Formula for Love: A Nerdy Friends to Lovers Romance

Excelling @ Love #1

by Amelia Simone

Can the Excel junkie and his new bestie with benefits design a lasting relationship given the right variables, or is their formula for love riddled with miscalculation?

Rita
What happens when the World’s Hottest Nerd asks you for an extrovert adoption? You friend him, of course. Swapping favors lets you ask him to review your resume and helps you land the interview of your dreams. Maybe you exchange hopes…future plans…kisses. But you definitely don’t give Ed your heart. After all, love was never in the plan.

Ed
How do you handle it when your scheme to make new friends lands you with the woman of your dreams? You hang on and enjoy the ride for as long as it lasts. The saucy grad student may know how to push your buttons, reveling in bringing you to the brink, but her job search makes her strictly off-limits. Hiring her is out of the question. Ditto, giving her your love.

Alternately steamy, nerdy, and sweet, the Excelling @ Love Series follows a group of strong women as they find love in their small college town. Filled with feel-good romance, found family, and flirty banter, the Excelling @ Love books are happy hour for the soul.

Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Friends To Lovers, Nerd, Fiction, Ebooks

314 pages, Paperback

Published May 19, 2022

About the author

Upcoming Release
Hidden Harbor, the first book in an all-new series set in the San Juan Islands, launched 6/26/25. Happy reading!

Latest Release
Melting Point, a novella in the Campfire Council Series, is out now and available in Kindle Unlimited!

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About Amelia
Amelia Simone is the author of flirty, fun romances set in the Pacific Northwest, including Hidden Harbor (Book 1 of the Evergreen Rescue Series), Mister Romance (Book 1 of the Self-Made Series), Formula for Love (Book 1 of the Excelling @ Love Series), and Forbidden Flame (Book 1 of the Campfire Council Series.)

On sunny days, you can find her lounging on her deck, sipping coffee and working on her latest book. She specializes in writing lighthearted, hopeful romances that feature relatable, everyday characters who are looking for love. She’s a firm believer in writing dessert books with plenty of sweet, flirty banter, teasing, and spice. Her goal is to deliver stories that give you a serotonin boost and leave you with a smile.

When she’s not writing, she’s wrangling her kiddos, indulging in food and wine adventures with her better half, or out back trying to revive her garden. (Hey, sometimes things die, it’s fine.)

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to Booksirens for the review copy.

Ed is settled in his home and career, and simply wants friends in his life; he has his own unique way of trying to achieve that. However he didn’t plan for Rita, who has her own issues around making and keeping friends, as well as a lot of uncertainty about where her life is going next. They might be inconveniently attracted to each other, but surely being friends is better… right?

I liked the writing in this book - both Ed’s and Rita’s voices were fresh and helped to round out their characters. Unfortunately the other characters in the book felt a little flat, and as a result it didn’t really engage me as much as I’d hoped when I was a couple of chapters in. Enjoyable read though, and I liked the hint of what might be coming next in the series. 3.5 stars.

[Amelia Simone]

I'm so excited for you to read Ed & Rita's story! Ed is quirky and utterly adorkable. He's on a friendship quest that's about to be turned upside down by the lovely Rita.

Rita is finding her way, struggling with career choices and the possibility of love. Will she let down her guard and let Ed in?

Content Warnings: Meddling parents/estranged parents.
Heat Level: Open Door.

Formula for Love is book 1 of the Excelling @ Love Series. I can't wait for you to meet with fabulous women of Benton, OR!

[Steph Beaudoin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED Formula for love. This data nerd was sooooooo happy to find other data nerds on the page. The Migraine representation was SPOT ON, and the feelings of isolation, not being able to plan, having to cancel, etc. are also common feelings for those of us with chronic illness. I felt seen in so many ways in this book.

The story is adorable, Rita and Ed are charming and lovely, and I want to be their friends! I loved this book!

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

[Crys Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn’t to sure that I would be able to get into this book. When it comes to nerdy romances, I feel intimidated because some of the lingo that is used and the vocabulary and most times I can’t relate or I don’t understand unless I look it up. However, with this story, it does touch base on “nerdy” things, but it wasn’t to where I felt I needed to research things to fully understand. The story really focused more on Ed and Rita and who they were and how they got to where they were as individuals.

Both of their personalities were molded by things that happened in the past, Ed portrayed some social anxieties and Rita, who socializes, but doesn’t share anything personal. With their past haunting them, Ed tries his best to make friends by breaking down each meetup to help give him recommendations on how and what to do better. Rita distances herself, because she is convinced that when people get to know her, her medical condition gets in the way and that they don’t understand and see her in a more negative way.

I enjoyed this story. I think the struggles that Ed and Rita was an attention grabber for me, I really wanted to see where it would take them. For Rita, I felt for her because of her migraines. I don’t suffer from it first hand, but I have a close friend who does. So, I see and know how it can affect relationships around you. And the things that Rita went through with it, it was very similar to what my friend went through and how she describes her episodes to me.

There were some banter and puns, that made me laugh out loud. Some were corny, especially from Ed, but that’s what made it even funnier because you wouldn’t have expected it.

This is also book 1 of the series Excelling at Love. I’m excited to read book 2!

I received an ARC and I am leaving a review voluntarily.

[Maya McClenney · Rating 3 out of 5]

So to start off overall this book was actually pretty great because I am a fan of any romance book that involves any scientists or nerds in it so I loved that but there were some things I did not like about this book and a loss of I did. One of the things I did not like about this book was it was very much slow burnt which I usually don’t mind but it just went really really slow there a big portion of the book till the main characters got together finally. The main characters met in the first chapter so I definitely would’ve expected that since they knew since the start of the book we would see more of them together and a more in depth into their love story instead of this back-and-forth I want her but she doesn’t want me and I want him but he doesn’t want me. On the other hand there is so much more I adores. I did like the relationship between the two characters from the chemistry between then two it had me blushing. And the friends in this book are definitely ones that I feel can be very relatable in a dynamic cause you have the inseparable couple with a tag along best friend (Daniel and Angi with Ed) and the trio of girlfriends with different personalities (Sid and Cheri with Rita). But throughout the book you got to see a lot of growth and development with all of the characters. But Ed and Rita are definitely one of the sweetest couples I’ve seen.

[Tina-Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Get Your Nerd On

For those who are surrounded by a sea of tech workers this may feel a bit like deja vu as you join Ed in his quest to find a way to make friends. With a thoughtful plan he sets the course to find friends to add to his work focused existence. Tackling the challenges of making friends as adults is something many can relate which makes the story a fun and relaxing read. Set in the PNW, this tech nerd has the requisite Big Foot, hiking and geocacheing hobbies to fit in locally while also creating some silly, relatable moments.


Will the friend zone be all he finds as he follows his plan? Hard to say. With several possible angles, the story develops and one may find themselves cheering him on as stumbles along in his own unique nerdy way.

Thanks to #GoodReads for the contest win - it was so neat to have it show up right on my kindle and be so accessible. Thanks to the contest sponsors for making this win possible.

If you're looking for a new series to check out, Amelia Simone's "A Needy Friends to Lovers Romance" may be just what need. Cute characters including strong, smart women, who might be the perfect amount of nerdy on their own, help keep this story moving and one will soon be finished within a few hours.

[Anonymous 5 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first experience reading something by this author and it was quite an enjoyable experience. The story caught my attention from the beginning and held it all the way through. This was a quick and easy read, but left quite an impression. Ed and Rita were so adorable together. They learn together that sometimes things don't go as planned and that's ok. In fact, sometimes the deviations lead you to something so much better.

The book definitely left me with a smile on my face and a happy feeling afterwards. The characters were interesting and well-developed with realistic qualities that gave them an authentic personality and were easily relatable. The story was delightfully cute and I really enjoyed it. If you're looking for a fun, quick and light read, then you definitely will want to pick this one up.

I received a complimentary copy from BookSirens and am voluntarily leaving my review.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book 1 in the Excelling @ Love series and is the story between Ed and Rita. Both are a bit on the nerdy side but Ed seemingly struggles with social settings and making friends and formulates a plan to make new friends only to find more that what he bargained for. I love these characters but Ed especially. His form of quirky is so cute and lovable. I love his character growth and confidence as his relationship with Rita cements. A fun, cute HEA with some laughs and some steam. Well written, for me the storyline flow was a bit slow but overall a good read and I'd like to read more from Simone!

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

[Mindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read

Good read, fun banter and quirky characters make this an entertaining story. Ed grew up with a free spirit of a mother which is totally opposite of the planner he is. Deciding to expand his friend pool as an introvert he has it all mapped out. Rita was not in his plans but he can feel the chemistry. Rita has her own problems, she's about ready to graduate and go out in the real world but she has no idea what that's going to look like or where, but the sexy data nerd is adding to her dilemmas. Migraines, Bigfoot and family add to a good time.

Volunteer KU based review

[Ashlee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book and premise overall, and am here for the academia+nerdy+women in STEM storyline. Ultimately, for me, the pace was too slow and the slow-burn didn’t build enough tension, but this was a solid 3-star read.

Ed & Rita are very cute together…eventually. They are such a good match for one another, but misunderstandings abound. Ed is a self-proclaimed data nerd who has difficulty connecting with people, and sets off on a systematic plan to make new friends. Rita is a surprise curve ball for Ed and not part of his plans, but she ends up being the best friend he could have asked for. Making friends as an adult is super hard ya’ll, so this was a relatable premise to kick off Formula for Love.

What I liked:

Great portrayal of a lead with a disability. It represented how migraines affected the whole person and their lives, and my empathy was really high for Rita going through it. I liked how the strong, capable, educated, and smart women were depicted on page. There was a set-up for Sid to get her own story, and she seems like she’d be a badass lead for her own novel.

What I didn’t like.

I think a lot of the themes that are being explored in this story are good and important, but it’s frustrating because while Ed feels neurodivergent-coded, that’s never named or explored as part of Ed’s difficulty connecting with people. Ed also has pretty terrible social anxiety, but again, it’s not named or discussed in terms of mental health or how he’s treating that.

I received a free copy of this e-book from Booksirens in exchange for my honest review.

[Wendy Livingstone · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first in a new series and is Ed and Rita’s story. Ed is a self-proclaimed “geek,” who is looking to acquire more friends in his life, and needs to improve his social life, and his bestie with benefits, Rita agrees to help him. This is a good story which is fun, sweet, with romance, humor, witty banter, and love, which leads to an enjoyable page turner. I look forward to reading more from this talented author whose work I recommend.
I received a free copy of this book via Enticing Journey Book Promotions and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Aleksandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my book by this author and it was quite enjoyable! The story caught my attention from the very first page and held it to the end. It was a quick and easy read that still left a lasting impression. Ed and Rita were great together.
The book is very well written, the characters are interesting and well-developed and easily relatable. If you're looking for a fun, quick and light read, you definitely will want to pick this one.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Miri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book as an advanced reader copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Rita and Ed are both awkward with social interactions, and how to communicate their attraction. I found the character of Rita quite relatable since she suffers from migraines with dizzy spells. I myself have struggled through that and could relate on many levels.

Ed reminded me that love can be found in many ways. I enjoy the playful banter between the two characters plus the side characters of Sid and Daniel.

I am looking forward to reading future books in the series.

[Kath · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice, fun read with plenty of chuckles throughout the story. Ed is a self proclaimed 'Geek' and he decides to improve his social skills. Enter Rita who agrees to help him gain a better social etiquette. From these social lessons also come major life lessons and changes. Enjoyed this story very much and the happy read throughout.

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

[Ann Tosti · Rating 5 out of 5]

He had a plan. A plan to make friends; nothing more, nothing less. He didn't plan for Rita.

She has a plan to finally graduate and leave academia. And for that, she needed to leave the small college town that she has grown to love.

Together, they learn to follow a new path instead of a rigid plan.

It was really good and I loved these quirky, nerdy characters.
*I am leaving an honest and voluntary review after receiving this book as an ARC.

[J Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quirky and Adorable! 4.5⭐️

This story was so fun and heartwarming. It’s the perfect blend of awkward and endearing with quirky laugh out loud moments.

‘What can I say? Watching you fold our shirts? Huge turn on.’

Rita and Ed have their fair share of frustrating moments but they have such a sweet (and steamy!) connection you can’t help but cheer for their happily ever after.

This was my first book by Amelia Simone and it definitely won’t be my last!

[Ana Ramirez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just okay. It was quirky. What I didn’t love was that there was misunderstanding after misunderstanding. I liked the set up, and how they get together in the end. They match perfectly, but have to communicate way more.

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

[Anisa [Real Fly Girls Read] Glover · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars. This was cute and kind of slow burn. Ed was adorable, but because it took so long for him and Rita to Admit they liked each other the quick turn from not pursuing her to confidently pursuing her threw me off. Plus them never having an on page discussion about their quirky names was disappointing

[Angel Graham · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was, for me, by and large... A snooze fest.

I spent the longest figuring out whether he was interested in Rita or Sidney. Even knowing she's the other point of view didn't make it very clear.

I'm gonna let y'all figure out for yourself if you want to read this one.

No recommendation on this one.

[Kirsty McCracken · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5* rounded up.

Thank you Booksirens for the review copy!

I had a lovely time with this - Ed and Rita were so, so cute. And it was lovely to see them try for each other without changing themselves.

Cute and sweet and a little sexy too!

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is a good, and enjoyable friends to lovers steamy small town romantic comedy read. The story has a good story line. The characters are good, and they have good chemistry. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Alex T · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good plot line and the characters were enjoyable.The love, romance and drama between the characters were well written. The side characters were intresting.It is a standalone read.I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Meghan Hampton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun and cute read. This book had my laughing from the start. The quirky characters are amazing. Will Eds plan of making friends work? Will he find bigfoot? Time will tell. A fun summer read.

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

[Anita White · Rating 5 out of 5]

good read

Now this was a awkward read but in a good way lol. Ed with planning to make friendships when he could just be his self. But Rita and Ed makes a cute couple after finally being honest with theirselves about each other. Definitely reading the other books

[Michele Del Rey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so good. I loved reading their journey. What an amazing story and set of characters. I could not put this book down.

[Sara Sigler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rita and Ed were attracted to each other and things got worked out great.

[Milica]

DNF @ 20 %

Sounded interesting, but it was actually boring.

[Jen Carambula · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really really liked this book!! Go and read it if you love awkward and intelligent men. I actually felt represented because I gave the same problems as him when it comes to human interaction. I found this extremely cute and I was super invested. My only problem with this is the miscommunication thing. It drove me up a wall. But I absolutely recommend this. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Cheyenne Oleson · Rating 4 out of 5]

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


This book was really a great read, Ed and Rita, where a great slow burn, I enjoy that this book held on to the Women in S-T-E-M, The pacing in this book was a little slow going, but still over all a very good great for me.

[Kasey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was a slow beginning. Frustrating amount of "I like him/her, but I won't say anything for 80% of the book". Loved the ending. Was a good read, but was glad to have finished it.