The writing is really witty. The book managed to shed light on living with anxiety in an accurate way without bringing you down. The dental aspect was a new twist and I actually learned some things! Eddings worked in a lot of different aspects on all relationship fronts, not just the main romance, making the characters and story feel more well rounded.

1.5 Stars
This book really didn’t work for me. The mental health and dental aspects were well represented, but everything else was a struggle. I would have stopped at my "do-or-die" 30% mark, but felt the need to give it more of a chance since it was an ARC. Instead of the story getting better for me, it only compounded the reasons I didn't care for it. It goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway. Reading is subjective and the following opinions are all based on my personal reading tastes.

First, the humor felt forced and the romance felt awkwardly paced. It was an odd mix of a rushed romance with a painful push/pull between the H/h. Their lusting after each other got old, especially with Harper's habit of suddenly shutting it all down because she was determined to stay in the “friend zone.” This happened numerous times and it led to the inconsistent pacing.

Dan was a nice book hero and I really felt for his familial backstory and what he felt he needed to do for his mom. The emotional manipulation by his parents was horrific and yet, I’ve seen it in real life. That got to me. His was definitely the stronger of the two narratives.

Harper didn’t appeal to me at all. There were definite positives to her character, but as a heroine for Dan, I didn’t see it. Maybe as a desperate grab for something in his life that wasn’t self-imposed drudgery, but not as a legitimate love interest. I admired Harper's scholarly and occupational drive, but that only made me more frustrated with her character when she battled back and forth with herself and Dan. Overall, she was extremely hot and cold. Not a favorite trait in a book heroine.

Another thing I didn't care for was the dialogues and internal monologues. Some of the dialogue made me cringe. Especially during the intimate and playful scenes. Who calls their young 20-something soon-to-be boyfriend their “lover” while in the midst of the grand gesture? Ugh, no. I just couldn’t embrace some of their dialogue during their supposed romantic moments and their love declarations were too fast in light of everything else.

The only things that felt original in this book were the dental school setting and the mental health depiction. As it was, I struggled through humor that tried too hard and a romance that I wasn’t at all feeling.

Audiobook notes: A few of the more dramatic scenes concerning Harper felt overdone and I’m going to put some of that blame on the audio narration. The female narrator had a tone with Harper that verged on melodramatic. If I considered the same scene with my own interpretation, it sounded better in my head. As a whole, I don't think the audio did the story any favors.

This book had some cute moments, I like the way the relationship of the two main characters unfold and I actually really liked all the dentist talk , I actually thoughts it was fun to hear all about it. My main complaint was the audio part for some reason the male voice when he would say things that the women character did , I couldn’t stand his voice pertaining to be here it made it very hard to stay in the moment of the book for me.

I was really looking forward to this one. Alas, it was a miss for me. However, the problem wasn't the writing style, but the characters. The writing style is solid, and I'll definitely try others by this author. Unfortunately, this story didn't work for me.
The heroine is a doctor studying to be a dentist. It's set in modern times, with tons of feminism shown in her interactions with staff and patients. Yet for all that forward thinking, she doesn't go to therapy or medicate her debilitating anxiety. This left me feeling that the author wanted disability rep, but chose something like anxiety because it's sometimes seen as 'a light mental health issue'. Well, I have anxiety. The description on page is accurate, and makes me want to shake her. Take meds. Go to therapy. Take care of yourself. As an enlightened MEDICAL feminist it's utterly baffling that this character doesn't take care of herself in the most basic sense. Take a chill pill. Literally.
As to the hero, he's pushing really hard to come off as a 'good guy'. But when, after 1 or 2 beers while out with her friends in a low key bar/brewery, she relaxes enough to flirt with him, he 'cuts her off' because he says she's a lightweight. That reads as condescending AF.
She's safe. She has transportation. She's surrounded by her friends in a known environment. And most importantly, she's a grown adult and he has no say in how much she drinks while out with friends.
Sorry, but I have to put this one down and walk away.

I wanted to enjoy this one. I loved the premise and the story line (dental school and mental health issues in a relationship). I think Harper and Dan have a super meet-cute star, but they have a lot to unpackage and the journey to get there was painful. I think I just did not care for Harper very much. Dan has his own set of issues as well, but Harper was more abrasive in my opinion. I don’t mind descriptions of physical longings and desires, but this book felt over the top for me. There was a lot of focus on the sexual tensions and many of the descriptions made the characters seem pretty immature. Others may appreciate the level of steam, it just ended up being a turn off for me.
I did like the narrators and thought they did a good job of carrying the pace and the tone.

I received a complimentary audiocopy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

A goofy, slow burn with equally flawed main characters. Harper was a perfectionist with deep seeded trauma from her past. Dan was living his life for someone else. But together, they became different people entirely. I really liked them together!

I wanted to love this book but the sexual tension was too drawn out and I honestly couldn’t relate to either of the characters. The amount of dentistry specific details was a bit overwhelming. I struggled with the way mental illness was depicted in such a negative light in this read. That rubbed me the wrong way, as someone who’s dealt with mental health issues and isn’t ashamed of them.

Overall the story was cute and well written but it was much longer than it needed to be, especially with the super rushed ending that was wrapped up in a pretty bow.

I listened to this book on audio and the narration was excellent! The characters were really brought to life by the two narrators.

Thanks to Net Galley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC of A Brush With Love 🎧

Mazey Eddings debut novel is oh so sweet 💕. It’s coming out early next month and it’s definitely worth the read!

The portrayal of Harper's anxiety throughout the novel was so well done. I think the angst she feels in her relationship with Dan as well as the stress brought on by a demanding academic program is so relatable.

I also really enjoyed the way sexism was dealt with in this novel. I was right there cheering Harper on as she explained the realities of sexism in the workplace to Dan👏.

The romance between Harper and Dan gave me all the warm fuzzies. You can’t help but smile throughout this one. Watch for it to hit the shelves in March.

This was a delight to listen to. I especially loved ❤️ the narration by Emily Lawrence.

I think I would've loved this book so much more if it had different narrators. I couldn't really stand the narrator for Harper and how she voiced her best friend either. Harper and Dan's relationship was straight up adorable and I loved their connection, but the narration really killed it for me. I'll definitely be picking up a physical copy to read it in a new light, but I wish I could've loved this version much more than I actually did.

Let it be known upfront, I was given an advance copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. I was entangled like ivy with budding romance with all its thorns from the very beginning, of course they didn’t realize two worlds had just collided on the back stairs of their dental school Dan,an undergrad and Haley a totally consumed senior awaiting news of her oral surgery residency match. First choice NewYork.She will allow nothing to take her mind off her goal. Everyone tells her, you are top of the class, take a second to enjoy life, live a little. No, she was very adamant, but Dan was different, though he was driven too. To prove to his father wrong he would become a doctor and come home to run the family business. Even though this isn’t the life that speaks to him. He already had a job doing what he loved in finance and he showed great talent in i he was already set on the ladder to success in finance. His father was totally disappointed in his son for not becoming a doctor and to run the established family business. He was only becoming a doctor to feel like he earned his fathers respect. Although his father has died by now. Haley’s mom had died from facial injuries caused by a car accident. Haley is working through anxiety because she knows if she would have had the best skills she would have been able to save her mom. She is much like a hamster on the spinning wheel in a cage. Working hard with no outside distractions. Until Dan he took everything slow and wanted to be considered a trusted best friend. His plan works and romance is slow to follow, but that is the fun part the slow boil. Boil it does. Then of course they break it off. It is for you to find out if they are together in the end Yes I absolutely loved this audiobook with its narrator. Thanks to #NetGalley,#MacmillanAudio,#ABrushWithLove, #MazeyEddings for allowing me to listen to an advance copy. I look forward to reading, or listening to more of her books. Yes I would definitely recommend this book to anyone wanting a fun read or listen. Spring break take along or a summer beach read.This book is just what I needed, a straight up fun read!

This book earns 2.5 out of 5 stars from me, so I’m rounding up to 3 stars. There were several things I liked: the story concept, Harper and Dan (they’re backgrounds and the dynamic between them), and Judy. There was a lot of flirty banter, especially at the beginning of the book, that I enjoyed. Also, the narrators for the audiobook are fantastic. However, this book was steamier than what I prefer to read. The innuendos were constant and all the characters (with the exception of Judy) were super horny. This book wasn’t my cup of tea, but may be a better fit for a different reader.

*Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Loved, loved, loved this book! Harper and Dan are just your average dental students dealing with life’s problems and Harper literally falls for Dan and the rest is history. I loved this book’s exposure to people who deal with anxiety and severe anxiety triggers. I loved the “finding your place in this world for you” journey from Dan, and I absolutely adored the ending. 🥺 This was a perfect, feel good, happy ending rom com. Thank you NetGalley for my opportunity to read this book early!

5/5 ⭐️ thank you very much netgalley! I loved it a lot, it was amazing and it dealt with anxiety really well in my opinion, I loved how the relationship developed, it was honestly amazing and I would definitely reread it, which says a lot about how much I liked it :D

A Brush with Love tells the story of two dental students who quite literally fall for each other! Dan and Harper are such sweet characters that I really found myself rooting (pun intended) for! While the romance is wonderful, the shining star of the book was truly the realistic discussion of anxiety and panic. It was handled so perfectly all around.

Read it if you love:
🪥A great meet cute
🪥Insta love to friends to lovers
🪥Sweet, patient, selfless hero
🪥Incredible mental health focus
🪥Great steamy scenes🔥
🪥Fun friends and a big cat
🪥Insider dental scoop

🎧I was lucky enough to be able to read and listen to this one and my only issue with the audio was that I didn’t care for the male narrators voice for Harper… otherwise the audio was great!

Highlights: Both Dan and Harper are going through their own arc and grief is a common experience to the two. Harper is someone who is highly driven. She has a need to stay on top of her studies/career and doesn't have time for a relationship at the moment. I appreciate the author's depiction of Harper's anxiety a lot. Dan, on the other hand, had a toxic relationship with his father. He's now taking up a course he didn't want just so he could continue and help his mom run his father's practice. I appreciate how he's SO sweet despite the negative feelings he carries and that he fully supports Harper.

I had some issues with the pacing issues especially with the romance - it's kind of an insta-love at first then a slow-burn. Also with how Harper has treated Dan in some scenes, especially when she ends up saying things that felt too hurtful.

Overall, this book is still worth a shot. This is the author's debut book and with the good things I liked overshadowing my few dislikes, I'm really looking forward to reading more from Mazey Eddings. I also appreciate the content warnings at the start of the book!

This book started off really strong for me, and I absolutely loved the characters' meet-cute, work/school environment (super unique being in dentistry school!) and representation of grief, mental health, and anxiety. I enjoyed reading the book a lot and will read future books by the author, but at some point the pacing or flow of the plot just lost me a little bit. I did feel like Harper's character was fascinating to read about especially in regard to her growth and understanding of how her past was affecting her present day life - I just wanted a little bit more resolution of that at the end or something.

Still worth checking out if you enjoy contemporary romance though - it had a great group of secondary characters and passed the time just fine, but just wasn't over the top incredible for me by the end.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

🪥❤️
Unfortunately, this one was a miss for me. The back and forth between Harper and Dan from “just friends” to “I can’t live without you” and back again was very frustrating to me. While I liked both main characters, I reached a point of liking them better apart and no longer rooting for them to be together.
To be fair, this is a debut novel for Mazey Eddings and I think there was a lot of potential here. I would definitely give future novels by the author a fair chance because it is so satisfying to witness an author’s growth as they hone their craft. Sadly, most of the issues I had with A Brush with Love can be chalked up to “first book flaws”.
🥴
Thank you to the author along with NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Reviewing
A Brush With Love
By Mazey Eddings

Yes, yes, yes! This book is full of big truths, big emotions, and big rewards if the characters can just hang in there.

Readers will be moved by the honesty and empathy author Mazey Eddings inserts in all her writings. Characters are vivid in their vulnerability and her first person perspective on general anxiety will be eye opening for many. A beautiful breezy novel that feels so light feels light while successfully tackling some heavy issues.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 Fun yes serious stars for this character driven romance

A Brush With Love is a unique debut novel from Mazey Eddings. It is the first book I've read that takes place in the high stress world of dental school. Harper is in her final year of dental school. She is driven and feels the need to be the best wanting to get into a surgical residency. She also suffers from severe anxiety that she masks from even her closest friends. She literally crashes into Dan who is a first year student but is her same age. The meet cute sets up their instant attraction but Harper is not interested in a romance because doesn't know where she will end up when she graduates. Dan has issues of his own. His first choice of study is finance/business and he was successful int it. But after the death of his renowned DDS father his mother pushed him towards dentistry.

What really get your attention is the focus on Harper's anxiety. The descriptions seem realistic and exhausting. Her fear of being labeled as having a mental illness is overwhelming to her. Dan is sweet but has flags of his own. I understood his frustration at his situations but didn't love his pushiness to be the one to pay for Harper, getting into a physical fight over her or that he ignores his mother for so long. (I don't love alpha males.) I'm not sure I would call this a traditional romance because most of the book is spent on figuring out and resolving their own issues. The getting together is icing on the cake. I also love Harper's friend group.

The chapters for the most part alternate between each characters POV. I listened to the audiobook and particularly enjoyed the narration of Emily Lawrence. She really brought Harper's character and anxiety to life. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely delightful romcom

I loved Harper and Dan so much. It was refreshing to read about a very real person who deals with anxiety like me. Harper was hardworking, funny and anxious all the time. I relate to that so much. It was lovely to read a character so similar to me.

Dan was so SWOON worthy!!! I loved his patience, humor, and how easy he slipped into Harper's life.

The classic romcom conflict was a normal, believable concern which added a lot to the story for me. Sometimes conflicts can be so silly!! Overall I really loved this and I'm excited for the rest of the series!

I’m DNFing this as 60%
I started this as soon as I got approved for it, that was a month ago and I have no desire to push through the book any longer.
Both main characters are walking red flags and their relationship progressed too quickly for me. I thought the book was almost over and realized I was only half way through. I didn’t love either character and Harpers anxiety attacks where hard to read.
I liked the concept of the book, just feel like the characters and writing style isn’t for.
I think readers new to romance might love it!