With The Love Hypothesis movie adaptation finally hitting the screen, it’s the perfect time to revisit the book that made fake dating, academic rivals, and workplace crushes an irresistable pop culture sensation.
Or, let’s be honest — if you’ve already read it, you’re ready for more books like The Love Hypothesis. If you’re already counting down to your next Ali Hazelwood-esque obsession, we’ve got you covered. These books bring plenty of swoony chemistry, witty banter, deliciously complicated feelings, and, yes, the kind of romance that makes you grin at the page. Whether you can’t get enough of Olive and Adam or you’re simply here for your next fictional crush, we’ve got your new reading list right here!
The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
If you’re looking for more books like The Love Hypothesis, with a focused female lead whose personal life isn’t exactly thriving, this one’s for you. Come for the classic STEM romance vibes, stay for the steam!
Publisher’s synopsis: 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…
Get it on Amazon or support local bookstores through Bookshop.org.
The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren
Like Olive and Adam, Jess and River don’t exactly start on the right foot. They’re shocked to discover they’ve been matched —at unheard-of levels — by a DNA-based matchmaking equation. It’s a fun, high-concept romance with a big heart.
Publisher’s synopsis: 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.
Get it on Amazon or support local bookstores through Bookshop.org.
A Perfect Equation by Elizabeth Everett
If you want books like The Love Hypothesis but also love historicals, we’ve got you! This Victorian romance features an ambitious mathematician and the equally-ambitious aristocrat tasked with helping her. It has all the “women in STEM” context of TLH, but with the added historical weight.
Publisher’s synopsis: Six years ago, Miss Letitia Fenley made a mistake, and she’s lived with the consequences ever since. Readying herself to compete for the prestigious Rosewood Prize for Mathematics, she is suddenly asked to take on another responsibility—managing Athena’s Retreat, a secret haven for England’s women scientists. Having spent the last six years on her own, Letty doesn’t want the offers of friendship from other club members and certainly doesn’t need any help from the insufferably attractive Lord Greycliff.
Lord William Hughes, the Viscount Greycliff cannot afford to make any mistakes. His lifelong dream of becoming the director of a powerful clandestine agency is within his grasp. Tasked with helping Letty safeguard Athena’s Retreat, Grey is positive that he can control the antics of the various scientists as well as manage the tiny mathematician—despite their historic animosity and simmering tension.
As Grey and Letty are forced to work together, their mutual dislike turns to admiration and eventually to something…magnetic. When faced with the possibility that Athena’s Retreat will close forever, they must make a choice. Will Grey turn down a chance to change history, or can Letty get to the root of the problem and prove that love is the ultimate answer?
Get it on Amazon or support local bookstores through Bookshop.org.
The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon
Not all books like The Love Hypothesis are STEM-y! If it’s the banter and fake-turned-real connection you love, check out this rom-com about feuding radio hosts who pretend to be exes for a relationship-show gimmick.
Publisher’s synopsis: Shay Goldstein has been a producer at her Seattle public radio station for nearly a decade, and she can’t imagine working anywhere else. But lately it’s been a constant clash between her and her newest colleague, Dominic Yun, who’s fresh off a journalism master’s program and convinced he knows everything about public radio.
When the struggling station needs a new concept, Shay proposes a show that her boss green-lights with excitement. On The Ex Talk, two exes will deliver relationship advice live, on air. Their boss decides Shay and Dominic are the perfect co-hosts, given how much they already despise each other. Neither loves the idea of lying to listeners, but it’s this or unemployment. Their audience gets invested fast, and it’s not long before The Ex Talk becomes a must-listen in Seattle and climbs podcast charts.
As the show gets bigger, so does their deception, especially when Shay and Dominic start to fall for each other. In an industry that values truth, getting caught could mean the end of more than just their careers.
Get it on Amazon or support local bookstores through Bookshop.org.
The Hookup Plan by Farrah Rochon
Just as Olive feels stressed about getting into a relationship for the sake of others, London gets nudged by her friends to try a no-strings hookup. While London and her love interest Drew are a little older and more professionally established than Olive and Adam, it’s got that same buzzy energy you’ll love.
Publisher’s synopsis: Successful pediatric surgeon London Kelley just needs to find some balance and de-stress. According to her friends Samiah and Taylor, what London really needs is a casual hookup. A night of fun with no strings. But no one—least of all London—expected it to go down at her high school reunion with Drew Sullivan, millionaire, owner of delicious abs, and oh yes, her archnemesis.
Now London is certain the road to hell is paved with good sex. Because she’s found out the real reason Drew’s back in Austin: to decide whether her beloved hospital remains open. Worse, Drew is doing everything he can to show her that he’s a decent guy who actually cares. But London’s not falling for it. Because while sleeping with the enemy is one thing, falling for him is definitely not part of the plan.
Get it on Amazon or support local bookstores through Bookshop.org.
An Academic Affair by Jodi McAlister
Try one of the books like The Love Hypothesis that bring all the academic-romance energy but in the humanities instead. It’s a rivals-to-lovers romance between longtime rivals, with a fake-relationship plot that goes way beyond Olive and Adam’s ruse!
Publisher’s synopsis: Sadie Shaw and Jonah Fisher have been academic rivals since they first crossed paths as undergraduates in the literature department thirteen years ago. Now that a highly coveted teaching opportunity has come up, their rivalry hits epic proportions. Jonah needs the job to move closer to his recently divorced sister and her children, while Sadie needs the financial security and freedom of a full-time teaching position.
When Sadie notices that the job offers partner hire, however, she hatches a plot to get them both the job. All they must do is get legally married. It’s a simple win-win solution but when sparks begin to fly, it becomes clear that despite their education, these two may not have thought this whole thing through.
Get it on Amazon or support local bookstores through Bookshop.org.
In Stormy Weather by Chelsea Curto
We think Quincy, the heroine of this weather-themed romance, would be friends with Olive. They’re both always aware of how much harder they must work to be taken seriously. And they’ve both got a reluctant colleague they can’t stop thinking about!
Publisher’s synopsis: Nothing can rain on Quincy Monroe’s parade. She’s a woman in STEM with a PhD in atmospheric sciences, the host of a successful online weather show, and has one million followers on her meteorology Instagram.
Quincy has spent endless hours forging her path in this male-dominated field, becoming one of the best in the industry. And with a new job opportunity, nothing can derail her success. Except for the ill-timed arrival of Sebastian Dunn.
Sebastian is her best friend’s brother, her longtime academic and professional rival, and a flashy TV weatherman from New York City that everyone swoons over. Everyone but Quincy.
Over a scorching Florida summer and record-breaking hurricane season, Sebastian and Quincy are forced into close proximity. Setting aside their grudges to chase storms and stay alive is one thing, but can they weather the inevitable collision of their hearts?
Get it on Amazon or support local bookstores through Bookshop.org.
The Kiss Countdown by Etta Easton
If your primary must-have in books like The Love Hypothesis is fake dating, check out this NASA-themed romance! It’s got all the opposites-attract tension you’re after, plus some added family drama for even greater stakes.
Publisher’s synopsis: Risk-averse event planner Amerie Price is jobless, newly single, and about to lose her apartment. With no choice but to gamble on her shaky start-up, the last thing she needed was to run into her smug ex and his new, less complicated girlfriend at Amerie’s favorite coffee shop. Panicked, she pretends to be dating the annoyingly sexy man she met by spilling Americano all over his abs. He plays along—for a price.
Half the single men in Houston claim to be astronauts, but Vincent Rogers turns out to be the real deal. What started as a one-off lie morphs into a plan: for the three months leading up to his mission, Amerie will play Vincent’s doting partner in front of his loving but overly invested family. In exchange, she gets a rent-free room in his house and can put every penny toward her struggling business.
What Amerie doesn’t plan for is Vincent’s gravitational pull. While her mind tells her a future with this astronaut is too unpredictable, her heart says he’s exactly what she needs. As their time together counts down, Amerie must decide if she’ll settle for the safe life—or shoot for the stars.
Get it on Amazon or support local bookstores through Bookshop.org.
Give Me Butterflies by Jillian Meadows
An academic-adjacent setting, a grumpy/sunshine dynamic, an oblique power dynamic… yep, this one’s perfect for anyone looking for more books like The Love Hypothesis. Take Olive and Adam’s personalities, put them in a museum, and you’ve got the idea!
Publisher’s synopsis: Millie has never taken the expected path. Her childhood love for bugs and science led her to entomology, and her role as a curator, inspiring museum visitors every day. It’s her dream to run her own department—so when a rare director position opens, she is determined nothing will distract her from her goal. Especially not Finn, her grumpy coworker with his permanent scowl, electric blue eyes, and endless supply of astronomy ties.
. . . Not that she’s spent time noticing any of those things.
Finn doesn’t mean to glare at everyone, but he’s juggling his role at the museum, navigating the grief of losing his sister, attempting to make his nieces smile, and trying not to ruin dinner for the fifth night in a row. He can’t afford to let anything slip, and certainly doesn’t need more to deal with—especially not Millie literally stumbling into him, with her bright smile and sunny optimism.
He bugs her. She’s too starry-eyed for him. They want nothing to do with each other. But with Finn on the interview committee, avoidance is impossible. And Millie soon realizes it’s one thing when a job is on the line. It’s quite another when it’s her heart.
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A Brush with Love by Mazey Eddings
Dental school may not sound like the sexiest of settings! But this romance should be perfect for TLH fans: a clumsy meet-cute, a strict agreement, unexpected feelings, and professional responsibilities clashing with the personal.
Publisher’s synopsis: Harper is anxiously awaiting placement into a top oral surgery residency program when she crashes (literally) into Dan. Harper would rather endure a Novocaine-free root canal than face any distractions, even one this adorable. A first-year dental student with a family legacy to contend with, Dan doesn’t have the same passion for pulling teeth that Harper does. Though he finds himself falling for her, he is willing to play by Harper’s rules. So with the greatest of intentions and the poorest of follow-throughs, the two set out to be “just friends.” But as they get to know each other better, Harper fears that trading fillings for feelings may make her lose control and can’t risk her carefully ordered life coming undone, no matter how drool-worthy Dan is.
Blood, gore, and extra-long roots? No problem. The idea of falling in love? Torture.
Get it on Amazon or support local bookstores through Bookshop.org.
