Introduction to the book
Elsie Hannaway is a theoretical physicist working as an adjunct professor who also happens to provide services as a fake girlfriend in order to make ends meet. While interviewing for a better job that could provide her with benefits such as health insurance to receive insulin for her diabetes, she meets Jack Smith, the older brother of her favorite client. Her chances at landing her dream job now seem bleak as Jack knew her as a librarian and not a physicist. To make matters worse, this is the same Jack Smith that ruined her mentor’s career and damaged the reputation of theoretical physicists everywhere. Trouble brews when Elsie realizes that her archnemesis is one of the only people she can be her natural, unfiltered self around.
Review
This is the second book I’ve read of Ali Hazelwood’s, the first being The Love Hypothesis (TLH). I had high expectations for this one since I loved TLH and it did not disappoint!
I absolutely adored this book and devoured it from the start. The book deals with themes such as self-discovery, honesty, insecurities, found families, friendships, power dynamics in the workplace, aro/ace spectrum, and struggles within the STEM industry. I think it did such a great job of exploring these themes and conveying the message.
Elsie is such a likable and relatable character. She is a people pleaser that never thinks about doing things that make her happy and instead works overtime to make sure nobody is displeased with her. This book gets bonus points because Elsie is a diehard supporter of the Twilight movies (as she should be!!). I think Elsie’s growth was shown well throughout the book with her learning to understand that she can be honest with people and they won’t run away from her life, like telling her best friend she doesn’t actually like all the artsy movies they watch together and instead likes Twilight (most cinephiles wouldn’t exactly agree with this). We also see how her relationship with Jack allows her to open up to the idea that she can be her unfiltered self and that good things can come out of doing so. Elsie’s story is one that also showcases how power dynamics especially in a workplace setting can negatively affect you. While her mentor was someone that she felt deeply grateful for, he was also manipulative in the way that he abused his role to ensure that she had no chance for progression.
Jack is a perfect book boyfriend. He’s kind, charming and has been Elsie’s number 1 fan since the start. His story was written well and fleshed out enough for us to understand the motives behind his decisions. I think the concept of a “found family” was shown beautifully here in the bonds and experiences he shares with his friends. He’s never had a good time with his biological family and it’s great to see he’s found home elsewhere. He is appreciated, loved, and celebrated by this family and makes an effort to include Elsie in it as well. His unwavering support towards his half-brother also makes his character so much more compassionate. I didn’t like that he didn’t watch the whole Twilight movie though.
Their relationship was very sweet and definitely a slow burn. I just loved how supportive Jack was of Elsie and their conversations are very nice. Jack’s confession about how he’s always noticed Elsie was SO CUTE.
A few other things I loved:
- The emails that Elsie receives from her students had me laughing a couple of times. Great inclusion.
- Elsie’s best friend Cece is a GEM. She was hilarious.
- The physics related quotes on the t-shirts.
Conclusion/Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/ 5
A fun enemies-to-lovers romance that dealt with a wide range of themes without losing the plot, and well-written characters that were actually interesting. It was very enjoyable to see the relationship blossom between the main characters and you are always rooting for them.