I’m fairly new to Ali Hazelwood, my first book of hers being Bride, which I really enjoyed. However, I immediately knew she would be an author to keep an eye one and was extremely excited to get the opportunity to read and early copy of Not in Love. Back into the realm of STEM romance we go.

I flew through this book, and really liked the characters and their unique dynamics. This is definitely her most steamy book yet (honestly had me shocked just how much!) Both characters are interesting, and have issues with expressing emotions. However, for spoiler reasons that I will not be sharing they end up with a significant conflicting interest. This does not erase their attraction and natural pull towards one another, leading to a lot of tension and a secret affair leading to an enemies-with-benefits arrangement.

Of course they have to combat their growing feelings, torn between loyalty and their changing relationship and it creates a very interesting dynamic to read about. Loved Eli our mmc, who adores Rue the fmc just the way she is and has top tier golden retriever energy.

First of all can I just say love the cover! Loved the concept of this book and did throughly enjoy just felt like it could have given more. Overall a decent read and would read more from Ali as it was an easy read and enjoyable

DNF at 15%, just really don't enjoy it or the writing.

I really enjoyed Bride which is why I chose to read this one but yikes.... I have never not finished a book before, even if I don't enjoy it I generally finish it anyway but I just can't finish this one...

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. I am almost exclusively an SFF reader - but being in STEM myself I have always loved Ali's books and this was no different. I loved Rue as a character so much. It is, as other reviewers have noted, spicier than Ali's previous works. I will say that I had guessed the origin of the main conflict a long time before it was actually revealed but I still really enjoyed it.

This book starts with a warning, a warning for us readers to acknoledge the fact that this book is different from Ali’s previous work, and some content warnings. Is this a woman in STEM romance? Yes, yes it is. But, it’s SO much more. This was so vastly different from the first three books (love hypothesis, love on the brain & love theoretically), in a good way. Don’t get me wrong, I love all of those, but this was just MORE.

Rue, our FMC is a woman working at developing microbial coating for produce (food), with a tragic past that has definitely left it’s marks on her, and I say without a doubt that she’s also on the spectrum. And this is portrayed so realistically, and raw. It’s not trying to make fun of her antics, just letting it be a part of her. Simply beautiful.

Eli, our MMC, also has his issues he has to deal with from past trauma and neglect, and he’s just so incredibly understanding and honest to god, a wonderful man. Another thing miss Hazelwood is known for, is having a REALLY tall mmc and a short, petite fmc, and this fact is brought on a number of occasions throughout the books. I’ve never found that to be irritating, just funny. In ”Not in love” though, we get a TALL QUEEN. Rue is a tall, former figureskater with a body that resembles old movie stars, so think soft and curvy. Yaaaas queen 👑 Oh and speaking of figureskating, Eli is a former hockeyplayer, soooo Ali is absolutely dipping her toes in the hockey romance world 😏🏒

I actually shed a tear at the final sentence, firstly because it was just so beautifully worded, and also a wonderful end scene. But mostly because the book was over 😢

”Maybe people can be happy and sad”

Just when I think Ali Hazelwood can’t get any spicier she goes ahead and writes a new book that makes her last one positively chaste! Phew, this book had it all. Love and lust and spice, spice, spice. I really like Rue. She was tough but unafraid to be vulnerable with Eli. They’ve both been through so much trauma and seeing them work through that together was heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. This book is definitely a bit deeper than Ali’s usual stories (it even comes with a heads up from Ali that this book might be triggering for some readers), but I feel like she wrote it delicately and not simply for the shock factor. Its not my favourite Ali Hazelwood book (that honour still goes to the Love Hypothesis) but its a great read and I recommend it. Thanks Netgalley and publisher!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher, for sending me an ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. Where do I even start? I don't know if I can even describe what this book is about without spoiling it, but I will try.

Rue and Eli are on opposite sides. Rue is a scientist at a woman run firm, Eli is part of the business that has just bought out the company. Tensions are high, secrets are flying, they are meant to hate each other, and yet they can't stay away. Meeting the night before via an app, Eli and Rue share things with each other that they don't share with anyone else. They tell their truths in stories. But all too soon, the walls are closing in, and they must prepare for an inevitable separation.

I am still thinking about this book. Eli and Rue were genuinely the cutest couple ever, with Eli clearly understanding what it meant to fall for a woman with autism. That fact alone made this book an immediate five-star, but Ali Hazelwood's writing just made it all the better. Not only was the story complex, but Ali covered deep subjects, including family trauma, sex struggles, and the struggles of being a woman with autism. Eli was the perfect gentleman, always putting Rue first and giving her space to be herself without judgement or trying to make it about himself. Rue herself was smart, ambitious, loyal, and, frankly, my favourite character. There was a depth to her that is often missing in female heroines in romance. She battled so much throughout the book and yet managed to keep her head about herself (mostly) and, by the end she was standing up for herself and going for what she wanted without questioning how others would feel. The character development was amazing, and the back stories were incredibly well thought out

This book is definitely 18+ as it has explicit sexual scenes. However, even those are handled with finesse and depth. She discussed many aspects of a relationship, and a huge part of the book was her discussion on sex and intimacy, especially from the perspective of autism.

Leaning away from the story and concentrating on the finer details of the writing , Ali Hazelwood does not miss. Ever. This was intelligent, beautiful, profound in a gentle way, and entertaining from the get-go. If I could have read it in one sitting, I would have. There is something just so obsessive about Ali's writing. I can't help but think about it days later, obsessing over the characters and the storyline.

This was one of the easiest five stars I have ever given.

i think i have to call myself an Ali stan from now on.

i want someone to love me and me so obsessed with me, as Eli is with Rue. that man is a SIMP! and i respect him for that!

and yes, this book was spiceyyyyy! definitely more spice than her other books, but it never felt like it was too much spice. this book had the perfect spice to plot ratio.

I can discripe this book with one word ... love.
I love this book so much it was heart melting and so lovely.
The way they fell for eachother made me belive in true and unconditional love.

Ali never, ever misses! Another incredible book from Ali Hazelwood, with characters you simply cannot resist falling for. As per Ali’s own note at the start of the book, Not In Love feels heavier and darker than previous books, but it handles the sensitive topics so incredibly well. Reading about Rue’s relationship to food was very for me very powerful, and for anyone who has similar struggles, will feel validated and seen and understood.

I loved Rue’s unapologetic awkwardness. I loved the way Eli fell so hard and deep and fast. I loved the dialogue and the dynamic. And the spice. Just wow. Absolute perfection!

TW for this book: Food insecurity, ED, parent loss, child neglect

At this stage I'm a devoted Hazelwood stan, she's as much part of my spicy shelf as Macfarlane. Absolutely adored her previous STEM books and this one definitely followed suit.

In "Not in Love" it feels like Hazelwood's trying to tackle trickier characters with more complex back stories, while still trying to weave their narrative into a romp across STEM politics and (in the case of this book..) copious sex scenes!

That's right - I reckon this is the spiciest yet! Whicccch... might not be the best thing? As a spice fan, I never thought I'd say that. However, it did feel like there was *a lot* of sex in this one, especially in comparison to "Check and Mate". Lots of it did feel rather indulgent and personally I'd have preferred a couple of scenes less (who even am I?).

That said, it was (as usual with Hazelwood's books) very enjoyable and readable, and I devoured it in a few sittings. The duel POV was a highlight throughout, maybe in the next one we can have duel POV and TWO couples? Now who's being indulgent..!

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for the chance to read and review an advanced copy of "Not in Love" by Ali Hazelwood!

I have adored all of Ali’s previous books, so nobody is more disappointed than me to say this one wasn’t for me.

While the story had real promise and I liked Rue a lot as a female MC, Eli really brought things down for me. I’m all for a spicy read, but I think Eli came across more like the protagonist from ‘You’ than a love interest you’re rooting for.

Lines like “Her refusal had cooled things enough to knock some sense into him, and he was very relieved not to be tempted to drive to her house just for the privilege of doing something appalling like staring at her dark balcony windows and ordering himself not to masturbate furiously” just seemed a little creepy and really caused me to disconnect from Eli.

I’ll still look forward to anything Ali writes in future but I’m hoping it veers back into sweet, sexy male characters rather than an obsessive one.

Thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group and the author for this copy for my honest review.

*SMALL SPOILERS*

I have to say that this book has been a pleasure to read, I have completely fallen in love with this couple, I think they are too real.

We have Rue, who is quite a special girl, she has a hard time connecting with people, with her surroundings and she doesn't know how to handle emotions, I have felt identified with her in many moments, I feel like I am not able to talk to people or connect with them unless I have a lot of confidence. Despite this, she is amazing, I love how her mind works.

One thing I love about Ali's books, is how all of her main characters have very distinct personalities and are experts in the field of science, STEM girls are always going to be my favourite.

The male protagonist, Eli, my goodness, this man is what we call an ‘obsessed boy’, literally from the moment he sees her, he was already lost for her, I love how he could die if he doesn't touch her, see her or breathe her air.

I absolutely love the way Eli understands Rue more than anyone else, how he respects her boundaries and how he doesn't judge her for anything. He's the kind of man you want to have by your side for life.

I really liked Eli's group of friends, I feel like we have a found family here, because even though they are friends and have a company, they are a family, and they support each other in everything. It's beautiful, I want friends like that.

In this book, precisely the couple works around sex, it is a very physical relationship and feelings are shown through contact, and I think that sometimes made me think that there are too many sex scenes, but he has worked it so well, that in the end, I read them just to find out what happened next.

So despite it not being my favourite Ali book, nor my favourite couple, I loved it.
A million thanks again for allowing me to read it ahead of time.

*I'm not posting anything

**Minor Spoilers Ahead**

I have mixed feelings about this one, however, I enjoyed it a lot more than the last few Ali Hazelwood's so that's definitely something. Eli shaped up to be pretty much the same as all her other love interests, they all read pretty much the same; tall, stoic (though Eli was a little less stoic than others), intelligent, and utterly obsessed with the female lead.

The female lead was a bit more interesting, her background and childhood turned her into quite an emotionally closed-off person and she kinda read as neurodivergent though that wasn't ever confirmed. So despite the male character and general story following the same story arc as her other books, I did appreciate this deviation from her standard female protagonist.

I do think it's a shame that all her stem books follow the same story arc because every time I get invested and every time the big baddie is the same character with virtually the same motives. In this one, it was a particular shame because Rue knowingly continues to betray one of her only friends by getting with Eli but oh well that's fine in the long run because her friend was a bad person...like Rue was still doing a bad thing while they were still friends, she didn't yet know her friends' true character and betrayed her.

I don't mind a few sex scenes in books but this one had wayyyyy too many for me, and I think it honestly got very repetitive and took time away from the story

Thank you to Netgally and Little Brown Book Group UK for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a wonderful transition for Ali’s previous work- whilst I adore the rom-com style, this ‘erotic romance’ as she describes it was exquisitely written. The depth of character, the raw emotion and the twisty plot were such a joy to read!

thank you to net galley for giving me a copy of this book in return for an honest review!

I’m not a big romance girly, but there is something about Ali Hazelwood that just has me in a chokehold, whenever she releases a book i just know that I have to read it. I think it’s the way she manages to talk about such important issues in lighthearted ways that are addictive, for real I find it so hard to put down one of her books whenever I start them. It’s like junk food for the brain and I find them so entertaining.

this book was definitely one of her spiciest ones, but i appreciated the way it was handled. the author spoke about sex in such positive ways, allowing women to take control and enjoy their pleasure without being shamed for it. I also adored how they expressed the fact that kink is something that needs the trust and communication from both partners, because I’ve found that a lot of spicy authors will forget these nuances and misrepresent the BDSM/kink community in harmful ways, so i loved that.

despite the fact that i adored the romance within and thought the smut scenes were handled amazingly, i think the side story line just kind of fell flat for me. I was so absorbed into the relationship and its details that i found it hard to care about Florence or any of the side characters really, leaving the non-romance plot to fall flat and uninteresting. the only reason i continued reading was because i was so absorbed into the romance i had to know if they ended up together.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and the author for this copy for my honest review.

Firstly what a gorgeous cover! This was my favourite Ali Hazelwood book so far! Really enjoyed this, a lot steamier than her other books by far. Loved the fact it was dual POV and reverse grumpy sunshine!

If you enjoy a steamy, forbidden workplace romance, this is for you!

Thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group for giving me the opportunity to read this book before its release.

This was a highly anticipated read for me, having had the honour of reading ‘Love Theoretically’ and ‘Check & Mate’ prior to official release. Yet again, Ali Hazelwood does not disappoint!

Rue, our main character, is a successful biotech engineer. When she finds herself entangled in a forbidden affair with one of the very people who are determined to take over her company, she has to confront challenges both in her worklife, her personal life and with her relationships.

Rue resonated deeply with me; her character felt authentic and multidimensional. I recognised aspects of myself within her, and I believe many other readers will too, fostering a profound understanding of her struggles. I loved her self-awareness and refusal to change for anyone. However, I yearned for a deeper exploration of her inner thoughts.

The relationship between Rue and Eli was a highlight for me. Eli’s unwavering support and understanding underscored their connection. His acceptance of Rue, flaws and all, was truly heartwarming.

In essence, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will be looking forward to purchasing a physical copy for my collection upon the release date!

I believe this is one of the spiciest books Ali's written. The chemistry between the two main characters Rue and Eli was great and the development between them and their stories worked well. One slight thing that I found odd was it being multi-POV but Rue's is in first person and Eli's is in third. I'd rather them both be one or the other.

Ali Hazelwood has created a crushing balance of sad and happy, in a never ending circle. Her ability to create these vulnerable moments between Rue and Eli that absolutely shattered me. Eli's obsession with Rue was tender and sweet and created the most adorable romance. Hazelwood can't keep doing it, creating masterpieces of romance that are addictive, wonderful, and the perfect escape.