Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood
Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood is an erotic romance with edgier themes and more layered plots and characters.
- Darker storyline following Childhood poverty and food insecurity
- Rue works as a biotech engineer at Kline, a company led by her friend. Unfortunately, her stable life starts to crumble due to the hostile takeover led by Eli Kilgore.
- Rue and Eli are attracted to each other and engage in a secret, no-strings-attached affair with a set deadline.
Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood
Category: Contemporary Romance
Tags: Secret Affair, No-strings attached, STEM setting, erotic romance, Workplace Romance, Forced Proximity, Insta Love, Opposites attract, He falls First, Boy obssesed, Childhood poverty and food insecurity
CONTENT WARNINGS: Anxiety around food, mostly due to past food insecurity, Mentions of addiction (secondary characters), Social anxiety, Parental death (accidents, illness) (off page, in the past), Parental neglect, Attempted assault of the FMC by her brother (she is unharmed), Cursing and vulgar language
Rating: ★★★
Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood Publisher Description
A forbidden, secret affair proves that all’s fair in love and science.
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.
Not in Love Review
Ali Hazelwood announced that this book is unlike her earlier ones. And I believe the majority of negative reviews are the result of ignoring this announcement.
Her previous books are light and fluffy, with funny characters and tropes in STEM settings. Her books are comfy, most of which I could breeze through in a day. Although Not in Love still contains most of these characteristics, it significantly differs from her previous romances.
Since it is erotica, it is much more spicy than her previous novels. I was expecting that when I read her description. However, I did not expect the deep topics she discusses, including darker plots than her previous work.
Yes, this is her steamiest book. Yet, it is the most serious regarding the character’s backstory and main plot.
Her writing style didn’t deteriorate much, simple and fast, but her approach to topics did. She is much more descriptive in spice scenes, but also when describing trauma and challenges the characters go through.
As mentioned, since it is a darker book and she is more graphic than usual, please check the warnings at the top of the page.
Not in Love is written from a dual perspective, which is also new for Ali Hazelwood. Usually, she writes only from a female’s point of view. I find that super intriguing since I always find her MMCs to be an enigma.
And somehow, she successfully did it here as well. Eli was a bit mysterious, probably due to the third-person POV, but we did get more insight into him, which I liked.
The best part for me was their interactions. Their communication is unique and tailored to them. Eli and Rue’s banter was a joy to read. Their relationship development is quite interesting. Both have trouble with commitment, so a physical relationship is the only way they connect. And this part is also incredibly written. It shows the importance of communication during intimacy in a way rarely shown in romance books.
Read if you like:
- Graphic and steamy love stories in enemies to lovers trope
- Affectionate, passionate, and charismatic hero
- Considerate, intelligent, loyal heroine with social anxiety and trouble interpreting social cues
Books like Not in Love
About Ali Hazelwood
ALI HAZELWOOD is originally from Italy.
She lived in Japan and Germany and eventually moved to the US to pursue a Ph.D. in Neuroscience.
She recently became a professor.
When she is not at work, you can find her binge-watching shows with her three feline overlords and her husband, running or eating candy.
