Review: Hazelwood’s steamiest STEM romance by far! 

 

“Not in Love” follows Rue Siebert and Eli Killgore, one of several people involved a hostile takeover of her company, as they engage in a no-strings-attached, secret affair. But the heart is a risky business—one that plays for keeps. 

 

I have come to the realization that erotic romance is just not for me. Going into this book I knew from the author’s note that it would be tonally different and have more mature scenes, but I wasn’t expecting Rue and Eli’s physical intimacy to overshadow a lot of the elements I love from Hazelwood’s other works that she has published in the past. Elements like a slow burn romance and a strong emotional connection between the characters. As a result, I had a harder time investing in Rue and Eli’s relationship as a couple. 

 

This isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy the book. In my opinion, Rue Siebert is Hazelwood’s most layered, complex, and real fmc yet! She conceals her shyness, self-consciousness, and social anxiety behind a mask of detachment and I really related to that. A lot of Rue’s behaviors, and Eli’s as well, stem from childhood trauma and I appreciate Hazelwood broaching difficult topics like grief, food insecurity, and child neglect by having Rue and Eli open up to each other about what they went through. The more time the two spend together, the more vulnerable they allow themselves to be, revealing bits and pieces of themselves they buried deep in a judgement free atmosphere. I loved the moments where their emotional bond shone through.