Hypotéza lásky

by Laura Steven

Romantická komedie o dívce, která se snaží přijít na to, kým je.

Caro je neuvěřitelně chytrá. Miluje vědu, v kapse má stipendium na vysokou a splňuje téměř všechny představy rodičů o tom, jak má vypadat ideální dítě. Čeho se jí však nedostává, je sebevědomí. Neustále o sobě pochybuje, takže když se doslechne o tom, že vědci testují pilulky, po jejichž užití se člověk stane pro své okolí neodolatelně přitažlivým, rozhodne se je vyzkoušet.

To, co následuje, její nejistoty ale nerozptýlí. Má o ni její dlouholetá tajná láska zájem ze své vlastní vůle, nebo za to mohou tabletky? Jsou city k její nejlepší kamarádce vedlejším účinkem? A proč o ni projevuje nepatřičný zájem i její pes?

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Contemporary, LGBT, Queer, Lesbian, Fiction

248 pages, Hardcover

First published March 5, 2020

About the author

LAURA "L.K." STEVEN is a #1 New York Times, Indie & USA Today bestselling author from the northernmost town in England. She has published several books for young adults, such as the instant bestseller Our Infinite Fates, while the forthcoming Silvercloak trilogy, written as L.K. Steven, will mark her adult fantasy debut. When she’s not writing, you can find her trail running, reading chunky fantasy novels, baking cookies, playing old men at chess, or ignoring her husband and son to perfect her Stardew Valley farm. You can find her on Instagram (@laurasteven) and TikTok (@authorlaurasteven).

Reviews

[Alice Oseman]

A sweet, funny, and delightfully nerdy queer rom-com about a girl, desperate to gain more romantic attention from her peers, who starts taking some probably dodgy pills off the internet that boost her sex pheromones and make her irresistible to everyone around her. Hilarity plus some sincere discussions about consent, sexuality, and science ensue. Plus some really excellent gay dads. Laura Steven's writing never fails to make me laugh!

[Noémie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I thought this was the book everybody talked on booktok ! And I was soooo disappointed because this book is shit !
Buttttt i read the « wrong » love hypothesis ☠️ (there is an other book called the love hypothesis by an other author)
Now I am going to read the « good » one 😅
Not hate against this book, just didn’t like it at ALL
See y’all
Bye bye

[Ellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of my friends love Laura Steven. Like, love x 1000. And yet it's taken me this long to get to one of Laura Steven's books! Guess that happens when you have a wild TBR. But I do see why they love her as an author so much.

THE LOVE HYPOTHESIS is funny, sweet and thoughtful. It made me think a lot about myself, actually. I saw various aspects of myself in Caro and Keiko and Gabs, and the dynamics of their friendship were incredibly familiar to the ones I have. And at the heart of it, the novel was all about finding yourself and loving that, and how that's what makes you beautiful to others, really. And it was done in a way that wasn't cheesy, but comforting.

It's a short book and I read it in a few hours, but nothing feels skimped, underdeveloped or rushed. Not too hot, not too cold, just perfect.

> 4 stars

p.s. if Caro doesn't want Haruki Ito I most certainly do

[bookznerd · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️
The love hypothesis of Laura Steven focuses a lot on different friendships and accepting each other for who you are. That you don't all have to have the same interests in larger groups to be friends.
Also in this book lgbtq parents, adoption and lgbtq romance.
Caro is the main character who is insecure about herself. She is in love with a boy who does not see her at all. She buys pills online that make you attractive so he sees her now and go out together. The further in the book, the more Caro himself doubts. Her best friend Keiko also sees changes and has a lot to say about it.
This book claims to be LGBTQ, but it only really occurs in the last 90/95%. I would have liked this much sooner and therefore expected much more.
I found the story a bit odd and unique in a not the best way at times. I expected something completely different from this book

[kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Love Hypothesis has a classic rom-com movie feel, without the questionable rom-com movie morals.

I feel like the fact that someone who once literally got 1/60 on a chemistry test loved this book, is enough to convince me anyone will. (Me. I'm that someone. Not a single cell in my body has an aptitude for science…)

I love the way Laura writes. It’s quick in wit, easy flowing and so comfortable to read. Sure, a lot of the scientific aspects went way (and I mean, WAY) over my head but it didn’t matter because this book was funny, thought provoking, nerdy, adorable and, despite the fantastical plot, relatable. There were also some excellent discussions and explorations surrounding consent, friendship, family, substance abuse and sexuality making for a brilliant, all rounded read.

I would also do anything for Caro’s dads and Sirius the one eyed cockapoo.

[Zoë ☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had SUCH a good time reading The Love Hypothesis, it was so wholesome, cute and funny! 💗🙌🏻 (But to be honest I wouldn’t have expected any less of Laura Steven!) I could relate a lot to the main character in the first part of the book, and I really liked that because I didn’t really expect it to happen in this book! 🙊 Anyway, throughout the book I was a bit annoyed and conflicted with the way the main character handled certain things, BUT the end was absolutely worth it! I really liked how much the main character developed throughout the book! It discusses love, friendship, family, but most importantly finding yourself. Highly recommend it if you feel like reading a quick and fun contemporary! ☺️

Thanks again to the publisher for sending me a review copy!

[Sabine · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75/5 stars
Very enjoyable, important themes (such as consent, lqbtq parents, adaption, lgbtq romance) but I didn’t love it as much as I thought I would. And I can’t really put my finger on why??? Maybe because I found the main character a bit annoying? Idk man

[Axellesbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my gosh, this story is so cute and nerdy. It has its flaws, but I even love that about it. I love how the diversity is normal in this book and that it's not a plot. Okay, love is kinda the plot (see the title lol) but it doesn't matter which sexuality it is.
I had a laugh with this book from time to time and felt along with the characters.
But mostly: I had a really good time and regret I haven't read this any sooner.

[Patiopea · Rating 1 out of 5]

Kilka razy podchodziłam do spisania moich wrażeń z lektury książki "Zauroczona zwariowana zakochana" i za każdym razem ciężko było mi się do tego zebrać. O ile normalnie przy słabym fantasy nie mam problemu z powiedzeniem, co mi się w niej nie podoba, tutaj jest mi trudno, bo mimo wszystko jest to dosyć urocza historia, ale niestety w ogólnie mnie do siebie nie przekonała i naprawdę boli mnie to, ale praktycznie nic mi się w niej nie podobało.

Cała historia bazuje na historii Caro, która od dawna wzdycha do Harukiego i chciałaby, żeby w końcu ją zauważył. W pewnym momencie odkrywa tabletki z feromonami wzmacniającymi atrakcyjność fizyczną i postanawia ich spróbować. I sam pomysł jest oryginalny, ale bohaterka już od pierwszych stron mnie irytowała swoim zachowaniem. Kłamanie, oszustwa, brak jakichkolwiek przemyśleń, nieracjonalne decyzje i wiele innych sprawiały, że po prostu nie jestem w stanie tolerować takiej bohaterki. Zresztą cała historia oparta jest na głupocie i upartości głównej bohaterki. Zwroty akcji były przewidywalne, końcówka nie tylko nie była dla mnie zaskoczeniem, ale też była bezsensowna, bo wiele fragmentów akcji sobie przeczyło.

Ja przepraszam, że podejdę do tego tak ostro, ale po prostu jak patrzę nawet na okładkę to czuję irytację. Mam wrażenie, że to historia na zasadzie "zrób bałagan, rób co chcesz i wyszalej się, a my potem poklepiemy Cię po rączkach". Takie dokładnie mam odczucia, bo im więcej wiedziałam, tym bardziej mnie to po prostu... odpychało. Książka jest po prostu w dużej mierze sprzeczna z moimi poglądami i nie byłam w stanie przełknąć narcyzmu i olewatorstwa głównej bohaterki. Jedynym małym plusem tej historii, który choć trochę ją ratuje, są tatowie głównej bohaterki, którzy byli przezabawnymi bohaterami i od razu mnie do siebie przekonali.

[Willemijn jufwillemijnopallstars · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wat een leuk verhaal over Caro! Ze is erg onzeker en wil graag dat haar crush verliefd op haar wordt. Ze koopt magische pillen op internet en plots zijn alle jongens van school op haar verliefd! Leuk verhaal met LHBTQ+ karakters.

[Następcy Książeki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mocno specyficzna. Dobrze się bawiłam ale miałam też momentu cringeu.

[Campk]

No era el libro que me quería leer, pero es el que me he leído y la verdad es que me ha gustado, así que ganamos

[Odette · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was SO my cup of tea! It has science, it has humor, it has unexpected turns in the plot.. I loved this so much! I've stayed awake past my bedtime to finish this, and it is I think the first time this year this has happened!

[Beth, BooksNest · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up The Love Hypothesis because I needed an easy read that was funny and distracting, this book delivered exactly that! It was light-hearted, easy to follow and made me laugh. The pure absurdity of the plot, but in the best way possible, made me laugh a lot. Caro is a science nerd and I have great respect for the effort Laura Steven put into creating Caro's character, she is well crafted and knows her stuff. I like that we actually saw parts of her knowledge rather than just being told she was a science nerd. I also liked that this book broke down stereotypes a bit and did it's best to open doors outside of the status quo.

The stars of this book for me were Caro's dads, a very funny, comedic duo that had some of the best lines in the book. They had great chemistry (pun not actually intended) together and I really enjoyed seeing their dynamic with Caro. I don't think we see family relationships all too often in YA anymore, parents are more discarded to the side, so it was nice to get to know these two more.

This book focuses a lot on friendship and how we all change over time. I liked that the trio of friends didn't have to have the same interested to be friends and that's what made them click well together. I also think it looked at important issues such as what happens when you outgrow a friend, which is a sad truth. Relationships change over time and they take effort to maintain and this book presented this perfectly, I'd like to think it was more a story about friendship than romantic love...?

This book was cute and funny, which was exactly what I needed it to be. There wasn't a complex plot and it didn't fall down the predictability holes. I have to say though, the only reason I didn't rate it higher was that I found it all a little bit cringe towards the end. The way it ended felt a bit thrown together, so it didn't quite work for me. But the writing was super fun and has prompted me to buy more of Laura Steven's books, which I'm very excited to read!

[Tris · Rating 4 out of 5]

HUGE thanks to Penguin Random House South Africa for sending me a review copy of this!!

This was super fun, quirky and cute!! It was the perfect light hearted fluffy and extremely funny read I needed for the weekend!
Here is a list of why you should read it!!
- Gay Girls
- Nerdy Gay Girls
- Niche science references
- Representation of Diverse Family Structures
- Body Positivity
- Hilariously awesome German Gay Dad
- Sex Positivity
- Diverse Cast of Characters
- Honest Exploration of Identity
- Did I mention the Gay German Dad?
- Bizarre Pseudo-Scientific Plot!
- These two jokes: Boneapocalypse and ArmaWooddon
- Honest and Candid representation of relationships, friendships, crushes, love and lust!
- Girl Love!!
- F*ck the Patriarchy!!!

So yes, go get your copy and read it now! Thank me later!!

[Jodie✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! It was such a lovely cute read. The aspects of physics made it so interesting and gave it much more depth. I could definitely tell that a lot of research had gone into this book and I actually learned a thing or two about some scientific theory ha! The representation in this book is also a really good thing about it. The main character was so fun and well written and the innuendos added so much more humour. I also liked how the book had some good emotional elements and was a story showing a young girls journey to self discovery and sexuality. I really adored both her dads especially Vati he was a hilarious character! A book that I read with ease and thoroughly enjoyed. 3.5 stars!

[Strangely Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Man Laura Steven just hits it on the head again!!!!!! Omg. This woman can do no wrong.

This book has everything I needed: awesome but relatable characters. THE REPRESENTATION. Seriously Laura is so good with that. The dads are quite possibly the best thing that has happened to YA Literature in a long time and they win best side character on all fronts.

I am bad at writing reviews but yea YOU SHOULD ALL READ THIS. If you want a nerd who is trying to figure out the science of falling in love, LGBT representation, POC representation and just generally an AWESOME book you should read this.

[Bine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sehr schöner, leichter und doch tiefgründiger Roman über Liebe, Identität, Freundschaft und... auch noch Wissenschaft! Wie immer bei Laura Steven bin ich verliebt in eigentlich alle Charaktere (hier waren es vor allem die Dads, Haruki und Keiko) und ach, es war eine schöne Zeit mit allen. Mit dem Ausgang bin ich hier leider nicht ganz so zufrieden. Und das Element mit den Pillen... damit hadere ich auch noch ein wenig. Also bin ich hier nicht vollends begeistert, aber ich würde das Buch immer noch so vielen Leuten weiterempfehlen!

[Ella · Rating 1 out of 5]

It was bad.

Historia miała potencjał, jednak sposób w jaki została przedstawiona daje duzo do życzenia..

[Jo Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Świat szkoły średniej zdaje się mieć z góry ustalony porządek. Jedni są popularni od pierwszego aż do ostatniego dnia liceum, inni stanowią jedynie chwilową rozrywkę. W tej rzeczywistości dość dobrze funkcjonuje Caro Kerber-Murphy. Choć dziewczyna chodzi na zajęcia z zaawansowanej fizyki i ma materiał na tyle opanowany do przodu, że może czytać na lekcji już tylko artykuły naukowe, a zaraz potem biec na kółko szachowe, to wciąż przyjaźni się z popularnymi dziewczynami. Jedna z nich właśnie rozpoczyna swoją karierę wokalną, druga śmiało mogłaby cały dzień spędzać w gronie cheerleaderek. Czy przyjaźń tak skrajnie różnych charakterów przetrzyma nie tylko próbę czasu ale i eksperymentu?

Jak wiele dziewczyn także i Caro cierpi z powodu nieodwzajemnionego uczucia. Sprawa dotyczy chłopaka imieniem Haruki. Bohaterka przekonana jest, że światło zagina się w jakiś magiczny sposób, gdyż mimo uczestnictwa w tych samych zajęciach z fizyki praktycznie nie zamienili ze sobą nawet słowa. Niemożliwość zmiany tej sytuacji powoduje, że Caro decyduje się na udział w eksperymencie. Kilka tabletek (zawierających feromony) ma zwiększyć jej atrakcyjność fizyczną w oczach innych, a w konsekwencji także doprowadzić do tego, że ktoś się w niej zakocha. Nie myśląc dużo o skutkach ubocznych dziewczyna łyka tabletki i następnego już dnia burzy ustalony porządek licealnego świata.

"Zauroczona, zwariowana, zakochana" miała swoją premierę na cztery dni przed Walentynkami. Była więc reklamowana jako idealna propozycja na ten czas. I może właśnie dlatego pojawiło się w mojej głowie kompletnie inne wyobrażenie o jej fabule.

Z jednej strony jest tutaj masa przeróżnych ciekawostek naukowych i przedstawionych teorii. Czy to prawda, że tylko osoby o tym samym poziomie atrakcyjności będą się łączyć w pary? Jak mocno chemia naszego mózgu wpływa na emocje i czy manipulacja tymi wartościami jest w stanie doprowadzić do wytworzenia się romantycznego uczucia? Co jeszcze sobie cenię w tej książce to odwołania do fascynującego świata astrofizyki. Zjawiska są objaśnione prostym językiem, ale jednocześnie w sposób, który działa na wyobraźnię i każe dodatkowo zainteresować się światem odległych gwiazd.

Z drugiej jednak strony tak wiele scen było tutaj (nawet skrajnie) przerysowanych aby pokazać pełne spektrum działania tajemniczego specyfiku w tabletkach. W zamierzeniu śmiesznych i mających stanowić źródło humoru, często jednak groteskowych. Takich, których nawet po lekturze wyrzucić z pamięci już za bardzo nie można. Jeśli ktoś zaś wciąż liczy na typowy przebieg wątku romantycznego, to też nie ta opowieść. Laury Steven podkreśla mocno wątek przemiany na ścieżce do akceptacji samego siebie. Czy to przyjaźń a może już miłość? Pierwsze skrzypce grają tu wątki LGBT.

"Zauroczona, zwariowana, zakochana" to opowieść w jednym tomie, którą z łatwością można by było sobie wyobrazić jako ekranizację. Bohaterowie szukają nie tylko swojej przyszłości (komu powierzyć serce), lecz i odkrywają swoją przeszłość (Caro została adaptowana i wychowana przez homoseksualne małżeństwo, nie wie jednak nic o swojej biologicznej matce). Pasja do nauk ścisłych posłuży tu pomocą by odpowiedzieć na jedno z najważniejszych pytań: czy wystarczy dostatecznie mocno wsłuchać się w siebie aby wiedzieć, co jest dla nas właściwą ścieżką w życiu?

Recenzje zawsze na Zakładka do Przyszłości

[Jessica✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great love story...alright its not REALLY a love story per-say, but a exploration of Caro's burgeoning sexuality and self esteem issues. Throughout the book Caro attempts to analyze love/attraction in her hyper scientific (and genius mind), but its just a loose explanation of her own struggle and feelings. Any time she feels uncomfortable she scientifically analyzes it to make sense, so yes there is quite a bit of science in this story, but that's what makes it so fresh and unique. Not to mention its just down right hilarious and has extremely likable characters. It's been so, so long since I found a story that made me laugh out loud. This did it.
- I have read LGBTQ stories before, this one is different though its a steady build-up between characters. It starts out as a sweet friendship that the feelings developed over time and I loved that. Its not often you find romance (contemporary or YA) that does that.
I loved, loved this story and I just cant get over the chemistry. This will definitely not be the last story I read by Laura Steven.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this quite a bit, I love a book about a nerd especially a science nerd. The physics parts were interesting. The way that the pill changed how everyone saw Caro was handled really well. I loved the scene at the game where she caused chaos. Also the stuff about consent was interesting, usually you wouldn't think that doing something to yourself to make you more appealing to sexual partners would involve their consent. Is it moral to have a sex pill?

[Markéta Balíčková · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tuhle knížku jsem si vybrala jenom podle obálky a úplně nejlíp jsem nevybrala. Je to velice jednoduchý příběh. A také můj problém s tím byl (což je jenom můj problém), že to byl LGBT román a ty mě prostě moc neberou.

[Julia · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5

[Chiara Lou · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was so so bad but also a highly enjoyable read. For the most part, it was ridiculous but in a fun way (the entire premise of Caro taking random pills to increase her pheromones was so weird but funny).

The book was overall just not very coherent. The writing style was trying to be hip and cool way too much and it really wasn't working for me. I hate when books incorporate so much internet slang.

The friendship between Keiko, Gabriela and Caro fell a bit flat to me, it didn't really come through why they're actually friends. Also I just didn't vibe with Gabriela's characterisation, Caro was constantly talking about how Gabriela put her friends above anything but it really wasn't reflected in the way she acted.

The romance between Caro and Keiko started a bit too late for me. It just randomly started happening in the middle of the book with no signs beforehand that there could be romantic feelings there. Plus Keiko did act really self-obsessed at the beginning and then changed out of nowhere and it just wasn't addressed again. I have to admit I did really like the ending though, I was really rooting for Caro and Keiko!

Haruki was surprisingly one of the best characters for me, he seemed really three-dimensional and way more coherent than most other characters.

I'm usually a big fan of the serious/goofy combination in couples but it just didn't work with Caro's dads for me. Dad was way too stern and serious at all times and Vati was way too goofy and also lowkey really inappropriate with his teenage daughter? Germans do have boundaries as well actually. And I just didn't like his random German expressions, it was way overdone and just not funny.

But all that was mostly bad in a fun way. There were a few things that did genuinely bother me. I just don't think storylines about adopted children looking for their birth parents need to be combined with those children having gay parents. If done with more nuance, it could have been a good storyline, but saying Caro feels loved by her dads is just not enough to make it not have a weird connotation. Plus the whole tragic backstory was just really unnecessary.

And the Harry Potter references always punched me a bit in the gut. Apart from the fact that I don't think it's great to include HP references in a queer book (and this wasn't released 10 years ago, it's relatively new), it was also just way overdone.

But overall still an enjoyable, silly read with some redeeming (albeit a bit overdone and clichéd) scenes.

[Andrea Pino · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this read after following some discussion on instagram discussing how it was a "Sex Education" inspired tale featuring a queer girl lead who is a scientist. I like to read YA to connect with my youth, and was curious how a book that centered a drug that manipulated attraction would handle discussions of consent.

The main character Caro was difficult for a majority of the book, and most frustratingly, very self-deprecating. I work with pre-teens and teenagers, and honestly, a lot of young girls act this way; constantly hating on themselves, and taking extreme measures to increase their attraction. As an adult reader, I appreciated Steven's use of an extreme drug as a metaphor for the very real extreme measures girls take to change themselves. 

In that same vein, using the drugs as a metaphor provided a great vehicle to discuss consent. Can anyone consent if they are mesmerized by the influence of a drug? Of course not! I appreciated how the main character and her friends had this frank discussion, and that the main character held herself accountable.


While I liked the surprise queer coupling in the end, it felt a little rushed, and I would have preferred that the writer would have spent more time developing this climax, rather than keeping the majority of her big discovery in the background. Figuring out you're queer is a big deal, and even if your love interest was already in your life. I would have loved 40% less discussion of pinning after boys, and just a bit more on falling in love with your best friend.  My two cents!


Overall, a fun, funny, and smart journey into the mind of a hopeless romantic teenager with an insatiable hunger for big questions. Great dialogue around consent, and the complexities of consent in romantic and platonic friendships, which is a great inclusion for a book catered to young adults.

[Franzi · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, I really loved this book. I liked that Caro was a science nerd and that she eventually grew into being proud of it instead of being afraid to bore people with it.

What had me knocking off a star was that this is marketed as an LGBTQ+ book which it is, but I would’ve liked to see that a little earlier in the book. Caro spent 90% of the book chasing a guy. I didn’t mind that at all because it was a wonderful story of her finding herself and realising she’s in love with her best friend. But I expected more LGBTQ+ rep going into it.

Another thing that bothered me were the German sayings literally translated into English. I know it’s meant to show her “Vati” talking like that but honestly it was a little annoying to me personally. And there were some grammatical errors in the German sentences that were used. I wish someone would’ve checked those.

But all in all it was a quick, funny read and I enjoyed every second of it.

[vicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

actual rating: 3.75/5

i really wish the author would've at least bothered to give two of the main supporting characters (who were poc) some background because u can't just slap on a latinx/asian name and go about ur day that's not how this works sjsjsjsj 😭
i also think the act was very clearly divided in acts and there wasn't really that much of a smooth transition for caro's character development 🤔
but other than that this was SO FUNNY AND IT'S GONNA MAKE AN AMAZING MOVIE!!!!! ULTIMATE ROMCOM GOODNESS RIGHT HERE!!!!!!

[My Yorkshire Litmosphere · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ahhh this is so cute and fluffy - it would be such a cute 90s teenage romcom movie!

I actually loved this - which is surprising as I am by far the worst human at science...honestly it does not compute with me at all. I adore science but I super struggle with it!

So this was a beautiful book for two reasons: 1. i got a cute AF romcom boom about a girl learning about love and friendship and 2. I got huge sweet amounts of nerdy science info 😂

Honestly if you want a light happy book - this is a cute place to start! Also I love the name Caro. Also I love her dads - so much 💕

[_swiatksiazek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Przyjemnie przy niej spędziłam czas. Ma kilka wad, ale podobała mi się. Porusza też tematy akceptacji siebie, homo i biseksualizmu, etapu dojrzewania, a także poszukiwania siebie . Całość osadzona w naukowym klimacie. Pochłonęłam w dwa dni i nie żałuję. Potrzebowałam lekkiej pozycji, od której nie będę dużo wymagać. Po prostu spełniła swoją rolę:)