This is such a complex and rewarding read, with plenty to enjoy as a fan of romance, enemies-to-lovers and all the good things. This is my first Ali Hazlewood book, incredibly, but I very much liked what I read: her writing is vibrant and witty and moreish, and not at all superficial. The story, these characters - they had a distinct identity and life, and I enjoyed spending time with them. As the heroine, Rue is a breath of fresh air - complicated, uncompromising, unabashedly herself; her vulnerability and the chemistry she shared with Eli meant that I was 100% rooting for her to come out of the whole thing with her version of a HEA. Eli was delightfully contradictory, and his self-assuredness and not-so-hidden sweetness were the perfect foil for Rue. I also loved the relationships the pair had with their respective friends, and the exploration of personal loyalty, and the difficult choice between personal interest and doing the right thing.

This is a nuanced, mature romance novel, with the right level of spice for the story - this may be more than readers of Hazlewood's previous work are used to (I'm not in a position to compare), hence the gentle 'heads up' at the beginning of the novel, but for what it's worth these scenes never feel gratuitous or anything other than grounded in character and serving the plot of the story.

Perfect for fans of Elle Kennedy and Tessa Bailey, or anyone wanting a sweet and spicy read with substance and a STEM flavour.

After branching out in new genres and directions, Ali has finally returned to her tried-and-true STEMinist romcom roots- and I missed her! Not In Love is a classic Ali Hazelwood romance, filled with humor, tenderness, and nerdy love. These two characters are hilarious together but their individual arcs were handled with care and depth, as always. While the plot may go over people's heads, I loved the STEMinist aspect and am always seated for a new lesson in love from Ali Hazelwood. I will say this was probably Hazelwood's spiciest contemporary romance yet and while I loved it, some other readers might be taken aback by the abrupt change. The ending was so cute and funny and I am so excited to see where Ali Hazelwood takes us on her next STEMinist lesson!

[4.5 stars rounded up]

Ali Hazelwood does it again!! I loved this not just for its steamy romance, but also the STEM-focused subplot that was juicy and tense and like the other subplots in previous books, it felt real to the world of academia. I loved the dual perspective, especially given how much Eli pines for Rue and all of this meant I started reading before bed one night, stayed up ridiculously late, and finished the book the next day. I can always trust an Ali Hazelwood book to remind me of what reading can be like.

This is a lot more spicy than previous Hazelwood's and I really appreciated the heads up in the author's note, which also gives a content note about the issues Eli and Rue are dealing with beyond their relationship. It felt like it was approached in a really thoughtful way.

'Not in Love' by Ali Hazelwood is more of an erotic novel as to Hazelwoods other books which are often romantic love stories.
Once again Ali Hazelwood proves that she can write anything she sets her mind to.
The main characters Rue and Eli find themselves on opposite sides of a hostile takeover of Rue's friend Florence company, Rue also works at. Rue despises Eli for trying to take over the Company Florence has worked so hard building as a woman in STEM. .
Despite this Rue and Eli can't get enough of each other. Rue doesn't want to hurt her friend and boss Florence, simultaneously Eli and Rue have been attracted to each other since they first met.
Not in Love is an amazing erotic love story between two rivals, at the same time the reader experiences the highs and lows of friendships, processing past traumas and obviously the role of women in STEM.
I really liked this book and would absolutely recommend it for any romance lover who enjoys spice and science.

4,5 stars

Thank you Little, Brown Book Group UK for my review copy!

I know we can’t quote from an advanced reading copy without checking with the publisher but oh I long to quote that book!

First let me tell you that this is a little different than Aly’s other books as it way more hot and graphic!
BUT
She also wrote the best sex scene I have ever had the pleasure to read! And considering that with menopause I am not as fond of graphic sex scenes as I used to be, it says a lot!
AND
Consent is hot!
That’s probably something I really appreciated in that book! If Eli and Rue use sex in a more casual way than others, they still do it with enormous care and respect.
I don’t know how Aly did it but she found the perfect blend between hotness and consideration.

Second, these heroes, Rue especially, have a lot of baggage.
What they went through influenced their behavior and adult life. From Rue’s quirk about eating food to her aloofness. But lucky for her, Eli loves complicated.

Third, you get the “he falls first” again and I loved it!
Eli was at Rue’s mercy and that was so sexy and appealing!

Last but not least, like in Aly’s other books, you have a villain maneuvering in the shadows.

I read that book in record time, completely enamored with Rue and Eli’s story and very happy to be back into Aly’s brand of writing!

Ho, my lord! 
I was on the edge of my seat all along. The tension is unbelievable.
This is really different from her previous work, and it talks about more sensitive topics, for sure. 
The characters have really great alchemy, and it's nice to see them communicating about their life experiences and not judging each other for what they say.The plot did remind me of "love theoritically"  but maybe it's because I read it recently.Nevertheless,
I really appreciated this book. I love the writing style of Hazelwood. I never grow tired of it.
As I said, the tension will make you turn to the next page so quickly.However, the way this book ends is a little frustrating. I wish we'd see how their relationship evolves and how they work through their trauma more.
I know it's a new romance book, but I simply cannot get enough. It's always too quick, but maybe it's just me who is insatiable when it comes to characters and stories written by Hazelwood.
Anyway, I give it 5/5 stars. I
f you loved her other books, you'll definitely like this one, but be sure to check the trigger warning.

Ali Hazelwood has consistently delivered exceptional work, and "Not in Love" is no exception. The exploration of sexuality in this novel is raw, honest, and truly captivating. The characters are so well-developed that it's impossible not to become invested in their stories. I have no doubt that her readers will be just as enamored with this book as I am. It's a definite 5-star read.

However, the cover may give the impression that this book is intended for a younger audience, which is not the case. Perhaps it's time to consider designing more mature covers for adult literature.

Rue Siebert might not have it all, but she has enough: a few friends she can always count on; the financial stability she yearned for as a kid; and a successful career as a biotech engineer at Kline, one of the most promising start-ups in the field of food science. Her world is stable, pleasant, and hard-fought. Until a hostile takeover and its offensively attractive front man threatens to bring it all crumbling down.

Eli Killgore and his business partners want Kline, period. Eli has his own reasons for pushing this deal through - and he's a man who gets what he wants. With one burning exception: Rue. The woman he can't stop thinking about. The woman who's off-limits to him.

Torn between loyalty and an undeniable attraction, Rue and Eli throw caution out the lab and the boardroom windows. Their affair is secret, no-strings-attached, and has a built-in deadline: the day one of their companies will prevail.

I am a big fan of Ali Hazelwood’s books and this one had so much potentital. I appreciated the author’s note at the beginning of the book becuase I was not ready for the level of spice. I enjoyed the dual POV and read it in a couple of days. However, this one, lost me towards the middle of the story. I struggled to see their connection and found some bits were not needed.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book.

This was SO SO good!
Ali Hazelwood's books keep getting better! She definitely turned up the dial on the spiciness in this one🌶️🌶️🌶️

This felt like a more fleshed-out (pun intended) kind of book compared to her other ones set in academia; like all of the others (except perhaps for Love, Theoretically, which was quite amazing, and Check & Mate, which is not set in the academic world) were training ground for this one

Not in Love centres around Rue Siebert — a food engineer who works for a company whose CEO is a close friend — and Eli Killgore — who is part of Harkness, a company which is, in a way, taking over Kline. However, that's not how they meet; Rue and Eli meet the night before Harkness is introduced to Kline's employees, through an app, and their chemistry is electrifying. In Not in Love they were definitely in lust first, before any other kind of feeling came into the picture, and it totally worked in this story. We have all of the elements we love from an Ali novel — a couple who are academics, kind of rivals/enemies-to-lovers, and someone acting shady in academia —, but also so much more.

I loved this book! I am a huge fan of the way Ali writes her characters' backstories, and she has really outdone herself with this one; these characters felt very lifelike and believable. I especially loved how there was more of the MMC's perspective in this one (or perhaps I just liked him more than the others — except for Nolan Sawyer). Eli is such a green flag! I also really liked the side characters in Not in Love, both Eli's friends and Rue's (except for you-know-who — you'll find out who I'm talking about at the end of the book). I hope Ali explores them in future books!

P.S. I can't help but mention that Nolan Sawyer (the GOAT! ❤️) is mentioned at some point! He's definitely my favourite out of all of Ali's MMC, so that made me quite happy ♟️

Thank you very much to Sphere and NetGalley for the e-ARC! Ali Hazelwood's books are always a joy to read ❤️

I really enjoyed this, although it took me a little while to get into at first. I'll definitely be checking out more books by Ali Hazelwood!

I adore Ali Hazelwood! This was incredible and I felt so grateful to get an advance. Amazing as usual! Thank you NetGalley :)

a forbidden romance between rivals with bad blood at first. she's off-limits but is he really following the rules here?

Ali Hazlewood does it again. Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review this, and thanks to the author for creating a cast of characters that were - with the exception of Florence and Rue’s brother - good company for the time it took to read this.
Our main character, Rue, is an engineer in a food tech company. She is accustomed to being viewed as socially awkward, but feels lucky to have a couple of good friends. She makes use of a dating app to take care of her physical needs, but trouble comes knocking on the night she matches with Eli Killgore. This is the same night her brother tries to pick a very public fight with her and Eli steps in. Unfortunately, this ruins the chances of a sexual encounter between them, and also opens Rue up to the possibility of finding someone she’s happy to be vulnerable with.
Very quickly we learn that the situation with Eli is not ideal. He’s part of a takeover bid for the company Rue works for…and the process leads her to find out some unpalatable truths about the people she’d come to depend on.
From the outset it’s pretty obvious that these two are going to end up together, somehow. Their journey involves a lot of sexual tension, even more thrills once they decide to give in to their physical desires…and the kind of ending that has you wondering how it took so long.
I can’t say I found the romance the most engaging - each of them has a bucket load of issues - and there is a limit to how many orgasmic sex scenes I can read with a straight face, but it was certainly an entertaining read.

This was fun, but I am not surprised Ali always is.
As someone who read all of her books so far I can’t say the plot surprised me.
As someone who goes through an ao3 tag completely i dont care （＾∇＾）

It is more smut than we usually have, but I didn’t think it was too much, it did fit the theme.

At this point i will read whatever ali gives me.

As always, I’m simply OBSESSED with Ali’s work. Pure perfection!! It took me a couple days to read it but I was up until literally 2am reading because I just couldn’t put it down. Love it!

I am a huge Ali Hazelwood fan, and have been so excited about Not In Love. It has many of her usual themes, women kicking ass in STEM, a brooding, sexy man with potentially shady motives for the way he comes into the heroine's life.

I loved this book so much! Rue and Eli are both wonderful characters, damaged by difficult pasts, and they almost collide with each other, the intensity of their reactions is that impossible to ignore. The love story is intense, the reality of their situation hanging over them the whole time, and I was fully absorbed, desperate to find out what would happen, feeling the ache along with Eli, and Rue's uncertainty and fear.

It's steamier than Ali's other books, and super intense in a way that is almost claustrophobic – but in a good way. I couldn't drag myself away. But there are also Ali's touches of fun and humour, a loveable supporting cast, some really funny scenes and dialogue between Eli and his friends. It's an absolutely gorgeous romance, and one I will be rereading and enjoying all over again.

No one is writing a man as down bad as Eli Kilgore!! Oh and he also used to play hockey!! Ali’s spiciest book yet, definitely spice first and romance much later. So much angst.

Rue and Eli meet to have a casual night through a dating app. Their night gets interrupted by her crazy brother, meaning nothing happens and he drives her home. They think they’ll never see each other again. Except she runs into him the next day and his company is trying to take over the company she works for.

She’s adamant that nothing will happen between them and he’s more than happy to chase after her.

Rue she is socially awkward, often feels out of place and that she doesn’t fit in. She’s emotionally unavailable because of childhood trauma she’s still healing from. Eli is so patient with her and is willing to take anything she will give him (queue lots of spice). There is nothing I love more than a fictional man being completely smitten and that’s exactly what Eli was. His inner monologues were hilarious.

I absolutely adored Rue and was rooting for her the whole time, she was such a relatable character.

It was a little slow to begin with, but I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected. This book had spice, sweetness, hilarious moments, but also sad and devastating moments that had me tearing up. I absolutely loved all of the side characters. Low-key want a Maya and Hark book!

"Your damn mouth, is the most obscenely lovely thing I've ever had the burden of seeing."

Tropes:
💗 Reverse grumpy sunshine
💗 Forbidden romance
💗 STEM setting
💗 Dual POV
💗 Enemies with benefits
💗 Angsty

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!

This review is for Not In Love by Ali Hazelwood which releases in the UK on the 11th June! Thanks so much to Netgalley and Little Brown Book Group for giving me an eArc copy for this book in exchange for my honest review.

Ali Hazelwood has cemented herself as a must read author for me, so when I saw this was able to be requested I grabbed it straight away.

In the first few pages, Ali does give a warning that this book will be a little harder hitting than her other books and deal with some more difficult topics. That is fully correct, and this does feel a lot heavier than her other books, and shows topics such as grief, food insecurity, childhood neglect/trauma, social anxieties and many others. They were handled great, but always remember to check the warnings, if there are any, to make sure you’d be comfortable with reading.

ALI FINALLY MADE DUAL POV!!! And he’s literally infatuated with our FMC as soon as they first come into contact, which I was obsessed with. I love it when the guy falls first, and we even get to see his thoughts this time around which I hope we get to see more of!! The MMC is also super sweet, kind and patient with our FMC, just you just can’t help but fall in love with him as well. It was great to also see a taller, more socially awkward female main character from Ali as well, and she was so awkwardly loveable.

The spice was also *chefs kiss* but it wasn’t too overwhelming like some romance books, there was a good mix of storyline and plot as well as some added spice. When you start to read, you will understand why there is a bit more physical contact between them. As per usual, I managed to read this in nearly one sitting and it was so easy to read.

I loved this book, but I would say it’s not my favourite. Love Theoretically holds a place in my heart that no one has been able to beat yet. I would 100% recommend this to any romance readers out there!! And as per usual the cover art is TO DIE FOR.

I think it is impossible for AH to write a book that I don't love - every one of her books is amazing in its own way. I'm a sucker for a STEM setting and Not in Love hits the mark. Rue is such a relatable MC for me and I loved how natural and raw her journey felt as she gradually opened herself up to the potential of love

Ali has, unsurprisingly, done it again. I absolutely adored this book from start to finish. I honestly don't know what else I can tell you except that this was a delight to read, and I can only recommend (pre) ordering it. Also, can there be more Elis in the world?