Sweet hearts on fire. This is now my favourite Ali Hazelwood novel.

I love when the MMC falls first and is such a green flag. This was such a an effortless read, and if you were on the fence about they Hype surround Ali Hazelwood, just read this book and you will know why.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of "Not in Love" by Ali Hazelwood. I can’t remember the last time I flew through a romance novel so quickly. I enjoyed this one (as with most of Ali Hazelwood's novels) and still think about it after all these months. I can’t wait to read her latest releases.

It is different from and feels more sexually charged than Hazelwood’s other books, like The Love Hypothesis - so be ready for that! There’s still a lot to enjoy though, with her signature strong and relatable female lead and steminist angle, which always makes me happy to pick up her books. Looking forward to the next.

This was so much darker than Ali’s usual books but I absolutely devoured it. What a wonderfully real love story with a little less laughs but a lot of teary eyed moments I don’t want to miss.

Not in Love is a quintessential Ali Hazelwood romance, blending sharp wit, irresistible chemistry, and a healthy dose of professional tension. Set against the backdrop of biotech start-ups and corporate power plays, this enemies-to-lovers story features an intriguing combination of forbidden attraction and high-stakes business drama.

At the heart of the story are Rue Siebert, a determined biotech engineer, and Eli Killgore, the charming but ruthless business mogul intent on acquiring her company, Kline. Rue’s life is carefully constructed—a successful career, strong friendships, and financial stability she’s worked hard to achieve. But when Eli enters the picture, determined to take over Kline, her world is thrown off balance. Their initial antagonism is palpable—Rue despises Eli for the threat he poses to her job and her company’s future. Eli, on the other hand, is intrigued by her intelligence, strength, and no-nonsense attitude. Yet despite their outward animosity, the chemistry between them is undeniable.

The attraction soon evolves into a secret, no-strings-attached affair, one that’s as fraught with risk as it is with passion. Hazelwood skillfully builds the tension, drawing the reader into their private, high-stakes world where professional success and personal feelings collide. The dynamic between Rue and Eli is captivating—Rue is an excellent heroine, fiercely loyal and competent, but also vulnerable when it comes to matters of the heart. Eli, though initially coming off as a cold, calculating businessman, is slowly revealed to be more layered and nuanced, particularly as his feelings for Rue begin to complicate his ambition.

What works particularly well in Not in Love is Hazelwood’s ability to weave together a romance that feels both authentic and escapist. The forbidden romance trope—where the characters are clearly not supposed to be together but can’t help themselves—has been done many times before, but Hazelwood breathes new life into it by grounding their relationship in professional stakes and the corporate world. The push-and-pull between the business aspects of the plot and the growing emotional connection between Rue and Eli creates a satisfying tension that keeps the pages turning.

Rue’s character is a standout in this book. She’s competent, driven, and intelligent, with a no-nonsense attitude that makes her incredibly likable. Her vulnerability, however, adds complexity to her character, and Hazelwood does a fantastic job of showing how even the most self-assured women can have insecurities and fears. Eli, while initially appearing more stereotypically “alpha,” is revealed to have his own vulnerabilities and emotional depth as his relationship with Rue deepens.

The chemistry between the two leads is undeniable, and their slow burn romance is a joy to watch unfold, even though we know from the outset that their relationship is complicated by the ticking clock of their professional rivalry. The secretive nature of their affair adds a delicious layer of forbidden excitement, even as it forces both characters to confront their feelings and what they’re willing to risk for love.

While Not in Love is primarily a romance, Hazelwood infuses it with humor, friendship, and moments of warmth that balance out the intensity of the central conflict. Rue’s friends provide a fun and supportive backdrop to the romance, while the tension of the corporate drama adds layers of stakes beyond just the emotional. The pacing is quick, and while some of the plot points may feel a bit familiar, Hazelwood’s writing keeps it fresh and engaging throughout.

The only slight drawback is that the resolution, though satisfying, can feel somewhat predictable. While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing—romance fans often look for a certain level of certainty in the HEA (happily-ever-after)—the ending might not offer as much of a surprise as some readers may desire.

Overall, Not in Love is a delightful read that will appeal to fans of Ali Hazelwood’s previous works, such as The Love Hypothesis. It’s a steamy, emotional, and at times heartwarming exploration of love, ambition, and the sometimes tricky balance between professional and personal lives. Rue and Eli’s journey is full of sparks, with enough drama and heart to make for an enjoyable and satisfying read.

Rating: 4/5

A fun and engaging read that will keep you hooked from start to finish, Not in Love delivers all the things readers love about Ali Hazelwood’s signature style: intelligent, relatable protagonists, high-stakes chemistry, and a romance that’s as swoon-worthy as it is satisfying.

Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood is an irresistible mix of wit, warmth, and the kind of slow-burn chemistry that has you holding your breath. Hazelwood’s signature humor and keen eye for character shine here, crafting a romance that’s equal parts heart and hilarity. The protagonists are wonderfully flawed and endearing, their journey from reluctant allies to something more filled with banter and unexpected depth. Not in Love is a feel-good delight, brimming with charm and those swoon-worthy moments that make you want to read it all over again. Perfect for fans of modern romance with an edge.

I love this more angsty tone for Ali Hazelwood! The humour is still strong and it’s been great to see her writing branch out into more areas.

I love Ali Hazelwood don't get me wrong. That's why I was so excited for this book to release but I ended up hating it. The fmc was really terrible and you can argue she's misunderstood but in my opinion she was just plainly annoying. The mmc seemed to have so much patience and the way he fell in love so quickly made me question how long they'll stay together once the book was over. The plot was also not delved into unlike her other books and it just focused on the two characters having a miscommunication, arguing then moping like little kids and then having sex one day after to fix it all. This was just a pointless book and after her other books was just a disappointment. (My opinion, if you liked it then good for you but I got an arc for an honest review and this is mine)

I have such a love/hate relationship with this author and unfortunately this was on my hate side. I felt absolutely nothing this book. Rue and Eli had no chemistry, is the title meant to be ironic?

I'm so sorry but I didn't love this as much as Ali Hazelwood's other books! Unfortunately I was looking for feet kicking cutesy romance escapism and this wasn't that (not it's fault!). I still loved Hazelwood's amazing characterisation and her way of writing is so smooth I read this so quickly!

you know what? screw it, four stars. this is her best book yet (and i’m pretty sure a good 60% of the page count is sex scenes lol)

glad ali hazelwood has decided to use her smut writing powers for good, though i didn’t find most of this book particularly sexy — not because the sex scenes were badly written but because it felt like they focused more on emotion and character than on mechanics, which was actually a very interesting and pleasant change

or maybe that has more to do with the fact that this book is sex first, romance later. our main characters rue and eli are emotionally unavailable, uncontrollably attracted to each other, and divided on either side of a corporate takeover. for the first time, hazelwood takes on the world of stem industry and finance, instead of solely academia — though once again, she pinions the shitshow of bureaucracy and petty drama and intellectual property and patents in the industry as the real villain.

overall, a solidly executed, dark-tinted but in the end classically hea, romance

Ali Hazelwood really can't put a foot wrong! Another great science based read, perfect for all us romance-loving science geeks. Academic treachery - check. Swoon-worthy hero - check. Relatable main character - check! A fabulous recipe for an absorbing and engaging way to while away a few hours.

Ali Hazelwood has now become a sure staple on my bookshelf and I've been working through her entire bibliography. This is her third book I've read. Will I be picking up the next one? Yes, absolutely I will.

Going from strength to strength, Not in Love has all the charm that comes with the Ali Hazelwood brand and more: fantastic dialogue and quick banter, spice, and science-inclined, nerdy characters that don't quite fit in with their peers. The book draws on familiar tropes, like the grumpy-sunshine, forbidden love, enemies to lovers and found family, but as the story progresses it holds a certain uniqueness that kept me wondering how things would ultimately play out. So yes to tropes, but not predictable. And this I think is where we see Ali's skill as an author.

There are some slightly darker themes explored in this book, which the author flagged in a letter to the reader at the beginning, but I thought she handled them with tact.

One of the things I find comforting with Ali's books is that she always makes sure to include a fantastic cast of side characters. With this book, I felt this especially with our MMC's sister and friends/colleagues. I can definitely see separate books about each couple's love story. Hark and Maya next? :)

Thank you so much to Ali Hazelwood, Little, Brown and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Ali has done it again!!! I know that this one isn’t for everyone but honestly I’m not actually opposed to insta-love/insta-lust. But the way she discusses the difficult topics while not entrenching it in this characters identity made me adore the characters even more and felt more connected and invested in the plot!

HELLO, new Ali Hazelwood 5 star read!!

This is a bit different from her other adult romances, but oh my god, I was HERE. FOR. IT. This was tense and the chemistry was off the charts and I ADORED Eli and Rue, both by themselves and together. It was so GOOD. If you like an MMC who is a SIMP for the FMC, Eli is the biggest simp of them alllll.

There is a lot of emotional vulnerability in this book - it deals with food insecurity and child neglect, and both Eli and Rue have been through some awful things in their childhood, and their whole shtick together is that they tell each other the deepest, darkest parts of themselves, and I loved getting to see how they came to trust one another but also to accept themselves, especially Rue. A lot of people have said the plot felt overpowered by the spice, and while there is a LOT of spice in this book, I feel like it was actually well-balanced with the plot, and I was actually invested in the plot too, in finding out what secrets the company was hiding and what had happened ten years ago.

In the Author's Note, AH says that this book is much less of a romcom than her other works, and while that is true, I actually found this book had a lot of humour! It was a very dry, deadpan sense of humour, largely coming from Rue, but that is exactly the brand of banter I love to see in a book, so yes while it's less of a romcom, it's still a very funny book.

There are so many people saying that they didn't like this book, but I'm here to say it was FANTASTIC.

I ended up listening to the audiobook when the book released. It’s really well-made. Interesting to have the TWs on an Ali Hazelwood book. Enjoyed the writing but it was very reminiscent of 50 shades (not in a bad way just felt like I was reading fanfic)

I'm such a fan of Ali Hazelwood. I think I first discovered her when my son was a newborn. Breastfeeding late at night and trying to stay awake was much easier when I was dying to see what was going to happen to our central couple next..

Not in Love is a little darker than Hazelwood's other more lighthearted, will-they, won't-they stories. Dealing with some darker themes, I think it's clear that the author is broadening the kind of stories she's writing but I'm not sure if that's what I was looking for exactly. Which is not to take away from the story, just that I went in looking for something a bit different. I particularly enjoyed the scenes between Rue and Eli's friends when they're trying to keep their romance under wraps.

Did I enjoy it? Yes. Should you read it? Yes.

Loved it! The new way of story telling, with Rue's chapters as usual for Hazelwood written from her own perspective and Eli's chapters in third person, was a nice switch-up and made the story-telling more compelling. The usual tropes are there, the humor and spice do not disappoint and the romance is palpable. Not the best Hazelwood (as that has to be Bride for me) but definitely more nuanced than the others by giving the "villain" of this story a lot more depth and sympathy that she usually accredits them. Great, romantic read and on brand for Hazelwood!

I knew what to expect, since Ali also gave several warning that this is different than her previous books. And i decided to give it a fair chance.

Turned out, I still didn’t enjoy it as much as her previous STEM romances. The characters were okay. But maybe because the intercourse between the couple was purely physical for the better part of the book, i just couldn’t grasp the chemistry. I mean it’s clearly there but out of my reach, if that makes sense.

And for me, part of Ali’s books charm was the nerdy parts. And this book lacked of it. The non-romance conflict was mainly about legal problem instead of science stuff.

But it’s okay. I still enjoyed it. Though I needed more details on the aftermath 🥲

𝟑 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬 ⋆˙⟡♡

plot wise this book was really interesting and caught my attention instantly. as a stem girl myself, i found myself so entertained by the lab work and all the drama regarding Kline and Harkness. i feel like if the book was only centred around this plot i would have enjoyed it so much more, cause for a scientist Rue spent so much time outside of the lab and in Eli’s bed.

not in love, ironically is the perfect title for this book because i honestly felt no chemistry between our main characters outside of them hooking up 24/7. we only see an inkling of them truly coming to terms with their feelings in the 75% mark of the book. which is understandable considering they have so much other things on their plate than to consider dating. but the romance in this just fell really flat for me.

this was my first ali hazelwood book & i do plan on reading more because ive heard so many great things about her other books, this one just wasn’t for me unfortunately.

i loved the way the book was written and i really love how complex and real her characters feel.