For years, I watched Jeopardy every night! So when I saw there was a trivia based romance coming out, I knew I had to read it! This rivals to lovers romance made for some great banter and sexual tension. Plus the trivia taught me a thing or two too!

I really loved Teddy! He was such a sweet MMC. The way he loved his parents, especially his dementia suffering dad. The things he chose to spend his winnings on. The way he loved sassy Maxine. It all just made me happy.

Maxine and Teddy were just plain fun together! I found myself laughing at their antics. Maxine was a bit hard on Teddy, but as the story progressed I really loved them together! The ending wrapped it all up so well for them! Made my heart happy.

If you enjoy trivia, game shows, and some fun rivals to lovers banter, then I highly recommend you read this book.

What Is Love?
By Jen Comfort
Dual POV narration performed by Scarlet Everdeen and Rock Engle

Story: 4.5 stars rounded up to 5
Narration: 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

'What Is Love?', is a spicy rivals to lovers romantic comedy that centers around Maxine Hart and Theodore Ferguson III, two rival trivia champions who team up to bring down the long-standing record-holding Answers (the fictional Jeopardy-inspired trivia game that initiated their rivalry) champion, Hercules McKnight. From the start, chaotic Maxine's ADHD 'superpowers' appear to contradict everything Teddy knows and loves about trivia: the stable consistency of academia and the rigorous challenge of besting one's opponent through his superior intelligence. When Maxine. beats Teddy on what should his 77th consecutive win and starts her own winning streak, netting more cash winnings despite a shorter streak than Teddy's the two become fast enemies. Especially after they shared a life-changing kiss the night before their first match, the kiss that threw him off his game and ended his streak of victories.
'What Is Love?' has a little bit of everything. Maxine and Teddy journey from rivals to teammates to lovers brings the reader through many of the popular tropes along the way.. If anything, the teacher/pupil trope will leave you with a greater appreciation of geography. Best of all, Comfort's writing is witty and often absurd. The statements that come out of Maxine's mouth and her seemingly convoluted thought processes will continuously surprise the reader. Although, Comfort's incredibly accurate representation of a woman with ADHD will likely have fellow ADHDers out there nodding along. Maxine, like many, has a limited understanding of what qualifies a non-sequitur. Teddy's staunch rule following is a humorous contrast to Maxine's ADHD that in the end winds up as a complement to it and the two teach eachother more than just methods for winning at trivia.
The narration in this book is fantastic. When I first started listening I found the voice actors to be a bit over the top but, as the book continued, I realized that the seemingly excessive performance was absolutely critical in matching the energy of Maxine and Teddy's personalities. Comfort integrates deeper themes through the lighthearted story. Our exposure to Max's ADHD begins with Maxine exhibiting all the stereotypical trait of someone with an ADHD diagnosis, but as Comfort reveals the deeper parts of her character the reader is given more insight into the lesser known aspects of ADHD: the fear of failure, Imposter Syndrome, and the overwhelming emotional attachments ADHD often creates.
This read was a little bit slow to start, but after a couple of chapters I was so glad I kept reading. I loved the energy, and chemistry of Teddy and Maxine's unconventional love story.

Thank you to Jen Comfort and Brilliance Audio for this advanced ALC of 'What Is Love?'.

Jen Comfort's hilarious, sexy new contemporary romance released yesterday for your listening and paperback enjoyment (out last month as an Amazon First read) and if you like chaos x starchy pairings, trivia or bowties, this is the book for you!

I adored foul-mouthed, irreverent, brilliant Maxine and the rivalry she has with not-as-starchy-as-he-appears Teddy. This is a not-Jeopardy romance and the way Comfort wove in trivia throughout the novel was clever rather than exhausting. The characters spend a huge amount of their time learning things in very different ways (methodical studying vs internet rabbitholes), so it makes sense that they'd mention things in conversation. This rings especially true for us neurodivergent folks, who are frequently intensely interested in something and simply must share.
Loved everything about this book and if you even slightly like trivia or "slutty bowties" you should pick it up!
Audio Notes: I read this about 30% in print and 70% in audio because I, like Maxine, am an agent of chaos. I loved the audio narration and especially Scarlett Everdeen and Rock Engle's comedic timing. If you're going to read a book with scenes in which the characters are racing to buzz in first, you've got to have the ability to insert some urgency into the performance. Thanks to @brilliancepublishing for the review copy!

This is my first JC read but will NOT be my last!! What a delightful surprise this book was!! I love watching Jeopardy, and this answers-based game show-inspired book is just adorable. Our neurodiverse heroine Maxine and her arch rival Teddy must compete at the ultimate level for a LOT of money… good thing their hatred of each other will surely make sure that their lust for each other doesn’t get in the way. Right?

I adored these characters, the audiobook narrators, the game show setting, the chemistry, and the wild stream of consciousness inside Maxine’s head. I wasn’t sure if I’d love it at the very first, but I kept being surprised by how good everything was at every single turn. And the ending!!!! Best.

Highly recommend picking this one up! I can already tell I’d love to read it again.

My thoughts on the book which I read a paperback ARC of earlier this year:
WIL is possibly the best book Jen has written to date and her two previous books are BEYOND amazing so like, what is there to say?! Jen is known for having unlikable, over the top heroines; characters struggling with their own internal demons. We've met an astronaut and an actor, a former Broadway diva and the lead singer of a German glam rock band. But in WIL, Jen brings it down a notch, giving us a college professor and a woman with a very diverse job history, trying to deal with her ADHD, who some would say is drifting through life. Maxine would disagree and so do I. Oh and they also happen to have won massive amounts of money from a trivia quiz show.

From the moment Teddy meets Maxine, he is GONE. She is massively attracted to him but they are competing on a game show and since both of them cannot win, some feelings get hurt. Brought together ​a​ year later by the trivia game gods, the two agree to train together for their own separate reasons when they realize they must defeat the "big bad." As they train together, they slowly let their guards down. Maxine is carrying a lot of pain from her past hurts and often offers up her "weaknesses" right away so others cannot use them against her first. She also makes some assumptions about our sweet but stodgy Teddy and his life, not realizing that there is so much more to him. Teddy has his own secrets and pain and when it's revealed. Oof. My heart. I ugly cried. Like U-G-L-Y I had no alibi​. But Jen writes these scenes in such a ​careful, comforting, beautiful way that just shows you what a talented​ writer she is. She has a way of writing her characters to be completely relatable and in this book there's an extra level of understanding because they are in fact just like us, with the same struggles and insecurities.

So to pun the title "What Is Love?" Love is what Jen poured into this book. Love is seeing yourself through the eyes of someone you love and discovering that you are, in fact, wonderful just the way you are. Love is finding someone who never says that you're too much/not enough--but just right. Love is this GIFT of a book from JCo to Romancelandia.

ETA: As it relates to the audio, these two narrators knock it out of the park!! They did SUCH an amazing job embracing the characters of Teddy and Maxine. I felt fully immersed in the book as I listened and caught things that I'm not sure I picked up on during my initial read OR they just hit differently. I can fully recommend this book in audio. I fell in love with the book, Teddy, and Maxine all over again.

What is Love? was excellent! This is my second read by Jen Comfort and I love love loved it. I had the eARC and the ALC. Both formats were great but I’m an audiobook lover at heart. Max and Teddy have my whole heart and I can’t wait for everyone to meet them and read this!

The narrators were both excellent and I loved the audiobook.

What is love ?

I adored this book! From start to finish it was a delight. I love Jen Comfort’s writing and the way she leans into an over the top plot line while still making the characters, and situations they are in, amazingly relatable. Her humor is so funny, so sharp, with laugh out loud, impeccably paced banter alternated with swoony and heartfelt moments of raw honesty. I loved the way that Jen thrusts you right into What is Love? with the rivalry and chemistry between Teddy and Maxine already established, but as a reader you feel like you’ve been there all along.

Maxine and Teddy are truly likeable and good, not to mention downright sexy. I truly wish they were real people! Maxine is a highly relatable character with ADHD and aspects of her personality made me feel so seen and empowered by her portrayal. Her inner monologue is fantastic, and I love that she was proud of herself, of her strengths, and played those up instead of making herself smaller. Teddy is a starchy, rule-following sweetheart and is a total goner for Maxine. Both of them are messy people with real hurts and watching them open up to each other and grow together was very fulfilling.

This book is a romance lovers dream. The caretaking! The soft scenes! The swoony heart to hearts and declarations of love and acceptance! My heart can’t take it. It’s so wonderful and full of tenderness. It’s a beautiful story of embracing who you are and finding your people that accept you not just for who you are but encourage you to be the best version of yourself.

I also adored the audio for this book. The dual narration was perfect and the narrators fully embodied the characters well. I thoroughly enjoyed the listening experience.

One sentence summary: Rival contestants on a Jeopardy-esque show live together, train together, and fall in love.

My thoughts: This book is so quirky and fun! I loved all the trivia, the world building of this fictional game show, and Teddy and Max’s chemistry. Plus there’s a scene in a field that had me like this 😳 iykyk

Recommend for fans of trivia, game shows, and books filled with humor and heart.

Max and Teddy were absolutely adorable.

I loved the trivia I felt like I learned a lot while reading

I enjoyed Maxine's ADHD rep and even though it's different from how mine presents itself, I related a lot to her internal struggles.

Teddy was so unique yet well developed. I thought his choices made perfect sense after getting to know him and his backstory.

I loved this book so much. Thank you to the author, Jen, for a complimentary copy of the book!

Genre: contemporary romance

Theodore Ferguson III (Teddy), a Princeton professor, held the longest winning streak on the trivia game show Answers!, that is until Maxine Hart defeated him and went on to her own streak, raking in over $2 million in winnings herself. Maxine’s nontraditional study methods left her vulnerable for the tournament, though, and Teddy defeated her in equally embarrassing fashion, cementing their Answers! rivalry. Now, though, there’s a special tournament, which means a chance to redeem herself, and Maxine is ready for her next challenge…which means admitting she’s lacking in certain research skills, and leaning on her archrival for help. Maxine knows that she’s a lot for anyone to handle, but probably particularly the starchy professor to whom she is undeniably and inconveniently attracted.

There is literally nothing I didn't love about this book. From the high stakes to risk taking Maxine and her ADHD and anxiety to stalwart and starchy Teddy, to the drama, and to the incendiary sex scenes, I loved every moment. I find often that the more Comfort leans in on the bananas direction of her plots, the more she’s able to give us realistic and messy characters. While I don’t personally know anyone who has the same experiences as Teddy and Maxine, I do know people who react to circumstances and interpersonal relationships exactly the way they do.

I've said this before about Jen Comfort's writing, but I've never felt more seen on page with her ADHD characters, and that holds particularly true with Maxine. Sometimes, it's a comfort to know that you're not alone in your neurodiversity, and I loved loved loved seeing Maxine truly fully herself. It’s extremely gratifying to see women with ADHD on page, since we present symptoms differently than men.

Be prepared for some very spicy scenes, all with well-timed humor, but also meaningful character development. Honestly, I’d be interested in brushing up on some geography myself. But in between hot kisses in stairwells and skydiving and intense competition, there’s self reflection and caretaking and love.

Fully Obsessed.

I immediately preordered a physical copy after finishing this alc.

Rivals to lovers!

Theodore Ferguson III or Teddy, a professor at Princeton has had an incredible winning streak on a trivia game show until a vibrant chaotic Maxine comes to town, steals his doughnut and takes the win ending his streak. On a follow up tournament Teddy beats Maxine and they have cemented their rivalry. The show is having all the winners come back for the ultimate winners tournament including the number one player coming out of retirement. Which one of them will take home the crown???

I loved every minute. The banter was so fun and funny. The spice was so so hot-Jaw dropping scenes 👀 🔥 the plot was silly and fun but didn’t take away from the character development and sweetness of this romcom.

Highly recommend.

Thanks so much to Jen Comfort for an Advanced Listening Copy.