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“I’d give everyone the me they wanted, needed, craved, and in exchange they’d care about me.��

i actually feel like the first half of this was five stars for me, but sadly the ending just got a little away from me. but I do think Ali Hazelwood is an author that just really works for me, and will continue to work for me, because i really just enjoy her settings and characters and she so easily makes me feel so much for them. i also feel like you can just tell that she really puts her whole heart into so much of the content she is putting into her stories, and i just really love seeing and feeling that a lot.

in this book, elsie has type 1 diabetes and is in desperate need to get a job with insurance that will allow her to get the insulin she needs to live, and her being an adjunct professor does not give her that. nor does her job of being a fake girlfriend for people who need a plus-one at social functions. but maybe if she can finally get a job with good insurance as a full time researcher at MIT. that is, until the head of the physics institute recognizes her because she has been fake dating his brother.

i know that is quite the set up, but this book really does have a lot of good in it that really worked for me. Some aroace rep, talk of power imbalances in stem spaces, an amazing best friend and her amazing hedgehog, themes of how the past can shape us but we can always choose to be better and do better, and how sometimes it can feel easier to be the person you know someone wants you to be, and how it can be so very scary to let people in and show them the real you. i really loved the romance in this, and the sex in this, and had a goofy grin on my face while reading. Oh! and an adam and olive cameo .

Chronic Illness (Type 1 diabetes), Financial insecurity and lack of health insurance, Sexism, Gaslighting by a mentor within an academic setting, Death of a parent by illness (off page, in the past), Explicit and graphic sexual content, Cursing and vulgar language

other trigger + content warnings i found while reading: seizure mention in past, abusive parents, abusive relationship in past, child health issues, insulin scare in past, glycemic attacks, insect + spider mentions, a joke about bed bugs, vomit, allergic reaction mention with epipen used, ration medication, lack of total consent in past / sexual assault in past, anxiety, and something happens that kind of makes someone come out - i don't want to say forced to come out - and the mc apologizes and acknowledges this - but i could potentially see this triggering to some readers so use caution.

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��� The Love Hypothesis ★★★★��
��� Bride ★★★★