Book written by Ali Hazelwood, published September 2021.
Olive Smith is a third-year Ph.D. candidate and doesn’t have time for a boyfriend—not a serious one anyway. But that doesn’t stop her best friend Anh from worrying about her. Olive wants to get Anh off her back, so she lies about being involved with someone. Of course, no one will believe that without any proof (being scientists and all), so Olive panics and kisses the first man she sees in the hallway . . . who just turns out to be the most difficult professor on campus. Dr. Adam Carlsen is known for making his students either throw things or sob uncontrollably, sometimes both. He may be cut and outrageously handsome, but his personality is “antagonistic and unapproachable”. In short, no one would ever believe that he was seriously dating anyone, let alone Olive. Which is why she’s completely shocked when he agrees to play along, claiming that a fake girlfriend would help him get the grant he needs for his next research endeavor. It’s a rom-com and a fake-dating trope at that. I’m sure you can guess what happens next.
This novel may sound adorable, but it’s way more mature than it looks. Lots of f-bombs and other language, and chapters worth of blatant sex (seriously, I was skipping entire sections of the book). Plus, there is a scene with verbal and sexual harassment.
Due to those facts alone, this book should consider itself lucky that I actually managed to finish it. It’s at the bottom of the pile for me.
Read ahead for a slightly more in-depth review. As always, there are spoilers ahead!
Here’s the short version, I consider this book to be wildly inappropriate. Overlooking the sex and the language, there’s the inappropriate fact that a grad student and a professor are pretending to date. They explain that legally it’s okay for them to date, like according to the university’s rules, but given the fact that some people, including professionals that Olive hopes to work with and Adam works with already, are assuming that Olive is sleeping with Adam to get ahead, it’s still definitely inappropriate, and I don’t think it’s wise to encourage the idea that this is okay.
Which is a total shame because there are some rather adorable moments where the two are genuine and it makes me happy inside. I think it’s butterfly-inducing that Olive rambles a lot and Adam, whose first impression immediately leads you to believe that he doesn’t tolerate anything unnecessary, actually listens with intent. I love that Adam totally comes to Olive’s defense when she’s verbally and sexually harassed by one of his colleagues. The big bad guy going berserk for the small adorable girl is a trope I personally don’t get tired of. But then came the sex, and that just ruined it for me. I understand and even respect why it was important to their relationship, but that doesn’t mean I need to see anything.
So yeah, I read the book. I wish the overall situation was a bit more appropriate for the sake of the hopeless romantic inside, but that's all I can do about that. It's one of those read-at-your-own-risk type books.
Commentaires