The Love Hypothesis

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood (2021) follows a female scientist’s comedic journey to true love that’s fraught with lies, tears, and awkward moments. The book was an instant NY Times bestseller, a BuzzFeed Best Summer Read of 2021, and Goodreads Choice Awards finalist. Born in Italy, Ali Hazelwood moved to the United States via Japan and Germany to pursue a Ph.D. in neuroscience. She currently works as a college professor and writes romance novels about women in STEM fields. The Love Hypothesis was her debut novel. This guide follows the 2021 Berkley edition.

Plot Summary

The Love Hypothesis is set in modern-day America and follows Olive Smith, a 26-year-old graduate student of biology at Stanford University. Olive’s research focuses on pancreatic cancer, but each chapter begins with a hypothesis about Olive’s love life or choices as is relevant to the chapter’s contents.

Two years before the main events of the story, Olive’s expired contacts act up right before her interview for Ph.D. candidacy at Stanford. While she waits in the bathroom for her eyes to stop watering, she meets Adam Carlsen, one of the foremost biology researchers in the world—though she doesn’t learn it was him until the end of the book. His wise words convince Olive that grad school is the right path, and two weeks later, she accepts an offer to study at Stanford.

Almost three years later, Olive is trying to convince her best friend that she’s over her ex-boyfriend so her friend, who is interested in her ex-boyfriend, will date him. Olive is working in the lab on a night she said she’d be on a date when she sees her friend walk by. Desperate to appear on a date, Olive kisses the first man she sees, who turns out to be Adam. Adam has a reputation for being mean and terrifying, and he demands an explanation. Olive haltingly explains her situation, apologizes for the kiss, and runs away, hoping she never sees him again.

A few days later, Olive’s friend corners her in the lab. Before Olive can spin an explanation, Adam arrives and acts warmly toward her, which convinces Olive’s friend their relationship is genuine. Olive wants to keep up the charade until her friends are solidly together, and Adam needs to convince Stanford he’s not leaving to get his research funds unfrozen. The two decide to pretend they’re dating for a month in hopes their fake relationship will be mutually beneficial.

Olive’s area of focus is early detection for pancreatic cancer. Her mother died from pancreatic cancer because it was found too late, and Olive dedicates her life to the disease so other people don’t lose loved ones to it. Needing a better equipped lab for the next phase of her research, Olive contacts several professors at other universities, but only one responds—Tom Benton from Harvard. He’ll be visiting Stanford in a couple of weeks, and Olive frantically works on her project in the hopes he’ll give her space in his lab.

Meanwhile, she keeps up appearances with Adam, meeting him at the campus coffee shop once a week. At their second fake date, Tom Benton joins them. It turns out that he’s a friend of Adam’s and wants to meet this girlfriend everyone’s been talking about. After listening to her research pitch, Tom requests a report by the end of the week, which Olive delivers. A few days later, Tom offers her a spot in his lab next year.

Olive receives an email regarding a paper she submitted to an upcoming conference in Boston. Her paper was accepted for a panel, which means she’ll need to give a speech. She’s terrified, but Adam helps her prepare until she feels more ready. Olive’s friends found other accommodations for the conference, which leaves Olive to share Adam’s hotel room. Olive’s panel overlaps with the keynote speech, and Adam is the keynote speaker, which means he won’t be able to attend as he promised he would.

After the panel, Tom approaches Olive and forces himself on her. When Olive pulls away and threatens to report him, Tom threatens to publish her research under his name and insults her, calling her mediocre and talentless. Adam finds Olive crying in their hotel room. Olive tells him what happened but not who insulted her. They spend the evening together. He shares a similar story from his grad school years, and they make love.

Olive spends the next few days dealing with her emotions, breaking things off with Adam because she feels it’s the right thing to do. When she finally meets up with her friends, they hear Tom’s insults, which Olive accidentally recorded after the panel. They convince Olive to tell Adam the truth and report Tom. Tom is fired from Harvard, and Olive and Adam get back together. Olive finds a new lab placement closer to Stanford, and the two stay in California together.