Starred review from April 3, 2023
Bestseller Hazelwood (Loathe to Love You) delivers a decidedly quirky and thoroughly charming tale. The fake dating trope gets a techy update via Faux, an app connecting clients with pretend partners for hire, through which Boston adjunct professor Elsie Hannaway finds side gigs while she searches for a better-paying job in theoretical physics. While interviewing for her dream job at MIT, Elsie’s worlds collide: her favorite fake-dating client’s brother, whom she knew as Jack Smith, is actually Dr. Jonathan Smith-Turner, a legendary young physicist whose views are at odds with Elsie’s. The ensuing STEM-themed enemies-to-lovers romance is simply a delight, though it’s complicated by the fact that Jack believes Elsie is his brother’s girlfriend. Meanwhile, sunshiny Elsie’s imposter syndrome rings true as she navigates the cutthroat world of academia (“STEM academia is 98 percent politics and 1 percent science”) and learns that her mentor and idol has feet of clay. 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. Agent: Thao Le, Sandra Dijkstra Literary.
Starred review from September 1, 2023
The latest of Hazelwood's (Loathe To Love You) women-in-STEM-themed novels features theoretical physicist Elsie Hannaway. Between her many adjunct-professor positions and working for a company that provides fake dates for its clients, Elsie barely makes ends meet. She needs a full-time job that comes with benefits, not only to move toward her dream of scientific research but also so she can manage her type 1 diabetes. When she interviews for a tenured position at MIT, she finds herself face-to-face with the experimental-physicist brother of one of her fake-dating clients. He's not just any physicist, though; he's the one who nearly destroyed Elsie's field of study. Narrator Th�r�se Plummer's extensive experience is evident in her expert performance of this enemies-to-lovers contemporary romance. Her expressive delivery and ability to seamlessly switch between characters keep the story flowing as Elise navigates her professional and personal lives and tries to find her voice. Capturing Elise's frustration with her family and apparent hopelessness over her current career trajectory, Plummer helps turn the young scientist into a fully formed character. VERDICT Plummer's stellar performance makes this audiobook a must-have for most popular collections.--Amanda L. S. Murphy
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