Sophie Reads YA: Ali Hazelwood

Review: Bride by Ali Hazelwood

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Bride
Series: None
Author: Ali Hazelwood
Published February 6th 2024 by Little, Brown Book Group

Goodreads Synopsis
A dangerous alliance between a Vampyre bride and an Alpha werewolf becomes a love deep enough to sink your teeth into in this new paranormal romance from the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis.

Misery Lark, the only daughter of the most powerful Vampyre councilman of the Southwest, is an outcast-again. Her days of living in anonymity among the Humans are over: she has been called upon to uphold an historic peacekeeping alliance between the Vampyres and their mortal enemies, the Weres, and sees little choice but to surrender herself in the exchange. Again.

Weres are ruthless and unpredictable, and their Alpha, Lowe Moreland, is no exception. He rules his pack with absolute authority, but not without justice. And, unlike the Vampyre Council, not without feeling. It's clear from the way he tracks Misery's every movement that he doesn't trust her. If only he knew how right he was...

Because Misery has her own reasons to agree to this marriage of convenience, reasons that have nothing to do with politics or alliances, and everything to do with the only thing she's ever cared about. And she is willing to do whatever it takes to get back what's hers, even if it means a life alone in Were territory... alone with the wolf.
Goodreads

Review
As the only daughter of a powerful Vampyre councilman, Misery Lark is forced to give up her anonymity and return to the world of Vampyres and Weres after living happily amongst the humans. As tensions between the Vampyres and Weres worsen, it's been agreed that Melody would marry the Were Alpha, Lowe Morland, in a marriage to bring peace and unity between the two sides. However neither really wants the marriage, and Melody has already once been used in the exchange, and wants her freedom. Both have ulterior motives to stay in the relationship for as long as possible, but neither expected that any real feelings would come from it, especially not when it means risking everything they've ever known.

I knew this would be different from Ali's other books, but I wasn't expecting to love it quite so much. Misery and Lowe were both fantastic characters, headstrong and passionate, and they cared deeply for those they loved. Misery's only friend, a human, goes missing, and the only clue links with the Were's and with Lower. She's willing to accept the marriage, if only to find out more about her friend, but hates her father, and the other Vampyres for forcing her into this situation. Expecting she'll probably be killed at some point by the 'viscious' Weres, she's shocked by how they protect her, albeit with reservations, as she's the wife of their Alpha. She's not fully accepted, but if Lowe is willing to marry, and stay married, to her, then the pack will follow that. Lowe has his own reasons for wanting to keep an important Vampyre close, but he's not expecting the depth of feelings that soon comes with Misery being around. Their romance was difficult, and fraught with danger, but was so perfect for the couple. I seriously hope that Ali writes more paranormal romances in the future, as this book was phenomenal!

Dates Read:
May 25, 2024

Rating
4 Stars

4 Stars

Review: Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood

10:00

Not in Love
Series: None
Author: Ali Hazelwood
Published June 11th 2024 by Sphere

Goodreads Synopsis
A forbidden, secret affair proves that all’s fair in love and science—from New York Times bestselling author Ali Hazelwood.

Rue Siebert might not have it all, but she has enough: a few friends she can always count on, the financial stability she yearned for as a kid, and a successful career as a biotech engineer at Kline, one of the most promising start-ups in the field of food science. Her world is stable, pleasant, and hard-fought. Until a hostile takeover and its offensively attractive front man threatens to bring it all crumbling down.

Eli Killgore and his business partners want Kline, period. Eli has his own reasons for pushing this deal through—and he’s a man who gets what he wants. With one burning exception: Rue. The woman he can’t stop thinking about. The woman who's off-limits to him.

Torn between loyalty and an undeniable attraction, Rue and Eli throw caution out the lab and the boardroom windows. Their affair is secret, no-strings-attached, and has a built-in deadline: the day one of their companies will prevail. But the heart is risky business—one that plays for keeps.
Goodreads

Review
Rue knows that being a woman in science is not always easy, and she is fiercely loyal to her boss at Kline, a startup in the field of food science. She's working on biotech which could change the future, and needs some fun to let off steam. Using a hookup app, she meets Eli, and they can see there's a connection there, but neither think they can explore it any further. So imagine Rue's surprise when it's announced that a Kline is facing a hostile takeover, and Eli is one of the owners of the company who wants Kline, and he'll stop at nothing to get what he wants.

I love Ali's books, and this was more like her usual books (Bride notwithstanding), but also different. I liked that even though Eli was in business, he still did know a bit about science, and it was definitely a dramatic book. You wanted to hate Eli and his investment group for coming in for Kline, but there's reasons behind it, and seeing Eli be vulnerable like he's never been before for Rue was well worth it. Rue was a character who had rose tinted glasses on when it came to Kline's business model, and it was lucky she was able to come out the other end with her work intact. Though Not in Love was not my favourite of Ali's books, it was enjoyable nonetheless, and I can't wait for her next story!

Dates Read:
July 20-22, 2024

Rating
4 Stars

Ali Hazelwood

Waiting On Wednesday: Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood

10:00

Ali Hazelwood

Waiting On Wednesday: Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood

10:00

2023 New Release challenge

ARC Review: Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood

10:00

Love, Theoretically
Series: None
Author: Ali Hazelwood
Published June 13th 2023 by Berkley/Little Brown Books

Goodreads Synopsis
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 broody 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 that same Jack who now sits on the hiring committee at MIT, 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?
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

Trying to get onto the tenure path is more of a struggle than theoretical physicist Elsie Hannaway expected it to be. Working as an adjunct professor at three different Boston universities, she is spread too thin, and has no time for research. So getting the interview at MIT is a dream, and nothing can go wrong, right? Well, the fact that one of the interview panellists happens to be Jack Smith - or Jonathan Turner-Smith in scientific circles. Jack is both the man who ruined the career of Elsie's mentor, and the brother of the guy she is 'fake-dating'. Jack knows she is lying, and seems to hate theoretical physicists on principle, so why is she so attracted to him. And why can he see the real Elsie, like no one ever has done before?

Wow, just wow! I don't actually know why I'm surprised with how much I loved this book, but it was phenomenal! Elsie's character was someone who had always been a people pleaser, who changed herself and her actions in order to please the person she is with. She managed to use it to her benefit by working for 'Faux', a fake dating app, turning herself into the perfect date, which is allowing her to survive because adjuncting does not pay well. Her favourite 'client' is Greg, who she has had a number of dates with, and that's where she meets Jack. Jack seems to hate her from the beginning, always staring at her, and asking her leading questions about her 'boyfriend'. So when she realises that Jack, who thinks she is a librarian, will be on the interview panel, and hates theoretical physicists, she needs to put her best game face on. But it doesn't work with Jack - she can't read him like she can other people, and she is always her true self, even when it gets her into trouble.

The chemistry between the pair was unreal, and they embodied a fantastic enemies-to-lovers trope perfectly. I liked how he didn't sugarcoat the negatives, and always spoke truthfully to Elsie, encouraging her to do the same. It was hard for her, especially after her past with JJ and her mother's controlling nature, but it was so worth it. Jack really cared about Elsie, even when it was hard, and he poured his heart out to her - in public, as well as in private. A beautiful STEMinist love story, though I wouldn't expect anything less from Ali!

Dates Read:
August 27-28, 2023

Rating
5 Stars

Ali Hazelwood

Waiting On Wednesday: Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood

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2023 Beat the Backlist challenge

ARC Review: Loathe to Love You (The STEMinist Novellas #1-3) by Ali Hazelwood

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Loathe to Love You
Series: The STEMinist Novellas #1-3
Author: Ali Hazelwood
Published January 3rd 2023 by Berkley Books

Goodreads Synopsis
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis comes a collection of steamy, STEMinist novellas featuring a trio of engineers and their loves in loathing—with a special bonus chapter!

Under One Roof
An environmental engineer discovers that scientists should never cohabitate when she finds herself stuck with the roommate from hell—a detestable big-oil lawyer who won't leave the thermostat alone.

Stuck with You
A civil engineer and her nemesis take their rivalry—and love—to the next level when they get stuck in a New York elevator.

Below Zero
A NASA aerospace engineer's frozen heart melts as she lies injured and stranded at a remote Arctic research station and the only person willing to undertake the dangerous rescue mission is her longtime rival.
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

As soon as I saw that the three STEMinist novellas were to be released in one book, I was immediately on the lookout for it, and so happy when it landed on my NG shelf. Each book was fantastic in its own right, but as a threesome, they were perfect to read in quick succession.

In Under One Roof, Mara is reeling with the loss of her beloved mentor, and finding somewhere to stay in DC after she lands her dream job with the EPA. She is more than a little shocked when she is told that her mentor left her a half share in a DC townhouse, and she is welcome to live there. It's right around the corner from her work, and will allow her to save money in time to buy elsewhere. However, it comes with the nephew of her mentor, Liam, who is a lawyer working for an oil firm, and not at all happy that Mara is invading his space. They clash heads more than once, but Mara soon realises that she is not feeling anger towards Liam, but something even worse. I loved that there were flashbacks in the book, to see how they progressed from enemies to lovers, and it was definitely hot.

In Stuck with You, Sadie is finding her feet as a civil engineer in a small firm. She has her quirks, and one of them is to eat a bland croissant from the local cafe before any big pitch. But today the last one has just been sold to her handsome competitor Erik. When Erik offers her the pastry, and they spend the day together, she is at risk of falling in love, but a big misunderstanding puts a halt to it. Now stuck in a lift together, late on a Friday night, during a power outage, Sadie would rather climb out and risk breaking her neck in the elevator shaft, than speak with Erik. Erik, though, is not one to give up, and he needs to know why Sadie is pushing him away, and what he did wrong. I thought Erik was so cute with how hung up on her he was, and how much of a fan boy he had been. I do think I liked Under One Roof more, but this was still a fantastic book!

In Below Zero, Hannah soon finds herself injured during a blizzard in a remote part of the Arctic, and the only person who is willing to come rescue her is the last person she wants to see. After spending a steamy afternoon with Ian years ago, when they reconnect at NASA, she thought they were at least friends. But he pulled the funding for her mission, and she is enraged. Finding a way to still achieve her goals, he's proven right at the risks, and Ian will do whatever it takes to find her, and rescue her. I appreciated the moments of quiet between Ian and Hannah, and that they were able to really talk it out, and right the wrongs of the past. Seeing Mara and Liam, and Sadie and Erik too was great, especially as the three men form a bromance I was not expecting.

The bonus epilogue was just the ticket, and I'm so happy with where the three couples are left! This book has more than whet my appetite for Love, Theoretically!

Dates Read:
January 24-26, 2023

Rating
5 Stars

2022 New Release challenge

ARC Review: Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood

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Love on the Brain
Series: None
Author: Ali Hazelwood
Published August 23rd 2022 by Berkley Books

Goodreads Synopsis
A 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?
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

All Bee Königswasser has ever wanted was to work with NASA, so when the call came for her to join a new team in creating a new spacesuit, and taking a lead with an unknown partner, she couldn't wait to arrive in Houston. But when she arrives and learns that her partner would be Levi Ward, the very man who seemed to make her life hell through graduate school, Bee soon realises it's not going to be easy. And when her orders start going unheard, and she's locked out of the main systems, it seems like all of Bee hopes and dreams are about to crumble. Until, that is, Levi starts backing her, and supporting her.

I'm going to admit I haven't read The Love Hypothesis, and have missed the hype with Ali's books. But I have wanted to read it, and so when I was sent the review copy for Love on the Brain I thought this one would be a good way to start. And my god, was this amazing! I was hooked from the very first page, and the tension and chemistry between Bee and Levi was outstanding. I read this late one night, and every time I got to the end of a chapter, I thought about putting it down and going to sleep, but I couldn't - I needed to get to the end, to see if Bee and Levi got their happy ending, with their house and garden, or not. The drama in the book was done extremely well too, and though I guessed at some of the twists and turns, I loved the way Ali wove them into the plot line. Now I need to get my hands on a copy of The Love Hypothesis, and hope I'll be lucky enough to get a review copy of Love, Theoretically next year!

Dates Read:
September 17, 2022

Rating
5 Stars