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Quick answer: If you loved Love, Theoretically, try The Love Hypothesis, Love on the Brain, Not in Love, The Kiss Quotient, The Bride Test and The Rosie Project. Each one offers clever romantic comedy, smart heroines and a love story that sneaks up on them.
Ali Hazelwood's rom-com stars Elsie Hannaway, a physicist who pays her bills by working as a fake girlfriend. Her dream job at MIT seems close until she meets Jack Smith, a rival physicist on the hiring panel who also turns out to be the brother of one of her fake-dating clients. Readers love the science jokes, the banter and Elsie's people-pleasing struggles. These books share its humor, its smart women and its slow burn.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Setting | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Love Hypothesis | Ali Hazelwood | Academia | readers who want the book that started it all |
| Love on the Brain | Ali Hazelwood | NASA | readers who like rivals to lovers |
| Not in Love | Ali Hazelwood | Biotech | readers who want more steam |
| The Kiss Quotient | Helen Hoang | California | readers who like awkward, brilliant women |
| The Bride Test | Helen Hoang | California | readers who want more Hoang |
| The Rosie Project | Graeme Simsion | Melbourne | readers who like scientists in love |
| Lessons in Chemistry | Bonnie Garmus | 1960s California | readers who love women in science |
| Get a Life, Chloe Brown | Talia Hibbert | England | readers who like self-aware heroines |
| The Hating Game | Sally Thorne | Publishing | readers who like rivals at work |
| The Unhoneymooners | Christina Lauren | Hawaii | readers who want pure comedy |
| Book Lovers | Emily Henry | North Carolina | readers who like two smart leads |
| The Ex Talk | Rachel Lynn Solomon | Radio station | readers who like fake exes |
| The Dating Plan | Sara Desai | San Francisco | readers who like a fake engagement |
| Beach Read | Emily Henry | Michigan | readers who want humor and grief |
| Yours Truly | Abby Jimenez | Medical | readers who like letter-writing |
1. The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
A PhD student fake-dates a notoriously grumpy young professor.
Best for: readers who want the book that started it all.
2. Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood
A neuroscientist must work at NASA with the man who once ruined her college years.
Best for: readers who like rivals to lovers.
3. Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood
A biotech founder falls for her company's ruthless new rival.
Best for: readers who want more steam.
4. The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
An autistic economist hires an escort to teach her about dating.
Best for: readers who like awkward, brilliant women.
5. The Bride Test by Helen Hoang
A woman from Vietnam comes to California to win over a man who says he has no heart.
Best for: readers who want more Hoang.
6. The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
A genetics professor designs a survey to find his perfect wife.
Best for: readers who like scientists in love.
7. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
A chemist ends up hosting a cooking show.
Best for: readers who love women in science.
8. Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert
A web designer teams up with her tattooed building superintendent.
Best for: readers who like self-aware heroines.
9. The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
Two office nemeses compete for one promotion.
Best for: readers who like rivals at work.
10. The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
Two enemies take a free honeymoon after a wedding goes wrong.
Best for: readers who want pure comedy.
11. Book Lovers by Emily Henry
A literary agent keeps bumping into a brooding editor in a tiny town.
Best for: readers who like two smart leads.
12. The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon
Two public radio hosts pretend to be former lovers on air.
Best for: readers who like fake exes.
13. The Dating Plan by Sara Desai
Two tech workers with a shared past stage a fake engagement.
Best for: readers who like a fake engagement.
14. Beach Read by Emily Henry
Two rival writers swap genres over one summer.
Best for: readers who want humor and grief.
15. Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez
A doctor and a colleague fall for each other through old-fashioned letters.
Best for: readers who like letter-writing.
How to Choose
Most readers go on to other Hazelwood books first: The Love Hypothesis has the greatest charm, while Love on the Brain is best if you love rivals and Not in Love if you want more heat. If the science and the awkward humor was what you loved, The Kiss Quotient and The Rosie Project share that spirit. Lessons in Chemistry is less of a romance but equally smart about women in science. For workplace banter, try The Hating Game or The Ex Talk. If you want fake dating itself, pick The Dating Plan. Each of these is a quick, satisfying read, so they work well back to back when you need an upbeat stretch of books between heavier ones.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Love, Theoretically about?
A physicist who works as a fake girlfriend falls for a rival physicist who could block her dream job.
Is Love, Theoretically a sequel?
No. It is a standalone novel, though it fits with Hazelwood's other STEM romances.
Is Love, Theoretically spicy?
Yes. It has open-door scenes, like most of Hazelwood's adult novels.
Is Love, Theoretically fake dating?
Yes. Elsie's side job as a fake girlfriend is central to the plot.
Do I need to know physics to enjoy it?
Not at all. The science adds flavor but is always explained in a fun way.
What should I read next?
The Love Hypothesis is the easy next step, followed by Love on the Brain.