The Unbalanced Equation

First of all, I‘m thankful that I recieved this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review..anyway this book so cute. I haven‘t been able to put this book down at all. Honestly it kind of reminded me of „the love hypothesis“ BUT I have to admit that I like this one more. This book is such a cute love story that has so many good tropes in the book. But not only the main love story is amazing, also the side stories are amazing as well. I don‘t think that there is even one character I didn‘t like in this book, apart from Eli…fuck Eli. This book is so good and I can only recommend this one, everyone should read this once it‘s released.

4✨

I actually adored this. The Unbalanced Equation follows Liz, a postdoc, and her grumpy and possessive former PhD assessor, Tom, who has been pining for her for YEARS. It has all my favorite tropes, including

Enemies to lovers
Age gap
Forced proximity
STEM workplace

Tom is oh so hot and Liz was such a fun female main character. Their banter was top tier and the tension was SO. GOOD.

My only complaint was the conflict, but the resolution was super cute.

If you loved The Love Hypothesis and want another fun, steamy academic workplace rom com, pick this up when it comes out on September 15th.

Enemies to lovers is my favorite trope so I know I would like this. It's in an academic setting and both characters are SMART so it's another plus. Love the chemistry between the characters and it's fun to see how they come together. All the other characters are so much fun too. :) The entire book makes me smile and giggle and laugh! A terrific rom-com!

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

I really didn't know what to expect with this book and that sometimes turns into an utter delight. That's exactly how this book went for me.

Pure attraction at first sight brought Professor Thomas and a PhD student, Liz, together at a university mixer. Thomas had already made up his mind to ask Liz out when they got separated for the evening. As luck would have it, early the next morning, Thomas is asked by her superior to be Liz's PhD assessor for the next several years. What can Tom do except accept the assignment? He is trying to get his career off the ground anyway.

So Tom does what he feels he needs to do over the next few years - he is a complete jerk to Liz and he is harder on her than he has ever been in his life. He does it all under the guise of wanting to keep his distance and make her not flirt with him, but it just makes her hate him with a passion.

When she graduates, they run into each other again and are thrown together in some very unique and hilarious situations. Can Tom live with what he has done to Liz? If she finds out the truth, can she forgive him? This book is worth reading to discover the answers.

I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The opinions stated above are mine without biases.

I was provided a copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

A delightful entry into the burgeoning "STEMinist" romance catagory perfect for fans of The Kiss Quotient and any of Ali Hazelwood's work. The story is a sweet "enemies to lovers" "forced proximity" that utilises both its scientist leads and it's Scottish setting to the best of its ability. Although I wouldn't see this story reinvents the wheel for the genre, I don't think it should be asked to and The Unbalanced Equation is just a pleasant way to spend an afternoon.

I will say, I do have to agree with other readers and reviewer that the MMC is absolutely thick and 90% of the "drama" in their story is caused by this supposedly intelligent grown man acting like an outright toddler. (Oh no, I have to work with pretty girl, can't handle emotions so I will treat her like crap and make her experience in academics all that much harder because I am in fact an idiot sandwich). Despite this the book remains bingeable, charming, and a perfect quick read.

The Unbalanced Equation offers a second chance at love / enemies to lovers with deliciously doubled forced proximity, after the dreamiest of male leads falls for and loses our—equally well educated and whip smart—heroine within the very first chapter.

I’m a sucker for a romcom with STEM based / academic settings, so I downloaded an arc of this book on a total whim. When I tell you I could not put it down—H.L. Macfarlane will have you hooked and swooning within mere minutes and then you’ll wonder where your whole night went!

If you adored and devoured the Hating Game and the Love Hypothesis, you simply must read this book… but, do note, that Unbalanced Equation offers more steam (and pop culture references) than those two books combined. You were warned and you’re welcome!

Very fun read! I love nerdy and unique characters. The sexual tension and chemistry was sizzling. A few odd repetitive word choices (the characters "huffed" way too much), but otherwise I enjoyed it. Not a huge fan of the manipulative and inexcusable behavior, but for the sake of the plot I guess it worked. Would read this author again!

If you like The Love Hypothesis then you definitely need to give this one a try. This book involves science backgrounds/working in a lab, but also includes some forced proximity and enemies to more. It has some unique twists to keep things humorous and is pretty steamy as well. Highly recommend. I received a complimentary copy of this book and all thoughts and opinions are my own. Pub date 9/15/2022.

This was so entertaining and I enjoyed every second of it! I liked how the trajectory of Tom and Liz's relationship was not predictable from the start. I could not put this down!!! I am an absolute fan of books centered around scientists and it was evident that the author has a background in science, which I appreciate, since I am a scientist myself. Also, the banter and tension were EXCELLENT. A must read for those who like workplace enemies, close proximity, and steamy scenes.

After suffering four years of scrutiny from her PhD assessor, Elizabeth Maclean believes she’s finally free of Dr Thomas Henderson’s tyranny when she begins her postdoc. But when a fire goes off in Tom’s lab (stupid undergrads) he ends up working in the same lab as Liz.
On the same bench, no less.
For three whole months.
To make matters worse and much to their mutual surprise Tom’s mum and Liz’s dad announce their impending marriage after a whirlwind romance. So when Liz’s landlord tells her to move out, pronto, it tips her over the edge. Desperate for a place to stay and in need of a saviour, the last person Liz expects to offer her a temporary home is Tom himself.
Now stuck working together, living together and planning their parents’ Christmas wedding together, will Liz discover that Tom’s attitude over the last four years was all a ruse to hide his true feelings? Or are the two doomed to fail in their co-existence experiment?
Couldn’t put it down really enjoyable read totally recommend
Thank You NetGalley and BookGoSocial
I just reviewed The Unbalanced Equation by H. L. Macfarlane. #TheUnbalancedEquation #NetGalley

What do an almost one night stand, anime, a lab fire, and a marriage between widowers have in common?
Liz and Tom-two geneticists who are forced to work together…and then live together when their parents announce their impending marriage.

This book was such a fun read. Set in rainy Glasgow, it employed two of my favorite tropes-forced proximity and enemies to lovers to build a really engaging story about two geneticists and their hesitations about love. It also had a really lovely cast of side characters that I hope we get to see more of in the rest of the series. I particularly loved that this book didn’t skimp out on the science behind what these two do in their labs everyday…nor did it skimp on the spice ❤️‍🔥

Forced proximity
Enemies to lovers-esque
He's nice to everyone but her
Tension
Some decent spice
Scottish main characters - I really hope they do an audio version of this book with proper Scottish narrators because that would be amazing!

This is about a couple in STEM but I think that is where the love hypothesis similarities end.

Tom and Liz were equally endearing and annoying. There was a lot of anime talk in the book (which was way over my head). Tom had some pretty big red flags which I am choosing to overlook.

Jenny and Jim were so lovely together, they made my heart happy.

"Even if it's bad it's still sex. And trust me...it won't be bad."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Because I've liked you for so long I have your entire damn body memorised. So let me take the lead, if that will ease your nerves."

Thank you to the Author, Publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

I adored this book it’s a must-read I loved the banter between Tom and Elizabeth and the fact that he fell for her first and has been in love with her for years. I love all the people in the lab and how they know something is going on between them and the aspects of STEM being a bio major myself who’s applying to med school STEM romances have a special place in my heart. I also loved Tom meddling into Liz’s life and trying to find ways to keep her with him it was hilarious.

What do you do with a book that you devoured almost holding your breath? I know, you give it five stars. But what if the mmc deserves a smack on the head or even a kick in the nuts? 🤷🏻‍♀️

Tom and Liz first met on a department social. The attraction was instant, but they were interrupted and nothing happened. They were both hoping to meet again but the next day Tom found out he would be Liz’s PhD assessor. So no dating. And the total moron that he was, he figured the best course of action would be to be a total dick cause otherwise there would be flirting. 🤦‍♀️

Fast forward four years, Liz finished her PhD despite Tom’s best efforts and she is more than happy to be done with him. But life has a few surprises: it turns out they are now working together. Then Liz’s dad announces that he is marrying Tom’s mom. That’s not all! The final blow: Liz is being kicked out of her apartment. So she is temporarily moving in with her dad and his fiancée. Who are - yes you guessed correctly- temporarily moving in with Tom. Yaaaay, all four of them under one roof!

Sounds insane and contrived and all, but don’t let it deceive you, this book is amazing! Liz and Tom were great; their dynamic was just pure pent up sexual tension and I loved it 😍🌶🥰. The chemistry and banter were so well done!

What I didn’t love was all the manipulative moves, especially on Tom’s end. Like dude!! Not sure I would even want to talk to you after that shit show! Liz wasn’t without a fault either, but Tom really overdid it big time.

But then he melted my heart completely when Liz was on her period and he took care of her 🫠

I was about to rate it five stars but there’s this thing I’m allergic to. I can’t read public love declarations cause I cringe so hard I spill my drinks. So four stars it is. Four and a half maybe?

Anyway, read this book people, it’s so much fun!

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

"That’s the thing about hindsight: nobody has it when they actually need it."

°•*⁀➷

He falls first, and make it nerdy.

This was your typical semi-cringey, mostly funny rom-com that follow (for me) two very relatable nerds. Whether it be their shared love for anime, very entertaining bander, or their shared passion for science, none of it let me down.

I haven't been able to sit down and read a book in a while because of how busy the summer has been (audiobooks are my bread and butter), but I was happy to get into bed with this every night. To hang out with Liz and Tom and see what they came up with next.

I also just adored that it didn't push the normalcy of everyone (WOMEN!!!) wanting only marriage and a baby out of life. Liz and Tom are both so passionate about their life in academia and science and aren't looking for more than that. They're both so filled up on that part of their life that they just don't want the rest, and they talk about it many times throughout the book. It's one of the reasons why the ending is oh, so sweet. Family is what you choose to define it as, and seeing them love life outside of the expectations of others... it's inspiring. And not something you see in books a lot.

The only thing I didn't love was the parents addition to the storyline. It made both of them feel much younger than they were to have their parents around all the time, especially since so much of it revolved around them planning a wedding for them.

Make room on your TBR for a romcom perfect to start you back into school for the semester on September 15. I hope it's a nice little escape, just like it was for me. And thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

We follow the ins and outs of Liz and Tom as life throws everything at them. Tom treats Liz harshly for teh 4 years of her PHD and just as she thinks she is away from him, the book starts as they discover their remaining parents are in love and getting married,
Some great banter from Tom, Liz and Liz’ dad - a real star for me in the book. The sexual tension is strong and well dealt with and the turns are unusual but work well.
The book had a great first half and ending, but took a long time to do the unravelling.

This book was such a fun read! It was super engaging and hard to put down. This had all of my all time favourite tropes so it wasn't a surprise to me that I enjoyed it. I loved the banter between Liz and Tom and we love a women in STEM. My absolute favourite part was that Tom fell first. and Liz was such badass main character who will be an inspiration to all women who read this.

This book was such a fun read!! I loved everything about this book. The characters were so authentic and I especially loved the chemistry between Liz and Tom. Their relationship was such a whirlwind, but that made the book so much more enjoyable. The character development between the two was probably my favorite, as I always love the enemies to lovers trope. There are so many genuine funny parts within the story, as both main characters are super smart and witty. I would definitely love to read more from H.L. Macfarlane!

Thank you, BooksGoSocial, for this copy in exchange for my honest review.

FOUR STARS!!!

“because I never knew how much I was waiting for you until I met you. How pathetic is it that I didn’t realize how lonely I was?”

SUMMARY: Thomas Henderson and Elizabeth (Liz) Maclean meet one night at a mixer for Liz’s undergrad class. Thomas is a professor who seems to catch Liz’s eye. After a few mimosas they start talking and really getting along. Orange juice is spilled on them and they to to Thomas’s office to clean up, once there Thomas gives Liz a new pair of clothes and then she leaves. Thomas since that moment had a crush on Liz. He wanted to find her and tell her the next day, since he kept and washed her clothes he had a reason to see her, but he finds out he will be her assessor. After that Thomas treats Liz terrible to avoid a bond. Four years later Liz and Thomas are brought back together because their parents are getting married. While Liz hates Tom she has no other place to live besides Tom, and Tom is now sharing a bench with her in the lab because his lab burned. Through all of this Tom still has feelings for Liz. Tom and Liz work through their relationship with many good and some bad events.

CHARACTERS-

Elizabeth Maclean: I really liked Liz she felt very real. She was a total nerd and it was really cute for the storyline. Since Liz was dealing with the grief and a dead parent she never really knew a healthy way to cope with problems, she lashes out. Her overcoming this and being able to love and trust was really heartwarming and I LOVED how she developed. Although towards the end I got a little angry with how she dealt with the Tom situation (wont go in depth bc this is mainly spoiler free) I completely understand why she acted the way she did. She was so finny though and her speech at her parents wedding really made me smile. ALSO!! Liz is a woman in STEM and that was so amazing yo read about. Liz was also so sweet and oblivious she made me kick and squeal, she never knew when people liked her.

Thomas Henderson: Tom was such a character. He was the biggest flirt and so charming while also having an amazing sense of humor. He’s also a complete nerd and neat freak which fitted this chaotic mind. Tom is the definition of boy obsessed he was utterly obsessed since day one. Also, he is super rich and has no problem making jokes about his LOADS of money, it becomes funny how rich he is. Tom was also dealing with the grief of a dead parent but he learned how to cope much faster since he had his best friend Daichi along with him. Every-time Tom spoke I smiled or was just in awe by him. While he did have his negatives I truly believe he proved himself worthy. The main negative about him was his manipulation of Liz’s situation so he could be around her longer to prove he was worth her love but overall he just didn’t know how to handle the situation.

Both of Liz and Thomas’s alive parents were so lovely but Liz’s dad took some warming up to because of how badly he treated Tom! BUT it was completely understandable why he treated him like he did at first.

THOUGHTS: Overall I really liked this book and thought it was for the most part a super cute cheesy romcom. The chemistry the characters had was undeniable- everyone in the lab felt it except them. The side characters were all so different and lovely that the story simply wouldn’t be the same without them. Thomas being such a romantic was so cute I couldn’t hold in my smile. The gestures he would do for Liz were SO cute and when Liz bought Tom a grow light and flower I nearly cried. The tropes in thus book absolutely SERVED I couldn’t be any happier with them. The boy obsessed, forced proximity, semi enemies to lovers and workplace romance were all so perfect. I absolutely loved everything. The only reason this book wasn’t a complete five stars was because sometimes the characters felt a little younger than their age and the miscommunication which isn’t a big thing for me.
CONCLUSION: In conclusion, The Unbalanced Equation was a super cute, light hearted, quick read that I would recommend to ANYONE. The chemistry between characters was unbeatable and the storyline/plot was simply perfect. The scenery of the fall and winter season in Glasgow was so pretty and I absolutely loved reading all about it.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for this ARC in exchange for a completely honest and full review!

I thought this book was so cute!! I loved all the tropes! Enemies to lovers, STEM. I loved the chemistry and banter between Liz & Tom and enjoyed watching their relationship grow. I really liked this book and finished it in one sitting!

Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for this arc!

Rating: 5 stars

I loved this book from the very first chapter. I was instantly drawn in from the first time we meet Liz and Tom and from the get go I was rooting for them.

I thought the characters were set up really well, I felt like I was constantly learning new things about the characters which made them more complex and interesting as the book went on. I was a big fan of Liz and Tom straight away, even though the two of them do make some questionable decisions at times throughout the book, I always found myself rooting for them.

This book is everything I could have wanted in a romance. I loved the dynamic Liz and Tom had together but also with other characters, I loved Jenny and Jim from the second we met them and how the two of them were constantly wanting the best for their kids.

I already know this is a book I will go back and read time and time again, H L Macfarlane has written an incredible book which I found difficult to put down as I constantly wanted to know what was going to happen next.

As a former science teacher, anything dealing with science is something that I can get on board with. This has some of my favorite tropes such as enemies to lovers and forced proximity. It was a read that I was able to get through in one sitting! The only thing I am not a huge fan of is the age gap trope, but that is just me. I would recommend this book!

Thank you to Netgalley, H.L. Macfarlane and BooksGoSocial for allowing me to read and review this book before publishing.

This book follows Liz and Tom who originally met at a social event for the university that Liz was attending for her PhD and when Tom worked. Liz and Tom hit it off at the event and happened to get a little drunk together when they both got spilled on by someone carrying a tray of mimosas. Liz and Tom go to get cleaned up and Tom considers asking Liz for her number until she disappears.
Flash forward 4 years and Liz hates Tom, he has made her life a living hell after he ended up being the assessor for her PhD. Little did Liz know that Tom was being terrible to her because he felt he needed to in order to avoid his feelings for her. What's happening 4 years later is Tom and Liz find out that both of their widowed parents are getting married, Tom's lab got burned down and he has to work next to Liz, and Liz got kicked out of her apartment and has to move in with Tom, his mom and Liz's dad. To say it's a mess is an understatement. Will Tom and Liz be able to tolerate living and working together? Going to have to read to find out.
This book was so fun it was a great STEM based romcom. Liz and Tom are certainly enemies to lovers and the process of them figuring out that they are not enemies was SO funny. I would describe this book to people as mix between The Love Hypothesis and Book Lovers. This book lived up to all of my expectations and if you like romcoms I would recommend picking it up!

This is the steamy love/hate story of two scientists who learn through a dinner that their parents are getting married. They are thrust back into each others lives with no escape; living together and working together.

The book is written from Liz and Tom’s perspective, which is something I really love. Knowing what’s going on, in both characters minds really helps to understand the story. I also really enjoyed the sarcasm/banter in the book with the main characters as well as the best friends of the main characters.

There was LOTS of spiciness and sometimes it was a little much but it was clear there was a ton of tension between the characters. There was lots of anime talk which if you are into, will love…but I am not.

Overall I really enjoyed it.



https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4910416729

I really enjoyed The Unbalanced Equation. I thought it was a really cute romcom book. It definitely kept me interested and was and easy read. 'I liked that the main characters, Dr. Liz and Professor Tom, work in STEM and that the setting was in Scotland. I also found their love of the same nerdy things to be very relatable. The fact that they are forced together just adds to the tension between the two as well.

I think it could kinda be considered enemies to lovers although the enemies thing tends to be more one sided. I do love the banter between the two characters. I also liked that she was kinda on the grumpy side. I found that very relatable. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes romcoms and banter. I would put this one on my shelf between the Love Hypothesis and The Hating Game.

I loved this book it was so cute and it had some of my favorite tropes in it
Age gap
Enemies to lovers
Tom and Liz are so cute and if you loved the Love Hypotheses please check this book out

🧪The Unbalanced Equation🧪

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

After suffering four years of scrutiny from her PhD assessor, Elizabeth Maclean believes she’s finally free of Dr Thomas Henderson’s tyranny when she begins her postdoc. But when a fire goes off in Tom’s lab (stupid undergrads) he ends up working in the same lab as Liz.

On the same bench, no less.

For three whole months.

Read if you like:
🧪enemies to lovers trope
🧪STEM
🧪The Love Hypothesis
🧪Age gap romance
🧪Forced proximity

I thought this was such a fun book! I loved the STEM aspect and the Glasgow setting. There were several cute twists throughout the book. I really enjoyed Liz’ character!

Grab a copy of “The Unbalanced Equation” available September 15, 2022!

#theunbalancedequation #netgalley #hlmacfarlane #bookstagram #booktok #bookish #bookrecommendations #readingrecommendations #bookaddict #romancereading

Tropes: enemies to lovers, age gap, forced proximity, workplace

Once I read the first line of this novel, I knew this book was written for a reader exactly like me - someone who enjoys a hysterical rom-com.

Even though I understood none of it, I loved the STEM rep in this novel. The author (to me at least) really sold the two STEM academics for me. I enjoyed their banter throughout and the tension between the two characters as they tried to figure out their feelings. I really saw myself as Daichi just anxiously waiting for them to get together!

I didn’t really like the addition of the parents relationship, it felt kind of awkward and unrealistic - I could’ve done with the lab being their only mode of forced proximity. Also did not like the plot line of Tom manipulating Liz’s entire life so she could remain in his life. I appreciated the character growth throughout the novel though and the importance of familial relationships.

While I appreciated all the anime references (and even the one HSM3 reference!!!), I can acknowledge it could have been too much for a reader who had no interest in something like that. In the end this book was a good lighthearted read for me!
Write to

thank you net galley and the publisher for allowing me access to the unbalanced equation in exchange for an honest review.
i love an easy rom-com novel like the unbalanced equation! this enemies to lovers book was a fast and enjoyable read for me! liz and tom are a complex and complicated pair but the chemistry between them was undeniable. i thoroughly enjoyed witnessing the mc’s self reflect on their own questionable actions which allowed for a clear opportunity for redemption. i was disgusted by the mmc throughout the majority of the novel but the writing allowed me to genuinely believe his promise of changing his actions moving forward.
i would 100% recommend this novel to other romance lovers!

I'm a sucker for a good rom-com, and this read delivered that and then some! From sweet to spicy, we got a little bit of everything in this book. As readers we were given glimpses into Liz and Tom's lives as scientists, but also as they tackled more emotional topics such as helping their parents navigate life after loss.

Their quick wit and banter was fun, and I often found myself either laughing out loud or left with my mouth wide-open! The author did a fabulous job of bringing the scenes to life with her descriptions, and the characters were well developed. This was a quick read for me, and overall I enjoyed it!

[I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.]

The Unbalanced Equation follows the story told from the viewpoints of Tom and Liz, a pair of nerdy geneticists at the University of Glasgow. They meet just as Liz starts her doctorate and by a twist of fate, Tom ends up as her PhD assessor and therefore can’t chase after her to ask her out after a very Notting-Hill-esque orange juice spill moment. Fast forward 4 years to the end of her studies and an accident burning down Tom’s lab throws them together once more. But after 4 years of being horrendous to her, can he repair the damage?

A fantastic story set in the nerdy world of Uni science (a subject close to my heart!). It was great to read the biology parts and not wince at all the inaccuracies! For the non-scientists though, the science isn’t overwhelming. I wasn’t sure I’d get into the story for the first couple of pages as it was written quite formally from Tom’s POV, but thankfully as we get to know him, it’s obvious that it’s just the way he thinks when he’s being professional.

The story is engaging, the characters flawed but likeable and the sexual tension is sizzling! I read the second half in an evening as I couldn’t put it down. Overall a fantastic book and I can’t wait to read the follow up set in the same world.

A mean, sarcastic sense of humor, a string of wrongdoings and misunderstandings, and a bite of spice lead the way to romance in this book. The biting sense of humor definitely had me chuckling in places and the sweet moments took off the edge from some of the harder moments of the book. Liz did tend to come across as a little bratty in the way she sometimes treated Tom, while some of it was deserved, she also took it up a notch more than I liked at times. I enjoyed the book overall and I'm glad I was able to read an ARC of it through netgalley.

I absolutely loved this one! STEM/academia setting and enemies to lovers with a bit of spice thrown in is always a recipe for success in my eyes.

There are some parts where the MCs absolutely infuriated me with their childish behaviour (Tom this is directed at you) but overall it was a fantastic read.

Like the Love Hypothesis and My Mechanical Romance, once I picked this book up I could not set it down. I highly recommend it!

Thanks to NetGalley for providing this ARC!

Wow, just wow.
I totally demolished this book in less than 24 hours. I couldn't put the book down, I haven't read a romcom for a while and this is definitely what I needed to freshen things up.
What's not to love in this book - you get everything.
☆ Enemies to Lovers
☆ Age gap relationships
☆ Spicy
☆ Amazing Characters 👏
As a reader you want to see what's happening and trust me - I saw everything #notashamed
I just want to say thank you to H. L. Macfarlane for letting me read this ARC, it was amazing, I loved your writing style and I'd love to read more from you! Also thank you for netgalley for allowing me to have access to this amazing book!
4/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Okay... this book was so close to 5 stars for me but the first couple chapters just knocked a star off :( The first few chapters just felt a little cringe ad almost like they were written by someone completely different... and a bit wattpaddy (if that's a word) but the rest of it a loved!

The tension in this book was amazing and it was a slow burn without being toooo much of a slow burn as there was lots of fiery tension and moments before we hit the burn of the slow burn!

Fans of The Love Hypothesis will adore this one!

What a fun story The Unbalanced Equation is ! My very incredibly nerdy and dorky heart appreciated this rom com.

This story is about a stem researcher lady named Liz and a jerk of a scientist named Tom. After a few years of bad blood between the two, circumstances has them reluctantly orbiting back to each other. Liz is rightfully still furious and burned after what transpired between them in the past. Tom knows that his past actions will leave no room for his heart to get one last chance with her. In a desperate attempt to help them both move forward, he sets in place a motion of events that could potentially undo everything. When the secrets catch up, will it bring them closer or tear them apart for good ?

Some of the tropes are :
- Gumpy vs gumpy
-forced proximity
- 11 year age gap
- nerdy romance/humor
-second chance love
-academia romance

I would rate this 3 chilli peppers out of 5 for the steam. There aren't many sex scenes but the ones we got were great and the chemistry between Tom and Liz is undeniable. Also...Tom is a God in the bed room...lucky Liz !

Even though this love story is clearly about Tom and Liz ,we also get a huge glimpse in the love lives of their parents and this was one of my favorite parts about this story. It was so sweet and added a less selfish side to Tom that we didn't see often.

Unbalanced Equation is told in dual points, the chapters were easy to read, and flowed well together. It held my ADD attention from start to finish. Having things in common such as anime, nerd humor, ramen, ect made it easy to relate to the couple and quite enjoyable.

We were constantly told how horrible Tom was to Liz in their past but never really shown. I think I would have felt more feelings if we'd been given the chance to watch some of the events unfold.

Overall this is a pretty solid rom com and I look forward to reading H.L Mcfarlane's other novels.

This book was super cute and easy to read. It isn’t a deep romance or anything, it’s the perfect light-hearted RomCom.

This book was incredible! Liz and Tom are the perfect stem couple and you cannot tell me otherwise. This book at times reminded me of the Love Hypothesis in the points that it is a stem romance and the man falls first but it by no means felt like the same story. I loved how our two main characters shared a similar love of anime and the dual POV throughout this book. I will be reading more from this author in the future.

Dr. Tom Henderson is a wealthy Scottish professor of genetics at a university in Glasgow. Elizabeth Maclean is a PhD candidate in the same department where she meets Tom at a new student mixer. The two are immediately attracted to one another but Tom is surprised to find he has been assigned as Liz's assessor a few days later. To cover his attraction to Liz, Tom is exceedingly tough during his appraisal of her work, angering Elizabeth. Years later, the paths of Tom and Liz cross once again after a series of mishaps, including Tom's lab burning down and their parents announcing a surprise engagement. Liz and Tom once again face their attraction to each other but this time with years of animosity between the two.

This book is definitely for fans of The Love Hypothesis. It has the academia vibes, small age gap (a decade), size difference kink, sexy times in a hotel room at a conference, and flirty banter. It has a leg up over The Love Hypothesis in the steam department because it features multiple sex scenes (including a squirming-in-my-panties embarrassing moment where Liz is interrupted masturbating). While it is no Pride & Prejudice, it is certainly a fun enemies to lovers read. If you're not a fan of the miscommunication trope, BEWARE. It is full of it. Tom and Liz are both pretty immature and I was rolling my eyes toward the end, but overall it was a fun, sexy read with great visual descriptions and includes scenes at Halloween and Christmas (which is a cozy bonus in my book!).

CW: discussions of loss of parent to cancer

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. This is by far my favorite Rom-Com Ever!

If you loved the love hypothesis and you are a fan of the enemies-to-lovers trope, appreciate great banter and fall for flawed fictional men, just read this book. You would do yourself a huge favor!

I was not even 20% into it that I decided to preorder the physical copy because I HAVE TO OWN IT!

I am still shell shocked at how good this was. The characters, the plot, the setting, the references. Oh, so so soooooo good!

The author did a fantastic job with the dual POV, especially with Tom, with him she created a real man with good and bad. There is a lot of character growth too in between the lines and the cast is awesomely balanced.

I can’t pinpoint to a scene in particular I loved above the others because the whole book was fantastic. For me it had it all and I am so happy to see these characters again in her next book even if not as the main couple!

This is the book for you if you like:
- Enemies-To-Lovers
- Forced Proximity (work together/live together)
- Class difference
- Age Gap (11 years)
- Dual POV
- Great Banter
- LGTBQ+ rep
- Set in Scotland 😍
- Steamy

First, a sincere thank you to the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

This title was a wonderful addition into the growing STEM Romance genre. The Unbalanced Equation is a sweet "Steminist" "enemies to lovers" "forced proximity" romance that highlights it's incredible Scottish setting and scientist leads in a way that echoes the "grumpy/sunshine" trope found in Ali Hazelwood's The Love Hypothesis. Although I wouldn't say this title is making new ground in the genre, I think The Unbalanced Equation does the genre and tropes justice.

The characters are smart, funny, and absolutely adorable together. I will say that the male main character Tom fed heavily into adult toddler behavior that made it feel more like a bully romance than an enemies to lovers at times. Overall, the banter and steamy scenes really made The Unbalanced Equation stand out as a delightful romance read.

This was SUCH a good story! I really enjoyed the enemies to lovers and guy falls first. Those tropes while also taking place in the workplace, such a good pairing. This gave me Love Hypothesis vibes, in the best way. I've never read anything by this author and can't wait to continue with other stories!

I enjoyed 'The Unbalanced Equation' so much! This was the perfect sort of romance and read for me following some heavier reads. It definitely brought some desperately needed fun into my reading.

The story as a whole felt satisfying the entire way through. Every plot point stayed true to the characters, right through until the epilogue. I don't often like epilogues in romance books because I find then predictive and repetitive, but the epilogue in this novel felt like a wonderful way to wrap up the story between Tom and Liz.

Saying this, even the spicy scenes stayed true to both of the main characters which is such an important thing for me. It made the sex scenes read that much more intimate becuase the characters didn't totally transform into different people the moment the spice began. If you are looking for a romance book which is equal parts plot/romance and spice, then I think this is the solution to your search!

I also thought that the theme of second-chance-romance throughout this book was such a massive part of the book, even extending into the side characters. It's super well done and enjoyable and thankfully lacking the excessive flashbacks other second chance romances lean on.

I will definitely be keeping an eye out for H. L. Macfarlane's next romance publication after enjoying this one so much!

A fun read with the classic enemies to lovers trope. The first person POVs was well done and it was easy to distinguish the different voices. It was also great to have a strong female lead who never backed down.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own

Lizzie. Tom. These two are so incredibly SMART, yet so simple minded when it comes to the heart. Life could have been so much easier for them to just work together, but no - they had to have feelings for each other! And then their parents drop the bombshell! It was an entertaining ride. I enjoyed it very much. Even when I wanted to slap either of them! haha
You know the story - meet cute, hate, like, love, hate and love again. It's just a new setting, one that I haven't read before.
Rom-coms. Such great entertainment. I highly recommend "The Unbalanced Equation".

Thank you allowing me to read an advanced copy.

=^.^=

LOVE IT!! I absolutely devoured this one. I like a good romance with strong characters and this one was it. Loved the strong female character with a mind of her own. The STEM setting was a huge plus for me along with the context of their age gap and academic equation. The tropes in this book are brought out beautifully which was another plus.

The book has good supporting characters and the first few pages draw you in immediately. Loved the writing style and the witty banter of the characters make you laugh. Absolutely recommend this one to everyone looking for a cute romantic book.

Thank you NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I recieved this book on netgalley for arc in exchange of an honest review. This book is definitely for a science nerd like me. Though somebody with zero science interest can also enjoy the book. Loved the author's style of writing. If you fantasy a work romance book then thats a plus with this one. A good romantic novel with crazy anime lovers.!!

Tom is a professor who is attracted to Liz, one of his new PhD students. This is the first time that the handsome, wealthy, eligible professor is attracted to his student. In an effort to discourage any relationship, Tom is really hard on his criticism of Liz’s work. She can’t wait to be rid of him. When Tom’s lab has a fire in it, he is given a place in his friend’s lab only to find he will be sharing the lab bench with Liz. It gets worse when Liz heads out to meet her dad for dinner, and Tom heads out to meet his mother. Both are shocked to find they are holding hands with each other and hearing about an impending wedding. Tom’s mother is having a property remodeled for her impending marriage and will be moving into Tom’s large house until it is ready. His mother suggests Liz move in there also to save money and give them all a chance to get to know each other. I loved the characters in this book. Tom is the perfect privileged man who has no clue on how to win over a woman. Liz is extremely independent and quick to get angry with Tom even though she cares for him. Their parents are great examples of love and patience. Great book, great romance.

If you’re a fan of the love hypothesis, you’ll want to read this.

A stem romance with a grumpy man that has lots of tension, chemistry and steam. I loved the dynamic between the couple. It was full of banter, quick wit, and hot chemistry. It has unlikely roommates, forced proximity, hate to love, opposites attract and it was so much fun to read, It’s enemies to lovers, former professor and PHD student unlikely to fall in love but they do. There is boy obsessed, pining for years and the slow burn tension between them kept me turning page after page. It’s a workplace romance in academia and it was so much fun to read. I loved Tom and his grumpiness. Such a great steamy and chemistry filled romance book with a STEM plot.

Oh my goodness!! I am in love with H L Macfarlane's writing style in the Unbalanced Equation. For starters this book cover is absolutely adorable and it immediately gave me Love Hypothesis vibes. Because of how much I love and am obsessed with characters in STEM romance books, it was easy for me to jump right into a book that had the same vibes. Liz is this sweetheart character who is working on her postdoc and finally free of Tom, her assessor during her PhD. Obviously all hell breaks loose and the two of them are very much forced to be around each other ALL THE TIME. Not only is this an enemies to lovers romance book but it has my other favourite trope of forced proximity. Because of how much time they spend together, the readers get to see and experience their fire fuelling chemistry. Tom is definitely complex and you can't help but love his grumpy ruse when it comes to being around Liz. The two of them are addicting to read about, I cannot get enough of how much I really enjoyed their story. If your looking for a book that has STEM vibes with forced proximity trope this is definitely the book for you!

Let me start by saying this: THIS IS THE BEST ROM-COM I’VE READ, LIKE, EVER. It was such a surprise! It has everything you can hope for: it’s funny, sweet, sexy and just AMAZING. If you’ve loved The Love Hypothesis, you HAVE to read this! It has a similar feel, but it’s (dare I say) even BETTER.

Decided to read this because of the cute cover. Yes I am one of those people who 100% judge a book by its cover. I did appreciate the TW since it is something I am currently going through with my own mother.

I wouldn’t necessarily call this enemies to lovers. Tom just decided to be a jerk imo for no reason especially since it all worked out in the end.

Nevertheless this was a 5 star read for me. I couldn’t put it down and read it one day. I loved it way more than The Love Hypothesis.

Enemies to lovers
He falls first
Forced proximity

Honestly, what else is there to say? This was one of my fav books of the year so far. The banter, spice, and overall story line were AMAZING. Liz and Tom meet at a university mixer and sparks fly, after some misunderstandings and unfortunate fate interference, Tom is assigned to be Liz's PhD assessor and he decides the only logical thing to do is be an asshat.... men, I swear.

Fate again interferes when Tom and Liz arrive to the same dinner to learn that their parents are getting married, and they're going to be forced together whether they like it or not. Liz decides that she's going to make the best of the situation, (for her anyways) and get back at Tom for all of the crap he gave her as her accessor. And queue the spice cuz that kicks up about ten notches when she is forced into living with him.

Such an amazing read, as previously said if you loved The Love Hypothesis you'll love this!

I am a sucker for an enemies to lovers romance! Tom is a hot mess - in that he makes horrible decisions in the name of love. Liz is a spitfire who hates Tom, but when they are thrown together time and again, she realizes he isn’t the guy she thought he was.

If you love academia romances, this is a must read! It was sweet, steamy, and a fantastic romcom. (It is more steamy than spicy, but there are a few spicy chapters…and they are deliciously spicy!)

My Review
I Received an ARC from NetGalley. Book comes out15 Sep 2022
Elizabeth ‘Liz’ and Thomas ‘Tom’ started off on the right foot when they first met, but something happened and they were soon on the wrong foot with each other. Liz is happy she is going to be free of Tom and his hateful ways since she is starting her postdoc. However, a fire in Tom’s lab puts an end to this happiness and forces Tom to be in Liz’s lab! They even have to share a bench! If that wasn’t bad enough, both Tom and Liz find out that their parents-Tom’s mum and Liz’s dad announce their impending marriage after a whirlwind romance and lastly since trouble usually comes in threes, Liz ends up moving into Tom’s house!
Forced proximity, age gap and enemies to lovers are some of my favorite tropes. My little heart did a happy dance when I realized this book had all three. I really appreciated that both main characters were smart. I loved Tom and Liz’s banter, as well as the attraction and tension between them. Tom is a bit of a grump. At the same time, he is so hot, sexy, sweet and charming. Liz is fun and a nice balance for Tom. I will confess to wanting to smack Liz a time or two for some of the things she does to Tom. A few times, I couldn’t help but think he didn’t deserve that. The next minute I was back laughing at their banter and what he does in retaliation.
Another thing I loved about this book was their interactions with their colleagues and parents. It was nice to see Tom’s mother doing her best to get to know Liz and see Jim, Liz’s father, slowly having to revise his opinion of Tom. After all, Liz had pretty much made him out to be a monster. As for the colleagues, they were fun. It was also nice to get a glimpse into what goes on inside labs. I was so happy that the lab aspect didn’t bog down the book, but rather added to the flavor of the book.
All in all, The Unbalanced Equation by H. L. MacFarlane was a sweet book. With just enough steam, banter and laugh out moments to keep me entertained from beginning to end. This was a quick, fun and easy read for me. Do I want to continue the trilogy? Yes, please. Would I read more from this author? Certainly.
Until next time, peace and happy reading.

The blurb for this book with the recommendation to read if you like The Love Hypothesis was absolutely spot on, first and foremost.

This book had my favorite tropes- both MCs are *both* sunshine *and* grumpy, and the forbidden love situation of graduate school and professors. And on top of having these tropes, the author absolutely nailed them with an original, convincing, and incredible hot and heavy story. I was on my toes for most of the book, and the slow burn absolutely killed me, in the best way possible. This is a 5 star recommendation from me.

Liz and Tom have the perfect meet - cute at the student - staff mixer for first year PhD students that includes mimosas, rescuing a maiden, spilled drinks and leads to changing clothes and lingering looks in Tom’s office. Tom ends up becoming Liz’s PhD assessor and any hopes of a romantic entanglement have flown out the window in lieu of professionalism.
Four years later Tom and Liz are thrown together again without the student/professor dilemma in the way. But Tom has ruined any chances of getting to know Liz better or become anything other than colleagues due to the way he treated her during her PhD assessments.
Living in the same house, helping their parents with the upcoming wedding and working next to each other have their sexual chemistry and frustrations running high.
This is a great enemies to lovers rom-com that I would recommend to anyone looking for a snarky read!

Thank you to H.L. Macfarlane, BooksGoSocial, and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. The Unbalanced Equation comes out September 15, 2022!

The Unbalanced Equation stars postdoc Liz, who has finally has her dream job in a microbiology lab at the school she got her doctorate at. Everything is amazing until after an unfortunate fire, she is stuck working right next to the man who made her years getting her PhD a nightmare, enter Tom. Add in the complication that the day they find out they are sharing bench space, they also find out that their widowed parents are not only dating but are actually getting married. And because bad things come in threes, let's add in the fact that Liz has been kicked out of her apartment and now has to live not only with her dad and Tom’s mom, but also has to live with Tom himself. What really complicates is the fact that Tom does not dislike Liz at all, in fact he has been falling for her for years. Will the two be able to get through the years of animosity and finally get the ending they both have longed for.

I thought this book was so cute, but also incredibly sexy. I loved that both characters were flawed and that by the end they were able to at least start the journey to growing for themselves and each other. The reason I didn't rate this as a five star read for me was because I thought there was a lot of added conflict in the form of different men popping up with feelings in Liz’s life. They literally come popping out of the woodwork (I know that's an exaggeration, but still). It does have my new favorite scene where one character takes care of the other, specifically when the female character has her period. It was honestly so cute and exactly how I would want to be spoiled. I really loved this book and would recommend it to friends and family and really anyone who loves romance.

*Arc from NetGalley*

Pub date: September 15,2022

I ended up enjoying this book a lot more than I thought I was going to through the first chapter. I’m not a huge anime fan so they lost me a little bit with all that talk, but it doesn’t take away from the story for me.

I fell in love with these two and read the book in 2 days while still having to work 😝 so I definitely recommend picking it up when it’s released!

Liz and Tom are both researchers who have had a rocky past over the last 4 years. They find their way back in each other’s orbits and chaos ensues!

Enemies to lovers. Forced proximity. One bed, forced a bit?? (The conference 🥵)

4.5 🌟 for me on this one! Fantastic read, and I look forward to reading more from H.L. Macfarlane!

Absolutely incredible. Loved this read. Started and finished in one day! I couldn’t put it down. The writer is so captivating and so careful with her creating of characters. I was immediately drawn in. Wonderful read! And very interesting plot!

Perfect for fans of The Love Hypothesis! Absolutely loved the chemistry between the two main characters and seeing their relationship develop.

This book had NO RIGHT being this good! At first I though there were going to be too many typical romance genre tropes (grumpy/sunshine, workplace, forced proximity) but they all played together masterfully!

The Unbalanced Equation was a lovely book. I enjoined reading it very much.,

Elizabeth (also Liz and Lizzie) Maclean has just completed her PhD studies under the tutelage of Dr Thomas (Tom) Henderson. She had a horrific time because he was a very harsh critic of her work. One evening, they are both invited to a family dinner and to their surprise, it is a whole family dinner because their parents, his mother and her father, are getting married, In a short tale of errors, Liz ends up staying with their parents at Tom’s apartment for a few months. While there, they discover their attraction for one another and have their HEA.

This book was well written and I liked getting to know the main characters. There was just enough of a side cast to know Tom and Liz had active lives.

Thank you to NetGalley, H. L. Macfarlane, and BooksGoSocial for allowing me to read this book in advance of official publishing.

One of those reads that you'll want to re-read right away just because you don't want to say goodbye All the smexy hot as hades romance with just the right amount of angst and humor.

This was a really fun story about two complicated and flawed people who have to overcome their own issues to get their 'happily ever after'. It was refreshing to see a book that had characters who did not want children who can still have full and happy lives. It is not often seen in romance books so I appreciated the unique character perspectives.

Thank you Netgalley for this eARC in exchange of an honnest review.

I am an indecisive mood reader. And sometimes I just don't know what to read. At this time, a rom-com is the perfect choice ! And oh my what a good choice. I was hooked from the beginning and couldn't put it down. Easy to read, I liked the writing and the story. It changes to see characters working in sciences.
I really liked the MCs even if they made me scream couple of times for just how stupid they were toward each others (in a good way I was angry and frustrated of course ;) )
I do recommend this read and that made me want to read other books from the authors as she also wrote fantasy. Go and read this !

“Okay, maybe I still thought Thomas Henderson was hot. Maybe I was still physically attracted to him. But I could easily keep that under wraps in favour of making his life a bloody nightmare”

“A woman after my own heart”

This book was so good !!!! A rom-com like I’ve never read before.
Fans of The Love Hypothesis are gonna love this intricate love story between a Molecular Genetics Professor and His PhD student now turned postgraduate !!!
Tom and Liz’s story had it all : forced proximity (due to their parents wanting to marry), an enemies to lovers relationship that you could feel from the very first banters they shared and such deep sexual attraction, you could feel the tension raising in the air every time they shared a room !!!!
I honestly loved every second of reading this book and the fact that, given my own field of studies at university, I could understand everything they were saying … it definitely was a plus !!!
Their discussion and the role they played in each other’s life was great and I loved that he was the first one to fall and fall hard for her !!!!
Plus the writing style was easy to go through, even for non-speaker of the genetic language!!!
I’m so glad I had the chance to read this book and I truly hope the author will share more of this sort of stories!!!!

“How was it that I’d gone from having a date with a guy I’d thought was great to getting trashed with my least-favourite-person-turned-house-mate-turned-future-step-brother?”

“Because I’m jealous of all the men who touched you without your permission”

“How was I supposed to give up on this woman? Twisted, confusing sexual games aside, she was making it fucking impossible”

The Unbalanced Equation is a fun, fast paced, light hearted read that is sure to leave readers with a smile on their face. This novel is easy to fly through, making it a good weekend read. The tension between the main characters is driving the plot forward, making it hard to put down. The main male character, Tom, has a lot of depth, though some of it was left unexplored. Liz, the main female character, has a lot of spunk; it is hard not to love her. The characters have this constant push and pull. The banter between the two is quite funny. Tom is a rich man, but he isn't ever obnoxious with his wealth. Overall, the book is great for anyone who wants a light read about a cute romance. My only gripe is that the book is so quick that some parts don't have that much depth. Pick this up if you want warm, fuzzy feelings.

*I received a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*

This is a perfect academic enemies-to-lovers with a twist! When a trio of impossibly unlucky events brings Liz and Tom into each other's lives again, the two don't want anything to do with each other. From attraction at first sight to mortal enemies, these two have the perfect coming together story. I loved this book, and between the plot, setting, and atmosphere I was engrossed until the last page. Plus, this has a healthy dose of spice! A must read for romcom lovers!

Liz is so insanely relatable. The author saying a mix between Jennifer Connelly and Hayley Atwell? I can see her so clearly now. I loved her character.

I really also enjoyed the interchanging POVs between Tom and Liz. I found it rare to see both the LI’s perspectives so that was really fun.

Plus. I love banter!

Wow what a read! The tension and anticipation had me on the edge of my seat. Filled with some of my favourite tropes of Enemies to lovers, roommates, age gap and to top it all of STEM!! The author has done an incredible job incorporating all of these tropes. If you were a fan of The love Hypothesis then I highly recommend you check this out when it comes out on September 15th!

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review!

I just finished reading The Love Hypothesis so when I saw this, I had to pick it up. Cute, fun, quick read, and well developed characters. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free advanced copy.

This was my first book by author Macfarlane and I was completely charmed and delighted. The story follows academics Tom and Liz who have instant sparks fly at a work mixer only to find out the next day that Tom is now the PhD assessor for Liz… for the next 4 years. The story begins at the end of Liz’s PhD when they must decide if the sparks that started their acquaintance were able to last.

Macfarlane creates two flawed and entirely human characters who I equally cheered for and shook my head at for their decision making skills. I could not put this book down. Often, I don’t feel like the reasons for the obligatory miscommunication in romance stories hold up to what would happen in real life. However, I completely understood why Liz and Tom were making the decisions they did which made the tension so much more enjoyable.

All in all, a delightful and charming book.

I can’t tell how how much I enjoyed this book. Ah this is just what I needed to read after being I a. Slump for a while. This book just shows the lengths some people will go for love while I’m like liz in a sense where I don’t even realise it or I’m in denial. I really really loved this book!

The antics/misunderstandings in enemies-to-lovers stories can get a bit ridiculous. Does that mean I'll stop reading them and loving them? NOPE!

This was a fun, flirty read with a touch of science, quite a few laughs, and a generous handful of spice, two MCs who unapologetically want something that goes against the status quo, and - of course - the ending everybody wants when they're reading a rom com.

Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Me ha encantado! La química entre los protagonistas es maravillosa!
Si te ha gustado la hipótesis del amor, seguro que disfrutas con esta novela
Súper recomendado!

Had so much fun reading this book! I had never read a book by the author, and didn't know anything about the plot beforehand, but my curiosity was peaked by the title and I decided to give it a go. I'm glad I did so, because I was unexpectadly surprised by its clever and charming narrative, and exceptionally relatable characters. While sometimes a bit over the top and cliché, the book is well balanced with originality and humour, that never makes it boring. Having a background in science myself, I found the author was able to capture the ambience of working in research, and the (good) nerdyness of the people that do it. This turned out a great book for escaping the stress of actual real-life research work! A definite recommendation within the genre!

The story of Tom and Liz was soooo cute! It’s mainly set in Glasgow, UK and I seriously can’t get enough! Talk about fall academia vibes!
If you like enemies to lovers, lots of angst, slow burns you’ll trusty like this book.
This book reminded me a lot of The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood so if you liked that book I’d recommend reading The Unbalanced Equation 😊

Liz is a postdoc, who spent years doing her PhD at a Glasgow University, under the watchful eye of her very harsh assessor, Tom. They had met each other previously at a student and staff mixer and although during their first meeting their attraction to each other was instant, after the years of criticism she grew to hate him. The day after the mixer, Tom found out that he would be Liz’s assessor, and therefore felt that the only way to remain professional was to act like a total dick (I know, what an idiot!). Liz thought all of this was over once her PHD had finished, however the pair were then thrown back into each other lives when Toms lab burned down, and even worse, their parents announced their engagement.

Liz and Tom would find it hard to deny their feelings for each other, despite their colourful past, now that they were living under the same roof and working in the same lab. But can Liz overcome their past relationship and let herself fall in love with this man?

This book had so much suspense, you never know what will happen next. This made this book so addictive for me and I just could not put it down. The relationship between Liz and Tom was pure sexual tension, along with so much care for each other. This is the perfect enemies to lovers story with that extra bit of spice and I could not put it down!!🌶🥵

This was like an enemies-to-lovers version of "The Love Hypothesis"! I thought the chemistry between the two main characters was so incredible, it was like it was jumping off the page! For all my women in stem, this book will make you feel seen with the representation of what's it's like to be a woman in academia!

Firstly, I want to say that I'm thankful that I received and ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book follows our two main characters, Tom and Liz. They meet at a university event and from there through some coincidences their relationship starts to develop. I went into this book expecting something similar to 'the love hypothesis' and although this was another fun academic romance their similarities didn't go a lot farther than that.
I found Liz to be an amazing main character and thought that the tension between the main couple was really well-written.
All in all, despite it not being a really breathtaking and memorable read, it was definitely an enjoyable one. I liked the dual perspective element and the chemistry between the main characters was undeniable. A solid four star read!

As one of my most anticipated reads of the fall, I was looking forward to a science-y romance that was oozing with chemistry (Get it? Like the branch of science and also the connection between characters? Hilarious.) What I got was an enemies-to-lovers relationship between two scientists filled with misunderstandings and a surprisingly large number of anime references, made even better by the fact that the author has a PhD in molecular genetics! Although I didn't find either character to be particularly likable, especially with how immaturely they both behaved, it was a fun (and surprisingly spicy) read.
Thank you so much for the ARC, NetGalley!

I just finished The Unbalanced Equation by H.L. Macfarlane and it sure packed a lot of punch while covering several of the best Rom-Com tropes. This was a fast and fun read for me and I especially loved all the trickery and revenge dished out by the main heroine.

The initial meeting of Dr Thomas Henderson and PhD student Elizabeth Maclean is akin to that of a Cinderella nature. There is an instant connection and an obvious chemistry, but all that comes to a screeching halt when Dr. Henderson is assigned as Elizabeth's assessor. What's an upstanding professional to do in this situation? Tom makes the choice to be anything but charming over the course of the next four years to assure that there is no chance of chemistry between these two scientists.

After enduring four years of pure hell from the worlds most cold hearted assessor, Liz is happy to finally be starting her career. Just when everything is looking up Liz is given the surprise of her life. Her dad announces his engagement to none other than the mother of her biggest nemesis. And just like that things go from bad to worse to even worse.

As our to MCs are repeatedly thrown back into each other's lives all kinds of fun pursues. This book is full of revenge, sabotage and all kinds of sexual tension. I really enjoyed all the twists and turns of this story and was pleasantly surprised by the unusual HEA at the end.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

THE UNBALANCED EQUATION by H.L. Macfarlane is definitely an entertaining read. I finished it rather quickly as the pacing is *chef's kiss*. The meet-cute is great and really sets the tone for the rest of the story. What I like most is how the two characters are so clear that they don't want children and marriage, they never belittle each other for that choice, and they don't change their minds about it over the course of falling for each other. I think there needs to be more of this sort of representation in romance overall.

My only beef with the novel is that the story is marketed as enemies-to-lovers, and I can't say I ever really bought into that because it is abundantly clear from the beginning that one party is helplessly in love with the other. There is definitely great chemistry though!

I'm excited to read the rest of the Hot Mess Trilogy once the rest of the books are out in the world.

The book was nothing short of amazing.
Tom was a cocky arrogant guy and Liz was a sassy student with an attitude that challenged Tom. Their chemistry was felt just by reading. When Liz decided to play games with Tom it took their chemistry to a whole new level.
I really liked the book as a whole, it is a perfect work, enemies to lovers romance. however I feel that Liz’s reason for not wanting marriage and not wanting to have kids is not talked about enough and her back story with Elliot, like why is she somehow “traumatized” by commitment. But this is my personal opinion.
I’d rate the book 4,5 / 5 ⭐️ if possible.

Perfect for fans of The Love Hypothesis. Liz and Tom are so amazing together and their banter is top tier. Once I realised this book was set in Glasgow I was behind excited. It was so refreshing to read a book about Scottish people that didn't have 'aye' in every second sentence. They included words real Scottish people actually say!! Liz's humour was so relatable and honestly I could see myself in her. I loved her and Tom's relationship.
My only *thing* I would pick up on is Tom's behaviour for his age. This man was supposed to be 38 and was acting like a man in his twenties.
That being said, I ADORED this book. I can't wait for the rest of the Trilogy!

Tom and liz meet at a social gathering. Tom falls first in love with Liz and all her geek hobbies here. To too many drinks they get into a situation of going for it or not.
The day after the event, Tom hears that he will be Liz's PhD Assessor. This means no relationships and dates with Liz. For 4 years Tom pretends not to be in love and keeps his feelings hidden. This makes her really mean to Liz and she really hates him too. She thinks he's the biggest asshole there is and is finally happy to get rid of him when she goes to work in another lab. Which is not the case because Tom's lab goes up in flames and he has to work in the same lab as Liz.
Tom and Liz happen to both go to the same restaurant where they find out that Liz's father and Tom's mother are getting married. Is this karma for his behavior? Or a sign to try anyway?

Did I want to read this book just because it featured laboratory? Yes. Point out I study laboratory myself and because of this I like these books more.
When I read the synopsis I immediately felt The love hypothesis. And I loved this one so I couldn't resist diving right into this book. And I am not disappointed! The book is already better because of the dual POV! You also read from Tom which is always very nice. I thought it was really great and comical. Liz's lame jokes sometimes made me laugh so much that I even got the question at work: why are you laughing?
The friendship that slowly develops between Tom and Liz is so cute. In all her hatred for Tom she gave it a chance and they are so much fun together.
Even when Liz was on her period, Tom took care of it. A little before that she had pulled a stunt on him that he was really angry about, but despite that he got all kinds of nice things and went to watch anime with her. Who wouldn't want a Guy like that? I'm still waiting for one.
The bond that Liz develops with Tom's mother is so beautiful. They grow closer and Liz does so much for her.
Liz's father isn't too fond of Tom. Which isn't crazy after all he had heard from Liz about Tom. Despite everything, he gives Tom a chance to prove himself.
I also really like the fact that it was said in the book that not every woman wants to have children and get married. I understand this feeling very well and also thought it was nice to read it in a book

The spice was not too much and also fit well into the storyline. The scenes in it gave me butterflies and were real🥵

3.75/5

Tropes
-forced proximity
-(faked) grumpy/sunshine
-age gap
-MMC taking care of a hurt FMC

Overall this was a fun, quick read that fans of Ali Hazelwood will love. Theres a professor/postdoc relationship and a poster conference with some action in a hotel room, though I will say Liz's best friends are way superior to those in LH. Sadly I think the first chapter is the worst in the whole book, and may discourage some from reading on. The cringy dialogue does get better throughout the book, however if you aren't a fan of anime you may feel lost at times like I did.

I loved the banter and simmering tension these two characters had. They played a game of cat and mouse with eachother for the majority of the book, increasing in intensity with each interaction that had me thinking they'd finally cave to their feelings before one of them stepped away. It definitely kept me wanting more.

I would've given this book 4 stars, but the whole plotline of FMC's dad and MMC's mom marrying eachother and them becoming a sort of "step-sibling" just rubs me the wrong way, no matter how old they are. It really wasn't a big deal or taboo in this book, their parents even encouraging them to get together for most of the book, but that's one line I have trouble crossing. With the exception of that though, I thoroughly enjoyed the banter and setting of this book, and would recommend to anyone who loves a scientist office romance!

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I found the push and pull relationship between Liz and Tom very entertaining in this book. Tom does many things to try to spend more time with Liz, while Liz tries to make life for Tom very difficult. Add to that friends and family forcing these two into close proximity and things are bound to happen. I really enjoyed having the narrative written from both Liz and Tom's perspective. It allows you to see and appreciate their journey throughout this book. I am looking forward to reading the other books as they come out in this series.

Thank you to the publisher and author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Age gap, enemies to lovers, location, hea this book has it all hot guy with an accent :)

Absolutely loved it.

This was a delicious read. I can say I’m in love with books settings in the STEM world and this book didn’t disappointed at all with great characters, amazing scenes and a good plot. Elizabeth is a funny girl and how she acted beside Tom it was incredible delightful, making me laugh a lot. Tom is a brilliant character and their scenes with Elizabeth it is so good and full of chemistry. Thank your for this amazing story and ARC.

This was a lot of fun. The build up of Tom and Liz's relationship was really good and I loved that we saw every little moment that made them fall in love. The fact that they kept each others clothes from their first meeting was so cute.

I received an arc through netgalley.

Many thanks to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for this ARC!

After reading "The Love Hypothesis" I was looking for other books with a similar setting and stumbled upon this one... it did not disappoint!
The Unbalanced Equation is set in Glasgow (so expect a lot of rain), where we meet Tom and Liz. He's a researcher and professor at Glasgow's University and she has just begun her PhD there, due to a not-so-little incovenience they find themselves working in the same lab (and on the same bench), but their story goes a while back.
I'll be honest, sometimes I couldn't really agree with some of the characters' decisions along the way, but it was fine in the end, it needs to be like that sometimes! The book is told in double Pov, so we have an insight into both characters' perspectives, which I really enjoyed. It surprised me more than once, when I thought I knew for sure where the narration was headed... it wasn't, that kept me on my toes. There were some deep moments, alternated with others more light, funny and also teasing and flirty, with a sprinkle of anime references here and there, all surrounded by the atmosphere of a cold scottish winter.

Overall I enjoyed reading it and it remains a perfect read for when you're in the mood for something light and laidback!

Really nice read. The tempo is good, fast, but not so that you are lost in details; you get lost in the plot. For a moment it looks as if it’s going to go in circles and clichéd, but it is rapidly overcome with the funny and witty writing. The characters, not only the main ones, but also the supporting ones are solidly built and take their own space in the development of the narrative. The adult content, for me, is almost secondary. I really enjoyed this nerdy hate-to-love story.

This was my first book by this author and I LOVED IT!! I devoured this book and found myself thinking about it often when not reading. This was the perfect rom-com with all good tropes! I can't find any other words to describe just how well done this book was, definitely one of my favorites of the year.

Review: 5 Stars

First of all, **swoon**

This book was ADORABLE. I feel like I had a cheesy grin on my face the entire time I was reading it. I am giving this book 5 stars (which is rare) because it made me feel all the feels. It was so cute I could cringe - I really loved both of the main characters, and the dual POV was very well done. The slow burn was MINT and complemented by a lot of witty banter. The banter between the two main characters was the best part of the book. It was so natural and nerdy and sarcastic. And don't worry - there are some fantastic spicy scenes (I'd say a 2 or 3 out of 5 on the spicy scale).

I was a little worried during the prologue that the characters would be too nerdy for my taste, but the anime/microbiology/geneticist themes were not overdone at all. What a fantastic read. I am still smiling as I write this review.

Do you enjoy classic romcom themes? Good. This book has got them all. Enemies to lovers? Sign me up. Forced proximity? Even better. STEM? Absolutely! No matter your preference, this book has it.

So. Many. Tropes:
* small age gap (11 years)
* forced proximity (on so many levels)
* teacher/student
* forbidden love
* enemies to lovers
* revenge
** level 3 spice

This is a must read for fans of Love Hypothesis (and really, fans of all romcoms and contemporary romance). It was ridiculous, and predictable in all of the best ways.

Synopsis:

"But one thing was universally certain: in order to keep Elizabeth Maclean out of my reach and out of my head I was going to have to be a complete and utter bastard to her."

The book takes place in Glasgow, and follows the perspectives of Liz and Tom, two geneticists/microbiologists who have a tumultuous history in the lab. After what seemed like the perfect meet-cute at a mixer event at the University of Glasgow, Tom is assigned the role of Liz's PhD assessor. Over the next four years, Liz is forced to endure Tom's vicious scrutiny.

Fast forward four years, and Liz and Tom learn that - of all things - their parents are getting married....To each other. Just when Liz thinks she is finally free of Tom's brutal assessments, Tom's lab catches on fire and he ends up sharing a lab table with Liz, and Liz's landlord kicks her out of her apartment. In a perfect storm of calamities, Liz ends up moving into Tom's "mansion" of a townhome with Tom, Tom's mother, and Liz's father.

As their paths continue to cross, it seems unavoidable that Liz will need to learn to tolerate Tom. In what they both believe to be devious and secretive plans, Liz and Tom set out to make each other's lives miserable (in the style of How to Lose a Guy in 10 days), and in the process, are forced to confront their true feelings.

This book was fun and mainly light-hearted. I loved the banter between the main character and her love interest, it felt realistic and it was adorable. Also, I'm a sucker for science-related settings so this was perfect. It reminded me of The Love Hypothesis but they are both very distinct books from one another. If you enjoy fun science-based rom-coms, then I would recommend this book.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book! I struggled to put it down! It checked all of the boxes - enemies to lovers, second-chance romance, witty banter. Not to mention the setting taking place in academia! It did remind me a lot of Love Hypothesis, which I have read recently, so that did take away from some aspects of the story, But as a whole I would recommend!
Thank you to the author and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

I got this arc this morning and I finished it within hours.

It was that good.

Enemies to lovers is my favourite trope, and H. L. Macfarlane will be an author that I will be following closely.

I like that there is a main love story but also side stories (although the main one is my favorite).

We follow Liz (who is a postdoc) and her possessive but also kind of grumpy former PhD assessor, Tom.

Tom has been pining after her for years.

But do to unfortunate events, they need to share a lab.

How will this turn out for them? You will need to read this book (coming out 15th of September) to find out.

If you read and liked The Love Hypothesis then you will for sure like (in my case love) this one as well.

Not only does this book contain enemies to lovers but also forced proximity/

And something we need more of in the world: STEM workplace.

I am already so hyped for the next (standalone) in the series.

I honestly really liked how H. L. Macfarlane brought the chemistry and sexual tension between the characters.

Great first step into contemporary.

Liz and Tom are forced to share a lab at the university where they both work. They have a history that they have to face when their paths cross outside work as well. Will they move on from enemies?
A fun read, Looking forward to the rest of the series.

The Unbalanced Equation
@H.L.Mcfarlane
Macfarlane Lantern Publishing

Nothing gets my literary boots wet like academia fiction, sassy female characters, and intelligent boys being closet romantics.
Here's looking at you @alihazelwood and @
.
I went through this book in less than 24 hours and read it on my phone while my husband slept.
In short, it was a fantastic read that held me captive in its Scottish charm until my neck started hurting.
I loved and hated the back and forth between Tom and Liz's characters because they were fire. Sometimes a dumpster fire of emotions, sometimes I forgot to breathe because the smoke got heeeeeavy, but hey, can't we all relate?
.
It starts off with the sweetest anime meet-cute worthy of any nerdy girl who has been in similar situations.
EX: My own relationship: Sailor Moon and Pride & Prejudice.
Not only does Tom save Liz from mansplaining nerds, but he also bests them with his own knowledge, then sweeps her off her pretty little feet. Be still, my nerdy heart.
Until orange juice wrecks the night.
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I love the drama that ensues years later and captures these two in a cluster most epic with family, friends, and each other: the bar, the fire, the close quarters, the love of single parents, the eviction, to the moving in with each other out of pure desperation…
It's glorious how a simple twist of fate can change everything, especially when fate is a toddler, and she keeps spinning.
.
Tom: Acts tough, but he's a mama's boy, has a soft side under his polished exterior, an Arsehole, but a lovable arsehole with a kind soul.
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Liz: Fakes being tough to avoid confrontation, pain in the arse, and stubborn but is kind, lovable, and a daddy's girl. Wants to feel deserving of love but is afraid of being hurt.

H. L. Macfarlane: What a wonderful, wonderful author. This book was one that I could not put down. As a teacher, I was using my planning period, my lunch, my breaks—- every spare moment to read this book. Unbalanced Equation was a special read for me. I’m usually trying to guess the ending the entire time. I didn’t have time to do that with this book because I was focused on the plot. Liz and Tom. Tom and Liz. The two main characters, along with their parents were so likable. I could see their beginning dinner being so awkward!!! I really felt like I was there. By the time Liz had to move in the “mansion,” I was nervous for the whole “family” and ready to see it play out.

This book would make a great movie (for tv or made for theaters). I really enjoyed getting to know these characters. This will make a great series.

This is a solid 4 ⭐️ for me! If you love Ali Hazelwood/STEM books I would definitely recommend this!! This was such a quick read for me because I really enjoyed it- I was hooked from Liz and Tom’s meet cute. The spice, chemistry, and banter in this book are great. Highly recommend.
Thanks to NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review

Very fun and lovely read! If you loved the love hypothesis and you are a fan of the enemies-to-lovers trope, this is your book.

The author did a fantastic job with the dual POV. It's one of my favourite things about this book. The spicy scenes are soooo good too!

I can’t pinpoint to a scene in particular I loved above the others because the whole book was fantastic. Enemies to lovers is my one of my favorite trope so I know I would like this book.

Thank you NetGalley for this book!

At first I felt like there were way too many things going on - so many tropes - but ultimately I couldn’t put it down and needed to see how it all played out!

Liz & Tom have a sort of insta-love moment at their department social. The connection is there, but nothing ends up happening as Liz leaves and doesn’t come back (still not sure why… 🤔). The next morning Tom finds out he will be her PhD assessor, so decides he needs to be mean to her to avoid falling for her, or her falling for him.
Flash forward to the end of Liz’s PhD - Tom’s lab burns down and he’ll be working right beside Liz for 3 months. They find out their parents have been secretly dating and are getting married. Liz gets kicked out of her apartment & goes to live with all of them… so yeah, a lot of stuff 😂

So we’ve got:
- Enemies to lovers
- Instalove
- Teacher/student
- Age-gap
- Parents dating
- Forced proximity (at work and at home)

Tom & Liz also have a LOT of similarities in their likes/dislikes.
I thought it was a bit too much, and didn’t like Tom’s sabotaging efforts.
But ultimately I enjoyed their banter and wanted to see how it all played out!

Thank you NetGalley and Macfarlane Lantern Publishing for this ARC book for review consideration. All opinions are my own!

The Unbalanced Equation is the first book in the Hot Mess Trilogy, an enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy, written by H. L. Macfarlane.

Fun, fast-paced and enjoyable read in an academic STEM setting!

Writing your PhD is no easy feat, especially not when your assigned assessor is doing his best to make your life a misery; challenging everything you do and forcing you to redo research to the Nth degree. Thomas F*cking Henderson is your man and he made Liz' life a complete hell for four years.

With her PhD behind her, she has successfully secured a research post, but to her horror she ends up having Professor Henderson as her a bench partner, thanks to ever so slightly meddling Professor Ito, the best friend of Professor Henderson's.

The next shock for Liz, is that her father and Professor Henderson's mother have decided to get married. Add in an eviction, a meddling ex, some partying and you have a fantastic hard-to-put-down story. Tom is frustratingly stupid at times, and so is Liz, but Macfarlane has managed to create a thoroughly entertaining story.

Thank you netgalley and publisher for opportunity to read and review this arc honestly.

Overall I enjoyed the book, story, characters, and dialogue. I felt invested enough I wanted to smack some sense into one a few times. There were funny parts in the book, some steamy as well, and I was interested enough to continue down the journey. Overall I would (and will) recommend to friends that enjoy this genre and trope. Interested to read more by this author.

The Unbalanced Equation by H L Macfarlane

Elizabeth Maclean is a post doc student in her mid twenties. Thomas Henderson is a professor who ends up meeting Elizabeth at a early school function. Their is chemistry between them but that has to come to a full halt after Thomas becomes Lizzie's assessor. Tom ends up being a total jerk to Lizzie after they shared an intimate moment when they first met.

What I loved about this book is that love is complicated and beautiful its never easy. I liked the romance between Tom and Lizzie. Their was angst, sexual energy, lust, and love. This rolled all together into a steamy lust filled romance. Before you get into the good parts their is so much more to the story Tom's juvenile behavior to set up Lizzie with obstacles that work in his favor.

I found myself rooting for this couple for them to move past all the issues that lay bear before them both. Before all this can happen the reader will go on a roller coaster ride of some silly quirky behavior. I felt as a reader you can really feel the energy between Tom and Lizzie it melt through the pages. The way they looked at it each other you can imagine the lust between them.

Then when the steamy bits flow through the pages you know everything is meant to be the way they are. I also enjoyed the nerdy behavior between the two being into anime. I am not an anime fan but loved how they shared in this together.

This book brought out the hopeless romantic in me and it just lit my heart to keep the pages turning. I found myself smiling and laughing. Regardless what everyone else says but H.L. Macfarlane knocked this one out of the park. When you feel emotion from a book which the writer aspired to engage the reader this is a win. I also enjoyed the science background of these two characters.

If you are a fan of enemies to friends angst filled steamy hot romance then this book is for you. The pages will flip fast for you and you should not be disappointed. This was the second best romance novel I read this year. This was a five star read for me!

Thank you to Netgalley, and Books Go Social for a free copy of this book for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced reader's copy.

This book is a Love Hypothesis-ish enemies to lovers story written for an English audience. I loved the science-y vibe and step brother twist, but found the pacing off and the male character a bit off putting. It's still worth a read though!

Wow - a great read. Two very intelligent people, one of which acting like a complete toddler made for a very entertaining read. A bit of science, a bit of conflict, some parents getting remarried and a whole lot of spice.

I thought it was well written, bar a couple of words that seemed to pop up constantly. The steamy sections were done fabulously, the right amount of steam without feeling out of place, unrealistic or ick. The perfect romance book, a great setting with bad weather (again so relatable!). Loved the strong female character and the science lab workplace which made a nice change from all the books set in law firms or advertising!

Not a laugh out loud book, but were some charming funny moments. Can't wait to see more from this author.

Right from the very first page I enjoyed this book and easily became interested in the storyline. Liz and Tom both work as researchers at a University and absolutely hate each other. After many terrible and coincidental events they are forced to share the same work bench and live together. Forced proximity is one of my favourite tropes and always leads to so much angst and tension between the two main characters. I absolutely loved the connection between Liz and Tom, they always have such a fun, playful relationship that’s so enjoyable to read. I also enjoyed the dual pov and being able to see both MC’s thoughts. Tom makes some dumb decisions in the book but I was glad to see his growth and how he learnt from his mistakes. The thing that was missing for me was I wasn’t obsessed with the MC’s. I definitely enjoyed them but I didn’t fall in love with them. However, I did fall in love with their relationship and how much happiness this book brought me which is why I think that this is a great book!

I have a love/hate relationship with the enemies to lovers trope but fancied something light after a busy week at work and this seemed to fit the bill. A STEM setting, set in Glasgow, what more could this British geek want? Macfarlane's writing is witty and well-paced, though a tad repetitive at times. I really liked Liz and Tom, though there were moments when I wanted to yell at Tom to grow up.

Altogether, an enjoyable, fun read for a rainy afternoon. 4 out of 5.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a fun romcom with quirky main characters and a number of side characters that made the story interesting.
What I liked about this book:
- the setting; the main characters were researchers and I liked seeing them interact in a professional setting
- the banter between the characters was entertaining with a number of laugh out loud moments for me
- the tropes; enemies to lovers, forced proximity and age gap (some of my favourites)
- the tension /chemistry between the MCs; it was electric and the dialogue and banter were superb
- the MCs idea of happily ever after did not include marriage and children; it was different from a typical romcom and I appreciated that


What I didn’t like about this book
- the conflict between the two main characters seemed to drag on for a really long time and made sections of the book tedious to read at times

Overall, this was an enjoyable read and I would definitely recommend it to others and look forward to reading other books by this author. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

First off this book was a really fun ride!

I was a bit worried at the start it was feeling a bit forced the way they were thrown together again and again in different situations over the course of a few pages but honestly after a few chapters I was glad for their "forced proximity" !

I absolutely love enemies to lovers books, especially when it's a slow burn and boy oh boy this burn is deliciously slow.

I enjoyed the double pov, it was good to know what was happening in both characters minds as they interacted, especially when as the reader I was thinking they were acting quite childish given their ages. It was nice for them to acknowledge that in their internal monologues.

Overall it was a fun easy read that had me up half the night hooked on every word. I think this is a must read for fans of the Love Hypothesis

Have you ever wanted to get rid of that readers block? You're in luck! You have found what the doctor orders!

Liz hates Tom Handerson! The prick who made her academic life a living hell years ago. Their path will unfortunatly cross again… But fortunately for us reader, she will be forced to spend more time then she wants with Tom, and he will do everything in his power to make her change her mind about what she thought about him…

No surprises there, we know how it ends. But its perfect! It feels like putting on your fav PJ on an early autumn night. Comfy and warm, like the second blanket.

The Unbalanced Equation is the definition of an enemies to lover romance. Slow burn, and I mean burn! Forced proximity, he loved her since forever… And yeah, i’m a sucker for HEA and an epilogue… All there for the happiness of the reader.

I read the book in 2 sittings. I couldn’t wait for the other shoe to drop, I wanted to know if they where finally talk to each other… I got invested to say the least! The characters where well developed and very early on, I found myself rooting for Liz and Tom.

If you haven't guessed it yet, I recommend this book!
You want to get out of a reader's hungover after a series? You want an Happily Ever After (HEA) story that's witty and fun? If you like your romance with a dab of angst, GO and read that book!

Now!

Thanks H.L Macfarlane for the first book of your « Hot Mess Trilogy ». Can’t wait for the next instalment « Courtney Can’t Decide ».

*I added too many exclamation mark in that review and I’m not sorry about it.

A really fast read. It was engaging, funny and a good tale of enemies to .......
Loved the science elements and tales from the labs.
A great read

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

After hitting it off at an office party, Tom is looking forward to pursuing a relationship with Liz until he finds out she is going to be his grad student. He decides the best course of action is to be as harsh with her as possible during the 4 year assignment.

Fast forward to Liz graduating and getting a position at the same university. After an accident forces him to work in a new lab, he and Liz are unable to avoid each other. To make matters worse, he and Liz find out that their parents have been dating and are getting married... and will be moving in with Tom for a while. Soon after, Liz loses her lease and reluctantly agrees to move in as well.

Tom decides this is a good time to show Liz he's not so bad after all....but will she forgive his behavior from the last 4 years...?

Ah. What?

How did I just finish this book about step-siblings who fall in love and ended up giving it 4 stars? I know it sounds weird putting it like that, but...it was good.

So this is an enemies-to-lovers, hard pining book with Dual-POV. Things go a little bit downhill for me because Thomas and Elizabeth, who work together(ish) in STEM and despise (though not really) each other, find out that their parents, Jenny (Tom's mum) and Jim (Liz's dad) fall in love and get engaged. And this is a book about Liz and Tom's relationship (from enemies to "friends" to lovers). What bugs me is the elephant in the room that is...is this incest in some way or not? I mean, they're step-siblings!! And everyone in the book seems okay with that fact! Even the parents!! Am I the only one bothered with this?

Nevertheless, forgetting about that, the story is built very very well. I've read a couple enemies-to-lovers and the MC's end up together in some way even before we reach 50% of the book, which sometimes is unnerving. But with this book, they only got together around 70% of the story, and I loved the tension and the games that were being played so much! It worked so well with the story because the characters didn't felt pushed to be together immediately.

The banter was phenomenal, the writing was simple yet interesting, though some characters did felt a bit left out, or maybe forgotten, it still wasn't something that bothered me enough to lower my rate.

The ending felt a little bit out of place, but knowing that we are going to get more of Liz and Tom in other books (Hot Mess trilogy), maybe it'll work out a bit better. I am curious to see where their relationship ends up and I do have some expectations but that isn't for here.

All in all, it was a good book and I think that STEM/enemies-to-lovers/slowburn/hard pining fans are going to enjoy this one. I know I did. Plus the cover is really cute!

Signing off,
B.

A really well thought out and cute romantic comedy. I loved the STEM aspect of it and I LOVED the Scottish setting. In the vain of The Love Hypothesis or The Soulmate Equation, but without the fake dating. Like with these books, the main coming together doesn't happen until over halfway through the book. But unlike these others, there is such huge tension built up that the reader is not lacking. Several smaller spicy interactions keeps you going. These characters had so much witty banter and such good chemistry that I really found myself rooting for them. I loved the dual POV and the chance to experience events from both perspectives, but events did not repeat which it often does in dual POV. So this made things move along well. The only reason I did not give this book 5 stars was because it was almost 500 pages which is a lot for a rom com. Overall fun and entertaining experience and cannot wait to read the rest.

The unbalanced equation by H.L. MacFarlane

I really enjoyed this book. It starts with a flashback to 4 years ago and the comes back to present day. It follows a FMC who works in STEM. I really enjoyed the banter and chemistry between Liz and Tom. I wanted to slap Tom with some of the decisions he made but I understood the end result he was hoping for even if he was going about it all wrong. He just kept digging himself a bigger hole to try and crawl out of!

If you loved the love hypothesis I think you’d love this also.
This was my first book by H.L MacFarlane but I would 100% read another book by this author as I really enjoyed this storyline. It was also very refreshing to see a FMC who didn’t want marriage and kids but still wanted to settle down in her own way. I really appreciated it not being the typical thing where it revolves around marriage and kids be the only way an FMC can be happy. Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

This was my first book by this author and it was awesome! As someone who works in HigherEd I loved a lot of the environment/setting of the book. The h is a postdoc, and the H is her grumpy/possessive former PhD advisor. The H has been pining for her for years and it creates a hot tension throughout the story that kept me engaged.

The dialogue was really good as well and it was just an all around fun, steamy, workplace rom com.

I can't wait to read more from this author.

As the first book I have read of this author's, I was delightfully surprised and enraptured with The Unbalanced Equation by H.L. Macfarlane. This novel is the Michelle Pfeiffer Catwoman in a universe where all romantic-comedy novels are DC Universe characters; filled with delicious and clever banter arrogantly wrapped inside a shiny black patent pleather shell. It is the perfect novel for all you readers out there that are thirsty for more STEMinist romances or:

- Enemies to Lovers: an initial scene between Tom and Liz is described as a scene from "every shounen anime ever where the camera zooms in first on the hero's face and then the rival's without either of them blinking", and we all know how tense that feeling is

- Miscommunication: SO much miscommunication, or rather lack of communication; certainly the world would be easier if we all just said what we're thinking, but it would be much less interesting

- Forbidden Romance: there is something to be said about a teacher/student power dynamic, even when when it ceases to be the case

- Mr. Darcy Level Pining : instead of pride and prejudice, Tom and Liz have arrogance and history

- Forced Proximity: literally everything, including an expensive sounding laboratory , bursts into flames to keep these two together... and even when there are no physical barriers they keep coming together like magnets

Vicious Banter (straight up almost bullying, but it's somehow incredibly hot): this is not one of those fluffy "enemies to lovers" novels where the adversarial relationship is merely passive; it is straight up aggressive, purposefully spiteful at times in the most intriguing way. As someone who has spent this summer reading a lot of Dramione fanfics, I appreciated this

What I Liked Most About This Book :
- I was mimosa-level horny for Daichi; I wish we could have a prequel novel about him and his wife May. He is such a shit-disturber in the ways only a best friend can be. He was blatantly and delightfully manipulative to either give Tom an opportunity with Liz or maybe just make him suffer so he could laugh.
- This book was truly written for nerds, by a nerd. It was peppered with mentions of anime, fantasy, even You-Gi-Oh because why not. Whose sexual awakening didn't include Tuxedo Mask!?
- Despite there being only a couple of actual sexual scenes, the whole book was actually quite spicy. Even when not explicit, the banter and pining was constant foreplay for the reader. There is something so tingly about two people truly punishing each other with sexual frustration. I felt personally victimized/edged by all the. *almost* moments
- Highlighting the fact that not everyone wants to have a nuclear family with 2.5 children. You can be childless, common law and still be happily in love with a white picket fence.

What I Didn't Like :
- There was a serious missed opportunity to make innuendos or jokes about hentai
- Although Tom is like, ten years Liz's senior, because of how juvenile some of his manipulations were (that asshat), he seemed a lot younger not in the best way. He would have to do a LOT more grovelling (let's reverse that begging kink)
- Liz's Dad - who also seemed quite juvenile when he became a "pick-me" girl pouting about Tom and Liz's fight and the wedding

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

The banter in this was so funny! This book did a good job of twisting together the insta-love troupe with the slow-burn troupe and the enemies to lovers. I will definitely recommend this title to my friends when it is released.

I adored this book. I've always loved a good enemies to lovers trope. Loved the tension and banter between Liz and Tom. Although, I think Tom's best friend, Daichi, was my favorite character. The one thing that bothered me was that it was never explained why Liz had run away from Tom all those years ago. Anywho, I'm loving all these extremely smart and sassy (described as nerdy) female leading roles.

Synopsis:
After suffering four years of scrutiny from her PhD assessor, Elizabeth Maclean believes she’s finally free of Dr Thomas Henderson’s tyranny when she begins her postdoc. But when a fire goes off in Tom’s lab (stupid undergrads) he ends up working in the same lab as Liz.

To make matters worse – and much to their mutual surprise – Tom’s mum and Liz’s dad announce their impending marriage after a whirlwind romance. So when Liz’s landlord tells her to move out, pronto, it tips her over the edge. Desperate for a place to stay and in need of a saviour, the last person Liz expects to offer her a temporary home is Tom himself.

Now stuck working together, living together and planning their parents’ Christmas wedding together, will Liz discover that Tom’s attitude over the last four years was all a ruse to hide his true feelings? Or are the two doomed to fail in their co-existence experiment?

A smart, sexy enemies-to-lovers story perfect for fans of The Hating Game, Book Lovers and The Love Hypothesis,

Thank You NetGalley and BookGoSocial for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love a lab based romance and this book did not disappoint. I would say pick up this book if you loved The Love Hypothesis but wished it was enemies to lovers. This book follows postdoc student Liz, and her former PhD assessor Tom, who made it his life's mission to make Liz miserable to conceal his crush during her time as a student. Once they are forced into close proximity, and the hurdles keeping them apart disappear, we find out if Tom has what it takes to fix his mistakes. You will love these characters, their banter, and the conflict resolution.

This book reminded me a lot of a book I read earlier this year and with some similar tropes, it makes sense why I enjoyed it so much!

So much building on tensions and as fate would have it, of course nothing is going to go to plan! Watching the twists and turns unfold was a splendid experience and there were so many fun parts to digest!

Full review to follow on my blog.

"The Unbalanced Equation" is like a dual POV "The Love Hypothesis". I loved "The Love Hypothesis", so I really enjoyed this book as well. Obviously there were enough differences that it wasn't a total copy-paste. I thought the pacing of the romance was really good, and I loved Liz's character. Good banter between the love interests is my guilty pleasure, and this book had plenty of it!

Women in STEM stories are usually an instant buy for me, so thank you so much Netgalley for the ARC. I always have about 3 books I’m reading at once, but I read the Unbalanced Equation in one sitting. I thought this story was so creative and addictive. It gave me Ali Hazelwood / Love on the brain vibes. And the banter UGH 10/10! I also loved that is was spicy but not too spicy.

This book was such a pleasant surprise. I read this after finishing another STEM based romance and this one definitely deserves the praise and accolades for a book well written. This was delightful, sexy, and funny, so pretty much it’s a complete package in the romcom world.

As I stated I really enjoyed my experience reading this. I will admit at times I thought the book was getting a little long but then the characters would reel me back in and I would be a goner again for the story telling. However, I probably could have used a little more climax (pun intended) after their third act breakup and perhaps a little less wedding details. Either way, I still really liked this book and thought it was a job well done.

Tom. Oh Tom. He needed a swift kick in the pants for most of this book. He’s the quintessential “bad behaviors for right reasons” type of guy. If we break it down he’s very manipulative to Liz in pretty much every conceivable way. She’s quick to forgive and forget and while that’s a good thing I think she needed a few more days of eating ice cream on her friends couch before she rushed off with him into the night.

I enjoyed the sexual tension between these characters. Initially that’s what pulled me in. The chemistry was palatable and I loved it so much. The conversation in the bar with him telling her he’d have sex on the table with her just about gave me a heart attack, but only in the best way possible. The pay off was worth the wait and I was extremely gratified with how that aspect of their relationship panned out.

This book is so close to being a five star but I sometimes struggled with Tom and Liz both stepping over the threshold of is it consensual or is it not? The shower scene (while hot) rubbed me the wrong way, as did the hotel scene where she clearly asked him to leave but he didn’t. I still enjoyed it, but I can see how some people might find that more off putting. Either way I will sing this books praises to anyone willing to listen. Also, I can’t wait for the audiobook to be able to hear Scottish accents. That will just be the frosting on top of the cake.

Loved the banter between the main characters and the chemistry the two had. This was a fast-paced read for me and I really loved it.

3.5 stars, but rounded up to 4 on goodreads!

Elizabeth finally graduated with her doctorate in molecular biology and never has to see her PhD assessor ever again... until she ends up working side by side with him and ends up somehow even closer. This was such a well written enemies to lovers trope! There was the perfect amount of spice and the dual perspective was so fun to read. I love a book set in a STEM University setting- it gave total The Love Hypothesis vibes with an added age gap.

Thank you, Netgalley for the ARC!

i was super excited to read this because who doesn’t love a enemies to lovers STEM rom-com.

it has two POVS which is nice to know how both characters feel within the same moments and i enjoyed the funny sarcastic banter.

even though it was a very short dialogue i loved how the author added something about jenny having a rough birth with thomas, as someone who suffered a severe traumatic birth last year and still struggle to this day it was nice to read in a book because these are real life issues.

the only plot point i didn’t like was the two main characters elizabeths dad and thomas’ mum getting together/married making them step siblings. the two characters were in their older adult years though so i know a lot of people don’t really mind it however that’s just a personal preference but the book was still a light read and i really enjoyed reading it.

thank you netgally for letting me read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this book so absolutely cute! This book gave me “Love Hypothesis” vibes.

While reading, I found myself laughing and smiling uncontrollably. This book incorporated a lot of my favorite reading tropes which included:
• age gap
• enemies to lovers
• and STEM!

Would definitely recommend this book.
4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I really enjoyed this book- who would have thought love would blossom over a set of Gilsons and a Qiagen kit or two!
The plot line, although fairly standard in the romance arena, is well spun and the characters really came to life for me in the lab- true to the tedium of life in a genetics lab- repeating the same experiments over and over!
The chemistry between Tom and Liz is written so well that they leap off the page and the conflicts and resolutions peppered through the text add a little suspense.

When people say forced proximity trope, they really mean it for this title lol!! I love science. I love romance, And I loved this book. It was silly and sweet and all of the tropes that a romance lover could want. It makes me excited to read more from this author!!!!!

Thank you NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC of this book for my honest review! This was such a cute little rom com perfect for anyone looking for a feel good love story! If you loved ‘The Love Hypothesis’, I truly think you will fall in love with these characters and this story! I will definitely be recommending this book to anyone I know who loved the love hypothesis!

I wasn't sure exactly what vibe I would be getting from this book. Liz and Tom were everything. I loved how messy they both were. The thoughts and actions they both had were so absolutely believable. Tom seemed to be cursed with doing something for the 'right' reason but going about it entirely the wrong way. Liz was so absolutely witty and had so much sass to her. They both could be so frustrating that I wanted to reach into the book and slap them both upside the head sometimes to get them to get their acts together. All of the anime references were everything! This was my first book by this author but I truly enjoyed their writing style and will absolutely pick up another book by them. 4.5/5 stars! I was provided an arc for an honest review.

Meeting and attraction at work function but then you have to supervise your eyecandy. It's against ethics to pursue your attraction so you act obnoxiously at every meeting.
Then fate steps in and you are thrown together and can pursue the attraction. But the person you desire dislikes you based on your behaviour..
Can you turn it around and show your true personality whilst navigating new family ties?
Follow Tom and Liz story and enjoy the rollercoaster. I did

Thank you to the publishers for giving me an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

I honestly could not put this book down. I devoured it!

If you're a fan of The Love Hypothesis and the whole women in STEM genre then I'd highly recommend this book! I'm not going to lie I was sold as soon as I saw the cute cartoon cover - who doesn't love them?

Tropes include:
Enemies to lovers
Age gap (11 years - both always legal ages!)
Forced Proximity
He falls fist (and hard!!)
*step-siblings (This was the one I wasn't too sure about and this has been my first book with this trope. However it was never a main theme in regards to their relationship and the story doesn't revolve around it. In fact one of their parents (and in the end both) were wishing for them to get together too!

Liz and Tom meet at a mixer at their work, she is just starting her career and Tom is a professor. He saves her from an awkward conversation and they end up really getting along, insta-crush style. Then Liz turns up to meet her new Professor and oops? It's Tom. He ends up being mean to her (but this helped her excel in her studies) and she HATES him. Flash forward a few years and they both end up at the same restaurant to have a meal with their parents - It just so happens Her dad and his mom are getting married. Will they be able to put their hatred (crushes) aside for their parents?

I truly loved this book and the characters, and Tom's main red flag (all guys have them come on) is wow he makes some dumb choices that could very easily be resolved if not for the miscommunication.

Overall I rated this book four stars and would recommend it to anyone who likes a good cheesy, hea romcom!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

now this one, i LOVED! it gave total slow-burn , love hypothesis vibes. she was beautiful, she was great, you just have to read it.

i read this one so fast, i just couldn’t get enough of it!

read if you love:
🧪ali hazelwood books
🧪 a woman mc in stem
🧪a good slow-burn

special thanks to Netgalley and Macfarlane Publishing for an advanced digital copy!

Described as perfect for fans of The Love Hypothesis, which makes sense because it’s a STEM based romance with a grumpy professor that has been pining after the FMC for years... I just find it strange that the author gave The Love Hypothesis 3⭐️.. anyway

I actually didn’t think it was *that* similar to The Love Hypothesis in the grand scheme of things. There were similar tropes and themes (age gap, STEM / academic workplace, a mean professor who had been secretly pining over a student for years) BUT The Unbalanced Equation is a lot more British & a lot less cringeworthy. I do love American romcoms but as a Brit myself I tend to love romcoms set in the UK even more.

I really enjoyed this!! I liked the characters, even though Tom’s manipulative behaviour was a bit off putting. I’m also not one for massive public displays of affection but the romantic declarations at the end of the book hit me right in the heart!! I’m not ashamed to admit I was tearing up at one point!

The Unbalanced Equation is easy to read; I loved the tropes, the dual POV, and I definitely had a cheesy grin plastered on my face throughout.

I’d definitely recommend this to lovers of romcoms that aren’t too OTT cheesy!

What can I say about this book? I loved it, actually to say that I loved it is not enough.
FINALLY a book where the female protagonist actually has a personality, and it's not all about the love of the male character.
FINALLY a romance where the female has other plans for the future, I can't say much or I'll spoil everything.
I finished this book in a couple of days and it was really slow burning, I just kept turning to page cause I needed to know more, and read more (y'all know what I mean).
To all the men out there, even though Tom Is a bit of a prick he made raise my bar just a little bit higher now.
Read this book, you won't regret it.

*Earc provided by Netgalley*

My word, what a book. I really enjoyed reading this book because who doesn't love reading about Academia and seeing character growth. I went into the book blindly and am glad I decided to read it because it was an amazing read and I cannot wait to explore more from the author.

Thomas Henderson took the possessive hero to another level, even if some of his choices were questionable, the justification he used for himself for them was enough to make us readers believe he did not mean bad but just did not have much foresight.

Liz was a refreshing read, a grumpy woman who stuck to her morals and she was a FMC with whom I related a lot, be it her firm beliefs, her focus on her job and her future and everything in between.

All in all, it was an amazing read and I would recommend you all to add it to the TBR and read it for sure when it drops in a few days.

I had never heard of the author before picking this book simply based on the cover, description and title but man it was so darn good. At times there were some slow parts, but in the end a slow burn was perfect for scientists. I would highly recommend this book and am so glad I got the chance to read the ARC. Definitely add this to your TBR.

Thank you Netgalley for this arc.

This is a double POV love story that I absolutely loved!

We follow Liz as she goes through her studies as a scientific researcher in her late twenties. A woman who refused to settle down for compromises and who has a very annoying, rude, but dangerously handsome Professor Henderson.

Professor Henderson. The man of the hour. A man with a crush, but you know, just a crush right? Oh, how glad he was that Liz got stuck with him day in and day out for three months.

I loved these two. Liz and her complete denial. Tom with his puppy love self. The lengths they went to get on each other's nerves. The banter was five stars.

I do think the story was a tad bit long. And sometimes Tom did feel like a 25 year old guy more so then an almost 40 year old man.

Otherwise I highly recommend this romance book to everyone!

Overview | A heartfelt, witty romance with two charming characters who don’t say what they mean, or mean what they say.
8.5/10 ⭐️
Genre | Contemporary Romance/Women's Fiction
Tropes | Enemies-to-Lovers, Age Gap, Shared Pasts, Forced Proximity, Workplace Romance, STEM
POV | First Person/Present Tense, dual narrators
Heat Level | 🌶🌶, open door, on-page
TW | parental loss, off-page, backstory only
**********
There is so much to like and recommend in The Unbalanced Equation.

Summary: Dr. Elizabeth “Liz” Maclean thinks she’s free from her professional nemesis, Dr. Thomas “Tom” Henderson, as she begins her postdoc job at the University of Glasgow. Fate has another plan, as the two are throw together in both their personal and professional lives. Can these stubborn and smart academics with a complicated personal history find balance in their equation?

In mainstream romcoms we rarely see anything but the nuclear family dynamic as a marker of relationship success. Early on, we know that Liz and Tom’s vision of happily ever after is a childfree-by-choice partnership. Personally, being able to see myself and my own relationship in these characters was such a breath of fresh air. At the same time, the negative reactions Liz experienced as a woman for not wanting that suburban marriage with children felt very true-to-life.

This feels especially interesting in a book that is, at its heart, about family. Liz, Tom, and their parents are going through loss and finding their way through to a new, not better, way of being in a family. The kindness these characters show to each other around this new dynamic, even when those discussions are emotionally painful, is quite beautiful.

In any enemies-to-lovers story, somebody has to not be on their best behavior. Liz and Tom are no exception. Much like in another favorite, The Hating Game, these two are not saying what they mean, or meaning what they say. Unlike that book, we are privy to the inner thoughts of both characters, and get to see what makes them act like big ol’ dummies when confronted with the love of their life.

We don’t have to like the games they play here to see why they played them. There are moments where I wanted to throttle both Liz and Tom and tell them to just spit it out. But then I’m reminded that for people in their place in life, fear is always a part of the equation. Be that fear of rejection, or abandonment, or even looking foolish people clam up when they need to be open.

The relationship in the end felt hard-won and they had such great chemistry we don’t worry about what happens after the epilogue.

Bonus points for the setting. I haven’t read a non-historical set in Scotland perhaps...ever? Now I would like more. Very excited to see this author is writing another one in the series next about the mysterious Simon. I’ll smash that buy button!

**********
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I went into this with the thought it may be like the Love Hypothesis - and while there were very small similarities, it was definitely different.

It's the classic story of man falls for woman, works with her and can't date her, and then they all move in together because their parents get married. Wait, what!? It was the kind of predictable that only the best romance novels can bring.

So many parts of this book made me laugh out loud, get angry (Tom is quite manipulative and then swoony after and it was a little whiplash-like), overall it was a fun read. I didn't personally feel like I could connect with Liz, I just didn't resonate with her at all, but I think she will absolutely resonate with many other readers.

Would definitely recommend this book!

Thank you to Net Galley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

riveting, humorous and compelling.
i loved everything about this book! from the enemies to lovers trope, to the plot that flowed so smoothly throughout the story that i couldn't keep the book down for the life of me.

as a stem student myself, this was so fun to read! the plot twist that brought tom and liz together into one single shared living space after being supposed 'enemies' is something that in all caps I DID NOT SEE IT COMING. the chemistry between the characters was superb, and i have no comments on the oh so obvious tension between tom and liz.
i think it's safe to say that tom is a yandere given his manipulative side (which is completely inexcusable you rich brat) :p

overall, this was such a cute story! i am such a sucker for STEM based romcoms, so i saw the cute cover and the description, and i knew i had to read this book at all costs.

anyways, this book did not disappoint, i reckon i'll reread it over and over again to experience the whole fluffy feeling it gave me.
looking forward to read H.L MacFarlane's other works!

i highly recommend this book to anyone who loved The Love Hypothesis!

thank you netgalley for the ARC.

If you’re a fan of romance… and fancy yourself a little bit of a nerd, this is the story for you! Tom works in a lab and at a mixer meets Liz who has great conversation with and seems all the stars aligned for them to fall in love, that is until Tom finds himself as a superior to Liz and what was love at first sight turns into a relationship that caused Tom to miss Liz from afar. It’s funny in a laugh out loud though out their story and as a former engineering student felt right ay home with the story line taking place in a lab’

As my first novel that I received to review from Net Galley, I couldn't have picked a better launching point. Not only is this book beautifully written, in the style of something that seems real–actual conversations, problems, goals, and interests that people would have– but the characters are people you want to root for. We do get to know the others in the lives of the main two characters, Tom and Lizzie, learning more about them through actions and not just words.
This is not only a in depth, descriptive novel when it comes to bringing the reader into the beautiful country of Scotland but also, with the spice. THE SPICE!
If you are a lover of the enemies to lovers, forced proximity, meet cute tropes, then this book is a breath of fresh air. I hope you like it as much as I did.

ARC read

I enjoyed this book so much! I was engaged with both perspectives of the main characters from the get go. I’m getting into the romance genre and found there were so many funny and relatable moments. If you’re a fan of enemies to lovers and forced proximity tropes with a bit of spice, then this is for you.

With the opening scene, the stage is set between our two main characters Liz and Tom having an instant attraction at a teacher/student mixer at their university. Unfortunately, Tom is assigned Liz’s assessor for her PhD, so he takes the professional approach and decides being an asshole is the best way for them not to like each other over the course of her PhD.

Fast forward 4 years and some unfortunate circumstances sees them having to share the same lab. About 11% in, a twist that no one could have seen coming, places them in more of a forced proximity besides working at the same lab. From there, there’s a bit of manipulation on Tom’s part and game playing on Liz’s part (as revenge for Tom’s treatment during her PhD), to see their relationship grow, in a sort of twisted way.

I enjoyed the interactions between Liz and Tom. For people that can’t talk about their feelings and using sarcasm to deflect, it was funny to read, though also frustrating that they couldn’t communicate at times. Don’t get me wrong, the frustration fit well with the story and admittedly at the end of the book, both MCs accept their need to grow up.

If I wasn’t so busy in my real life, I could have read this book much faster as it’s easy to read, flows well and the story engaging. I definitely wanted to know more of how they would come together and kept turning the page in order to find out more. If I had to put my book down, I was thinking about when I could get back to it. It was nice to read a romance set in Scotland too. Such a great read and the ensemble of characters in the book worked wonderfully. Would recommend to anyone who love romcoms.

4 stars ☆ I was very entertained from the start and their banter with each other was just perfect for me. I also didn't expect the spice in here, it would get you a bit blue balled plenty of times but it's still worth it lmaoo.

But the main reason I picked this book up because of the tropes:

Age gap ✓
Enemies to lovers ✓
Forced proximity ✓
Workplace romance ✓
The guy falls first ✓

Like who wouldn't want to read this book?! Definitely recommend if you liked these types of tropes.

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for the ARC !!

I've been looking for STEM romances. Why? I am 100 percent an English major, and science tanked my GPA in school. However, Ali Hazelwood put a longing in me for these kinds of books, and HL Macfarlane didn't disappoint.

The banter, oh my GOD, THE BANTER. I am a sucker for good banter, and this EXCELLED. The storyline is a little complicated with a bunch of oh my god conflict moments, but holy crap it delivers. The angst got me a little bit (I'm incredibly impatient) and Tom was manipulative and they both were a tad immature, but overall, I enjoyed the plot and the characters. This book had me laughing out loud constantly, especially with the banter. The banter makes this book.

The Unbalanced Equation was an absolute hoot! Tom and Liz are two scientists who absolutely hate each other because of an interaction when they first met...or do they? When they find themselves living together (along with their parents!) due to some unforeseen circumstances, the forced proximity causes them to reevaluate how they really feel about each other. Tom and Liz were both extremely relatable as they tried to navigate their adult lives while falling in love! Their journey, while being full of mimosas, anime, tulips, and some heartbreak, is one that will entertain any reader who joins them. (Also, I don't think I've ever before enjoyed a side character shipping our main characters as much as one of them did in this book.)

Love!! Has a very unique twist to the enemies-to-lovers trope, there is back and forth sarcasm. Fun times!
Has science talk and anime which I know nothing about, but did not distract me from the overall story. Dual POV, love it. Gives the reader a chance to see into the mind of both characters and their feelings of one another. Has a nice flow, very easy read.

I absolutely enjoyed this book!! I thought it was going to be really similar to The Love Hypothesis, but other than it being a STEM based workplace romance it really wasn't the same! Liz and Tom were such fun characters and I loved the drama surrounding them. Tom was so sweet at times but some of the manipulation was extremely questionable. I loved Jenny and Tim and they were so adorable. You should absolutely give this book a try if you like romcoms, workplace romances and age gaps :)

This book was great. Both characters are flawed but the sexual tension you could feel through the book was intense. Can't wait for more from this author.

Thank you @netgalley for my copy of this eARC in exchange of my unbiased opinion.

Liz is a postdoc student who has finally escaped her PhD assessor’s undeserved and over the top criticisms - or so she thinks. Tom has finally made it through the toughest few years of his professional career and is thankfully no longer his dream girl’s assessor. Unfortunately, he’s also blown any chance he may have had with her by being overly critical to try and keep their relationship professional. That is, until life continually tosses them back at each other. First with the announcement of their parents engagement - who even knew they were dating? Then, with a fire in Tom’s lab that has him moving into Liz’s work space for months on end. Followed up by Liz suddenly needing a place to live and having to move in with Tom and their parents. Will their close proximity have Liz seeing Tom in a whole new light? Or will it confirm what she’s thought of him all along?

This was such a witty and steamy read! I love a good enemies-to-lovers, and this one was so well written and had the perfect amount of steam!

This one gets 4⭐️‘s from me!

I really enjoyed this book! The way that they moved from work rivals to a closer relationship as a result of their parents was such a different type of story and it worked AMAZING!

4 🌟's!

📝 tropes: enemies to lovers, workplace rom, forced proximity, forbidden/taboo rom, stem rom, banter, age gap
🌶 spice: 2.9/5
❌ CW: sexual harassment

hello was not expecting this to be this good??? i randomly decided to pick this ARC up on Netgalley after reading the premise and it sounding intriguing... little did i know how trope-tastic and fun this one was going to be!

this one has a kind of bonkers plot??? that i was very much here for. tom and liz meet in an earlier timeline where they actually hit it off and were almost getting to second base but things happened and the next thing ya know, our hero, Doctor Thomas Henderson, a PhD assessor, is being assigned to assess our heroine, Elizabeth Maclean, forcing him to switch gears and make their what-coulda-been romance into a strictly professional one. aka, he's a man and starts treating her like shit/coldly for the rest of her doctorate years.
they meet once more when Liz is pursuing her post-doc and Tom has to work in the same lab as her but no more are they buddy buddy.. we get our enemies to lovers entry and a sizzling attraction GAH🤩 the forced proximity doesn't stop there my friends! my jaw dropped when the plot became that both our MC's parents are actually GETTING MARRIED???!?!?! i was very (still am) kinda weirded out that that they are technically step-siblings🥴 but for romance purposes, im just gonna act like that's not a thing lol. so yeah, the setup for this book was so chaotic but fun and slightly messy and i absolutely ate it up.

i could not put this one down you guys!! the banter, the tension, the hate to love.. everything just works🤌🏽 we have a lot of cute moments where they go to halloween parties together, watch anime and cuddle, get snowed in, etc. and it was all just so !!! coupley-romantic in that contemporary way and i freaking adored it🥺

i definitely think it could've shortened down a lot more bc i found myself skimming the last 10% for sure and some background stuff throughout.. nevertheless, i was pleasantly surprised by how much i enjoyed this contemporary, stem romance ... this gave what ali hazelwood's love on the brain should've given 🥲 highly recommend it tho friends!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to the author for e-ARC via Netgalley. Releases 9/15/22!

Review Posted on Instagram and Good Reads.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐄𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 was a super fun cute read and I loved it! If you liked The Love Hypothesis and Love on the Brain then you’ll LOVE THIS!
🔬
Elizabeth Maclean thinks she’s finally free from her PhD assessor, Dr Thomas Henderson. In the last 4 years, all he has ever been is an asshole to her. Now that she has found her first big job postdoc, it’s the first time she feels like she can stretch her legs and do what she does best in the lab. However, when Thomas’s lab gets damaged in a fire and shuts down for repairs, he ends up working with side by side with Elizabeth for 3 months.
🔬
What else could be thrown at Elizabeth?

Well her widowed father could be getting married to another widower, who just happens to be Thomas’s mother…🫣🫣

Then… her landlord tells her she needs to move out leaving her homeless. So she moves in with her father, who moved with his future bride, who moved in with … you guessed it Thomas… 🤪

Before this all happened though, 4 years before to be precise, Elizabeth and Thomas were just Liz and Tom who met at a university mixer where sparks flew…

And so the whirlwind of angst, sexual tension, fun, manipulation and redemption begins! Knowing that they both had the hots for each other back when they first met and now they have to work together, You are almost cheering for Liz and Tom to finally to GET.IT.ON. 👀

"𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐜𝐤 𝐮𝐩?"
"𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐲𝐞𝐭."
"𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐝𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲."

The Scottish backdrop is beautiful 😍 As one of the countries on my list to visit at least once in my life, I found I was using Google Maps to see all the places that were mentioned. Love seeing stuff on satellite view 🤣

Such a great read. Thank you to @netgalley and @macfarlane_lantern_publishing for the 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐩𝐲 in exchange for an honest review.

If you love:

🔬 Lust Meet Cute to Enemies to Friends to Lovers
🧫 Anime loving lead characters
🔬 STEM (both h and H)
🧫 Scotland backdrop 😍
🔬 Age Gap (11 years)
🧫 Forced Proximity

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars

Release Date Sept 15th!

If you read The Love Hypothesis and thought, “I wish this were enemies to lovers and also had more spice,” then The Unbalanced Equation is for you.

Set in Scotland, the book follows Elizabeth, who just landed a postdoc position and has to share a lab with Professor Tom Henderson – the Ph.D. assessor who made her life hell, but whom she has a lingering crush on anyway.

Then, the two of them find out that:
• their parents are engaged to each other
• they’ll be moving in together
• neither of them can ignore the attraction they feel

So they decide to torture each other. The banter is 💯, the spice is very hot, and the facts that they both love anime and neither wants marriage or kids make them feel refreshing rather than carbon copies from other books.

I will say that I didn’t adore Tom – it’s pretty much the first time I’ve found a character who would absolutely be considered a rake a little lacking – and I wanted to see a bit more groveling from him for everything he put Elizabeth through. But, I am an Aries, so of course I did.😆 Nevertheless, I appreciated his flaws and character development!

Ultimately, The Unbalanced Equation is a quick read that’s a whole lot of tropey, spicy romcom-y fun – and it might even have you looking into anime.

🌟: 3.75
🌶: 2.5

Fun and cute enemies to lovers workplace romance with a twist. The plot is pretty convoluted - they end up working together AND their parents are engaged. This is after they had a one-night kind of thing. But, somehow it all works and we are rooting for them to finally work it out, because it is clear (for better or worse) they belong together.

The Unbalanced Equation
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Romance
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 9/15/22
Author: H.L. Macfarlane
Publisher: BooksGoSocial
Pages: 416
Goodreads Rating: 3.48

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and BooksGoSocial and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: After suffering four years of scrutiny from her PhD assessor, Elizabeth Maclean believes she’s finally free of Dr Thomas Henderson’s tyranny when she begins her postdoc. But when a fire goes off in Tom’s lab (stupid undergrads) he ends up working in the same lab as Liz. To make matters worse, Tom’s mum and Liz’s dad announce their impending marriage after a whirlwind romance. So when Liz’s landlord tells her to move out, pronto, it tips her over the edge. Desperate for a place to stay and in need of a saviour, the last person Liz expects to offer her a temporary home is Tom himself.

My Thoughts: My favorite trope is the enemies to lovers trope and this one is 100% with STEM and forced proximity splashed in. This was a feel good romcom that I devoured pretty quickly. The story is narrated by Liz and Tom, in a dual POV. I love when you get both sides of the romance, it gives you the full story. The characters were well developed with depth, witty banter, chemistry, tension, and creatively written. The author’s writing style was complex, had steamy tension, created that wonderful banter, and kept me engaged. If you love The Love Hypothesis or The Hating Game, this is the book for you! I absolutely adored this book. This book releases on 9/15/22 and I would suggest preordering!

I live for great, quick witted dialogue. The Unbalance Equation is filled with smart banter. I couldn’t stop smiling and laughing. Tom made some morally questionable choices, Liz valiantly puts him in his place. This book was fun and the perfect fall read.

Gosh I just really enjoyed this book. I loved the banter between Tom and Liz. This book kinda had it all.
-Dual POV
-Enemies to Lovers
-Work Place Romance
- Second Chance
-Women of STEM
-Spice

Tom fell for Liz in there first meeting but didn't get a chance to act on it. Then the very next day finds out he has to mentor her and then places her in the no go zone. Yeah he goes about not acting on his feeling wrong but then he gets a second chance on making her his.

This was the fist I read anything by this author and I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading other of her books.

To say I’m obsessed would be an understatement. A hot, intelligent, wealthy man with similar taste and goals as the main female character, yes, please! I loved the dual perspective so we got to see how much they liked each other and were complete idiots about it. Did I think someone needed to slap Tom (the male main character) in the face a few times for being manipulative? Yes, a few times.

Read this book in one sitting. We love women in Stem!

Now to some things I didn’t love but understood that it needed to occur for there to be a plot. Their parents' engagement is the thing that brought them together and the Mom’s not-so-subtle remarks get them together. Tom’s lab burns down forcing him to be in the same lab as her.

At first, I was putting off reading this book because I thought it was going to be The Love Hypothesis again - younger female, hunky angry advisor, STEM, etc. I'm so glad I pushed past those initial feelings because I truly enjoyed this book.

The Unbalanced Equation follows Tom and Liz, four years after they hit it off at a party. Four years after he unexpectedly became her PhD advisor and turned into a massive jerk. In multiple ways, after they thought they'd finally gone their separate ways, their lives are intertwined more than they ever expected. Can he redeem himself after four years of being her worst nightmare? Can she reconcile the old Tom with the new Tom she's seeing now? Read and find out!

I do feel there was a missed opportunity to talk more about Liz's desires to go into gene therapy and Tom's pivot into that field himself. It felt like both wanted to go that way because of losing their parents, but it was never stated. It felt like a missed chance for emotional bonding.

Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for this ARC.

Reading the first chapter, I didn’t want this book to suck me in — I’m not a science person or someone even remotely familiar with anime. Turns out the book was adorable, funny, and compelling regardless of my quibbles.

I read this one in two sittings! A great enemies turned lovers plot with lots of laugh out loud moments along the way!

I really really loved this book !

First it has everything you need : Really great characters, ennemies to lovers and force proximity.
She is a badass, he has a HUGE crush on her, what more can I say.

AND ... they don't want to get married or have kids !! I didn't even know I needed a representation but it felt so good. This book will stay close to my heart thanks to that ! (and this point didn't even change my rating on the book, that's how great I think this book is).

...

"Miss M-"
"Doctor"
"Of course. Doctor Maclean. I didn't mean to offend you."
"I'm sure, Doctor Henderson".
"It's Professor now."
"I know. I meant to offend you."

4,5 ⭐️
Okay where to begin, I’m in love. With this book, with the plot, with the characters, with the setting, with the tropes…Yeah you get the gist right? I devoured this book in one day, it was an easy read, and not too long and not too short.

Some of the tropes in this book are: Enemies to lovers, STEM, close proximity, misunderstanding, the guy falls first, teacher-student, age gap, Rich/poor.

The characters have really funny banter and I keep hearing them saying it in this lovely scottish accent. Which is another thing I loved in this book, that it’s set in Scotland! Makes me really want to go there on my next holiday. And I mean, who else really want to be able to go see Toms townhouse and the family estate in real life?

Also lastly I find it so refreshing that the authour writes about not wanting to have kids and get married! This is a topic that needs to be put into these kinds of books so much more, since it’s still (in 2022) taboo to not want to have kids.
Thanks Netgalley and H.L Macfarlane for letting me read this amazing book! Lots of love, Frida

Who doesn’t love a good enemies to lovers with forced proximity set in a STEM background?! This was such a cute rom com and is truly a combo of two of my favorite books, The Hating Game and The Love Hypothesis. If you are a fan of any of the above do yourself a favor and pick up this book.

This story is simply delightful. The book’s description says that it’s perfect for fans of The Hating Game and The Love Hypothesis and I couldn’t agree more. It’s definitely enemies to lovers between two scientist who find their lives suddenly tangled together at the turn of a few events. Between all the banter, angst and witty remarks exchanged between the characters, I had a lovely time reading this book.

I do love a good rom-com and I have to say that The Unbalanced Equation was a very enjoyable rom-com. A fun haters to lovers story with a few unexpected interesting twists.

I had high hopes for this one and it did not disappoint.

There are many enemies-to-lovers novels on the market currently, and as one of my favourite tropes, I was so excited to pick this up. This novel has leapt up my favourites list as it is just so funny. I laughed out loud numerous times.

I loved that it was set in Scotland too! 'The Unbalanced Equation' also features nods to many nerdy pop culture favourites which really helped to ground it in reality.

The characters are really likeable and I enjoyed the dual perspective. Tom (the male love interest) was written brilliantly - it felt so fresh and believable to read which really enhanced the story.

If you like slow burn, sexy romances then this one is definitely for you!

'The Unbalanced Equation' by H.L. Macfarlane will inevitably be compared to 'The Love Hypothesis'. It is an enemies to lovers romance set in a lab. I honestly feel like that is where the comparisons end - a romance in stem does not have to be like the others! Reading this book has also made me realise the issue with a lot of other enemies to lovers romances; these couples are never really 'enemies'. Whereas, Tom and Liz are actually pretty vile to each other before the sparks turn into sexual tension - this made their arc a lot more satisfying and their connection a lot more steamy!

When I read the blurb, that not only are Tom and Liz forced to share a bench in the lab, but their parents are getting married AND they have to live together, that sounds pretty farfetched. Macfarlane actually pulls it off pretty believably at a good pace at the beginning, the forced proximity of the lab and the house elevating the manipulation, game playing and attempts at revenge to a twisty and enjoyable place.

Overall, where this plot is going is really obvious. Plus, Tom makes some majorly shifty and questionable decisions to manipulate Liz... However, I could not resist the allure of this cheesy story, couple with excellent chemistry and realistic enemies to lovers arc. 5 guilty pleasure stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.