Scan barcode
A review by lindentea
Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This was fun! It had the potential to be my favorite Ali Hazelwood because of the academia political intrigue, which was about as morally grey as you can get for a traditional published (non-dark) romcom. But they way Jack kind of had to mommy Elsie out of being a people pleaser…. Kind of exhausting to be so very very real.
The smut was maybe about as good as Ali’s smut has ever been, which isn’t that high of a bar but still! I do think it could have been waaaay smuttier - if I can listen to it while baking cookies in the same room as my family (on noise cancelling headphones, but still) it’s not smutty enough!!
Ok now something small that bothered me: there is no way this girl hates ALL auteur movies, and there’s no way her (annoying) letterboxd ass friend didn’t show her anything directed by a woman? Also her grudge abt Nolan made me laugh every time it came up because do we think Elsie Jack and their extended friend group went to Barbrnheimer and got into a suuuuper heated argument about which was better? (Team Barbie: Elsie, Olive, Dora, Greg, maybe George, Team Oppenheimer: Cece, Jack, Adam)
The smut was maybe about as good as Ali’s smut has ever been, which isn’t that high of a bar but still! I do think it could have been waaaay smuttier - if I can listen to it while baking cookies in the same room as my family (on noise cancelling headphones, but still) it’s not smutty enough!!
Ok now something small that bothered me: there is no way this girl hates ALL auteur movies, and there’s no way her (annoying) letterboxd ass friend didn’t show her anything directed by a woman? Also her grudge abt Nolan made me laugh every time it came up because do we think Elsie Jack and their extended friend group went to Barbrnheimer and got into a suuuuper heated argument about which was better? (Team Barbie: Elsie, Olive, Dora, Greg, maybe George, Team Oppenheimer: Cece, Jack, Adam)