Love's Genome: A STEM rom-com with sass and science

by Alysha Ito

★She’s a rule-following geneticist. He’s a chaos-loving coder. Together, they’re one bad meeting away from murder—or maybe a kiss.

Ashley Winters has her life mapped out down to the last base pair. At 32, she’s a brilliant postdoc geneticist juggling a high-stakes genome project, a lab to run, and an unshakable addiction to spreadsheets. Romance? Please. She’s been single longer than the Human Genome Project took to finish—but that doesn’t stop her from secretly devouring romance novels between coding marathons.

Enter Josh a 27-year-old computational genius with a sharp tongue, zero filter, and a reputation for breaking algorithms and rules with equal ease. When he joins Ashley’s research team to wrangle their massive dataset using AI, sparks fly—but not the good kind. He challenges her. Infuriates her. Outwits her.

And somehow, she can’t stop thinking about him.

Somewhere between late-night data crunching, caffeine-fueled debates, and some accidental almost-touch too many… their animosity starts to feel a lot like attraction.

Now Ashley’s stuck between fighting for her research—and fighting her feelings for the one person she’s absolutely not supposed to fall for.

Set in the high-stakes world of big data and bigger emotions, Love’s Genome is a smart, slow-burn rom-com full of whip-smart banter, sizzling tension, and just the right amount of off-the-page heat.

✓Enemies to lovers? Absolutely.
✓Age gap? Check.
✓Workplace romance? Technically forbidden.
✓Falling hard when you least expect it? Inevitable.

Some experiments don’t need a hypothesis—just the right spark.

Genres: Romance

233 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 1, 2025

About the author

Alysha Ito loves crafting sassy, strong heroines, witty banter, and sizzling chemistry—all wrapped in humor, lighthearted vibes, and swoony happily-ever-afters. With a degree in Cinema and Media Studies and a multicultural upbringing that’s taken her across the globe, she brings a fresh, cinematic flair to the rom-com genre, making every story feel like a movie you can’t stop watching.

When she’s not writing, you can usually find her binge-watching Korean dramas, getting lost in a playlist of everything from K-pop to indie ballads, or sipping on an unhealthy amount of coffee.

She believes love stories should come with the perfect blend of sweet, salt, and spice—that’s exactly what she delivers in her books.

Stay in the loop for free books, ARCs, and all the latest updates by following her on Instagram @alyshaito_author.

Reviews

[Andrea Anderson-Bain · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Review – Love’s Genome by Alysha Ito
📅 Release Date: August 1, 2025

Everyone knows I love a good STEM Rom-Com (think The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood), which is exactly what drew me to request an ARC of Love’s Genome. I’m grateful for the chance to dive into this debut and share my honest thoughts!

What I loved:
This was a cute and easy read that I finished in a single sitting. I really appreciated the slow burn and low spice/fade to black which felt like a refreshing change of pace. Ashley and Josh had some great banter and sweet moments, and it was fun watching their relationship grow.

“You’re the only equation I can’t solve. And believe me, I’ve tried.” 💕

What didn’t quite work for me:
While the story had a lot of charm, I felt like the characters didn’t have as much depth as I was hoping for—especially considering their ages (Ashley is 32, Josh is 27). I also would’ve loved to see more of the STEM side of things and a stronger sense of their individual lives outside of their budding romance. On a more serious note, the scenes involving Ashley drinking were tough for me. The first time she got drunk, it led to intimacy without full mental clarity—which was a bit frustrating. But when it happened a second time, it honestly felt disturbing. That really pulled me out of the story emotionally. Lastly, there were quite a few editing issues throughout that became hard to ignore—nothing a solid round of revisions couldn’t help, though!

Final thoughts:
Overall, I did enjoy the sweetness of the romance and saw a lot of potential in the premise. With more development, clearer boundaries, and a bit of polishing, this could be a strong contender in the STEM Rom-Com space. I’m giving it 3.75 stars for the heart and potential, and I’ll be curious to see what this author writes next.

[Francesca L B · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Although it took a chapter or 2 to get into, in the end I couldn’t put this down as I just wanted the slow burn to burn! Loved the female lead and will definitely read more by this author.

[Beena K · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I really do love books that I just finished, I usually have to take some time before posting my review, otherwise it would be just a bunch of super excited emojis and gifs.

In this case even after two days this is still my reaction is 🤩😍 🥰😻

Ashley is exactly what I like in a FMC. She is smart, she knows what she wants and how to get it. I love how she can portray the sad reality of many women around the world, that feel the need to choose a career in a field they love or family. She is a woman in STEMS doing a ground breaking research on genome, who has a secret stash of romance books hidden in her house and dreams of having it all in life, a great career, a loving husband and kids.

Josh, oh Josh. He is younger , starts to work with Ashley out to help her with the technical part of coding. He gets on her every single nerve since the first moment, but Ashley is also amazed by the fact that he doesn't seem to be affected by her bossy nature and just keeps fighting her antics.


This is a funny romance, and I found myself smiling more than once. It's a slow burn and clean/closed door, but there will some kissing. The way they interact is heartwarming and super sweet, but still in a very realistic way. I loved how in this age gap she is the older one but except from the FMC it wasn't mentioned as an issue. She falls first but he falls harder.

Plus points for getting me so hooked that I finished this great book in less than 24h.



A special thanks to Alysha Ito, the author who sent me a free ARC copy, but I wasn't requested to leave a positive review and the opinions are solely and exclusively mine.

[Jill Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

Took me a while to get into this book but was worth it. At first these two seemed complete opposites but bit by bit we saw more layers to Josh and made you realise you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. Their slow burn romance was worth the wait.
I received a copy from Booksirens and leave my review voluntarily

[Wendy Wallace]

Oh, how I loved this story. It is a sweet funny romantic tale.

I enjoyed reading it and found I couldn't put it down.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[c_reads_books_ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy reading contemporary romances when I find myself in a reading slump - they usually act as a palate cleanser and Love’s Genome acted as exactly that.

Unfortunately, while this was an easy quick read, I didn’t find myself connected to the characters. They felt a little one dimensional and they didn’t seem to make decisions that felt right for their characters. Josh for example fluctuates between out of his depth and overly confident from one scene to the next.

Thank you to Ito for the opportunity to read and review Love’s Genome prior to its release.

[Aga · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is my first book by this author.

I love the idea of nerdy, smart and strong woman so I was very excited to read it.

I liked the story line to about 2/3 of the book when Ashley gets drunk again and all her smarts seem to be gone away. That part was extremely cringy for me and kind of ruined Ashley character for me.

Overall it is a good read.

Thank you again to BookSirens for this free ARC.

[Ashlee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall rating :4/5 Stars
Spice Level: 1/5 (Some spice)

Love's Genome was such a refreshing and fun read that completely hooked me from the start. What I loved most was how this story celebrated strong women in STEM. Seeing Ashley thrive in her field and lead with hard work, intelligence, and quiet determination made me root for her even more. She’s such a strong female lead who perfectly represents how dedication and resilience pay off.

Josh, on the other hand, is the perfect balance—laid-back but so intentional in everything he says and does. I adored how he never missed a beat when it came to picking up on Ashley’s energy, even when she didn’t say much.

The banter between Ashley and Josh? Completely unmatched. I laughed out loud so many times throughout this book! Their hilarious, awkward, and perfectly timed conversations reminded me so much of the dynamic between the main characters in Lights Out by Navessa Allen. Honestly, half of my copy is highlighted with laugh-out-loud moments. Their humor made the story feel real, warm, and so addictive.

The storyline was quick, sharp, and just so much fun. I would have gladly stayed in their world for even longer—that’s how hooked I was. I highly recommend this one to friends looking for a funny, light romance with brilliant characters, fantastic banter, and strong women leading the way.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Feedback for the Author:
I would have loved to get even deeper into both Ashley’s and Josh’s inner worlds. There were so many moments where I found myself wondering what they were thinking—especially during those hilarious, awkward, or tender pauses. Getting inside their heads would have added another layer of depth to an already enjoyable story.

I also wanted to explore more of Ashley’s past. We got some glimpses into Josh’s background, but I kept wondering—what shaped Ashley? Was there more to why she was so emotionally guarded? As an only child, what was her family dynamic really like? Diving into those details could have made her character feel even richer and more relatable.

That said, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can’t wait to read more from Alysha Ito in the future!

[Lori S. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ashley is a STEM researcher, and Josh is a data analyst. Josh is working on his PhD while assisting Ashley and her team on some current research project. Ashley finds him pretty annoying at first with his wisecracks and remarks getting to her. He's also her junior by a few years and she kind of looks down on him for being younger, I guess. As time passes, she starts to see him in a different light and in different settings. This seems to change everything and soon she is a bit obsessed.

This was a cute enough romance, and I like that it focused on a woman in STEM. I also like the dynamic of a slightly older woman that isn't often used in the romances I've read. You would think things would have progressed a bit more, but I guess they haven't. I did think the characters were a bit flat and we don't know much more about them at the end than we did at the beginning. I'd have liked to know more about Ashley growing up, what made her a person whose entire life is wrapped up in her career. And it's not much different for Josh. I think this is the reason their connection is a bit harder to fathom. We don't know enough about either to see what sparks their interest.

I will point out also there are two scenes where Ashley is drunk, and Josh is not. His actions in the one are a bit suss to me and made me feel a bit uncomfortable. I do think Josh handled some aspects of the drunken behavior better than expected but it wasn't totally so.

Overall, it was a decent read, and I give it 3 stars rating. I recommend to anyone who likes reading contemporary romance about women in STEM. Thank you to BookSirens for giving me this free advanced reader copy.

[Gillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love’s Genome is a sweet, low-stakes romance with lovable characters and sparkling banter. The premise—rooted in a fake relationship setup—has the makings of a charming rom-com, and Alysha Ito delivers on the warmth and chemistry between her leads.

Josh and Ashley are both endearing in their own ways, and their dynamic is often cute enough to carry the story. But as much as I enjoyed their interactions, I found myself wanting more depth—especially from Josh’s perspective. We see enough to know he’s snarky, smug, and emotionally mature, but not quite enough to fully understand him. The same goes for Ashley. Her hesitations about being with Josh never quite clicked into place for me. While it’s refreshing that her reluctance doesn’t stem from trauma (not every love story needs that weight), the doubts she has feel superficial, and I wish the story had explored their origins more meaningfully.

The central incident that kicks off their fake relationship also felt a bit contrived—and was resolved too neatly to be truly satisfying. That said, there’s an undeniable charm to the way these characters interact, and the dialogue often sparkles with genuine warmth.

Overall, Love’s Genome is a cute read with sweet moments, but I wished for more emotional grounding to make the love story really resonate. Still, if you’re in the mood for easy banter and low-drama romance, it’s a pleasant escape.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

[Raquel Caldeira · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love’s Genome is an enjoyable, smart rom-com set in the high-stakes world of genomatics. Ashley, a meticulous postdoc geneticist, and Josh, PHD student and chaos-loving coder, have all the ingredients for workplace sparks but the slow-burn romance here leans more toward “annoyed-by-each-other-but-kind-of-attracted” than true enemies-to-lovers. Their chemistry is palpable, and the banter is witty, but I wished the characters were more fully developed. With a STEM-heavy setting, there was so much untapped potential to explore lab politics, protocol mishaps, or the real consequences of a workplace romance.

I appreciated the female-in-STEM perspective and the intelligence-driven plot, but the story sometimes felt like the lab was just a backdrop rather than integral to the plot. My biggest sticking point was the author’s overuse of italics scattered throughout rather than just in internal monologues which became distracting at times.

All in all, it’s a clever, flirty read with sizzling tension and a slow-burn charm, but it could have been sharper in character depth and plot consequences. Fans of smart, witty rom-coms with a bit of STEM flair will likely enjoy it.

[Deanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ashley is exactly what I like in a FMC. She is smart, she knows what she wants and how to get it. I love how she can portray the sad reality of many women around the world that feel the need to choose a career in a field they love or family. She is a woman in STEMS doing a groundbreaking research on genomes who has a secret stash of romance books hidden in her house and dreams of having it all in life; a great career, a loving husband and kids.

Josh begins working with Ashley to help her with the technical part of coding. He gets on her nerves from the first moment they meet, but Ashley is also amazed by the fact that he doesn't seem to be affected by her bossy nature and just keeps fighting her antics.

Love’s Genome was a fun and exciting read. I loved Ashley and Josh from the beginning and it was awesome watching these two slowly fall in love while trying to resist each other. This is a definite summer must read book.

[Yvette Jarrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

🧬ARC Review🔬
Love's Genome by Alysha Ito
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Release Date: August 1, 2025

Ashley is everything I love in a MFC-smart, driven, and unapologetically ambitious. As a geneticist at the forefront of groundbreaking research, she captures the all-too-relatable struggle many women face: choosing between career and family. Oh, and she secretly devours romance novels—instant win.

Josh: a younger, chaos-loving coder who's immune to Ashley's bossy streak and somehow always gets under her skin—in the best way. Their chemistry is electric, their banter hilarious, and the slow-burn tension had me smiling the whole way through. I especially appreciated the refreshing take on the age gap-she's older, and it's handled with maturity and realism.

Clean closed-door but with just enough spark, this workplace rom-com keeps you entertained.

Thank you to BookSirens and Alysha Ito for the ARC—all opinions are my own.

[Emily Richardson · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 ⭐️
1 🌶️

I received an ARC of this book. It just wasn’t it for me. I liked the idea of a STEM romance a la Ali Hazelwood type book, but the rest of the book missed the mark.

The MMC’s last name was spelled with an “s” sometimes and without others. There were a few typographical and punctuational errors. The use of italics was so heavily included throughout normal sentence structure (not just as character thought) that it was almost too hard to overlook.

I liked the third person POV but it wasn’t clear when it was switching from FMC to MMC focus, and I would’ve appreciated a little more focus on MMC perspective.

I thought both main characters were underdeveloped and emotionally stunted.

Overall, I think this book has a lot of potential and I really liked the premise, but the execution needs more work.

[Loki · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐ 3🌶️

This story was so sweet. It was fresh and funny with light angst. I love it when two nerdy awesome people find each other and can nerd out together. Both the FMC and the MMC were delightful characters and I would love to have them as friends to me.
I think this book could have been longer. Not only did I want to get to know the characters more, I wanted the plot to be a little bit more fleshed out. I would have liked the author to lean into the angst that was really only brushed over in the plot, especially the side plot points. This includes the she's older aspect. I love it when authors delve into that stupid social construct. Anyway, gorgeous book and I will read more from this author.

Big thanks to Book Sirens and Alysha Ito for a copy of this book. This is my honest opinion

[Kath · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two Geeks from different ends of their spectrum truly fell in love with each other. Ashley, the older woman, by 5 years and single was a Dr with specialty in genome gene cells looking for a way to defeat cancer and who was supervisor to another Dr in the university’s program, who had to test out to finish his doctorate, Josh Miller.

Josh was hired to help Ash out with external programming work for her work, testing for the scholarship granted to her lab where she worked on campus. Watching these two kind souls awkwardly falling was sweet and yet frustrating til Ash was told by her best friend to go with her heart not her science mind. Enjoyed the chuckles in between and the sweet surprised ending

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

[Becky Davison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun read. I love how Ms. Ito blends the elements of science and romance into her books in such a way that isn't boring and complicated. Ashley and Josh's story is sweet and slow building in the romance department, complete with just enough complications to make it interesting. I am not one for age gap romances, but this one works in a way that didn't make me cringe. I am enjoying this STEM rom-com series very much and hope there are more in my reading future.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[theweebookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun, slow burn workplace romance.

Ashley is a top scientist and needs a hand with her research so Josh a computer whizz is sent along to help her.

I really liked Josh and found him very relatable and there was more to him than it initially seemed. Ashley, on the other had was nice, but I didn't like some of her treatment of Josh, she came across as childish and self centred at times.

There was no denying their chemistry and I enjoyed the slow burn of their relationship. Some of the situations they found themselves in were funny.

The one thing I was uncomfortable with was the way Ashley acted with Josh when she was drunk.

This was a very quick read which I did enjoy and would recommend if you like these tropes.

[Lulu Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yep, this is exactly what I needed right now! A woman who knows what she wants, and on the other side, an IT nerd who enjoys his hobbies and doesn't care what others think about his style.

Maybe I see myself in both Ash and Josh. It's a very beautiful story about settling down and letting your walls fall.

There's a lot of wit, humour, great chemistry between the main characters, and it gave me a lot to think about. Thank you to the author!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

I totally wanted to love this book. It's sort of my go to genre and the cover art is top notch. But the writing falls a bit flat, there is lack of character development and no side stories or characters to create depth. So there you are left focusing on a professor dating a PhD student with no distractions from the ethical nightmare this book is. This was an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. I wish I could have liked it more.

[Claudete Takahashi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love's Genome is a well-written clean romance, with relatable and likeable characters, who have adorable quirks and resemble people in real life. It's not easy to balance family and professional life especially when kids are involved but it's proven that women/men can have both and be sucessfull and happy at both.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Maureen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to BookSirens for an ARC of Love's Genome by Alysha Ito. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I felt that this was rather formulaic (yes, I threw in a math/science-y term.) Ashley and Josh, the two main characters, were not very memorable and honestly their chemistry didn't work for me.

A quick read but instantly forgettable.

[Aud · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Love's Genome: A STEM rom-com with sass and science” by Alysha Ito
A Sweet Rom-Com
Yes, I read the description and knew I was in for a treat. This was one fun read that had me reading over time. I just had to find out what was going to happen next. Happy Reading ! !

[Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story. Not being a STEM person I found some of the story details unengaging so because of this I did put it down a few times instead of reading straight through like I usually do. The romance itself was sweet. Characters were funny and likable. A great short escape read.

[Lisa J Page · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great STEM story between Ashley and Josh with their banter as they work and their love story of her falling for him but actually he fell harder. Looking forward to reading more of your work, Alyssa. Defintely 5 star reading.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought the book was just ok for me. Just not to my liking. It's a good read into the "opposites attract" trope. 3.5 stars

[Stacy Hamlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ashley is a smart, overworked lab manager. Josh is hired to help her with the computer component of her lab work. He is witty and a smartass and I love the slow burn of them falling for each other.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[BookSloth · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a recovering STEM-er and a lover of all things romance, BookSloth was intrigued by the title Love's Genome. She expected a heady blend of lab coats, longing, and factually correct science.

Alas.

The book opens with the two mortal enemies of fiction: the waking-up scene and the "looking-in-the-mirror" description. She nearly stepped away then. Still, BookSloth persisted, because who doesn't want a smart, emotional romance set in a genetics lab?

Unfortunately, the depiction of lab life quickly undermines the setup. Colleagues gossip about health and safety violations while the lab lead sips coffee... BookSloth is now shaking her head.

The scientific terminology is familiar but thinly applied and there's an alarming breach of ethics that goes unquestioned that resulted in BookSloth quietly sighing.

Then there's the portrayal of bioinformatics and the geniuses that do this work. Of which BookSloth is not one, but has worked with many. They are reduced to caricatures, silent, unsmiling men doing "the computational stuff" off in a corner. In reality, this work is highly collaborative and deeply respected. The dismissive language and tired stereotypes don't just miss the mark, they flatten the human heart of the science. And this made BookSloth grumpy.

Yes, this is fiction, but it's not fantasy.

There are promising elements, but the threads are underexplored; Ashley drifts rather than grows and her emotional journey feels gestural rather than tangible, which makes it difficult to root to her. For a book that centres on a geneticist, the emotional and intellectual strands definitely needed more sequencing.

BookSloth's takeaway?

Write what you know or research it like your grant approval depends on it. Because even in Romance, especially in Romance, truth matters.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.