A
Ali Hazelwood
Italian neuroscientist and writer of romance novels.
Not in Love
Synopsis
Dr. Rue Siebert has built a stable, quiet life as a biotech engineer at Kline, a promising food-science startup — the kind of security she never had growing up. Then she has a single anonymous hookup with a gorgeous stranger named Eli, only to discover days later that he's one of the private-equity sharks from Harkness now circling Kline in a hostile takeover.
Suddenly Rue and Eli are on opposite sides of a war for the company she loves, bound by loyalty to their respective camps and by an attraction neither can switch off. What starts as a strictly no-strings arrangement, complete with a built-in expiration date, becomes harder and harder to keep clean as the takeover tightens and Rue's guarded past resurfaces.
The first book in Ali Hazelwood's Not in Love series, this is a steamy, tension-filled contemporary romance about desire, self-protection, and the risk of letting someone all the way in.
Vibe
Spice level
5.0 avg spice
Genres
Characters
Rue SiebertProtagonist
A guarded biotech engineer whose startup is targeted for a hostile takeover by the man she can't stop wanting.
Eli KillgoreProtagonist
A charismatic private-equity dealmaker leading the takeover of Rue's company.
TishaSupporting
Rue's best friend and coworker at Kline.
Florence KlineSupporting
Rue's longtime mentor and the founder of Kline, the food-science startup at the center of the takeover.
Vincent SiebertSupporting
Rue's younger brother, whose volatility is rooted in their shared difficult childhood.
Frequently asked questions
How does this book differ in tone and structure from the author's previous contemporary romances?
This novel features a notably darker, more emotionally intense tone than the author's typical lighthearted rom-coms, dealing with heavier themes like grief and childhood instability. It is also her first contemporary romance to be told from dual perspectives, utilizing a first-person point of view for Rue and a third-person point of view for Eli.
Are there any connections or cameos linking this to other books by the author?
The story contains a subtle, brief nod to the author's young adult novel, Check & Mate. Additionally, the side characters Hark and Maya are featured in a follow-up companion novel titled Problematic Summer Romance.
Did Not in Love win any awards?
It was a finalist for the 2024 Goodreads Choice Award for Best Romance (the award went to Emily Henry's Funny Story). It was also named an Indie Next Pick and a LibraryReads Hall of Fame pick in 2024.