After reading several intense thrillers in a row, A Brush with Love was just what I needed. I'm a pharmacist. No one writes romantic pharmacy stories. We are always perceived as being, well ,sort of boring. The same with dentists... until now. Harper and Dan, with all sorts of childhood baggage, fall in love while in dental school and have to pick and scrape their way despite their pasts to achieve the perfect smile of love they deserve.. Complete with snarky banter, steamy romance, and struggles with anxiety and grief, A Brush with Love with certifiably floss your heartstrings! Thank you NewGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!

Harper is in her last year of Callowhill University’s School of Dental Medicine and at the top of her class. She is in her element when she is with patients, in the lab or in the classroom. She is not comfortable out of those places and believes she should handle her anxiety and claustrophobia alone, keeping it from her three best friends. The day she falls down the steps and into Dan, her ability to stay focused on her studies falters. Dan is in his first year of dental school after being successful in finance. He loves numbers and never wanted to join his mother and dad in their dental practice but then his dad dies, and his mother insists she will lose the practice if he does not come with her. He is miserable. The attraction between Dan and Harper is endearing. His concern for her to continue her journey even though he wants to spend more time with her shows how much he cares. She fights the attraction, but he is persistent. I thought the descriptions of the painful claustrophobia and anxiety give the reader insights into those afflictions. Dan’s torment of giving up what he wants to do to please his mother, whom he loves, is something that all can relate. Great story, characters and lessons learned.

Oh boy! This is… this book… this…. Christ! I cannot gather my words… I’m an emotional mess! I felt like I am overwhelmed because of extremely intense feeling injection! I felt too much! I loved this book too much and it hurts!

I haven’t read something so true, so genuine, so sad, so heartfelt, so touchy, so beautiful! My emotions spinning around in everywhere! I cannot collect them!

Dan and Harper… Harper and Dan… you’re adorable! Those vivid, lovely, fragile, broken but still tough souls earned my entire love! They are not perfect! Both of them suffer from their pasts, burdens they carry. They were so merciless to themselves, hurting their souls by putting too much pressure.

Harper is so close to be placed into a top oral surgery program. She’s studying all night, getting straight As,perfect board scores: she’s OFMS ( Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery): her choice of specialty program. She seems like perfectionist, genius, intense: a kind of robot but you couldn’t get so wrong about her characteristics: she hurts so much from her loss of her only family, building walls around herself, suffering from anxiety disorder, trying to hard to be perfect.

She pushes herself so hard to be successful, to be on the top to be untouchable. In that way she thinks nobody hurts her when she suffers from loneliness at the top, all by herself.

Dan, first year dental student with famous father’s legacy, struggling to keep up and accidentally his path crosses with Harper.

He deals with his own traumatic issues and getting bullied by students who know his father’s talent: because his father’s sudden dying affected him so differently anyone can imagine.

First of all: his father was demanding, controlling who liked to humiliate and verbally abuse him for years. After his passing away, he is forced to help her father to run his father’s residency because his mother keeps making complaints how hard to run the business by herself. He rejects his mom’s calls not to hear her extra complaints and he already left his promising job at finance to become dental student.

As Harper suffers from self destruction, he struggles with duties, family baggages, guilt feeling gnawing him inside.

Both of them quickly form a unique, passionate bond. Harper doesn’t want to fall for him because she has to concentrate her career and bright future ahead of her: love attraction would be only a distraction for her, wouldn’t be? And she will eventually leave after 5 months as soon as she gets her acceptance from one of the residency programs.

But what if attraction is stronger to destroy the barriers she’s built? What if she cannot function properly without him by her side? Could she restrain her anxiety monster who tries to take control of her? Could she learn to open her heart?

Oh my goodness! This book is poetic, lyrical, soul healer! It was so much better from entire romance books I’ve lately read and I’m so sure it guaranteed its position at best 5 romance reads of 2022! ( I know it is too early to declare but I follow my heart and my heart follows this amazing book! )

Dear Mazey Eddings did amazing job by writing this debut! She already earned a great fan ( me! Me and me! ) I’m looking forward to read her future works!

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/ St. Martin’s Griffin for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

A Brush with Love has been on my radar for a while after seeing the author’s posts/updates about it on bookstagram. So when the ARC popped up, I had to request it and immediately dive into reading it even though it isn’t out until March 2022. 😆 I have zero regrets of reading it early and had just a great time with this contemporary romance.

When the story begins, Harper is anxiously awaiting placement into an oral surgery dental program when she meets Dan, a first year family legacy dental student. These two form a really lovely friendship right from the start when Harper helps Dan out with some of his dental projects/assignments. Dan falls for Harper really quickly but Harper is determined to keep things “friends only” since she will be moving soon once she is placed in her oral surgery program.

This book was relatable and charming, I enjoyed all of Harper & Dan’s (and their friends) jokes, awkward moments, and banter. I found myself laughing-out-loud quite a few times really early on into the book, which is always a good sign. While this friends-to-lovers romance was sweet to see play out through the book, what I appreciated the most was the anxiety rep and mental health discussions. I really felt for Harper and the grief and anxiety she was dealing with. I think this was a really good debut and I’m excited to see everything else this author writes in the future.

Thank you to the publisher (St. Martin’s Press) for an e-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest thoughts & review. A Brush with Love has a publish date of March 1, 2022.

Well, I certainly wasn't expecting a contemporary romance book about dental students to punch me directly in the face (and the feels) on a Sunday morning, but A Brush with Love did just that. I was happily going along, reading with a big ole' grin on my face at the romance and witty dialog, until Things Got Real and then all of a sudden I was just full on weeping, which has basically never happened to me before and says a ton about Mazey Eddings' writing skill. She got me to _feel_ what Harper was going through and I hated it and also loved it.
It also inspired me to finally make a dentist appointment, so thanks, I guess.

Easy 5 stars, take tissues along with you when reading. I'll certainly be recommending this to patrons.

Oof, I don't know if this was a situation of expectations just being too high -- and for a debut, no less -- but maybe my expectations were just too high. Even after all this time, I haven't learned.

I don't want to downplay all the good within these pages, the conversations around how grief changes you, the shocking way anxiety can control your life and how debilitating it is, even with coping and control methods, the importance and positivity around therapy.. and like, I did find the main characters cute.

But this book just didn't take over my mind or my thoughts. I obviously reached for it way early, because I was keen, but I wasn't bowled over by this. It's good, sometimes very good, sometimes very sweet, but overall? I don't think I'll remember it in a week.

I did like that this centered around dentists, I don't think I've ever read (or, now that I think about it, watched..) a story with this as the career or back drop and it was interesting to have that change in scenery.

I feel like a heel; I'm bummed to have read this so early and now won't be screaming and shouting and pushing this on everyone and anyone I know. I still think if you were interested, you should absolutely give it a shot. I think it's very possible I'm just the human embodiment of a wet blanket these days so this could totally just be a me thing. That said, I would read this author again, for sure.

3.5 stars

This book is a laugh-out-loud swoonfest featuring a lovable couple who grapple with real fears and concerns. Harper is a passionate dental student at the top of her class. She meets Dan who is the same age but is just starting dental school (reluctantly) as a legacy admit. With her residency quickly approaching, Harper doesn't want to jump into a relationship, despite her strong chemistry with cinnamon roll Dan. As they try to stay friends, they learn about each other's pasts and anxiety, and how it pushes and pulls at their growing relationship. It is big-hearted and written with such care and I can't wait for everyone to fall in love with Harper and Dental Dan.

Thanks NetGalley and St. Martin's for the ARC!

I loved A Brush With Love so much. It’s like Grey’s Anatomy but dentists and oral surgeons and an HEA. Right from the beginning, I was hooked, but for the first few pages I did keep saying, this book is great, but dentists? I’m glad I didn’t let my dentist aversion stop my from reading.
I have laughed so hard and cried and enjoyed the heck out of one of the best verbal admonishments of a person ever written.
The book is also an important work right now. It deals with mental health and anxiety in a real, raw, emotional look at how anxiety hurts and how to get help.
I was worried about that when I read the warning at the beginning of the book. I have anxiety, so I wasn’t sure I wanted to read a book that brings it front and center when one of the reasons I love romance so much is because it provides escape. But as I fell in love with Harper and Dan’s story and hurt with Harper as she struggled and cheered for them both, I lost the worry.
The author deals with real issues in a real way and delivers a strong romance the ends with one of the best big gestures ever.
I’m so glad I read A Brush With Love. It was AWESOME! Highly recommend.

3.5

i liked but didn’t love, which kinda disappointed me. that being said, i’m thinking that was just a me thing, so don’t let me stop you from reading this book! the love between dan and harper was so pure, and thu and the crew were too funny.

#netgalley

A Brush with Love simultaneously made me laugh, broke my heart, and taught me more than I ever imagined about dentistry. The characters are charming, the dialogue is great, and I really appreciated the perspective on mental health. I felt so seen by how the topic of anxiety was handled.

I really hope the author writes more books with Harper's friends as lead characters.

This book is actual perfection. Mazey has given us a real, honest and raw portrayal of what living with anxiety looks like. Harper navigates her life and relationships, while always living with crippling anxiety and debilitating panic attacks. When she meets Dan, all semblance of order flies right out the window.

This might just be the best book I’ve read so far this year. Mazey writes with so much heart, wit and care. Harper and Dan will rip your heart to pieces and then preform some dental surgery magic to put it back together again. I love them and this book so so much.

I ADORED this book!! And that's saying a lot because I have a MAJOR phobia of dentists - ha! Harper is in her last year of dental school preparing to become an oral surgeon. She is in the top of her class, but it hasn't come without a price. Dan is in his first year of dental school and is struggling. When Harper and Dan have a chance meeting, it is the start of a beautiful friendship. Harper and Dan both have family/personal issues they are dealing with which inevitably bleed into their relationships.

Mazey Eddings writes with an honest and authentic look at mental health. The way she describes the feelings of anxiety are amazingly accurate for someone who has felt that strangling pressure, and incredibly eye-opening for someone who hasn't. There were moments that I was frustrated with some of Harper and Dan's decisions and behaviors, but as Eddings reminds the readers - everyone's journey is different. I appreciated the fact that she wrote how there are people who can LOOK okay on the outside, but are crumbling on the inside. It's also important to note that she does offer her characters resolutions and opportunities to seek help.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book is amazing on every level. It’s funny. It’s smart. It’s so so swoony. And also tear-inducing in the best possible way. Harper and Dan were such real people and I couldn’t help but root for them every step of the way and yes I was screaming KISS ALREADY!!

I especially found Harper's journey with anxiety and panic attacks moving. The scene in which she has a meltdown in the bathroom was intense and extremely relatable. I also enjoyed Dan's journey, finally learning to stand up for what he wanted in terms of career and in dealing with his family.

Highly HIGHLY recommend this fantastic book and look forward to reading everything Mazey Eddings in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins for the advanced read in exchange for an honest review.

A solid 4.5 that I'll round up to 5 because it really was so enjoyable. This is a very sweet story about nice people who deserve to be happy. It doesn't revolutionize the genre or anything, but it doesn't need to. I laughed out loud several times. I smiled at the ending. It threaded the gap between realism and romance nicely--it wasn't a total confection, but wasn't too heavy either. The characters were adults with trauma who managed it pretty well given their ages and histories.

One of my favorite things about the best books in the genre is that, along with the story, you get a little peek at another world. I can't say I ever had any particular interest in dentistry or oral surgery, but it was still interesting to see what goes into studying and becoming a practitioner. I always appreciate learning a little something along the way! There's a really well-written scene of the main characters dealing with institutional and workplace sexism. I appreciated how the author handled the topic.

It's definitely R-rated, but, funny enough, the raunchiest bits are not the on-page sex (which is tasteful, joyful, and light on tab A, slot B mechanics while still being quite charged!) but the banter between the various friends, which is a hoot, because if you can't be delightfully profane with your friends, what's the point???

I'd heartily recommend this for a fun, funny, uplifting read!

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read & review!

I don't think I could ever find the words to express how much this book means to me, but I'll still give it a try.
A Brush With Love broke me a million times and healed me back together before the end. There isn't a single thing I would change about this book. As a medical student, I've never seen such good representation of what it's like to go through a program that is so hard on the body, the mind, and the soul, all the while acting like it's easy to do and it's the best thing that has ever happened to you. I've also rarely seen such great generalized anxiety disorder rep. Simply put, by reading this, I felt seen. Sometimes I 100% related to Harper, the dedicated dental student who would do anything to succeed academically, even if it meant risking her social life and mental health. At other times, I related to Dan, the dental student who didn't feel like he truly belonged, and who was envious of people who had found not only a passion, but a lifestyle in the curriculum. It's hard to explain all these feelings to people, but Mazey did it with such brio and compassion, I'm still trying to catch my breath from how good she is. This book is pure gold.

TLDR: Buy this book and give debut author Mazey Eddings all your love. She's here to stay.

A Brush with Love was absolutely amazing! I had the honor of reading this beautiful, cute, amazingly funny advance ebook!. And let me just say...... Y'all will fall in love with the beautiful characters.
I loved the romance, the friendships, the writing... Mazey did an absolute fantastic job and I'm so excited seeing it's a series! Yay!
The chemistry was fire and stunning! Overall this was a homerun book.and I can't wait till March 2022 to get my hands on a physical copy!

I can't thank St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley enough for this Awesome copy! 😍