From the author of TikTok sensations and global bestsellers The Love Hypothesis and Love on the Brain
Rival physicists collide in a vortex of academic feuds and fake dating shenanigans in this delightfully STEMinist romcom.
The many lives of theoretical physicist Elsie Hannaway have finally caught up with her. By day, shes an adjunct professor, toiling away at grading labs and teaching thermodynamics in hopes of landing tenure. By other day, Elsie supplements her meager paycheck by offering her services as a fake girlfriend, tapping into her expertly honed people-pleasing skills to embody whichever version of herself the client needs.
Honestly, its a pretty sweet giguntil her carefully constructed Elsie-verse comes crashing down. Jack Smith, the annoyingly attractive and arrogant older brother of her favorite client, turns out to be the cold-hearted experimental physicist who ruined her mentors career and tarnished the reputation of theorists everywhere. And hes the same Jack Smith who dominates the physics department at MIT, standing directly between Elsie and her dream job.
Elsie is prepared for an all-out war of scholarly sabotage, but those long, penetrating looks? The way she doesnt have to be anything other than her true self when shes with him? Will falling into an experimentalists orbit finally tempt her to put her most guarded theories on love into practice?
Praise for Ali Hazelwood and her novels:
Ali Hazelwood proves that science is sexy as hell, and that love can ‘STEM’ from the most unlikely places. She’s my newest must-buy author.
Jodi Picoult
I cannot get enough of her brand of brainy romance! Writing with an emotionally brilliant and witty pen, Hazelwood is an absolute romance powerhouse.
Christina Lauren, author of The Unhoneymooners
Gloriously nerdy and sexy, with on-point commentary about women in STEM.
Helen Hoang, author of The Heart Principle
Proves that STEM can be sexy!
Red
Readers love The Love Hypothesis:
“Did I read this in 24 hours? Yes.”
“Funny. Snarky. Intelligent. Real.”
“If you’re even slightly thinking about getting this book, just go ahead and do it.”
“Ali Hazelwood has made herself an auto-buy author.”
“It was just… perfect.”
“A heroine you will instantly fall in love with.”
The Love Hypothesis was on the Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller lists in January 2022, and Love on the Brain also made the Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller lists in August 2022.

“The reigning queen of STEM romance.”–The Washington Post

An Indie Next and Library Reads Pick!

Rival physicists collide in a vortex of academic feuds and fake dating shenanigans in this delightfully STEMinist romcom from the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis and Love on the Brain.

The many lives of theoretical physicist Elsie Hannaway have finally caught up with her. By day, she’s an adjunct professor, toiling away at grading labs and teaching thermodynamics in the hopes of landing tenure. By other day, Elsie makes up for her non-existent paycheck by offering her services as a fake girlfriend, tapping into her expertly honed people-pleasing skills to embody whichever version of herself the client needs.

Honestly, it’s a pretty sweet gig–until her carefully constructed Elsie-verse comes crashing down. Because Jack Smith, the annoyingly attractive and arrogant older brother of her favorite client, turns out to be the cold-hearted experimental physicist who ruined her mentor’s career and undermined the reputation of theorists everywhere. And he’s the same Jack Smith who rules over the physics department at MIT, standing right between Elsie and her dream job.

Elsie is prepared for an all-out war of scholarly sabotage but…those long, penetrating looks? Not having to be anything other than her true self when she’s with him? Will falling into an experimentalist’s orbit finally tempt her to put her most guarded theories on love into practice?