Nothing says the dark days of January better than reading Romance novels that are being released this summer. I got so excited about both these titles, kicked myself for reading them so early and having no one to talk to about them. Luckily, some of my Novel Neighbor co-workers were feeling similarly so we were able to address such woes…but in the mean time I’m left with only the ability to encourage you all to PREORDER these titles. Which I absolutely think that you should.
Title: Love On the Brain
Author: Ali Hazelwood
The Storygraph | Goodreads
Bookshop | The Novel Neighbor | Barnes & Noble | your local indie
Publishing: August 23rd 2022 by Berkley (Penguin Random House)
Format: e-ARC
Source: Edelweiss
Genre: Romance; contemporary
[For reference, I have read Hazelwood’s debut novel The Love Hypothesis and rated it 4 stars–I think this is better]
Like an avenging, purple-haired Jedi bringing balance to the mansplained universe, Bee Königswasser lives by a simple code: What would Marie Curie do? If NASA offered her the lead on a neuroengineering project–a literal dream come true after years scraping by on the crumbs of academia–Marie would accept without hesitation. Duh. But the mother of modern physics never had to co-lead with Levi Ward.
Sure, Levi is attractive in a tall, dark, and piercing-eyes kind of way. And sure, he caught her in his powerfully corded arms like a romance novel hero when she accidentally damseled in distress on her first day in the lab. But Levi made his feelings toward Bee very clear in grad school–archenemies work best employed in their own galaxies far, far away.
Now, her equipment is missing, the staff is ignoring her, and Bee finds her floundering career in somewhat of a pickle. Perhaps it’s her occipital cortex playing tricks on her, but Bee could swear she can see Levi softening into an ally, backing her plays, seconding her ideas…devouring her with those eyes. And the possibilities have all her neurons firing. But when it comes time to actually make a move and put her heart on the line, there’s only one question that matters: What will Bee Königswasser do?
my thoughts
Sophomore novels can be fickle things…but I’m happy to report that Ali Hazelwood did not disappoint with LOVE ON THE BRAIN. This Houston set romance throws us back into the drama of academia, this time featuring the tumultuous collaboration between neuroscientist Bee Königswasser and her engineering co-lead Levi Ward. These two have HISTORY from their overlapping time in grad-school. Bee is convinced (with good reason) that Levi loathes her…but what’s actually going on within Levi’s head? Featuring cats named after scientists, Marie Curie themed Twitter accounts, and lots of vegan food–this romance is both tender and fun (and maybe a bit spicy). Sure to put a smile on your face–LOVE ON THE BRAIN is the romance novel you’ll want to hand to every STEMinist friend in need.
p.s. for a humanities person…never knew I’d enjoy romances in STEM settings. But this one was spicy and maybe I find science hot ??? I digress.
Title: Book Lovers
Author: Emily Henry
The Storygraph | Goodreads
Bookshop | The Novel Neighbor | Barnes & Noble | your local indie
Publishing: May 3rd 2022 by Berkley (Penguin Random House)
Format: e-ARC
Source: Edelweiss
Genre: Romance; contemporary
Nora Stephens’ life is books—she’s read them all—and she is not that type of heroine. Not the plucky one, not the laidback dream girl, and especially not the sweetheart. In fact, the only people Nora is a heroine for are her clients, for whom she lands enormous deals as a cutthroat literary agent, and her beloved little sister Libby.
[For reference, I have read Henry’s two other adult romance novels Book Lovers and People We Meet On Vacation. I personally really did not like Book Lovers but really enjoyed People We Meet On Vacation. Book Lovers, however, is her best. I haven’t read, however, Henry’s three YAs, A Million Junes, When the Sky Fell on Splendor, The Love That Split the World, though they are on my TBR. In addition, I haven’t read Hello Girls, Henry’s fourth YA co-written with Brittany Cavallaro]
Which is why she agrees to go to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina for the month of August when Libby begs her for a sisters’ trip away—with visions of a small town transformation for Nora, who she’s convinced needs to become the heroine in her own story. But instead of picnics in meadows, or run-ins with a handsome country doctor or bulging-forearmed bartender, Nora keeps bumping into Charlie Lastra, a bookish brooding editor from back in the city. It would be a meet-cute if not for the fact that they’ve met many times and it’s never been cute.
If Nora knows she’s not an ideal heroine, Charlie knows he’s nobody’s hero, but as they are thrown together again and again—in a series of coincidences no editor worth their salt would allow—what they discover might just unravel the carefully crafted stories they’ve written about themselves.
my thoughts
With BOOK LOVERS Emily Henry has really hit her stride as a romance writer. In this novel we meet work-a-holic literary agent Nora who has somehow become the victim of a classic Hallmark movie trope–four times now a boyfriend of Nora’s will leave NYC for a “visit” to his small hometown, will meet a girl there, and will break up with Nora. Things get complicated when her pregnant sister drags Nora to the seemingly fictions Sunshine Falls only for Nora to run into her work nemesis–editor Charlie Lastra. Henry has stuff this novel full of wholesome love, character growth, and amazing confrontations of oldest-child-syndrome. This will please her fans and certainly bring others into the fold. Such fun!
