Publishes 11/06/2024

Darci's Review 

There is no doubt that when picking up an Ali Hazelwood novel, you will be in for a treat. Not In Love is the latest Hazelwood novel, and introduces a beautiful dynamic between the main characters that will have you swooning. 

Both Rue and Eli refuse to be the product of their respective traumatic childhoods, enjoying successful careers which uplift their lives and the lives of those around them. Unknown to each other, they meet to enjoy one night of passion but are sadly interrupted before the fun can begin. However, this meeting ignites a spark that Eli cannot ignore and no matter how hard Rue tries, she cannot bury her feelings deep enough, even though she continues to live in denial. Little do they know they both have the means to destroy each others' dreams, with Eli and his partners at Harkness Group not-so-secretly vying to take down biotech company Kline, the company which kick-started and funds Rue's personal science endeavours. While they treat their sexual affair as strictly business, neither of them get out of each others heads. 

Hazelwood writes her characters superbly, with every interaction feeling so realistic that I began to wonder, could this happen to me? Her chemistry is always written beautifully, with each character having their own quirks, back stories, and preferences that shine through each setting of the novel. This is a must-read for all fans of romance, and if you haven't yet read a Hazelwood novel, I would highly recommend you pick this one up first. 

Publisher's Review 

A forbidden, secret affair proves that all's fair in love and science - from Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling author Ali Hazelwood.

Rue Siebert might not have it all, but she has enough: a few friends she can always count on; the financial stability she yearned for as a kid; and a successful career as a biotech engineer at Kline, one of the most promising start-ups in the field of food science. Her world is stable, pleasant, and hard-fought. Until a hostile takeover and its offensively attractive front man threatens to bring it all crumbling down.

Eli Killgore and his business partners want Kline, period. Eli has his own reasons for pushing this deal through - and he's a man who gets what he wants. With one burning exception: Rue. The woman he can't stop thinking about. The woman who's off-limits to him.

Torn between loyalty and an undeniable attraction, Rue and Eli throw caution out the lab and the boardroom windows. Their affair is secret, no-strings-attached, and has a built-in deadline: the day one of their companies will prevail. But the heart is risky business - one that plays for keeps.