REVIEW: Love and Other Brain Experiments by Hannah Brohm

Love and Other Brain Experiments by Hannah Brohm: Frances Silberstein is a neuroscientist stuck in postdoc limbo while her wildly successful ex runs a high-stakes New York conference she desperately needs to impress. This might be her last shot to prove herself — and the pressure is on. Enter Lewis North: her meticulous, frustratingly attractive academic rival. When their sharp back-and-forth gets mistaken for flirting,

Frances leans into the misunderstanding — and suddenly fake dating feels like the easiest way to control the narrative. What starts as professional damage control turns into late-night conversations, undeniable tension, and feelings that refuse to stay theoretical. Now Frances has to figure out what she’s really chasing: prestige, safety, or something that makes her heart race a little faster.

Smart, bantery, and unexpectedly tender — this one blends ambition and vulnerability in a way that feels both grounded and swoony. LOVE AND OTHER BRAIN EXPERIMENTS is the kind of rom-com that had me laughing out loud one minute and swooning the next. Forced fake-dating sparks real chemistry, hilarious misunderstandings, and those slow-burn moments that make your heart skip a beat. Watching Frances navigate her career, her feelings, and her sense of self felt so real—and Lewis’s charm lands in just the right spots without stealing her spotlight.

What I loved most was how sharp and quick their chemistry and banter was. I was hooked watching how they were going to balance ambition, pride, and very inconvenient feelings. It’s nerdy, funny, and surprisingly heartfelt without losing its edge.

Tropes

• Rivals-to-lovers
• Fake dating
• Academic conference setting
• Slow-burn tension
• Emotional vulnerability
• Witty banter
• Women in STEM
• Career pressure

LOVE AND OTHER BRAIN EXPERIMENTS isn’t just a smart academic romance — it’s about ambition, vulnerability, and what happens when your heart refuses to follow your carefully laid plans. If you love smart women in STEM, academic tension, and fake dating that spirals into very real feelings — this one belongs on your radar.

QOTD: Would you ever fake-date a rival to save your career… or would that be too risky?

Book Info:

Publication: February 3, 2026 | Atria Books |

An academic-rivals-to-lovers rom-com set at a New York conference about two neuroscientists who are forced to pretend they’re dating, leading to unexpected chemistry and a heartfelt journey of self-discovery.

Neuroscientist Dr. Frances Silberstein has success on the brain. As a grad student, she was offered a job by her brilliant boyfriend, but determined to make it on her own, she turned it—and him—down. Now, stuck in postdoc purgatory with no job security and no personal life to speak of, Frances is desperate to make a breakthrough. Her best shot is a summer conference packed with her field’s leading scientists. The only problem? It’s organized by her ex, who has found the success that’s eluded her. But backing out is not an option, because Frances desperately needs to network to save her career.

Enter Dr. Lewis North: her perceptive, meticulous, and inconveniently attractive rival. When their academic sniping gets mistaken for flirtatious chemistry, Frances doesn’t deny it—putting her integrity and career on the line. As soon as her prefrontal cortex is operational again, Frances realizes she needs to keep up the charade, or risk everything she’s worked for. Faking data is out of the question, but fake dating? That might just be the solution she needs.

But as Lewis starts to make her reward centers spark and a major setback has Frances questioning everything, she must confront what she’s willing to chase—for love, for science, and for the future she thought she wanted.