Today, the audience for erotica is larger and hungrier than ever. Between 2022 and 2023 alone, sales in the category skyrocketed by 52 percent, generating nearly 1.5 billion in sales and making erotica the highest selling genre of fiction. And as the genre’s popularity grows, its fans are getting younger. A decade ago, the average reader was between the ages of 35 and 55, today the average is between 18 and 55. Along with growth in readership came expansion in plotlines. These are not the Harlequin romance novels we were used to growing up. Today’s erotica is as free and fluid as the modern reader and allows the audience to experience fresh new characters and dynamics. Cue Ali Hazelwood, a breakout star on the literary scene. The 34-year-old author took publishers –and New York Times Best Seller List– by storm with her 2021 debut novel, Love Hypothesis.
An Italian neuroscience professor, Hazelwood’s launch at the height of the pandemic put an intimate twist on science that was pitch perfect for a world being isolated by it. Her books almost always feature a STEM protagonist, revealing the soft side of serious women. Hazelwood’s heroines are just as powerful as the men in the novels. They are smart, strong, and seriously conflicted and the road to resolution is tantalizingly paved with lovers who frustrate as much as they offer freedom. Below, a starters guide to the author and her complete collection of works. From her first novel to unreleased titles this list instantly upgrades your library with an erotic edge.
FOREPLAY: BEGINNERS READING
This set of titles written between 2022 and 2023 are a quintessential look at Hazelwood’s world.
CHECK & MATE, 2023
Talent can lead to trauma, a truth Mallory Greenleaf knows all too well. The chess champion’s skill led to the destruction of her family. Today she’s given up on the game to focus on a simple job to support her mother and sisters. That is until a chance to play in a big tournament appears. Cue Nolan Sawyer, her opponent and the reigning bad boy of chess. When they meet sparks fly and this duo have to decide: is it worth losing for love?
LOATHE TO LOVE YOU, 2023
This title is a trilogy of Hazelwood’s most popular novels: Stuck With You, Under One Roof and Below Zero (each featured in this guide). Each is centered on and celebrates STEM heroines who are navigating life, labs and love in their own unique ways and circumstances. It’s a delicious entry into Hazelwood’s erotic universe.
STUCK WITH YOU, 2022
Close confines open opportunities for Sadie, a Civil Engineer, to build a bridge with her ex, Erik. It sounds ideal, but their messy past means hours in a New York City elevator may prove too close for comfort. Witnessing how this STEM heroine navigates between her heart and her mind is a classic example of how Hazelwood transforms science into magic.
INTER-COURSE: INTERMEDIATE READING
This set of titles authored between 2021 and 2025 are ideal for those already familiar with Hazelwood.
WHET, 2025
Stanford is the setting for this juicy read featuring junior Scarlett Vandermeer as our protagonist. The pre-med student is juggling studies with a competitive swim career that’s threatened by an injury. Enter swim captain, Lukas Blomqvist, a record-breaking Olympic swimmer. Their lives collide when a secret threatens to ruin their worlds. A simple solution leads to a complicated situation that may have these swimmers turned lovers in dangerous waters.
LOVE ON THE BRAIN, 2023
The stars collide in this novel featuring neuro-engineer Bee Königswasser whose ambitions to escape academia for a top project at NASA are disrupted by her colleague Levi. They have a long past which ignites a workplace rivalry. Science can be simple, but love is complicated.
THE LOVE HYPOTHESIS, 2021
A lie leads to uncovering deep truths in the heart. This popular read introduces us to Olive Smith, a Ph.D candidate whose life is proof love doesn’t exist, until a chance action forces her to rewrite her theory. Lucky for her, the protagonist is a young professor, Adam Carlsen, who wastes no time teaching a lesson or two.
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood.
UNDER ONE ROOF, 2022
If anyone believes in balance it is Mara, an environmental engineer who is passionate about delicate ecosystems and is focused on work. That’s why living with her mentor, Helena, has its benefits. But it also has its cons. Like Liam, Helena’s nephew. This burly, surly giant with beautiful lips, just begging to be kissed, threatens Mara’s balance in more ways than one.
Under One Roof by Ali Hazelwood.
BELOW ZERO, 2022
A good samaritan is always welcome, unless of course it’s your worst enemy! This is the predicament Hannah, a NASA aerospace engineer finds herself in, while injured and stranded in the Arctic. Ian is a colleague who has tried to ruin her career and now appears to be coming for her heart. But her vulnerability just may thaw the ice.
Below Zero by Ali Hazelwood.
CLIMAX: ADVANCED READING
This set of titles authored between 2023 and 2024 give the connoisseur a new journey of characters.
NOT IN LOVE, 2024
Rue Siebert has carved a tranquil life for herself. But her piece is about to be disturbed. As a biotech engineer at Food Engineering startup, she takes pride in her work. But a hostile takeover of the company threatens to change her career –and her heart. The situation is just as tense for protagonist Eli Kilgore whose heart is set on more than stocks. This sets us up for a clash between science and very risky business.
LOVE THEORETICALLY, 2024
A double life leads to a singular dilemma for physicist Elsie Hannaway. She supplements her income as an adjunct professor teaching thermodynamics and chasing tenureship with a side-hustle. And we don’t mean tutoring! This layered character embodies the wishes of her clients by providing the girlfriend experience. Morphing into different realities finally catches up with her in the form of Jack Smith, a man she cannot resist.
Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazwelwood.
BRIDE, 2024
The author enters the territory of the paranormal with this blood chilling thriller centered around a Vampire and a Werewolf. Misery Lark is the sole daughter of the most powerful vampire leader in the Southwest, but that position brings no security. Instead, she is used as a pawn to unite longstanding enemies: Werewolves’ Alpha, Lowe Morland, is her antagonist who is as cautious as he is intrigued by the Vampire Bride.
STAR WARS – RETURN OF THE JEDI: FROM A CERTAIN POINT OF VIEW, 2023
This far out book celebrates the 40th Anniversary of the iconic film Star Wars: Return of the Jedi with a collection of short stories by dynamic authors, including Ali Hazelwood. Each retells the tale from the perspective of a specific character. Ali steps into the galaxy with a novella titled “The Last Flight.” The story centers on the starfighter pilot’s final takeoff with a unique perspective only Hazelwood can give.
