Love on the Brain
Author: Ali Hazelwood
Reviewer: Jen
Rating: A
What I’m Talking About:
Bee and Levi share a past: they attended grad school together. However, Levi made Bee’s life miserable at times, even refusing to work on a research project together and telling her then fiancé he could do better than Bee. So when Bee finds out that she will share the co-lead at her new NASA dream assignment with her nemesis, she’s less than thrilled.
Love on the Brain is another STEMinist smash hit for Ms. Hazelwood. I absolutely enjoyed reading Bee’s journey of self-discovery and finding love. She has been hurt and abandoned over and over in her life and doesn’t see her self worth, especially when it comes to men, so she’s sworn off relationships since she found out her best friend slept with her fiancé just weeks before their wedding. Instead she focuses on her work, at which she is extremely good. But she’s constantly being overlooked and/or minimized because of her gender.
Using humor, the author points out the rampant issues women in STEM can face… it’s a boys club most of the time, especially in higher-level settings. Bee handles it with an eye roll and sarcasm. She vents using her twitter account. While at times, the awful treatment of woman and Bee’s attitude could outweigh the story, it’s necessary for the development of Bee’s character.
The story is shared solely from Bee’s POV, which allows the author to use Bee’s inner fears to shape the reader’s opinion of her relationship with Levi. Hazelwood captures insecurities and love so perfectly. She allows her readers to experience all of the feelings along side her heroine, her imperfections making Bee relatable and real. She’s so set in her beliefs of what Levi thinks of her and her life, that it takes a (frustrating) while for her to start believing differently.
Although we only see Bee’s POV, I love how obvious it is that Levi is head over heals for Bee. While I found him an irredeemable ass in the start, Hazelwood shares bits and pieces of the true Levi over time, and we discover Levi is a doll. He appreciates everything about Bee. He supports her brilliant brain and can’t see why others don’t treat her the same.
I love how the truth of their past slowly unfolds as they become friends and grow close. It’s one of those love stories that works because it plays out over time. They are better people now, after the years of misunderstandings, because they have evolved into the adults they are meant to be – unknowingly ready for a relationship and perfect for one another.
Love on the Brain is a funny, delightful romance. I simply adore Bee and Levi and loved experiencing their journey as they discover their HEA.
My Rating: A, Loved It
Jen
About the Book:
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?
Release Date: August 23, 2022
Publisher: Berkley
Series: Standalone
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Format(s): paperback (368 pages), e-book, audiobook
Book Source: Publisher/NetGalley
Purchase Info:
Amazon (affiliate link)
Other Stories from this Author:
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood (Standalone)
Under One Roof by Ali Hazelwood (The STEMinist #1) – Audiobook Review
Stuck with You by Ali Hazelwood (The STEMinist #2) – Audiobook Review
Below Zero by Ali Hazelwood (The STEMinist #3) – Audiobook Review