No spoiler overview

I wanted to read The Love Hypothesis before the movie came out, and I was in need of something lighter. This was a very cute romance, with lots of comedy. I appreciated that, while in a niche setting, we got just enough context to stay informed without taking us fully away from the story. There was certainly enough to relate to as a woman in a male-dominated industry, so it never felt so far removed from normalcy.

And can we talk about Lili Reinhart’s TikTik… It’s a masterclass in building buzz. Like, c’mon.

Full review

Overall, I liked the story and the cast of characters. Thank goodness for a strong group of friends in a romance, rather than two people in a weird vacuum. Our main character, Olive, could be so awkward it was physically painful at points. But it seemed to do it for Adam, so I guess that’s what really matters.

I appreciated that there was actual plot substance around the romance, rather than the only focus being on the love story. Romances that strictly focus on the relationship drama feel very unrealistic. The real world involves friends and work and travel and so much more than a romantic interest. I felt like we got a great balance of the real world and the romance in The Love Hypothesis.

The one area I disliked was the narration. It was supposed to be third person but there were random moments we seemed to jump into Olive’s POV. I’ve already returned my copy to the library, so I don’t have a specific example. But it was like her thought got cut off and she would mentally stutter. Personally, I prefer that type of stream-of-consiousness to come from a first person POV. Since we only followed Olive, it could’ve worked. That being said, I think this might be an instance where I like the movie over the book.

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