i loved getting a glimpse into angie’s life, which explores how she balances her stressful year as a medical student, the pressures and expectations her parents place on her, and her friendships ALL while searching for “the one.” with the being said, i felt like the storyline jumped around and i found it difficult to focus on one aspect. in one chapter angie might be figuring out how to navigate patient rounds in the hospital… and the next she’ll be having an argument over the phone with her sister. i felt like some of these details could’ve been left out and the plot would’ve still been strong.

i also couldn’t find myself invested in angie and ricky’s romance (although they are both sweethearts!) because it didn’t seem like they spent as much time just the two of them. however, i found myself gushing over the moments they were able to share alone. if ricky were a puppy, he’d be a golden retriever… he just wants to please everybody, especially angie! the heart eyes he has for her is made clear by the way he trusts and looks out for her. i wish there hadn’t been as many obstacles in the way of allowing their relationship to bloom sooner because i felt that their romance took too long to develop and i was left wanting more

This romance between medical student Angie and Ricky, a man she met when she was feeling blue is lovely and wholesome. Angie is from a Ghanaian immigrant family who demand a lot from her. Ricky is from a close Latine family that isn't without its challenges. Angie gets her warmth from her roommate and long-time best friend Nia and their friend group. The story is as much about Angie finding her way as a doctor-to-be, standing up to her parents, and negotiating what happens in friendships with people's relationships begin to take precedence as it is about whether or not she gets the man.

I was surprised by the emotional depth that this book had! Angie was a hard working, messy, beautiful character and I enjoyed watching her navigate her changing relationships with her family, friends, and boys. I loved that I also learned so much about Ghanian culture!

This book felt really similar to Honey Girl to me in that a lot of the book didn't feel like it was about finding love, but rather finding yourself. Angie is stressed about med school, she's trying to figure out how to stay on top of her relationships with her friends, and how to stand up for herself to her family. She's funny and spunky but also begins the book very insecure which is something I think we can all relate to.

The romance was actually my least favorite part of the book, mostly because I didn't feel like I got to know Ricky very well. He felt very vanilla to me, except for his love for his family. I would have loved to see more of his personality shine through, which I think would have also helped me to see why Angie was fighting so hard for him.

Overall, I picked this one up on a whim but was really glad that I did!

On Rotation by Shirlene Obuobi was a fantastic read! Perfect for Grey’s Anatomy fans or for those who loved a Brush With Love! This book follows Angie Appiah through her last two years of medical school. Her younger sisters engagement sets off a few reactions in her own life. I loved how much detail the author was able to put into the story from her own medical school experiences. I laughed and cried with Angie and know you will to!

This book is funny and interesting and romantic and I loved all of the vibrant characters. As a chronic overachiever myself, every time Angela gets something fantastic but slightly under expectations, I’m also absolutely gutted. Honestly, I don’t really read straight romances, but this is a great exception. Five stars.

On Rotation is such an enjoyable story. It’s billed as a rom com, but I found it more of a journey through self-discovery with a love story interwoven throughout. At the beginning of the book Angie seems to have it all - a successful lawyer boyfriend, a solid group of friends, a loving family and has a promising future in the medical field. One by one the pieces of Angie’s life start to fall apart and the future she was so certain of begins to look nothing like she expected it to.

The author did a wonderful job of blending family, romance and work/the medical field so we really did get to know Angie. I loved meeting her friends and family and I really enjoyed learning a bit about Ghanaian culture. That’s one of the elements I wish we could have seen more of. Angie’s romance with Ricky was a little frustrating at times - so much back and forth drama that could have been prevented with communication. It was easy to root for them, though.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Avon for an advance copy. Definitely check out On Rotation this summer!

I needed this book. Truly, honestly, and desperately. It is really a novel for those who have a plan that gets derailed and where to go from there. I love the story of exploration that Obuobi weaves. This book is dedicated to the eldest immigrant daughters. With so much voice and passion, you genuinely cannot get enough of Angie. There are some books that come to you at a certain time in your life and you need to read them then and there because they are meant for you NOW, not a second later. This book is one of them. I cannot recommend this book enough.

The story opens with a beautiful Black women with a booty getting dumped just before her boyfriend is supposed to meet her parents at a Ghanaian ceremony where her sister's boyfriend will be asking for her hand in marriage. Angie is a doctor and liked the idea of scoring a lawyer, but isn't that heartbroken over the split. A bunch of terms with Capital Letters and asterisks hinted at cleve asides to augment the story... but the ebook version didn't hyperlink or endnote the asterisks, detracting from my understanding of the characters and cultures. I read through the first two chapters before giving up.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me an ARC.

What a lovely rom-com written by Dr. Obuobi! As a fellow Chicagoan, I loved all of the wonderful descriptions of the city and got completely swept away in the story (which explains how I read it in 2 days, while being on my pediatric rotation…)

As a resident, I was hesitant to read this because I read to get away from medicine. But this story was so compelling I didn’t mind. For anyone outside of medicine, the references have footnotes to fully explain the medical school vernacular. This is definitely not Greys anatomy though, so if you’re expecting it to be extra light on reality of medicine and extra steamy on the romance, this isn’t the book for you.

Finally, I loved the inclusivity of the characters as well as getting the opportunity to learn more about Ghanaian culture. What a treat of a book!

ON ROTATION
BY: SHIRLENE OBUOBI

I thought that this was going to be more about doing a Medical Residency but it had more of the romance vibe than anything. Angie had just gotten dumped by her boyfriend Frederick and she has not scored well on her exams. She is home visiting her parents who expect more from her since she is the oldest child. She meets Ricky who she feels cheered up from only for him to tell her that he has a girlfriend. She gets an early birthday present from her best friend and roommate to see a Beyonce concert and there is Ricky with his girlfriend. His girlfriend breaks up with Ricky. He keeps running into Angie at the hospital.

Ricky and Angie start studying and meeting for coffee and he gives her rides home. They are just supposed to be friends but it turns out to be growing into something more. Angie's sister Tabatha gets engaged. Ricky and Angela get their Happily Ever After.

This was mostly a romance which worked okay. What little medical scenes that took place were my favorite, but they were not nearly enough for my interests. The romance was not what I was expecting, but it was an entertaining reading experience.

Publication Date: June 21, 2022

Thank you to Net Galley, Shirlene Obuobi and Avon and Harper Voyage for providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

#OnRotation #ShirleneObuobi #AvonHarperVoyager #NetGalley

This was a wonderful read. It’s clear from very early on that Shirlene writes from experience as a med student from an immigrant family. Read the footnotes! They are not just there to explain medical stuff! They are delightful moments of Angie breaking the fourth wall with commentary in addition to some that are actual footnotes to explain medical or cultural info.
Angie and Ricky go on a real rollercoaster throughout the book. I got frustrated with both of them at times but never lost interest in their stories together and apart. I really loved Angie’s journey through her rotations and her drive to get a good match. As a female in a male dominated profession I related, to an extent as I know it is much harder for bipoc than myself, at how unfairly the system can treat you and how much harder you have to work to even hope for the same treatment.
I truly enjoyed going on this journey with Angie, bc it really is her story more than just a romance.
Thanks NetGalley and Harper Collin’s publishing for this arc!

I had very mixed feelings about this book. Angie is a third year medical student with so many problems arising. Her parents from Ghana have certain expectations from her that she can't seem to meet. Her partner, Frederick, just called the quits. Determined to make herself feel better, Angie goes to a fair but finds herself extremely upset and runs off to a garden to cry in peace...at least she thinks. Next thing she knows, a Mexican man named Ricky is consoling her and they are sharing details about their lives that they've never expressed to others. Their banter is fun and their attraction is clearly magnetic but when Angie decides to make a move, Ricky lets her know he is taken. Angie runs away and swears off men. Fortunately, for her birthday, her roommate (Nia) gifts her Beyonce tickets and she is able to have a fun night out with her closest friends. She even makes a new friend in the bathroom who asks if her and her boyfriend can join them. Riding on this wave of "the more the merrier', they meet up with her boyfriend only to find out it's the one and only Ricky. Angie is extremely uncomfortable as she is continuously put into social situations with his presence. However, when she finds out that Ricky is not single after three years, could fate bring them back together?

The biggest strength of this book was the discussion of family expectations and navigating the medical field as a Black doctor. I really enjoyed hearing about traditions from Ghana, specifically how a man proposes to a wife. It was also interesting to hear the expectations that one's parents have. In addition, Obuobi initiated crucial conversation about how Black patients are typically disregard. When Angie's Step test score isn't ideal, her mentor encourages her to pursue research to add a publication to her resume. Angie decides to harness her mission as a doctor and research how Black patients are disregarded. Even though her mentor discourages this project, I really enjoyed Angie's persistence to raise awareness for this issue.

I also enjoyed that there was a non-binary character, Shae, in this book. Obuobi did a fantastic job including them as a supporting character and I really enjoyed their relationship with Angie's best friend, Nia. Honestly, I was more interested in this couple than Angie and Ricky. Shae was introduced very casually, which I appreciated because often times non-binary characters have a big coming out story. I really enjoyed her organic introduction.

I had so much trouble with Angie as a protagonist and Ricky as a love interest. Their chemistry was not believable to me. I found Angie very immature as she got upset with Ricky over things that were often out of his control. For instance, when he stated that he wasn't ready for a relationship, Angie got extremely upset. I can understand that there was a level of "leading her on" but at the same time, one is entitled to explore their feelings with someone and enjoy their time together without having to commit to a relationship. One should be able to take their time, especially since Ricky had just gotten out of a relationship of three years. In addition, I found Ricky's introduction very annoying as well. The fact that he had VERY CLEARLY led her on in this instance was ridiculous. No one buys someone they just met a necklace without wanting to pursue them.

Even though I have mixed feelings about this book, I still think it has great conversation about Black patients and Black doctors as well as family expectations. I would recommend this book for those reasons. Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an eARC to complete this review.

For some reason, the process of medical school matching is showing up in so many places for me, lately! I loved the look inside what it's like to be a medical student, how it's so much more than Grey's Anatomy would lead us to believe (I knew there was more to it, just never bothered to find out what it was!)

Families are tricky, and here we see so many different types of families, from those whose expectations we're afraid we won't meet, to those whose trauma we're not sure we can take on, to the struggles of found family and the evolution of friendship. While I was often frustrated with the characters in this book, I can identify with the feeling of needing to just walk away rather than take on the emotional investment to see something through to the other side.

I definitely recommend this book for summer reading lists this year!

Angela “Angie” Appiah is in medical school and trying to be the perfect immigrant daughter to her Ghanian parents. When her boyfriend dumps her, everything falls apart. Angie bombs the most important exam to decide what she wants to do in her medical career. Then her best friend pulls away, and despite everything she does to meet her parent’s standards; she always falls short.

Angie questions every decision she’s ever made, especially one’s concerning her love life. Then Ricky Gutierrez pops up and makes everything more complicated. He is far from the man her parents would want her to be with, but there’s just something about him.

The cover initially drew me to this book, but I admit the synopsis sucked me in as well. I really enjoyed getting to understand a little about Ghanaian culture. Angie is a character that I could really see myself in. She’s relatable even when she’s incredibly frustrating, but I think her heart is always in the right place. It's hard to stick up for yourself to your parents, but I’m glad she could grow in that relationship, particularly with her Mom. It was impactful to see Angie strive to be successful in medical school and pursue a study that she felt would make a difference.

The relationship with Ricky frustrated me because there was a lack of communication that could have fixed a lot of issues. Despite Ricky being nothing like what her parents would want for Angie, I like that she still pursued the relationship, anyway.

This book is real. It explores a woman of color as she’s trying to find herself, love, and represent well for minorities. The representation of a woman in STEM was refreshing and lovely to see. I really loved this book! The pacing was perfect, and it sucked me in from start to finish.

Thank you to Net Galley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC!

As a soon-to-be medical school graduate, I thought the med school representation in this book was great. Balancing relationships, school, friendships, family, sleep, etc is exhausting and hard. Trying not to measure your worth by your academic accomplishments is a never-ending struggle. And I think watching Angie struggle with these things was relatable and realistic.

I cannot pretend to relate to the cultural and generational dynamics in the book, but I loved learning about them. It is a different kind of pressure to know that your parents/grandparents immigrated to a new place to give you better opportunities and that they have expectations when it comes to that. I enjoyed seeing both Ricky and Angie work through this and bond with each other over these differences. Ricky's familial struggles are also a very relatable and common struggle for teens and young adults. How do we balance our love for people with our anger at their shortcomings? How do we protect ourselves while the people we love continue to cause us harm, emotionally?

The characters are human. Angie did have me wanting to pull my hair out sometimes, but she wouldn't be a complex, realistic character if she didn't.

This book is just...wow. I know it's suppose to be a romance novel but by god, I felt like everything that this book tackled was so amazing and actually overshadowed the romance (in a good way). I was hooked from the first page and the writing is so engaging that I just kept turning through the pages (even though I should have gone to bed). It tackled overbearing immigrant parents who want the best for their child but don't realize how detrimental they're being, the guilt that comes with wanting space from your parents who gave up everything to give you a better life, the pressure there is to make that sacrifice worth it. The inclusion of Ghanian culture was also fun to read and learn about. Also, I am currently getting a doctorate in a healthcare field, so while I may not relate exactly to the medical student experience, it nice to feel represented, especially with the imposter syndrome. If anything, the only aspect about this book that I actually didn't particularly like was actual romance. I was really hoping that the MC wasn't going to end up with the guy that she met - it almost seemed cliche, and I wouldn't have even particularly minded that if their relationship wasn't so...turbulent. Be warned for minor spoilers: everytime something positive happened, there was always, always something negative that followed which got old real fast. Also the way that problems that came between them weren't really addresses or forgotten: the MC was late once and he was being snippy about it and it was never addressed again in a healthy manner. This may just be my view on the romance though. The only other minor complaint I have, which may be because I had an electronic ARC of this book, is that it was not clear nor did I realize that the asterisk were extra bits of information at the back of the book until I finished the book. Whoops. Overall though, this book was great and I think it is more of a women's coming of age story rather than romance, which made me like it all the more.

Thank you Netgalley, Harper Voyager & Avon for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is a really solid debut - it manages to balance a lot of things (romance! medicine! being an immigrant!) really well without leaning too far into any one, particularly the parts of being a medical student that might come off as tedious or gross.

This book took a bit to grab me, and I admit to not being sold on the love interest. But it was, in the end, a very compelling read, and felt super realistic. I'm looking forward to seeing what else this author writes!

I love a medical school drama and was excited to read this book after hearing all of the buzz. However, this was a DNF for me. The relationship drama was boring and the character interactions rang false.

This book follows a young medical student on rotation as she goes through the other, “normal” aspects of life that her friends are going through as well. She has to tackle the stresses of medical school and living her normal mid-20s life with her friends, relationships, etc.

The first chapter had me hooked, and the descriptions of The Ass cracked me up. I thought the writing was great and enjoyed the storyline, especially with the friendship struggles Angie faces. Honestly this book touched on it all - relationships, friendships, family struggles, and struggles with medical school. I loved the complicated scenarios that arose in medical school and how the story played out.

Shout out to a non-binary side character! I love the representation in the book and how it didn’t feel forced. The integration of Ghanaian culture and traditions was so fun and I loved how the author included footnotes to further explain or just comment on what was just said.

I really enjoyed this book and will definitely keep my eye on this author!!

A wonderful story about a woman in color pursuing medicine. One thing that stood out to me while reading this was the eldest daughter syndrome. From the start of the book, Angie tells of the difference oh how she and her younger sister were raised. With her mom being less strict when it came to her sister, I couldn't have felt more seen. of course, I got so much more from the story. It tackles so many things from complicated relationships to problems that a woman of color like Angie had to deal with as a minority in a profession like medicine. This book felt so real! I enjoyed every second reading this.