I originally was drawn to this book because I saw it was a story about a doctor who was a woman of color. And let me tell you, I got that and so much more.

On Rotation is about Angie, a Nigerian woman who is working her way through residency in Chicago. I may be a little biased because I am from Illinois but I automatically love books that are set in areas I am familiar with. I loved reading this book knowing that Angie was walking around the streets of Chicago. She’s from a popular suburb of Chicago and like myself, Angie is a UIUC Alumni!

I also love reading anything women in STEM, so I had very high hopes with this book. On Rotation explores many complex relationships and it is done in such a beautiful way. This book is DEEP.

There are the emotions that come with not only being a woman of color, but a minority in gender and race in a STEM profession. We see Angie go through the very common yet heartbreakingly complex relationships with her family, her friends, and finding love.

Y’all this book felt REAL! Everything was so on point, relatable, and genuine. I think everyone can find something to relate to in this book, but also can find experiences that are not shared and will be able to walk away learning something new about the struggles that someone different from you experiences.

Thank you Net Galley for this arc! There was so much to love about this story. Angie is a medical student balancing changing friendships, family pressure, romantic woes, and of course her heavy workload. All of the elements and diversity made this such a well-rounded story.
This one comes out June 21! A great summer read. ☀️

On Rotation by Shirlene Obuobi must be one of my favorite novels that I’ve read this year. From the first sentence, I was hooked! It’s so incredibly well written that I instantly got a good sense of who Angie was by the first chapter. And I’ve got to say, my heart went out for the girl. It was all too relatable reading about how she practically falls in love with every dude who treats her nicely, only to be friend-zoned time and time again. I can’t remember the last time I was this personally invested in a character’s development like I was with Angie.
There’s just so much to love about this book, from our main character to the explorations of family, friends and love. I found myself in a state of déjà vu when I was reading Angie’s interactions with her parents. All that pressure. Such is the life of the eldest daughter born from two immigrant parents, right? As the eldest daughter myself, I understood all too well how frustrated Angie was. But Angie’s story taught me the importance of setting boundaries and even cutting off communication for a bit to really drive the point home. It’s a necessary evil! And it proved that point in the end. While the relationship between Angie and her parents isn’t perfect, it was stronger because Angie demanded respect.
I will say that Ricky was not my favorite love interest. He was way too hot and cold with Angie in the beginning and to be honest, I never really forgave him for that. However, he mostly redeemed himself throughout the book. Where his words failed him, his actions said everything he couldn’t express verbally. I appreciated the lengths he and Angie went too to show each other how deep the love truly is. Ultimately, I did root for them to get that happily ever after! All the trials and tribulations they went through proved to be worthwhile- phew!
The dynamics in Angie’s friend group, AKA the Sanity Circle, was also interesting to delve into. I think it’s a such an important sub plot to discuss, how do you react when the closest friend you’ve had pulls away? Is it ever possible to rekindle what once was when you’ve potentially outgrown each other? I think there’s no definite answer, but if any book came close to providing one, On Rotation does a great job of exploring the harsh realities of it. I mean, I was just heartbroken when Nia was moving out and Angie gave herself the “it’s ok, you’re an adult” pep talk. I just…cannot imagine losing my best friend like that. I was so relieved they eventually found their way back to each other!
I can’t express my love for this book enough. I would recommend to all! I can’t wait to secure my copy when this finally publishes so I can re-read and highlight all my favorite parts. Thank you so much to Netgalley and Harper Voyager for the opportunity to read this ARC!

I read ON ROTATION by Shirlene Obuobi and really enjoyed it! Thank you to @avonbooks and @netgalley for advance access to this novel. I rated it 4/5 stars! Available everywhere, June 21.

Angie Appiah is a medical student and does not have time for nonsense. She has a handle on med school, wonderful friends, and a lawyer boyfriend... until she doesn't. In the span of a few weeks, Angie bombs a major test, is cut off from her ride or die, and is dumped. As she tries to put the pieces back together, she meets Ricky: a kind and heartfelt (not to mention hot) graphic designer. In this story of trusting yourself and those who love you, Angie is able to become who she wants to be.

Trigger warning for drug abuse, death, medical scenes, pregnancy, anxiety, and related topics. I thought Angie was a fabulous main character. She's hard working and lives underneath the high expectations of her Ghanaian immigrant parents. I liked the friendships in this novel, they're nuanced and going through growing pains that a lot of teen and new adult readers may emphasize with. And the romance! This too was really well done. It was fun to read, it wasn't a traditional rom-com love. I would recommend this novel to anyone!

Absolutely adored this book! The romance was spot on, the commentary on women of color in medicine was thoughtful and authentic, and the humor had me laughing out loud. Angie felt so real and relatable. A perfect pace and flow that kept me wanting more. Highly recommend, I only have amazing things to say about 'On Rotation'.

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

I enjoyed On Rotation very much. This is a contemporary romance novel but it is also a novel where the protagonist -

- belongs to hard-working immigrant parents with high expectations;

- deals with solid, long-term friendships that are evolving as the characters themselves change in their pursuit of their dreams, hopes & needs;

- the stress of medical school (and what it takes to become a doctor) and “finding your path” (I really enjoyed being able to get an insider’s perspective on the medical school aspect. It was fascinating!)

- and…romance!

But while this story essentially is a romance, I wouldn’t call it a fluffy, frothy romance. The book delivered a lot of feels and gave us essentially flawed characters who are trying to become their best selves.

I adored having a window into the customs and cultural traditions of a Ghanaian household. The knocking, the delicious food, the close community ties, how Angie’s parents came to America and how they got to where they are today… I wish we had seen more of this in the book. I could deeply relate to Angie’s parents’ emphasis on education and getting the best placements/the best jobs, seeking security and comfort over one’s dreams that don’t align with those needs.. the sacrifices they made so their kids could fulfill those dreams. All of that felt deeply personal and relatable.

I loved Ricky: he was a nicely realized character who was truly a good man but also not boringly “perfect” - he was actually far from it and his lack of communication and some of the ways he behaved in the book truly frustrated me. But he was a good guy and even when he disappointed me as a reader, I was willing to forgive and move past it.

Angie was a hard one to like, to be honest. I shaved off a point purely because I found her to be a judgmental, self-righteous, self-involved character (a lot of the times) that was hard to pity or like, even when a situation called for it. She assumed things, made decisions without considering the consequences, could only see the negative side to a situation, hurt folks because she felt hurt…but at the 83% percent mark, she redeemed herself and it was ok. But this did mean that the romance part of the book felt the weakest for me. Their mutual attraction, their banter, their friendship… I loved all of that.

But because of how often they seemed to bring out the crappy parts of themselves to the table whenever they got together, because of misunderstandings, I couldn’t get as invested (vs. irritated). I would have been more invested in the romance if we’d glimpsed more “good” romantic moments. As such I got whiplash when it was a good but short lived moment and then a not good moment right after… Those times, I couldn’t help wondering if they were the right fit for each other. Ricky just deserved better sometimes.

But all in all, this was a very enjoyable read. I would definitely read future books by this author. :)

A great #ownvoices novel about a young Ghanaian American woman working through Med school while also trying to navigate family, friendships and romantic relationships. I really enjoyed this story, especially on audio narrated by Mela Lee (who also voiced Seven days in June). I loved Angie and Ricky's rocky relationship and the way they finally got to their HEA, which was really a beginning to what comes next. Perfect for fans of Grey's Anatomy. Much thanks to NetGalley and Harper Audio for my advanced listening copy!!

This was a fun novel to read. This showcased relationship and friendship development that I felt was accurate and real, but the scenarios in the book were still sometimes unrealistic but in a fun way. It reminded me of the early seasons of the show Grey's Anatomy which I thoroughly enjoyed - the drama, the romances and friendships in and outside the workplace. I am not used to reading about men as vulnerable and "wear their heart on their sleeve" like Ricky, which was refreshing.

On Rotation by Shirlene Obuobi is an easy to love book. The characters are relatable and you want to cheer them on. I will never truly understand the struggles other races encounter but I love reading these type of novels to see how they achieve great things as every single person should have that opportunity regardless of race, nationality, religion, etc. This novel is big hearted and helps to tell the story of community, friendship, medicine, love, and family. Beautifully written and highly recommend.

Rate 3.5

As I read this book, my first impression was that the main character was relatable. The book was pleasant to read, humorous at times, and empathetic. I enjoyed most of this contemporary fiction. But as I'm reading more of the book, I notice that the book isn't my favorite. The plot of the story wasn't my cup of tea. Even though the book covered a lot of themes like dysfunctional relationships, family expectations, medical hierarch, mental health, lack of diversity, self-awareness, and friendship. It just didn't fit for me.

I definitely related to most part of it since she works in the medical field, and I do too. How the workplace can be stressful at times. The under pressure of overcoming and trying to give the best in your job but things happen, and it can get dark at times. Yeah, I can relate to that!
The strong friendship that Angie has with her friends is amazing. I even wish I had friends like them.

But overall, it is a good story, so I recommend it of course give it a shot. It can be worth your time. Thank you NetGallery for giving me a chance to review this novel it was definitely a pleasure, and this is my honest review, thank you!

Instagram @wildpages_1992
Goodreads Mirian Camacho www.goodreads.com/darkangel1192

****Thank you to both the publisher and the author for so kindly giving me an arc through netgalley.


I'm going to be honest, I was skeptical going into this book, it seems almost too good to be true. I myself am the daughter of two immigrant parents and I am finishing up my residency in the coming months, so I had some high expectations from this book.

And wow did Shirlene Obuobi deliver. This is a novel that everyone in the world needs to read, with a strong black female lead and a plot that is actual real life, it hits every mark.

Pacing and length of the story was pretty spot on for me, I didn't feel like anything was being rushed nor did I feel like any parts were going too slow.

If you are a woman in stem, or just a person in general, I would recommend you pick this one up!!

5/5 stars.

I loved this book. I didn’t know what to expect going in, but I do have a medial background so the cover was appealing to me.
This was a contemporary romance, with so much heart and love.
Our main character Angie was so likable and as a reader I felt like I knew her so well by the end. I loved the ties to medicine, and how the author wove in very important and heavy topics without it being too much weight to the story, but instead furthering it.
I enjoyed learning about other cultures in this novel as well.

I went into this book with the wrong expectations I think, I thought it would be more focused on her medical school journey. That felt like it wasn't really that important to the story until the end, almost like the character could have been in any field and the story wouldn't drastically change. Also the romance did throw me off a bit, at some point I just simply stopped caring if Angie and Ricky were going to end up together because they were so back and forth I was getting a bit impatient. When they broke up at her apartment it felt so out of nowhere for me and didn't really make sense considering what had happened moments earlier. The writing was good though and I wouldn't be opposed to reading more of Shirlene's books to see what else she has to offer! My main thing is I wish there was more time spent with the main character at the hospital working because I find that environment so interesting, especially since the main character is still a student and not a doctor.

I love books that make me wish I were friends with the main characters. This book takes that a step further and makes me with I WAS the main character WITH her amazing set of friends.

On Rotation is a romance but it's also a story about relationships with family, and friends from various stages of life. Angie Appiah is a 3rd year med student with an over-involved-in-her-success set of parents, a younger sister about to marry the love of her life, a cool roommate, and a boyfriend who isn't worthy of her. But on the way out of one relationship she meets a man who is. Problem is, while he's awesome, fun, sweet, caring and hot, he's also got a girlfriend already.

The subsequent weeks and months teach her a lot about herself and how she handles all of her relationships while navigating the complicated waters of her career choice. Angie is lovable--that much is clear. Her journey of acceptance about that fact--that she's more than just her parents' Perfect Daughter, the Smarter Sister, the Roommate With All the Problems, and the Girlfriend Who Won't Stick,--is populated with an incredible support system of friends called the Sanity Circle that I wish I had in my life.

It takes her and Ricky (the hot guy she meets while pining for the not-worthy one) a while to sort themselves out and I really enjoyed how that is presented by the author. While you know it's going to work out for them, the way they get to that place is fun, poignant, sometimes frustrating, other times steamy. And is full of emotional constipation, mistrust, misunderstandings, and miscommunications that feel real, not forced or contrived for conflict. Angie and Ricky earn their HEA in a way that is realistic and healthy and, I might add, includes one of hottest sex scenes I've ever read that doesn't include any anatomic specifics. It was a 4 star book for me until I read that scene.

My only issue with it is that it leans hard on current pop culture, from music to animation in a way that might be off-putting for some and may not stand the test of time.

On Rotation brought out so many feelings that I don't know where to start. It may be heavy to some people. You will understand how much a child of an immigrant parent goes through but strides for the better. But I will say that you got to read this book.

I did not immediately fall for Angie as a female character. I found her a bit too selfish when her so-called boyfriend dumped her before meeting her parents for a special occasion. Everything was about how she felt about losing a boyfriend and facing her parents' expectations while balancing medical school. She avoided what people were saying, and it wasn't until she was going through something with her best friend that I realized how much pressure she felt.

She is the older child of immigrant parents that she has high expectations to meet. That's not something for me to understand since I'm the youngest child of immigrant parents. But now, I realize how much pressure an older child gets when you are the first child. You are expected to do what they say. That's something Angie struggles with. She is not happy at the moment. And she is trying to figure it out.

I loved everything about it but especially the examination of female friendships. The relationship between Angie and Ricky… what a roller coaster! For me, I even more appreciated how nuanced and important Angie’s relationships with Nia (especially) and Michelle were. I really enjoyed learning more about the lives of medical students, as well as Ghanaian family relationships and traditions. The supporting cast of minor characters… from Ricky’s abuela to Angie’s mom and sister … made the book even better. What a great read…I’m going to miss these characters!

(3.5) This book was a reminder that I shouldn’t read contemporary romance when I’m about to start my period, because my emotions get all gooey, and I feel painfully single. And, man alive, did the two main characters in this book make me realize that I didn’t have a special someone as I read this sprawled across my bed in ratty sweats and with way-too-oily hair.

Our two romantic leads, Angie and Ricky, have chemistry that leaps off the page, and I really enjoyed them both as a couple and as individuals. They’re flawed characters, but they come off as likable, and you’re definitely hoping the two figure things out. I wish Ricky had been a bit more developed; the first-person narrative from Angie’s POV makes it hard occasionally to see him as a fully realized individual and not a figment of his relationship to Angie. That narration style also sometimes came across as monologue-y, which is never my favorite. Angie and Ricky’s will-they, won’t-they, sometimes defined, sometimes undefined situationship was a bit hard to follow, and I occasionally got annoyed with the way things were playing out. Still, you rooted for the couple’s happily ever after.

It’s more than obvious in this book that Shirlene Obuobi knows what she’s talking about when it comes to the medical jargon, but she never gets you get bogged down in it. Instead, everything is approachable. Her conversational writing style and the book’s cheeky tone make this an easy book to move through. It also really adds to the characterizations, especially Angie’s (as we get her every unfiltered thought); you feel like you’re her best friend. Now, this is a weird thing to have an issue with, but I didn’t love all the asterisks in the book. Because I was reading an electronic copy of the book, the asterisks moved me to the back of the book only to then make me find my original place back in the text. Some of the asterisks related to defining fancy terminology, but others were dialogue and asides that could have easily been included in the text. Things might be different in a print copy of the book, but the constant flipping around for no really good reason grated on me.

I thought Obuobi tackled big issues with aplomb — such as the immigrant experience, implicit bias in medicine, challenging family situations, distrust in medical professionals. The heavy topics never took you out of the book because of the wonderful way Obouobi wrote about them, and everything furthered Angie’s journey. And Angie’s journey was most definitely an enjoyable one to be along for; you really care about her (and feel protective of her) and want her to get everything she desires. I think, largely because Angie is such an enjoyable character, this book has a wonderful heart to it and is a fun read — just, maybe, unlike me, don’t read it when you’re about to start your period if you, too, are single.

Special thanks to NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyage, and Shirlene Obuobi for proving me with an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: 2.5-3 stars

I wanted so badly to love this, but I think the constant will-they-won't-they threw me off. That being said, On Rotation was a decent debut, and I would definitely consider reading Obuobi's next book.

I was very excited to see a book about a medical student and quite impressed when I read the author's note, that the author is currently still in medical training! I can't imagine the workload and also the effort to write a book while doing it!

This is the story of Angie, a medical student, the oldest child in an immigrant family. The nuances of being the child of immigrants, navigating the path between cultures, the interplay of parental expectations and day to day realities and relationships, was quite well done.

Angie is in that time of medical school when one transitions from the classroom to the hospital and patient wards. It's as exhilarating as it is stressful. There are still exams, evaluations, so much detail to the daily rounds and patient management. I think this book told the story of how that training takes over your life--how days are parsed by whether you are on call or post call, how you can never really be counted on to be on time, how the pull of the hospital and the weight of the daily events overshadow so much of your life. It was well delineated here as far as Angie's relationships with family, friends, romantic partners.

There are conflicts in each of those relationships and the resolutions aren't always easy or immediate. When you give so much to others at work, it's sometimes hard to find the energy to give more at home too--be it attention, comfort, companionship. This very much highlights that and Angie's internal monologues about work, patients, her research, tell us how enmeshed she is (as is required by the profession, really) by her studies/goals/aspirations to be a physician.

There is romance as well, but I'd say the focus of this book is more Angie's progression through family/friend/relationship challenges rather than pure romance itself. More Women's Fiction/Own Voices with romance mixed in.

The romantic lead is an intriguing and engaging character. Ricky is smart, funny, empathetic, caring, and like Angie not always the best at communicating. He has his own complicated back story and family history and this is woven into the story as well.
They find each other under what seem to be auspicious circumstances but there are obstacles to overcome along the way, many of them internal and integral to their communication difficulties. The romance was charming but their communication struggles were somewhat frustrating overall. They do get to a good place in the end and Ricky really is an endearing character.

This book held my attention. It did have a different feel when Angie was focusing on the wards/work/studies rather than her friends/family/Ricky, but I did not mind that, having gone through that in my training as well. The themes of burnout, racial disparity of care, the in-jokes and catch phrases, the heartbreaking stories of the wards, all rang very true.

Overall this was a good read. Engaging and kept my interest. Faithful to the medical background. Good themes throughout.

Do you enjoy "why are they both so stupid? COM-UN-I-CATE" romances? Do you enjoy medical drama? Do you want to relive your third year of medical school or learn what that is even like? Have you ever had to redefine a decade long friendship because life changes? Do you like reading about characters with flaws and depth? Have you ever had to balance expectations from yourself AND your family?

If the answer to any of these questions is yes, what are you even doing if you aren't ordering this right now?