Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood Book Review

“This time it’s sweet, slow savoring. Patient. This time it’s lingering and gentle–everything our other kisses wasn’t.

I want to try them all. All the kisses Levi Ward is capable of, I want to sample them like fine wine.”

(pg. 226)

About

Author: Ali Hazelwood

Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance

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Other Ali Hazelwood Book Reviews

The Love Hypothesis

Synopsis

As a third-year Ph.D. candidate, Olive Smith doesn’t believe in lasting romantic relationships–but her best friend does, and that’s what got her into this situation. Convincing Anh that Olive is dating and well on her way to a happily ever after was always going to take more than hand-wavy Jedi mind tricks: Scientists require proof. So, like any self-respecting biologist, Olive panics and kisses the first man she sees.

That man is none other than Adam Carlsen, a young hotshot professor–and well-known ass. Which is why Olive is positively floored when Stanford’s reigning lab tyrant agrees to keep her charade a secret and be her fake boyfriend. But when a big science conference goes haywire, putting Olive’s career on the Bunsen burner, Adam surprises her again with his unyielding support and even more unyielding… six-pack abs.

Suddenly their little experiment feels dangerously close to combustion. And Olive discovers that the only thing more complicated than a hypothesis on love is putting her own heart under the microscope.

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 – Marie would accept without hesitation. Duh. But the mother of modern physics never had to co-lead with Levi Ward.

But when her equipment starts to go missing and the staff ignore her, Bee could swear she sees Levi softening into an ally, backing her plays, seconding her ideas… devouring her with those eyes. 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?

Review

Spoilers Contained Below

To all the STEMinsts,

Love on the Brain . . . what a fitting title for the constant state my mind is in 😂.

Gosh knows reading more rom-coms is not helping love get off the brain, or out of it.

I loved loved loved The Love Hypothesis—and by love I mean absolutely obsessed with—so I was excited to read Love on the Brain. Love on the Brain is every bit of funny, bold, and heart-achingly cute, as was The Love Hypothesis. If I am being quite honest though, I loved The Love Hypothesis is still my favorite because I am forever an Adam Carlsen stan, but Love on the Brain was still a great sophomore book by Ali Hazelwood. I just felt like The Love Hypothesis was a bit more funnier, spicer, and sweeter. I don’t know, The Love Hypothesis just hit different 😅. Nevertheless, Ali Hazelwood writes with a sense of scientific punny humor, an unfailing honesty, and a hint of dramatic flare that I kind of love 😅. Like give me drama 👏🏼! Not in real life, though. Gosh knows middle school me had enough drama to last me forever 😅.

Personally, Love on the Brain‘s plot felt slower in the beginning and picked up towards the middle and end; it was hard for me to get into the story-telling and plot at first. There was just a lot of information dump about Dr. Marie Curie, which I am all for being educated and learning about a strong female scientist because gosh knows strong female scientists, or strong female anything ever gets recognition, but I just felt like for someone who didn’t know a lot about Dr. Marie Curie, the influx of information was just that, a lot. I just didn’t feel like the knowledge dump flowed super well with the story in the beginning because it felt more like we were being taught who Dr. Curie was (again, nothing against it). When the info dump of who Marie Curie was faded out, the book had a better flow and I felt like the story honed in on more of the main character and the plot lines.

I also read some reviews about how Love on the Brain felt similar to The Love Hypothesis in how both books had grumpy-sunshine, enemies-to-lovers, a dramatic ending situation, and evil villan-esque person. I do see how there were many similarities between The Love Hypothesis and Love on the Brain, but even so, I felt like I read two completely different stories. Love on the Brain was its own entity that, sure, had some of the same tropes and concepts from The Love Hypothesis, but there were also many things about Love on the Brain that were different and fun reading for the first time. I mean, I enjoyed the fresh feel of Levi and Bee and all the other characters in this world because they were not the same as Adam, Olive, Ahn, or the other characters.

I liked Bee. She was bold, brazen, and relatable.

I mean, nothing says more relatable than wanting to do a cough-to-5k but not really having the motivation to do so 😂. But also, I’m a runner, so I couldn’t fully relate, but I could understand because it do be hard to get up off the couch when all you want to do is sit there and be a potato. Yes, everyone has potato days 😂. I also admired how she was extremely passionate about science with her in-depth knowledge of Dr. Marie Curie because that was a strong woman in science she could look up to. I liked how she had this whole What Would Marie Do Twitter thing going on because it was her way of speaking up and speaking out to other women who felt ostracized in science. I loved the sense of community Bee liked forming on her WWMD Twitter and how other people would form communities within that page. Her WWMD Twitter reminds me of the good in social media; why people have bookstragms, sportsgrams, or whatever kind of gram because there is a niche and a community for it. I don’t remember where I heard this, but I remember how someone said that the Internet has communities for niches you think doesn’t have like how if you feel like you don’t have book friends, there’s book friends somewhere—to find those communities.

What I would have liked to delve more into was Bee’s childhood because she had a heavy upbringing.

Bee and her twin sister Reike’s parents passed away in a car accident when they were babies. Ever since they were little, they had lived in different countries, different houses, and different relatives—never quite having stability in their environment or emotional needs. I just think about how difficult that must have been to never really have a home or people who felt like home because they moved around so much. I felt like that must have been even more challenging to never have grown up fully expressing how losing their parents or not having environmental or guardian consistency effected them because it sure did. The way we grow up—ideals, emotions, experiences—absolutely shapes who we grow to be. I wonder if Bee and Reike ever felt like they could talk about what they experienced together and how hard it was on them. Not that they felt ungrateful because they sure had a home and everything, but I could feel how they felt like they were all each other had because they were directly connected by blood.

Reike traveled around a lot as an adult, never having a home, and I felt like Reike’s constant traveling was because that was all she ever knew/was comfortable with. I could feel how Bee missed her sister and wanted her around, but she didn’t want to tie her sister down somewhere. Bee was someone who did want roots—she waned connection, she wanted stability. However, you could feel how distrusting she was of putting down roots because she only knew what it felt like to have her whole life uprooted. I don’t blame either of them for coping or living the way they did, but I sure did want to explore these emotions more.

Also, we cannot forget good old Tim 🙃.

Even his name is basic.

Tim LLC. loser fiancé for when you want to feel like shiz

There were so many flags around Tim, it was like a field day.

First, the fact that he blatantly told Bee she had thick thighs 🤮. TREASON.

Ain’t nothing wrong with them thick thighs. These thighs were made to be thick 👏🏼

Second, the way he played this sadistic roadkill game with Bee to toughen her up.

Give me a J. Give me an A. Give me an I. Give me an L. What does that spell? JAIL 😂!!!

I’m sorry, excuse me? Any fiancé or any person with a heart would have been sympathetic and understanding why roadkill made Bee emotional. There’s nothing to toughen up except my fists to fight Tim.

Third, LOSER slept with Bee’s best friend.

Good-bye.

There’s soooo many things wrong with that sentence and I’m going to rage about it.

No friend sleeps with your fiancé—that is not a friend.

And no fiancé lets the situation escalate so far to sleep with said friend.

I don’t blame Bee for her trust issues because Tim treated their relationship like a joke. I did feel like Bee had her rose-colored glasses on and saw Tim’s flags as excuses she made in her head to justify his actions. I don’t fault her for looking past his flags because I understood she where she was coming from. She wanted to trust and love him, and after not knowing much love or consistent love in her life, she wanted that. So of course, she would excuse Tim’s inexcusable actions because she craved the idea of love and a safety that any person with a pulse was okay. I’m not saying Bee had low expectations or was desperate, but I did think she was okay with seeing past Tim’s faults because she waned what he could give her—that love and safety.

Personally, I feel like a best friend sleeping betraying my trust would hurt more in this situation. If Tim were really a good man or the right man for Bee, I think maybe the fiancé betraying her would have hurt worse. But a best friend? That’s a different bond, a precious, indescribable bond. A best friend is someone who knows you inside and out and someone who knows you better than yourself. It’s someone who you give your trust to without knowing it because that person just feels right and safe, and when they break that trust, gosh, it feels like realizing you had your heart ripped out of your chest without you knowing—when it’s too late.

I liked how we got to see glimpses of Bee and how much she missed her friendship with Annie. That’s hard 😕. Losing a friend sucks because it does feel like a whole other break-up.

I liked that moment when Bee and Annie saw each other in the bathroom and talked. If anything, Bee deserved some closure with her “friend.”

To be quite honest, I still don’t like Annie’s reasons for why she slept with Tim—Annie was always jealous of Bee with Bee’s beauty and brains, so Annie wanted to feel like Bee by sleeping with Bee’s fiancé. I’m sorry, that’s wonderful that Annie thought so highly of Bee, but being jealous was no reason to sleep with her friends fiancé at the time. I understood where Annie was coming from because the grass does look greener on the other side, but still. I just don’t think a friend would do such a thing, and I know Annie didn’t mean to hurt Bee, but that’s what happened. And it’s not like I’m placing all the blame on Annie because gosh knows Tim could have stopped Annie at any point. I just didn’t like Annie’s reasons because it felt too easy for how heavy the effect the affair impacted Bee’s trust.

I do believe that Annie might have been hurting or going through something that led to her acting in such a way, and we’re not perfect people. I also came to realizing that Annie sleeping with Tim was for the best because Bee deserved someone better, and if she needed up marrying Tim, gosh knows Bee would have found her life a whole other mess. I felt like Bee also realized that it was for the best that things happened the way they did, but she lost a friend in the process. I liked the prospect that Bee and Annie were going to try be friends again, at a slower pace. It’s hard to fully let go of someone when you’ll always have love for them.

“If you’ve loved someone your whole life, it kind of makes sense that you’d love them forever.”

(Same Time Next Summer, pg. 94)

Friendship love is a unique bond 💕.

I had a friendship break-up or more so fade-out with someone I knew since middle school. In high school, our friendship wasn’t so healthy anymore and I remembered just feeling so hurt by the way I was treated, so when high school ended, I just stopped talking to this friend. It was hard for me to cut this person out of my life because I had known her for so long, and it didn’t help that when I cut her out of my life she was going through a break-up, and I wanted to be there for her. It’s hard when you have all these memories you shared–a history–that it feels wrong to move on without them. We never talked for years, and in that time I learned forgiveness for myself in what I was going through in high school that made me be in unhealthy place to be a good friend and forgiveness for my friend for also treating me the way she did. When I saw her after so many years, it felt like no time has passed, but here we were all grown-up and navigating this obvious change where we weren’t close anymore—we were the farthest we’ve ever been. Looking at her felt like looking at a photograph in the sense of knowing the details of her, but not knowing her anymore. We’re not close still, but hospitable. I’m glad that she was in my life for a time where I needed a friend and to be a friend, and I hope I was the same for her too.

At the end of the book, there was a hint that Bee and Annie were mending things, which I was happy about for them. Sometimes you lose a friendship, and sometimes that friendship comes back to you if it was meant to be. I would have liked to know more about Bee and Annie’s friendship or to have seen more moments or conversations between them and how they were mending things or what friendship would look like for them.

What I liked most about Bee was her exuberant attitude in how she was excited for every opportunity she got, and that’s such a beautiful quality. Sometimes I feel like as people we take for granted some of the amazing moments or opportunities we get because we expect them, but I liked how she truly had gratitude and excitement in every bone in her body. I just loved how she took everything in with a sense of wonderment—a child-like innocence that’s so precious.

She was going to work for freaking NASA 👏🏼!!

I mean, how could you not be excited for that though! I would have been jumping off the walls, screaming. Period. That’s insane. NASA.

Bee and her RA, Rocío were going to Houston to work on the BLINK project. Bee was on the BLINK helmet project where she was going to use her neuroscience knowledge to guide the design of where the magnet stimulators should be to reduce the “blinks”/awareness lapses astronauts sometimes get in space.

I had no clue, zero, zlech, nada, as to any neurological or engineering jargon throughout the entirety of this book 😂

Genuinely, every scientific, smart-sounding thing went over my brain. Heck, even the chapter titles had me confuzzled. Oriens-Lacunosum Moleculare interneurons who? 😂

Haha, I’m sorry, could not pronounce scientific jargon to save my life 😅

I like to think that the chapter titles were parts of the brain or the body that regulated whatever emotion or movement Bee felt or did in that chapter. I don’t know. I did enjoy the chapter titles, don’t get me wrong.

The only downside of working on BLINK was working with the guy who hated her stinking guts.

From the minute we met Levi, I could tell you his entire storyline 🙈.

The messages between WWMD and Schmac? Schmac was Levi, no doubt. I knew he was going to confess all his love for The Girl to Bee and then she would find out he was Schmac and that Levi was talking about her.

I knew that Bee thought Levi hated her because he was so cold and closed off to her, when I knew Levi probably cam across cold and distant to Bee because deep down Levi was nervous to be around her, so it was easier to leave or not work with her. Whenever he left the room? He was nervous. Whenever he was asked to work with her? He was nervous. So he asked to work with someone else. I could understand from Bee’s perspective how Levi asking to not work with her made Levi seem like he didn’t think Bee was good enough. Used monosyllabic responses? He was nervous. He was just jittery because he was so enraptured by Bee that he couldn’t think clearly—love wasn’t only on Levi’s brain, it was raining a fire and making his pulse skyrocket. So every move he made came across as being a di** 😅.

I felt like the email thing was probably because he got her email wrong because gosh knows I’ve typed the wrong email by one letter or number before. So that was unfortunate for Levi. Still sucked for Bee, though because I would have felt screwed over too. And not Levi literally being like, “Send me an email.” Yea, bro, she sent you all these emails and you didn’t reply and you still want her to send you emails. **Shakes head***

Or his favorite line, “I’m working on it.”

Working on what?

A better personality 🙃.

Sorry, I didn’t really like Levi in the beginning because he was giving me cold, distant vibes. I knew he was nervous and maybe something was going wrong on his side with the equipment and emails, but still, he was being a bit rude to Bee. I don’t know, his answers came across rude. Even going up to Bee to call her out on her dress code, I was like excuse me sir ☹️!!! In the moment, my rage was at the forefront of my emotions for how many times men have tried to police women for what they wear. I mean, funny how a dress code is mostly directed at women 🙃. I detest when people blatantly target women for a dress code when that’s absolutely sexist. I’m so sorry a women’s shoulders and legs makes you horny. That’s absolutely not a woman’s fault. I could not. I know Levi didn’t mean to be rude, but gosh, going after Bee for how she dressed. That was uncalled for.

I know, I know, Levi was just a nervous and distracted by her body, but still. Gauging by Bee’s perspective, I would have seen Levi as an a**.

I was here for it when Bee called him out for being an absolute a**. He deserved it.

There was an absolute shift after Bee called him out for hating her and for messing with her because Levi finally saw how his actions were rude to Bee. From that moment forward, I absolutely loved the shift we saw in Levi because I could tell how he didn’t mean to be harsh, and wanted to prove to Bee that he was a kind, good person.

I want to briefly talk about how I felt for Levi once I understood him more and got past my initial anger at his actions 😅. In one of his messages to WWMD, Levi mentioned how he grew up in a hostile and uncommunicative environment, and how he realized he didn’t want to be uncommunicative so he went to therapy. LEVI 🥺. I loved that Levi wanted to be more than who he grew up being, and recognized that he needed help. That’s so good. I was proud of Levi. Also, that sucks that he grew up feeling like he couldn’t express himself freely or fully. I know exactly how that feels like—it’s almost like a chain holding you back from moving, speaking, or being. It’s like an invisible chord that snaps you back the minute you feel like you can be yourself, but that chord reminds you to stay in line. I grew up in a house where no one really talked to each other and we didn’t talk about real things. We just sat and talked about nothing that had anything to do with what was really hurting us as a family. Sometimes I felt like we were the dictionary definition of a superficial family. We had nothing between us. And that made me feel like I couldn’t be honest with my family and I grew up feeling uncomfortable talking to my family because I didn’t know how to talk to them. I also felt like anything I said would be used against me–that chord snapping me back. When you grow up being conditioned to withhold what you say or to not even say what you feel, it’s hard to unlearn that. It was no wonder Levi was so uncommunicative in Bee’s eyes. But I loved that he was working on himself and trying.

And you know, for someone who was uncommunicative growing up, he sure had the most words to say later on in the book. I loved that.

I find that most people who we feel don’t talk much are always the ones who have the most to say. We just don’t say it because we’re not used to feeling like we can or like anyone was listening.

In all of Levi’s robotic interactions, he was really advocating for BLINK and for Bee to be there. Boris, their boss, wanted to pause BLINK because of a patenting issue with NIH. But Levi kept the project alive with the prospect of another company also creating a BLINK helmet and if that company produced the helmet first, all of NASA’s efforts would have been in vain. So Boris green-lit the project, not wanting the other company to have a lead on what they were doing with BLINK. Also, Levi did answer Bee’s emails but they didn’t go to her; she should have had a company email and he advocated for that too. Heck, he canceled Bee’s computer order because the computers weren’t the top-level computers Bee wanted, so he fought for Bee having the right technology. I loved seeing Levi act with so much confidence because his drive was so different from who he was around Bee.

I loved every moment he tried to prove to Bee that he didn’t hate her.

I found it kind of comical how anytime Bee mentioned that Levi hated her, Levi would start to say something, probably about how he didn’t hate Bee, but Bee would cut him off. Let him speak, sis 😂! I liked how over time he stopped trying to correct her because his actions hopefully spoke louder.

I loved when he rescued her from the cemetery when she got stuck after sundown in her attempt at her couch to 5k. He didn’t even waver in wanting to help her, which emphasized how much he loved her and would do anything for her. Also, what a sweetheart in him letting him stay in his house when she lost her key to her apartment. He was also so sweet about making sure she felt safe and if she didn’t, he would have driven her back to her complex. But I loved how Bee had infallible trust in Levi at this stage when they were still getting to know each other. I guess, Levi had a safe vibe about him given that he rescued her from falling equipment and stood up for her. He was such a nice host in giving her extra clothes or letting her shower and choose a room; he wasn’t awkward about her staying there at all. I bet on the inside he was probably freaking out that the woman he loved was in his house unplanned.

And don’t even get me started on how he cooked her a vegan dinner because he too was vegan!! He was forgiven in my eyes for eating her vegan donut. I was just really surprised that he was vegan—that they were so similar. They both were vegan, liked Empire Strikes Back, and they were huge science nerds in the best way. I loved how after this night, everything in their interactions changed. I loved the little details about how he started to have lunch with her and how he would actually work with her and he would bring homemade snacks 🥺. I mean, how SWEET! A person doesn’t just go out of their way to make, yet alone share, snacks unless you mean something to them 🥺💗!

Bee and Levi had to go to a convention to see what the other company was doing with their BLINK helmet and how far along they were. However, the day before leaving for the convention, Bee and Levi had an argument where Levi made a decision without confiding in Bee. I would have been furious too because they were partners and Levi not asking her what she thought, felt like he didn’t value her opinion. I appreciated when he apologized in the car ride to the convention. I laughed with how he used an angst playlist for the first part of the drive because he knew he was getting the silent treatment. But I felt like it took a lot for Levi to work up the courage to apologize to Bee given his uncommunicative past. His apology was so genuine with owning up for his mistake rather than trying to make Bee feel bad about how he acted. I liked that. I also liked how he jokingly was like, “So we should probably change the modo of the music now” 😂. Also, what a sweetheart that Levi didn’t even bat an eye to Bee’s change in mood when she saw roadkill. I loved how he understood how much Bee valued animals, and validated her emotions to make her not feel as sad. Such a contrast to Tim who wanted Bee to toughen up and made roadkill a sick game to her. Levi saw her, and never asked her to change and that’s so beautiful.

When they were at the convention, they saw Tim and Annie together. Levi truly was a shoulder Bee could lean on, a hand she could grasp—he was her rock. I loved how he just took the role as her supporter without Bee asking because he could feel how Bee felt.

Levi didn’t know Bee wasn’t still married to Tim.

This woman, I swear, shouldn’t have been wearing a freaking RING on her marital hand on the marital finger because what were people to think 😑. Sis, could have placed this ring on her right hand on the fourth finger or any other finger than the finger that says, “hey world, I’m taken.” **Slaps forehead)) I could not. Even in the messages Schmac would send, he would say how The Girl was married. Truly, what did she think people would assume when she was walking around with a ring on her ring finger? I know her grandmother’s ring had significance to her, but truly, she could have placed the ring on any other finger. I don’t blame Levi for being angry with Bee when he found out the reason she was light-headed around Tim was because he cheated and they never truly got married. He could have been with her all this time instead of loving her from a distance, thinking that they would never work out.

Ay yi yi.

I freaking wanted to laugh when Levi said “hi” to Tim and whispered something in Tim’s ear that made him want to shiz his pants.

Levi—a big, scary teddy bear. There to be your comfort and safety, but also ready to claw back 👏🏼!

How dare Tim also warn Levi off of Bee all those years ago ☹️. That was sucky and mean. Tim said how Bee felt uncomfortable around Levi and that Levi should avoid Bee. Tim was probably a jealous a** who didn’t want anyone looking at his woman when gosh knows he slept twist everyone based on what Bee said.

I liked how Bee didn’t even feel that effected by Tim, but it was just hard seeing him given their history. She wasn’t as bothered by seeing him because she realized that he wasn’t worth all her tears or being hung up over him when he never really cared about her. Also, she had Levi now who was showing her what healthy love looked like.

Bee and Levi at the convention felt like such a natural connection with how they watched movies together and had a whole rant about space. I also laughed at how Levi began training Bee for the infamous 5K that she was supposed to do. I loved how Levi believed in her to do a 5K and that’s why I felt he pushed her so hard to try. I thought it was super cute how whenever they did go running together, he would slow down his pace to match hers 🥺.

I loved their comical deal about how if Levi couldn’t find the file on the computer, he would have to buy her a Yoda best neuroscientist mug to match his Yoda mug. Or if he did find the file, she would have to run a marathon. I’m glad he found the file because I was high-key rooting for Bee to run that 5k haha.

After the convention, I thought it was so cute when Levi tried to ask Bee on a date without labeling wanting to eat dinner with her as a date. A teddy bear indeed.

What was really special too was how Levi included Bee in his small family world of Lily and Penny. Lily was the wife of Levi’s friend Sullivan. When hiking with Sullivan one day, Sullivan fell of the hiking cliff and devastatingly passed away. Levi was there when everything happened, and to lose his best friend was gutting. BLINK was supposed to be Sullivan’s project, but after he passed away, Levi took on the project to honor Sullivan. Levi also took on the role of being there for Lily and Penny. I felt like it was a tad bit awkward that Lily and Levi used to date knowing Lily was Sullivan’s wife, but that’s okay. They were both going through a lot of heavy emotions, and having each other must have helped. I loved the way Levi was there for Lily and Penny—that Levi being dependable and caring emphasized his character. I also really liked Lily and how she wasn’t awkward or territorial about Levi, and how Lily actually wanted Bee to feel part of their family world. My favorite character in this book truly was Penny 😅. Penny was innocently hilarious and reminded me of all the five and six year olds I work with as a kindergarten teacher. They do ask every question imaginable and unimaginable and they had no filter whatsoever, and sometimes it’s comical and other times uncomfortable 😂. There’s just something about a child’s honesty that’s so refreshing though. I loved how she asked if Bee was a twin and if Bee wanted twins. Bee said how twins are more likely to have twins, and then Penny was like, “That’s good because Levi wants twins.” 😂 Penny knew what was up! The way Levi looked at Bee when Bee interacted with Penny was so obvious that he wanted to start a family with Bee. Right there. Joking. But he saw something nurturing in Bee that he admired and wanted in a partner. Penny made me outright laugh with how she wanted to show Bee her tarantula to purposefully make Bee faint. Savage and six.

Also, I don’t know if it’s a condition, but I did think Bee needed to go to the doctors or something because I don’t think fainting all the time was healthy.

There was also that moment when Levi brought Bee to dinner to meet his family. Levi grew up in a military family with every family member choosing the military route. When Levi chose to become an engineer instead, his family was consistent in making Levi feel inferior for doing anything besides serving his country. I didn’t like the way Levi’s family blatantly ignored him or made his work feel unimportant just because it wasn’t what they wanted for their son. I’m sorry, was Levi’s life not his to decide? I also didn’t like the way the dad spoke to Levi as if he wasn’t freaking PROUD that his son worked for FREAKING NASA!?!? I understand that it’s hard when you want your child to follow in your footsteps and you feel a bit disappointed when they do something else, but I think we need to push aside what we want for them and respect what they want for themselves. And honestly, it wasn’t like Levi had a terrible job. I would have been so freaking proud of him. Bee popping off on the dad was iconic 👏🏼!! Like you tell him! I don’t think anyone has ever spoken up for Levi or spoke up to the dad before, but he needed to get his head out of his butt to realize the way he diminishes his son is hurting his relationship with him. I understood why Levi was uncommunicative–he was always put down and ignored. I feel proud that Levi got out of that situation with his parents and recognized he deserved better than to be treated like that. I know Levi said he didn’t want to cut off his parental relationship, which I get, but I also feel like if something isn’t healthy for you or takes more from you than gives, then that’s not a healthy relationship to keep in your life.

There were a plethora of cute moments. But also a handful of osucuspious moments from the missing email, the misplaced file, and the BLINK helmet going wrong.

Gosh, I felt for Bee and Levi when the BLINK helmet they worked so ardently on, catastrophized in front of their faces. The helmet worked well when testing it, so everything seemed fine. They were doing a presentation in front of all their bosses and NASA. When Guy stepped into the chair and put the freaking helmet on his head, I had bad vibes all around. Not because I doubted Bee and Levi, I just felt like Guy was screwing with them. I felt like this dude did SOMETHING to mess with the presentation to make Bee and Levi look awful whether it was he loosed a part in the helmet or he did something to alter his brain energy that day, but I did not believe his whole act. Sorry 🤪. I don’t know if Guy actually had a seizure or if he was acting. If it was real, that’s terrible that the helmet caused such a reaction, if he was acting, I was ready to whoop a** because HOW DARE HE RUIN BEE AND LEVI’s image because he was a petty little weenie.

Guy really said let’s break up the happy couple because I’m a sad sack.

Bee felt responsible for causing Guy to have a seizure, and she felt like she was off the BLINK project. She was so ready to leave, which made Levi feel like she was not only ready to give up her job, but on him. Throughout all the time Bee and Levi were dating (in my eyes), Bee viewed their relationship as just being f-buddies or friends with benefits. No no no no no, sis. Levi wanted a relationship with her—a real relationship—he wasn’t going through all this effort to show her he loved her if he just wanted to have a short-term fling with her.

He wanted a life with her. He loved her.

You know for a highly intelligent human being, she sure could not tell when a guy loved her 🤪.

I mean, how could she not with all the sweet things he did for her and the way he always was there for her? But I also understood she never had that kind of love before either.

Levi was hurt that Bee was already giving up on them without trying, and that hurt carried in the way he bared his heart out to her. I loved how he mentioned he was scared. Admitting fear is such a vulnerable and strong thing to do because it’s like saying I am wounded, but here I am before you because I love you and it would hurt more to not try than be hurt again. He was scared of going all these years without her again, pinning after her memory and the feel of her. He was scared of not being able to recover from having known what life could be with her. He was scared of believing in something this good and having it be real.

There was just a lot Bee needed to work through to be there for Levi and accept his love or the idea that someone could want her.

“I was always, always being left behind. And the only way not to be left behind is to leave first.”

(pg. 313)

It was easier to leave then be left.

She was scared too.

But she let her fear drive her away, while Levi’s fear drove him closer.

I think there was only so much Levi could do to convince her to stay or to choose them because she had to want their love too.

When he laid his “gift” for her on her table, I was like, “OH, NO!! Was her going to propose?!?!?!??” It was a ring!!! 😩

It wasn’t a ring.

It was a freaking flash drive.

I preferred the idea of a ring because that would have been more dramatic haha.

On the flash drive was a cumulation of Félicette the cat going in and out of the lab. All this time when he teased her about Félcetee not being real, he knew Félcetee existed and wanted to make this video for her. I had a feeling that this flash drive of videos had something else on it.

Something suspicious.

I knew from the minute I read about his golden hair and nice guy description, that Guy was the villain.

Guy.

I mean, what a sad villain name 😂.

Guy’s a lovely name, I just thought we could have had more of a name than Guy.

I guess, his name was supposed to be unsuspecting. I knew better, Ali Hazelwood! Especially after Holden 👏🏼!

This dude had MOTIVE, and it was clear as day. Levi got the job he was supposed to have with being in charge. Also, he liked Bee and Bee was married, but she was interested in Levi. He also was the first suspect with how he had access to literally everything and could alter camera footage and get into every place. How could it not have been him messing with Bee and Levi? I felt like Guy wanted to get back more on Levi because Levi took his position, but I felt like Bee was dragged along because she was on Levi’s project.

Guy made a great villain. He served us the villain monologue and everything 😂

He was the one who moved the file and was responsible for all the mishaps. Guy was supposed to be on the BLINK project with Sullivan and have his name patented with the helmet, but Sullivan passed away, the project took on a whole new meaning for Levi, so BLINK became more of his project. Guy was bitter and wanted vengeance. Guy hacked Bee’s email from the beginning so that it would look like Levi hated her. With Levi and Bee fighting, he figured they progress would be slow on BLINK and eventually Bee would leave. But Bee fell in love with Levi. Then Guy found out Bee wasn’t actually married so he was peezed at her and had to go and make a whole Twitter commotion about how WWMD sent a message to STC about how she didn’t support #Fairgraduaitonadmissions. In actuality, Guy hacked her Twitter because Bee’s computer (with no password protection) was logged onto her Twitter, and he sent all these photoshopped emails and had her persona revealed to STC.

Guy’s actions was absolutely unnecessary in how he took out all his anger on Levi and Bee. Especially the one about being angry that Bee wasn’t married.

Told you she should have placed that ring on another finger.

But seriously? Was the poor guy’s ego that hurt that he wanted to hurt her? What a loser.

Also, what a PYSCHO for literally saying he was going to take her to the roof with his weapon and frame the situation as if she jumped from the room 😳.

Paging Dr. Phil. Paging Dr. Phil. We have a boy who desperately needs time processing his trauma and hurt.

I understand, he felt screwed over, he was going through a messy divorce, and he really liked Bee and felt betrayed. But dude that’s no reason, absolutely no reason to seek revenge or to go so far as to harm someone. That’s when you ask for help in saying, “Hey, I’m struggling a lot right now and I could really use a friend.” In complete seriousness, never ever let your anger drive you to hurt others or yourself. Please please please, seek help in knowing that I know things must suck and you think others hurting the way you hurt will make you feel better, but it will only cause my pain to others—innocent people–that shouldn’t happen. I’m sorry you are going through a lot and you feel hurt, but don’t be the reason other people hurt or grieve. Seek help. There is strength in seeking help. As clichéd as this sounds, things do get better and it won’t always feel this heavy in life. I’ve been through it, had to drag myself through some dark places, but it does get better bit by bit.

Sorry, I just needed to write that because as much as Guy’s character was fictional and his actions dramatized for the story, I think about how people in real life might feel or act like Guy did and I just wanted to say how there is peace and there is healing. Sorry to get heavy there for a moment.

I’m glad Levi was there to save the day even when Bee and him were in a fight.

I was absolutely petrified for Bee because of the serious situation she was in. But we love linebacker Levi. Also, what is it with all these scientists having raging abs and muscles???? I’m sorry, what scientific gym workout are we doing in our free time 🤪?

I freaking cackled though when Levi literally guided Bee to back up to the couch because he knew she was going to faint and he wouldn’t be there to catch her 😂. We love a man who saves the day and says let me save my women from hitting her head on the ground.

The ending felt a bit unsatisfactory. Bee was in the hospital and being a news star for what happened in the NASA labs. Poor Boris, honestly, the dude had to deal with all the sex tapes, drama, and now crimes at his facility. I felt for the dude. How sweet that he apologized to Bee even if he wasn’t—that there was a human in him that knew what happened at the facility could hav been fatally worse. I loved the whole intimate moment between Bee and Levi where he gave her the Yoda mug that she wanted and the Marie Curie bobblehead they talked about in their Schmac and WWMD messages 🥺. They knew they were messaging each other when she saw one of Schmac’s pictures with Levi’s cat, and he found out she was WWMD from her computer during the Guy attack. They had this conversation about Marie and a mathematician named Kazimierz where I felt like they were using them as a metaphor to talk bout themselves and their love—that Bee would take the leap and try having a relationship with him. I wasn’t all for the metaphorical talk about their love because there was something that felt incomplete about their conversation. I understood couples fight and what they went through was serious and they probably didn’t want to rehash what happened, but I was looking for something that felt more like a promise or something serious. I was also looking for a bit more closure or happy-ending feel because it felt like the story just ended at the hospital with the prospect of them dating again, and I wanted more.

The epilogue did tie everything up with explaining how Bee worked at NASA and lived with Levi. I loved the little nudge towards how they chose to stay in Houston because they wanted to start a family. Rocío went to John Hopkins with Kaylee. I liked Rocío’s dark humor sometimes, but I liked how Kaylee converted her to the glittery side. Bee also reveled her identity to all of Twitter world because Guy kind of pushed that reveal forward.

When I read the last page before the epilogue, I kept wondering where that 5k was. I loved how Bee didn’t do any old random 5k, but she organized a Fair Graduate Admissions run.

I am someone who also detests standardized testing.

I mean, it’s practically in my DNA as a teacher to repulse standardized tests 😂.

I know Ali Hazelwood is talking about the GRE and tests to get into a doctorate school (correct me if I’m wrong), but I do feel like all standardized tests suck in the way that there is nothing standard about how a person learns and what showcases how intelligent they are. I mean, yes, if someone is becoming a doctor or a scientists, I would like a doctor or a scientist who is knowledgable in their profession, but I don’t think one test that is so set in one perspective of academia is a real indicator of someone’s potential. I don’t think a test shows who a person is because there are so many factors like not being a good test taker because your absolutely nervous to take a test and then you do awful because of the nerves; location and how sometimes tests asks questions that you have no clue what it means (i.e. asking a question about lifestyle in Canada, and you’re not from Canada); sleep with maybe not getting the best sleep the night before; etc.

You can’t expect to know a person from one sitting.

There has to be a wholistic approach where we examine GPA, courses, volunteer or work experience, personality interviews—the whole nine-yards. A test only determines if you know how to take a test. And if you studied just enough to know how to be a good test-taker. Honestly, taking a test is all about hoping you circle the right bubble and that luck is on your side.

I was never the best test-taker. I was always terrified because it feels like there’s all this pressure on you to perform the best because if you don’t you’re a loser, and when that thought gets into your mind, you feel even more stressed. I would do good in school, I studied, I worked hard, but tests? It was like all that I was good at in school was for nothing because I had to be good for a test. I hated that feeling. I didn’t like taking the SAT’s or the ACT’s because gosh knows those tests are the same story, different format on a different day. Gosh knows those tests are for money and for me to waste my weekend relaxing by being in a classroom instead, bubbling in circles that have no meaning to me now. I know colleges look at the whole person and test scores, but test scores mean nothing in my opinion because they really don’t show anything but the knowledge that you can take a test. I would hope what mattered was all the effort I put in to maintain my grades, to do outreach work, and my character. Not bubbling in circles about if a train moves this fast, how fast does the other train have to move.

Even as a teacher I can tell you that yea it does suck when you have to take time out of your already packed schedule of everything you need to teach to all of a sudden teach how to take a test. Ain’t nobody cares about taking a test. Let us teach kids what they need to know so that they can continue to grow in their knowledge. I mean, some test taking skills are great to know and formative and summative assessments are wonderful, but standard tests? TRASH.

No person is standard.

Why are we making tests assuming so?

Because we want to weed out the smart from the not-so-smart? Everyone is smart in their own way if you give them the chance to show you.

My brother tried to get into medical school by taking the MCAT. He studied ever since he got out of college, he did volunteer programs, he got amazing grades, and yet, every time he came home from the MCAT test, his head was hung low in utter disappointment. It’s hard to see that knowing that someone so smart—someone I looked up to in school—felt defeated because he knew his score wasn’t good enough to get into medical school. It’s disheartening as a sister to watch my brother’s dream fade away because he never felt good enough because of some test. His dream was to be a doctor. He works somewhere now where he tolerates work, but he hated it at first. He never admitted he hated his job, but I knew. And that sucks to see because I believe so strongly about going after your dreams. But what if your dream is blockaded by some unfair indicator of success? He had to pay money to buy textbooks to study, he had to pay money to take the test, and for what? To be defeated. To feel deflated. To give up on his dream because the world said he wasn’t good enough.

That broke my heart.

And so, I agree with Fair Admissions for anything because there is no standard. Why are we keeping people from achieving their dreams and goals by deciding what we feel is a smart person worthy enough? Look at the whole person, see the whole character, that’s what matters. Not some bubbled in answers.

Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

Anyway, I enjoyed Love on the Brain for it’s sometimes funny and quirky moments, but mostly it’s sweet moments. Honestly, I became a big fan of Levi after he opened up because he wasn’t an a** after all 🙃.

What was your favorite part of the book? Least favorite part? What did you think of the book? 

Let me know below in the comments as I love hearing from you all 💕

I hope you have a beautiful day whenever and wherever you might be reading this 😊.

And as always, with love,

Rating

4.36 Full Bloom Flowers

Characters: Bee has such a buoyant exuberance that made me like her energy. I didn’t like Levi at first when I assumed he was a distant, cold-hearted meanie, but when he opened up, I loved how he became a big teddy bear.

Plot: A bit slow-paced in the beginning, but the middle picks up with many joyful, funny, sweet, and dramatic moments.

Writing: Ali Hazelwood writes with science in her heart and love on the brain 😉

Romance: I quite liked Bee and Levi when they weren’t busy hating each other, or more so when Bee wasn’t hating Levi 😅