“I like to see you. When you’re not trying to be someone else.”
If you couldn’t get enough of the brilliant banter, academic chemistry, and slow-burn romance in Ali Hazelwood’s Love, Theoretically, you’re not alone. Hazelwood has mastered the art of STEM romance, providing us with whip-smart heroines, grumpy yet endearing love interests, and stories that make science feel downright swoony. Whether you’re searching for more books like Love, Theoretically, or just craving romance novels featuring women in STEM, this list has you covered. From academic rivals-to-lovers tales to heartfelt workplace romances, these reads capture the same spark of intellect, emotion, and humour that made Hazelwood’s story so irresistible. So, if you’re wondering what to read after Love, Theoretically, here are our favourite romantic, witty, and empowering books that fans of Ali Hazelwood are sure to love.
Love, Theoretically Summary
The many lives of theoretical physicist Elsie Hannaway have finally caught up with her. By day, she’s toiling away at grading labs and teaching thermodynamics. By the other day, Elsie is a fake girlfriend, tapping into her expertly honed people-pleasing skills to embody whichever version of herself her client needs. It’s a sweet gig. At least, it was, until Jack Smith, the annoyingly broody older brother of her favourite client, turns out to be the cold-hearted physicist who ruined her mentor’s career and undermined the reputation of theorists everywhere.
And that same Jack who now sits on the hiring committee at MIT, right between Elsie and her dream job. Elsie is prepared for an all-out war of scholarly sabotage, but… those long, penetrating looks? Not having to be anything other than her true self when she’s with him? Will falling into an experimentalist’s orbit finally tempt her to put her most guarded theories on love into practice?
Check & Mate – Ali Hazelwood
We’re kicking off our list of books like Love, Theoretically with another one of Ali Hazelwood’s best books, Check & Mate. Mallory Greenleaf is done with chess. After the sport led to her family’s destruction, Mallory’s sole focus has been her mother, sisters, and the dead-end job that keeps the lights on. But then she begrudgingly agrees to play in one final tournament, and inadvertently wipes the floor with the infamous “Kingkiller” Nolan Sawyer. No one is more surprised by her win than Mallory. But what’s even more surprising is that Nolan wants to cross pawns again.
As she finds herself rocketing up the ranks, Mallory struggles to keep her family safely separated from the game that wrecked it in the first place. And as her love for the sport she so desperately wanted to hate begins to rekindle, Mallory soon realises that the games aren’t only being played on the board.
The Chemistry Of Love – Sariah Wilson
How can Anna Ellis, a geeky, brilliant, and hopelessly smitten cosmetic chemist, possibly win over Craig Kimball, the man of her dreams – who also happens to be her boss? The answer is Craig’s empathetic (and handsome) CEO half-brother, Marco. The makeup mogul knows Craig for the ridiculously competitive rival he is. Whatever Marco has, Craig wants. That can be Anna, if she’s game to play.
All Anna and Marco need to do is pretend they’re falling in love and let the rumours begin swirling. If the experiment in attraction works, a jealous Craig will swoop in and give Anna her happily ever after. Except, there’s more to Marco than meets the eye. With every fake date, Anna’s feelings are starting to feel dizzyingly real. Blame it on chemistry. It’s unpredictable, exciting, and occasionally combustible. If Anna and Marco really are falling in love, who are they to argue with science?
The Boyfriend Candidate – Ashley Winstead
As a shy school librarian, Alexis Stone is happy keeping out of the spotlight. But when she’s dumped for being too meek in bed, she decides she needs a change. And what better way to kickstart her new, more adventurous life than with a one-night stand? Enter Logan, the gorgeous, foul-mouthed stranger she meets at a hotel bar. Audacious and flirtless, Logan is the polar opposite of Alexis, and boy, do opposites attract!
Just as she’s about to fulfil her hookup wish, the hotel catches fire. In their rush to escape, Logan is discovered carrying her into the street, where cameras are eagerly awaiting. Turns out that Logan is none other than Logan Arthur, the hotshot candidate challenging for the Texas governor’s seat. Keen to keep their political image intact, the two devise a plan: pretend to be in a relationship until election day. What could possibly go wrong?
The Kiss Quotient – Helen Hoang
Another one of the best STEM romance books like Love, Theoretically, The Kiss Quotient introduces readers to Stella Lane, a woman who thinks math is the only thing that unites the universe. She comes up with algorithms to predict customer purchases – a job that has made her rich, but incredibly poor when it comes to the dating department. It doesn’t help that Stella has Asperger’s. In short, she needs a lot of practice with a professional.
That’s where escort Michael Phan comes in. The Vietnamese and Swedish stunner can’t afford to turn down Stella’s offer and agrees to help her check off all the boxes on her lesson plan. Before long, Stella not only learns to appreciate his kisses, but also to crave the other things he’s making her feel. Soon, their no-nonsense partnership starts making a strange sort of sense.
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The Unbalanced Equation – H.L. Macfarlane
After suffering four years of scrutiny from her PhD assessor, Elizabeth Maclean believes she’s finally free of Dr Thomas Henderson’s tyranny when she begins her postdoc. But when a fire goes off in Tom’s lab, he ends up working in the same lab as Liz. On the same bench, no less. To make matters worse, Tom’s mum and Liz’s dad announced their impending marriage. So, when Liz’s landlord tells her to move out, she finds herself in need of a saviour from the last person she expects.
Now stuck working together, living together, and planning their parents’ Christmas wedding together, will Liz discover that Tom’s attitude was a ruse to hide his true feelings? Or are the two doomed to fail in their co-existence experiment? The Unbalanced Equation is a smart, sexy enemies-to-lovers story perfect for fans of Love, Theoretically, brimming with witty banter and STEM humour.
The Nanny – Lana Ferguson
After losing her job and finding herself on the brink of eviction, Cassie Evans finds herself in a pickle. Just when all hope seems lost, an ad for a live-in nanny position seems the solution to all of her problems. It seems perfect – until she meets her would-be employer. Aiden Reid. She is shocked when he tells her she is the most qualified applicant he’s met in weeks, practically begging her to take the position.
The idea of living under the same roof as Aiden feels dangerous, but with no other option, she decides to stay with him and his adorably tenacious daughter, Sophie. As Aiden and Sophie’s relationship heats to temperatures hotter than any kitchen he has ever worked in, Cassie struggles to tell Aiden the truth, and the more terrifying possibility – losing the best chance at happiness she’s ever had.
The Spanish Love Deception – Elena Armas
Catalina desperately needs a date to her sister’s wedding. Especially since her little white lie about her American boyfriend has spiralled wildly out of control. Now everyone she knows – including her ex and his fiancée – will be there and eager to meet him. She only has four weeks to find someone willing to cross the Atlantic and aid in her deception. New York to Spain is not a short flight, and her raucous family will be hard to fool.
Enter Aaron Blackford – her tall, handsome, condescending colleague – who surprisingly offers to step in. She’d rather refuse; never has there been a more aggravating, blood-boiling, and insufferable man. But Catalina is desperate, and Aaron looks like her best bet. And so, in this fake dating romance book similar to Love, Theoretically, she sets out and discovers that he might not be as terrible in the real world as he is in the office.
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Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
