Ali Hazelwood’sThe Love Hypothesisis getting the film adaptation treatment, and while that’s exciting news for fans of romantic movies, there’s another Hazelwood book that should be adapted first. The name Ali Hazelwood should not turn up any real person when searched in a government database becauseit’s the pen name of an Italian neuroscience professor who has successfully dabbled in romance writing. While the real name of Ali Hazelwood is yet to be revealed, perhaps,like Stephen King before her, in time, her given name will become as ubiquitous as her pseudonym.
Because of her background in STEM,many of Hazelwood’s books center on women in the sciences and other academic fields. She first began writing in 2021, with her debut novel,The Love Hypothesis, which was originally aStar Warsfan fiction about Rey and Kylo Ren (viaVulture). She didn’t stop with one book, however, and has since written six more romance novels, as well as a collection of novellas. In 2023, she paused her teaching career and became a full-time writer, likely the announced adaptation of her debut playing a part in that decision (viaWGBH).
The Love Hypothesis Is A Perfect Movie Adaptation Because It Was Ali Hazelwood’s First Book
Most Fans Came To The Author Because Of Her Debut Novel
The Love Hypothesiswas a huge hit. Originally published online under the titleHead Over Feetin 2018,Hazelwoodmade some changes to her story, including removing any and all references toStar Warsand changing the characters' names to Olive Smith and Adam Carlsen. In the novel, Olive is a third-year biology PhD student at Stanford who is sick of her best friend Anh always commenting on her dating life. To avoid the questions entirely, she fakes a relationship with a new professor, Dr. Adam Carlsen, though the fake feelings begin morphing into something real.
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Hazelwood’s debut novel made theNew York Timesbest-seller list back in 2021 andhas been celebrated for placing a woman in STEM at the center of the story, an unusual character for a romance novel. The author’s background in the specific field makes her descriptions and the situations feel fully realized. In 2022, it was announced thatThe Love Hypothesiswould be joining theromance novel-to-movie pipeline with an adaptionfrom Bisous Pictures, a label from Elizabeth Cantillon (viaDeadline). Hazelwood said about the adaptation,
“It’s a true privilege to have Elizabeth and such a talented and experienced team of people working on adapting The Love Hypothesis, and I’m very excited for this next step in Olive and Adam’s story!”
It’s great news for Hazelwood and fans who were first introduced to her viaThe Love Hypothesis, but there’s another book that deserves the adaptation treatment as well.
Ali Hazelwood’s Bride Should Be Adapted First
Bride Is A More Cinematic Story That Will Draw In New Audiences
Brideis Ali Hazelwood’s fifth book, debuting on August 05, 2025. The movie is a fantasy romance that follows a dangerous union between, Misery Lark, a Vampyre bride, and Lowe Moreland, the head of a Werewolf clan. For Misery to be accepted back into a society she was thrown out of, she agrees to a peacekeeping mission by marrying herself off to Moreland.Brideis a bit more of a polished novel thanThe Love Hypothesisand Misery is a much more cinematic character than Olivia, with her wit and darkness.
While Ali Hazelwood’s real name is not known, she has frequently posted images of herself and does not take great pains to obscure her identity.
Viewers who aren’t familiar with Ali Hazelwood would benefit from seeingBrideadapted first, as its characters, story, and Hazelwood’s writing are all more suited to the film medium. Furthermore, there could end up being some contentious rights issues withThe Love Hypothesisconsidering it started as aStar Warsadaptation. The infamously litigious House of Mouse may have something to say about it. Either way, having one Hazelwood adaptation, whatever it is, is better than having none.
