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Love by the Numbers
As a behavioral scientist, Professor Nicole Hathaway’s work strips away the foolish mystique that surrounds the human mating dance. When her academic tome is treated as a viral “love manual” her ecstatic publisher books her to appear all over the U.S. and Europe. Worse yet, her quiet, managed life has been shattered by a series of incompetent assistants. And she’s certain this Lily Smith creature isn’t going to be any less a burden than the last assistant they sent her. Or the one before that. Or before that...
Lillian Linden-Smith needs this job. With a relentless TV lawyer and public mob still out for her blood for crimes committed by her “American royalty” parents, getting out of the country is her only hope for anonymity. If that means cleaning up and presenting an antisocial know-it-all Ph.D. for bookstores, clubs and lectures, fine. Dr. Hathaway may have succeeded in driving away all the others, but not this time.
From their first meeting the sparks fly, and each is thinking: She has no idea who she’s dealing with.
It’s hate at first sight in this love adventure from the author of Above Temptation, Roller Coaster and dozens of other best-selling, award-winning novels.
Lillian Linden-Smith needs this job. With a relentless TV lawyer and public mob still out for her blood for crimes committed by her “American royalty” parents, getting out of the country is her only hope for anonymity. If that means cleaning up and presenting an antisocial know-it-all Ph.D. for bookstores, clubs and lectures, fine. Dr. Hathaway may have succeeded in driving away all the others, but not this time.
From their first meeting the sparks fly, and each is thinking: She has no idea who she’s dealing with.
It’s hate at first sight in this love adventure from the author of Above Temptation, Roller Coaster and dozens of other best-selling, award-winning novels.
281 pages, Paperback
First published November 20, 2012
21 people are currently reading
919 people want to read
About the author
Karin Kallmaker
81 books708 followersKarin Kallmaker has been exclusively devoted to lesbian fiction since the publication of her first novel in 1989. As an author published by the storied Naiad Press, she worked with Barbara Grier and Donna McBride, and has been fortunate to be mentored by a number of editors, including Katherine V. Forrest.
In addition to multiple Lambda Literary Awards, she has been featured as a Stonewall Library and Archives Distinguished Author. Other accolades include the Ann Bannon Popular Choice and other awards for her writing, as well as the selection as a Trailblazer by the Golden Crown Literary Society. She is best known for novels such as Painted Moon, Simply the Best, Touchwood, The Kiss that Counted and Captain of Industry.
The California native is the mother of two and lives with her wife in the Bay Area. You can catch her blogs at Romance and Chocolate: https://kallmaker.com/blog/. Find her on social media by searching for "Kallmaker" - there's only one.
In addition to multiple Lambda Literary Awards, she has been featured as a Stonewall Library and Archives Distinguished Author. Other accolades include the Ann Bannon Popular Choice and other awards for her writing, as well as the selection as a Trailblazer by the Golden Crown Literary Society. She is best known for novels such as Painted Moon, Simply the Best, Touchwood, The Kiss that Counted and Captain of Industry.
The California native is the mother of two and lives with her wife in the Bay Area. You can catch her blogs at Romance and Chocolate: https://kallmaker.com/blog/. Find her on social media by searching for "Kallmaker" - there's only one.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews
April 15, 2018
“Love by the Numbers” is a very enjoyable story of a slow-burn romance between two women forced to spend time traveling together across europe.
MC Nicole (Cole, in her closeted lesbian persona) enjoys one-night stands, but hasn’t let the world know that the successful published academic is gay. MC Lily needs to escape the U.S. for awhile to get away from a relentless TV reporter who wants to hold Lily publicly accountable for crimes committed by Lily’s parents. Having grown up wealthy, and now virtually penniless, Lily jumps at the opportunity to serve as Nicole’s personal assistant during a European book tour.
I think that with the book, readers might tire of the frequent day-on-a-tour detailed descriptions of moving city to city, hotel to hotel. As an audiobook, however, I think the pacing was terrific – it really emphasized that this is not a book of instalove, this is a book of two women being initially wary of each other, if not openly disliking each other, who grow to respect, care for and eventually love each other as they travel together for professional reasons.
It’s not until we’re eight hours into the book that Cole and Lily learn that each other is a lesbian, and we’re treated to some very delightful, err…interactions between the two, before the book takes the two on one more travel: into angst land.
I often don’t like lesfic angst, and I didn’t much like it here. And as much as I like HEAs, the ending was as odd as it was satisfying.
I enjoyed the family characters for both Cole and Lily, and I really loved the narration. I made a note at the 18% mark that the book wasn’t good, it was great! After completing the book, I wouldn’t put it in the “great” category because of the angst and odd ending, and I can understand why some reviewers didn’t like the slow pace of the travels, or didn’t warm up to one or both MCs. I liked Lily very much, and the uptight Nicole was a good character and the interactions between the MCs was often delightful.
I rate the narration as excellent, 4.75*, and the book as very good, 4*, with an overall rating of 4* - recommended.
MC Nicole (Cole, in her closeted lesbian persona) enjoys one-night stands, but hasn’t let the world know that the successful published academic is gay. MC Lily needs to escape the U.S. for awhile to get away from a relentless TV reporter who wants to hold Lily publicly accountable for crimes committed by Lily’s parents. Having grown up wealthy, and now virtually penniless, Lily jumps at the opportunity to serve as Nicole’s personal assistant during a European book tour.
I think that with the book, readers might tire of the frequent day-on-a-tour detailed descriptions of moving city to city, hotel to hotel. As an audiobook, however, I think the pacing was terrific – it really emphasized that this is not a book of instalove, this is a book of two women being initially wary of each other, if not openly disliking each other, who grow to respect, care for and eventually love each other as they travel together for professional reasons.
It’s not until we’re eight hours into the book that Cole and Lily learn that each other is a lesbian, and we’re treated to some very delightful, err…interactions between the two, before the book takes the two on one more travel: into angst land.
I often don’t like lesfic angst, and I didn’t much like it here. And as much as I like HEAs, the ending was as odd as it was satisfying.
I enjoyed the family characters for both Cole and Lily, and I really loved the narration. I made a note at the 18% mark that the book wasn’t good, it was great! After completing the book, I wouldn’t put it in the “great” category because of the angst and odd ending, and I can understand why some reviewers didn’t like the slow pace of the travels, or didn’t warm up to one or both MCs. I liked Lily very much, and the uptight Nicole was a good character and the interactions between the MCs was often delightful.
I rate the narration as excellent, 4.75*, and the book as very good, 4*, with an overall rating of 4* - recommended.
February 19, 2023
This quasi-road trip F/F romance is extremely slow burn, but for good reasons, and well worth it. Indian-American behavioral scientist Nicole Hathaway wrote a book that was supposed to be an academic work on her research into biological markers for successful romantic relationships. It accidentally became a bestseller, and her publisher demands she go on an international publicity tour, which is the very definition of hell for introverted Nicole. Extroverted Lily Linden-Smith needs a job after spending the last couple of years hiding from the fallout of her parents' well-publicized financial crimes, and when her uncle offers her a gig as Nicole's assistant, she doesn't look a gift horse in the mouth.
It's unclear to me whether the author intended Nicole to be on the autism spectrum, though many readers have interpreted her that way. She's clearly much more comfortable with logic and data than she is with feelings, but IMHO a huge part of that is her assessment, early in her adulthood, that she wouldn't ever be in a position to come out and have a romantic relationship - and the emotional closing-off she did as a result. Her assessment turns out to be wrong, but her reasoning wasn't invalid at the time, and a big part of her journey is learning to reintegrate her deeply closeted "Cole" side she uses to pick up women for one-night stands with the rest of herself, the sister, daughter, and researcher.
Lily's journey from fear to confidence is equally compelling, the international travel is interesting (Russian cowboys!), and while I felt like the end was a little rushed and the last line way too cheesy, the emotional journey and development of their relationship was well developed and satisfying.
It's unclear to me whether the author intended Nicole to be on the autism spectrum, though many readers have interpreted her that way. She's clearly much more comfortable with logic and data than she is with feelings, but IMHO a huge part of that is her assessment, early in her adulthood, that she wouldn't ever be in a position to come out and have a romantic relationship - and the emotional closing-off she did as a result. Her assessment turns out to be wrong, but her reasoning wasn't invalid at the time, and a big part of her journey is learning to reintegrate her deeply closeted "Cole" side she uses to pick up women for one-night stands with the rest of herself, the sister, daughter, and researcher.
Lily's journey from fear to confidence is equally compelling, the international travel is interesting (Russian cowboys!), and while I felt like the end was a little rushed and the last line way too cheesy, the emotional journey and development of their relationship was well developed and satisfying.
February 20, 2017
This is a review for the audio version of the book...
Book: 3.6 stars
Narrator: 4.25
I have mixed feelings on the book. I think it's fairly good and believe most people would enjoy it. It's well written but it comes off a little bland to me, not in the premise or even the characters but there are long periods where not a lot happens. Nicole and Lily travel all around Europe and into America on a book tour and there is scene after scene of them together with very subtle shifts and many scenes of them being apart and in their heads thinking about what the other is thinking/perceiving/believing.
Lily is a dynamic character, outgoing and the person who lights up a room. Nicole is the complete anti-thesis and a person I could only interpret as being on the Autism Spectrum...At least, that was the way I could make the most sense of her character. And, in that light, it's interesting how a person on the spectrum could couple with a person who's not and what they find appealing about each other...
I could get why Nicole would be intrigued by Lily but less so the other way around. Not that it couldn't happen but I think I needed a little more of showing what pulled Lily in. Perhaps it was Nicole's factual, truth based, non-manipulative approach to life where Lily was used to living around people with lies and ulterior motives.
I'm not mentioning the Autism Spectrum in a denigrating way, by the way. I have sons with Autism and from them and others I've met am familiar with how very different a person on the Autism spectrum can interpret and behave in the world while also being connected and loving.
Nicole is also an Indian character so I appreciated the author having ethnic diversity with her characters.
Anyway, the characters are strong, the story is sweet...and very angsty. This is also a slow burn romance. If you're into that, you may especially enjoy it.
I thought the narrator, Kathleen Roche-Zujko, did a fantastic job (minus the British accents. lol) and kept the story buoyed. The audio book came to 10 hrs in length so it's a full, entertaining story to listen to.
If you want an ignition of heat and chemistry in your love story you may find this lacking. But, if you want a sweet, slow burn romance you can find it here.
Book: 3.6 stars
Narrator: 4.25
I have mixed feelings on the book. I think it's fairly good and believe most people would enjoy it. It's well written but it comes off a little bland to me, not in the premise or even the characters but there are long periods where not a lot happens. Nicole and Lily travel all around Europe and into America on a book tour and there is scene after scene of them together with very subtle shifts and many scenes of them being apart and in their heads thinking about what the other is thinking/perceiving/believing.
Lily is a dynamic character, outgoing and the person who lights up a room. Nicole is the complete anti-thesis and a person I could only interpret as being on the Autism Spectrum...At least, that was the way I could make the most sense of her character. And, in that light, it's interesting how a person on the spectrum could couple with a person who's not and what they find appealing about each other...
I could get why Nicole would be intrigued by Lily but less so the other way around. Not that it couldn't happen but I think I needed a little more of showing what pulled Lily in. Perhaps it was Nicole's factual, truth based, non-manipulative approach to life where Lily was used to living around people with lies and ulterior motives.
I'm not mentioning the Autism Spectrum in a denigrating way, by the way. I have sons with Autism and from them and others I've met am familiar with how very different a person on the Autism spectrum can interpret and behave in the world while also being connected and loving.
Nicole is also an Indian character so I appreciated the author having ethnic diversity with her characters.
Anyway, the characters are strong, the story is sweet...and very angsty. This is also a slow burn romance. If you're into that, you may especially enjoy it.
I thought the narrator, Kathleen Roche-Zujko, did a fantastic job (minus the British accents. lol) and kept the story buoyed. The audio book came to 10 hrs in length so it's a full, entertaining story to listen to.
If you want an ignition of heat and chemistry in your love story you may find this lacking. But, if you want a sweet, slow burn romance you can find it here.
June 3, 2019
Read this book again and liked it still a lot. Very nice romantic story and well written. 5 stars
July 29, 2016
Was an average read I would give it 2.5 rounded up to 3. My main issue was that I didn't like both main characters unfortunately :(
September 28, 2021
5 stars
How fun was this audiobook?! It's probably one of my favorites of Kallmaker's - which is saying something, considering her vast body of work. I love being reminded how smart and funny the author is!
After her academic book about the science of DNA as it relates to mating becomes a huge bestseller, Behavioral Scientist Dr. Nicole Hathaway embarks on a world-wide book tour. She has run off every "incompetent" personal assistant provided her and would be perfectly happy to do the tour on her own. When the publisher sends last minute PA Lily Smith her way, Nicole expects she'll be much like the others and resents that they think she needs one at all. But what Nicole doesn't know is that Lily desperately needs this job after her parents were embroiled in a major national scandal that she's been wrongly implicated in. She's fortunate that her uncle is the publisher of Nicole's book and that he's giving her this opportunity for employment, while also allowing her to escape and regroup until things calm down.Nicole is pleasantly surprised when Lily is leaps and bounds more competent than any of the previous assistants combined, but wishes she wasn't so damn attractive - and likely straight. Nicole only has time for academic pursuits. And the occasional anonymous encounter for physical release.This Lily Smith won't distract her. Never mind the intoxicating smell of her, her incredible green eyes, or how absolutely everyone that meets her can't help but fall under her spell.I was blown away by how well the brilliant scientist was written! Kallmaker manages not only to make her explanations of her scientific research interesting, but also provides great insight into a woman that on the surface seems almost one dimensional. Nicole and Lily's adventures as they travel the globe are so well done they make you feel like you're right there with them.One of the highlights for me was the ongoing internal dialogue as the two were struggling to work through feelings. "Libido says..." "Circumspect says...." It actually made me laugh out loud. There are also some deliciously sexy moments! This September 2021 audiobook release of the book published in 2013 was narrated by Abby Craden, who delivers in a way that only she can. Perfection.
I listened to this on Hoopla and enjoyed it so much I plan to buy it. Definitely one to put a smile on your face.
How fun was this audiobook?! It's probably one of my favorites of Kallmaker's - which is saying something, considering her vast body of work. I love being reminded how smart and funny the author is!
After her academic book about the science of DNA as it relates to mating becomes a huge bestseller, Behavioral Scientist Dr. Nicole Hathaway embarks on a world-wide book tour. She has run off every "incompetent" personal assistant provided her and would be perfectly happy to do the tour on her own. When the publisher sends last minute PA Lily Smith her way, Nicole expects she'll be much like the others and resents that they think she needs one at all. But what Nicole doesn't know is that Lily desperately needs this job after her parents were embroiled in a major national scandal that she's been wrongly implicated in. She's fortunate that her uncle is the publisher of Nicole's book and that he's giving her this opportunity for employment, while also allowing her to escape and regroup until things calm down.Nicole is pleasantly surprised when Lily is leaps and bounds more competent than any of the previous assistants combined, but wishes she wasn't so damn attractive - and likely straight. Nicole only has time for academic pursuits. And the occasional anonymous encounter for physical release.This Lily Smith won't distract her. Never mind the intoxicating smell of her, her incredible green eyes, or how absolutely everyone that meets her can't help but fall under her spell.I was blown away by how well the brilliant scientist was written! Kallmaker manages not only to make her explanations of her scientific research interesting, but also provides great insight into a woman that on the surface seems almost one dimensional. Nicole and Lily's adventures as they travel the globe are so well done they make you feel like you're right there with them.One of the highlights for me was the ongoing internal dialogue as the two were struggling to work through feelings. "Libido says..." "Circumspect says...." It actually made me laugh out loud. There are also some deliciously sexy moments! This September 2021 audiobook release of the book published in 2013 was narrated by Abby Craden, who delivers in a way that only she can. Perfection.
I listened to this on Hoopla and enjoyed it so much I plan to buy it. Definitely one to put a smile on your face.
July 21, 2019
Nicole Hathaway is a behaviorist scientist and professor unexpectedly embarking on a book tour after her research was taken as a love recipe book. After she managed to make three assistants quit, her publisher gives her an ultimatum and sends one last assistant, Lily Smith. This temporary job is a blessing for Lily. She has been in the public eye because of her parents Ponzi scheme and now is bankrupt and forced to stop the studies needed to become a diplomat. The two women seem to not have many things in common and Nicole finds herself dreading the intrusion on what has always been a self-sufficient life. The only problem is that they both do end up enjoying each other’s company. Nicole quickly starts depending on Lily’s social talents and soon she can’t think about anything else. Can the woman who wrote about love be able to identify it when it comes knocking on her door?
This book was charming with fantastic dialog that just appealed to the nerd in me. I may be paraphrasing here but, ‘it was the dopamine’s fault’ and ‘you are a serotonin addict’ were simply phenomenal lines!
The book tour starts in Europe, with some adventure in Russia and back to the United States before a family emergency makes things too obvious to ignore. The trip was entertaining for the most part instead of dull or just informational. There was only a small part towards the end of the trip where the author started to lose my attention, but otherwise it was good and served the purpose of bringing the two characters together.
The mains definitely had chemistry. The secondary characters were well done and entertaining too. Nicole’s mother, from India and living with Nicole, was great. There was some tension generated as Nicole’s sexuality was not known to her family and well, that was one hurdle to overcome. There was also the hurdle about Lily’s negative fame and how it would impact her life moving forward. I thought both were well done and with enough significance that made me think about it when imagining a future for our gals.
This was another audiobook experience for me and available through Audible Escape. It is narrated by Kathleen Roche-Zujko, who did a wonderful job and I would listen to again in a flash.
I have to give Judith Fellows a shoutout for her cover design, just because I love covers! Simple, but relevant and still eye catching, I imagined this is what Nicole’s book looked like as she traveled around signing copies of it.
I have to thank Goodreads’ Bugs for the recommendation. This may be an example of the traditional romance you were talking about Bugs! This is my first book by Ms Kallmaker and it definitely will not be my last.
Overall and good, smart romance. 4.5 stars
This book was charming with fantastic dialog that just appealed to the nerd in me. I may be paraphrasing here but, ‘it was the dopamine’s fault’ and ‘you are a serotonin addict’ were simply phenomenal lines!
The book tour starts in Europe, with some adventure in Russia and back to the United States before a family emergency makes things too obvious to ignore. The trip was entertaining for the most part instead of dull or just informational. There was only a small part towards the end of the trip where the author started to lose my attention, but otherwise it was good and served the purpose of bringing the two characters together.
The mains definitely had chemistry. The secondary characters were well done and entertaining too. Nicole’s mother, from India and living with Nicole, was great. There was some tension generated as Nicole’s sexuality was not known to her family and well, that was one hurdle to overcome. There was also the hurdle about Lily’s negative fame and how it would impact her life moving forward. I thought both were well done and with enough significance that made me think about it when imagining a future for our gals.
This was another audiobook experience for me and available through Audible Escape. It is narrated by Kathleen Roche-Zujko, who did a wonderful job and I would listen to again in a flash.
I have to give Judith Fellows a shoutout for her cover design, just because I love covers! Simple, but relevant and still eye catching, I imagined this is what Nicole’s book looked like as she traveled around signing copies of it.
I have to thank Goodreads’ Bugs for the recommendation. This may be an example of the traditional romance you were talking about Bugs! This is my first book by Ms Kallmaker and it definitely will not be my last.
Overall and good, smart romance. 4.5 stars
August 22, 2016
Excellent from beginning to end.
January 21, 2024
I listened to the audio book on this one with our fabulous Abby Craden narrating. This was such a slow burn romance. I couldn’t wait to get the MCs together. Dr Nicole Hathaway is such a hard ass/ ice queen constantly speaking scientific jargon about serotonin and endorphins when speaking about sexual and romantic attraction. She has written a best seller book on sexual attraction. Her new Assistant Lily, is running from a family tragedy and with the help of her uncle goes on a European book tour with Nicole. Lily is very experienced in traveling and in working and getting along with people. She’s so outgoing and likable that everyone wants to be her friend.
This book had lots of funny near catastrophes on the book tour. Both MCs keep their true self’s hidden from each other and other people. It was funny to see them each seek out dates for one night stands.
This book had lots of funny near catastrophes on the book tour. Both MCs keep their true self’s hidden from each other and other people. It was funny to see them each seek out dates for one night stands.
October 10, 2021
4.5 stars. A friend recommended this and with Abby Craden narrating.. I was really looking forward to this book.
To be honest, it started off a little demotivating.. Turned out I didn't really like the MC Nicole in the beginning and also this had a Goodreads rating below 4.0 and normally I don't read that anymore.
However, once I got into the story and Lily appeared, it got better. And then, with road trip I really really enjoyed the book.
Allow me a short detour. I usually have a lot of books I'm currently reading. One of them is Emily Noon's Aurora's Angel, which I stopped after around two thirds (I plan to finish it someday, this one can't be a DNF) - I loved loved loved the first third of the book, but then it somehow got all about sex and I was really bored and stopped caring. Anyway, why I'm telling this here is because I see a lot of similarities between these two books. Of course Aurora's Angel is a fantasy, and Love by the numbers is a contemporary romance. But otherwise..
The roadtrip.
The MCs, where the one is an anti social introvert, and the other one is as outgoing and extrovert as one can be (funnily, I had a really soft spot for Aurora and didn't really warm up to Evie, whereas it was the opposite with Love by the numbers, where I found Nicole hard to relate to but really liked Lily).
Back to topic. So, I really, really enjoyed this book overall.
One thing I particularly liked was Abby Craden doing British accents. Oh boy. I need more of this.
Why else? Because, I felt this was a character driven story where two people found each other, and it was somehow believable despite eveything. I really loved the places, the pubs, the Brighton lesbian festival. I also loved how the author didn't shy away from having the MCs have one night stands independently from one another and not have them have sex with each other until much later. I actually liked that they found out about each other only around three quarters into the book.
If there's one thing I didn't apreciate, I felt the ending was a bit rushed and.. a bit too much, but I can live with that 😊
To be honest, it started off a little demotivating.. Turned out I didn't really like the MC Nicole in the beginning and also this had a Goodreads rating below 4.0 and normally I don't read that anymore.
However, once I got into the story and Lily appeared, it got better. And then, with road trip I really really enjoyed the book.
Allow me a short detour. I usually have a lot of books I'm currently reading. One of them is Emily Noon's Aurora's Angel, which I stopped after around two thirds (I plan to finish it someday, this one can't be a DNF) - I loved loved loved the first third of the book, but then it somehow got all about sex and I was really bored and stopped caring. Anyway, why I'm telling this here is because I see a lot of similarities between these two books. Of course Aurora's Angel is a fantasy, and Love by the numbers is a contemporary romance. But otherwise..
The roadtrip.
The MCs, where the one is an anti social introvert, and the other one is as outgoing and extrovert as one can be (funnily, I had a really soft spot for Aurora and didn't really warm up to Evie, whereas it was the opposite with Love by the numbers, where I found Nicole hard to relate to but really liked Lily).
Back to topic. So, I really, really enjoyed this book overall.
One thing I particularly liked was Abby Craden doing British accents. Oh boy. I need more of this.
Why else? Because, I felt this was a character driven story where two people found each other, and it was somehow believable despite eveything. I really loved the places, the pubs, the Brighton lesbian festival. I also loved how the author didn't shy away from having the MCs have one night stands independently from one another and not have them have sex with each other until much later. I actually liked that they found out about each other only around three quarters into the book.
If there's one thing I didn't apreciate, I felt the ending was a bit rushed and.. a bit too much, but I can live with that 😊
May 12, 2014
Professor Nicole Hathaway’s life is controlled, ordered and organized. As a specialist in neurobiology and biopsychology – behavioral sciences – she knows that every human emotion is caused by chemical reactions in the brain. The success of her research work, on how DNA analysis can show relationship compatibility, has brought unexpected demands from her publisher and she is bound to a speaking tour around Europe and the USA.
Having driven away 3 assistants sent to organize the tour and accompany her on it, Nicole is hopeful that she can get away alone. However when her publisher sends along Lily Smith, Nicole may have met her match. Lillian Linden-Smith has been in hiding for months from a media bloodhound determined to prove she is guilty by association with her parents’ fraudulent schemes. Financially ruined and personally bereft, Lily knows this is her best chance to get away from the public eye and start moving forwards with her life.
All Nicole sees is a Barbie doll wanna-be Stepford Wife. All Lily sees is an emotionless academic bitch from hell. Spending weeks on the road together is going to test both of their fortitude.
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Karin Kallmaker is an expert at the coming out story and this is another great example of the genre. Even more it is a wonderful romance and a great tale of character development and growth.
The two main characters are chalk and cheese. Nicole, sterile, bottled up, suppressed by her heritage, her family expectations and her alien-ness. Lily is open, intelligent, caring and wants to be loved, damaged by thoughtless parents, media bullying and the court case from hell. Nicole’s journey is one of learning that emotions cant always be controlled and feelings cant be counted. She is the chrysalis emerging from its shell. Lily’s journey is one of self belief. She is already a wonderful person, she just needs to believe she can find a new place in the world. She is the flower opening in warmth and sunshine.
The backdrop of bigoted radio hosts, suggestive frat boys, ridiculous male cousins and occasional hot liasons makes for a wonderful read. The Hathaway family dynamic is outstanding, and all kudos to Nicole’s wonderful mother Indira for her brilliant role. Lily doesn’t have a family except her supportive uncle, instead she has the most colorful of super egos, Libido, Circumspect and occasionally even Common Sense. Would love to see what they wear to the wedding.
The writing is first class, and the humor is better. If you have ever spent any time with bunged up academics, especially mathematicians, and/or upper class Indians, you will fall about at the stilted computer speak, the bizarre family dynamics and the lengths Nicole has gone to in order to hide from her mother.. and avoid the vindaloo. This isn’t a book full of jokes, but the wit is literally laugh out loud and the characterization is spot on.
The romance is sweet and the sex is hot, all in all this had my dopamine, seratonin and oxytocin levels creeping higher and higher. Five star RomCom written with love, humour and an exceedingly good eye for our human foibles.
Having driven away 3 assistants sent to organize the tour and accompany her on it, Nicole is hopeful that she can get away alone. However when her publisher sends along Lily Smith, Nicole may have met her match. Lillian Linden-Smith has been in hiding for months from a media bloodhound determined to prove she is guilty by association with her parents’ fraudulent schemes. Financially ruined and personally bereft, Lily knows this is her best chance to get away from the public eye and start moving forwards with her life.
All Nicole sees is a Barbie doll wanna-be Stepford Wife. All Lily sees is an emotionless academic bitch from hell. Spending weeks on the road together is going to test both of their fortitude.
-----------
Karin Kallmaker is an expert at the coming out story and this is another great example of the genre. Even more it is a wonderful romance and a great tale of character development and growth.
The two main characters are chalk and cheese. Nicole, sterile, bottled up, suppressed by her heritage, her family expectations and her alien-ness. Lily is open, intelligent, caring and wants to be loved, damaged by thoughtless parents, media bullying and the court case from hell. Nicole’s journey is one of learning that emotions cant always be controlled and feelings cant be counted. She is the chrysalis emerging from its shell. Lily’s journey is one of self belief. She is already a wonderful person, she just needs to believe she can find a new place in the world. She is the flower opening in warmth and sunshine.
The backdrop of bigoted radio hosts, suggestive frat boys, ridiculous male cousins and occasional hot liasons makes for a wonderful read. The Hathaway family dynamic is outstanding, and all kudos to Nicole’s wonderful mother Indira for her brilliant role. Lily doesn’t have a family except her supportive uncle, instead she has the most colorful of super egos, Libido, Circumspect and occasionally even Common Sense. Would love to see what they wear to the wedding.
The writing is first class, and the humor is better. If you have ever spent any time with bunged up academics, especially mathematicians, and/or upper class Indians, you will fall about at the stilted computer speak, the bizarre family dynamics and the lengths Nicole has gone to in order to hide from her mother.. and avoid the vindaloo. This isn’t a book full of jokes, but the wit is literally laugh out loud and the characterization is spot on.
The romance is sweet and the sex is hot, all in all this had my dopamine, seratonin and oxytocin levels creeping higher and higher. Five star RomCom written with love, humour and an exceedingly good eye for our human foibles.
December 24, 2017
This was not the quick full of tropes romance I was expecting, it’s a slow burn and at some points I felt like the author was purposely avoiding the tropes I enjoy so much, but I loved it anyway. Both characters are very smart and have strong personalities in different ways and I really liked their dynamic.
I also liked the fact that both characters are good people. Lily was obviously much more open and sociable, but she wasn’t teaching her bitchy boss how to be a decent person and to care about people, she was just showing her a different perspective.
I loved Lily but I identified much more with Nicole. I don’t know if it was Kallmaker’s intention, but I agree with lov2laf, the way Nicole thinks, the way she rationalize and compartmentalize every aspect of her life, is very clear to me that she’s on the spectrum.
I also loved the fact that we knew from the start about Lily’s past. So many stories make a huge deal about one of the characters having a dark secret that she doesn’t want the other person to find out and then after a lot of unnecessary angst it’s revealed that is just misplaced guilty and it’s very anticlimactic. This way we knew all along that she was innocent but still could appreciate that she had a lot to deal with.
I also liked the fact that both characters are good people. Lily was obviously much more open and sociable, but she wasn’t teaching her bitchy boss how to be a decent person and to care about people, she was just showing her a different perspective.
I loved Lily but I identified much more with Nicole. I don’t know if it was Kallmaker’s intention, but I agree with lov2laf, the way Nicole thinks, the way she rationalize and compartmentalize every aspect of her life, is very clear to me that she’s on the spectrum.
I also loved the fact that we knew from the start about Lily’s past. So many stories make a huge deal about one of the characters having a dark secret that she doesn’t want the other person to find out and then after a lot of unnecessary angst it’s revealed that is just misplaced guilty and it’s very anticlimactic. This way we knew all along that she was innocent but still could appreciate that she had a lot to deal with.
November 26, 2023
It felt as if everything the jacket represented now fed a part of her she’d kept starved . She would not go back to ignoring the hunger.
3.5 stars. Road trip romance! I haven't read one of these in a good long while, and this is a pretty good version of what it is, even though it's not my favourite. Nicole, a straight-laced, buttoned up professor, is annoyed by the unexpected popularity of her latest book that talks about the correlation between DNA and love, and she's even more annoyed that the publisher is saddling her with an assistant for the round-the-world book tour that she has to do. Lily, reeling from the financial scandal that her parents left her mired in, is relieved to get a job that will take her out of the city and country for a while. It's boss/employee, grumpy/sunshine, very opposites-attract, with a good deal of mutual pining, and I liked it a lot! This is an older title, a little more than ten years old, and I was pretty relieved at how well it held up, at least in my opinion. (Except for the weight talk and implied fatphobia, ugh.) I loved that even with how prickly and set-in-her-ways Nicole was, it didn't take long for Lily to make herself indispensable, and really likeable. I do enjoy an ice queen who thaws quickly (though ice queen isn't quite Nicole's trope.) It was so cute how Lily hit it off with Nicole's mom right off the bat. I was thankful that while the book dealt with closeted characters, coming out wasn't a huge part of the plot. I just haven't been having a lot of luck with coming-out romance lately, so the mostly casual way this was treated really worked for me.
I really enjoyed the travelling aspect of the romance, and honestly, I wish it had been a little longer, to accommodate a few more scenes of them seeing different countries together or discussing local quirks. We don't get a lot of detail about Nicole's book (a bit, and I'm not sure what I think of the supposed science behind it, but it was interesting, I guess) but we did get enough to see that her lectures and her attitude changed as the tour went along, as she found herself being influenced by Lily and then falling for Lily. I did like that earlier in the book, when they don't know about each other, they both explore stuff with other women; it kinda makes it feel more poignant and powerful when they do get together. But it still left me wanting a little more exploration of their chemistry. I loved the sightseeing in London, but I wish they'd done more of it together. The Russian leg of the journey was my favourite, but again, I wanted more scenes with forced proximity like that. I enjoyed that it was so slow burn, and I loved the mutual pining, but the fact we spent so long in both their heads, without their feelings being spoken aloud, did kind of leave something to be desired. Or maybe it's the fact that they spent so little of the book actually being together. That can and HAS worked for me super well in some of my favourite slow burns, but here, it just wasn't perfect.
Listened to the audiobook as read by Abby Craden; as lovely as could be expected. I'm very split on whether or not I should round up or down on this 3.5. I liked it a lot, but I know I could have liked it more. I guess I'll know when I post this review. TBH, when I first finished I was inclined to a 3, simply because the last line was so cheesy to me, haha. But I know I'll continue reading from this author. She has lots of gems in her backlist, and I'm confident one of them could be a favourite.
Content warning:
Lily realized that Nicole not only knew more about love as a science, her devotion to truth was a kind of love in itself.
October 3, 2021
“Sometimes all a book really needs is a good narrator”, my Goodreads friend Pam Holzner
told me recently and she was right on the money. We were talking about Anastasia Watley’s narration of Melt by Robbi McCoy but, for me, it could be equally applicable to Love by the Numbers. I read this book years ago and thought it was OK but my listening experience was much better.
Behavioural Scientist Dr. Nicole Hathaway is having a bad year. Her academic book about love is being misinterpreted as a “love manual” and none of her personal assistants stay long on the job. With just days to go on a tour to promote her book, her latest PA isn’t promising either. Lillian Linden-Smith needs to leave the US, and fast. She’s still paying for the crimes of her late parents and is constantly attacked by the media. A job as a personal assistant to an author touring Europe is the ideal way to escape. If only she could put up with the anti-social, annoying, know-it-all professor…
Karin Kallmaker has been publishing lesbian fiction since 1989 and is one of the trailblazers of the genre with dozens of books under her belt. Love by the Numbers was published in 2012 but the audiobook has just been released in September 2021.
This is an entertaining enemies-to-lovers, opposites-attract, road trip romance with two very well fleshed-out main characters. Dr. Nicole Hathaway has a brilliant mind and an outstanding academic career but lacks empathy and misses most social cues. Her attempts to rationalise and explain feelings scientifically are funny and utterly ridiculous. Lilly, on the other hand, is caring and sweet but has been hurt badly and lacks confidence. Together they find ways to understand and support each other, in the most unlikely way.
Most of the story revolves around the road trip, an ideal background for the characters to be thrown together 24/7, be forced to get to know each other and work together to solve unexpected issues. It’s my understanding that Ms. Kallmaker is an avid traveler and here she applies her experience well to describe the joy (and sometimes the inconveniences) of traveling. This book takes the reader from London to rural Russia. It’s full of descriptions of places, food, transport and different people which makes it very entertaining. I loved “visiting” new places along with the characters as well as returning to others that I know well. All of them felt realistic.
Abby Craden narrated the audiobook and her voices were distinct and appealing as usual. It’s no news that Ms. Craden’s pronunciation of foreign languages isn’t her forte. I cannot tell about all the foreign terms in this book but her Spanish and Italian aren’t proficient (her pronunciation of Alhambra made me cringe every time). This novel has quite a lot of foreign words and names but I imagine most people won’t notice the errors, unfortunately, I couldn’t help it because Spanish is my mother language and I grew up listening to my relatives speak Italian. To be honest, the rest of the audiobook was really good in terms of interpretation of feelings and emotions so I didn’t care much.
I’m not sure why my previous reading experience was so different from the listening but if I have to guess, I think that Ms. Craden made Nicole sound more human than she seemed on paper. It suggested a lighter tone that I couldn’t infer from reading and it made a whole difference to me. So yes, sometimes all a book needs is a good narrator. 4.5 stars.
Length: 8 hours, 47 minutes.
Available in Scribd
told me recently and she was right on the money. We were talking about Anastasia Watley’s narration of Melt by Robbi McCoy but, for me, it could be equally applicable to Love by the Numbers. I read this book years ago and thought it was OK but my listening experience was much better.
Behavioural Scientist Dr. Nicole Hathaway is having a bad year. Her academic book about love is being misinterpreted as a “love manual” and none of her personal assistants stay long on the job. With just days to go on a tour to promote her book, her latest PA isn’t promising either. Lillian Linden-Smith needs to leave the US, and fast. She’s still paying for the crimes of her late parents and is constantly attacked by the media. A job as a personal assistant to an author touring Europe is the ideal way to escape. If only she could put up with the anti-social, annoying, know-it-all professor…
Karin Kallmaker has been publishing lesbian fiction since 1989 and is one of the trailblazers of the genre with dozens of books under her belt. Love by the Numbers was published in 2012 but the audiobook has just been released in September 2021.
This is an entertaining enemies-to-lovers, opposites-attract, road trip romance with two very well fleshed-out main characters. Dr. Nicole Hathaway has a brilliant mind and an outstanding academic career but lacks empathy and misses most social cues. Her attempts to rationalise and explain feelings scientifically are funny and utterly ridiculous. Lilly, on the other hand, is caring and sweet but has been hurt badly and lacks confidence. Together they find ways to understand and support each other, in the most unlikely way.
Most of the story revolves around the road trip, an ideal background for the characters to be thrown together 24/7, be forced to get to know each other and work together to solve unexpected issues. It’s my understanding that Ms. Kallmaker is an avid traveler and here she applies her experience well to describe the joy (and sometimes the inconveniences) of traveling. This book takes the reader from London to rural Russia. It’s full of descriptions of places, food, transport and different people which makes it very entertaining. I loved “visiting” new places along with the characters as well as returning to others that I know well. All of them felt realistic.
Abby Craden narrated the audiobook and her voices were distinct and appealing as usual. It’s no news that Ms. Craden’s pronunciation of foreign languages isn’t her forte. I cannot tell about all the foreign terms in this book but her Spanish and Italian aren’t proficient (her pronunciation of Alhambra made me cringe every time). This novel has quite a lot of foreign words and names but I imagine most people won’t notice the errors, unfortunately, I couldn’t help it because Spanish is my mother language and I grew up listening to my relatives speak Italian. To be honest, the rest of the audiobook was really good in terms of interpretation of feelings and emotions so I didn’t care much.
I’m not sure why my previous reading experience was so different from the listening but if I have to guess, I think that Ms. Craden made Nicole sound more human than she seemed on paper. It suggested a lighter tone that I couldn’t infer from reading and it made a whole difference to me. So yes, sometimes all a book needs is a good narrator. 4.5 stars.
Length: 8 hours, 47 minutes.
Available in Scribd
February 19, 2025
Ahhh, what a great read! I loved the slow burn and character development. A really lovely book that I can easily recommend to those who like this sort of thing!
June 30, 2014
This book almost lost me at the beginning. The science and academia talk was hard to follow for me (english is not my native language).
But when the two very different characters started on their "road trip", it turned into an engaging book.
I really loved how each of them where in conflict with being around each other. Nicole trying explaining it all with several chemicals (called "whatever-tines by Lily), and Lily's hilarious discussions between Libido, Circumspect and Common Sense.
Nicole opening up during the trip was nicely done, and I found it funny to read both were sure about what they were feeling but had no clue how to deal with it. The failure of the so-called gaydar for both of them added to that.
The book has some subtle humor .
It would have gotten five stars from me, were it not for the end. I can see how Nicole finally comes to decisions not influenced by her mother and world wide family, but the .
All in all, a very entertaining book
But when the two very different characters started on their "road trip", it turned into an engaging book.
I really loved how each of them where in conflict with being around each other. Nicole trying explaining it all with several chemicals (called "whatever-tines by Lily), and Lily's hilarious discussions between Libido, Circumspect and Common Sense.
Nicole opening up during the trip was nicely done, and I found it funny to read both were sure about what they were feeling but had no clue how to deal with it. The failure of the so-called gaydar for both of them added to that.
The book has some subtle humor .
It would have gotten five stars from me, were it not for the end. I can see how Nicole finally comes to decisions not influenced by her mother and world wide family, but the .
All in all, a very entertaining book
November 12, 2017
I enjoyed this book even though not a lot happened in the middle and the end felt somehow uncharacteristic or maybe a bit rushed. Some say they couldn't connect with the characters, I'd say I enjoyed a character that is not a Mary Sue self insert for a change. A lot of people also mention Nicole's use of big words as a negative which didn't bother me at all, it felt appropriate for a highly introverted researcher and a professor.
Overall it was an engaging read for me. I can recommend this book.
Overall it was an engaging read for me. I can recommend this book.
March 18, 2013
I have to say I really enjoyed this read. It had the perfect flow. One of the main characters, Nicole reminded me of Temperance Brennan from the show Bones. I love them both! Both characters were likable from the start. The scenes painted vivid pictures in my mind. Great story telling by Karin as always. I hope she's already writing her next novel because I can't wait to read it.
January 23, 2015
I liked how the author tried to balance the personality of her extrovert and her introvert main character and find the golden mean between their personalities. I admit sometimes I skipped some of the scientific explanations, but I liked the story in general, even though I think, that the ending was a little bit rushed.
March 11, 2023
4/5
My face is still full of the tears i had left in the pages of this book.I litterly cried at a HAPPY ENDING. I will never experience this kind of love,but I'm glad i could experience the "what if".Oh but don't get me wrong,this book ain't perfect.
My face is still full of the tears i had left in the pages of this book.I litterly cried at a HAPPY ENDING. I will never experience this kind of love,but I'm glad i could experience the "what if".Oh but don't get me wrong,this book ain't perfect.
November 23, 2014
This is well-written story, a bit slow-paced for my liking but all in all engaging. The dialogues were smart and interesting especially the first half of the book. From the middle on it kind of took a different style however it was yet a very nice reading.
I found myself enjoying a lot of their interactions. The chemistry between the main characters was nice and compelling and the development of their relationship even though was well portrayed I think it took too many pages to finally get there (painfully slow) .
In regard to the love/sex scene I think it was very well done, hot and detailed in a non-vulgar way. Very nice scene.
I enjoyed the book in general, the only thing
To conclude, this was a nice reading. I give it 3.8 stars rounded up to 4.
April 14, 2015
This is a cute, light love story, but not too much depth to it.
Both characters are very likable and I felt they had good chemistry.
The ending felt a little too pat. The women spend almost 85% of the book getting to know each other and slowly falling in love, although the big misunderstanding is a constant barrier right up until the end. It felt like they went from 0-60 in the last few pages.
Still, it's a fun book and I recommend it.
Side note: I listened to this book and felt the narrator wasn't that great. She kept interjecting chuckles as an interpretation to what the characters might have felt, but it came off as silly and like talking to a child. I alternated reading and listening and seemed to enjoy more when just reading it.
Both characters are very likable and I felt they had good chemistry.
The ending felt a little too pat. The women spend almost 85% of the book getting to know each other and slowly falling in love, although the big misunderstanding is a constant barrier right up until the end. It felt like they went from 0-60 in the last few pages.
Still, it's a fun book and I recommend it.
Side note: I listened to this book and felt the narrator wasn't that great. She kept interjecting chuckles as an interpretation to what the characters might have felt, but it came off as silly and like talking to a child. I alternated reading and listening and seemed to enjoy more when just reading it.
January 29, 2015
Extremely tedious to read. I'm sorry, but writing overly long sentences and using complicated words does not make a good writer. It was like listening to a perfectly well built piece of music but feeling no emotion whatsoever. Sometimes less is more. Especially in the case of romance novels where the focus is on feelings.
I understand that Nicole is not a very sensitive being, but that doesn't mean the writing has to lack emotion. But then again, I remember feeling the same way reading other novels by Kallmaker... so I guess that's just her style.
I understand that Nicole is not a very sensitive being, but that doesn't mean the writing has to lack emotion. But then again, I remember feeling the same way reading other novels by Kallmaker... so I guess that's just her style.
June 14, 2013
Karin Kallmaker Love by the Numbers
It was wonderful!!!!!!
I stayed up all night reading this book and I could not put it down....The characters are well drawn and the story exciting, unpredictable.
Although this story is billed as fiction, there is lots of real life there....The feeling of "I'm a lesbian but don't let her know it she'd be shocked" is a familiar one.
Loved this book.
May 10, 2013
Everything that a Karin Kallmaker romance is supposed to be. Interesting characters, lots of tension between them, engaging story, and the requisite HEA. I rate this a 4.5 but since there's no half star, I'm quite willing to round it up.
September 20, 2020
This is a long haul, slow burn book that travels the world on a book tour of the MC Nicole’s treatise on Love. She is accompanied by her latest assistant Lily who has her own issues from which she is escaping. Interesting chemistry between the two when neither admits to the other that they are lesbians. As usual, this is a well written story. Author Karin Kallmaker never disappoints. She is one of the grand dames of the genre and always a pleasure to read.
May 14, 2023
I loved the interaction with the characters. I pictured the characters doing exactly what their actions were.
There was one line about New Hampshire being landlocked, which drove me nuts. New Hampshire does have 18 miles of coast.
There was one line about New Hampshire being landlocked, which drove me nuts. New Hampshire does have 18 miles of coast.
August 29, 2025
Lily & Nicole I shall NOT forget!! Kallmaker’s lesbians in love books are the absolute best! R E Bradshaw comes in second.
YUM!!!!
YUM!!!!
March 17, 2017
There should be more scientifically approved methods to find love*
*this message has been totally approved by science.
Lighthearted, moderately smexy, endearing story with a super cute happy ending. What's not to love.
*this message has been totally approved by science.
Lighthearted, moderately smexy, endearing story with a super cute happy ending. What's not to love.
March 12, 2016
I don't read romance novels. I don't like romance novels. Obviously, I didn't know what this was when I ordered it. Damn it all, I really enjoyed it. I mean I REALLY enjoyed it. I want to read more of Karen Kallmaker's romance novels! ME! Me, who thinks romance novels are a waste of my time because no one writes anything I'm interested in. They all annoy me. Except this one. I just can't get over how much I enjoyed reading this romance novel. Wow. I don't know what else to say. I'm at a loss for words.
I gotta go home and kiss my wife!
I gotta go home and kiss my wife!
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