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4.25 stars

“Rue eviscerated him and made him anew.��

If there is one thing Ali does best, it’s experimenting with different genres and tropes in her books. There’s not a book by her that I have not loved—no matter the genre or writing style, she always wins my heart with her stories. Not in Love was exactly that book for me. I was hesitant to read it at first after seeing mixed reviews, so I already had some preconceived notions, but after reading Ali’s author’s note, they all faded away.

I knew what to expect from this particular story—an almost erotica romance about two lonely and flawed people who find comfort in physical intimacy more than emotional connection. Ali approached this story with a delicate and vulnerable narrative that brings out the uninhibited and raw personalities of the main characters.

“Whenever you want to feel like this,�� he murmured at the inside of her thigh, “call me. Use me.��

Rue Siebert, the sensible and pragmatic woman in STEM who never believed in happy ever afters—until Eli. She’s the most authentic character, and she felt so real and relatable that it was impossible not to love her for who she is. Rue is a thoughtful person, but she’s afraid of letting people see her true self and past too closely, scared that they won’t accept her or will let her down. She’s been hurt and disappointed too many times before, so it was natural for her to be reserved and hesitant about happy endings. Her character’s growth was slow, and Eli was always so careful yet resilient with her, wanting her to know that she is worthy of love and happiness. It was amazing to see her let go of her past and embrace her new, hopeful present and future with Eli.

“He looked at me like nothing I could have said would surprise him. Like he knew not just the contours, but also the shaded, buried parts of me. At the very least, he knew that they existed.��


Eli Kilgore can make me his obsession anytime, and I’d say thank you and I love you. Eli is the definition of a man obsessed. Rue ruined him, but he ruined me with the way he thinks about her and talks about her. He’s so thoughtful and kind and funny and shy, and it was lovely to see the way he fell first and harder for Rue. He was her pathetic lover, and I just loved how selfless and patient he is with her—how he always made an effort to include her in his life, even with the forbidden nature of their relationship. But he is nothing if not a persistent and tenacious man when it comes to Rue. Eli also hides a broken and regretful past, and it shows in how it affected his love life. It was good to see how he healed from it and left those regretful choices in the past to move forward.

“Rue laughed again, and had he ever yielded more power than right at this moment? Had anything felt better than making her smile when she’d been crying only moments ago? It was fucking intoxicating. Screw science or finance�� this could be his craft.��


Eli and Rue were perfect. Their romance was blended seamlessly with casual physical intimacy and insta-lust, balanced by the soft tenderness, patience, and solace that come from spending time and space with people who understand you and just get you. It’s hard not to love or ship them when they fit so perfectly into each other’s lives. The yearning and longing between them were palpable and endearing. It was beautiful to see them find comfort and safety in each other’s company, sharing painful and embarrassing stories to let the other see just how human and vulnerable they can be.

“I’ll never be easy to be around, Eli.�� He knew that. He loved that. He wanted nothing more than to learn every inch of her, his complicated, mercurial dream girl.

This is the spiciest book Ali has ever written, and I don’t mind it because Eli and Rue were different from Ali’s usual protagonists. They craved physical intimacy more because they were afraid to let their emotional and vulnerable sides show to each other. I enjoyed their sexy moments, but I enjoyed their soft and heartfelt moments even more—and there were lots of those moments.

“If you still want me to love you, I really think I can love you back. Because I already do.��
“I love you, Rue. You are the only chance there is.��

The love confession from Rue made the third-act breakup worth it. It was so wholesome, adorable, and absolutely perfect for Eli and Rue’s love story. I loved it all.

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Plsss the cover is so cuteeee 🥹

This woman is literally after my money right now!! But I'm so excited for this one 🤭
- enemies with benefits
- forbidden romance
- boy obsessed
- angstyyyyyy

Take all my moneyyy and give me this book rnnn