Not in Love

Like so many, I’ve been hooked on Ali Hazelwood‘s romances ever since The Love Hypothesis first came out in 2021. But as much as I enjoyed that hilarious and awkward book, she’s only gotten better with time. Her latest novel, Not in Love, may be her strongest yet.

Special thanks to the publicists at Penguin, Berkley, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Summary

Dr. Rue Siebert is happy working at Kline, a tech start-up focused on food science. But everything is at risk of falling apart when a firm called Harkness begins a hostile takeover. Further muddling everything is Rue’s undeniable (and mutual) attraction to Eli Killgore, one of the four core partners leading Harkness. Eli and Rue are on opposite sides of this company war, yet they can’t stay away from each other. They dance around starting a secret affair, one that surely can’t end happily… right?

Review

As much as I’ve loved all of Ali Hazelwood’s books, her latest contemporary romance, Not in Love, impressed me. It’s her first with a dual perspective narration (first person from Rue; third person following Eli), and it also feels like her most mature and serious book to date.

Rue Siebert is unlike any of this author’s previous heroines. She’s not outgoing or fun or quirky. Rue is socially awkward, straight-forward, and claims to have no sense of humor. I could relate to her shyness and social ineptness, to a degree. (She’s far less of a people pleaser, though!) Similarly, Eli steps out of the bounds of previous Ali Hazelwood heroes: He’s confident, sociable, and easy-going (until his temper strikes). He’s an interesting contrast to Rue, and yet they’re also the perfect balance for each other.

Not in Love is very much about the world of biofuel and food technology, a subject I’ve only read about in one other romance (Kiss Me, Mi Amor by Alana Quintana Albertson). It’s totally STEM, based in the world of tech start-ups, and talks about finance and law quite a bit. This book will take some concentration and at least some enjoyment of the business world, but it’s not overdone. Trust me, even if you know nothing about any of those topics, it’s all spelled out easily enough here. Rue herself barely understands what’s happening, so readers can join her in a bit of confusion.

This book also dives into some tougher backstories. Early on, Rue and Eli begin bonding over their sharing of their worst stories, anecdotes from their personal lives that bring them shame. Rue once stole money from her best friend’s parents; Eli’s last words to his mother were horrible. Both have family traumas that they’re working through. Rue’s background, in particular, is hard: She was food insecure throughout her childhood, and it’s what led her to her passion for engineering improved food stability through her lab work.

Beyond their harsher confessions, Rue and Eli also bond in their physical connection. Rue is emotionally closed off, so real intimacy won’t come until much later. But the two do develop a strong sexual bond and eventually get into some kinkier activities. It’s more than I usually see in romances, but done so well here. It helps further their trust and emotional connection, even when everything else around them seems like an uphill battle.

One of my favorite things about Rue and Eli’s relationship is the sense of understanding and security Rue feels with him. As a shy person myself, I completely understand what it’s like to feel awkward with most people… and how magical it can be to instantly connect with someone who makes you feel normal and truly seen. That’s how it was when I first met my husband, and it’s something that Rue expresses several times throughout Not in Love. It made me love their relationship that much more.

Final Thoughts

Not in Love is different from Ali Hazelwood’s other books: Darker, more serious, steamier. But it also has her core elements: People in STEM, an important backdrop of workplace drama, and characters who are easy to like (at least, once you get to know them better!). I loved this one and can see how her writing and storytelling are evolving. This may appeal to different subsets of her readers, but for me, it’s among her best ones yet.

So far I’ve enjoyed all of Ali Hazelwood’s books, and I’m eager to catch up on the ones I’ve missed before she releases more. I still need to read Love, Theoretically; Loathe to Love You (a collection of three novellas); and Check & Mate (her first YA novel). Then in February 2025, she’s due to release her next book, Whet, a college romance between swimmers. I’m not sure if that’s an adult novel or YA, but either way, I’m sure it will be worth reading!

Get the Book

You can buy Not in Love here – it’s available as a hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook.

Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood
Audience	Adult
Genre	Romance
Setting	Austin, Texas
Number of Pages	400
Format I Read	Ebook (NetGalley ARC)
Original Publication Date	June 11, 2024
Publisher	Berkley

Official Summary

A Hall of Fame LibraryReads Pick!

A forbidden, secret affair proves that all’s fair in love and science—from New York Times bestselling author Ali Hazelwood.

Rue Siebert might not have it all, but she has enough: a few friends she can always count on, the financial stability she yearned for as a kid, and a successful career as a biotech engineer at Kline, one of the most promising start-ups in the field of food science. Her world is stable, pleasant, and hard-fought. Until a hostile takeover and its offensively attractive front man threatens to bring it all crumbling down.

Eli Killgore and his business partners want Kline, period. Eli has his own reasons for pushing this deal through—and he’s a man who gets what he wants. With one burning exception: Rue. The woman he can’t stop thinking about. The woman who’s off-limits to him.

Torn between loyalty and an undeniable attraction, Rue and Eli throw caution out the lab and the boardroom windows. Their affair is secret, no-strings-attached, and has a built-in deadline: the day one of their companies will prevail. But the heart is risky business—one that plays for keeps.