Love and Other Conspiracies by Mallory Marlowe [Review]

Love and Other Conspiracies by Mallory Marlowe
Format: ebook
Source: purchased
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: March 19, 2026

Purchase Links: Paperback | Kindle

Mallory Marlowe
| Website | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Hallie Barrett's life has imploded after she's dumped by her hotshot ex, who also happens to be her coworker and the star of the online series she was producing. Without a new show to present for the company competition, she’ll be out of a job. But inspiration can come from the strangest places . . . like the most handsome guy she’s ever seen passionately discussing Bigfoot on a late-night docuseries.

Hayden Hargrove made a name for himself as a cryptid expert on his hit podcast, and is intrigued by the plucky, blue-haired producer who offers him the opportunity to lead his own web show. When the production team sees that Hayden’s solo on-screen presence is bad enough to make a ghost blanch, Hallie jumps on camera too, hitting him (and his cryptids) with a healthy dose of skepticism—and enough chemistry to electrify their show to the top of the competition.

As Hayden and Hallie investigate the unknown, they unearth feelings for each other that shake their beliefs to the core. In their search for Mothman, aliens, and the truth, the most elusive discovery might just be learning to love again.

Thoughts on Love and Other Conspiracies: MAN, I like when a book turns out to be what I'm looking for before I know I'm looking for it. Hallie and Hayden had the dynamic I wanted and they SUPER worked for me. (As an aside, I'm doing my every-so-often rewatch of The X-Files so the Mulder/Scully parallels tickled my funny bone.)

So. Hallie and Hayden. Hallie is piecing her life back together after getting out of a toxic relationship. That alone is enough to drag a girl down, but she still has to work with her ex and, frankly, the entire work environment she's dealing with is rough (but it's mostly because of her ex). To be fair, after the number her ex did on her, she has a hard time standing up for herself or believing she deserves good things, so some of what she's forced to deal with is simply because she hasn't spoken up. (But also her ex is TERRIBLE and every time she starts to get back on her feet, he shows up to knock her down again.)

(Did I mention she has a terrible ex?) (Because he's awful. Terrible. An absolute waste of air.)

Hayden is the exact opposite of her ex. He's a little awkward (until he starts talking about cryptids). He's kind. He cares. He does the things that need to be done just because someone has to do them. Hallie might not believe in monsters (or aliens), but she believes in Hayden and her Scully-esque skepticism balances out his over-the-top excitement in the most perfect way.

These two were sweet with a heavy dose of steam. Hallie isn't looking to jump into a relationship and she fights feeling all the feels. Hayden has spent the last couple years dealing with his lingering grief alone and Hallie makes him feel things he wasn't expecting. They take things slow until they don't and BOY was I here for that.