly admits that exercise is good for the brain. It’s so human to be so dedicated to the science and yet resist or even ignore evidence because of fear, experiences, and more. In some ways, she has the shortest lag time for realizing she wants her happy ending, though, which is nice to see. The consistency with some variation of Hazelwood’s leads being afraid of commitment, love, and romance are interesting. A flow chart may be needed at some point. Third, I like that in a short span, Bee gets to see so much of Levi’s life. It’s nice to give context to him and round him out in a way that does more than just clear up misunderstandings. He has a world before she gets there. It’s always more interesting when the characters have more of a world than just the two of them in bed. My only real criticism is that while we all love the fantasy of tall, built men who also are geniuses at NASA or running research labs, in reality…I don’t know. I want there to be a way for average men who are not 6’ 4” to also be emotionally mature, get the girl, and be amazing? If I could write myself I would. But I can’t, so I need other amazing people to help me out, ya know? Anyway, it’s another rock-solid story from Ali Hazelwood. I really need to just pre-order her stuff. I have yet to be disappointed.

Once again Ali Hazelwood proves why she deserves my money. I mean if a man can comprehend that he is the problem and goes to therapy to fix himself, he must be a yearner and hot.