In Love, Theoretically, Ali Hazelwood delivers a masterful romantic comedy that explores the friction between theoretical and experimental physics.

Elsie Hannaway is a multifaceted protagonist: by day, she is an adjunct professor struggling to make ends meet, and by night, she uses her people-pleasing skills to offer «fake dating» services. However, her carefully constructed persona is threatened by Jack Smith, a cold and brilliant physicist who sees right through her act.

As Elsie competes for a dream job at MIT, she finds herself constantly clashing with Jack, who sits on the hiring committee. What begins as a heated academic feud evolves into a deep connection as Jack challenges Elsie to stop being who others want her to be and start being herself.

The novel beautifully balances STEM-related humor with emotional depth, tackling issues like the precariousness of academia and the courage it takes to be vulnerable.