Cover Image: A Brush with Love

A Brush with Love

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Member Reviews

Harper wants to be an oral surgeon and is completely focused on that goal to the exclusion of nearly everything else. Dan is in dental school out of obligation to his family though his heart is in finance. Can Harper learn to let someone in or will it it overwhelm her and ruin her carefully laid plans? Is Dan destined to fulfill his mother’s plans for his life?

A cute story but too much language with an excessive use of F which I felt lessened it’s overall impact.

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This book is a light romp and so fun, while also covering mental health in a really strong way. I loved the arc of Harper and Dan and hope to see more of their friends in future books!

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I received an ARC of this novel from St. Martin's Press through Netgalley. I have reviewed a lot of books and read way more than I have reviewed, but I have never reached out to an author after reading a book and I did with this story. It was terrific! I immediately wanted to tell all my friends about it, but it isn't released until March! Arrgh! So instead I will tell all of these book review readers about it.
It is the story of Harper, who is in her last year of dental school with aspirations of becoming a dental surgeon and Dan, a first year dental student with aspirations of becoming a corporate executive instead of a dentist. It would be easy to say it is a "quick read" or a "beach read" but this story is so much more than that. Harper is neurodiverse-a new term for me-which means she lives with anxiety-and other challenges that shape who she is and how she navigates relationships-often by pushing people away so they don't see how much she is impacted by her neurodiversity. Dan only sees a smart, driven and successful person he wants to be with all the time. Harper is trying her best to not really let him see the real her, for fear he couldn't love her if she wasn't the "perfect" person she was trying to become. Dan also struggles with his past and the legacy of who he is and what he needs to do -vs- what he wants to do.
What I loved, loved, loved about this novel was how the author shared this beautiful love story in a way that is unapologetic and free from making anxiety the central focus. Certainly Harper has anxiety-but she isn't anxiety-know what I mean? Mazey Eddings showed that ALL people are deserving of love and ALL people come with a past and present challenges which can make finding love a struggle, but there is a matching puzzle piece for everyone if you want to find it badly enough. This is beyond 5 stars! I will be first in line to see what Ms. Eddings writes next!

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This was soooooo good. It's a literally Rollercoaster of emotions- one second you're laughing, the next you have tears streaming down your face. Mazey did an amazing job of making all of the characters so loveable. They're so real and the fact that they're dealing with things like anxiety and guilt make them so dang relatable. I absolutely loved this. I cannot wait until it comes out so I can start recommending it in store... psst... I already have!

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I loved Harper and Dan together. They both had to make some changes and did so in a realistic way. While it covered some serious mental health topics, it was still a light and easy read.

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A Brush with Love had a unique setting & I actually loved the premise of the book and where the tension lies between the main characters. The portrayal of anxiety left me a little uncomfortable, but it is interesting since the author is neurodiverse.

Overall, a sweet nerdy love story.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc in return for an honest review.

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This was such a lovely book, cute and charming and full of delightful banter, while at the same time offering great representation of anxiety. Dan was such a wonderful romance hero, so considerate and swoon-worthy. Harper was a multi-faceted heroine of the kind I love to see. I felt honoured to read an ARC of this book and so very much look forward to what Mazey Eddings writes next!

Thank you NetGalley and St Martins for the opportunity to read.

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A Brush With Love is a cute story that also deals with mental health issues which I found very relatable.

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Mazey Eddings' A Brush with Love was a fabulous rom-com/mental health novel. She did a wonderful job showing how anxiety can touch people's lives.

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Super cute romance novel. I love books that have imperfect/flawed main characters (and not flaws like they just love too much). The beginning is a little cheesy with a love at first sight feel and lots of initial facial caresses (if we touched peoples faces we just met that much we would be social pariahs) but after you get to know the characters and their background the story and characters become much more human and relatable. A little predictable, but isn't that one of the reasons to love romance? Happily ever after all right.

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This book was sweet and funny, yet also dealt with mental health issues in a compassionate and relatable manner. That being said I’m a bit torn on how to review it. The story moved slowly at times, largely due to the characters themselves choosing to do so, and by the time we got to confronting the big issue head-on it moved quickly. All in all, it was a nice read.

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A Brush with Love follows dental student Harper, who is determined to become an oral surgeon and will not allow any distractions to get in her way. That is, until she meets fellow student Dan. Harper tries to keep Dan at arms length by insisting they stay friends, but they may only be able to follow her rules for so long.

A Brush with Love is clever and funny, and it is so easy to get lost in reading this book. Harper is a great example of a strong female lead: intelligent, driven, and focused. And she stays this way in the midst of her feelings for Dan. The love story is equal parts sweet and humorous, and the reader will stay interested until the end. I can't say enough about Harper and Dan's friends; I found myself laughing out loud on more than one occasion because of their added commentary. Even though the majority of the book focuses on romantic and humorous themes, there are some heavier topics such as Harper's anxiety and the discrimination she faces as a female dental student, which the author kindly notes at the beginning of book so the reader is aware. A Brush with Love will be enjoyed by readers looking for a good rom-com book.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC; this is my honest and voluntary review.

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“She looked at Dan and saw the reflection of her surprise in his eyes. She also saw the moment he gingerly took her piece of honesty and cradled it in his mind. He nodded gently, telling her without words that he’d treat that piece of her delicately and with respect. No poking or prodding or nagging for it to be more. Just allowing it to be a small moment of her vulnerability that they now shared.”

In reading the acknowledgments of this novel, Mazey Eddings says that “vulnerability is a superpower”. I’ve been saying for years that wearing my heart on my sleeve is my superpower and THAT is why I connected with this book on every level.

Where do I even start? This book made me understand anxiety, mental illness, guilt, and shame on an entirely new level. I FELT the emotions that Harper and Dan were struggling with. I understand so deeply now.

This is such a tender and beautiful love story. It’s imperfect and messy and HARD. But it’s perfect. You’ll fall in love with Harper and Dan and their AMAZING a group of friends.

It’s so much more than “a romance set on dental school”. It’s a lesson on forgiveness and vulnerability and grace and compassion.

THANK YOU TO @STMARTINSPRESS FOR A FREE ADVANCE COPY OF THIS NOVEL. ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN.

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Could I love this book more? I don't know how it's possible. Did I know I could care about and learn so much about dentistry? For sure not, but somehow, Mazey Eddings makes everything possible. I love Harper and Dan so much as characters in their own right, and as a couple they are lovely. This book has the most realistic depiction of anxiety I have ever read. As someone who experiences thought spirals, and has been in therapy for years, so much of what Harper thinks about, and how she acts is familiar to me. Mazey Eddings does an incredible job of simultaneously making you laugh while teaching you and giving you empathy for these characters' struggles. Also, the cast of supporting characters is delightful! I recommend this book to anyone and everyone, really and truly.

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This was uneventful. I wasn’t a fan of adult romance to begin with so I guess that’s why I didn’t enjoy this.

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4 1/2 stars.

When I started reading this story, I thought it would be a cute rom-com, but it actually turned out to be so much more—a deep story with characters hurting and with family problems.

Dan and Harper falling for each other was inevitable, despite her fighting her feelings so much and for so long. The more time they spend together, the harder it is to stay apart. When Harper's anxiety escalates, everything crashes.

I wasn't expecting such an emotional read that made it impossible for me to put it down.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

Sexual content.

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Synopsis from Goodreads: Harper is anxiously awaiting placement into a top oral surgery residency program when she crashes (literally) into Dan. Harper would rather endure a Novocaine-free root canal than face any distractions, even one this adorable. A first-year dental student with a family legacy to contend with, Dan doesn’t have the same passion for pulling teeth that Harper does. Though he finds himself falling for her, he is willing to play by Harper’s rules.

This book was hilarious! Not just because of the oral jokes (dental humour, anyone?), but also because of Harper's great sense of humour and wit, and her realism. It was so refreshing to read about someone with crippling anxiety. I've never had an anxiety attack as crushing as one of Harper's, but it was nice to read that I wasn't alone in all of my overthinking. Dan's character was nicely rounded out too, and I liked the way that while he complimented Harper's personality, he also had his own story and problems - he didn't end up being the perfect hero who would help her calm her anxiety. Spoiler: I love seeing therapy portrayed in books. With therapy becoming a more common and accepted approach to living life in a healthy way, I love seeing it reflected in a character's life. I want them to get help, and move on from their pain and grief. Eddings does a great job with that here, and I'll definitely look for more books from her in the future.

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Thank you to St. Martin’s, NetGalley, and the author for my review copy—all opinions are my own!

It was an absolute honor to early read A BRUSH WITH LOVE, and to offer it an entirely heartfelt endorsement: tenderly written and oh-so-sexy, A BRUSH WITH LOVE brims with emotional depth, whip-smart banter, and sizzling chemistry.

Set in the world of dentistry and the complicated decade of our twenties, ABWL is such a smart, compassionate, witty, and poignant story that made me laugh one moment, then wipe my eyes the next. Dan’s gone-for-her love for Harper was perfectly swoony, sexy, and tender; Harper’s slow unfurling into vulnerability with Dan, as she entrusted her fears and grief, her anxieties and hopes to him, was beautifully touching. Mazey has a unique talent for rendering raw, human experience with both humor and heartfelt care—this story, like its characters, affirms that all of us are worthy of love and happy endings, that mental health struggles do not preclude us from joy and love and intimacy. In short, this story completely stole my heart.

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This book is really hard to rate and review.

Overall I like the representation of the mental health and anxiety issues. I think these stories are important and representation is great. I also felt that it was unnecessary to give Harper a backstory to her anxiety. Not everyone who suffers from anxiety does so because of a previous tragedy or event. Besides that, I thought the representation was great.

As far as the actual love story goes…

I felt like the conflict between Dan and Harper wasn't enough to keep the story moving. Instalove and slow burn was a really frustrating combination and I found myself skipping ahead.

Overall, good debut and I’ll keep reading more from this author.

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Reluctant romance readers (hi, yes, I am one of you). You have to give A Brush with Love a shot. Or at least remember the name Mazey Eddings - you're going to be seeing her books all over the place soon.

A Brush with Love is smart and sweet and hilarious. The balance between each element in the story is flawless - Eddings will have you saying "awww" one moment and cracking up the next.

Harper is a dental student working towards a residency in oral surgery. She's SMART. She's DRIVEN. She's...AWKWARD (sometimes). She's dealing with some trauma and grief from her childhood and she tends to keep everyone at arm's length. Dan is a first-year dental student, reluctantly trying to live up to a legacy left by his (complicated and not-so-nice) father.

After a meet-cute that's more like a meet-funny or a meet-omg! Harper and Dan become fast friends and, although their story itself is something of a slow burn, they develop feelings for each other very quickly but it never feels insta-lovey or forced.

The good? A Brush with Love is heartfelt and emotional without being sappy. It's sweet without being too sugary (come on, that would be bad for your teeth! ...I'll see myself out). Harper and Dan are lovable, Harper's friends are a GODDAMN DELIGHT. Harper deals with some very real anxiety that is so accurately portrayed on the page, I sometimes forgot that I was reading fiction.

The bad? Most of you are going to have to wait until 2022 to read this. But I have a solution for you: preorder this delightful piece of romcom goodness. It's basically like sending a gift to your future self.

Thank you St. Martin's Press for the NetGalley ARC!

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