Review: Love on the Brain
Available at Bookshop.org
5/5
For fans of: enemies-to-lovers, science, NASA, pining, STEM, romance
The Big Questions:
What genre is this in? Romance, rom-com
Are there any swoon-worthy characters? The cast is STACKED with guys and girls that are sexy physically, intellectually, and emotionally
Is it spicy? Hot damn yes.
Is it violent or gory? Nope.
Should I buy, borrow, or pass on this book? BUY IT.
Synopsis: Bee Königswasser has been given the opportunity of a lifetime: co-head a new project at NASA. With her expertise in neuroengineering, she will be designing a new helmet for astronauts. Everything is falling into place until she finds out her co-head is none other than Levi Ward, or as she remembers from grad school: Wardass. She doesn’t know what she did to him, but he has hated her the moment they met. Maybe things will be different. Grad school was years ago. Nope. Her key card doesn’t work, lab equipment hasn’t arrived, he berates her on her professional appearance, won’t answer any of her emails, and eats the only vegan donut at an all staff meeting. And that’s just her first day. She’s got a problem and it’s him.
Review: I fell for Ali Hazelwood’s writing in The Love Hypothesis and have not looked back. In Love on the Brain, we meet Bree and Levi, former grad students who reconnect years later on a new project pairing their expertise. They are at the top of their respective fields and yet they are emotional idiots that you fall in love with rather quickly, especially Bree. First person POV is a given in so many genres (especially rom-com) that you just accept how annoying they can be, but I loved Bree from the first line to the last. She’s hilarious, sassy, witty, and so so dumb in reading the one person who reads her way too well.
Equally smart and equally dumb is Levi, an engineering darling who is quite aware of himself now, but wow did he not give good first, second, third, a million impressions when he first met Bree in grad school. Miscommunication is rife in this story, which I normally hate, but absolutely squealed through the entire time. Both characters are hilarious intentionally and unintentionally; I rarely laugh out loud when I read and I was in stitches throughout this entire book.
The setting really shines through and becomes a secondary character throughout the book. You feel the weight and importance of NASA, the stress from government department bosses, the millions spent on science, and the sense of discovery that everyone is working towards.
Now on to the most important thing, the romance. It is EXCELLENT. Adorable, nerdy, sweet, angsty, and soooooo much pining that the slow burn BURNS. It all felt so natural as Bree and Levi naturally progress from outright hostility, cold professionalism, friendship, understanding, and love. Their histories are perfectly weaved throughout the book and I was so emotionally wrapped up in every aspect of their story. They don’t just fall in love, they become best friends who understand each other completely.
I had a blast reading this and I love these characters so much. Buy this and devour it!