Love, Theoretically

The latest of Hazelwood’s (Loathe To Love You) women-in-STEM-themed novels features theoretical physicist Elsie Hannaway. Between her many adjunct-professor positions and working for a company that provides fake dates for its clients, Elsie barely makes ends meet. She needs a full-time job that comes with benefits, not only to move toward her dream of scientific research but also so she can manage her type 1 diabetes. When she interviews for a tenured position at MIT, she finds herself face-to-face with the experimental-physicist brother of one of her fake-dating clients. He’s not just any physicist, though; he’s the one who nearly destroyed Elsie’s field of study. Narrator Thérèse Plummer’s extensive experience is evident in her expert performance of this enemies-to-lovers contemporary romance. Her expressive delivery and ability to seamlessly switch between characters keep the story flowing as Elise navigates her professional and personal lives and tries to find her voice. Capturing Elise’s frustration with her family and apparent hopelessness over her current career trajectory, Plummer helps turn the young scientist into a fully formed character.