Love on the Brain

Hazelwood is especially known for writing romance novels about women in STEM and academia, and she draws on her own experiences of being a woman in STEM, as a PhD student (and eventual professor) of neuroscience, in detailing the discrimination women face in these fields. The research institutions in her novels are more than just settings: They provide the context in which her protagonists experience both subtle and overt gender discrimination.

Despite being the project’s leading scientist, Bee consistently experiences discriminatory attitudes and behaviors from those around her, from subordinates, peers, higher-ups, and even on a systemic basis. Bee is an expert in neuroscience, but her interactions with the engineers see them constantly rejecting her valid and accurate input until Levi intervenes. Her authority stemming from both expertise and designation are initially all but ignored, owing to her being a woman.

This is further highlighted when, during one of their first conversations, Levi asks Bee to adhere to the workplace dress code, referring to her colored hair, piercings, and make-up. Levi later reveals he did so in order to protect her job, despite not ascribing to the dress code recommendations himself. The politics between NASA and NIH lead NASA to look for any reason to oust NIH from the joint project, and Bee’s unique look could be used as an excuse to question her professionalism.