Ali Hazelwood is a household name in the romance space releasing some of our favorite, swoon-worthy novels of recent years. From ultra-spicy to to first love YA, she has readers from all corners of the genre fanning the flush out of their cheeks. Whether you discovered her through the beloved STEMinist series that put her at the top of the New York Times bestseller list or you discovered what knotting was (NSFW: Google at your own risk) in the recently released sexy, supernatural novel Bride, Hazelwood has left a big impression on the book world. Now, her latest release Not In Love is here and we got the chance to sit down and chat with the neuroscientist turned novelist about her recent science-centered romance.

Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood

Rue’s life is starting to fall into place, she is a successful biotech engineer working for Kline, a promising food science start up. She has almost everything she wants. Then, a tough businessman, Eli, comes into her life and messes everything up, including her heart. Eli is now enemy number one to Rue as he and his business buddies try to buy out Kline, but Eli and Rue cannot avoid their feelings for one another for long. They must decide what is more important, their job, livelihood, and near perfect life, or the person they just met who is the biggest risk either of them have ever taken.

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Ali Hazelwood is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Love, Theoretically, and The Love Hypothesis, as well as a writer of peer-reviewed articles about brain science, in which no one makes out and the ever after is not always happy. We caught up with Ali to chat about her latest novel, Not in Love, and all things romance.

You’ve written several books about women in STEM, how do you challenge yourself to keep your stories fresh?

In the case of Not In Love, it was very fun to write something that still had STEM elements, but was set in industry instead of academia! The stakes felt very high, which made the writing process very enjoyable.

 How do you see the romance genre continuing to evolve?

I hope it’ll become more inclusive–and also more accessible to a variety of readers! I also love the way so many authors combine romance with different genres (horror, fantasy, sci-fi, thriller) and I’m really excited to see more of that!

Can you describe your writing process (do you do a lot of outlining or just write what comes out)?

Now that I have to juggle several projects at once, I’m trying to outline a bit more, just for the sake of being more organized and productive. But I think I’ll always be the kind of writer who really gets to know her characters while writing the first draft of a book.

What’s your favorite thing about being an author?

The romance community is amazing!

What’s next for you in terms of books?

My next book is going to be a new adult romance set in college! Scarlett, the main character, is a competitive platform diver who’s trying to come back from a catastrophic injury. She enters a relationship with Lukas, an Olympic swimmer, for a Very Specific Reason. Then, of course, they catch feelings.

Are there any genres/types of romance novels you haven’t written yet but you’re hoping to?

Yes! I have a couple of stories in my head that are probably a bit too weird and not very marketable, but lately I’ve been gravitating more toward darker stuff, and it’s been fun to play with new ideas!

Your bio says you can be found binge-watching shows, running or eating candy. So, I have to ask:

Favorite show(s) to binge watch?

Pride & Prejudice 1995

Favorite music/artists to run to?

I need to change my bio because I haven’t run in months (but let’s say Taylor Swift).

Favorite candy?

1) Kinder Happy Hippo, which is number 1 in flavor AND cuteness, 2) Kit Kat, but the European/Canadian version (in the US version both the chocolate and the wafer taste different- WHY WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE??)