Ali Hazelwood (Bride; Love Theoretically; Love on the Brain) turns up the heat in Not in Love, a sizzling contemporary romance featuring a biotech engineer and the man trying to take over the company she loves.
After a tough childhood and years of study, Rue Siebert finally has the job of her dreams at Kline--a start-up where she works for her mentor, founder Florence Kline--and an almost-filed patent for a revolutionary produce coating. When Rue learns that a private equity firm has bought Kline's debt, she's ready to fight. Then she realizes that one of the firm's partners is the man she almost hooked up with the weekend before and they are unfortunately, disastrously still drawn to each other.
Rue and Eli initially agree to the sort of sex-only relationship that never works in romance novels. It's a delight to watch them break their rules as they fall together, despite all the reasons they shouldn't. At one point, Eli reflects, "He wanted to spend the rest of his life cataloging the ways she shouldn't have been right for him, and yet still managed to be perfect."
This push-pull drives the plot, anchored by well-developed backstories and both protagonists' friendships. Not in Love is full of Hazelwood's trademark humor and nerdy science references, but it's higher in heat than her first few novels. This blend proves irresistible, making for a fast-paced story of forbidden love and professional betrayal that Hazelwood miraculously brings to a hope-restoring conclusion. This is sure to be a win for those looking for some spice with their STEM. --Suzanne Krohn, librarian and freelance reviewer