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Member Reviews

Thank you to the publisher and to netgalley! Read if you like: a slow burn medical romance between enemies to friends to lovers. Grace and Julian had great chemistry and all the playful flirting payed off. Off to go rewatch Grey's Anatomy to fill the hole this book left!

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This started off really promising. I appreciated how the author grounded the story in OB/GYN authenticity. Then, the story progressed and the relationship complications were waaay to wimpy to make me care for the couple we've been rooting for the whole time because the obstacles lacked meat and the writing/storytelling quality really faltered.

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If you’re a fan of Grey’s Anatomy-style drama with high-stakes medical moments and even higher emotional tension, Love Sick by Deidra Duncan is a must-read.

I thoroughly enjoyed this medical romance that blends intense hospital life with raw, emotional vulnerability. The story centers around Grace, a brilliant but misunderstood OB/GYN resident who faces cruel rumors that she only got into her program by sleeping her way in. These lies cast a long shadow over her reputation and make it nearly impossible for her to be seen for who she really is—a capable, hardworking woman trying to make her mark.

Enter Julian, fellow resident who buys into the gossip and judges Grace harshly at first. Their initial disdain for one another is palpable and sets the stage for a classic enemies-to-lovers arc. But as circumstances push them to rely on each other's strengths—Grace with her book smarts, Julian with his surgical skills—they begin to see each other in a new light.

Their growing partnership and eventual emotional connection are beautifully paced. The chemistry is undeniable, and their study sessions crackle with both tension and tenderness. Still, Grace’s emotional scars and past traumas hold her back, making their romance feel all the more real and hard-earned.

Love Sick is more than a romance—it’s a story about redemption, resilience, and learning to trust someone when the world has made you doubt yourself. It’s emotional, steamy, and filled with the kind of drama that will keep you hooked until the very last page.

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This book was so perfect, I didn’t want to stop reading about these two!

The banter? 5 stars. I live for sharp, funny dialogue and this gave me exactly what I love. The enemies-to-lovers vibes are alive and thriving by the 25% mark, which made the shift in their relationship feel more real and earned. And since I’m a sucker for good banter… this was everything for me. 😂

This was also my first medical romance, so it felt different in the good way. The mental health representation was beautifully done, and I really appreciated how Grace spoke up for herself, strong, honest, and not afraid to hold her ground. It was good to see how it still affected her though.

And Julian? He’s the sweetest, most thoughtful, patient man ever. The tension between them is so palpable; it practically hums off the page. 😍

Side note: if this is what doctor internships are actually like… WTH?! That was rough. I would’ve sent everyone to hell by Day 2. Seriously.

The fights between them were so intense, heartbreaking but powerful. I loved that Julian didn’t hold back from expressing how much he was hurting. It made everything feel raw and real. 😭😭😭

Such a great read. I’m still not over it.

I received an early copy from NetGalley for my honest opinion, and I will be buying myself a physical copy since I love it so much!!

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I absolutely love all watching medical dramas and this book captured that essence beautifully! I was head over heels in love with Love Sick!

I am a SUCKER for great banter, and this was off-the-charts. The tension was so palpable, steamy, and hot. While they may have started out as workplace rivals, their unwavering support for each other had literal hearts in my eyes. The transition was so heartwarming, and I was rooting for these two from the very first page. I also always adore a dual POV and this delivered so beautifully.

I really appreciated knowing that the author is a doctor and when she is writing about the daily life of our MD MC's, she knows what she is talking about. I really appreciated the authenticity.

While this was steamy and sexy, it also had a lot of depth. Between experiencing first-hand the horrible gossip-mill and prejudice that surrounded Grace, to the complete misogyny and sexism in the medical field, to overcoming past trauma, it can be a difficult but extremely important read. Grace is truly such an inspiration; her strength is so admirable.

Deidra truly has such a knack for writing. This was such an unexpected treat and I cannot wait for more from this author!

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If you like enemies to lovers and spicy workplace romances then you will love this one. And they are doctors! Grace is an ObGYN resident and she definitely clashes with fellow resident Julian. There is plenty of great banter in this fun romance. I don't always read a lot of romcoms so this was a delight. Since Grace and Julian have to work closely with each other in serious medical situations, they soon turn into frenemies then friends and lovers. There were some spicy scenes but I wish there had been more spicy details. Overall a good story. I would definitely read this author again.

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This was an enjoyable read that kept me engaged and wanting to come back to it.
I enjoyed the insight to hospital life from the perspective of a doctor in training.
The romance was prominent and believable, but there were other elements to the story beyond the romance that provided variety and kept me interested.
Content warning: There is a substantial element of the plot that deals with misogyny—specifically in the workplace—and, to a lesser degree, some elements of relationship trauma. To me, these topics were handled respectfully. However, the issues surrounding these topics can be upsetting and frustrating, so keep that in mind.
The writing generally was fine. Nothing amazing. There are some truly cringe-worthy cliches towards the end. But, the characters seem realistic and believable for the most part, and the romantic relationship proceeds in a generally believable fashion—you know until act 3, of course.

Overall, I enjoyed this and would recommend it to romance readers who enjoy workplace romance or doctor romance.

3 1/2 ⭐️

Thank you to Harlequin And NetGalley for this ARC.

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This book could very well end up being my favorite contemporary romance novel of the year -- Grace and Julian are electric together, and their hate-flirting and chemistry is classic 00s romance at its best. Would definitely recommend to any fans of Grey's Anatomy and Parks and Rec (not that it has anything to do with govt work, but it just gave me that vibe!)

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I want to start by thanking the author and publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced release copy of this book. I think it started slow, but it got better!

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"Love Sick" is a perfect afternoon read for some laughs, some romance, and a nice dose of hospital drama.

In this book, we meet Grace and Julian and their friends in their first year of residency at a Texas hospital. They're each fighting stereotypes and their inner demons to make it through their residencies and a relationship?

A misunderstanding means Grace and Julian start off on the wrong foot and their enemies to lover banter is set.

We meet their friends as they all struggle through rotations and evil doctors and hard days in their chosen fields. I laughed with them and cried with them as they all adjusted to the new norms in their careers.

When it comes to Grace and Julian everyone can see where it is going but them, and when they finally reach their conclusions it's a welcome joy for the reader. But all is not smooth sailing.

Really good read, esp. if you like hospital dramas.

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Thank you so much to NetGalley & Harlequin for allowing me to review this book. I will unfortunately be DNF’ing this book. I was really interested in it because as someone who is in the medical field herself, I thought I was really going to like it! This book fell short for me in most aspects. I didn’t bond with the characters I felt like Julian hated Grace for absolutely no reason at ALL. Like he’s the one who believed the rumors and she was upset by them. Idk felt like a forced enemies to lovers trope.

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As someone who adores both romance and medical TV dramas, this book offered a compelling blend of both worlds. It delivered what I hoped, although it took me a while to be engaged in the story since seeing medical tv and reading about it feels very slow and not as thrilling.

The story centers on Grace Rose, a first-year OB-GYN resident grappling with a damaging rumor that she secured her position through inappropriate means. Julian Santini, her fellow resident, whose initial interactions with Grace are fraught with tension and misunderstandings evolves from her adversary to something more profound as they navigate the challenges of residency together.

The book definitely introduces readers in the chaotic world of hospital life. The depiction of the grueling hours, the emotional toll, and the camaraderie among residents, etc. adds depth to the narrative. However, the pacing of the story occasionally felt sluggish, and some plot points seemed repetitive. While the chemistry between Grace and Julian is palpable, certain aspects of their relationship development could have been explored more thoroughly.

In conclusion, Love Sick delivers a heartfelt exploration of love and resilience in a demanding medical environment. It’s a commendable debut that balances romance with real-world issues, making it a worthwhile read for fans of the genre.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and author for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

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I wanted so badly to love this book. I am a huge fan of medical dramas, workplace romance, and I was super excited that it was in an OBGYN setting!

I think personally the writing just wasn’t for me. I found myself often bored and not wanting to pick it up to read. Some parts were good and I enjoyed them. But overall I was just very underwhelmed. The characters felt a little flat to me. I also wasn’t crazy about the Harry Potter references. I disliked Grace’s choices towards the ending and her lack of trust frustrated me because Julian had never given her any reason to not trust him. He had been a walking green flag from the first few chapters. There was a lot of slut-shaming and heavy misogyny from the other male doctors that I didn’t enjoy. I’d like to think this isn’t the norm in every day hospital settings. It felt a little extreme. I respect the authors choice to bring these issues to light, as I do know that these instances can and do happen. However I feel it could have been toned down a little bit. It overall left a bad taste in my mouth.

I did like the friendship dynamic between some of the residents and It was nice to watch them grow throughout the book.

The audiobook narrators were excellent! I think they did an amazing job bringing the story to life. They both brought lots of emotion and feeling to the story and it honestly made it more enjoyable.

Thank you so much to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Canary Street Press, and Netgalley for the gifted copy! All thoughts and opinions are wholly my own.

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The premise for this book seemed promising, but overall it did not do it for me. As much as I liked Grace and found her story compelling, I was equally annoyed by Julian and found him very hard to even like, let alone root for. The leads had a lot of chemistry, but the pacing of the book was odd and it took over halfway through to get to a point where I actively wanted to keep reading. A lot of the side characters fell flat, and there was so much going on that went unresolved for the sake of a "tidy" ending. There were some moments that I found endearing, but besides Grace there wasn't any other character that I rooted for or cared about. The story could have been very emotional and lovely, but I found it to be clunky and disorganized.

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I love a well-written medical romance!
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This book gave me everything: flirty hate-banter, workplace enemies-to-lovers, found family vibes, and the slowest of slow burns—all set inside the chaotic, exhausting, and beautiful world of OB-GYN residency.
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Written by a real-life OB-GYN, the medical details felt vivid but never overwhelming. Grace and Julian’s chemistry lit up every scene—whether they were at odds, bantering in the break room, or quietly falling in love between 28-hour shifts. It’s Grey’s Anatomy meets real-life medicine, with sharp wit, strong friendships, and a nuanced look at sexism in the workplace.
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I adored Grace’s anxious, dorky charm and Julian’s quiet strength and vulnerability. Their emotional growth, the mental health rep, the forced proximity, and that third-act breakup (which I didn’t hate!)—all of it worked for me. Add in a full residency arc, pop culture references that landed, and some truly swoony narration in the audiobook? I was hooked.
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Content warnings: women’s health crises, pregnancy-related emergencies, sexism.

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Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the E-ARC. This was better than any Greys Anatomy episode and the Greys reference was chefs kiss IYKYK. Sapphire Grace (FMC) is entering her first year of Intern along with 4 other persons but there is this rumor going that got started. Can I just talk about the banter btw Grace and Julian (MMC) it was top tier. I also enjoyed all the side drama going on and all the medical language which I knew because of Greys

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I gave this book a 3/5 ⭐️. I really enjoyed the medical aspect of this book, but I felt like there were some parts that were very dramatic! Dramatic, but entertaining! This was an okay read! I still enjoyed it! The spicy parts of this book were also good!

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Grace Rose and Julian each face the challenges of med school in their own way, and the story doesn’t shy away from showing the emotional toll that comes with life in the hospital. As someone who works in a hospital setting, I really appreciated the authenticity—it made the characters' experiences feel that much more real and relatable.

This book was an easy, fun read with moments that pulled me in and reminded me of the pressures, politics, and hierarchy that exist in the medical world. It touched on complexities like seniority, the weight of others’ opinions, and the constant balancing act between personal ambition and compassion.

While there were parts that felt a little long at times, the heart of the story kept me engaged, and I’m glad I stuck with it. If you enjoy stories with medical drama, personal growth, and a touch of romance, this one’s worth picking up!

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this copy!

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This a medical enemies to lovers rom con written by an actual doctor. I love medical dramas and this book had the perfect balance of humor, romance, and procedure (not too science heavy). I would love to read more of Deidra Duncan’s work.

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REVIEW: Love Sick by Deidra Duncan

Love Sick is a hospital-based romance featuring enemies-to-lovers, slow burn, and workplace romance. Julian and Grace are both residents at the same hospital and working towards becoming OBGYNs. Through the ups and downs of doctor life, they slowly develop feelings for one another.

Love Sick is written by an actual OBGYN, which adds authenticity to the story. The characters' stress and overwhelming feelings were evident in everything they did as residents. I also really liked the ADHD and social representation in the book; it seemed very realistic and showed their different sides. I enjoyed some playful banter between the main character as their relationship evolved. As an audiobook, the dual narration was a great way to show the different character points of view.

Unfortunately, Love Sick missed the mark on a few different elements. First of all, the story was slow. There were many parts where it felt like nothing was happening, and dragged on. It also had a very stretched-out timeline of four years as residents. More things should have been happening. There was also a lot of repetition in the story. I couldn't even count how often it is brought up that since her government name is Sapphire, it must mean she sleeps around.

Overall, Love Sick wasn't quite for me. It had some elements I enjoy, such as enemies to lovers and a dual point of view, but it wasn't enough for me.

Thank you, Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | Canary Street Press, for the free advanced copy for my honest review!

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