Ali Hazelwood's first romance novel, The Love Hypothesis, is a delightful romp through the corridors of scientific academia. She ably captures the world of panicky students, demanding professors and the amusing neuroses of a lovable Ph.D. student who's gotten herself in a pickle again.
As a third-year doctoral student, Olive Smith should be smarter than this, but in a desperate attempt to convince her best friend Anh that she's happily dating someone, Olive randomly kisses the nearest man in the hallway. Unfortunately, that happens to be Dr. Adam Carlsen, the hotshot curmudgeon of the biology department. Anh is cautiously optimistic that Olive won't be so lonely anymore, and backs off pressuring her to date, which means that Olive has to keep the ruse going. To her astonishment, Dr. Carlsen agrees to her scheme, and Olive finds herself fake-dating the hottest, grumpiest man at Stanford. This has unexpected ramifications for both Adam and Olive, as they're forced to face preconceptions they had about each other and navigate the social world of Stanford as a couple.
Hilarious and heartwarming, The Love Hypothesis is romantic comedy at its best. Tackling serious issues--such as the lack of women in scientific academic settings, as well as trauma that both Olive and Adam faced in the past--with a deft hand, Ali Hazelwood has created a superbly funny romance with depth. This debut novel is a perfect amalgamation of sex and science, sure to appeal to readers of Christina Lauren or Abby Jimenez. --Jessica Howard, bookseller at Bookmans, Flagstaff, Ariz.