- Medical romance
- Meet cute
- Multicultural representation
- Female relationships

Such a good book! As a medical professional I really enjoyed the bits of medicine woven into the story (along with the blurbs describing what things meant). Angie is a great female main character. I loved how strong and driven she was while also being a bit of a mess! Very relatable! Ricky was perfect! Fell for him right away and loved the relationship between him and Angie!
Also loved reading about the female- female relationships! Really brought you into the book and added layers to the story!

Would recommend

This book is about Angie, a Ghanaian-American medical student in Chicago. The story follows her relationships with her family, friends, and new love during her third year of medical school. There are themes of friendship, tradition, self-image, and familial expectation, and plenty of humorous moments, as well. Angie is smart and strong but still figuring things out, just like any young woman at the start of her career.

The author, Shirlene Obuobi, is a physician, so it makes sense that those elements of the story are so accurate. Beyond that, she is currently completing a cardiology fellowship, so I have no idea how she found time to write such a fantastic book! Hello, Wonder Woman!

Read this if you liked The Proposal or The Dating Playbook.

I was so excited to get an e-arc of this book. Contemporary fiction, some romance with a side of medical drama and I'm there. Admittedly, this book had a slow start for me. I started it about a month before I finished it because I kept setting it aside for something else. However, when I revisited the book I ended up reading the final 20 chapters in one night.

This book was a refreshing mix of sweet, silly and serious. Angie is a 25 year old Black woman in her third year of medical school. Her story shows her trying to balance and navigate school, friends, her Ghanaian family, and her love life. It features a diverse cast of characters that the reader quickly gets to know and becomes attached to. My only complaint is that I sometimes found myself feeling annoyed and asking "ugh, what are you doing???" before remembering that Angie is only 25. She is still figuring it all out. When I look back to my life at that stage, despite different circumstances, Angie's experiences are very relatable.

This book has a little something for everyone in the variety of themes it covers. Definitely check it out when it publishes later this month- 6/21!

Thank you to @netgalley and @avonbooks @harpervoyagerus for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

When I saw this book was for fans of Grey's Anatomy, I knew that I had to read this book. I am a diehard Grey's fan, and I came into this book with very high expectations. However, I think the description felt a little misleading because although I absolutely love the romance in this book, and I would describe it as a fluffy rom-com with the medical elements mostly as a secondary plot. That said, I found myself really enjoying this book despite it not being quite what I expected.

My favorite part of this book was the cultural representation. I found myself intrigued by the Ghanaian customs that the protagonist, Angie, describes throughout the book, especially with her sister's engagement. Angie is passionate about racial disparities in the American healthcare system, and I found myself very moved as I watched her grow and change. I found myself loving Angie's independent side just as much as I loved the romance, which is something rare for me with this genre. I would strongly recommend this book to anyone considering going into the medical field or feeling like they would like to see a powerful female protagonist!

I went into this thinking it was a contemporary romance. But this book deals with some pretty serious topics and goes much deeper than you would think. I loved most of this book but felt frustrated through some of it as well. It was kind of an emotionally draining book so be warned. Highly recommend.

I was really excited to read this book but unfortunately it fell a little flat for me. I really liked Angie and her attitude toward life. She’s a strong female character and is relatable.

The whole thing with Ricky was frustrating. The continued back and forth, I felt like he was super wishy washy and didn’t really deserve her. She knew what she wanted and he flaked multiple times. I guess that romance just wasn’t for me. Of course they have a happily ever after though.

Loved the representation in the book all around.

Thanks NetGalley for an ARC for an unbiased review.

An engaging main character, but the incessant use of footnotes throughout the book is a huge distraction, especially in e-book format.

“Love isn’t a test. There aren’t right answers. You can’t get into anyone’s head and puzzle together whether they can love you, or you can love them. You just have to accept the chance that you might get hurt”

An #ownvoices novel with discussions on love, cultural differences, being a black woman in the medical field, immigrant parents, self-sabotage, & complex relationships with friends and family. It was funny, heartwarming, and realistic. `

In the beginning, I was conflicted with Ricky as a romantic partner. I was frustrated and bored with the romance, to be honest, and there were even times when I was rooting against them being together. The miscommunication truly made me want to fight. However, maybe that’s one of the things that makes this book so transparent, and raw. “I’d created a version of him in my head, then broken my own heart when he didn’t fit neatly into the mold” When I came across this quote, I had to stop and ask myself if that was what I was doing with Ricky. He is a flawed character, but so is Angie. They are a reminder that love is not perfect, it isn’t meant to be easy, and does not look the same on everybody. Although, if you are looking for steamy, this isn’t the one.

-I did enjoy the medical drama (the footnotes were extremely helpful)
- I adored her relationships with her friends and wish we got more of it!
-I found learning about Ghanian traditions fascinating and I occasionally stopped to research more or to look up recipes.
-Finally, the ending?! WOW.

Shirlene Obuobi, congratulations on your debut novel!

I'm not sure where to start with what I love about this book. The protagonist, family dynamics, medicine, love story---ALL of it was amazing and made such a pleasant reading experience. I was rooting for the MC from the beginning and loved watching how she managed the different parts of her life. I can't wait for more from this talented author!

With a very interesting central character, we are transported into the world of Angie, a Ghanaian/American medical student in Chicago. Against all odds, Angie is dealing with career and life issues, yet part of Tge American dream of success….becoming a doctor.

This was engaging and inspiring. Angie is a character to be reckoned with, really likable and interesting. I enjoyed tge book and will recommend it. It has just the right, light touch to make it a good summer/beach read.

Thank you Netgalley for this fine and readable novel.

Thank you to Netgalley and Book Club Girl for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! After reading the synopsis, I had really high hopes, but this book was just okay for me. I loved how dynamic Angie was between being focused on her career vs. wanting love and finding self love along the way. I also loved the focus on Ghanian traditions and culture and how it discussed health disparities and racism seamlessly and thoughtfully. However, most of the characters felt flat to me. Additionally, the writing style felt choppy, and I felt that the use of footnotes contributed to the choppiness, as many of the footnotes could have been explained within the novel itself. This book also used a lot of medical jargon, which I felt could have been explained in simpler "layman" ways.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
On Rotation drew my attention thanks to the cover and the blurb…romance/women’s fic meets medical drama sounded exactly what I was looking for. And the book would release during the summer break between seasons of The Good Doctor, and I anticipated feeling withdrawal by that point.
The book itself feels like a bit of a mixed bag, the result of it not being too sure of its own identity. I was fairly sure based on the blurb that the romance would be more secondary, so I wasn’t disappointed in that regard. And it’s generally pretty solid and cute. However, I also felt a lot of the issues the book wanted to focus on, from the stuff with medical school and the family stuff, nothing really was fleshed out and given the justice I felt it deserved.
And that’s a shame, as I love the detail put into conveying the medical jargon in an approachable way, and describing the issues that might come up as a third year medical student. And the family relationships within a Ghanaian-American family are so intriguing. Add the romantic subplot, and it feels very crowded.
I also had mixed feelings about the narrative choices. Angie has an engaging voice, and I love her little comments about everything from the intricacies of medicine to pop culture. But I felt like the style through which some of this humor is conveyed through footnotes was distracting to the flow of the story.
While this book feels very mixed for me, I appreciate what it’s trying to do in exploring the challenges of being a Black woman in the medical field and navigating life as a child of immigrants on both a professional and personal level. If this book interests you at all, it’s worth giving a try.

I really wanted to like this one, but it was not for me. I was excited to read a romance featuring a Black woman med student and I did enjoy those elements, but everything else was disappointing. The read soured for me when the author cavalierly mentions the main character's Ghanaian father not liking that his other daughter was dating an African American. If I don't ever have to hear about immigrant parents' prejudice against African Americans again, I will be a happier woman. I also live for nerdy characters, but I did not love the blerd elements in this story.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review

In short, I really liked this book. Honestly, I love seeing any books set around a medical/science setting, mainly because I'm a STEM major (biology & chemistry) in college along with being pre-med. Anyway, I loved the main character, Angie, because I honestly related to her a lot at certain points. I LOVED THE FOOTNOTES, they really provided some helpful information, especially for stuff I didn't know. I loved the plot, the comedy, and the romance. It was so hard to put this one down

Mixed feelings on this read for me. I loved Angie as a character. She is fierce, funny, and I very much enjoyed experiencing her first person story. Via the footnotes, Shirlene Obuobi ensures we have context for the Ghanian and medical school details she weaves into Angie's story. I learned something while enjoying an interesting fictional story. Those aspects of this book were fantastic. However, the romance elements of the story did not work for me. Ricky & Angie's chemistry was there, but I felt they were problematic as a couple and found myself rooting against a HEA...which rarely happens for me!

4 stars for Angie's med school / immigrant story, 2 stars for the romance story, so this book nets out to a 3 star read for me, personally.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC, in exchange for my honest review.

On Rotation is a roller coaster romance of Angie and the mysterious stranger that she just can’t help but running into. Everywhere! This is a beautiful story that delves into all the heartbreak of family, both blood and chosen, exploring all the ways we self-sabotage, and how to regain our sense of self no matter the trauma we’ve suffered. This book was hard to put down and kept me interested from start to finish.

On Rotation features Angie Appiah, a Ghanaian American medical student living in Chicago, trying to balance her life and happiness all while meeting parental expectations as the oldest daughter. After a surprising break up, Angie meets Ricky, and they have instant chemistry.

This book is a mix of both romance and comedy, but also character growth and coming of age. Angie has trials and tribulations along the way, some of her own making on both personal and professional fronts. Her friends and family both support and guide her and also challenge her, and I enjoyed seeing how she grew and stood up to each test. The epilogue was a little delight as well.

I think On Rotation is a perfect entry into summer reading, for someone who wants a little fluff but some substance as well.

Thank you to Book Club Girl, Avon Books, and NetGalley for the electronic ARC of this novel for review.

4.25⭐
PG-13 for a low-almost-no-steam romance/contemporary fiction

Shirlene Obuobi wrote this book while she was also busy becoming a real life doctor?! I don't know how she found the time but clearly I need to evaluate how to be more productive!

This book had so much good stuff in it: a medical student trying to survive third year rotations, a first generation immigrant family from Ghana with all of the traditions and foods, navigating how friendships change as adults, dealing with the racist microaggresions, and falling in love. I loved the representation in this book--particularly the intersection of being a Black medical student from an immigrant family. I want to see more of this in books!

Angie was so strong and funny and smart even if sometimes she got in her own way. I loved her so much!! Ricky was so sweet and kind and they were perfect for each other. This book did have a lot of well developed side characters and side plots, but that is where the book got a little muddy for me. The pacing was a bit off because the romance was not always driving the story.

Overall, this book felt like both a romance and a contemporary fiction book to me because there was a huge focus on family, friendship, culture and school. I really enjoyed this book (including the footnotes!) and would recommend it to anyone looking for a good STEM romance that truly represents working in a STEM field!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

Here's the thing, I really enjoyed so much about this book, and had it ended differently it would've been an easy 4 stars. But I was actively rooting against the romance, so when Angie got back together with Ricky, my enjoyment completely plummetted.

The writing in this is so wonderful, and the author is clearly so talented. Angie is so well-rounded and well-written, and I related to her immensely. The side characters, too, all felt very real and human. Ricky, too, felt very realistic--as an incredibly toxic man. What I found most unrealistic was everyone encouraging her to go back to him, because, oh my god, if one of my friends went back to him after the FIRST emotional gaslighting, I would've been pissed.

I'll readily admit that I'm projecting a bit here. I've been in relationships with people like Ricky: they act one way, then when you dare mention it they gaslight you all to hell, just to spontaneously pull a 180 and tell you they didn't mean it and you'd been interpreting their actions correctly all along. Men who are selfish, and expect the woman to always just accept him immediately at their word, no matter what their actions indicate, no matter how those words change. He never grovels, because he never feels like he's done anything wrong. Maybe I just wanted her to be better than me, but god was I disappointed when this strong, powerful woman went back to this man.

Everything else about this story was so lovely. The medical drama aspects, Angie finding herself and working towards her future, the ups and downs of her relationships with her friends--all of these were so great. I loved how the big, sad moment existed outside of their relationship, too; I like some of the drama to come extrinsically and I felt this book did that very well. I just wish one of the major aspects of this book hadn't made my blood boil.

3/5 stars because this is well-written and has great representation--although my own personal enjoyment would put this more at a 2/5.

Angie is in med school, which is understandably stressful enough by itself. But add in boy problems, a family with ridiculously high expectations, and friend drama, and it’s quite the mess!

I really enjoyed this book! It’s a romance, but it’s so much more than that - this book discusses family, friends, and different cultures as well. I thoroughly enjoyed all of the footnotes! They made me feel like Angie was a friend filling me in on little details in her life.

Other reasons I liked this book:
Medical setting
Strong female lead
Diverse characters

I’d definitely recommend this one! I can’t wait to read more by Shirlene Obuobi.