CANR
WORK TITLE: Deep End
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: https://alihazelwood.com/
CITY:
STATE:
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY: Italian
LAST VOLUME: LRC September 2021
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born in Italy; immigrated to United States; married.
EDUCATION:Holds a Ph.D. (neuroscience).
ADDRESS
CAREER
Cognitive neuroscientist, writer, and academic. Worked as a professor for three years, until 2022; fulltime writer, 2022–.
AVOCATIONS:“Binge-watching shows with my feline overlords (and my slightly less feline husband), running, or eating candy.”
AWARDS:Best young adult fiction book, Goodreads Choice Awards, 2023, for Check & Mate.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Originally from Italy, Ali Hazelwood traveled the world, living in Japan and Germany before coming to the United States to pursue a Ph.D. in neuroscience. (open new1)In an interview in Geeks Out, Hazelwood shared how she first started writing creatively. She admitted: “I started writing with fanfiction. I’ve always found it very hard to let go of characters and stories that I loved, so I found myself trying to write more about them.”(close new1)
In 2021 she became a published author with her debut, The Love Hypothesis, about a fake relationship between scientists that meets the irresistible force of attraction and throws one woman’s carefully calculated theories on love into chaos. As Hazelwood further notes on her website, such a theme is very much in her artistic wheelhouse: “My favorite thing in the world is to explore traditional romance tropes—and to picture how they’ll play out in academic settings. Rival scientists falling in love despite their better judgement? There’s only one cot in the lab? Fake dating during faculty meeting? Sign me up!” The author has also remarked that it was fanfiction that ultimately inspired her to start writing.
Romance in The Love Hypothesis ultimately ensues between Stanford Ph.D. candidate Olive Smith and feared professor Dr. Adam Carlsen. Olive is dedicated to her research on pancreatic cancer, while Adam has a reputation for making students cry or even drop out because of his blunt ways. They know one another only through the lab, but a fake dating relationship is established one day when she is trying to get her friend Anh to date her ex, Jeremy. To show Anh how finished that relationship is, one day as Anh is walking past, Olive kisses the closest male she can find. This male turns out to be none other than Dr. Adam Carlsen. When rumors start going around campus about their supposed relationship, Adam sees that he might be able to use it to his advantage. His research funds are being held up because the committee fears he may move on to a better position at another university. He proposes to Olive that they create a fake relationship so that the committee thinks he has roots in the community. Olive goes along with the deception, and they agree to keep the pretense going until the end of September. However, in the best of romance traditions, this opposites-attract couple soon goes far beyond a fake relationship.
A Kirkus Reviews critic commented: “For a first novel, there’s plenty of shine here, with clear signs that Hazelwood feels completely comfortable with happily-ever-afters. Fresh and upbeat.” Library Journal contributor Heather Miller observed: “This satisfying romantic comedy features smart, witty dialog and a diverse cast of likable secondary characters. … A realistic, amusing novel.” Similarly, a Publishers Weekly reviewer commented: “Hazelwood debuts with a charming, offbeat rom-com. … This smart, sexy contemporary should delight a wide swath of romance lovers.” A contributor in Porch Swing website offered further praise, noting: “The Love Hypothesis is a fantastic book. I loved it so much, that I can’t wait to re-read it!” A reviewer in the online Harlequin Junkie also had high praise for the book, concluding: “An absolutely stellar fake romance between a grumpy professor and a well-meaning grad student, The Love Hypothesis was everything I love about contemporary romance.”
(open new2)In Love on the Brain, NIH neuroscientist Bee Konigs-wasser is hired to lead the BLINK program to develop performance-enhancing technology for NASA astronauts. She is initially taken back that the co-lead on the project is Levi Ward, who was a rival of her back in graduate school. She takes on an alter ego on social media to release some stress and finds a friendly ear to listen to her problems. She realizes that she must work with Levi to save BLINK from whomever is trying to sabotage it. A contributor to Publishers Weekly opined that “the snappy prose, engaging and twisty plot, and utterly endearing characters combine to create pure romance gold.” A Kirkus Reviews contributor reasoned that although “Hazelwood is clearly a talented writer who’s tapped into readers’ desire to find powerful, proudly nerdy women in science getting happy-ever-afters, she’s missed the opportunity to try new character types.”
Loathe to Love You features three loosely connected STEM-centric novellas that feature female leads with various problems in love. “Under One Roof” finds environmental engineer Mara sharing a house with Liam after coinheriting it but neither being willing to sell out to the other. With “Stuck with You,” engineers Sadie and Erik find their feeling return after getting stuck in a broken elevator together. In “Below Zero,” aerospace engineer Hannah finds herself stuck in the Arctic after a failed mission with Ian, who tries to save them. A Kirkus Reviews contributor said that it offered “a convenient collection for Hazelwood fans, but it probably won’t grab new readers.”
With Love, Theoretically, theoretical physicist Elsie Hannaway finds that experimental physicist Jack Smith-Turner holds the key to her getting tenure at MIT. While he has a crush on her, she is suspicious of him. Jack knows, though, that she won’t get tenure as the process is rigged. Booklist contributor Kristina Giovanni insisted that the novel is “certain to please her fans and all who enjoy smart, sexy love stories.” A Kirkus Reviews contributor pointed out that Elsie and Jack’s “happily-ever-after is a standout…. These two are content to take things at their own pace, a refreshing narrative choice that doesn’t conform to every assumption of the genre.”
In Check & Mate, eighteen-year-old Mallory Greenleaf swore off chess after her father abandoned the family. However, when she defeats the chess world champion at a charity tournament, doors open for the financially strapped family. A Kirkus Reviews contributor claimed that “readers will devour this swoonworthy romance in one sitting.” Booklist contributor Aurora Dominguez suggested that “this highly enjoyable, emotion-filled romance will attract teens and even loyal fans of her adult novels.”
With the young adult fantasy novel, Bride, vampyre Misery Lark is sent to live with a human family as a truce offering, where she befriends her foster sister, Serena. After she ages, she agrees to wed Lowe Moreland, who is the alpha of the Southwest Were Pack. While she agrees to help keep the peace between the difference factions, she also believes it will give her greater access to finding Serena, who disappeared mysteriously. A Kirkus Reviews contributor claimed that “Misery and Lowe’s slow-burn romance is appealing enough that readers will readily devour every moment between them and hunger to return to them whenever the story diverts.” Booklist contributor Diana Tixier Herald posited that “this enthralling tale of political machinations, family secrets, [and] enduring friendship … is a not to be missed romance.”
In Not in Love, food science biotech engineer Rue Siebert enjoys working with her best friend, Tisha. When Eli Killgore leads an aggressive takeover of her company, she can’t help but wonder what would have happened had their date not been interrupted. Despite the takeover, they attempt a no-strings-attached fling, but their feelings begin to catch up with each other. A contributor to Publishers Weekly stated: “Crafting a relationship that is both raunchy and emotionally nuanced, this is Hazelwood at her best.” A Kirkus Reviews contributor reasoned that the dual perspectives presented in the telling of the novel “provide a change of pace from Hazelwood’s previous books, though having Rue’s sections narrated in the first person and Eli’s in a close third can feel incongruous. Still, this is a stirring romance.”
With Deep End, Stanford diver Scarlett Vandermeer is badly injured at a competition. While she is recovering, she starts a fling with her best friend’s ex-boyfriend, Olympic swimming champion Luk Blomqvist. They initially agree to a dom/sub relationship due to their fetish for BDSM, but their romance flourishes quickly beyond that. A contributor to Publishers Weekly insisted that Scarlett and Lukas’s chemistry “is volcanic thanks to Hazelwood’s crisp prose and molten-hot sex scenes.” A Kirkus Reviews contributor claimed that this novel “is proof of the depth and maturity that has emerged in her writing over the years, and it highlights her embrace of sexier, more emotional elements.”(close new2)
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, April 15, 2023, Kristina Giovanni, review of Love, Theoretically, p. 28; September 15, 2023, Aurora Dominguez, review of Check & Mate, p. 55; January 1, 2024, Diana Tixier Herald, review of Bride, p. 41.
Kirkus Reviews, August 15, 2021, review of The Love Hypothesis; July 1, 2022, review of Love on the Brain; November 1, 2022, review of Loathe to Love You; June 1, 2023, review of Love, Theoretically; September 15, 2023, review of Check & Mate; November 15, 2023, review of Bride; April 1, 2024, review of Not in Love; February 1, 2025, review of Deep End.
Library Journal, July 1, 2021, Heather Miller Cover, review of The Love Hypothesis, p. 65.
Publishers Weekly, June 7, 2021, review of The Love Hypothesis, p. 42; June 6, 2022, review of Love on the Brain, p. 37; April 1, 2024, review of Not in Love, p. 45; December 16, 2024, review of Deep End, p. 47.
ONLINE
Ali Hazelwood website, https://alihazelwood.com (August 24, 2025).
American Booksellers Association website, https://www.bookweb.org/ (November 1, 2023), Zoe Perzo, author interview; (January 24, 2024), Zoe Perzo, author interview.
BookTrib, https://booktrib.com/ (June 12, 2023), Aurora Dominguez, author interview.
BuzzFeed, https://www.buzzfeed.com/ (August 24, 2025), Farrah Penn, author interview.
Daily Texan, https://thedailytexan.com/ (September 20, 2021), Sofia Trevino, review of The Love Hypothesis.
Debutante Ball, https://www.thedebutanteball.com/ (August 24, 2021), Lyn Liao Butler, author interview.
Geeks Out, https://www.geeksout.org/ (March 28, 2024), Michele Kirichanskaya, author interview.
Harlequin Junkie, https://harlequinjunkie.com/ (April 19, 2021), review of The Love Hypothesis.
HeyitsCarlyRae, https://heyitscarlyrae.com/ (June 8, 2023), author interview.
Parnassus Books website, https://parnassusmusing.net/ (November 16, 2023), author interview.
Porch Swing, https://www.theporchswingstore.com (September 7, 2021), review of The Love Hypothesis.
SheReads, https://shereads.com/ (June 19, 2024), Kailey Costa, author interview.
ABOUT ALI
I’m originally from Italy, lived in Japan and Germany, and eventually moved to the US to pursue a Ph.D. in Neuroscience. I was a professor for about three years, but in 2022 I quit to write full time. When I’m not writing you can find me prowling around AO3, binge-watching shows with my three feline overlords (and my almost equally feline husband), crocheting, or eating candy.
(The name of the dog in the picture is Chica; she is not mine, but I wish she were. Love to Chandra Wicke for the photo, and to Barbara for introducing me to my new bestie.)
I’m represented by the amazing Thao Le of the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency.
Ali Hazelwood
Italy (b.1989)
Ali Hazelwood is a multi-published author--alas, of peer-reviewed articles about brain science, in which no one makes out and the ever after is not always happy. Originally from Italy, she lived in Germany and Japan before moving to the U.S. to pursue a Ph.D. in neuroscience. She recently became a professor, which absolutely terrifies her. When Ali is not at work, she can be found running, crocheting, eating cake pops, or watching sci-fi movies with her two feline overlords (and her slightly-less-feline husband).
Genres: Romance, Paranormal Romance, Young Adult Romance
New and upcoming books
May 2025
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Problematic Summer Romance
(Not in Love, book 2)October 2025
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Mate
(Bride , book 2)
Series
Love Hypothesis
1. The Love Hypothesis (2021)
2. Love on the Brain (2022)
3. Love, Theoretically (2023)
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STEMinist Novellas
1. Under One Roof (2022)
2. Stuck with You (2022)
3. Below Zero (2022)
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Bride
1. Bride (2024)
2. Mate (2025)
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Not in Love
1. Not in Love (2024)
2. Problematic Summer Romance (2025)
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Novels
Check & Mate (2023)
Two Can Play (2024)
Deep End (2025)
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Series contributed to
Under the Mistletoe collection
Cruel Winter with You (2024)
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Omnibus editions hide
Ali Hazelwood Bestselling Books Combo (2022)
Ali Hazelwood
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ali Hazelwood
Born Italy
Occupation Writer, professor
Genre Romance
Years active 2021–present
Notable works The Love Hypothesis
Website
alihazelwood.com
Ali Hazelwood is the pen name of an Italian romance novelist and neuroscience professor based in the United States.[1][2][3] Many of her works center on women in STEM fields and academia. Her debut novel, The Love Hypothesis, was a New York Times best seller.
Career
Hazelwood's first novel, The Love Hypothesis, was published in September 2021.[4] It was on The New York Times Best Seller list for more than 40 weeks.[5][6] The story was originally written as Star Wars fan fiction about Rey and Kylo Ren, which Hazelwood first published on Archive of Our Own in 2018.[7] In 2020, Hazelwood was approached by a literary agent about the story, who then helped her prepare it for publication.[8]
In 2022, Hazelwood published her second full-length novel, Love on the Brain,[9] as well as three novellas: Under One Roof, Stuck with You, and Below Zero.[10] In 2023, Hazelwood compiled her three novellas into a book titled Loathe to Love You.[11] That same year, she released her third adult novel, Love, Theoretically,[10] as well as her first young adult novel, Check & Mate.[12] In 2024, she released the paranormal romance, Bride.[13] Her seventh book, Not in Love, was released in June 2024.[14]
Personal life
Hazelwood was born and raised in Italy[8] and lived in Japan and Germany before moving to the United States to pursue her Ph.D. in neuroscience.[5][15] During her graduate study, Hazelwood researched brain stimulation and cognitive neuroscience.[16]
Hazelwood worked as a professor up until 2023, when she took a break from academia to focus on her writing career.[5]
Works
Novels
The Love Hypothesis (2021)[17]
Love on the Brain (2022)[18]
Love, Theoretically (2023)[19]
Check & Mate (2023)[20]
Bride (2024)[21]
Not in Love (2024)[22]
Deep End (2025)[23]
Problematic Summer Romance (2025)
Mate (2025)
Novellas
Loathe to Love You (2023) collection:
Under One Roof (2022)
Stuck with You (2022)
Below Zero (2022)
Cruel Winter with You (2024)
Audio Novella
Two Can Play (2024)
01
2023
Indie Next List Interview
A Q&A with Ali Hazelwood, Author of November/December Kids’ Indie Next List Top Pick “Check & Mate”
By Zoe Perzo
Printer-friendly versionPrinter-friendly version
Independent booksellers across the country have chosen Ali Hazelwood's Check & Mate (G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers) as their top pick for the November/December 2023 Kids’ Indie Next List.
In the chess rival romance, Check & Mate, Mallory Greenleaf is drawn into the world of chess after winning a charity tournament against the reigning world champion, “Kingkiller” Nolan Sawyer.
“Ali Hazelwood’s young adult debut delivers an exciting ride of rediscovery and second chances," said Kaylie Padgett of Women & Children First in Chicago, Illinois.
Here, Hazelwood discusses her work with Bookselling This Week.
Bookselling This Week: It sounds like this is a story you’ve been thinking of for a while. Do you have a long history with chess? Was it something you delved into over the course of this story?
Ali Hazelwood: I learned to play chess when I was very young (my elementary school in Italy had mandatory tournaments every year), but sadly I’ve never been a particular skilled player. Professional chess players, though, have always fascinated me, mostly because of the discipline and dedication necessary to rise to the top, and I’d been wanting to write a story centering them for a while. Plus, my undergraduate research mentor had run several studies that used chess as an environment to examine how gender stereotypes affect performance, so it’s a sport that always felt close my heart.
BTW: I haven’t played chess in years, and this story certainly has me looking to play again. In Check & Mate, Mallory and Nolan attract public attention and inspire an interest in chess. Are you hoping this novel similarly gets more people curious about chess?
AH: I feel like this has already happened to some degree — The Queen’s Gambit was a huge success, and with social media and streaming, chess players are closer to being celebrities than they’ve ever been (I’m thinking about Hikaru Nakamura, Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana). I doubt my book’s reach will be as wide as a Netflix show, but I’ll be honest: if it makes one single person want to learn how to play, I would be so honored!
BTW: This is the next in your line of STEMinist fiction, but it’s your first YA novel! What made you want to dive into YA?
AH: I didn’t necessarily set out to write a YA book, but when I began drafting the story I realized that the protagonists needed to be young for it to work. They needed to be at a delicate stage in their lives, where they had to make important decisions about their futures, so writing about an eighteen- and a twenty-year-old felt like the perfect spot. I know it’s not a label that always works in publishing, but I definitely see the book as “New Adult.”
BTW: We’re getting something a little different with your next title. Would you like to tell us a little about Bride?
AH: Bride is my next adult release, and it’s the story of an arranged marriage between a vampire and a werewolf. I adored writing it, because it gave me the opportunity to truly embrace two things: the kind of paranormal romance novels that I grew up reading and were extremely formative to me (I’m talking about Nalini Singh, Kresley Cole, J. R. Ward, Christine Feehan, Patricia Briggs, and many more!) and, of course, my fanfiction roots. It was so fun to be able to come up with a story in which the stakes are high and the plot can be unhinged. I hope people will like it, because I would love to write more!
BTW: This is our second time interviewing you, so we’ve already asked you our classic indie bookstore question! Do you have a favorite memory or moment from an indie bookstore visit?
AH: Literally every time I visit my local indie (Lark & Owl in Texas). I love everyone there! The owners are super lovely; Christina, the book buyer, is amazing at what she does; and special shout out to Meghan and Shakeria for being the most amazing booksellers, and to everyone else who works there. And, the store has a delicious bistro — food and books, best combo ever. If you’re ever in the area, you should totally visit it!
Meet Your Match: An Interview with Ali Hazelwood
Posted onNovember 16, 2023
A few copies of Check & Mate fanned out in front of a chess board
Ali Hazelwood, the wildly popular romance author of The Love Hypothesis, Love, Theoretically, and more, marks herself as a fresh new voice in the young adult genre with her YA debut, Check & Mate. This book follows our badass heroine Mallory as she takes us along on a journey into the male-dominated field of competitive chess. There’s rivalry, humor, and at the heart of it all, a compelling love story. Getting the chance to chat with Ali was such a joy and I’m so excited this book is finally out in the world!
— Tara Leimkuehler, Parnassus bookseller
Ali Hazelwood author photo
Ali Hazelwood | Photo by Justin Murphy
Tara Leimkuehler: Ali, thank you so much for taking the time to talk with us! I have been obsessed with your books since The Love Hypothesis debuted. I was so excited when I heard you would be coming out with a YA novel! In Check & Mate, Mallory differentiates herself from typical YA protagonists by being a foul-mouthed, sex positive heroine. What inspired you to want to create a character that stands out in this genre?
Ali Hazelwood: Thank you so much!! You know, I actually think that there’s a huge variety in YA protagonists, at least within the books I read. For instance, a book I’ve recently read and loved (This Is Why They Hate Us by Aaron Aceves, I highly recommend it) has a main character who’s just as foul-mouthed and sex positive as Mallory—and delightful in his own chaotic way. I would argue that all book characters stand out and are unique in their own way. When I began writing Mallory, I wanted her to be a perfect storm of talent, insecurities, confidence, loneliness, humor, and a few psychological wounds, and I wanted her to be both charming and frustrating. I feel very protective of her, and I hope readers will love her as much as I do!
TL: We all know you as a queen of making seemingly unsexy things — such as science, and now chess — sexy. What is your history with chess, and what drew you to writing a book that centered on this game?
AH: I think chess has always been sexy, and I blame (credit?) Star Trek for that. There hasn’t been a single chess
game played in Star Trek that didn’t ooze sexual tension. As a Spock fangirl, I was primed to love this sport!
TL: In a previous interview, you described Mallory and Nolan as your favorite couple you’ve written. That’s big, considering how beloved the other couples you’ve created have been. Why are Mallory and Nolan your favorite? What about their relationship made them stand out?
AH: They have a specific dynamic that really fascinates me: they are two people who are incredibly brilliant and talented, and are pitted against each other by circumstances. In the eyes of the world, they are rivals, and they should be enemies. In truth, they haven’t really met anyone who’s their peer so far, and they are much more interested in getting to know each other (and falling in love) than in fighting.
TL: In the beginning of the book, you describe Nolan as being the Gen Z sex symbol of chess. Who would be on your shortlist to play him in a hypothetical screen adaptation?
AH: Jacob Elordi. That’s it—he’s the shortlist.
TL: Lastly, we ask everyone, what is your favorite thing about independent bookstores?
AH: The booksellers! I’ve built so many great friendships with booksellers in the last couple of years. We start by
bonding over our love for good books, and the next thing I know, we’re in Italy eating gelato together—I love it
sooo much!
Exclusive Interview with Ali Hazelwood
By Kailey Costa|June 19, 2024|Categories: Author Interviews, Romance|Tags: Exclusive Author Interview
Ali Hazelwood is a household name in the romance space releasing some of our favorite, swoon-worthy novels of recent years. From ultra-spicy to to first love YA, she has readers from all corners of the genre fanning the flush out of their cheeks. Whether you discovered her through the beloved STEMinist series that put her at the top of the New York Times bestseller list or you discovered what knotting was (NSFW: Google at your own risk) in the recently released sexy, supernatural novel Bride, Hazelwood has left a big impression on the book world. Now, her latest release Not In Love is here and we got the chance to sit down and chat with the neuroscientist turned novelist about her recent science-centered romance.
Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood
Rue’s life is starting to fall into place, she is a successful biotech engineer working for Kline, a promising food science start up. She has almost everything she wants. Then, a tough businessman, Eli, comes into her life and messes everything up, including her heart. Eli is now enemy number one to Rue as he and his business buddies try to buy out Kline, but Eli and Rue cannot avoid their feelings for one another for long. They must decide what is more important, their job, livelihood, and near perfect life, or the person they just met who is the biggest risk either of them have ever taken.
Buy the book now: Bookshop.com | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Ali Hazelwood is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Love, Theoretically, and The Love Hypothesis, as well as a writer of peer-reviewed articles about brain science, in which no one makes out and the ever after is not always happy. We caught up with Ali to chat about her latest novel, Not in Love, and all things romance.
You’ve written several books about women in STEM, how do you challenge yourself to keep your stories fresh?
In the case of Not In Love, it was very fun to write something that still had STEM elements, but was set in industry instead of academia! The stakes felt very high, which made the writing process very enjoyable.
How do you see the romance genre continuing to evolve?
I hope it’ll become more inclusive–and also more accessible to a variety of readers! I also love the way so many authors combine romance with different genres (horror, fantasy, sci-fi, thriller) and I’m really excited to see more of that!
Can you describe your writing process (do you do a lot of outlining or just write what comes out)?
Now that I have to juggle several projects at once, I’m trying to outline a bit more, just for the sake of being more organized and productive. But I think I’ll always be the kind of writer who really gets to know her characters while writing the first draft of a book.
What’s your favorite thing about being an author?
The romance community is amazing!
What’s next for you in terms of books?
My next book is going to be a new adult romance set in college! Scarlett, the main character, is a competitive platform diver who’s trying to come back from a catastrophic injury. She enters a relationship with Lukas, an Olympic swimmer, for a Very Specific Reason. Then, of course, they catch feelings.
Are there any genres/types of romance novels you haven’t written yet but you’re hoping to?
Yes! I have a couple of stories in my head that are probably a bit too weird and not very marketable, but lately I’ve been gravitating more toward darker stuff, and it’s been fun to play with new ideas!
Your bio says you can be found binge-watching shows, running or eating candy. So, I have to ask:
Favorite show(s) to binge watch?
Pride & Prejudice 1995
Favorite music/artists to run to?
I need to change my bio because I haven’t run in months (but let’s say Taylor Swift).
Favorite candy?
1) Kinder Happy Hippo, which is number 1 in flavor AND cuteness, 2) Kit Kat, but the European/Canadian version (in the US version both the chocolate and the wafer taste different- WHY WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE??)
Interview with Author Ali Hazelwood
Carly-RaeBy Carly-RaeUpdated:June 8, 20237 Mins ReadNo Comments
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Interview with Author Ali Hazelwood
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My interview with author Ali Hazelwood is today, and I’m thrilled! Can you tell? I first discovered The Love Hypothesis on Booktok. Then, I heard about Love on the Brain and needed to talk asap with Ali all about it. I think she is the queen of steminist novels, and today we are getting all the details about her latest release.
Interview with Author Ali Hazelwood
Meet Ali Hazelwood!
Ali Hazelwood! Welcome! Love on the Brain is your latest novel set to release. Tell readers more about what they can expect!
LOTB is the story of Bee, a neuroscientist who has the opportunity of a lifetime when she’s tasked to lead a prestigious NASA project—and then finds out that her grad school nemesis, Levi, will be leading the engineering part of the project.
Like in The Love Hypothesis, the protagonist in your latest rom-com, Bee Königswasser, is a scientist. What made you want to have Bee also be a scientist?
A big part of the reason I write about women in STEM is that it’s what I’ve been experiencing most closely for the past few years. I’m, first and foremost, a very lazy writer, and the one good thing about having Bee be a neuroscientist like myself was that I didn’t need to do much research into what her job entailed.
Levi Ward is Bee’s love interest. What was your favorite part of crafting the romance between Bee and Levi?
There are two cats that make up a small but very important part of the story, and I really loved integrating them into the narrative and writing about how they managed to bring Levi and Bee together.
Do you have a favorite chapter in Love on the Brain?
Probably the one in which Bee gets stuck in a cemetery late at night and has to ask Levi to come to extract her.
I love how The Love Hypothesis has a similar cover to Love on the Brain. Did you design the covers or always want them to compliment?
I did not! The illustrator is @lilith_saur on Instagram, and she’s an old friend and a fantastic fandom artist. The design of the covers was handled by the art department at Penguin Random House, who are amazing. I have adored all my covers so far, the characters and the colors, and the general vibe, and if it’s up to me, I’d love to keep working with this team forever!
Is there one part of writing a rom-com book you enjoy most? For example, is it when you get to the developmental stage or the line editing stage?
I really like it when I’m drafting the last, maybe 70% of a book. That’s where I’m starting to get pretty familiar with the characters, so I kind-of-sort-of know what I’m doing, but I’m still discovering the story and the exciting parts as I go. I looove writing emotional scenes between the characters and, of course, sex scenes!
Love on the Brain Book Cover
Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood
Genre: Romance/ Contemporary Romance
Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood follows the story of Bee Königswasser, who finally got her dream job at NASA. However, the means she has to work with alongside Levi. Let’s just say those two don’t exactly get along. But will these two archenemies find common ground? Find out.
Buy this Book: Amazon | Books-a-million | Barnes & Noble | Audible
Walk us through a day in your life when writing.
I wake up in the morning and cuddle my cats against their will. Then, while I wait for my brain to start working, I put on a K-drama and watch it as a crochet. Unfortunately, K-dramas are soooo good. Once I start watching them, I cannot stop. A few episodes/hours in, I remember that, contractually, I should be writing, so I open my Scrivener document and guiltily type in a few miserable words. Then I receive some publishing-related emails and take care of replying, and that makes me feel like I just did a ton of work even though it only took me like, thirty-five seconds, so I reward myself with some more K-drama episodes.
I snack throughout the day because, sadly, I “write” in the living room, which is very close to the kitchen (there is literally not even a door separating them, sadly). In the late afternoon, I realize that I have not met my daily word goal, not even close, and I start panicking. I frantically jot down a few unusable sentences, and then I’m famished, so it’s time for dinner. I’m not much of a night owl, and I can’t write well at night, so I just resign myself to watching some more K-dramas. Then I go to bed. The end.
Total word count for the day: 17.
Did you always want to write a rom-com novel centering around scientists?
Not really, but when I started writing (with fanfiction), I was working on my dissertation, and I had lots of gripes with STEM academia that I worked out through fiction. That’s how I got into the habit of writing in science settings.
Before I let you go, what is it you hope readers take away from Love on Brain?
A few hours of entertainment, I hope!
Finally, where can readers find you on social media?
My Twitter is @eversoali, my Facebook is @alihazelwood, and my TikTok is @alihazelwood, but these days I’m mostly on Instagram @alihazelwood
That concludes my interview with author Ali Hazelwood!
Thank you for joining us Ali! Drop a comment below what your favorite part of Ali’s interview is! If you want to see other authors join me or if you want to schedule an interview contact me today!
7 Questions With Ali Hazelwood As She Chats About Her Newest Book, "Love On The Brain"
Time to find your new favorite book!
Farrah Penn
by Farrah Penn
BuzzFeed Staff Writer
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Author's Note
Alexa Fishman / BuzzFeed
Author's Note is a short segment where we interview authors in hopes of introducing you to your new favorite book!
This week, we had the pleasure of asking Ali Hazelwood, the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis (2021, Berkley Books), a few questions about her latest STEMinist romance, Love on the Brain, which is available August 23.
Love on the Brain
Ali Hazelwood
Berkley, Courtesy of Berkley
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Can you describe Love on the Brain in a tweet?
Ali: I [28F] am a neuroscientist, and I just found out that NASA chose me to be the leader of a very important project. Unfortunately, the leader [33M] of the engineering side is my grad school nemesis. If I egg his office, AITA?
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What are 5 emojis that sum up your book?
Ali: ❤️🩹 🐱 🧠 🍆 💌
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Write a short Tinder bio from your main character’s perspective.
Ali: Bee K., 28. I’m fairly sure love is an unstable isotope constantly undergoing spontaneous nuclear decay, and all human relationships are doomed to fail. I only made this profile because my sister forced me; please do not swipe right. (Unless you have cats. Do you have cats? Feel free to send cat pics.)
Name five songs that encapsulate the vibes of Love on the Brain.
Ali: "Gorgeous" by Taylor Swift, "Paper Rings" by Taylor Swift, "Delicate" by Taylor Swift, "Love, Maybe" by MeloMance (but I love Kim Se-jeong’s versions)
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And (wait for it...)
"Love on the Brain" by Rihanna.
(I had to.)
Westbury Road
Share the wildest thing you Googled for this story.
Ali: How to express anal glands.
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What's one quote from Love on the Brain that will leave us wanting more?
“Are you going to kiss me?”
No idea where that came from. But I’m not sorry it’s out there.
His smile doesn’t falter, but he shakes his head. “I don’t think so,” he says quietly. Strands of purple hair brush against his forehead. His cheeks. We are close, so close. He smells so good.
“Why?”
“Because I’m not sure you want me to kiss you.”
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And last but not least, share something interesting that happened behind-the-scenes while writing this book.
Ali: We rescued my orange cat (Hux) in the Summer of 2020, right when I was writing the book. A few weeks later, I was writing in bed (this is why my back hurts all the time btw), and my cat decided to come curl up on my butt and take a nap. It was truly a watershed moment in our relationship. That day, we bonded like never before (and I got sciatica).
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Learn more about Ali by visiting her website, and purchase Love on the Brain from Bookshop here!
Ali Hazelwood Talks Academia, Writing Rituals and “Love, Theoretically”
Contributor: Aurora Dominguez
Aurora Dominguez
June 12, 2023
5 min read
Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood
When Ali Hazelwood’s debut The Love Hypothesis (Berkley) was released in 2021, romance fans were enamored with the story about two scientists finding themselves in a hate-to-fake-dating relationship. This debut put Hazelwood’s name on the map, and she has become one of the biggest names in romance ever since.
This STEM romance not only sent Hazelwood to the official New York Times bestseller list, it also became a BookTok sensation on TikTok. Readers loved spilling the details of the romance story across social media, something that has helped Hazelwood gather a dedicated fan base. Her second book, Love on the Brain, as well as her newly released Loathe to Love You STEM novella collection, are proof that Hazelwood is becoming a legendary romance author, with books full of relatable and intelligent characters.
But what makes Ali Hazelwood stand out from the crowd and has led her to write STEM-inspired romance novels, is her own scientific background. Hazelwood is a professor with a PhD in neuroscience. But sometimes, even she has to do research for her novels in order to explore new themes and ideas.
I had the chance to ask Ali a few questions for BookTrib about her books and writing process, as well as her upcoming novel Love, Theoretically.
Q: In your books, there is smart banter and quirky commentary between the love interest and the girl who just might like him after all. How do you brainstorm these characters, and how do you approach the way in which their connection develops?
A: There is usually a specific trope, or dynamic, or tension that I set out to explore. But I have to say, now that I’m writing book six, I’ve started realizing that the process for every book feels different!
My ideas come from all over the place, but mostly from media I’ve enjoyed and whose elements I want to explore more.
[For Love, Theoretically] it was a very organic process — I had the story idea, wondered what kind of people would be more likely to end up in that specific situation, and everything progressed side by side.
Q: Your latest book, Love, Theoretically, is out June 13. What can readers expect from the book and its story?
A: It’s the story of Elsie and Jack, who are both physicists (but different kinds of physicists, as they’d readily tell you) and who find themselves face to face when Elsie applies for a Job in Jack’s department at MIT. Unfortunately, they already know each other, because Elsie has been fake dating Jack’s brother for a while …
Q: Has your experience in academia and science shaped your writing? What kind of research did you have to do for Love, Theoretically?
A: It’s what I know best, so writing in academic/lab settings is what feels most natural to me!
It has definitely made me want to channel my academic angst into my writing! And I don’t know very much about physics, so there was a lot of Googling going on …
Q: When it comes to writing, do you have a specific ritual that gets you ready to write? Do you need a quiet room, a candle burning, a fun drink or maybe some music? Inquiring minds want to know!
A: I would say that my ritual is postponing the moment when I start writing a book as much as I can, thus creating an endless cycle of barely met deadlines and days spent having to write every second of every hour, even when I’m on the toilet or scarfing down a sandwich, just to avoid having to ask for an extension. But I’m hoping to soon become the kind of writer whose more organized and lights a candle for atmosphere — it’s one of my biggest career goals!
Q: What are you reading now? What books or authors inspire you?
A: I just finished The Name Drop by Susan Lee and I’m obsessed! It’s the k-drama adjacent YA book I’ve always wanted! And I get inspiration from most (all?) romance novels I read.
Q: What’s next for you in the literary world that you can share with us?
A: My first YA book, [Check & Mate] a rivals-to-lovers coming of age set in the world of professional chess, is coming out this November, and it’s my most beloved child. After that, I’ll publish my next book that’s not quite a STEM romcom, which is very exciting for me!
Ali Hazelwood is the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis, as well as a writer of peer-reviewed articles about brain science, in which no one makes out and the ever after is not always happy. Originally from Italy, she lived in Germany and Japan before moving to the US to pursue a PhD in neuroscience. She recently became a professor, which absolutely terrifies her. When Ali is not at work, she can be found running, eating cake pops or watching sci-fi movies with her two feline overlords (and her slightly-less-feline husband).
Interview with Ali Hazelwood, Author of Bride
By: Michele Kirichanskaya
Mar 28, 2024
Ali Hazelwood is the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis as well as a writer of peer-reviewed articles about brain science, in which no one makes out and the ever after is not always happy. Originally from Italy, she lived in Germany and Japan before moving to the US to pursue a PhD in neuroscience. When Ali is not at work, she can be found running, eating cake pops, or watching sci-fi movies with her three feline overlords (and her slightly-less-feline husband).
I had the opportunity to interview Ali, which you can read below.
First of all, welcome to Geeks OUT! Could you tell us a little about yourself?
Thank you for having me! My name is Ali, and I’m a romance writer!
What can you tell us about your latest book, Bride? What was the inspiration for this story?
When I was growing up and discovering romance, my favorite novels had werewolves and vampires (think Twilight, but steamier). My favorite authors were Kresley Cole, Nalini Singh, JR Ward, and Christine Feehan. This book is very much a paranormal romance that’s a homage to them.
As a writer, what drew you to the art of storytelling, specifically speculative fiction and romance?
I started writing with fanfiction. I’ve always found it very hard to let go of characters and stories that I loved, so I found myself trying to write more about them.
How would you describe your writing process?
It’s very messy, and it’s still very much evolving. I’ve noticed that when I have an idea I have to let it mull for a while before I’m fully ready to write the story. And also that even though I hate giving myself daily writing goals, it’s the only way I get the book done.
Growing up, were there any stories in which you felt touched by/ or reflected in? Are there any like that now?
Absolutely—so many. It’s actually hard to list all of them, because the way I “bond” with characters by finding their most relatable quality, which means that I see myself reflected in lots of stories.
As a writer, who or what would you say are some of your greatest creative influences and/or sources of inspiration in general?
Fanfiction, romance novels, and whatever my hyperfixation is at any given time.
What are some of your favorite elements of writing? What do you consider some of the most frustrating and/or challenging?
I really enjoy the initial stage of coming up with a story idea and starting the drafting process. I think the hardest part of me is having to reread a book years after it’s written to get it ready for publication, mostly because at that point I cannot really make substantive changes.
Many authors would say one of the most challenging parts of writing a book is finishing one. What strategies would you say helped you accomplish this?
Edit forward. Don’t go back and edit what you’ve already written, just finish the first draft and make notes of things to change later. You can’t edit something you haven’t written, so getting a (even very bad) first draft is the most important thing.
Aside from your work, what are some things you would want others to know about you?
I have three cats, and they’re currently all gathered around me, staring. I think they want dinner?
What’s a question you haven’t been asked yet but that you wish you were asked (as well as the answer to that question)?
I’m not sure there is one. I’m pretty chatty, so if someone doesn’t ask me a question I usually just overshare?
What advice might you have to give for other aspiring writers?
Writing can be lonely, so make sure you have a great support network gathered around you.
Are there any other projects you are working on and at liberty to speak about?
My next paranormal book, Bride, will be out in February, and my next contemporary romance, Not In Love, will be out in June.
Finally, what books/authors would you recommend to the readers of Geeks OUT?
So many:
Sex, Lies and Sensibility by Nikki Payne—best Sense and Sensibility retelling ever.
A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal—one of my favorite vampire books ever.
The Name Drop by Susan Lee—a fantastic YA romance with mistaken identities.
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Indie Next List Interview
A Q&A with Ali Hazelwood, Author of February Indie Next List Top Pick “Bride”
By Zoe Perzo
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Independent booksellers across the country have chosen Ali Hazelwood’s Bride (Berkley) as their top pick for the February 2024 Indie Next List.
In Bride, tensions are high between the Vampyres and Werewolves, and Misery Lark's strategic marriage to the Alpha Werewolf may be the only way to secure peace.
“Thank you Ali Hazelwood! Her books are wonderful, romantic book escapes. Add some paranormal spice and you have my kind of perfect! Bride is the great start of a new paranormal world full of werewolves, vampires, and humans,” said Revati Kilaparti of Old Firehouse Books in Fort Collins, Colorado.
Here, Hazelwood discusses her work with Bookselling This Week.
Bookselling This Week: Congratulations on hitting #1 on the Indie Next List yet again! Your acknowledgements mention that your agent and editor actively encouraged you as you moved into vampire/werewolf fiction. I love a team that not only encourages their author, but eggs them on. Do you want to tell us more about how Bride came to be?
Ali Hazelwood: I’d been telling my agent, the amazing Thao Le, for a long time that I wanted to write an arranged marriage book with wolf shifters. At the time I wanted the main female character to be human, so it was just “my werewolf book” for a while. Thao and I would discuss it often, and she was always super supportive about it.
Once my contract with my publisher (Berkley) was up to be renewed, she advocated for me to be able to write Bride — which was great, because I really think I needed a change of pace. My editor, Sarah Blumenstock, was also really open-minded. I was almost sure she would ask me to cut out the knotting scenes, but lo and behold, she had me write even more of it! It was so nice to feel like my publishing team supported me with this book, even if it’s a bit of a risky move for them.
BTW: Obviously, tales of vampires and werewolves have a lot of variation as far as the rules the creatures have to abide by and their origin. You chose to incorporate biological rather than supernatural explanations, so I’d love to hear more about your worldbuilding process. (Were there any exciting world/species details you decided on but weren’t able to incorporate in the final story?)
AH: I was writing the book from a pretty relaxed place, knowing that both vampires and werewolves have been depicted in hundreds of slightly different ways in novels, and that I could choose whatever aspects of their society/customs/biology I wanted to incorporate in my story. Bride is first and foremost a romance novel, so I tried to include just enough worldbuilding to make sure that the love story would feel grounded and that the trust issues Misery and Lowe needed to overcome would seem justified. There are definitely some little bits of Were society that didn’t come up because there was no organic way to introduce them and weren’t relevant to this specific story, but who knows — maybe in the future?
BTW: The main characters’ banter and chemistry really stands out here. Would you like to talk a little more about creating Misery and Lowe? How much did their characters change from the first to final draft?
AH: I always wanted Misery to be a bit hardened and mistrustful because of her previous experiences with…pretty much everyone she’s ever met, but I don’t think I was truly able to dial into who she was as a character until I had her interact with Lowe’s sister. Ana, at least in her final form, was a relatively late addition (she was initially going to be a bit older and a bit more antagonistic toward Misery), so it definitely took me a while to figure get to the thick-shelled but secretly softhearted Misery that you can find in the book.
Lowe’s arc was clearer from the start. I wanted him to be someone who’s genuinely nice and loving and self-sacrificing, and who finds himself aggressively wrestling with the idea that his fated mate is from another species — one that doesn’t fully understand the concept of “fated” or “mate.” He wants Misery for himself, but he wants Misery to be happy even more, and that’s what drives most of his actions.
BTW: Now that you’ve done so many romance novels, do you have a favorite romance trope?
AH: Fated mates remains my favorite, and I’m so glad I got to explore it in Bride!
BTW: Any hints on what you’ll be doing next?
AH: I’m currently drafting my next adult book, and it’s a bit of a change of pace for me. It’s not done though, so I’m not sure how much of what I have now will stay in the final version!
BTW: Is there anything else you want to share with our booksellers?
AH: Just my deepest thanks for everything they do and for creating and working in indie book stores, the most magical places in the world!
Ali Hazelwood. Berkley, $17 trade paper (368p) ISBN 978-0-593-33684-7
Bestseller Hazelwood's charming and intelligent sophomore outing (after The Love Hypothesis) follows a pair of noted young scientists on their rocky path to love. NIH neuroscientist Bee Konigs-wasser is thrilled when she is tapped for the position of a lifetime: leading BLINK, a program that will build performance-enhancing technology for NASA astronauts. Unfortunately, her co-lead is her graduate school nemesis, Levi Ward. As Bee, who's still nursing emotional wounds over a cheating ex-fiance, encounters a series of obstacles in her attempts to get BLINK off the ground, she assumes Levi is stonewalling her. She takes to her popular twitter account @WhatWouldMarieDo, where she doles out advice to academics in the voice of Marie Curie, to blow off steam. She finds solace in trading quips and commiserating with the smart and witty @Shmacademics, another popular account, to whom Bee vents about working with Levi while @Shmacademics pines over a married woman. When it becomes obvious to Bee that it's not Levi blocking her requests and instead that someone else is first subtly, then overtly, working to sabotage BLINK, she and Levi must band together to save their work. The snappy prose, engaging and twisty plot, and utterly endearing characters combine to create pure romance gold. This brainy offering should win Hazelwood even more fans. Agent: Thao Le, Sandra Dijkstra Literary. (Aug.)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2022 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
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"Love on the Brain." Publishers Weekly, vol. 269, no. 24, 6 June 2022, p. 37. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A711576449/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=b8b23a1f. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.
Hazelwood, Ali LOVE ON THE BRAIN Berkley (Fiction None) $17.00 8, 23 ISBN: 978-0-593-33684-7
A neuroscientist is forced to work with her academic nemesis on a career-changing project in this STEM-celebratory contemporary romance.
Bee Königswasser is over-the-moon excited when she's asked to lead BLINK, a joint project between NASA and the National Institutes of Health designed to build better technology for astronauts. The invitation to the team is enough to get Bee out of the funk she's been in since she discovered her fiance cheating and her engagement fell apart. Her excitement is short-lived when she discovers she'll be co-leading the project with engineer Levi Ward, her grad school nemesis, whose cold, cutting behavior and outspoken inability to work with her on an assignment have stuck with her. Their work on BLINK is an improvement though, as Levi doesn't immediately bail on the project. But when little things start to go wrong for Bee and her team, she begins to wonder if her co-lead isn't above sabotage. Adding an additional layer to Bee and Levi's rivalry is the fact that they run two very popular anonymous social media accounts. Since the accounts are both rooted in science and academia, Bee and Levi unknowingly frequent the same internet circles and have even developed an online friendship without knowing each other's identity. While the epistolary elements of the book, including tweets and direct messages, are novel, it often feels unnecessary. The quiet, pining hero in a lab setting isn't new territory for Hazelwood, and readers may wonder if she pushes it in a new direction here. The answer is no. While Hazelwood is clearly a talented writer who's tapped into readers' desire to find powerful, proudly nerdy women in science getting happy-ever-afters, she's missed the opportunity to try new character types that don't feel like The Love Hypothesis (2021) with slightly different packaging.
A quick read, though less than fresh.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2022 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
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"Hazelwood, Ali: LOVE ON THE BRAIN." Kirkus Reviews, 1 July 2022. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A708486745/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=b50dbce6. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.
Hazelwood, Ali LOATHE TO LOVE YOU Berkley (Fiction None) $14.99 1, 3 ISBN: 978-0-593-43780-3
A trio of contemporary romance novellas featuring engineers getting their happily-ever-afters.
Hazelwood's STEMinist novellas, a loosely linked trilogy originally published separately over the course of 2022, now arrive packaged together with an exclusive bonus chapter that checks in on the couples as they settle into their romantic lives. In Under One Roof, environmental engineer Mara and corporate lawyer Liam are unlikely roommates, as confirmed by their frequent butting of heads. Their main point of contact: the thermostat. Helena, who was Mara's former mentor and Liam's aunt, left Mara half of her Washington, D.C., house upon her death, meaning Mara and Liam have to share it unless one of them agrees to let the other buy them out--and neither is prepared to do that. In Stuck With You, Sadie and Erik are two engineers who work in the same New York City building but for different companies. They previously had a fling, and their residual feelings bubble to the surface when they get stuck in an elevator together. Lastly, in Below Zero, aerospace engineer Hannah is stranded in the Arctic with Ian, the man she feels is responsible for nearly ruining her expedition. However, he seems to be the only one willing to put his life on the line to get the two of them to safety. Forced proximity and frustrating miscommunication are the unifying themes across all three stories. While the characters may blur together in a mix-and-match whirlwind of nerdy-and-feminine meets broody-and-masculine descriptors, the settings add some variety, starting in an urban house and ending in the Arctic. The heroines all feel slighted by the heroes in some way, whether it's because they work for a large firm instead of a startup or because they expressed concern about their research projects. Together, the three novellas feel like rinse-and-repeat, and the collection as a whole is a bit like cotton candy: fluffy, sweet, but ultimately forgettable.
A convenient collection for Hazelwood fans, but it probably won't grab new readers.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2022 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
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"Hazelwood, Ali: LOATHE TO LOVE YOU." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Nov. 2022. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A724445652/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=ccc3e879. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.
Love, Theoretically. By Ali Hazelwood. June 2023.400p. Berkley, paper, $17 (9780593336861).
The reigning queen of STEMinist romcoms returns with a tale set in the cutthroat world of elite academia full of delightful humor, realistic emotions, and the messy search for self-acceptance. Theoretical physicist (and chronic people pleaser) Elsie Hannaway's career could shift dramatically, from barely making ends meet as an adjunct to potentially joining the physics department at MIT as a tenured professor. There's only one person in her way. Experimental physicist Jack Smith-Turner has had a bit of a crush on Elsie since they first met at a family gathering, and is surprised to discover she's a candidate at MIT. He knows the hiring process is rigged and not in Elsie's favor. Jack is infamous for publishing a paper that nearly destroyed the reputation of Elsie's mentor and riled theoretical physicists everywhere, so Elsie is on her guard. Hilarious misunderstandings and well-paced, clever plot twists keep the pages turning as these adversaries transform into lovers with chemistry that's off the charts. Hazelwood is perfecting her best-selling formula, incorporating fake dating (The Love Hypothesis, 2021) and enemies-to-lovers (Love on the Brain, 2022) in a rom-com certain to please her fans and all who enjoy smart, sexy love stories.--Kristina Giovanni
HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Hazel wood's best-selling blend of brainy and sexy has romance and rom-com fans dizzy with delight.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2023 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
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Giovanni, Kristina. "Love, Theoretically." Booklist, vol. 119, no. 16, 15 Apr. 2023, p. 28. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A747135411/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=5721e9d9. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.
Hazelwood, Ali LOVE, THEORETICALLY Berkley (Fiction None) $17.00 6, 13 ISBN: 9780593336861
Two physicists get off on the wrong foot, but they learn to give each other second chances--in both work and love.
Elsie Hannaway is a people-pleaser. When she meets anyone, her first instinct is to give them the answer she knows they want to hear so as not to make waves. This trait has allowed her to model herself into the perfect fake girlfriend, working a part-time gig for an app where she gets paid to accompany single guys to excruciating family events. It's easy money, and Elsie has managed to separate her fake dating world from her stressful (and badly paid) life as an adjunct professor of theoretical physics at three Boston universities...until now. When she comes face to face with Jack Smith, her current fake boyfriend's older brother, she realizes that he's also her professional nemesis, the experimental physicist who ruined her mentor's career and turned theoretical physics into the laughingstock of the science community. Naturally, he's also standing in the way of what could very well be her dream job at MIT, since he's on the hiring committee. Elsie's first instinct is to battle Jack for the spot she wants, no matter the cost. What she's less prepared for are the lingering looks he gives her or the way he always sees right through the facades she slips on to make herself appear more likable. Fighting in increasingly close quarters, however, only helps Elsie see all of Jack's hidden angles. Letting Jack, her enemy, get to know her might be the biggest test of Elsie's willingness to let down her walls, too. Hazelwood's latest STEM-set novel may be her best yet, addressing not only discrimination among different realms of physics, but the unconscious bias Elsie has to continually fight as a woman in her field. Elsie and Jack's banter is electric and hilarious from the start, and Jack earns the mantle of a swoonworthy hero who keenly discerns the heart of his love interest even when Elsie doesn't always represent herself genuinely. Their happily-ever-after is a standout, too--these two are content to take things at their own pace, a refreshing narrative choice that doesn't conform to every assumption of the genre.
A dynamic rivals-to-lovers romance.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2023 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
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"Hazelwood, Ali: LOVE, THEORETICALLY." Kirkus Reviews, 1 June 2023. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A751050055/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=3ee6401b. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.
Hazelwood, Ali CHECK & MATE Putnam (Teen None) $14.00 11, 7 ISBN: 9780593619919
Two talented chess players challenge each other on and off the board in bestselling author Hazelwood's YA debut.
Eighteen-year-old Mallory Greenleaf is no longer interested in chess, not since her hypercompetitive dad left--the game calls up painful memories. But she grudgingly agrees to play in a charity tournament as a favor to best friend Easton Peña. After she unexpectedly beats current world champion Nolan Sawyer, she's offered a fellowship that will prepare her to play professionally. Even though Mallory doesn't want to play anymore, she needs the money that winning would provide; she's delayed college to support her family, since her mother is chronically ill with rheumatoid arthritis and is unable to work regularly. The more time she spends with Nolan, the more Mallory comes to like and respect him--and the more time she spends playing chess, the more she remembers how much she loved it. But when she learns that Nolan has been keeping a big secret from her, she isn't sure if she'll be able to move past it to build a relationship with him. Filled with the author's signature humor, well-developed characters, and realistic conflicts, plus the fully realized setting of competitive chess, this captivating romance will delight teen readers as well as Hazelwood's adult fans. Mallory and Nolan are both cued white; there is some racial diversity among the supporting cast. Mallory and Easton are queer.
Readers will devour this swoonworthy romance in one sitting. (author's note) (Romance. 14-adult)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2023 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
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"Hazelwood, Ali: CHECK & MATE." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Sept. 2023. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A764873172/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=45cf6576. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.
Check & Mate. By Ali Hazelwood. Nov. 2023.368p. Putnam, paper, $14 (9780593619919). Gr. 8-12.
Hazelwood has captured many a reader's heart with her adult rom-coms. Now, she makes her YA debut with a story that sparkles with her signature wit and relatable characters. Headstrong Mallory Greenleaf has a passion for chess but gave up playing when the game caused friction in her family and life landed her with huge responsibilities at home--namely earning a paycheck while taking care of her little sisters and ailing mother. The novel gives readers a deep dive into Mallory's plight, and her emotions resurface when her best friend begs her to attend a new chess competition for a charitable cause. Mallory hesitates but ultimately decides to give it a shot. It's there that she quickly butts heads with celebrity player Nolan Sawyer, known as the "Kingkiller" in the chess world. Hazelwood's writing style makes the characters' banter shine even as she tackles important themes, such as coping with family struggles, finding oneself, following forgotten dreams, and learning how to move forward from a difficult experience. Readers will fall in love with this chess-playing duo as Mallory and Nolan bounce between being extremely competitive and being drawn to each other. This highly enjoyable, emotion-filled romance will attract teens and even loyal fans of her adult novels as it blends wit and wisdom with love's tendency to make pawns of us all.--Aurora Dominguez
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2023 American Library Association
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Dominguez, Aurora. "Check & Mate." Booklist, vol. 120, no. 2, 15 Sept. 2023, p. 55. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A767773173/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=66d19344. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.
Hazelwood, Ali BRIDE Berkley (Fiction None) $16.99 2, 6 ISBN: 9780593550403
A vampire and an Alpha werewolf enter into a marriage of convenience in order to ease tensions between their species.
As the only daughter of a prominent Vampyre councilman, Misery Lark has grown accustomed to having to playing the role that's demanded of her--and now, her father is ordering her to be a part of yet another truce agreement. In an effort to maintain goodwill between the Vampyres and their longtime nemeses the Weres, Misery must wed their Alpha, Lowe Moreland. But it turns out that Misery has her own motivations for agreeing to this political marriage, including finding answers about what happened to her best friend, who went missing after setting up a meeting in Were territory. Isolated from her kind and surrounded on all sides by the enemy after the wedding, Misery refuses to let herself forget about her real mission. It doesn't matter that Lowe is one of the most confounding and intense people she's ever met, or that the connection building between them doesn't feel like one born entirely of convenience. There's also the possibility that Lowe may already have a Were mate of his own, but in spite of their biological differences, they may turn out to be the missing piece in each other's lives. While this is Hazelwood's first paranormal romance, and the book does lean on some hallmark tropes of the genre, the contemporary setting lends itself to the author's trademark humor and makes the political plot more easily digestible. Misery and Lowe's slow-burn romance is appealing enough that readers will readily devour every moment between them and hunger to return to them whenever the story diverts from their scenes together.
Sink your teeth into this delightful paranormal romance with a modern twist.
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"Hazelwood, Ali: BRIDE." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Nov. 2023. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A772515541/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=9bf27b7b. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.
* Bride. By Ali Hazelwood. Feb. 2024. 416p. Berkley, $29 (9780593550403); e-book (9780593550410).
Misery Lark has always been a pawn in the epic bloody conflicts among Vampyres, Weres, and Humans. As the young daughter of a prominent councilor, she was sent to live with Humans as the Collateral, a living guarantee of good behavior on the part of the Vampyres. After a fraught childhood, only saved by the friendship of Serena, her Human foster sister and best friend, Misery volunteered to marry Lowe Moreland, the Alpha of the Southwest Were Pack. The marriage would not only help avert another bloody war, it would also allow her to secretly investigate Serena's disappearance. The three species fear and revile each other, resorting to diplomacy that always seems to require hostages. Hazelwood (Love, Theoretically, 2023), who cleverly includes a bit of real science in her romances, explains that their differences are the result of genetic mutations, not the occult. Lowe, not at all what Misery expected, is a loving guardian to his charming young sister, and Misery, to the surprise of the Weres in the household, does not attack every, or in fact, any neck she sees. This enthralling tale of political machinations, family secrets, enduring friendship, and the allure and fear of people who are "other" is a not to be missed romance.--Diana Tixier Herald
YA: Teens will be able to identify with Misery's dedication to her best friend and relate to the uncomfortable feeling of being in someone else's home. DTH.
YA Recommendations
Adult titles recommended for teens are marked with the following symbols: YA, for books of general YA interest; YA/C, for books with particular curricular value; and YA/S, for books that will appeal most to teens with a special interest in a specific subject.
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Herald, Diana Tixier. "Bride." Booklist, vol. 120, no. 9-10, 1 Jan. 2024, pp. 41+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A780973416/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=a5f4c151. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.
* Not in Love
Ali Hazelwood. Berkley, $19 trade paper (400p) ISBN 978-0-593-55042-7
Bestseller Hazelwood's raucous latest STEMinist rom-com (after Love, Theoretically) turns up the heat. Rue Siebert doesn't want romance. She's perfectly content with her dream job working as a biotech engineer for a food science company alongside her lifelong best friend, Tisha, and using dating apps for impromptu hookups. Vigilant about protecting herself from vulnerability and heartbreak, she has a strict "no repeats" rule. But her most recent date with gorgeous businessman Eli Killgore is interrupted by her volatile brother before it can really begin. The next day, a frustrated Rue's life is turned upside down by an aggressive takeover of her company. Leading the charge? Eli and his partners. Though across corporate enemy lines, neither Eli nor Rue can stop thinking about their aborted date. Their tension becomes so distracting, that, with a work deadline looming over their heads, they decide on a no strings attached tryst to get it out of their system. But soon they're both coming back for more. The chemistry leaps off the page and Eli's intelligence and thoughtfulness toward Rue will have readers swooning. Crafting a relationship that is both raunchy and emotionally nuanced, this is Hazelwood at her best. (June)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 PWxyz, LLC
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"Not in Love." Publishers Weekly, vol. 271, no. 13, 1 Apr. 2024, p. 45. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A799108104/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=db769b21. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.
Hazelwood, Ali NOT IN LOVE Berkley (Fiction None) $19.00 6, 11 ISBN: 9780593550427
Two people meet for a hookup before discovering they're on opposite sides of a hostile business takeover.
Rue Siebert is used to approaching everything the same way--at a distance. Though she has good friends and professional success as a biotech engineer at Kline, a food science startup, her dating life is nonexistent. Meeting guys on apps for the occasional hookup keeps things uncomplicated, but it also means she's never opened herself up to the possibility of a deeper connection. Enter Eli Killgore, whom Rue initially views as another one-and-done--except that he looks at her like she's the best thing he's ever seen. Just as Rue begins to reconsider her approach to dating, she discovers a problem she could never have anticipated. It turns out that Eli is leading a hostile takeover of Kline, and he has personal reasons for wanting to see this deal through to the bitter end. Neither expects to run into the other in the Kline office the morning after an unforgettable date, and Rue's first instinct is to tell Eli to lose her number. Yet the harder they try to fight their mutual attraction, the more Rue and Eli keep giving in to it at the worst possible moments. Agreeing to a no-strings-attached affair is supposed to be a compromise, a way for them to get each other out of their systems, and other complications could throw a wrench into even the possibility of something deeper and more lasting. Hazelwood shows every indication of continually outdoing herself with this latest romance, her lush, evocative prose making Rue and Eli's shared scenes dynamic and engrossing. While the story is set at a science company, allowing the author to incorporate her usual STEM backdrop, the plot is rooted more in boardroom warfare than in the lab. Dual perspectives also provide a change of pace from Hazelwood's previous books, though having Rue's sections narrated in the first person and Eli's in a close third can feel incongruous. Still, this is a stirring romance.
Business and personal proposals collide in Hazelwood's strongest book yet.
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"Hazelwood, Ali: NOT IN LOVE." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Apr. 2024. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A788097077/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=55cc5968. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.
Deep End
Ali Hazelwood. Berkley, $20 trade paper (464p) ISBN 978-0-593-55044-1
Bestseller Hazelwood (The Love Hypothesis) serves up a kinky, character-driven new adult romance. After star diver Scarlett Vandermeer, a junior at Stanford, is seriously injured during a competition, she fights to recover the fearless spirit that made her an athletic standout. Her best friend, Pen, has recently broken up with Swedish senior Lukas "Luk" Blomqvist, an Olympic swimming champion, and drunkenly confides to Scarlett that they were sexually incompatible due to Luk's interest in BDSM. With Pen's blessing, Scarlett, who is similarly inclined, meets up with Luk to negotiate a no-commitment, dom/sub relationship. The kink is relatively mild, consisting mostly of power exchange, and the pair quickly break their no-strings rule. As they help each other heal the broken bits of themselves, both work to balance their relationship, their athletic ambitions, and their demanding premed majors--until an important competition throws off everyone's equilibrium. The chemistry between Scarlett and Lukas is volcanic thanks to Hazelwood's crisp prose and molten-hot sex scenes. The author's fans will eat this up. Agent: Thao Le, Sandra Dijkstra Literary. (Feb.)
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"Deep End." Publishers Weekly, vol. 271, no. 48, 16 Dec. 2024, p. 47. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A820624820/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=25c37997. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.
Hazelwood, Ali DEEP END Berkley (Fiction None) $30.00 2, 4 ISBN: 9780593641057
A collegiate diver and swimmer secretly pursue kink together, and risk falling in love along the way.
Scarlett Vandermeer is struggling. Despite a successful recovery from the injury that almost ended her Stanford diving career, she hasn't been able to get her head together, and it's affecting her performance. Plus, she's trying to stay focused on getting into medical school. A relationship would be out of the question. By comparison, Lukas Blomqvist is a swimming idol, a record-breaker who wins medals as easily as breathing, and Scarlett has long been convinced he would never look in her direction--until one fateful night when a mutual friend lets slip that they have something unexpected in common: Scarlett likes to be submissive in the bedroom, while Lukas prefers to take a dominant approach. Now, they both know a big secret about each other, and it's something neither of them can stop thinking about. It's Lukas who suggests they have a fling--purely physical, just to take the edge off, so Scarlett can get out of her own head and stop overthinking her dives. Initially, their arrangement is easy to stick to, but the more time they spend together, the more Scarlett starts to realize that what she feels for Lukas is more than physical attraction. Complicating the situation is the fact that Scarlett's friend Penelope Ross used to go out with Lukas, and the longer Scarlett keeps mum about her true feelings for him, the more difficult it is to keep the situation hidden from another person she really cares about. While Scarlett and Lukas' relationship does begin as a physical one, their deeper psychological connection takes a little too long to emerge amid all the other storylines, resulting in a somewhat rushed resolution. However, Hazelwood's latest is proof of the depth and maturity that has emerged in her writing over the years, and it highlights her embrace of sexier, more emotional elements than were present in her original STEMinist rom-coms.
A surprisingly sensual sports romance.
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"Hazelwood, Ali: DEEP END." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Feb. 2025. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A825128441/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=54e415f3. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.