Love and Other Dangerous Chemicals

When a gorgeous girl and a brainy boy experiment, sparks will fly...

An original and very funny romantic comedy from the bestselling author of The Food of Love

For Dr Steven J. Fisher, love is no more than a chemical equation - and he's nearly solved it. A brilliant young biochemist who spends all his time in an Oxford research lab studying orgasms, Fisher is on the brink of inventing a Viagra-like pill for women. For the pharma company that funds his work, the discovery of 'Whoosh!' (originally named 'Desiree' before they realised that was a kind of potato) will be a history-changing event.

But, just weeks before the product is due to launch, a last-minute case study ruins Fisher's perfect results. 'Miss G', an orgasmically-challenged PhD arts student (special subject: Victorian semicolons), isn't responding to the tests as expected. Strangely, the only stimulus to provoke a reaction is Dr Fisher's own voice.

As the scientist and his subject bond over Bunsen burner-lit meals, argue over Pink Floyd and converse in Runish at sessions of Swamps and Sorcerers, Dr Fisher's feelings crop up in the most unscientific ways...

Fisher usually has answers to everything, from the chemical composition of tears to the evolutionary reasons for kissing. But now he's facing the most bewildering puzzle of his career: what's love got to do with it? Could the outdated research of the Romantic poets enlighten him at all? With all this new data, he needs a new hypothesis. But what if there are some things science can't explain?



Anthony Capella was born in Uganda in 1962. He was educated at St Peter's College, Oxford, where he graduated with a First in English Literature. He is the bestselling author of

The Food of Love (a Richard and Judy Summer Read),

The Wedding Officer, and

The Various Flavours of Coffee.



A sparkling romantic comedy with some of the most original courting scenes since Leander swam the Hellespont for Hero and the funniest description of an orgasm since the classic Meg Ryan scene in

When Harry Met Sally



A delight of a book, a perfect mix of gentle satire, science, and modern romance