Not in Love
Ratings97
Average rating3.5
I think I'm into Ali Hazelwood's books because of the way she describes people personality and quirkiness. You easily relate to the characters and it makes the story more complex and real. Still a fan of the academia vibe!
If you like Ali Hazelwood's other books I think you will enjoy 'Not In Love'. Be aware that this book is definately more adult as it covers some more serious topics but also more frequent and intense intimacy. Overall, I enjoyed reading this! It isn't the best book in the world, nor is it trying to be, but I had fun on the ride. I read this as a buddy read with my best friend, and we were kicking our feet and giggling as per usual with AH.
Contains spoilers
I`d give this book 3,5-4 stars - I liked it a lot, but I doubt I will pick it for reread any time soon.
I have read all Ali's previous STEM novels, but this one is different, maybe a bit more serious. Don`t get me wrong, we still have all the usual Ali Hazelwood Things TM, like a scientist girl going through something (Rue); a big muscular handsome man, who was captivated by her from the first sight (Eli); some very funny friend of the MC; a happy ending.
The main difference can be seen on the first page - Ali herself warns us about certain trigger-warnings. The main characters are more complex now, both Rue and Eli have been through a lot and we see how it affects them (and their relationships) now. Compared with Love, Theoretically, the difference is huge! (yes, I think that MCs in Love, Theoretically were flat, especially Adam! Still enjoyed it though, but will not return to it again).
I also had a feeling while reading, as if there was less humor and less science in this one, probably because the author focused deeply on the traumatic past of MCs, and their healing and development. It was still quite funny, and warm, and lighthearted to a degree, but it's the characters` past that gives the book a more serious tone - it's kinda their thing from the beginning to share their deepest, darkest secrets with each other.
Another big difference - the main heroine. She is no longer a small, delicate, struggling academic. This time we see a young woman, who is tall, calm (at least she looks calm and composed), has a decent job that she likes, and, in her own words, was born without a sense of humor. What a change, right? It was very refreshing to see a new type of MC in classic Ali Hazelwood setting, I'm really glad that Ali`s books are becoming slightly more complex while still remaining classic and unmistakable Ali Hazelwood`s booksTM (looking right at you, Love, Theoretically!).
Eli - he is nice, especially through Rue`s eyes. We have all the classics: he's tall, successful, and obsessed with Rue, but is still interesting to observe their dynamic. This time he does not fall in love at first sight (he is obsessed with her body at first sight. Why, you may ask? I have no idea), and we can actually see some development in their relationship. It is still very obviously He Falls First kinda thing. There are chapters from his point of view, but I maintain that Ali Hazelwood cannot write MMC POV in a non-creepy way (that Adam`s chapter haunts me to this day!). And yet it helps the story, and not everything is creepy, some of it quite nice; we can see some other sides of MMC beyond his obsession with a girl, and that's a win!
I really enjoyed Not in love, and I like that Ali Hazelwood tries different things while keeping her style. Some people don't like the predictability of her books, but I do, as I always know what to expect, and can enjoy humor, scientific topics and romance in the process. I read this one in two days, and even though I knew how things will end for MCs, I was still invested in other story lines (the one with business side of things - tbh, I expected more justice for some characters, and if you read previous books, than it will be easy to guess who villain is, though not right from the beginning, I`ll give Ali that). Oh, and this book is very 18+.
Enjoy! (but pls check trigger-warnings first)
Really solid. I do think I need to take a wee break from Hazelwood. Her novels are all GREAT, and very spicy, but there is a tiny bit of sameness across books (maybe it's the STEMinist stuff, which I also love, so take this with a grain of salt) that I just need a pause from. Still, this was no exception to her general excellence, and might be my favorite, sexiest couple. Hazelwood really compassionately portrays neurodivergence (and not from a deficit perspective), and I think this is her kinkiest yet. So I'm sure I'll be back before too long.
So for a romance novel the plot wasn't bad - girl works for a company, dude comes in doing a hostile takeover and they realise they're into each other. Otherwise though I just skimmed over all the smut, and the guy is a huge simp for the girl which is pretty cringe too.
HOLY SPICE BATMAN!!!!
Not what you would normally get with Hazelwood so be prepared for that
And thus concludes the yearly summer-month quadruple of new releases by Emily-Henry, Carley Fortune, Annabel Monaghan and Ali Hazelwood.
He tenido sentimientos encontrados con este libro. Tiene una temática bastante diferente al resto de libros de Ali. Al principio me costó bastante conectarme a la historia, lo bueno es que una vez que coge ritmo, engancha bastante. También, me hacía mucha ilusión que en este libro (en comparación con el resto de los libros de Ali) tuviese dos puntos de vista. Pero la de Rue (la protagonista) es en primera persona y la de Eli (el protagonista) es en tercera persona; y la verdad que me desconectaba mucho del libro.
Ranking de libros de Ali actualizado:
1. Novia
2. Jaque mate al amor
3. La teoría del amor
4. La hipótesis del amor
5. La química del amor
6. No es amor
4/5 - Ooohhhh weeeee!!! I am in the MINORITY on this one because I actually enjoyed this story. I am set to believe everyone ignored the name of the book and the author's note at the beginning which clearly stated this was more about the physical attraction of 2 people and this story deviates from what she is used to writing. Therefore, I knew exactly what I was getting into when I started reading. I think the turnoff for the readers was due to the erotic scenes, which I enjoyed. Again, the author notes stated this was more of an erotic romance. While the FMC (Rue) was off putting at times, she explained why. I appreciated how the MMC (Eli) got down! A boss in the street and a freak in the sheets! Sign me up. I also enjoyed the corporate drama that was occurring so that really kept me glued. I'm interested in indulging in Ali's catalog as this was my first book of hers.
The author's note at the forefront of this book was well-warranted; this was not just another Ali Hazelwood STEM rom-com.
This wasn't swoony, or humorous, or super science and academia-based like her previous works. And no, it's not a paranormal vampire-werewolf arranged marriage story either. This is entirely new territory that leaned into the contemporary fiction more than the contemporary romance, focused more on a business scandal in the science industry than the science itself, and is more emotional and sexual than funny and cute. And I gotta say, I wasn't as disappointed as I expected to be.
I'm a huge fan of Hazelwood, having now read all of her published novels all in this year, and I would consider her to be one of my favorite authors of all time. Not to say I haven't had a bump in the road with one of her stories in the past, but she's one of those authors where I come away from her books feeling emotionally drained and pleasantly empty every single time. With her smol sassy and lovable main characters and her big swoony simp male love interests and so much scientific information packed in that I'm forced to remember that I graduated high school with a 2.4 GPA, I can't help but love her works better than most.
However, this was nothing like those works. Not In Love was a story of healing from past traumas, some of which I could relate to. Dealing with food insecurity and an unstable home life is something I'm no stranger to, so I felt a connection to Rue right away. She's not your typical Hazelwood FMC though, as she doesn't come off as an adorable, likeable ray of sunshine. While it was refreshing to see a new kind of FMC, it kind of made me miss Olive, Bee, and Elsie. I also loved Eli's story, and the mystery behind Florence was so well done- better than the one in Bride, in my humble opinion. I also liked that this was Hazelwood's first foray into a fully dual point-of-view novel. I've been wanting to see dual-POV since reading the Adam's POV bonus content in The Love Hypothesis and I hope she continues this style in her future rom-coms. Plus, the fact that all of her novels are intertwined and set in the same universe is awesome. I loved the Check & Mate reference, it literally made me freak out lol.
In the end, I think this is another great novel from Ali Hazelwood- so long as you go in knowing what to expect. <3
3.5 ⭐ // At first, I couldn't put this book down. Two weeks later, I struggled to pick it back up. As much as I like spice, I think there was too much of it in this book – the plot was totally forgotten. The book did make me laugh at some points though, so yay?
Note: This is a personal rating. I'm sure this will be a five star book for someone else.
There's an author disclaimer at the start that this one is different in tone from her previous books and that is accurate. It still feels like an Ali Hazelwood book to me, but one aimed at a different audience than her earlier books. Reviews are going to be split. People who loved TLH and LT are probably going to be disappointed. People who read those but wanted something different will probably be pleased. If you really loved the STEM and slow burn aspects in previous books then you might need to adjust your expectations.
It deals with more serious subject matters and is less romcom/STEM focused. I wanted a bit more plot. I was more invested in the Harkness group and their take over than I was in Rue and Eli's relationship which is unfortunate because them hooking up feels like a solid 50% of the book. The chemistry between them just didn't click for me. I also had everything figured out fairly early on, so it was frustrating to have to wade through the different phases of Rue coming to terms with things.
There are a lot of things I really like about it. Overall it has a really great attitude about consent and boundaries. They're discussed often, without shame, and checked in with along the way. Rue specifically has some trauma that affects her day to day life and it's met with respect and understanding from all the characters that matter. There's a big theme of being loved exactly for who you are which is always nice. Rue and Eli are both charming in their own ways. Their banter is fun and I feel like we got to know them both decently.
I liked reading it and would still recommend it to others, I just don't think hookup-to-lovers is my genre. I won't be rereading this but will read more Ali Hazelwood in the future.
I liked it, but not as much as Ali Hazelwood's other books. I think I was missing some of the relationship developing moments. I do get from the author's note that this was also meant as more of an erotic romance than a romcom, which I didn't mind, but I still would have liked a bit more non-sex focussed interactions in between the sex I think. I did pick it up with the intention of reading a romcom like her other books though, so maybe this is also somewhat on me. Would still recommend it if you like her other books, just be aware of the focus going into it.
It takes a minute (okay, a solid third of the book) to really GET Rue. But her trust is hard-won for very good reasons, and Eli is a unicorn man. He does the work to earn her trust, he's a fan of sober and enthusiastic consent, and his giant dog is perfect.
What I love most about this book—and I do love it—is that it didn't seem contrived in the way most romances do. I believed the subplots that bolstered the main one about Eli and Rue's relationship.
It seemed real that a corporate takeover or slimy executive could cause mistrust in one's personal life, enough mistrust to derail a relationship.
Rue was naturally hesitant in her most normal interactions with other human, male or female, with the exception of sex. That was just a clinical necessity to her that could be handled matter-of-factly. The more dispassionately (here's my list of preferences and deal-breakers, take ‘em or leave ‘em.) Really there was always someone willing to play the sex game for one night because she didn't believe in second meetups. That was for people who wanted more than she could offer.
Eli thought he could be equally dispassionate, but he was fooling himself. His whole life had been one passionate act after another. Life had pushed him hard and he was managed, like a genius and skilled ice skater, to stay upright. And moral.
The fact that the two of them struggled to connect, Rue especially, wasn't helped by the jobs they had. His: corporate takeovers. Hers: the corporation being taken. It was a scientist (her) and a numbers guy, both finally making the money they needed. Really needed. Their desired outcomes, business-wise, were polar opposites. Of course they couldn't have a connection. Nothing permanent. She was willing to settle for less. He was willing to settle for anything, but that didn't seem like it would work.
BTW, the sex is hot, hot, hot.
Ali Hazelwood hits it outta the park with this one. Give it a read.
Es el libro que menos me ha gustado de la autora (hasta ahora). No sentí su esencia, y por momentos ni parecia un libro de Ali.
Si bien la historia es entretenida, para pasar el rato. Siento que es un libro sin más, el cual probablemente en unos días olvides.
No conectas con los personajes, y no llegas a engancharte ni entender la historia, no sé, todo raro. No me convenció.
Lo que destaco es que, al igual que todos los libros de Ali, está muy bien escrito y como dije, es entretenido, y se lee rapidísimo. Pero me dejó con gusto a poco.
Resumiendo diría que es un libro “meh”.
Hazelwood is just...so skillful at the writing things I care about. She writes characters with realistic problems who are already on the road to growing into who they should be, not having to be convinced by 75% through the book that they should take the first baby steps on the road to recovery. Friends are loyal to each other, and friendships between peers and men and women feel real. Believably quirky and believably smart people interacting in believable ways. Interesting, interesting problems (professional, personal, systemic). Sex isn't a decoration but literarily a tool of developing character, plot, conflict, etc. (It's not gratuitous, though may I say–the content warning should be heeded.) Skillfuly plotted (and edited–I see you there, editor, shaping this so tightly and making every scene and paragraph count) with believably complex conflict...which is a subject in need of a verb, but I'm going to bed, so, whatever.
Anyway, I'm still processing, and since the last few books I've gotten though have been fine but also kind of meh, I'm re-reading this one instantly to appreciate how all the threads are woven together, and because I'm in the bush for a month and want to re-read something so I shall. Maybe I'll go back and re-read Bride. Just because Hazelwood is skillful and insightful and good.
I those “Hazelwood is not for me” reviews and I feel you, as that's been my chief reaction to about 8 books I started in the past few weeks. However, “Hazelwood's books are for me” might be the TL;DR of this review.
Edit: I re-read the book the day after I read it the first time I'm in the bush and there's not a lot to do, so why not re-read a book I gobbled down too quickly the first time? I also wanted to pick appart what about it worked so well for me, to wit:
-Gender relations. I love how men and women treat each other (the heroes, not the villains) with honesty, friendship, in integral community.
-Multiculturalism/multi-nationalism assumed. The interesting last (and first) names! The people in any of Hazelwood's worlds are just varied in nationality/ethnicity in a totally assumed way where nobody is a token. This matches my world (I'm an expatriate American living in the western Pacific).
-No wasted background characters, scenes, details, or conflicts, and no tropey tropes. The details are complex and interesting and exist to further the characters and plot. Anything that approaches a trope is of sufficient complexity to make me think, “Ah! This kind of poignant situation is why this devolved into tropes, but this just feels like life.”
-Honesty is sexy. What does he like about her? “incessant honesty.” What is he like, asks her friend? “Honest.” Swoon! I love, love characters who tell the truth.
-Communication is sexy. These characters know their own minds pretty well and are willing to communicate. I LOVE that.
-But also: I wish there were fewer sex scenes and f-bombs; my preference would be for fewer (or none; I'm in this genre for the emotional journey not the sex details).
OK, now I'm off to re-read some other Hazelwood. Woot!
Not my favorite. I liked the dual narration, but I wasn't a big fan of the overall story. Not bad, but just okay.