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Love Sick
“Heartfelt and smart, Love Sick is just what the doctor ordered.”—Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka, authors of The Breakup Tour
Their bedside manner needs a little work…
Love may be the best medicine, but first-year resident Grace Rose isn’t prescribing it anytime soon. Not since her ex broke her heart in med school, and especially not since hearing the rumor that she slept her way into the OB-GYN program. (Spoiler So not true.) With her social anxiety already in full spiral, Grace is determined to set the record straight. But after a tense first encounter with fellow resident Julian Santini—with his annoying good looks and witty charm—she realizes that her reputation may never fully recover.
Julian didn’t mean to offend Grace. After all, he’s just as fed up with the toxic “BrOB-GYN” culture as she is. He’s got his own drama to triage anyway—like proving that he earned his spot in this residency, not simply lucked into it. Still, something about Grace gets under his skin…and not always in a bad way.
Forced to work together through grueling shifts and sleepless nights, Grace and Julian try to cut back on the bickering for the sake of their training. Before long, however, a different kind of tension exposes the cracks in their truce. With their hearts in critical condition, will they accept that love is the best remedy of all?
Grey’s Anatomy meets The Hating Game in this delicious, laugh out loud rom-com set in the world of a tight-knit group of OB-GYN residents—written by a practicing physician.
For fans Workplace Enemies to LoversClose ProximityMedical drama from a real doctorPulse (on Netflix) meets The Love Hypothesis with a hint of Scrubs
Their bedside manner needs a little work…
Love may be the best medicine, but first-year resident Grace Rose isn’t prescribing it anytime soon. Not since her ex broke her heart in med school, and especially not since hearing the rumor that she slept her way into the OB-GYN program. (Spoiler So not true.) With her social anxiety already in full spiral, Grace is determined to set the record straight. But after a tense first encounter with fellow resident Julian Santini—with his annoying good looks and witty charm—she realizes that her reputation may never fully recover.
Julian didn’t mean to offend Grace. After all, he’s just as fed up with the toxic “BrOB-GYN” culture as she is. He’s got his own drama to triage anyway—like proving that he earned his spot in this residency, not simply lucked into it. Still, something about Grace gets under his skin…and not always in a bad way.
Forced to work together through grueling shifts and sleepless nights, Grace and Julian try to cut back on the bickering for the sake of their training. Before long, however, a different kind of tension exposes the cracks in their truce. With their hearts in critical condition, will they accept that love is the best remedy of all?
Grey’s Anatomy meets The Hating Game in this delicious, laugh out loud rom-com set in the world of a tight-knit group of OB-GYN residents—written by a practicing physician.
For fans Workplace Enemies to LoversClose ProximityMedical drama from a real doctorPulse (on Netflix) meets The Love Hypothesis with a hint of Scrubs
Audible Audio
First published May 13, 2025
465 people are currently reading
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About the author
Deidra Duncan
3 books196 followersDeidra Duncan spends her days (and some nights) living the dream as a board-certified OB/GYN, where every minute is either routine monotony or sheer terror. She lives in Florida with two human tornadoes and the wonderful man who helped make them. She’s usually dressed in either scrubs or glitter, and would love for someone to magically combine them. She devotes every rare moment of free time to writing or reading.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,064 reviews
June 21, 2025
જ⁀➴ 3.5 stars (rounded down to 3)
ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ
Okay, let me start by saying this: THIS IS NOT A BAD RATING! I generally will recommend books that I rated a 3.5 or higher, but Goodreads STILL hasn't implemented the ability to give out quarter or half-star ratings so I'm stuck either rounding up or down in situations like these. In other words, my true rating is NOT the rounded rating, whatever it is. I just have to do it for Goodreads. Whenever I'm on the fence with a rating that lands right in the middle, I usually think about the downsides and the negatives of the book and whether or not it affected my overall enjoyment of the story.
This was a cute, fast, fun read, but as we say in the medical world, the risks outweigh the benefits—or I guess in this case, the cons outweighed the pros—and I rounded down. There are a lot of things I liked about the book, but also just as many things I didn't like, so my rating landed right in the middle.
Dr. Grace Rose is fresh out of medical school and ready to start her residency. She's one of the few people in the country who matched into OB-GYN, and she's ready to succeed at her new hospital. Upon arriving, she realizes that there's a horrible rumor going around that she slept her way into the program...which is ironic, because she hasn't been in a relationship for years. She quickly shuts down Dr. Julian Santini, one of her co-residents, after she catches him and some of the "BrOB-GYNs" making rude comments about her and the rumors, and they continue to butt heads for months to come. Over time, they force themselves to put their personal issues and disputes aside and focus on getting through residency, but the lines between hate and love start to blur, too.
I think the one concern I had going into the book was wondering how people outside of the healthcare industry would be able to understand what was going on if they don't know the intricacies behind residency training, but fear not! There's a glossary of medical terms and definitions at the very beginning of the book to get everyone on the same page before you start reading. I love it when authors do this; it helps create a baseline level of understanding so everyone, no matter what their background is, can enjoy a book in such a niche subgenre of romance.
(Bonus: Love Sick is a debut novel! I always try to support debut authors whenever I can and give them a platform!)
As someone who works in healthcare and has spent my fair share of time in hospitals, I love it when an author gets details about the healthcare industry RIGHT. The long hours, how little they pay residents (less than minimum wage for some hospitals, by the way), the way programs will push people to the absolute limits of their abilities, I felt like everything was so accurate and real.
Unfortunately, Grace's experience with bullying and all the rumors swirling about her are also real. There's very much a "boys' club" mentality in some hospital systems and the women have to work twice as hard to be noticed and appreciated for their efforts, and rumors travel around the medical world quickly, no matter if you're a pharmacist, a doctor, a PA, nurse, or any other kind of healthcare worker. It's a very small world where everyone knows each other, and if one rumor or scandal breaks out, most people will know in a matter of days. It's a horrible thing that still sadly happens, and it can destroy professional relationships and ruin job opportunities down the line We see this as the overarching storyline for Grace's POV. How none of her attendings, preceptors, senior residents, and other employees at the hospital see her as less of a resident because they think she bought her way in when she's 100% capable of holding her own. There was so much misogyny woven throughout the story it honestly disgusted me at times, but unfortunately, it's still an issue in the healthcare field to this day. I love that Deidra Duncan brought these issues to light, because we need to talk about this more.
I loved the chemistry between Julian and Grace! I didn't like Julian at first for the same reasons Grace didn't, but I started to warm up to him once I got to see how caring and nice Julian is towards his patients, his friends, and Grace, and how much he wants to prove himself as the only DO in the program. I would say this was a true enemies-to-lovers story that was coupled with a slow-burn filled with tension, snark, banter, and lots of hate-flirting. You could cut the sexual tension in the air with a knife. I also have to mention the little things, too. The way Julian put a heart emoji next to her name in his phone? He buys her Chipotle? He calls her beautiful? Look, I know this is the bare minimum any guy could do, but it was so sweet and I loved how he was able to get Grace to open up and let someone in after her last relationship went down in flames. I loved how Julian was able to see past all of that and just love her for the person she is.
Another thing I loved was the tight-knit relationship among all of the residents in Julian and Grace's class. I loved seeing the bond grow among Julian, Grace, and their other co-residents, Alesha, Raven, and Kai. Kai never failed to make me laugh! There's nothing like some good ol' trauma bonding during residency. The scene where they're all group hugging with Raven made me shed a few tears; you could tell they all truly loved each other.
The biggest issue I had with the book was the ending. There was so much drama and conflict that was packed into the last 30-50 pages and I almost felt like it wasn't going to be resolved completely. I'm pretty sure there were STILL issues and drama happening with less than 20 pages to go, and I started getting anxiety trying to find out whether or not we were going to wrap the book up or not. The ending was abrupt with the epilogue taking place about 1.5 years later, when all of them are about to graduate from residency. I thought that a few more chapters with everyone trying to resolve everything nicely, considering the severity of the issues that started the drama, was not exactly something to be taken lightly and would've made the ending so much better. In reality, it felt incomplete and lacked a bit of closure, and while we do get some amount of it in the ending, I felt like it wasn't enough.
Overall, this was a cute medical romance! I enjoyed reading it, and I was shocked that this was a debut author! I can't wait to read more from Deidra Duncan in the future!
ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ
Trigger/content warnings: sexism, misogyny, somewhat detailed descriptions of surgical procedures and medical cases, blood, death of patients, alcohol consumption, sexual harassment and assault, bullying
⋆˙⟡ 𝒫𝓇𝑒-𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹: I swear I'm reading from every romance subgenre under the sun this year: sports romance (I got hockey, F1, PICKLEBALL, baseball), paranormal romance, regency romance, and now... medical romance. 😂🩺🥼
I gotta support my fellow healthcare workers and their passion projects outside of the medical scene! I always get wary when medical details are inaccurate in books and movies, so I LOVE that this is a book about OB-GYN residents that was actually written BY an OB-GYN doctor herself! Let's hope this delivers🍀🤞🏼
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Aleshia is a FAKE BITCH fr
"Before you, everything was just...quiet. Then you came along and suddenly there was music. Like...a love song. The kind you want to listen to on repeat over and over. It's stuck in my head on repeat and synced to your heartbeat."
ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ
Okay, let me start by saying this: THIS IS NOT A BAD RATING! I generally will recommend books that I rated a 3.5 or higher, but Goodreads STILL hasn't implemented the ability to give out quarter or half-star ratings so I'm stuck either rounding up or down in situations like these. In other words, my true rating is NOT the rounded rating, whatever it is. I just have to do it for Goodreads. Whenever I'm on the fence with a rating that lands right in the middle, I usually think about the downsides and the negatives of the book and whether or not it affected my overall enjoyment of the story.
This was a cute, fast, fun read, but as we say in the medical world, the risks outweigh the benefits—or I guess in this case, the cons outweighed the pros—and I rounded down. There are a lot of things I liked about the book, but also just as many things I didn't like, so my rating landed right in the middle.
Dr. Grace Rose is fresh out of medical school and ready to start her residency. She's one of the few people in the country who matched into OB-GYN, and she's ready to succeed at her new hospital. Upon arriving, she realizes that there's a horrible rumor going around that she slept her way into the program...which is ironic, because she hasn't been in a relationship for years. She quickly shuts down Dr. Julian Santini, one of her co-residents, after she catches him and some of the "BrOB-GYNs" making rude comments about her and the rumors, and they continue to butt heads for months to come. Over time, they force themselves to put their personal issues and disputes aside and focus on getting through residency, but the lines between hate and love start to blur, too.
I think the one concern I had going into the book was wondering how people outside of the healthcare industry would be able to understand what was going on if they don't know the intricacies behind residency training, but fear not! There's a glossary of medical terms and definitions at the very beginning of the book to get everyone on the same page before you start reading. I love it when authors do this; it helps create a baseline level of understanding so everyone, no matter what their background is, can enjoy a book in such a niche subgenre of romance.
(Bonus: Love Sick is a debut novel! I always try to support debut authors whenever I can and give them a platform!)
As someone who works in healthcare and has spent my fair share of time in hospitals, I love it when an author gets details about the healthcare industry RIGHT. The long hours, how little they pay residents (less than minimum wage for some hospitals, by the way), the way programs will push people to the absolute limits of their abilities, I felt like everything was so accurate and real.
Unfortunately, Grace's experience with bullying and all the rumors swirling about her are also real. There's very much a "boys' club" mentality in some hospital systems and the women have to work twice as hard to be noticed and appreciated for their efforts, and rumors travel around the medical world quickly, no matter if you're a pharmacist, a doctor, a PA, nurse, or any other kind of healthcare worker. It's a very small world where everyone knows each other, and if one rumor or scandal breaks out, most people will know in a matter of days. It's a horrible thing that still sadly happens, and it can destroy professional relationships and ruin job opportunities down the line We see this as the overarching storyline for Grace's POV. How none of her attendings, preceptors, senior residents, and other employees at the hospital see her as less of a resident because they think she bought her way in when she's 100% capable of holding her own. There was so much misogyny woven throughout the story it honestly disgusted me at times, but unfortunately, it's still an issue in the healthcare field to this day. I love that Deidra Duncan brought these issues to light, because we need to talk about this more.
I loved the chemistry between Julian and Grace! I didn't like Julian at first for the same reasons Grace didn't, but I started to warm up to him once I got to see how caring and nice Julian is towards his patients, his friends, and Grace, and how much he wants to prove himself as the only DO in the program. I would say this was a true enemies-to-lovers story that was coupled with a slow-burn filled with tension, snark, banter, and lots of hate-flirting. You could cut the sexual tension in the air with a knife. I also have to mention the little things, too. The way Julian put a heart emoji next to her name in his phone? He buys her Chipotle? He calls her beautiful? Look, I know this is the bare minimum any guy could do, but it was so sweet and I loved how he was able to get Grace to open up and let someone in after her last relationship went down in flames. I loved how Julian was able to see past all of that and just love her for the person she is.
Another thing I loved was the tight-knit relationship among all of the residents in Julian and Grace's class. I loved seeing the bond grow among Julian, Grace, and their other co-residents, Alesha, Raven, and Kai. Kai never failed to make me laugh! There's nothing like some good ol' trauma bonding during residency. The scene where they're all group hugging with Raven made me shed a few tears; you could tell they all truly loved each other.
The biggest issue I had with the book was the ending. There was so much drama and conflict that was packed into the last 30-50 pages and I almost felt like it wasn't going to be resolved completely. I'm pretty sure there were STILL issues and drama happening with less than 20 pages to go, and I started getting anxiety trying to find out whether or not we were going to wrap the book up or not. The ending was abrupt with the epilogue taking place about 1.5 years later, when all of them are about to graduate from residency. I thought that a few more chapters with everyone trying to resolve everything nicely, considering the severity of the issues that started the drama, was not exactly something to be taken lightly and would've made the ending so much better. In reality, it felt incomplete and lacked a bit of closure, and while we do get some amount of it in the ending, I felt like it wasn't enough.
Overall, this was a cute medical romance! I enjoyed reading it, and I was shocked that this was a debut author! I can't wait to read more from Deidra Duncan in the future!
ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ
Trigger/content warnings: sexism, misogyny, somewhat detailed descriptions of surgical procedures and medical cases, blood, death of patients, alcohol consumption, sexual harassment and assault, bullying
⋆˙⟡ 𝒫𝓇𝑒-𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹: I swear I'm reading from every romance subgenre under the sun this year: sports romance (I got hockey, F1, PICKLEBALL, baseball), paranormal romance, regency romance, and now... medical romance. 😂🩺🥼
I gotta support my fellow healthcare workers and their passion projects outside of the medical scene! I always get wary when medical details are inaccurate in books and movies, so I LOVE that this is a book about OB-GYN residents that was actually written BY an OB-GYN doctor herself! Let's hope this delivers🍀🤞🏼
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Aleshia is a FAKE BITCH fr
May 13, 2025
Happy Publication Day!
I love passion projects, and this one did not disappoint. A book about doctors written by a doctor? Sign me up!
Grace has just begun her residency. Nobody knows her, and yet, when rumors arise that someone got in the program by sleeping with a committee member, everyone assumes it was her.
I was righteously angry on her behalf, but also reassured because she had people around who always believed her. The found family was one of the most heartwarming aspects of this book. It also helped to balance out the cutthroat nature of the residency (I have a newfound respect for gynecologists, will call them vagicians from now on).
Grace was an adorable dork with a weird name (that’s why she went by Grace), hippy parents, and huge confidence issues. Julian had been raised by women who taught him to understand and respect them. He was a great book boyfriend, but he was also realistic and relatable. I loved that he was not a pushover and that he did not put Grace on a pedestal. The chemistry between them was scorching hot from the first scene, and all the hate-flirting was hilarious.
The only thing that didn’t work for me was, surprise, surprise, the third-act breakup, and after careful consideration, I’m docking a star for it.
Overall a great debut and I can’t wait to read more from this author.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
———
I can’t wait to dive into this one, thanks to the author for the arc!
I love passion projects, and this one did not disappoint. A book about doctors written by a doctor? Sign me up!
Grace has just begun her residency. Nobody knows her, and yet, when rumors arise that someone got in the program by sleeping with a committee member, everyone assumes it was her.
I was righteously angry on her behalf, but also reassured because she had people around who always believed her. The found family was one of the most heartwarming aspects of this book. It also helped to balance out the cutthroat nature of the residency (I have a newfound respect for gynecologists, will call them vagicians from now on).
Grace was an adorable dork with a weird name (that’s why she went by Grace), hippy parents, and huge confidence issues. Julian had been raised by women who taught him to understand and respect them. He was a great book boyfriend, but he was also realistic and relatable. I loved that he was not a pushover and that he did not put Grace on a pedestal. The chemistry between them was scorching hot from the first scene, and all the hate-flirting was hilarious.
The only thing that didn’t work for me was, surprise, surprise, the third-act breakup, and after careful consideration, I’m docking a star for it.
Overall a great debut and I can’t wait to read more from this author.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
———
I can’t wait to dive into this one, thanks to the author for the arc!
March 27, 2025
Tropes:
- enemies to friends to lovers
- ADHD (mmc)
- social anxiety (fmc)
- pining
- slow burn
- medical romance
What could say more about a book than the fact that I usually take 3–6 days to read one, but I finished this in a day? 😁
Need I say more?
This was a fantastic story about the realities of life and work in the medical field, the impact of rumors on a career, and the consequences of abusive relationships.
Grace and Julian had amazing chemistry — as enemies, as friends, and as lovers. Their unwavering support for each other completely won me over.
I highly recommend it to all fans of medical dramas like Grey’s Anatomy, The Good Doctor, Chicago Med, and others.
Thank you to NetGalley and Canary Street Press for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
- enemies to friends to lovers
- ADHD (mmc)
- social anxiety (fmc)
- pining
- slow burn
- medical romance
What could say more about a book than the fact that I usually take 3–6 days to read one, but I finished this in a day? 😁
Need I say more?
This was a fantastic story about the realities of life and work in the medical field, the impact of rumors on a career, and the consequences of abusive relationships.
Grace and Julian had amazing chemistry — as enemies, as friends, and as lovers. Their unwavering support for each other completely won me over.
I highly recommend it to all fans of medical dramas like Grey’s Anatomy, The Good Doctor, Chicago Med, and others.
Thank you to NetGalley and Canary Street Press for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
May 24, 2025
♡ thank you to Harlequin Audio and Deidra Duncan for an ALC of this book via NetGalley ♡
4/5 ⭐️
this medical romance was full of hospital drama, AMAZING chemistry and so many heartfelt moments. i knew from the first chapter that i'd be obsessed with this book! the narrators Meg Sylvan and Eric Yang were amazing! they were SO into narrating this book and the story was so much better with them reading it.
📖 plot & pace: this story follows OBGYN residents as they make their way through a challenging 4 years. the story highlights the challenges of medical training while also focusing on personal growth. the narrative is easy to follow and there were LOL moments & teary eyed moments for me. i felt the pace was perfect.
👥 characters: grace is a relatable protagonist, under so much pressure from residency and grueling rumors. julian is the perfect book boyfriend & soo charming!! he truly helped grace grow to her full potential. their interactions are filled with witty banter & genuine connection.
🤩 tropes: enemies to lovers, workplace romance, slow burn, forced proximity
the one thing i didn't like was so much modern slang, specifically in the first half of the book. otherwise, this book is a wholesome love story for anyone who likes medical dramas. it really highlights love, ambition and friendship.
4/5 ⭐️
this medical romance was full of hospital drama, AMAZING chemistry and so many heartfelt moments. i knew from the first chapter that i'd be obsessed with this book! the narrators Meg Sylvan and Eric Yang were amazing! they were SO into narrating this book and the story was so much better with them reading it.
📖 plot & pace: this story follows OBGYN residents as they make their way through a challenging 4 years. the story highlights the challenges of medical training while also focusing on personal growth. the narrative is easy to follow and there were LOL moments & teary eyed moments for me. i felt the pace was perfect.
👥 characters: grace is a relatable protagonist, under so much pressure from residency and grueling rumors. julian is the perfect book boyfriend & soo charming!! he truly helped grace grow to her full potential. their interactions are filled with witty banter & genuine connection.
🤩 tropes: enemies to lovers, workplace romance, slow burn, forced proximity
the one thing i didn't like was so much modern slang, specifically in the first half of the book. otherwise, this book is a wholesome love story for anyone who likes medical dramas. it really highlights love, ambition and friendship.
January 30, 2025
Ugh, this book… it was so good and such a vibe. I’m such a sucker for a doctor romance, and this one was perfection. I binged it in two days while feeling under the weather.
The banter in this book was top-tier. Even when both characters “hated” each other, I was still cackling and kicking my feet at their commentary. I also loved the timeline aspect of this story. It starts during their first month as interns in an OB-GYN residency and progresses through the entire four-year program. This made the development of the main characters’ relationship such a deliciously perfect slow burn.
I will always hype up any book with excellent mental health representation, and this one really shines in that area. I also loved that the author included so many elements of hospital politics and gossip in the storyline. My heart ached for what Grace went through and the double standards women face in any work environment.
This book had so much heart. All the stars. I now also feel like I need to rewatch all 19 seasons of a very popular tv show.
Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The banter in this book was top-tier. Even when both characters “hated” each other, I was still cackling and kicking my feet at their commentary. I also loved the timeline aspect of this story. It starts during their first month as interns in an OB-GYN residency and progresses through the entire four-year program. This made the development of the main characters’ relationship such a deliciously perfect slow burn.
I will always hype up any book with excellent mental health representation, and this one really shines in that area. I also loved that the author included so many elements of hospital politics and gossip in the storyline. My heart ached for what Grace went through and the double standards women face in any work environment.
This book had so much heart. All the stars. I now also feel like I need to rewatch all 19 seasons of a very popular tv show.
Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
April 24, 2025
DNF @ 20%
The 3!!!!!! harry potter references gave me the absolute ick.
The 3!!!!!! harry potter references gave me the absolute ick.
July 14, 2025
*Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an E-Arc in exchange for an honest review!*
4 out of 5 stars!
“Grey’s Anatomy meets The Hating Game by way of Ali Hazelwood — and it’s as glorious as it sounds.”
Love Sick by Deidra Duncan is a fiery, whip-smart enemies-to-lovers debut that brings something fresh and unforgettable to the rom-com genre. Set in the high-pressure world of medical residency, this book follows two fiercely competitive OB-GYN residents, Grace and Julian, whose initial loathing for each other slowly simmers into something electrifying.
From the very first chapter, I was hooked. The banter is sharp, the sexual tension is off the charts, and the emotional depth sneaks up on you in the best way. It’s like Grey’s Anatomy if Cristina Yang and Dr. Sloan were forced to share a shift and slowly (reluctantly) fell in love — but with the heart and humor of The Hating Game, and the nerdy-smart, anxiety-driven charm you’d find in an Ali Hazelwood heroine.
Grace is a powerhouse—brilliant, sarcastic, and dealing with unfair rumors that threaten her reputation. Julian is competitive, cocky, and layered in ways you don’t expect. Their chemistry is undeniable, but what makes this book so unique is how deeply it dives into their personal struggles—Grace’s anxiety, Julian’s ADHD—and the very real pressure cooker of working in medicine.
It’s not just romance—it’s a love letter to perseverance, mental health, and standing your ground in a system that often tries to knock you down. And yet, it never loses its humor or swoon. The found-family dynamics among the residents are fantastic, and the hospital setting feels real without ever being overwhelming.
Deidra Duncan’s voice is smart, fresh, and full of heart. If you love chaotic medical dramas, angsty slow burns, and enemies who secretly can’t stop thinking about each other, Love Sick is for you.
Highly recommend for fans of Ali Hazelwood, Sally Thorne, and anyone who’s ever screamed at a medical show because two stubborn doctors wouldn’t admit their feelings.
********************************
Just received this book and it sounds so good?
Anyway, I can'twait read to see what this is about (let's pretend I haven't read the synopsis).
4 out of 5 stars!
“Grey’s Anatomy meets The Hating Game by way of Ali Hazelwood — and it’s as glorious as it sounds.”
Love Sick by Deidra Duncan is a fiery, whip-smart enemies-to-lovers debut that brings something fresh and unforgettable to the rom-com genre. Set in the high-pressure world of medical residency, this book follows two fiercely competitive OB-GYN residents, Grace and Julian, whose initial loathing for each other slowly simmers into something electrifying.
From the very first chapter, I was hooked. The banter is sharp, the sexual tension is off the charts, and the emotional depth sneaks up on you in the best way. It’s like Grey’s Anatomy if Cristina Yang and Dr. Sloan were forced to share a shift and slowly (reluctantly) fell in love — but with the heart and humor of The Hating Game, and the nerdy-smart, anxiety-driven charm you’d find in an Ali Hazelwood heroine.
Grace is a powerhouse—brilliant, sarcastic, and dealing with unfair rumors that threaten her reputation. Julian is competitive, cocky, and layered in ways you don’t expect. Their chemistry is undeniable, but what makes this book so unique is how deeply it dives into their personal struggles—Grace’s anxiety, Julian’s ADHD—and the very real pressure cooker of working in medicine.
It’s not just romance—it’s a love letter to perseverance, mental health, and standing your ground in a system that often tries to knock you down. And yet, it never loses its humor or swoon. The found-family dynamics among the residents are fantastic, and the hospital setting feels real without ever being overwhelming.
Deidra Duncan’s voice is smart, fresh, and full of heart. If you love chaotic medical dramas, angsty slow burns, and enemies who secretly can’t stop thinking about each other, Love Sick is for you.
Highly recommend for fans of Ali Hazelwood, Sally Thorne, and anyone who’s ever screamed at a medical show because two stubborn doctors wouldn’t admit their feelings.
********************************
Just received this book and it sounds so good?
Anyway, I can't
March 9, 2025
3.5⭐️ rounded up to 4.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. The chemistry between Julian and Grace was amazing. The playful hate-flirting gave exactly what it needed to. For a lack of a better way to describe it, it was like really good fan-fiction banter. Silly, but entertaining. The friendships between the five OBGYN interns was really special to me, and I loved watching them all grow during their residency.
I did have a few qualms that bothered me as I was reading. The misogyny from the male doctors was INSANE. I know it happens, but a lot of it seemed very far-fetched to me. If this is how hospitals are, I’m so so sorry to every female doctor.
In the last bit of the book, Grace’s decisions REALLY frustrated me. She knew what she was doing was wrong and insisted Julian couldn’t be trusted, and had no legitimate reason to feel that way. He had never given her a reason to not trust him, and even after he begged her to trust him, she refused. It hurt reading, and it left me really annoyed; however, something Julian said made me feel a bit better about the situation. He said something along the lines of “When an insecure woman decides she’s not good enough for you, there’s no changing her mind.” It helped me understand a bit more, even if I didn’t agree with Grace.
The ending redeemed Grace’s stupidity for me, and it helped me root for them finishing the book. I look forward to more from this author!
Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing and Canary Street Press for the ARC!
Overall I really enjoyed this book. The chemistry between Julian and Grace was amazing. The playful hate-flirting gave exactly what it needed to. For a lack of a better way to describe it, it was like really good fan-fiction banter. Silly, but entertaining. The friendships between the five OBGYN interns was really special to me, and I loved watching them all grow during their residency.
I did have a few qualms that bothered me as I was reading. The misogyny from the male doctors was INSANE. I know it happens, but a lot of it seemed very far-fetched to me. If this is how hospitals are, I’m so so sorry to every female doctor.
In the last bit of the book, Grace’s decisions REALLY frustrated me. She knew what she was doing was wrong and insisted Julian couldn’t be trusted, and had no legitimate reason to feel that way. He had never given her a reason to not trust him, and even after he begged her to trust him, she refused. It hurt reading, and it left me really annoyed; however, something Julian said made me feel a bit better about the situation. He said something along the lines of “When an insecure woman decides she’s not good enough for you, there’s no changing her mind.” It helped me understand a bit more, even if I didn’t agree with Grace.
The ending redeemed Grace’s stupidity for me, and it helped me root for them finishing the book. I look forward to more from this author!
Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing and Canary Street Press for the ARC!
April 6, 2025
Thank you NetGalley and Canary Street Press for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.
This book made me want to watch the first season of Grey’s Anatomy again. This is a slow burn, enemies to lovers medical romance featuring Grace who enters the scene in a swirl of false rumors and Julian who respects women more than the other men in their group. The chemistry, banter, and sexual tension between these two characters was top notch and did not disappoint. 4.5 stars rounded up.
This book made me want to watch the first season of Grey’s Anatomy again. This is a slow burn, enemies to lovers medical romance featuring Grace who enters the scene in a swirl of false rumors and Julian who respects women more than the other men in their group. The chemistry, banter, and sexual tension between these two characters was top notch and did not disappoint. 4.5 stars rounded up.
April 27, 2025
When I saw this lovely little cover on NetGalley, I knew I needed to read it asap!
Mr. Bee and I are both in the medical field and started our love story working together so I have a special place in my heart.
Love Sick begins with Grace's first year of residency is hell. She's brilliant, anxious and extremely relatable. Her introduction to the first years doesn't go as planned. In fact, she over hears them discussing how she "must have slept her way into the program.
FALSE.
And so this sets her and against Julian, a fellow first year, who fought his way into the program.
These two have great enemy energy and the story sucked me right in.
Great for fans of Grey's Anatomy, you will love the enemies to lovers, found family tropes here.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for an advanced listener copy of this, I sped through it and can't wait to see it hit shelves May 13th.
Mr. Bee and I are both in the medical field and started our love story working together so I have a special place in my heart.
Love Sick begins with Grace's first year of residency is hell. She's brilliant, anxious and extremely relatable. Her introduction to the first years doesn't go as planned. In fact, she over hears them discussing how she "must have slept her way into the program.
FALSE.
And so this sets her and against Julian, a fellow first year, who fought his way into the program.
These two have great enemy energy and the story sucked me right in.
Great for fans of Grey's Anatomy, you will love the enemies to lovers, found family tropes here.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for an advanced listener copy of this, I sped through it and can't wait to see it hit shelves May 13th.
August 30, 2025
DNF
Not for me. The pace is fast and it is train wreck.
2 stars
Not for me. The pace is fast and it is train wreck.
2 stars
May 4, 2025
This might end up being my biggest surprise of the year. I was hooked from literally page one! It’s a medical drama/romance written by a real-life OBGYN, and you can definitely tell. The hospital setting felt chaotic in the best way, and I loved the cast of residents constantly teetering between burnout, friendship, and hilarious rants about their workload.
The story follows Grace and Julian, two OBGYN residents who clash hard from the start. Grace is dealing with a nasty rumour that she slept her way into the program, and between that, her social anxiety, and a crappy past relationship, she’s constantly on edge. The way this story addressed misogyny in medicine—such as double standards and how gossip affects women vs. men—along with the animosity between specialties and the overall hospital hierarchy, was so interesting!
I loved the dynamic between Julian and Grace. The initial mutual loathing, the genuinely funny banter, the tense slow burn ... the pining! I could not get enough. Seeing their relationship evolve was so fun. Grace has the medical knowledge down but lacks Julian’s surgical ease, and I loved seeing them grow into a kind of protective teamwork. This was such an entertaining, unique mix of real-world med issues, personal growth, and a romance that seriously sizzled!
(heat level: mostly fade-to-black + 2 brief open-door scenes + strong language throughout)
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The story follows Grace and Julian, two OBGYN residents who clash hard from the start. Grace is dealing with a nasty rumour that she slept her way into the program, and between that, her social anxiety, and a crappy past relationship, she’s constantly on edge. The way this story addressed misogyny in medicine—such as double standards and how gossip affects women vs. men—along with the animosity between specialties and the overall hospital hierarchy, was so interesting!
I loved the dynamic between Julian and Grace. The initial mutual loathing, the genuinely funny banter, the tense slow burn ... the pining! I could not get enough. Seeing their relationship evolve was so fun. Grace has the medical knowledge down but lacks Julian’s surgical ease, and I loved seeing them grow into a kind of protective teamwork. This was such an entertaining, unique mix of real-world med issues, personal growth, and a romance that seriously sizzled!
(heat level: mostly fade-to-black + 2 brief open-door scenes + strong language throughout)
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
April 17, 2025
3.5 stars
I loved the synopsis for this one and was eager to get into the story.
I liked Grace and Julian well enough. They have chemistry and animosity and there's button pushing galore. There's also a lot of stress and insecurities and I wish they would have talked about substantial things a bit more. There are a good amount of characters in this book and I couldn't keep track of all of them.
Plot wise, it's okay. There's loads of slut shaming, misogyny, and shitty men being shitty. And the main conflict of the story was not at all resolved to my liking.
Overall, it was a quick read that kept me interested and rooting for the MCs.
**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
I loved the synopsis for this one and was eager to get into the story.
I liked Grace and Julian well enough. They have chemistry and animosity and there's button pushing galore. There's also a lot of stress and insecurities and I wish they would have talked about substantial things a bit more. There are a good amount of characters in this book and I couldn't keep track of all of them.
Plot wise, it's okay. There's loads of slut shaming, misogyny, and shitty men being shitty. And the main conflict of the story was not at all resolved to my liking.
Overall, it was a quick read that kept me interested and rooting for the MCs.
**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
June 25, 2025
I never got on the "Grey's Anatomy" train, but I have a strong suspicion this book operates (pun intended) with the same sort of vibe. Although with probably even more medical accuracy since it was written by an actual OB-Gyn!
"Love Sick" was a cute, solid read. The main characters have wonderful chemistry and they evolve naturally from enemies to friends to lovers. I so enjoyed the banter of Grace and Julian! There was just the right amount of spice in this book for me, which is some but not overwhelmingly so. It also came as a payoff to slow-burn tension which I prefer as well, so A+ in that department from me!
There are a lot of interesting actual medical tidbits throughout as well. The early chapters there are a lot more as the new residents get acclimated and help set the scene from narrator to reader about what it's like to work in a hospital. It tapers off as the romance becomes more central, but that felt natural to the story as well.
Where this book loses some points with me is how melodramatic everything felt. The rumors, the numerous characters who float in and out just to add some drama or venting or attempt to complicate the love life of the MC's, the slight codependency vibes at times, the entire basis of the 3rd act breakup (frustrating!!), and
**spoiler**
using sexual violence trauma and trust issues as some big "take me back" reveal at the end
**end of spoiler**
were all a bit over the top for me, giving me some negative soap opera elements within a world that otherwise felt structurally sound for the storytelling. I do have a close family member who works in a hospital so I know these things happen, but even so it felt exaggerated and sort of generally not fun to read. Those scenes were not my favorites.
Overall I enjoyed the book! Deidra Duncan has a fun, easy-to-read writing style. The chemistry was great, the medical piece was interesting, and the pages were turning themselves at one point. I had a fun time reading this book.
"Love Sick" was a cute, solid read. The main characters have wonderful chemistry and they evolve naturally from enemies to friends to lovers. I so enjoyed the banter of Grace and Julian! There was just the right amount of spice in this book for me, which is some but not overwhelmingly so. It also came as a payoff to slow-burn tension which I prefer as well, so A+ in that department from me!
There are a lot of interesting actual medical tidbits throughout as well. The early chapters there are a lot more as the new residents get acclimated and help set the scene from narrator to reader about what it's like to work in a hospital. It tapers off as the romance becomes more central, but that felt natural to the story as well.
Where this book loses some points with me is how melodramatic everything felt. The rumors, the numerous characters who float in and out just to add some drama or venting or attempt to complicate the love life of the MC's, the slight codependency vibes at times, the entire basis of the 3rd act breakup (frustrating!!), and
**spoiler**
using sexual violence trauma and trust issues as some big "take me back" reveal at the end
**end of spoiler**
were all a bit over the top for me, giving me some negative soap opera elements within a world that otherwise felt structurally sound for the storytelling. I do have a close family member who works in a hospital so I know these things happen, but even so it felt exaggerated and sort of generally not fun to read. Those scenes were not my favorites.
Overall I enjoyed the book! Deidra Duncan has a fun, easy-to-read writing style. The chemistry was great, the medical piece was interesting, and the pages were turning themselves at one point. I had a fun time reading this book.
October 2, 2025
3,5✨
Eu gostei bastante e adorei a escrita! As interações entre eles foram chef kiss masssss este livro foi demasiado injusto com a minha Grace.
Eu gostei bastante e adorei a escrita! As interações entre eles foram chef kiss masssss este livro foi demasiado injusto com a minha Grace.
May 11, 2025
A doctor romance written by a practicing OBGYN was just what I needed!
I loved Grace and Julian, and the dual POV added so much enjoyment to this. They were both realistic with flaws that they were able to work through to the end. Their romance was well paced because they slowly go from enemies to friends to lovers. Their dislike for each other was justified but it was so satisfying seeing them understand each other over time. The slow burn and chemistry was burning, y’all.
Julian understood Grace so well and was literally willing to do anything for her. I’ll admit his internal monologue and some of his decisions had me skeptical at first but I ended up really loving his character. I also adored his relationships with his family. I loved Grace too and had immense respect for her in how she dealt with the challenges of the rumors from the beginning. It was so unfair for her because it impacted the way the higher-ups and her peers treated her. She worked so hard for everything and I really felt for her!
The medical setting was written quite well and I felt immersed into the daily routines and cases. One particular case hit hard too. As someone who has worked in OBGYN and L&D in the past, the chaos of the day-to-day work was realistically portrayed. But this book also added a lot more context in seeing the clinical end from the POV of residents. I appreciated the dictionary at the beginning for all the terminology and acronyms.
The pacing was great because even though it’s a romance story, we follow Julian and Grace from the beginning of their residencies over the year(s) and all the challenges they have to overcome. It was very interesting to learn about their routines too. There were a few quick time skips with this, but it didn’t affect the enjoyment of the book. Their experiences also touch on the toxicity of gossip culture, resident burnout, gender bias, and the complex hierarchy/politics of the overall residency environment in teaching hospitals. I also found it interesting that the views on DOs vs MDs was mentioned too and wonder if that’s the case for other programs as well. The other characters in the friend group had unique impressions too and I really liked them.
There were just a few inconsistencies in the writing style itself and some modern lingo that was dropped frequently. I would have loved to see more of Julian’s family interactions! I was also a bit frustrated with Grace’s actions but understood it was necessary to her character development and overcoming her insecurities.
This was, overall, and fun and great debut novel! I look forward to this author’s future works because she has a lot of potential!!! I wonder if there would be potential stories about the other characters too one day👀
Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing, NetGalley, and the author for the ARC!
I loved Grace and Julian, and the dual POV added so much enjoyment to this. They were both realistic with flaws that they were able to work through to the end. Their romance was well paced because they slowly go from enemies to friends to lovers. Their dislike for each other was justified but it was so satisfying seeing them understand each other over time. The slow burn and chemistry was burning, y’all.
Julian understood Grace so well and was literally willing to do anything for her. I’ll admit his internal monologue and some of his decisions had me skeptical at first but I ended up really loving his character. I also adored his relationships with his family. I loved Grace too and had immense respect for her in how she dealt with the challenges of the rumors from the beginning. It was so unfair for her because it impacted the way the higher-ups and her peers treated her. She worked so hard for everything and I really felt for her!
The medical setting was written quite well and I felt immersed into the daily routines and cases. One particular case hit hard too. As someone who has worked in OBGYN and L&D in the past, the chaos of the day-to-day work was realistically portrayed. But this book also added a lot more context in seeing the clinical end from the POV of residents. I appreciated the dictionary at the beginning for all the terminology and acronyms.
The pacing was great because even though it’s a romance story, we follow Julian and Grace from the beginning of their residencies over the year(s) and all the challenges they have to overcome. It was very interesting to learn about their routines too. There were a few quick time skips with this, but it didn’t affect the enjoyment of the book. Their experiences also touch on the toxicity of gossip culture, resident burnout, gender bias, and the complex hierarchy/politics of the overall residency environment in teaching hospitals. I also found it interesting that the views on DOs vs MDs was mentioned too and wonder if that’s the case for other programs as well. The other characters in the friend group had unique impressions too and I really liked them.
There were just a few inconsistencies in the writing style itself and some modern lingo that was dropped frequently. I would have loved to see more of Julian’s family interactions! I was also a bit frustrated with Grace’s actions but understood it was necessary to her character development and overcoming her insecurities.
This was, overall, and fun and great debut novel! I look forward to this author’s future works because she has a lot of potential!!! I wonder if there would be potential stories about the other characters too one day👀
Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing, NetGalley, and the author for the ARC!
dnf
May 23, 2025The medical lingo was so overwhelming and it all went over my head. The flow of the story was also really choppy. We would just move from one moment to the next abruptly and it didn’t feel natural. Based on reviews I saw, the misogyny just gets worse as the story goes on and so yeah this is a DNF for me at 17%
April 24, 2025
2.5/5
i wanted this book to be for me so badly but it just wasn't...
medical drams are my shit on tv so i wanted that love to transfer over to a book. unfortunately it doesn't work. this book introduces us to so many characters and i can hardly remember who is who for the most part. have of them are pretty insignificant and are only there to be assholes. if this book is an accurate depiction of what hospitals are like, which i'm sure it isn't, it sounds like hell. our main character is belittled and slut shamed for over two years about a rumor people assigned to her. the whole time this rumor was actually someone else's life and that person didn't speak up once to help out her "friend."
the romance was okay, i can totally see the vision. they got off on the wrong foot, argue for a while, but end up building a friendship that leads to more. for the majority of the second half the romance was saving the book. the hospital dramatics were boring and i just wanted to see the couple. but then we had the feared third act breakup and i was completely out of the story. everything was just so melodramatic and i could not take it seriously.
grace was a goo main character and julian was fine but i just didn't really like anyone. this hospital is apparently full of misogynistic assholes who assault women and shit talk them behind their backs. none of the friends were overly likable because i always just felt uncomfortable reading the book. maybe this just wasn't for me and i need to stick to medical dramas on the tv...
*thank you net galley and canary press for the arc*
i wanted this book to be for me so badly but it just wasn't...
medical drams are my shit on tv so i wanted that love to transfer over to a book. unfortunately it doesn't work. this book introduces us to so many characters and i can hardly remember who is who for the most part. have of them are pretty insignificant and are only there to be assholes. if this book is an accurate depiction of what hospitals are like, which i'm sure it isn't, it sounds like hell. our main character is belittled and slut shamed for over two years about a rumor people assigned to her. the whole time this rumor was actually someone else's life and that person didn't speak up once to help out her "friend."
the romance was okay, i can totally see the vision. they got off on the wrong foot, argue for a while, but end up building a friendship that leads to more. for the majority of the second half the romance was saving the book. the hospital dramatics were boring and i just wanted to see the couple. but then we had the feared third act breakup and i was completely out of the story. everything was just so melodramatic and i could not take it seriously.
grace was a goo main character and julian was fine but i just didn't really like anyone. this hospital is apparently full of misogynistic assholes who assault women and shit talk them behind their backs. none of the friends were overly likable because i always just felt uncomfortable reading the book. maybe this just wasn't for me and i need to stick to medical dramas on the tv...
*thank you net galley and canary press for the arc*
February 10, 2025
no. just no.
DNF @ 20%
ok maybe you can blame this on me, because we go in to this book having read the synopsis. we know that this man is going to do something misogynistic at first. AND BOY TF DOES HE. repeatedly. and i’m sorry that i don’t find an insecure man child to be all that compelling as a romantic lead. it just kept going and going to the point that i knew there was no redemption arc that would salvage this book for me. from the second page it felt clear to me that the author wasn’t capable of the tact necessary to cover the “boys club” of a hospital. and as the story progressed i was already predicting that we’d be having an oppression olympics between our FMC (who is being bullied for having a “stripper” name??? excluded and hazed by her male superiors in the work place, and was judged by a misogynistic rumor by all of her peers) and our MMC (who is a DO and faces biases against the practices?) yeah idk guys. seems like these problems are totally comparable and not at all compounded by systemic sexism. add on to all of this the immature writing style and a lack of any real substance to the story, i couldn’t bring myself to muscle through. just a grand disappointment all around.
DNF @ 20%
ok maybe you can blame this on me, because we go in to this book having read the synopsis. we know that this man is going to do something misogynistic at first. AND BOY TF DOES HE. repeatedly. and i’m sorry that i don’t find an insecure man child to be all that compelling as a romantic lead. it just kept going and going to the point that i knew there was no redemption arc that would salvage this book for me. from the second page it felt clear to me that the author wasn’t capable of the tact necessary to cover the “boys club” of a hospital. and as the story progressed i was already predicting that we’d be having an oppression olympics between our FMC (who is being bullied for having a “stripper” name??? excluded and hazed by her male superiors in the work place, and was judged by a misogynistic rumor by all of her peers) and our MMC (who is a DO and faces biases against the practices?) yeah idk guys. seems like these problems are totally comparable and not at all compounded by systemic sexism. add on to all of this the immature writing style and a lack of any real substance to the story, i couldn’t bring myself to muscle through. just a grand disappointment all around.
June 2, 2025
Wherein we find the newest cohort of medical interns at a fairly prestigious internship program for up-and-coming doctors, booting up for their first of four years of interning. At the welcome party, rumors immediately start flying about one of the women in the cohort having slept her way into the program. It must have been Sapphire Rose (who goes by her middle name, Grace) because of course it is the woman whose name sounds like a porn star. She meets Julian, another intern, at the party and he immediately snubs her because she’s obviously a slut who didn’t deserve her spot. Then we meander through the years of their internship and the cohort can’t really ignore each other, so they all develop a tenuous and then full-on friendship. Julian and Grace are at odds with each other until they strike up a deal to help each other with their weak spots as medical professionals (he’s a brilliant tactician, she’s a genius with the medical knowledge). This allows them to get to know each other and develop a deep relationship that slowly and carefully turns into love. But Grace has been burrrrrnnned hard before so she’s reticent when it comes to giving her heart away, especially when she’s supposedly the town harlot and it could ruin Julian’s reputation.
Rating: ⭐️
Spice: 🌶️
If slut shaming, misogyny, on-page sexual assault, rampant sexism, and medical nerdom are your thing, then have I got the book for you!
This type of shit happens every single day. I get it. I am a woman who has worked in the tech industry since the early 2000’s. I’ve been the only woman on my team in multiple situations (in a few cases, the only in the entire company). I’ve been sexually harassed and discriminated against. I know this stuff happens. I have literally won awards for my work to empower women in the tech space so this shit doesn’t keep happening. But as a romance book set to an undercurrent of this kind of deeply problematic behavior, it just wasn’t a pleasant read. In fact, it was downright awful.
Let’s start with Grace. Baby girl needed therapy SO BAD. Grace not only came from an extremely toxic relationship that severed her self worth and ability to love freely, she then enters this medical program wherein she is immediately slut shamed SOLELY ON THE BASIS OF HER GOVERNMENT NAME. And and and the slut label sticks like a fucking scarlet letter on her stethoscope. No one really ever comes to her defense and although she grins and bears it, she gets discriminated against by her seniors because they think she’s undeserving of her place in the program. So much so that additional rumors start flying about her. And then just wait until the third act breakup where shit gets REALLY wild.
Then we have Julian. Julian, who immediately writes her off because she’s obviously a slut since she walked into the kick off party wearing a red dress. I mean, her name is SAPPHIRE and she’s wearing a RED DRESS. Could we victim blame any harder? But once he sees how much the accusation hurts her, he suddenly is a feminist because, and I quote, “he has sisters.” Julian does eventually fall into her good graces (pun intended) and wins me over just a smidge, especially when he kicks the shit out of a guy who sexually assaults her because he heard she’s easy. That’s right. That happens.
Oh but you know what else is crazy? Julian’s got a crush on Grace but so does their colleague Asher (who is not the sexual assaulter). And there is literally a part in this book where Julian cannot BELIEVE that Asher hasn’t closed that deal yet - something must be off with his game if Grace isn’t even looking Asher’s way. It’s obviously something about the way Asher is approaching it because it couldn’t possibly be as simple as Grace not being interested in him. For fuck’s sake.
Grace and Julian fall in love somewhere in the middle of all this.
Okay but then then THEN we get to the third act breakup. (🚨Spoilers ahead) She breaks up with Julian because them going public with their relationship will undoubtedly soil his golden reputation once everyone finds out he’s dating the town trollop (Yeah you read that right. She did it for him, people!). He is distraught and a mess. Honestly, one tiny thing I liked was that they got into a real actual fight about this silly breakup logic and it actually made sense and he actually expressed real feelings and anger about it. It felt more real than most book breakups. Okay, so then she comes crawling back cause she misses and loves him. She realizes that the grand gesture here is that she must tell him about her past relationship. Now, up til this point, Grace has only mentioned to Julian that her ex was a piece of shit who told her she was an “ice queen” and basically said “put out or get out” while also cheating on her. Truly a real piece of work. (This is the point where if I was possibly considering giving this TWO stars, one of them dissolves to dust.) She reveals that her ex not only called her an ice queen and emotionally abused her, he also sexually assaulted her, consent was questionable, and he made her do fairly violent sexual acts that she didn’t want to do but she also didn’t want him to leave her. BLESSINGS UPON THOSE WHO READ THIS BOOK MAY THY MEMORY BE CLEANSED. God damnit GET THERAPY, GRACE. This is horrendous. HORRENDOUS.
Thank God Julian loves her anyway despite her being a not-therapized mess. (She deserves his love. She does. But my god why did we do this to this woman?)
Now how do we resolve all the slut shaming? OH via a corporate task force, OF COURSE. Which Grace joins because it’s great to make the oppressed do the work of fighting their own oppression. (FWIW she is given the opportunity to decline and she agrees to do it anyway. And per the epilogue, it makes great strides in creating a new culture void of insidious gossip! Ta daaaahh!)
Fuck.
🫡 Tropes deployed: medical romance, workplace romance, all the trigger and content warnings, etc.
Rating: ⭐️
Spice: 🌶️
If slut shaming, misogyny, on-page sexual assault, rampant sexism, and medical nerdom are your thing, then have I got the book for you!
This type of shit happens every single day. I get it. I am a woman who has worked in the tech industry since the early 2000’s. I’ve been the only woman on my team in multiple situations (in a few cases, the only in the entire company). I’ve been sexually harassed and discriminated against. I know this stuff happens. I have literally won awards for my work to empower women in the tech space so this shit doesn’t keep happening. But as a romance book set to an undercurrent of this kind of deeply problematic behavior, it just wasn’t a pleasant read. In fact, it was downright awful.
Let’s start with Grace. Baby girl needed therapy SO BAD. Grace not only came from an extremely toxic relationship that severed her self worth and ability to love freely, she then enters this medical program wherein she is immediately slut shamed SOLELY ON THE BASIS OF HER GOVERNMENT NAME. And and and the slut label sticks like a fucking scarlet letter on her stethoscope. No one really ever comes to her defense and although she grins and bears it, she gets discriminated against by her seniors because they think she’s undeserving of her place in the program. So much so that additional rumors start flying about her. And then just wait until the third act breakup where shit gets REALLY wild.
Then we have Julian. Julian, who immediately writes her off because she’s obviously a slut since she walked into the kick off party wearing a red dress. I mean, her name is SAPPHIRE and she’s wearing a RED DRESS. Could we victim blame any harder? But once he sees how much the accusation hurts her, he suddenly is a feminist because, and I quote, “he has sisters.” Julian does eventually fall into her good graces (pun intended) and wins me over just a smidge, especially when he kicks the shit out of a guy who sexually assaults her because he heard she’s easy. That’s right. That happens.
Oh but you know what else is crazy? Julian’s got a crush on Grace but so does their colleague Asher (who is not the sexual assaulter). And there is literally a part in this book where Julian cannot BELIEVE that Asher hasn’t closed that deal yet - something must be off with his game if Grace isn’t even looking Asher’s way. It’s obviously something about the way Asher is approaching it because it couldn’t possibly be as simple as Grace not being interested in him. For fuck’s sake.
Grace and Julian fall in love somewhere in the middle of all this.
Okay but then then THEN we get to the third act breakup. (🚨Spoilers ahead) She breaks up with Julian because them going public with their relationship will undoubtedly soil his golden reputation once everyone finds out he’s dating the town trollop (Yeah you read that right. She did it for him, people!). He is distraught and a mess. Honestly, one tiny thing I liked was that they got into a real actual fight about this silly breakup logic and it actually made sense and he actually expressed real feelings and anger about it. It felt more real than most book breakups. Okay, so then she comes crawling back cause she misses and loves him. She realizes that the grand gesture here is that she must tell him about her past relationship. Now, up til this point, Grace has only mentioned to Julian that her ex was a piece of shit who told her she was an “ice queen” and basically said “put out or get out” while also cheating on her. Truly a real piece of work. (This is the point where if I was possibly considering giving this TWO stars, one of them dissolves to dust.) She reveals that her ex not only called her an ice queen and emotionally abused her, he also sexually assaulted her, consent was questionable, and he made her do fairly violent sexual acts that she didn’t want to do but she also didn’t want him to leave her. BLESSINGS UPON THOSE WHO READ THIS BOOK MAY THY MEMORY BE CLEANSED. God damnit GET THERAPY, GRACE. This is horrendous. HORRENDOUS.
Thank God Julian loves her anyway despite her being a not-therapized mess. (She deserves his love. She does. But my god why did we do this to this woman?)
Now how do we resolve all the slut shaming? OH via a corporate task force, OF COURSE. Which Grace joins because it’s great to make the oppressed do the work of fighting their own oppression. (FWIW she is given the opportunity to decline and she agrees to do it anyway. And per the epilogue, it makes great strides in creating a new culture void of insidious gossip! Ta daaaahh!)
Fuck.
🫡 Tropes deployed: medical romance, workplace romance, all the trigger and content warnings, etc.
March 9, 2025
nothing is quite as serendipitous as finishing this book while on my 24-hour OB shift.
✰ 3.5 stars
I usually keep my reviews short and sweet, with a witty quip or a snarky remark, but as a third year DO student and future OB/GYN, who saved this arc for her first OB/GYN rotation (for the utmost immersive experience, can you blame me?), I have more stake in the game here.
Julian and Grace have very unlikable tendencies. Julian denies he is a misogynist but then berates Grace for being overly emotional and reactive for confronting the men in her program for spreading sexist rumors about her. I felt like he could have done far more to call out the toxic masculinity and misogynistic commentary made by other men in his program. Grace’s prejudices surrounding DOs may have felt more personal to me than to the average reader, but for the smartest resident in her program, she was rather harmfully misinformed. She was also quite contradictory with her beliefs, mentioning she felt osteopathic medical schools were inferior but acknowledging her DO colleague had the same training as her and that the letters after a doctor’s name don’t really matter. I do not think Julian deserves a love interest with these ideologies. At the end of the book, she instigates the worst flavor of third act breakup possible: the "you deserve better" and "you're better off without me" breakup, which lasts for over a month before she gets enlightened and finally decides to communicate her problems.
A smaller critique: I absolutely despise the micro trope where one character calls the other character by a name they don’t prefer and the other character constantly corrects them. It’s a very weak form of banter. It’s not very clever, and it adds nothing to the narrative with its constant repetition (I'm talking more than ten times, easily). It surpasses teasing and becomes just plain rude and disrespectful. This is why I often do not find enjoyment in enemies to lovers contemporary romances. The trope just ends up being an excuse for the main characters to disrespect each other. Calling people by the name they prefer is the most inherent, necessary form of respect, especially between coworkers. To add more context, the name the male love interest calls the female protagonist is one that she has always hated to be called. It’s a real sore spot for her, yet he continues relentlessly.
As a medical student, I cannot accurately speak for how approachable the medicine is to someone uninvolved in healthcare. What I can say is I believe the author did a good job of explaining medical phenomena or residency dynamics when it got brought up, and she introduces the novel with a glossary of relevant terms so that every reader starts the book with some understanding of the building blocks of a residency program. What I can also say is that if you have ever binge watched a medical drama, you will likely follow along just fine.
To end on a positive note, the portrayal of an OB residency was impressively accurate, which is what you would expect for an author who is an OB/GYN herself. I loved the inclusion of imposter syndrome in medicine, something that affects us at all stages in training, and Julian's unique difficulties and insecurities being a DO surrounded by MDs.
thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ebook arc in exchange for an honest review
platform: netgalley ebook arc
✰ 3.5 stars
I usually keep my reviews short and sweet, with a witty quip or a snarky remark, but as a third year DO student and future OB/GYN, who saved this arc for her first OB/GYN rotation (for the utmost immersive experience, can you blame me?), I have more stake in the game here.
Julian and Grace have very unlikable tendencies. Julian denies he is a misogynist but then berates Grace for being overly emotional and reactive for confronting the men in her program for spreading sexist rumors about her. I felt like he could have done far more to call out the toxic masculinity and misogynistic commentary made by other men in his program. Grace’s prejudices surrounding DOs may have felt more personal to me than to the average reader, but for the smartest resident in her program, she was rather harmfully misinformed. She was also quite contradictory with her beliefs, mentioning she felt osteopathic medical schools were inferior but acknowledging her DO colleague had the same training as her and that the letters after a doctor’s name don’t really matter. I do not think Julian deserves a love interest with these ideologies. At the end of the book, she instigates the worst flavor of third act breakup possible: the "you deserve better" and "you're better off without me" breakup, which lasts for over a month before she gets enlightened and finally decides to communicate her problems.
A smaller critique: I absolutely despise the micro trope where one character calls the other character by a name they don’t prefer and the other character constantly corrects them. It’s a very weak form of banter. It’s not very clever, and it adds nothing to the narrative with its constant repetition (I'm talking more than ten times, easily). It surpasses teasing and becomes just plain rude and disrespectful. This is why I often do not find enjoyment in enemies to lovers contemporary romances. The trope just ends up being an excuse for the main characters to disrespect each other. Calling people by the name they prefer is the most inherent, necessary form of respect, especially between coworkers. To add more context, the name the male love interest calls the female protagonist is one that she has always hated to be called. It’s a real sore spot for her, yet he continues relentlessly.
As a medical student, I cannot accurately speak for how approachable the medicine is to someone uninvolved in healthcare. What I can say is I believe the author did a good job of explaining medical phenomena or residency dynamics when it got brought up, and she introduces the novel with a glossary of relevant terms so that every reader starts the book with some understanding of the building blocks of a residency program. What I can also say is that if you have ever binge watched a medical drama, you will likely follow along just fine.
To end on a positive note, the portrayal of an OB residency was impressively accurate, which is what you would expect for an author who is an OB/GYN herself. I loved the inclusion of imposter syndrome in medicine, something that affects us at all stages in training, and Julian's unique difficulties and insecurities being a DO surrounded by MDs.
thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ebook arc in exchange for an honest review
platform: netgalley ebook arc
February 21, 2025
As a nurse, it's hard for me to find a medical romance and NOT cringe / find blatant disparities / think it's annoying that it's loosely based off Grey's Anatomy; BUT this one hit's the nail on the proverbial head! I absolutely adored Grace -- I think to a degree; we are all her. We have all been in a position with rumors about us, albeit usually we're younger when it happens but I know how horrible they can be. Despite all the drama she's experiencing and the stress of residency, she still is determined to do her best and be a good friend.
Julian is the perfect book boyfriend. His first impression isn't the best, and he comes off as a dick, but he is genuinely a good person. The banter between him and Grace is unparalleled and the slow burn can rival that of Marianna Zapata.
There are some heavy parts to this, but overall, there is humor and love too, if you want to compare it to a T.V. show -- Scrubs is a better comparison. I legit cried when I finished this book only because I desperately wanted to reread it again. Everyone who gets to read this for the first time, consider yourself lucky. I need more already. I also know any book I subsequently read will not hit the same dopamine receptors this one did, so I guess I'm going to hit a slump, thanks Deidra (but it's okay, there are so little books that make me feel this way)
Julian is the perfect book boyfriend. His first impression isn't the best, and he comes off as a dick, but he is genuinely a good person. The banter between him and Grace is unparalleled and the slow burn can rival that of Marianna Zapata.
There are some heavy parts to this, but overall, there is humor and love too, if you want to compare it to a T.V. show -- Scrubs is a better comparison. I legit cried when I finished this book only because I desperately wanted to reread it again. Everyone who gets to read this for the first time, consider yourself lucky. I need more already. I also know any book I subsequently read will not hit the same dopamine receptors this one did, so I guess I'm going to hit a slump, thanks Deidra (but it's okay, there are so little books that make me feel this way)
January 27, 2025
“It was a terrible day, and after it all happened, I kept thinking that if I could make it home, make it here, to you, everything would feel just a little bit lighter.”
This book is an easy 5 stars!! It is an enemies to lovers romance between doctors with the absolute best banter. By 5% in, I was already invested in the characters & knew that I was going to love it.
Grace comes into the OB-GYN program after surviving rumors in medical school only to have similar rumors start anew when everyone is led to believe that she has gained her spot into the program in unethical ways. Julian, in the same program, but coming in as a DO rather than MD is battling insecurities about not deserving to be there. He is guilty of believing these unfounded rumors about Grace before meeting her, starting them off on the wrong foot.
They form a nemesis type relationship which consists of constant bickering, but there is always that slow burn between them and behind the scenes they are always helping one another out.
This story made me swoon & had me smiling to myself the whole way through. If you read this book, prepare to fall in love with these characters and cheer them on through all of their individual growth & growth together :)
Thank you so much Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC early & im so excited to hear about people falling in love with it when It releases this May!!
This book is an easy 5 stars!! It is an enemies to lovers romance between doctors with the absolute best banter. By 5% in, I was already invested in the characters & knew that I was going to love it.
Grace comes into the OB-GYN program after surviving rumors in medical school only to have similar rumors start anew when everyone is led to believe that she has gained her spot into the program in unethical ways. Julian, in the same program, but coming in as a DO rather than MD is battling insecurities about not deserving to be there. He is guilty of believing these unfounded rumors about Grace before meeting her, starting them off on the wrong foot.
They form a nemesis type relationship which consists of constant bickering, but there is always that slow burn between them and behind the scenes they are always helping one another out.
This story made me swoon & had me smiling to myself the whole way through. If you read this book, prepare to fall in love with these characters and cheer them on through all of their individual growth & growth together :)
Thank you so much Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC early & im so excited to hear about people falling in love with it when It releases this May!!
June 9, 2025
3.5 stars
Positives:
-- medical setting; it felt authentic, since the author is an OBGYN
-- realities of being an intern, navigating workplace issues
-- humor
-- takes its time to bring them together
-- their chemistry is great, and is based on more than just looks
-- most of their flirty banter is pretty cute
-- both their POVs, including his insecurities
-- his awesome sister
-- group outings
Not so great:
-- hard to get a handle on him at first, his immediate rejection upon meeting based on a rumor he'd heard literally minutes before seemed ridiculous when he's supposed to be this forward-thinking feminist. Which he actually is, which is proved by his actions and interior dialogue later on! It's not even that he had a kneejerk reaction, but that the way it was written felt like it was really hard to come back from.
-- I don't love that he keeps calling her by the name she despises
-- after so much focus on both their intellectual and physical chemistry, the fact that actual sex faded to black (and the way it was done) was so weird. And it kept happening! Books don't need to be explicit, but this felt tonally strange. If it had actually just faded without the awkward "Afterwards...." followed by a few paragraphs every time, it would have improved it somewhat. Or just don't write so many sex scenes? It's okay to finish with a nice evening and flirty chemistry or imply something's gonna happen without getting to the point where there's prolonged foreplay, banter, clothes coming off, getting positioned, and then "afterwards..." and another few awkward sentences.
-- Most of all, however: while I appreciate the exploration of sexism, sexual harassment, etc., it eventually weighs down this story like an anvil. The rumor about her went on for so long, appeared so often, was carelessly/ambiguously treated that it got pretty tiresome. Later in the book, it becomes an eye-rolling "oh, THIS guy is also gonna harass/take advantage of you?" And actually, almost all the male characters were suspect in some way. If this had been done with intention, maybe it could have been interesting, but it felt pretty haphazard and inadvertently ambiguous. The way women are treated in the workplace is an important topic and worth exploring, but there needs to be some balance within a contemporary romance. Needed severe editing.
-- wish that cover was better.
Anyway. I did like this quite a bit, it just would've been a lot better if the author had had more help shaping this story. Definitely interested in what she comes out with in the future.
Positives:
-- medical setting; it felt authentic, since the author is an OBGYN
-- realities of being an intern, navigating workplace issues
-- humor
-- takes its time to bring them together
-- their chemistry is great, and is based on more than just looks
-- most of their flirty banter is pretty cute
-- both their POVs, including his insecurities
-- his awesome sister
-- group outings
Not so great:
-- hard to get a handle on him at first, his immediate rejection upon meeting based on a rumor he'd heard literally minutes before seemed ridiculous when he's supposed to be this forward-thinking feminist. Which he actually is, which is proved by his actions and interior dialogue later on! It's not even that he had a kneejerk reaction, but that the way it was written felt like it was really hard to come back from.
-- I don't love that he keeps calling her by the name she despises
-- after so much focus on both their intellectual and physical chemistry, the fact that actual sex faded to black (and the way it was done) was so weird. And it kept happening! Books don't need to be explicit, but this felt tonally strange. If it had actually just faded without the awkward "Afterwards...." followed by a few paragraphs every time, it would have improved it somewhat. Or just don't write so many sex scenes? It's okay to finish with a nice evening and flirty chemistry or imply something's gonna happen without getting to the point where there's prolonged foreplay, banter, clothes coming off, getting positioned, and then "afterwards..." and another few awkward sentences.
-- Most of all, however: while I appreciate the exploration of sexism, sexual harassment, etc., it eventually weighs down this story like an anvil. The rumor about her went on for so long, appeared so often, was carelessly/ambiguously treated that it got pretty tiresome. Later in the book, it becomes an eye-rolling "oh, THIS guy is also gonna harass/take advantage of you?" And actually, almost all the male characters were suspect in some way. If this had been done with intention, maybe it could have been interesting, but it felt pretty haphazard and inadvertently ambiguous. The way women are treated in the workplace is an important topic and worth exploring, but there needs to be some balance within a contemporary romance. Needed severe editing.
-- wish that cover was better.
Anyway. I did like this quite a bit, it just would've been a lot better if the author had had more help shaping this story. Definitely interested in what she comes out with in the future.
May 7, 2025
Thank you to the author, their publisher, and NetGalley for an ALC of their debut novel.
4/5 ⭐️
1.5/5 🌶️
As someone who has spent 15 years in academic medicine, this book resonated SO MUCH with me as a woman in medicine. It doesn’t matter your specialty, it is a total boys club. I hate to say that a lot of what happened in this book doesn’t happen, but it does. And I have personally been on the receiving end. I had so many emotions while reading this. I just wanted to give the FMC, Grace, a big hug, and tell her IT DOES get better. People do forget. It won’t follow you your whole career, even if you do all your schooling and training at the same place!
If you’ve ever been curious about what really happens behind the scenes while doctors train and try to have some sort of social life…. Give this book a try! The audiobook was great. I loved Meg Sylvan as Grace. She has such a unique voice that just bleeds the characters wide array of emotions. I think it’s hard to do, but she is one of the few who can.
4/5 ⭐️
1.5/5 🌶️
As someone who has spent 15 years in academic medicine, this book resonated SO MUCH with me as a woman in medicine. It doesn’t matter your specialty, it is a total boys club. I hate to say that a lot of what happened in this book doesn’t happen, but it does. And I have personally been on the receiving end. I had so many emotions while reading this. I just wanted to give the FMC, Grace, a big hug, and tell her IT DOES get better. People do forget. It won’t follow you your whole career, even if you do all your schooling and training at the same place!
If you’ve ever been curious about what really happens behind the scenes while doctors train and try to have some sort of social life…. Give this book a try! The audiobook was great. I loved Meg Sylvan as Grace. She has such a unique voice that just bleeds the characters wide array of emotions. I think it’s hard to do, but she is one of the few who can.
April 29, 2025
4.5 stars! This is easily one of my favorite books I have read this year? Right off the bat the chemistry between our two main characters are palpable…but the way it grows is astonishing. Ugh JULIAN the man that you are. What an amazing way to write a MMC. Truly delightful. And Grace….girl I want to be best friends. Please, I beg.
The banter in this book was on ANOTHER LEVEL. Right up until the very last page. I ate it up!! This book will have a permanent home on my shelf when it comes pub day.
Thank you Netgalley, Deidra Duncan, and Harper Collins for the advanced copy!
The banter in this book was on ANOTHER LEVEL. Right up until the very last page. I ate it up!! This book will have a permanent home on my shelf when it comes pub day.
Thank you Netgalley, Deidra Duncan, and Harper Collins for the advanced copy!
July 5, 2025
This had a lot of potential. Written by an OB GYN, the accuracy of the descriptions of being a resident and things that happen on L&D, etc were spot on-but when she described cuddling “drug babies” in the NICU it was an instant revulsion. That nomenclature is never ok. As a health care provider, and a human being, do better.
September 17, 2025
I read this one in Portuguese, as it was kindly gifted by the publisher, and it was a fun experience, for it had been a while since I'd read a romance in my mother tongue. If you pick it up and notice the blurb saying that it's perfect for Grey's Anatomy fans, TRUST IT because that was what it felt like! Also, the author is actually a doctor, so everything's quite accurate. Fun, fun, fun.
October 12, 2025
Ich liebe Krankenhaus-Setting, aber irgendwie war das hier nichts besonderes.. 🏥
Ich habe „Love Sick“ als Hörbuch gehört.
Mit zwei unterschiedlichen Stimmen, weiblich und männlich, bekommen wir die POVs von Grace und Julian. Die Stimmen fand ich wundervoll und haben zu dem Charakteren gut gepasst.
Die Kapitel waren gefühlt Ellen lang. Ich hab mich teilweise echt gefragt, wann dieses Kapitel denn endlich endet..
Zu beiden Protagonisten konnte ich nicht wirklich eine „Bindung“ aufbauen. Sie waren mir teilweise zu anstrengend und „sex-orientiert“ sobald sie sich geöffnet hatten.
Ich fand Grace nach einer Zeit dann auch einfach nur noch nervig.
Grundsätzlich hab ich das Setting echt total geliebt. Ich fand die Unterteilung in die verschiedenen Ausbildungsjahre toll.
Dennoch: die Beziehung zwischen den Beiden habe ich nichts abgewinnen können. So ein bisschen Rivals to lovers oder haters to lovers ist am Anfang echt spannend, aber irgendwie kam es nicht ganz so rüber. Mir hat da leider noch etwas gefehlt. 🥲
Ich habe „Love Sick“ als Hörbuch gehört.
Mit zwei unterschiedlichen Stimmen, weiblich und männlich, bekommen wir die POVs von Grace und Julian. Die Stimmen fand ich wundervoll und haben zu dem Charakteren gut gepasst.
Die Kapitel waren gefühlt Ellen lang. Ich hab mich teilweise echt gefragt, wann dieses Kapitel denn endlich endet..
Zu beiden Protagonisten konnte ich nicht wirklich eine „Bindung“ aufbauen. Sie waren mir teilweise zu anstrengend und „sex-orientiert“ sobald sie sich geöffnet hatten.
Ich fand Grace nach einer Zeit dann auch einfach nur noch nervig.
Grundsätzlich hab ich das Setting echt total geliebt. Ich fand die Unterteilung in die verschiedenen Ausbildungsjahre toll.
Dennoch: die Beziehung zwischen den Beiden habe ich nichts abgewinnen können. So ein bisschen Rivals to lovers oder haters to lovers ist am Anfang echt spannend, aber irgendwie kam es nicht ganz so rüber. Mir hat da leider noch etwas gefehlt. 🥲
April 24, 2025
The comp saying this is for fans of Grey’s made me immediately add this to my TBR and it definitely gave me those vibes, especially the earlier seasons. The tension between Grace and Julian was believable and gave way to some delicious banter, always a must for me in a slow burn romance which this one was. It takes place over the course of two years and it did feel like it took a crazy long time for these two to give into their desires and hookup. Or at least communicate with each other, it took them awhile to open up and once they finally did things were magical and adorable. The narrators were both fabulous and brought the characters to life with their performances and made the listening experience so fun.
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