REVIEW: Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood

In Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood, Rue Siebert has spent her adult life so far trying to create stability and consistency after a childhood that was anything but. Even her Ph.D. in chemical engineering–specializing in food nanotechnology–is in direct response to her formative years. Unfortunately, at present, it seems that everything Rue has worked for is in jeopardy when she learns that a private equity firm, the Harkness Group, is threatening to take over Kline, the company she works for. Including the tech that launched said business. Her attraction to one of the head finance guys, Eli Killgore, is annoying. And annoyingly undeniable. Rue knows she shouldn’t give in to her baser needs, even if that’s all it is…just purely physical. Because even if her heart has never been involved before, she has an idea that Eli might just be the exception.

‘Maybe he, too, was desperately fighting off this inexplicable attraction between us. Maybe his success was just as abysmal as mine.’

Eli and his business partners have spent the last ten years growing Harkness Group with a laser focused goal. Now that they are finally seeing the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel, he should be thrilled. But knowing how it could affect his growing feelings toward Rue casts a dark shadow on it all. Because Eli is pretty sure if she knew the full truth behind his company’s vendetta against Kline and that others in her world are not being totally honest, it would wreck Rue’s hard-fought life. And he can’t be a part of hurting her in any way. Their connection, though, is the stuff dreams are made of. So, the only option is for Eli to do everything within his power to protect Rue while showing her in large and small ways just how much she means to him.

‘She was something else. Utterly unique. Unpredictable. Deliciously complicated.’

Smartly written, steamy, and sexy as all get out, NOT IN LOVE is Ali Hazelwood’s successful–and highly bingeable–foray into erotic romance.

“Your damn mouth,” he murmured, “is the most obscenely lovely thing I’ve ever had the burden of seeing.”

CW:View Spoiler »Anxiety, mental illness, food scarcity & child neglect (historical), grief « Hide Spoiler

Ali Hazelwood continues to surprise me in the best of ways with the direction her most recent novels have taken. After inhaling all of her STEMinist romantic comedies, I absolutely adored her paranormal romance, Bride. So, I shouldn’t have been shocked by how much I enjoyed NOT IN LOVE, which is definitely an erotic romance, but one that touched upon some darker themes as well. What thankfully didn’t change? Her character-driven STEM storylines that still had the chuckles, diversity, and wonderful camaraderie I’ve come to expect in her writing.

Like I mentioned, this was a straight up erotic romance. One that was done with a scorching heat level and exquisitely sensual scenes that will leave you breathless–not to mention our hero Eli’s dirty mouth. *fans face* He was a character I think readers will love from the first moment he steps onto the page. Hazelwood did such a great job conveying not only how he fell first, but also how deeply enchanted he became by Rue. In addition to worshipping her physical attributes, Eli was in awe of her strength, her intelligence (which was a huge turn-on to him), her dry witted responses, and her resilience. I couldn’t get enough of his POV. And it worked so well with the spiciness of the story.

Rue was a little bit harder to pin down as far as figuring out her personality and where her social awkwardness and multiple anxieties came from. It didn’t take long for me to cheer her on, though. And I ended up getting such a kick out of how Rue could be forthright in her job and even what she wanted in the bedroom but when it came to emotions…yikes. She avoided them like the plague. Yes, there was a reason, which I’ll let you read about for yourself. But suffice to say, Rue had no idea what to do with her feelings for Eli–which were strong and utterly confusing to her. Hazelwood pulled out all the stops for their happy ending, wowing me with how perfectly it fit Rue and Eli’s relationship and proved that the connection they shared was a strong one that would last.

QOTD: Are you an erotic romance fan? Any favorite authors or novels to recommend?

Book Info:

Publication: Published: June 11th, 2024 | Berkley |

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.