This was really cute. As someone who has LOVED both The Love Hypothesis and Love on the Brain, I was excited to check out Hazelwood’s series of novellas. This has been the most successful one for me; I loved the forced proximity of this couple being stuck in an elevator together. Told in both flashbacks and present day, we get to the source of their misunderstanding and puzzle out exactly how the hero feels about his former one night stand. It felt like a “Hazelwood” romance (quirky, unique, and a little nerdy), and it satisfied my craving for a quick, easy read between books. Certainly not of the same caliber as Hazelwood’s full-length books, but this novella delivered on the charm.
The story follows Sadie, a woman who is upset when she gets stuck in an elevator with the guy she spent one great night with a few weeks ago. Erik and Sadie had a chance encounter, and they spent one super swoony day together – so swoony that Sadie acted out of character by spending the night with him. Unfortunately, the days following that night were significantly LESS swoony, and Sadie now hates Erik. As the two spend time alone in that elevator, Sadie discovers that Erik might not be the terrible guy she thought he was after all.
Novellas are quick and surface level by nature, but this was really well done. It felt like Hazelwood’s other work, while still providing a story that’s easy to binge in one sitting. We only get Sadie’s perspective, so the reader’s opinion of Erik is based entirely on her own biases. I liked getting the flashbacks to their original encounter, and it was fun to piece out the situation. The forced proximity also lends itself to plenty of sexual tension, and it’s easy to see why Erik and Sadie connected in the first place. I had no trouble devouring this in one sitting, and it gave me a little taste of Hazelwood’s writing in between full-length books.
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3np50zj
Blurb:
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis comes a new steamy, STEMinist novella…
Nothing like a little rivalry between scientists to take love to the next level.
Mara, Sadie, and Hannah are friends first, scientists always. Though their fields of study might take them to different corners of the world, they can all agree on this universal truth: when it comes to love and science, opposites attract and rivals make you burn…
Logically, Sadie knows that civil engineers are supposed to build bridges. However, as a woman of STEM she also understands that variables can change, and when you are stuck for hours in a tiny New York elevator with the man who broke your heart, you earn the right to burn that brawny, blond bridge to the ground. Erik can apologize all he wants, but to quote her rebel leader—she’d just as soon kiss a Wookiee.
Not even the most sophisticated of Sadie’s superstitious rituals could have predicted such a disastrous reunion. But while she refuses to acknowledge the siren call of Erik’s steely forearms or the way his voice softens when he offers her his sweater, Sadie can’t help but wonder if there might be more layers to her cold-hearted nemesis than meet the eye. Maybe, possibly, even burned bridges can still be crossed….
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3np50zj
My sneak peek review of Love on the Brain is up now!
Love on the Brain releases on August 23rd, and you can check out my 5-star review now. It’s one of my favorite books of the year so far. Find the review here!
Blurb:
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis comes a new STEMinist rom-com in which a scientist is forced to work on a project with her nemesis—with explosive results.
Like an avenging, purple-haired Jedi bringing balance to the mansplained universe, Bee Königswasser lives by a simple code: What would Marie Curie do? If NASA offered her the lead on a neuroengineering project—a literal dream come true after years scraping by on the crumbs of academia—Marie would accept without hesitation. Duh. But the mother of modern physics never had to co-lead with Levi Ward.
Sure, Levi is attractive in a tall, dark, and piercing-eyes kind of way. And sure, he caught her in his powerfully corded arms like a romance novel hero when she accidentally damseled in distress on her first day in the lab. But Levi made his feelings toward Bee very clear in grad school—archenemies work best employed in their own galaxies far, far away.
Now, her equipment is missing, the staff is ignoring her, and Bee finds her floundering career in somewhat of a pickle. Perhaps it’s her occipital cortex playing tricks on her, but Bee could swear she can see Levi softening into an ally, backing her plays, seconding her ideas…devouring her with those eyes. And the possibilities have all her neurons firing. But when it comes time to actually make a move and put her heart on the line, there’s only one question that matters: What will Bee Königswasser do?
Love on the Brain releases on August 23rd – preorder today!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3a4oYfe
About the Author:
Ali Hazelwood is the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis, as well as a writer of peer-reviewed articles about brain science, in which no one makes out and the ever after is not always happy. Originally from Italy, she lived in Germany and Japan before moving to the U.S. to pursue a Ph.D. in neuroscience. She recently became a professor, which absolutely terrifies her. When Ali is not at work, she can be found running, eating cake pops, or watching sci-fi movies with her two feline overlords (and her slightly-less-feline husband).
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