PRAISE FOR ALI HAZELWOOD
“A literary breakthrough. . . . The Love Hypothesis is a self-assured debut, and we hypothesize it’s just the first bit of greatness we’ll see from an author who somehow has the audacity to be both an academic powerhouse and [a] divinely talented novelist.”
—Entertainment Weekly
“Contemporary romance’s unicorn: the elusive marriage of deeply brainy and delightfully escapist. . . . The Love Hypothesis has wild commercial appeal, but the quieter secret is that there is a specific audience, made up of all the Olives in the world, who have deeply, ardently waited for this exact book.”
—New York Times bestselling author Christina Lauren
“With her sophomore novel, Ali Hazelwood proves that she is the perfect writer to show that science is sexy as hell, and that love can ‘STEM’ from the most unlikely places. She’s my newest must-buy author.”
—#1 New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult on Love on the Brain
“Whenever I want a sexy, witty, delicious romance, told in a fresh and intelligent voice, I read Ali Hazelwood. Prepare to get addicted. Each book is pure joy.”
—New York Times bestselling author Simone St. James
“Funny, sexy, and smart. Ali Hazelwood did a terrific job with The Love Hypothesis.”
—New York Times bestselling author Mariana Zapata
“Gloriously nerdy and sexy, with on-point commentary about women in STEM.”
—New York Times bestselling author Helen Hoang on Love on the Brain
“STEMinists, assemble. Your world is about to be rocked.”
—New York Times bestselling author Elena Armas on Love on the Brain
“This tackles one of my favorite tropes—Grumpy meets Sunshine—in a fun and utterly endearing way. . . . I loved the nods toward fandom and romance novels, and I couldn’t put it down. Highly recommended!”
—New York Times bestselling author Jessica Clare on The Love Hypothesis
“Ali Hazelwood finally gives us paranormal, with her trademark humor, twisty plot, and spice that doesn’t quit—buckle up.”
—New York Times bestselling author Hannah Whitten on Bride
“Hazelwood unleashes her sparkling voice and wit on a paranormal Romeo and Juliet.”
—International bestselling author Ruby Dixon on Bride
“The romance that blooms from a marriage of convenience is both tender and foxy, indisputably sexy and brimming with heart.”
—USA Today bestselling author Isabel Cañas on Bride
“The reigning queen of STEMinist rom-coms 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.”
—Booklist (starred review) on Love, Theoretically
“A decidedly quirky and thoroughly charming tale. . . . Geeky science jokes, humorous student emails, and expertly delivered snarky banter enhance the narrative. Readers will cheer for Jack and Elsie and their bumpy road to happily ever after.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review) on Love, Theoretically
SPHERE
First published in the United States in 2024 by Berkley,
an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC
First published in Great Britain in 2024 by Sphere
Copyright © Ali Hazelwood 2024
The moral right of the author has been asserted
Book design by Daniel Brount
All characters and events in this publication, other than those clearly in the public domain, are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
A CIP catalogue record for this book
is available from the British Library.
ISBN 978-1-4087-2891-8
Sphere
An imprint of
Little, Brown Book Group
Carmelite House
50 Victoria Embankment
London EC4Y 0DZ
An Hachette UK Company
www.hachette.co.uk
www.littlebrown.co.uk
CONTENTS
1 Simple enough
2 Very willing to let her continue
3 It would have been fun
4 Not Enemies
5 A Big Accusation
6 A Shortcut his brain did not need
7 Not a condition for anything
8 Like starting a new book before finishing the one already checked out from the library
9 You simp
10 We settle this. Once and for all.
11 We work it out of our system, and never think about it again
12 Bechdel test: Failed
13 The Awful, Secret ones
14 The Current villain of her story
15 What the hell are you doing?
16 His head between another woman’s legs
17 Her existence, apparently, did a lot for him
18 Our currency
19 You know where the clorox wipes are, right?
20 Big Fucking deal
21 Would you like to do that with me?
22 Good girl
23 A Wonderful Lay
24 I Don’t dislike him
25 Does it really not sound like a fantastic idea?
26 Take stock of your shitty, Solitary life
27 Believe me, I’ve tried
28 In another timeline
29 Even if you don’t
30 I Guess this is Revenge
31 Difficult choices
32 Let’s try to make it right
33 Sad, Beautiful fortress girl
34 Untrodden territory
35 Can’t have both
36 The most tragic story
37 The friends we made along the way
38 We all have our baggage
39 Meant to be, or some shit
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
ALSO BY ALI HAZELWOOD
The Love Hypothesis
Love on the Brain
Love, Theoretically
Bride
ANTHOLOGIES
Loathe to Love You
NOVELLAS
Under One Roof
Stuck with You
Below Zero
YOUNG ADULT NOVELS
Check & Mate
To Jen. Sometimes I wonder what I would do without you, and I get super scared.
PS: White chocolate is good, actually.
PPS: When you read this, give Stella a cookie from Aunt Ali.
Dear Reader,
I just wanted to drop a quick note to let you know that Not in Love is, tonally, a little different from the works I’ve published in the past. Rue and Eli have dealt with—and still deal with—the fallout from issues such as grief, food insecurity, and child neglect. They are eager to make a connection but are not sure how to go about it except through a physical relationship. The result is, I think, less of a rom-com and more of an erotic romance.
Rue and Eli’s story has, of course, a happily ever after! But it also contains some serious themes, and I wanted to give you a heads-up so you know what to expect.
Love,
Ali
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