The Love Hypothesis

4.75 

Olive is a third-year PhD candidate. Her passion is science and she has no interest in relationships. To ensure her best friend stops worrying about Olive’s non-existent love life, Olive kisses the first man she sees right when her best friend walks by. Who is that man? Only the famous and arrogant Dr. Carlsen. Surprisingly, the known lab tyrant agrees to fake date Olive and even support her when a science conference goes awry. Can Olive continue the charade without actually falling in love? 

As a graduate student in science, I was really excited about this book. I definitely enjoyed seeing the dynamics of grad school on the page. It was a nice change of pace having some snarky comments about the hell of academia and the long, unforgiving hours of working as a PhD student. 

The fake-dating trope was done well and I liked the progression of Olive and Dr. Carlsen’s relationship. At times, it did feel a bit unrealistic. The characters joke about this being a Title IX issue and in reality, it probably would be. Even so, the plot worked and had me rooting for their relationship. To me, this is the sign of a successful romance. 
The side characters and the antagonist were also written well. It was the climax of the story and plot twist that had me not enjoying the story as much. There was some development leading up to what would jeopardize Olive and Dr. Carlsen’s relationship, but it all happened very quickly and without much warning. The resolution to it all worked out, but Olive was a bit frustrating as she grappled with what to do. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this fake-dating romance. It was a new spin on the concept that I haven’t seen before and very relevant to my current life as a graduate student. I enjoyed the conversations about women and POC in STEM too and hope this will start some necessary conversations!