This was an excellent debut from Deidra Duncan! I really enjoyed Love Sick and I think any Greys Anatomy or Yours Truly fan will love it too!

OBGYN Residents, Julian & Grace have undeniable chemistry, but they really got off on the wrong foot. Since they can’t get away from each other, they eventually give in to the attraction and become the CUTEST COUPLE EVER!

This book was funny, swoony, and a little bit spicy. I also loved the fact that the author is an OBGYN herself so it was medically accurate. I can’t wait to see what else she writes. Do yourself a favor and read this one!

Did not love this book. I couldn’t get into. I thought the story was convoluted and contrived. I was hoping for something I would love, but the content was so dense that some topics just felt like they were over described.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book! Below is my honest review.

Things I enjoyed about this book:
✅ discussion about how toxic residency can be
✅ discussion about sexism
✅ diversity in characters
✅ banter between Julian and Grace (sometimes it was a little annoying but I’ll count it as a pro)
✅ pacing felt right
✅ saw some personal growth in the main characters
✅ Grace helping Julian with his ADHD and Julian helping Grace with her surgery skills

Things I did not enjoy:
❌ Julian calling Grace “Sapphire” instead (as someone who constantly gets their name pronounced and Spelled incorrectly…. this was not a turn on for me)
❌ quick break up and quick getting back together (reason for breaking up was also a little silly)
❌ ending felt a little rushed

Love sick had me hooked from the premise and did not disappoint! a book about OBGYN residents written by an OBGYN doctor, we love to see it! i was pleasantly surprised by how well of a standout debut novel this was.

what drew me in initially was the setting of this revolving around the medical field. as a premed student, i just couldn’t help myself and i absolutely LOVED seeing all the different sides of medicine. medicine if often unrealistically romanticized and the fact that this wasn’t afraid to dive into seeing grace deal with the gossip and unwarranted interactions was heartbreaking and was an excellently written driving force for the story. i was angry for grace but i also loved seeing her friends be there and support her.

i absolutely love how nerdy grace is!! she is such a girlboss and watching her growth throughout this story was chefs kiss. grace paired with julian was truly a match made in paradise. the way he would tease her about her flash cards but would always be there for her despite their initial rivalry, ugh i was painstakingly reading through their slow burn but it was worth it! their chemistry was so natural and so well done. julian is so swoon worthy!! i had some initial reserves about him (because of how we meet him) but he made up for it ;) i loved how his relationship with his sisters really shaped him as a person and how he wasn’t afraid to be his true self, despite how some of his male peers acted.

my only complaint: the third act breakup :( third act break ups are such a pet peeve of mine because they almost always feel unnecessary and done just for the sake of conflict.

regardless i loved this book and am so pleasantly surprised by this debut!! i hope deidra duncan continues to write (if she can squeeze it in between her time being a doctor) because i have no doubt she will produce even more wonderful books!

thank you to the author, Canary Street Press, and Netgalley for an ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read this book! This was 4-4.5 stars for me! It definitely gave some Grey’s Anatomy vibes which was a win for me. There was a good balance of the love story and the medical stories with some mystery as well! I liked all the background characters as well, I think they were very well written! I wish there was a sequel of this book or a book that followed one of the MMC’s family or even the friend group. I read this book within a day and it was fabulous! *chef’s kiss*

It was ok. Better then other books I’ve read, but not as good as others xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

So I really did love like 80% of this book. I think it’s important to say that now because I’m about to go on a bit of a rant. I found Grace so frustrating the last 25% of this book. She makes choices that she knows and acknowledges are nonsense. She treats Julian like he can’t be trusted, acknowledges that he is nothing like the man from her past, then proceeds to treat him like he can’t be trusted anyway. And then all of the sudden, after arguably one of the WORST betrayals by a “friend” (seriously, these people know nothing about each other…stop calling yourselves friends), Grace suddenly sees the light? It was just all a bit convoluted and seemed like angst for the sake of angst. I get that there
Is trauma in her past, but the lack of awareness of a need to process and move forward is frustrating. There are also multiple people in this book who are supposedly medical professionals, but seem to have untreated medical and mental health issues. ADHD, severe anxiety and depression…it’s acknowledged and commented on by the characters, so it’s not as if they are struggling to come to terms with it. I would just assume that people in the medical field would better utilize medical treatment for their problems that can be treated with medicine 🤷🏻‍♀️

Ranting aside, the banter in this book was chefs kiss. My Grey’s Anatomy loving soul was so into the premise and medical setting, and I appreciate that the author did not romanticize the harsh realities, and often misogyny, of modern medicine. Overall, I would definitely read this author again.

I’m unwell after reading this. Grace and Julian are everything. The flirting. The banter. The pining!!! Perfection! I could wait for them to keep fighting and flirting. I absolutely loved this book, I learned a lot too. I gained whole new perspective for the medical field and what it’s like to work that that space.

Reading this felt like watching a slow-burn romance on a medical drama in the best way! Really enjoyed this one!

LOVE SICK ❣️ by @deidraduncanwrites release date: 5/13/2025 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5 stars!

Y’all… I just found another author to add to my favorites list. This book was everything. I loved Grace and Julian and felt every emotion that could be felt in this read. I also love how it took place on the labor and delivery unit as it was always one of my fave units to work on 🤭 the banter, slow burn, EVERYTHING was perfect in this read. If you love medical shows like Greys anatomy, this is also for you!

What you’ll find in this book:
🚑slow burn
🚑medical romance
🚑top notch banter
🚑enemies x lovers
🚑protective MMC

This book was amazing! The story was so well written and I could not put this book down! The main characters were so cute together!

Love Sick By Deidra Duncan

Greys Anatomy ✔️
Rivals to lovers ✔️
Slow burn ✔️
Banter ✔️
Mental Health representation ✔️
Grumpy x sunshine ✔️

Deidra Duncan's debut novel Love Sick was impossible to put down. When I read the dictionary at the beginning I knew her writing style was going to be phenomenal.

Every Grace out there deserves a Julian.

Actually everyone deserves a Julian.

This story had me swooning, giggling, crying... All the emotions. Right from the beginning I was emotionally invested in these characters lives. I will say there are a LOT of side characters and sometimes that was hard for me to follow.. but it fit for the setting.. wouldn't be much of a hospital if we didn't have a whole cast of people. Some of the side characters you will love... Some you will *loathe*. The rumor mill at the hospital was absolutely BRUTAL to read.

But the love story that slowly... Agonizingly slowly... unfolded will be hard to move on from.

I hope to see many more books from Deidra Duncan in the future. ❤️

Thank you Deidra Duncan, Harlequin Trade Publishing | Canary Street Press, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review

This book simply wasn't for me. I've been in a medical drama phase so I thought this could scratch a similar itch, but the writing, the references, the lack of any real character development or plot, it was all a little too much for me to handle.

Ahhh I loved loved lovedddd this. I adored the pacing, the smooth and believable, organic transition from enemies to friends to lovers over a period of years. This was a master class in slow burn, with phenomenal attraction and no insta-lust. Above all else, I thoroughly enjoyed the immersive specificity of an OB/GYN residency, the type of peak behind the curtain we get from Ali Hazelwood, Jacqueline Firkins, Julia Whelanand Yulin Kuang just to name a few. I have no idea how or why our American medical programs are like this, but I appreciate the dirty dive into the grueling system and the way relationships are the light that guides them through. I will absolutely read any future books by this author!

Love Sick by Deidra Duncan is sweet, quirky, and full of heart! With adorable banter, lovable characters, and just the right amount of swoon, it’s the perfect feel-good romance. A total serotonin boost!

Cute, cozy, and completely charming!

2.5 ⭐

Love Sick by Deidra Duncan is an enemies-to-lovers, doctor romance. I really struggled to get into this novel and found the writing to be somewhat choppy. I enjoyed the funny and ridiculous medical anecdotes. Additionally, the storyline related to toxic culture regarding gossip/slut shaming towards women was important. Unfortunately, the story just seemed to bounce around too much from one topic to another.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Deidra Duncan for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely love how the chemistry between Grace and Julian unfolds in a delicious slow burn, and their banter is absolutely entertaining. They’re complete opposites, but the tension between them is impossible to ignore. As much as they try to keep things professional, the spark is undeniable. The setting, with a tight-knit group of OB-GYN residents, adds a rich layer to the plot; there’s humor, drama, and that perfect will-they-or-won’t-they tension. Watching Grace battle her insecurities while Julian works to prove himself makes their romance feel earned, real, and incredibly relatable.

New residents Grace and Julian do not hit if off immediately. Grace is haunted by rumours as she’s starting out her new residency and her first impression of Julian is negative (though unfair). They have the perfect “fiery banter” that is mistaken as dislike (but everyone around them knows better). It’s a lovely slow burn story. Spice level is low, but chemistry is great.
Both characters have supportive families and are part of the same friend group.
Overall, 4 stars. This was a great quick read.

Enemies to Lovers. The book starts with Julian and Grace as incoming residents in an OB/GYN program. Grace is the subject of rumors and slut shaming as soon as she enters and throughout her residency. Julian, after initially being a dick, just doesn’t buy into the rumors though Grace thinks he does. They bicker constantly but their banter is so funny. You can see the attraction building. And building. And building. Slow burn for sure. It is so worth it when they get together.

The effects of the rumors and slut shaming are starkly drawn. Most women can relate. At the very least we know or love someone who has gone through this type of ordeal or other forms of sexual harassment. Probably almost all of us have experienced workplace sexual harassment. Because it is so relatable and because of the depth of the shaming it might be hard to read, it brings up difficult emotions. The truth of this book is so immediate. A soul punch in places. I do think there needs to be a warning at the beginning about the content that might trigger some readers-not only from the sexual harassment but also from mothers and babies dying.

But the shaming adds depth and realism to the story. It really is a wonderful slow burn love story. Well worth reading.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC of this book!!

Alright, I admit that what initially caught my attention with the book Love Sick was the fact that this was a romance between two OB-GYN residents. As an OB nurse who works at a teaching hospital I was intrigued to see how this book would unfold. I'll be honest that I didn't have high hopes but kept an open mind.

I'll start with the things that I didn't like. First, the amount of misogyny by the characters in the book towards each other was WILD. I mean, I work with male and female OB-GYN residents and attendings and they could not be more respectful and kind - to patients, nurses and other doctors. I cannot even fathom the male residents acting like the male residents in this book in 2024. And the year after year sexual harassment towards the FMC? Also seems far fetched. Yes, I am in a blue city in a blue state but would people act like this in Texas?!? Geez, I hope not.

Second, the incident that ultimately gets the MCs together was a sentinel event? That was a bit triggering, I wish it was around something else. The whole thing was kind of bananas.

What I liked

What redeemed the book for me, and what won me over, was the good slow burn enemies to lovers chemistry of the MCs. It had a bit of a Hating Game vibe which I really liked. Good chemistry is a romance novel counts for a lot and I love a slow burn. Also, I like how they don't add a lot of filler plots but mostly focus on the couple themselves. I was a bit annoyed, though, with all the good chemistry that the author chose to make the book a "fade to black". It was not the direction I felt it should go.

Ultimately I ended up liking it a lot more than I expected and would read this first time author again. I will round up a 3.5 star rating to a 4.