Loathe to Love You by Ali Hazelwood (Penguin Random House) was reviewed by book club member Dianne Dempsey for Book Chats with Salome, who says she instantly fell in love with Hazelwood's characters. It is a sincere and sexy story of love and friendship between three friends who met while studying.
It was a delight to read about their individual yet intertwined stories of love, heartache, and work-life, highlighting the challenges of three young women starting their careers in the STEM profession.
I needed to refresh my memory of STEM when the back cover described the book as a collection of ‘STEMinist’ novellas. The three friends work in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics profession, and they believe in and fight for gender equity in everything they do.
Meet Mara, a fiery, freckled, redhead engineer and committed environmentalist who unexpectedly inherits half a house to share with Liam, a lawyer working for an oil and gas company – everything that Mara detests. Sparks fly between them upon their first meeting, until the bombshell revelation of their house-share. Amid countless clashes over their work and eating habits, they attempt to suppress their mutual attraction. However, their frosty standoff begins to thaw when a massive blizzard strands them indoors for an entire day.
Sadie is a cute, spunky civil engineer, whose worst nightmare comes true when she finds herself trapped in an elevator with her archenemy from a rival engineering firm. Within the confined space, past misunderstandings surface, making their time together even more claustrophobic.
Hannah, an aerospace engineer for NASA, is rescued from a dangerous mission by an adversary (albeit one with whom an attraction lingers). The only person willing to risk his life during a hazardous snowstorm in the Artic, Ian hasn't forgotten the afternoon they spent together five years earlier when he fell in love with the brilliance and beauty of Hannah.
The author skilfully portrays the characters' vulnerability in matters of love and their fears of potential rejection. Each tale features bold and steamy encounters as these women embrace their desires and unapologetically express their sexuality, leaving no doubt about what they want from the men in their lives.
This line in Mara's story: "Reminds me of grad school, when we couldn't afford therapy, and we'd engage in some healthy communal bitching every other night just to survive the madness" epitomises the value of friendship between girlfriends.
Loathe to Love You is a funny, sincere, and fast-paced read that feels like you’re having a great chat with your girlfriends.
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