Cover of The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

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Books Like “The Love Hypothesis” by Ali Hazelwood

If you fell hard for the witty banter, charming fake-dating trope, and swoon-worthy grumpy-meets-sunshine dynamic of The Love Hypothesis, you are not alone. Readers everywhere adore its irresistible mix of smart STEM academia and heartwarming romance. Explore our curated list to find your next unforgettable romance read today.

  1. Cover of The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas

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    The Spanish Love Deception

    by Elena Armas

    A wedding. A trip to Spain. The most infuriating man. And three days of pretending. Or in other words, a plan that will never work.Catalina Martín, finally, not single. Her family is happy to announce that she will bring her American boyfriend to her sister's wedding. Everyone is invited to come and witness the most magical event of the year.That would certainly be tomorrow's headline in the local newspaper of the small Spanish town I came from. Or the epitaph on my tombstone, seeing the turn my life had taken in the span of a phone call.Four weeks wasn't a lot of time to find someone willing to cross the Atlantic-from NYC and all the way to Spain-for a wedding. Let alone, someone eager to play along my charade. But that didn't mean I was desperate enough to bring the 6'4 blue eyed pain in my ass standing before me.Aaron Blackford. The man whose main occupation was making my blood boil had just offered himself to be my date. Right after inserting his nose in my business, calling me delusional, and calling himself my best option. See? Outrageous. Aggravating. Blood boiling. And much to my total despair, also right. Which left me with a surly and extra large dilemma in my hands. Was it worth the suffering to bring my colleague and bane of my existence as my fake boyfriend to my sister's wedding? Or was I better off coming clean and facing the consequences of my panic induced lie?Like my abuela would say, que dios nos pille confesados.The Spanish Love Deception is an enemies-to-lovers, fake-dating, SLOW-BURN romance. Perfect for those looking for a steamy slow-burn with the sweetest Happily Ever After.

    Why it's similar

    Both books center on the fake-dating trope between a vivacious protagonist and a brooding, aloof colleague who is secretly supportive. They also share a contemporary rom-com tone driven by witty banter and mutual misunderstandings.

    What's different

    Rather than taking place within graduate academia, the story is set in a corporate engineering firm and moves to a destination family wedding in Spain with a much slower burn pacing.

  2. Cover of The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren

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    The Soulmate Equation

    by Christina Lauren

    INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

    “Writing duo and reigning romance queens Christina Lauren are back with...their most ambitious book to date.” —PopSugar

    Chosen as a best pick by Bustle, Marie Claire, Entertainment Weekly, E! Online, PopSugar, BuzzFeed, Goodreads, Country Living, The Pioneer Woman, Woman’s World, Bookish, Bookreporter, Frolic, and more!

    The New York Times bestselling authors of The Unhoneymooners and Love and Other Words return with a witty and effervescent novel about what happens when two people with everything on the line are thrown together by science—or is it fate? Perfect for fans of Abby Jimenez.

    Single mom Jess Davis is a data and statistics wizard, but no amount of number crunching can convince her to step back into the dating world. After all, her father was never around, her hard-partying mother disappeared when she was six, and her ex decided he wasn’t “father material” before her daughter was even born. Jess holds her loved ones close but working constantly to stay afloat is hard...and lonely.

    But then Jess hears about GeneticAlly, a buzzy new DNA-based matchmaking company that’s predicted to change dating forever. Finding a soulmate through DNA? The reliability of numbers: This Jess understands.

    At least she thought she did, until her test shows an unheard-of 98 percent compatibility with another subject in the database: GeneticAlly’s founder, Dr. River Peña. This is one number she can’t wrap her head around, because she already knows Dr. Peña. The stuck-up, stubborn man is without a doubt not her soulmate. But GeneticAlly has a proposition: Get ‘to know him and we’ll pay you. Jess—who is barely making ends meet—is in no position to turn it down, despite her skepticism about the project and her dislike for River. As the pair are dragged from one event to the next as the “Diamond” pairing that could launch GeneticAlly’s valuation sky-high, Jess begins to realize that there might be more to the scientist—and the science behind a soulmate—than she thought.

    “Laugh-out-loud, sweet, charming, and humorous” (Library Journal, starred review), The Soulmate Equation proves that the delicate balance between fate and choice can never be calculated.

    Why it's similar

    Both novels place a capable woman in STEM at the center of the story and pair her with an initially prickly, high-profile male scientist. They each examine themes of scientific research, data analysis, and professional ambition intertwined with romance.

    What's different

    The plot centers on commercial genetic matchmaking and navigating romance as a single mother, rather than navigating university laboratory politics.

  3. Cover of The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

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    The Kiss Quotient

    by Helen Hoang

    From the author of The Bride Test comes a romance novel hailed as one of The Washington Post’s 50 Notable Works of Fiction in 2018 and one of Amazon’s Top 100 Books of 2018!

    “This is such a fun read and it's also quite original and sexy and sensitive.”—Roxane Gay, New York Times bestselling author

    “Hoang's writing bursts from the page.”—Buzzfeed

    A heartwarming and refreshing debut novel that proves one thing: there's not enough data in the world to predict what will make your heart tick.

    Stella Lane thinks math is the only thing that unites the universe. She comes up with algorithms to predict customer purchases—a job that has given her more money than she knows what to do with, and way less experience in the dating department than the average thirty-year-old.

    It doesn't help that Stella has Asperger's and French kissing reminds her of a shark getting its teeth cleaned by pilot fish. Her conclusion: she needs lots of practice—with a professional. Which is why she hires escort Michael Phan. 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—from foreplay to more-than-missionary position...

    Before long, Stella not only learns to appreciate his kisses, but crave all of the other things he's making her feel. Their no-nonsense partnership starts making a strange kind of sense. And the pattern that emerges will convince Stella that love is the best kind of logic...

    Why it's similar

    Both stories follow a woman in STEM who initiates a pragmatic, transactional relationship with a man that unexpectedly evolves into real romantic feelings. Each book addresses the challenges women face in technical, data-driven careers.

    What's different

    The narrative centers heavily on the protagonist's experience navigating dating on the autism spectrum and features a hired escort dynamic with significantly more explicit erotic content.

  4. Cover of The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

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    The Hating Game

    by Sally Thorne

    Now a movie starring Lucy Hale and Austin Stowell, USA Today bestselling author Sally Thorne's hilarious and sexy workplace comedy all about that thin, fine line between hate and love.

    Lucy Hutton has always believed that the nice girl can get the corner office. She's charming and accommodating and prides herself on being loved by everyone. Everyone except sarcastic, cynical, and intimidating Joshua Templeman. Her nemesis.

    Josh is the dark and brooding to Lucy's light and cheery, the crisp pressed suit to her retro outfits and bright red lipstick. And he gets under her skin like no one else can. Trapped in a shared office together five days a week, they've become entrenched in an addictive, never-ending game of one-upmanship.

    When a new executive position is announced, Josh and Lucy are top contenders for the promotion, but the idea of working for the other is so unthinkable that they strike a deal: whoever doesn't get the job will walk away. The stakes have never been higher and as the competition heats up and the barriers between them begin to fall down, Lucy starts questioning just who her opponent truly is and whether this man she's hated all this time is even the real Josh.

    Maybe Lucy Hutton doesn't hate Joshua Templeman. And maybe, he doesn't hate her either.

    Why it's similar

    Both books feature a classic grumpy-and-sunshine dynamic where an earnest, petite heroine clashes with a tall, intimidating male counterpart who secretly harbors deep affection for her. Both rely heavily on rapid-fire comedic banter and workplace tension.

    What's different

    The plot is built on a direct office rivalry and enemies-to-lovers premise rather than fake dating, and takes place inside a high-stakes corporate publishing house rather than a university campus.

  5. Cover of It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey

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    It Happened One Summer

    by Tessa Bailey

    The first in a spicy and unforgettable rom-com duology from #1 New York Times bestseller and tik tok favorite Tessa Bailey, in which a Hollywood "It Girl" is cut off from her wealthy family and exiled to a small Pacific Northwest beach town... where she butts heads with a surly, sexy local who thinks she doesn't belong.

    Piper Bellinger is fashionable, influential, and her reputation as a wild child means the paparazzi are constantly on her heels. When too much champagne and an out-of-control rooftop party lands Piper in the slammer, her stepfather decides enough is enough. So he cuts her off, and sends Piper and her sister to learn some responsibility running their late father's dive bar... in Washington.

    Piper hasn't even been in Westport for five minutes when she meets big, bearded sea captain Brendan, who thinks she won't last a week outside of Beverly Hills. So what if Piper can't do math, and the idea of sleeping in a shabby apartment with bunk beds gives her hives. How bad could it really be She's determined to show her stepfather--and the hot, grumpy local--that she's more than a pretty face.

    Except it's a small town and everywhere she turns, she bumps into Brendan. The fun-loving socialite and the gruff fisherman are polar opposites, but there's an undeniable attraction simmering between them. Piper doesn't want any distractions, especially feelings for a man who sails off into the sunset for weeks at a time. Yet as she reconnects with her past and begins to feel at home in Westport, Piper starts to wonder if the cold, glamorous life she knew is what she truly wants. LA is calling her name, but Brendan--and this town full of memories--may have already caught her heart.

    Why it's similar

    Both books are lighthearted contemporary romances with a strong focus on character growth, a confident but vulnerable heroine, and a gruff love interest whose support helps her challenge her own assumptions.

    What's different

    The story uses a small-town, coastal setting and focuses on family, community, and personal reinvention, with a bit more emphasis on physical chemistry than on career or scientific themes.

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