Love on the Brain
A few open-door scenes, described but not lingered on.
Direct. Plain anatomical words, moderately crude dialogue.
Estimated from the blurb · 0 reader votes · Ending HEA
Tropes
Content warnings
None listed. Readers can add them below.
Blurb
An Instant New York Times Bestseller A #1 LibraryReads and Indie Next Pick! From the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis comes a new STEMinist rom-com in which a scientist is forced to work on a project with her nemesis—with explosive results. Like an avenging, purple-haired Jedi bringing balance to the mansplained universe, Bee Königswasser lives by a simple code: What would Marie Curie do? If NASA offered her the lead on a neuroengineering project—a literal dream come true after years scraping by on the crumbs of academia—Marie would accept without hesitation. Duh. But the mother of modern physics never had to co-lead with Levi Ward. Sure, Levi is attractive in a tall, dark, and piercing-eyes kind of way. And sure, he caught her in his powerfully corded arms like a romance novel hero when she accidentally damseled in distress on her first day in the lab. But Levi made his feelings toward Bee very clear in grad school—archenemies work best employed in their own galaxies far, far away. Now, her equipment is missing, the staff is ignoring her, and Bee finds her floundering career in somewhat of a pickle. Perhaps it’s her occipital cortex playing tricks on her, but Bee could swear she can see Levi softening into an ally, backing her plays, seconding her ideas…devouring her with those eyes. And the possibilities have all her neurons firing. But when it comes time to actually make a move and put her heart on the line, there’s only one question that matters: What will Bee Königswasser do?
Read it? Rate it
Check & Mate
Same author's rivals-to-lovers formula with a competitive nerdy arena and a boy who falls first, just YA and closed-door instead of steamy.
Mate
Another take on the chess-rivals slow burn with grumpy-sunshine banter, but aimed younger and far less spicy than the lab romance.
People We Meet On Vacation
Another banter-heavy contemporary where shared travel forces two opposites close, but it's friends-to-lovers pining and notably less steam.
Carry On
Enemies-to-lovers roommates forced together with years of hostility turning tender, but swapped to a magic school and a queer boys' pairing, no heat.
The People We meet On Vacation
Same slow-burn ache with two people stuck together and years of unspoken feeling, but it's friends-to-lovers travel banter instead of lab rivalry, and less spicy.
Attachments
Office romance where the guy quietly falls first via emails, same witty warmth, but friends-to-lovers and chaste rather than combative and steamy.