Ali Hazelwood’s The Love Hypothesis was one of the big romance releases of 2021. I still see it making the rounds on Instagram, and it appears to be well liked by just about everyone.

I enjoyed it quite a bit when I read it last fall. There’s only one sex scene, which bummed me out, but it’s so HOT and lasts for many pages, which seems like a fair trade off! I loved the chemistry and tension Olive and Adam had leading up to them finally getting together. They got themselves into so many awkward situations, a few that made me laugh out loud. I liked them as individuals and especially appreciated how they complimented each other. 

If you haven’t read this one yet, it’s worth your time. If you’re one of the many who loved it, here are a few other romance novels you’re sure to enjoy as well.

5 Books to Read if You Liked The Love Hypothesis

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

First of all, this book is pure sex. Yes, there’s a storyline and it’s cute. It was compelling enough to keep me reading but it is very sexy and it’s exactly what I needed in my life right now and I didn’t even know! The premise is interesting and sweet: Stella is a brilliant 30 year old professional woman with Aspberger’s Syndrome. She’s finally feeling the pressure from her parents wanting her to settle down and give them grandchildren. The problem is, she struggles in social situations and finds most physical contact off-putting. So she hires a male escort to teach her in the ways of relationships and bedroom techniques. I won’t give you anymore synopsis because you can probably guess how things go and you should read it to find out! 

The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren

This premise is so compelling, I read it in a single day, I couldn’t put it down! It made me think about all sorts of questions about the roles biology and pre-determined characteristics play in our attraction to someone. Jess is a single mom who hasn’t ever dated seriously. Her best friend talks her into submitting a sample for a new matchmaking company that uses DNA samples to make matches. River is a founder of the company, so when he gets a match in the system, it’s a huge deal. I absolutely loved this concept of matching based on DNA. It made the story interesting because it was something neither character had control over.  While a love story is obviously at the center of the novel, there’s other heavy stuff going on. The novel explores the idea of having a chosen family when your biological one doesn’t show up for you. It also looks at how difficult it can be to ask for help and let people in when you’ve been taking care of yourself for a long time, having healthy boundaries and letting them down a little.

If I Never Met You by Mhairi McFarlane

This is a romance novel because it meets the criteria (a love story is central to the plot and the ending is a happy one) however it doesn’t quite read like one, which is what I enjoy about this author’s books. We meet Laurie just as she is being dumped by her boyfriend of eighteen years. Her journey through the devastation and onto healing is what the book is really about. It just so happens she gets trapped in an elevator with the hunk from her office who is rumored to be a womanizer. Together they come up with a plot to make Laurie’s ex want her again and improve the hunk’s reputation at work. While I generally like a lot of sex in romance novels, I don’t mind there’s not much in McFarlane’s books. Overall it’s a beautiful story of recovering from heartbreak and learning to believe in yourself again.

Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert

This is book two in the Brown sisters series, though it can work as a stand alone. Dani is a go-getter, professional woman who doesn’t have time for, or interest in, romance. When Zafir, the broody security guard at her work, rescues her during a fire drill, a video of it goes viral. They decide to keep up the ruse and fake dating. I loved Zafir, particularly the way his anxiety was shown and addressed. I found it to be a pretty accurate portrayal of life with anxiety, especially after trauma. I also appreciated his awareness of his condition and how the people in his life supported him through it. Hibbert writes stellar sex scenes, she keeps things interesting. She also is great at infusing humor into her writing when dealing with heavy topics.

Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur

The fake dating trope doesn’t always work for me but it’s well done here and I loved it. Darcy and Elle have a rough first date but Darcy is so desperate for her brother to stop pestering her about her romantic life that she makes it sound like the date was a success and things snowball from there. Both Darcy and Elle’s motivations were clear from the start. I like that they both had something to gain from the fake relationship. Often they’re one sided in romance novels and I don’t like when one character seems blatantly used. That’s not the case here. I loved the astrology component to the story, especially how one woman was a believer and the other a skeptic. It added emotional and thoughtfulness to their hot chemistry.

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