Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood

One year after completing her Ph.D., Elsie is an adjunct instructor at three Boston area universities. She has no health insurance, which is especially problematic as she has Type 1 diabetes. Elsie’s also a people pleaser, reluctant to be her authentic self with anyone because she fears rejection. Her roommate, Cece, doesn’t know Elsie’s feelings about artsy movies, Cece’s pet hedgehog, or Twilight. They do have a love of cheese in common, and both go on fake dates for the Faux app.

Elsie can be herself with one person she really dislikes: experimental physicist Jack. Jack works at M.I.T., where Elsie has an interview for the only open physics position on the east coast. Elsie is a theoretical physics, longing for time to do more research on liquid crystals, but knows that an experimental physicist is more likely to get the position. Jack also turns out to be connected to one of Elsie’s regular fake dates, and they met at a family gathering where she said she was a school librarian. Definitely not a meet cute situation! There are sparks between them, and Elsie feels free to react naturally to situations when she’s with Jack.

I learned a bit about the clash between experimental and theoretical physics, and the challenges of being an adjunct instructor. Elsie gets many, many emails from her students asking for extensions, explaining their absences, asking for references, and so much more. Along the way, Elsie and Jack spend more time together, although they don’t so much as kiss until two-thirds of the way through the story. Elsie finally learns to say no to her mother, and the truth about her physics mentor is revealed. There’s tenderness and humor here, along with romance and Elsie’s journey of self-discovery. A remarkable read if you enjoy contemporary rom-coms, especially ones featuring women scientists. Readalike authors include Talia Hibbert, Helen Hoang, and Lucy Parker.

Brenda