The Love Hypothesis Characters: Full List & Analysis

Who drives the story

Main characters

Olive Smith

A 26-year-old third-year biology Ph.D. candidate at Stanford researching pancreatic cancer, the disease that killed her mother. She fakes a relationship to convince Anh she's over her ex, Jeremy — and ends up defending her research, her harasser's victims, and her own heart.

Appears in:: Part 1: The Kiss That Starts Everything; Part 2: Boston, One Bed, One Real Kiss; Part 3: Benton; Part 4: The Defense and the Happy Hour
Themes:: Fake it until you feel it; Science as inheritance and grief; Power and who gets believed; Reputation versus person

Dr. Adam Carlsen

A 34-year-old young professor so harsh and hypercritical his students cry in thesis defenses. He needs a fake girlfriend to prove he's staying at Stanford; he gets a real one instead.

Appears in:: Part 1: The Kiss That Starts Everything; Part 2: Boston, One Bed, One Real Kiss; Part 3: Benton; Part 4: The Defense and the Happy Hour
Themes:: Fake it until you feel it; Science as inheritance and grief; Power and who gets believed; Reputation versus person

Anh Pham

Olive's best friend and unwitting audience for the fake relationship. She falls for Jeremy, gets Olive's blessing, and turns out to have suspected the truth all along — because of how Adam looked at Olive.

Appears in:: Part 1: The Kiss That Starts Everything; Part 2: Boston, One Bed, One Real Kiss; Part 4: The Defense and the Happy Hour

Malcolm

Olive's roommate, who warns her to be careful with Adam while secretly dating Dr. Holden Rodriguez himself.

Appears in:: Part 2: Boston, One Bed, One Real Kiss; Part 4: The Defense and the Happy Hour

Dr. Tom Benton

A Harvard associate professor and Adam's friend who offers Olive a lab spot, then harasses her and steals her research. He targeted her from the start — and ends up fired.

Appears in:: Part 2: Boston, One Bed, One Real Kiss; Part 3: Benton
Themes:: Power and who gets believed

Dr. Holden Rodriguez

Adam's friend, secretly dating Malcolm, revealed on a double date.

Appears in:: Part 2: Boston, One Bed, One Real Kiss; Part 4: The Defense and the Happy Hour

Jeremy Langley

Olive's ex-boyfriend, who ends up dating Anh.

Appears in:: Part 1: The Kiss That Starts Everything; Part 2: Boston, One Bed, One Real Kiss; Part 4: The Defense and the Happy Hour

How they are connected

Key relationships

Olive Smith Anh Pham
She fakes a relationship to convince Anh she's over her ex, Jeremy — and ends up defending her research, her harasser's victims, and her own heart.
Olive Smith Jeremy Langley
She fakes a relationship to convince Anh she's over her ex, Jeremy — and ends up defending her research, her harasser's victims, and her own heart.
Anh Pham Dr. Adam Carlsen
She falls for Jeremy, gets Olive's blessing, and turns out to have suspected the truth all along — because of how Adam looked at Olive.
Anh Pham Jeremy Langley
She falls for Jeremy, gets Olive's blessing, and turns out to have suspected the truth all along — because of how Adam looked at Olive.
Malcolm Olive Smith
Olive's roommate, who warns her to be careful with Adam while secretly dating Dr.
Malcolm Dr. Adam Carlsen
Olive's roommate, who warns her to be careful with Adam while secretly dating Dr.
Malcolm Dr. Holden Rodriguez
Holden Rodriguez himself.
Dr. Tom Benton Olive Smith
A Harvard associate professor and Adam's friend who offers Olive a lab spot, then harasses her and steals her research.
Dr. Tom Benton Dr. Adam Carlsen
A Harvard associate professor and Adam's friend who offers Olive a lab spot, then harasses her and steals her research.
Dr. Holden Rodriguez Dr. Adam Carlsen
Adam's friend, secretly dating Malcolm, revealed on a double date.

Go deeper

The Love Hypothesis themes & symbols

Fake it until you feel it · Science as inheritance and grief · Power and who gets believed · Reputation versus person

Themes explained

Read the full The Love Hypothesis summary

The full story act by act, the ending explained and a quick quiz.

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