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The Love Hypothesis Movie: What We Know

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood has a movie adaptation in the works. For all the details about this film adaptation of The Love Hypothesis, here’s what’s we know about The Love Hypothesis movie:

What’s it about? What’s the plot of The Love Hypothesis?

In The Love Hypothesis , Olive is a third-year biology Ph.D. candidate who shares a kiss with a handsome stranger in order make her friend think that she’s in a relationship. She’s horrified when she realizes the “stranger” is Dr. Adam Carlson, a prominent professor in her department who is known for being a hypercritical and moody tyrant.

She and Adam each have reasons for needing to be in a relationship, and they agree to pretend to date for the sake of appearances. Of course, as she gets to know Adam, it’s only a matter of time before she starts feeling something for him, and it becomes clear that her little experiment in fake-dating just might combust…

See the Full Review and Summary of The Love Hypothesis from The Bibliofile.

What format will it be? Will the The Love Hypothesis adaptation be a Movie or a Series?

It’s planned as a feature movie .

Who’s behind it?

Bisous Pictures owns the rights to The Love Hypothesis.

From author Ali Hazelwood: “It’s a true privilege to have Elizabeth and such a talented and experienced team of people working on adapting The Love Hypothesis, and I’m very excited for this next step in Olive and Adam’s story!”

What’s the status of the The Love Hypothesis adaptation?

The adaptation is currently In Development . In an interview in July 2023 , Ali Hazelwood discussed her excitement at receiving the script for the upcoming adaptation and how the project was paused during the writer’s strike.

Who’s in the cast?

No casting details have been released yet.

See the full cast (when available) on IMDB .

When will it be released?

Currently unknown.

Is there a trailer or teaser available?

Not yet! Stay tuned.

The Love Hypothesis Movie Development Timeline

September 14, 2021 The Love Hypothesis (novel) is released.

October 7, 2022 Bisous Pictures Lands Rights To Ali Hazelwood’s ‘The Love Hypothesis’

July 7 2023 Ali Hazelwood discusses receiving the script for the The Love Hypothesis movie adaptation

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Everything You Need To Know About ‘The Love Hypothesis’ Movie

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Ali Hazelwood took over the bestsellers list with her ultra-cute and utterly STEM-tastic 2021 release, The Love Hypothesis . The New York Times bestseller became a TikTok sensation and was a BuzzFeed best summer read.  

In October, Hazelwood posted to Instagram with exciting news about the upcoming movie adaptation of her buzziest novel, The Love Hypothesis . It is safe to say that we are all eager to see Olive and Adam on the big screen. 

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ali Hazelwood (@alihazelwood)

What is the premise of Ali Hazelwood’s bestselling novel The Love Hypothesis ?

Graduate student Olive Smith plans to attain her Ph.D. Nothing can derail her focus, not even the aloof hotshot professor that sends students running from his office in tears.   

By all accounts, Olive knew that she, an exhausted and overworked grad student, probably registered as nothing but a blip on Adam Carlsen’s radar. And that would be true if Olive had never accosted said professor with an uninvited kiss. 

What should have been a one-and-done smooch to curb her besties concerns over her dating life quickly spirals out of control when news of the “relationship” trickles down the STEM department grapevine.

To say that the pair are in a tricky predicament would be the understatement of the century.

Who is creating The Love Hypothesis ?

According to Deadline , Elizabeth Cantillon and MRC Film’s romance label Bisous Pictures has partnered with Ali Hazelwood to adapt her New York Times bestseller The Love Hypothesis to the big screen. 

“Bisous Pictures is thrilled to be working with Ali to amplify her voice and bring this magical book to the screen,” Cantillon said.

Hazelwood added, “It’s a true privilege to have Elizabeth and such a talented and experienced team of people working on adapting The Love Hypothesis, and I’m very excited for this next step in Olive and Adam’s story!”

Who is in the cast of The Love Hypothesis ?

There is no news on casting decisions yet. However, many fans hope to see Adam Driver and Daisy Ridley bring Adam and Olive to life. 

When is the release date of The Love Hypothesis ? 

The Love Hypothesis is currently in pre-production, so there is no information on the release date for the movie yet.

Is there a trailer for The Love Hypothesis ?

There is no trailer for The Love Hypothesis .

What other adaptations can you expect in the upcoming year?

In addition to the movie The Love Hypothesis , there are more book adaptations to look forward to in 2023: A Court of Thorns and Roses , Daisy Jones and the Six , It Ends with Us , Red, White, and Royal Blue , The Idea of You , The Inheritance Games , The Selection , The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo , and Uglies .

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The Love Hypothesis Movie Release Date, Cast, Plot and More

The Love Hypothesis movie is in the works as the popular romance novel by Ali Hazelwood will soon get the Hollywood treatment by coming to the big screen.

This novel is about Olive Smith, who doesn’t have the best luck in love. However, she attempts to convince her best friend, Anh, that she does by pretending to date her professor, Adam Carlsen. Of course, real feelings get involved, which is usually how this tends to go.

The author, Ali Hazelwood , was born in Italy and initially worked as a neuroscience professor. This job has influenced her writing because she tends to write about women who work in STEM fields.

Her first novel was The Love Hypothesis , which became a NYT best seller. The interesting thing about this novel is that it was originally a Star Wars fanfiction starring characters Rey and Kylo Ren. Eventually, it was tweaked, and most Star Wars references were removed, so it became an original story rather than fan fiction.

Since then, she has published several other novels, with more on the way in 2024. However, our focus in this article will be on The Love Hypothesis because it is set to become a movie.

What is the Premise of The Love Hypothesis?

One of the main characters in The Love Hypothesis is Olive Smith, a third-year Ph.D. candidate. She tends to focus a lot on school and academics, meaning her love life is a mess.

Her best friend Anh is concerned about this and is convinced that her romance life is in peril. To trick her best friend into thinking that her romantic life is fine, Olive Smith decides to start fake dating Adam Carlsen, a young professor at the college she attends. But she’s surprised when Adam agrees to fake date her and help her continue her charade.

At first, everything seemed to be going well. They are convincing people that they are an actual couple, but eventually, real feelings start developing. When this happens, Olive begins to panic because this was not supposed to happen.

That’s the basic plot of The Love Hypothesis book, and it will likely stay the same for the upcoming movie adaptation as well.

It’s natural for book-to-movie adaptations to condense the source material to fit the movie’s runtime, and for rom-com books like this one, it won’t present a challenge to write a script that does justice to the novel.

What is The Love Hypothesis Movie Release Date?

In October 2022, the author herself announced that a movie based on The Love Hypothesis book was in development.

It’s only been a little over a year since this announcement came out, but there hasn’t been any update regarding what stage the movie is at. As such, a release date hasn’t been announced!

A script must be made, the casting must be decided, and a lot of things need to be accomplished in the pre-production stage, and only then does the actual filming begin.

This is a process that can span months or even years. Sometimes, it can also fall through for a multitude of reasons. Many books are picked up for movie or TV series adaptations but do not reach the point where the filming starts.

It’s still very early for The Love Hypothesis movie, so hopefully, this will not be the case with it, and we will get to see it enter into the production stage and eventually get a release date.

What is The Cast of The Love Hypothesis Movie ?

As we said in the previous section, the movie adaptation was only announced a little over a year ago, so the cast hasn’t been decided yet.

The script needs to be written first before this even happens! Thankfully, the author of the book, Ali Hazelwood, would be the writer, or one of the writers, to adapt the book and transform it into a movie by writing a comprehensive script.

As soon as the cast for the main characters is announced, I will update this section and not keep you waiting for the information!

Who is Developing The Love Hypothesis Movie ?

According to Collider , the movie rights to The Love Hypothesis book have been given to Bisous Pictures, a production company.

You might wonder who this production company is because chances are you haven’t heard of it before. This is likely because it’s a very new production company with only one finished film to its name. The other movie listed is The Love Hypothesis , which is still in production.

Persuasion , a movie released in 2022, is the first and only finished film on Bisous’s list of works. The movie aired on Netflix and was directed by Carrie Cracknell, with well-known actress Dakota Johnson staring in one of the roles.

The romance genre is popular and shows no sign of slowing down. When The Love Hypothesis book was published, it was a little different from other romance novels because it originally came out as a fanfiction before the author changed it into an original piece. This enabled her to publish it, and it became a worldwide phenomenon in a relatively short time.

So, when it was announced it would be a movie, hopes were high and continue to remain as we wait for another update on this movie. Until we get any solid information about the upcoming The Love Hypothesis movie, you should consider re-reading the book or picking up one of the author’s other books while you wait!

Also Read: Book Lovers Movie Release Date

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EXCLUSIVE: Bisous Pictures , the romance label from Elizabeth Cantillon and MRC Film, have partnered with Ali Hazelwood to adapt her best-selling novel The Love Hypothesis , published by Berkley.  The book has been on  The New York Times  Best Sellers list for 39 weeks. 

In the book, an impulsive kiss leads two scientists into a fake relationship, testing their theories about love and each other.

“Bisous Pictures is thrilled to be working with Ali to amplify her voice and bring this magical book to the screen,” said Cantillon.  

Watch on Deadline

“It’s a true privilege to have Elizabeth and such a talented and experienced team of people working on adapting The Love Hypothesis, and I’m very excited for this next step in Olive and Adam’s story!” said Hazelwood. 

Bisous Pictures’ Persuasion , starring Dakota Johnson, is currently available on Netflix. Bisous Pictures is developing screen adaptations of novels including Photos of You , 28 Summers and The Return . 

Hazelwood is represented by the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency and UTA, which brokered the deal.

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Why The Love Hypothesis Could Kickstart More Romance Film Adaptations

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What is the love hypothesis about, the love hypothesis could pave the way for other unconventional adaptations, are authors like ali hazelwood and emily henry changing the perception of romance, key takeaways.

• Ali Hazelwood's The Love Hypothesis originally began as a Rey and Kylo Ren fanfiction focusing on the characters in a STEM setting, and the novel has achieved great success.
• The upcoming film adaptation of The Love Hypothesis could pave the way for more unconventional book adaptations.
• Authors like Ali Hazelwood and Emily Henry and works like Bridgerton and Red, White and Royal Blue are changing the perception of romance novels.

Ali Hazelwood's romance novel The Love Hypothesis took BookTok by storm in 2021, and part of its whimsical appeal was that it began as Star Wars fan fiction. Originally published in 2018 on Archive of Our Own as a work called "Head Over Feet," it detailed a modern interpretation of the relationship between Rey and Kylo Ren set against the backdrop of Stanford's graduate program. Though all the references to Star Wars were cut in the final draft of the novel, the similarities in characters are still there, and it's been a major part of why the novel was so successful.

Successful enough, in fact, that in October 2022, it was announced that Bisous Pictures, which specializes in romantic films, acquired the rights to the novel. The film adaptation is currently in pre-production. Depending on how successful it is, The Love Hypothesis has the potential to pave the way for more romance adaptations -- especially those that originated in equally unconventional locations.

Updated on April 15th, 2024 by Fawzia Khan: While The Love Hypothesis movie is still very much in preproduction and there are few updates about it, fans stay on tenterhooks for the STEM romance to come to life on screen. Ali Hazelwood's book is truly an outlier -- a fanfiction work that was turned into an independent novel, set in STEM, a setting so unusual that it had not been explored before. However, Hazelwood's storytelling turns even the science lab into a romantic playground, giving impetus to all sorts of romance subgenres that might not have been greenlit earlier. This feature has been updated with further information about romance novel adaptations and their future.

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The Love Hypothesis begins explosively: Stanford graduate student Olive plants a kiss on Dr. Adam Carlsen, a known grump who has gained a reputation for tanking the research dreams of many students. The kiss culminates into something bigger, and Olive decides to enter a fake relationship with Adam Carlsen in order to convince her best friend, Anh that she is over her ex-boyfriend Jeremy, whom Anh has feelings for. While Olive wants Anh to pursue happiness, Adam's motivations for the fake relationship lie in his research funding, which has been frozen by the university as they predict that he will leave their lab and move to another. Being in a relationship would give him a sense of permanence at Stanford, and Olive would regain a sense of dignity once Anh would pursue her romance without guilt. Neither Olive nor Adam is too enthused about this arrangement -- after all, Adam Carlsen is the bane of most graduate students' existence, and he's known throughout the program for his ruthlessness and, at times, rudeness. The Love Hypothesis has all the makings of a romance book headed to the big screen.

• The Love Hypothesis was published on September 14, 2021.
• It has a 4.15/5 rating on Goodreads, with nearly 150,000 reviews.

However, as their relationship progresses, they each have to come to terms with their feelings, which are beginning to transcend far beyond what their initial arrangement entailed. Their romance may be a farce, but Hazelwood uses well-known tropes in a fresh manner to make audiences feel butterflies as the two protagonists interact. The realities of life in academia, and Olive's own tragic backstory bring a lot of depth into the plot. Their growing love for each other is marred many times, especially when Adam's old friend, Dr. Tom Benton, decides to harrass Olive and derail her research, which makes her distance herself from him. The Love Hypothesis is a beautiful love story that will translate flawlessly to the big screen , especially because of how unique it is.

10 Best Magical Romance Movies With The Most Whimsical Plots

Magic plays a role in many great romance films, including a few charming classics that expertly blend the two elements into one touching story.

The Love Hypothesis is the most recent in a long line of movies adapted from fan works. In fact, Ali Hazelwood's trajectory from fanfic writer to New York Times bestselling author happened when Thao Le from the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency saw her works online and reached out to her to submit. In the past, authors like E.L. James have tried to downplay that the origins of their novels (the Fifty Shades trilogy, in this case) lay in fiction that was associated with existing properties. Seeing how the success of The Love Hypothesis was intrinsically tied up with the appeal of the Star Wars couple, it is becoming clear that the landscape of publication and cinematic adaptation has had a total overhaul. Increasingly, publishing houses are turning to well-known fan fiction authors to revise their works and send them out into the world. Often, these books sell well in part because of their obvious association with a better-known intellectual property, which then makes them prime candidates to be turned into films.

Similarly, the City of Bones series (including the associated movies and Shadowhunters television show ) has its roots in the Harry Potter series. If fan fiction evolves into a prevalent source for movies, the possibilities for future adaptations are endless. Films and TV shows based on graphic novels, such as Nimona and Heartstopper, have recently gained traction . Video game movies, no matter how controversial they tend to be, are slowly making their way into the cultural eye with big titles such as Uncharted or Five Nights at Freddy's . Though romantic movies in the past have been primarily based on published novels or entirely original, the increasing number of fan fiction and graphic novel adaptations could lead to a broader future for the romantic genre. If The Love Hypothesis is successful (which it likely will be), rom-coms may see a major renaissance, and perhaps the source material for them will be diversified as well.

10 Best TV Series With Amazing Romances

Although many TV series have great romances, a few stand head-and-shoulders above their peers.

In short, yes. Both romance novels and fanfiction were long considered guilty pleasure genres, consumed by those who liked reading adult or "spicy" content. Fortunately, the success of The Love Hypothesis and other such books has brought this genre into the mainstream, as larger and larger studios are queuing up to adapt romance novels into movies. As "women-centric" movies become box office hits, romance novels have further opportunities for getting that coveted adaptation. In addition to Ali Hazelwood, Emily Henry has become a studio favorite, with every one of her romance novels getting the go-ahead for big-screen adaptations.

Additionally, romance is no longer just about heterosexual couples. Red, White, and Royal Blue proved that LGBTQ+ love stories are very much the next step for the romance genre; a much-needed update to keep it current and with the times. Bridgerton's roaring success also brought forth an important aspect: romance fans want to hear diverse stories of different cultures too to reaffirm their belief that love is love, no matter where one is from. A growing acceptance of the romance genre, and the recognition of it as a true art form worthy of investment and adaptation has brought fresh growth to it, as well as to cinema.

The Love Hypothesis

When a fake relationship between scientists meets the irresistible force of attraction, it throws one woman’s carefully calculated theories on love into chaos.

As a third-year Ph.D. candidate, Olive Smith doesn’t believe in lasting romantic relationships–but her best friend does, and that’s what got her into this situation. Convincing Anh that Olive is dating and well on her way to a happily ever after was always going to take more than hand-wavy Jedi mind tricks: Scientists require proof. So, like any self-respecting biologist, Olive panics and kisses the first man she sees.

That man is none other than Adam Carlsen, a young hotshot professor–and well-known ass. Which is why Olive is positively floored when Stanford’s reigning lab tyrant agrees to keep her charade a secret and be her fake boyfriend. But when a big science conference goes haywire, putting Olive’s career on the Bunsen burner, Adam surprises her again with his unyielding support and even more unyielding…six-pack abs.

Suddenly their little experiment feels dangerously close to combustion. And Olive discovers that the only thing more complicated than a hypothesis on love is putting her own heart under the microscope.

If you would like to read a list of content warnings for The Love Hypothesis (warning for mild spoilers), please click here . 

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'The Love Hypothesis' Author Ali Hazelwood on Getting Her Start in Fanfiction and Which Scene Didn't Make It Into the Final Book

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The day before I was set to chat with Ali Hazelwood , the news broke that her debut novel The Love Hypothesis had officially become a New York Times bestseller , charting at #9 in print and at #11 on the combined print and ebook lists. Understandably, Hazelwood's recollection of the moment she found out about it from her editor at Berkley Publishing is a little hazy: "I think I had grilled cheese in my mouth. I have vague memories of trying not to choke."

But it's no surprise, taking into account that the book itself has been absolutely blowing up a certain section of TikTok lately — as well as considering The Love Hypothesis 's origin story. When Hazelwood decided to make the leap from writing fanfiction to becoming a published author, readers flocked in droves, and even though The Love Hypothesis is a completely original work, there are still some nods to its beginnings — like the cover, for example. In my conversation with Hazelwood, which you can read below, I spoke with her about how both her background in fanfic and in STEM informed the writing of The Love Hypothesis , the one steamy scene in particular that didn't make the final cut, and what she can tease about her next book.

COLLIDER: Congratulations on the book being out! I think some people know the backstory of how it came to be, but for those who don't, what's the genesis behind The Love Hypothesis ?

ALI HAZELWOOD: I think it was a lot of just luck and chances and opportunities. I was really, really into writing fanfiction, first for the Star Trek fandom and then for the Star Wars fandom. And I loved it. It was just, it was this amazing community. I made a lot of friends and I was just having a lot of fun. And then what happened is that I started slowly thinking about trying to write something original, just to challenge myself and to do something different. And while I was in that kind of mood, my agent started reading my fanfiction on AO3 and then she reached out with a DM. She was like, "I saw that you wrote something about maybe pulling some of your fics and reworking them. And I wanted to tell you that I'm a literary agent and I would love to see you some of your manuscripts, if you're interested in it."

And so that's how I took the fanfiction of mine that I thought was the most reworkable and I sent it to her and then I signed with her. And then after approximately 70 billion more revisions, both with her and an editor... we got a lot of RNRs [revise and resubmits] that didn't pan out but made the book better, because we got really good feedback. Then we ended up at Berkely with my current editor, Sarah [Blumenstock], who is amazing, and yeah, now it's out.

I feel like we're definitely seeing more authors who are like, "I totally got my background in fanfiction and there's nothing wrong with that." One of the more famous examples is obviously Christina Lauren.

HAZELWOOD: Christina Lauren. They're amazing.

Or even authors today who are like, "Oh yeah, I'm writing this mainstream book, but I still have an AO3 profile." So I appreciate that we're seeing the barriers break down around what the public perception of fanfiction is and how it really is such a great breeding ground for authors to find their voice.

HAZELWOOD: Absolutely. Fanfiction is just an amazing medium. It's great, like you said, to find your voice, to explore things that you usually don't find in traditional publishing. But it's also just great to feel a sense of community and to get to know people, to find someone who's like-minded and is interested in similar things. It's very hard to make friends as an adult. And I feel like I truly found my adult friends through fanfiction and through the fandom community.

And I just, I'm very grateful to my publisher that they embraced the fanfiction part. They were like, "Yes, we're going to own this. For the cover, we're going to use fanart made for the fanfiction, if you want to." They were just great with that. I do think traditional publishing is getting more and more interested in fanfiction and in embracing it. And maybe they're doing well because of money and marketing and stuff like that, but I'm just really happy that this is happening and that fanfiction is gaining legitimacy, because it always had legitimacy.

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I want to talk a little bit too about the setting of the book, and I know your personal background is in STEM. So did that inform your inspiration on where to set the story, drawing from your own experiences?

HAZELWOOD: Yeah, 100%. I'd been wanting to write fanfiction set in academia just because it's really... I'm a professor right now, but I feel like my entire adult life has been spent in academia. I feel like I would struggle to write any other setting, in a weird way. So it was just the more natural setting for a story. My next book is going to be set in academia and my third book is going to be in academia. And yeah, that's the easiest thing for me.

One of the things I personally love about the book is how it references romance tropes in the world, but then the book itself subverts the tropes. I'm thinking specifically about the only-one-bed scene, and then there's not only one bed, which felt like a really funny wink at romance readers. What made you decide to include that meta-awareness in the story?

HAZELWOOD: It's actually really funny. I never would have thought to include that if the story hadn't been fanfiction originally. I was posting it chapter by chapter and I was writing it chapter by chapter. And I remember all the comments saying, "They're going to go to the conference and there's going to be only one bed."

So it started as just like a conversation with other people in the fandom, who were at the same time writing fanfiction about other iterations of the same characters. It was just so much fun. It was kind of like a collective effort there.

You had talked about how when you were reworking the fic for publication, there were a lot of edits, and I'm assuming a lot of things ended up on the chopping block. Is there a deleted scene that didn't make it into the final novel that you maybe wished you could have kept in?

HAZELWOOD: So when Adam and Olive break up — not really break up, but when she goes to his hotel room and she's like, "It's over." Originally, they ended up having sex in that scene. And we took it out because we thought it was more poignant, or I don't know, more heartfelt if it was only a kiss. And it was, in a way, but the fanfiction person within me kind of misses...

Let them have one more time!

HAZELWOOD: The fanfiction ho within me was like, "I wish we had kept that sex scene." But honestly, honestly, we talked about it — my editor, my agent, and I — and it was a good call from a story-structure perspective.

So you mentioned you've got a second and third book in the works. I'm sure you probably can't really talk about book three yet, but is there anything you can tease about book two coming up?

HAZELWOOD: Book two is about a neuroscientist who is selected to work on a project at NASA. And she's super excited about it, until she gets told that the person she's going to co-lead the project with is an engineer that she used to work with in the past, and they're kind of enemies. Or at least she thinks they're enemies, one of those things. And that's the story of them working together on this project. And it's coming out in August 2022.

I thought it would be fun to wrap up with a couple of rapid-fire questions. Enemies-to-lovers, or friends-to-lovers?

HAZELWOOD: Enemies-to-lovers. Reylo forever.

Secret billionaire or secret baby?

HAZELWOOD: Secret billionaire.

Marriage of convenience or amnesia?

HAZELWOOD: Marriage of convenience.

Coffee or tea?

HAZELWOOD: Tea.

I feel like I know the answer to this last one, but I'm going to ask it anyway. Macfadyen Darcy or Firth Darcy?

HAZELWOOD: Macfadyen. I mean, 2005 forever. Even though I do appreciate Firth. He's a good high-quality Darcy, but it's just not my Darcy.

I feel like everybody has a very strong opinion, based on which one you saw first. That lake scene, I'm sure that's very formative.

HAZELWOOD: 100%.

But for me? He's walking through the field in the morning mist, and that's it. In the long coat.

HAZELWOOD: He says, "I love you" three times. I mean, she has bewitched him body and soul. Come on, come on. The hand flex!

The Love Hypothesis is currently available in print, e-book and audio wherever books are sold .

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'The Love Hypothesis' won Amazon's best romance book of 2021, has a near-perfect rating on Goodreads, and is all over TikTok. Here's why it's such a unique love story.

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• " The Love Hypothesis " grabbed the attention of romance readers everywhere in 2021.
• It was named Amazon's Best Romance Novel of 2021 and was nominated for a Goodreads Choice Award.
• This book checks off all my boxes for a great romance read and is definitely worth the hype.

This year, Amazon named " The Love Hypothesis " by Ali Hazelwood the best romance book of the year. Even though it was only recently published in September 2021, "The Love Hypothesis" has quickly become a fan-favorite, with 88% of Goodreads reviewers giving it four- or five-star-level praise .

It was also nominated for a Goodreads Choice Award and is hugely popular amongst Book of the Month members , with only 1% of readers giving it a "disliked" rating.

"The Love Hypothesis" is about Olive Smith, a third-year Ph.D. candidate studying pancreatic cancer at Stanford. In an attempt to convince one of her best friends that she's moved on from an old crush, she impulsively kisses Dr. Adam Carlsen, the department's notoriously brutal (but undeniably attractive) professor. After the kiss, Adam and Olive agree to fake a relationship so she can prove to her friend that she's happily dating and he can convince their department that he isn't planning to leave anytime soon.

I'm a little picky about my romance novels , so giving this read every bit of a five-star review didn't come lightly. My standards are high because the best romance novels have the potential to expose readers to authentic and imperfect relationships and offer new topics of discussion without making us feel like it's a story we've already read. 

With all the hype surrounding this new romance read, I couldn't resist picking it up.

Here's why "The Love Hypothesis" is one of my favorite recent romance books:

1. the story focuses a lot on olive and adam's lives outside their romance, making their love story more believable and interesting..

Romance novels tend to fall into a few popular tropes such as " enemies-to-lovers " or "forbidden love." "The Love Hypothesis" combines two of the most popular tropes right now, "Fake dating" and "grumpy/sunshine," really well — I loved the contrast between Adam's serious attitude to Olive's bright and sugary one. 

But despite following these tropes, the story feels fresh because it's also largely about Olive's work and its meaning to her. The only other romance book I've read featuring a STEM heroine is "The Kiss Quotient" , so I loved seeing that representation and learning about something new. 

The story honestly reflected the challenges Ph.D. candidates face in academia and that authenticity — deepened by the author's personal experiences — brought the characters, the settings, and the romance to life even more as Olive and Adam faced challenges with funding, time-consuming research, and questioning their sense of purpose.

2. The steamier scenes are also awkward and realistic, which made them even better.

In romance books, there are a few different levels of how graphic a steamy scene can get , from little-to-no detail to explicitly outlined movements. (I personally prefer mine to "fade to black.")

There was only one chapter with adult content, and it was definitely graphic. While I made a ton of ridiculous faces while reading and tried to skim past the parts that made me audibly gasp, I loved that it wasn't a movie-made, perfect sex scene with graceful movements and smooth dialogue. The scene was a little awkward, imperfect, and full of consent and conversation, making it refreshingly real.

3. The book deals with other topics besides the main love story, making it a much deeper read.

While it's wonderful to get swept up in the magic of a romantic storyline, having a secondary plot that addresses real issues is what makes a romance novel truly great . 

Mild spoilers and content warnings ahead: While "The Love Hypothesis" is a fun romantic read, it also addresses the pain of familial death, power differentials, intimacy challenges, and, most prevalently, workplace sexual harassment. 

Love is beautiful, fun, and amazing, but "The Love Hypothesis" takes the opportunity to also include conversations about serious issues. While these topics may be tough for some readers, I think these plot points, hard conversations, and complicated emotions take "The Love Hypothesis" to the next level and make it a five-star read. 

The bottom line

"The Love Hypothesis" has everything I personally look for in a romance novel: A unique storyline, authentic characters, and an important message. If you're looking for a perfectly balanced romance read, "The Love Hypothesis" is worth the hype and definitely one of the best romance books to come out in the past year.

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The love hypothesis.

An impulsive kiss leads two scientists into a fake relationship, testing their theories about love and each other

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The Love Hypothesis Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

With an exclusive new bonus chapter...from Adam's POV

Based on the available information and the data hitherto collected, my hypothesis is that the further I stay away from love, the better off I will be.

When a fake relationship between scientists meets the irresistible force of attraction, it throws one woman's carefully calculated theories on love into chaos.

As a third-year Ph.D. candidate, Olive Smith doesn't believe in lasting romantic relationships but her best friend does, and that's what got her into this situation. Convincing Anh that Olive on her way to a happily ever after was always going to be tough, scientists require proof. So, like any self-respecting woman, Olive panics and kisses the first man she sees.

That man is none other than Adam Carlsen, a young hotshot professor and well-known ass. Which is why Olive is positively floored when he agrees to keep her charade a secret and be her fake boyfriend. But when a big science conference goes haywire and Adam surprises her again with his unyielding support (and his unyielding abs), their little experiment feels dangerously close to combustion.

Olive soon discovers that the only thing more complicated than a hypothesis on love is putting her own heart under the microscope.

Ali Hazelwood's latest novel, Love on the Brain is out now.

• Listening Length 11 hours and 51 minutes
• Author Ali Hazelwood
• Narrator Callie Dalton, see all
• Audible release date September 30, 2021
• Language English
• Publisher Little, Brown Audio
• ASIN B09H2WZF52
• Version Unabridged
• Program Type Audiobook
• See all details

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• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 5 star 65% 24% 8% 2% 1% 65%
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• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 3 star 65% 24% 8% 2% 1% 8%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 2 star 65% 24% 8% 2% 1% 2%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 1 star 65% 24% 8% 2% 1% 1%

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Customers say

Customers find the book well-written, well-paced, and well-thought-out. They also appreciate the compelling story, captivating blend of romance and science, and realistic characters. They love the academic setting and chemistry, and find the characters loveable, witty, and charming. Readers describe the emotional tone as heartwarming, angsty, and brooding. They appreciate the content as wholesome, spiced, and risk-averse. However, some find the sexual content cheesy and gross. Opinions are mixed on the pacing, with some finding it quick and others slow.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Customers find the book funny, charming, and heartwarming. They also appreciate the clever writing and the cheesy humour. Readers say the book is well thought out and has a young and fresh vibe.

"...She did a great job. The vibe feels young and fresh , with a voice that actually sounds like a 26-year-old...." Read more

"...This is cute and sweet. It’s cheesy , but it knows that it is, and I think that makes it all the better.Olive is adorable...." Read more

"...I liked the friend group and the amount of humor and nuance in the writing . And let's speak a moment about the cover...." Read more

"I loved this book! It was sooooo good ! This was my first time reading something by this author, and I am totally in love...." Read more

Customers find the plot cute, heartwarming, and frothy. They also say the conflicts and twists feel legitimate and not made for the novel. Readers say the pacing of the romance is perfect. They mention the characters are quirky, realistic, and moving.

"...And it is definitely a love story. The romance is central throughout , with a light, fresh feel that gets richer and deeper as the story progresses...." Read more

"...is probably not going to be everyone’s favorite FMC but she’s dorky and believable ...." Read more

"...So yeah, calling all geek-girls, this is a great romance book and I will definitely be reading more of the author's work in the future." Read more

"...This is a great story , and I definitely recommend giving it a try." Read more

Customers find the characters loveable, witty, and cute. They also say the illustrator is amazing and the book has a vivid, distinct voice.

"...Well, it's all pretty great, actually. This has such a vivid , distinct voice that I am very much looking forward to whatever's next from..." Read more

"... Adam is cute . I really wish this was dual POV. I would LOVE to experience the pining and brooding that I know was going on in his head. But alas...." Read more

"...And let's speak a moment about the cover. The Illustrator is amazing and honestly, her cover is what sold me to take the leap and buy the book...." Read more

"...I really love her writing style. The characters were super smart but not so smart that everything went over my head.I just loved Olive...." Read more

Customers find the book has a nice bit of spice, is wholesome, and sweet. They also say it's funny and light, like cotton candy.

"...This is cute and sweet . It’s cheesy, but it knows that it is, and I think that makes it all the better.Olive is adorable...." Read more

"FINAL DECISION: This book is fun and light, like cotton candy . Even the "serious" storyline is really fluff because it lacks complexity...." Read more

"...Tall, academic, and sweet … he’s what dreams are made of..." Read more

"...This book does contain spice . I would say 2.5 spicy peppers out of 5 spicy peppers...." Read more

Customers find the chemistry class in the book nerdy, enjoyable, and chemistry-filled. They also say the book is accurate and a good science rom com. Readers also mention that the banter and chemy between the characters is electric.

"...Tall, academic , and sweet… he’s what dreams are made of..." Read more

"...I felt the world of academia was well established as it was shown, not told...." Read more

"Please read because the chemistry is undeniable !!" Read more

"..." is a delightful and charming romance novel that combines scientific curiosity with matters of the heart...." Read more

Customers find the emotional tone of the book heartwarming, low angst, and real. They also say the attraction is almost tangible, and the book is incredibly intimate.

"...It's a slow burn romance with one incredibly intimate and dynamic love scene - the intimacy and emotional connection are the shining stars here...." Read more

"...The sex scene felt both hot and yet in some moments awkward , tender, and exposing (making it feel all the more real)...." Read more

"...Olive had was so real that Ali makes it relatable and shows the real emotions and struggles that comes with it. Definitely a good read! 💯..." Read more

"...I was enchanted, humored, encouraged and enlightened by this novel!..." Read more

Customers have mixed opinions about the pacing of the book. Some find it very quick paced, while others say it feels kinda slow. They also mention that the sex feels rushed and that it feels like lazy narration and plot.

"...A perfect summer romcom. This was easy to read and I finished it very quickly ...." Read more

"...The runtime is a bit longer than I'd like (11 hours), and I found it difficult to listen to the narrator's voice at a faster speed...." Read more

"...it’s a super fast read , b) it’s highly addicting, and c) Adam and Olive’s relationship/banter is the best...." Read more

"I love this book. It was a bit slow and I feel like the book could have been a bit shorter but the story was worth it...." Read more

Customers find the sexual content in the book cheesy, gross, and annoying. They also say the main character is immature and annoying, and the book is ridiculous and offensive.

"...Content Warnings: There is one scene with explicit sexual content (or two if you count the bonus chapter), and characters discuss sex at other times...." Read more

"...It's weird and gross . Ok, tangent over...." Read more

"...So much second hand embarrassment in this book . I was literally cringing on behalf of Olive...." Read more

"...Smut score: 3.5/5 (slow burn, explicit but not super kinky other than *one* thing that had me going "ohhhh" 🥵🌶)..." Read more

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