📚 Love Sick
✍️ By: Deidra Duncan
📖 Releases: May 13, 2025

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5

First of all, this novel is written by a practicing physician — so impressive! It gave me another level of appreciation for the professional challenges that our characters went through knowing the author was writing with experience.

Grace and Julian are both first year OBGYN residents navigating the challenges of being a new doctor and the social nuances of the hospital. After a tense first encounter, these two are forced to work together through grueling shifts and sleepless nights, with plenty of moments of comedic relief in between. As they try to put their bickering aside, a different kind of tension rises to the surface that neither can ignore.

You get to join these two through their entire four years of residency - and all of the ups and downs along the way. Fans of enemies to lovers, medical dramas, and workplace romance will all enjoy this one.

Thank you to @htp_hive @htpbooks for my early review copy.

rating: 3.5/5 stars (rounded up to a 4)

This started off really good. I enjoyed the setting of it taking place in a hospital. I really enjoy a medical drama/romance. And the tension between the FMC and MMC?!? It was perfect. It was very rivals to friends to lovers with TONS of pining. Very much a slow burn but I loved it. I think this book could have been a higher rating if it wasn't for the third-act breakup. It felt very unnecessary and if the FMC, Grace, would have just communicated to the MMC, Julian, and talked about her feelings then it could have been completely avoided.

However, everything leading up to that point was a good time! The side characters were enjoyable, and I always love a found family aspect, which this book didn't disappoint. I just think the way the book ended was a little all over the place? Grace's decision making really really frustrated me, as a reader. She had no true valid reason for feeling the way she felt with certain things towards Julian. He was nothing but supportive and loving towards her. So, it did frustrate me a bit when she couldn't accept that he loved her and she believed she couldn't trust him. I don't know, but I am super excited to see what else this author writes, and I will definitely give their other books a try!

As a Grey’s Anatomy and The Hating Game enthusiast, this book is perfectly marketed. I ate it up, it was AMAZING. I loved how well done the tension was throughout the book and how both of the characters grew and developed.

This book started off strong! I immediately was flying through the pages! However, toward the half way point it felt very repetitive in conflict. I also feel that someone bit the fast forward button and scenes were passing by. There was a lot of “telling you what happened” instead of letting the reader experience it. This book could have so much potential if we’ weren’t trying to cram 2 years of residence in 350 pages.

I was so excited to have received a copy of this, I have been following Deidra for a while and just love her posts so I knew this book was going to be great! A book about doctors, written by a doctor. Yes Please! If you are a fan of Grey's Anatomy, this book is for you. This is a mild spice romantic comedy.

Tropes:
Enemies to Lovers
Slow Burn
Witty Banter
Dual POV
Medical Workplace Romance

I really really wanted to LOVE this one. The plot and premise was so cute and original. And what better characters than medical residents? It was just so quirky. But this one was just OK. I didn’t despise it, but didn’t love it. I’m giving this one 3 stars because it was entertaining and fun, but the last 30% was not the vibe. It made me angry because of how immature our FMC, Grace, was.

Firstly, the miscommunication and third-act breakup. I don’t get how Grace has serious issues with anxiety, is a medical professional, and doesn’t go to therapy to help her through her issues. I figure a medical doctor would be receptive to communicating her mental health to a therapist, but no; it was the forefront of the conflict and to me, ruined the story. Although it’s fiction, the anxiety issues didn’t make me feel connected to Grace at all.

And the third-act breakup made absolutely no sense. I’m sure it was pivotal to the plot with the Alesha tie-in, but I really didn’t like it and felt this should have been executed way better, considering these are doctors! (Also, how is it that Grace has a serious conversation with Alesha BEFORE her Julian? Make it make sense)

All in all, it was a cute romance story of two people just trying to figure it out. I loved Julian and how he was heads-first for Grace and his unrelenting commitment! However, if you don’t like a TAB and the miscommunication trope, then maybe this one is not for you.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing, NetGalley and the author for an e-ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review.

I haven't read a romance in this type of setting before. MD's and DO's training for how the rest of their lives will shape up. I've seen it on TV in a variety of series (which I now want to rewatch) but not written this way.

The interaction between FMC and MMC was fun to read. Their one liners and "saw this and it made me think of you" were awesome. The way their relationship went from enemies to lovers was great and the fact that everyone else saw the real him so we knew he wasn't an a$$ from the get go was a refreshing change.

Told in dual POV with a forward timeline over the course of 4 years was cool. Do I agree with HER behavior at times? NOPE Do I understand? YEP.

This was a solid 4 star read for me.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC.

"If the lights disappeared and plunged us into blackness, I'd still find her. She'd glow, a glittering star illuminating the dark."

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for access to this eARC in exchange for my completely honest review.
This book is perfect for anyone who loves Grey's Anatomy and wants a similar book. This is something that I've been looking for for so long, and I really enjoyed it. It's a 4.25/5 but there's nothing technically that made it not be a 5 star read, I just didn't get that five star feeling. The relationship between the two main characters starts out in a very interesting way with immediate physical attraction to each other, but with a negative first meeting. As Grace (FMC) enters her first year of residency, there's a rumor that starts that she slept her way into the program. As she sets out to prove the rumor wrong, she is faced with animosity from every direction in the hospital. And Julian (MMC) becomes a safe haven in all of this. I loved the romance, though there was some miscommunication that I really disliked at the end, and I loved the friendships in here as well. Overall, such a good read!

"Is there anything more intimate than breathing someone into my lungs? Letting the essence of him saturate into my bloodstream and filter into every organ? What if my body grows receptors for him? Adapts to him? Wants him?

Such a cute, easy read! Some of the background doctor information scares me, especially that first c-section scene after just having one. Julian is book boyfriend goals and just so sweet towards Grace after their little bit as enemies. I can relate to Grace in so many ways about just feeling beat down and the rumors that were not true circulating. They had the cutest banter between the two of them, but I also loved their group friendship with the other interns that were their year. Overall, a really good story that did address some heavier topics along side the romance storyline.

This book felt like an early season of Grey’s anatomy which is to say that I loved it. It had the spice, the pining, the dramaaa, and the deep emotional pull of people falling in love despite their own anxieties and flaws.

I was worried at the start that this was not going to be a book for me. It was a slow start with the enemies plot being set up and the characters being introduced. However, once we learned who was who and what they were set to do for the story, it was fantastic. I loved the elements of feminism and the inequality in the workplace of women in medicine as the same translates to all male dominated fields. I loved that they had male OBGYNs showing that even in an area of medicine that is caring solely for women and babies, the male doctors are still given preferential treatment by leadership.

The way Julian shows up over and over for Grace to squash her insecurities and show her true love was very well written.

Thank you so much for the chance to read this book early! Now I need to go watch the first few seasons of greys before the plot was all lost, unlike this book that never lost the plot!

But that's what love is, honey." She glances at me. "Giving someone a weapon to hurt you and trusting they won't use it."

This book was the therapy I didn't know I needed. It came into my life right when it was supposed to. Don't be fooled by the ugly yellow/tan of the cover, this book should be Emily Henry popular.

Also, I just know this author has either read or written dramione fanfiction. This was also a book for the Grey’s Anatomy fans. Maybe this book is niche, but it was my niche.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Canary Street Press for the opportunity to read the ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Tropes
🩵medical romance
💛ADHD MMC x bookish FMC
🩵quid-pro-quo/ forced proximity
💛pining/ angst
🩵witty banter/ hate flirting
💛rumors and misconceptions
🩵slow burn
💛feminist MMC
🩵dramione-esque

📖arc review: love sick by deidra duncan
⭐️rating: 3.5/5
🌿genre: romance

💌my thoughts: thank you so much to harlequin trade publishing & deidra duncan for this ARC via netgalley!

i really enjoyed this one!! if you love grey’s anatomy or any medical dramas this is the one for you. i loved the found family we got and just seeing some of the ins and outs of the hospital and residency (although at times it did drag on a bit)

the slow burn between our main characters was oh so lovely and you could FEEL the tension. plus the banter was top tier. there was a third act breakup which was so frustrating and i understand how it furthered the story but still is not my fav.

julian and grace were both so interesting and just felt very real, which did mean i got annoyed at them occasionally, but also really related because they seemed so authentic.

overall if you want a cute medical romance with lovely banter give love sick a try as it is OUT NOW!!!

I am a sucker for a medical rom com and this did not disappoint! 🥰 The chemistry, wit and banter was on point, giving me all the feels. Also I appreciated how realistic the medical and resident life aspect of the book felt, especially the disparity between male and female providers. I know hospitals are known as gossip factories but what Grace dealt with felt a little over the top, and I feel like I saw where the resolution for that situation was going from the beginning. Overall this was a quick and fun read that I will highly recommend to friends! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book!

Julian was 1 of 6 male interns in the OB-GYN while Sapphire Rose was 1 of 1 interns with a stripper name. Her hippie parents thought nothing of the name but people were bound to form opinions once she was an adult trying to make it in the world of medicine. Were the rumors true? Did Sapphire sleep around to gain her position?

These rumors went on for months and it truly wrecked Sapphire. In her day-to-day life Sapphire went by Grace but the hospital knew her as Sapphire Rose. It was hard for her to make advancements in her career because she was getting bottom of the barrel assignments and it was difficult for her to form relationships because she didn’t want to damage anyone else’s reputation along with her own. Julian, on the other hand, was understanding and supportive of Grace from the beginning but there was still more baggage from Grace’s past that she was hiding from him. She was physically unable to love him for reasons she may never tell.

This was like watching an episode of Grey’s Anatomy and I loved it! The chaos and drama was addicting. Bonus points too because the author is a real-life doctor! Highly recommend adding this one to your tbr!

I absolutely ADORED this! The residency representation was just too real, and I couldn’t help but laugh and/or cry when reading some scenes that have literally happened to me in the past two years! Romantic, raw, funny… Highly recommend!

First and foremost, thank you to the publisher and the author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. I loved this story and it was definitely worth the read!

Somewhere in the space between Julian and me, someone is throwing sutures that connect my heart to him-a row of vertical mattresses in permanent silk, ever tightening."

When I say this is a slow burn, I mean it is a slowwww burnnnnn. They literally hate each other in the beginning, which means their banter is insanely good. And there is the trope of him calling her by her first name, even though she hates it and goes by her middle name. He says it just to tease her and I love it.

The way they were frenemies, to friends, to lovers was amazing. I loved that they both starting helping each other with the parts of the job they were struggling with, and it was a big part of the reason that they fell for each other. I also loved how patient Julian was with their relationship. He knew she has gone through so much, and did not try to rush her feelings for him, even though he struggled with that. With all she experienced, it made sense to me why she was so hesitant, and why she was so scared she would ruin him and his reputation. They both just wanted to protect each other, and that is such a beautiful trait for a relationship. I also just have to mention the banter again because it was so good. I love enemies to lovers, and I love it even more when the banter is still present even after they fall for each other.

book/movie/show with similar vibes: Grey's Anatomy, All Downhill With You (Julie Olivia)

songs i associate with this book: Tan Fácil (CNCO), Out of the Woods (Taylor Swift), Say Don't Go (Taylor Swift), Love Me (Justin Bieber), Happily (One Direction), New Romantics (Taylor Swift)

you should read if you like/tropes: enemies to friends to lovers, slow burn, workplace romance

full ratings:

plot: 5/5⭐
fmc: 5/5⭐
mmc: 5/5⭐
side characters: 4/5⭐
pace: 5/5⭐
writing style: 5/5⭐
relationship progression: 4/5⭐
couple’s chemistry: 5/5⭐
banter: 5/5⭐

final rating: 5⭐
spice level: 2/5🌶️

Love Sick follows Grace and Julian. They are both residents starting their first year in the same OB/GYN program. Grace is starting the program under the shadow of rumors that she has slept her way into the program. Julian is starting the program feeling like he is behind all the other residents and must work harder than the others. Grace and Julian do not hit it off from the start. Julian tries to distance himself from the rumors surrounding Grace. Grace takes that distance as Julian believes that the rumors are true. The two go from enemies to reluctant friends to more.

I’m landing on a 3-star rating because it felt very middle of the road to me. It had some unfortunate issues. Most of the side characters and sometimes Julian acted horribly toward Grace. The hiring process at that hospital needs to be reviewed. Most employees were misogynistic or hateful to Grace due to unsubstantiated rumors. Even when the rumor was proved to be untrue, there was not any show of true regret. It would have been improved if there was some true acknowledgement of the damage that could have happened to her career not to mention her mental health.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
I enjoyed this one! I liked the medical school romance aspect. The toxic rumors made me sad for our FMC. This was overall an enjoyable and cute read!

First year OBGYN resident, Grace is battling with a false rumor of how she slept her way into the program. Julian is exhausted from years of studying. If only he could concentrate. Instead, he's preoccupied by the judgy girl grappling with an absurd rumour - a woman he unintentionally offended on day one.

This book reminded me so much of the new Netflix show Pulse. Highly packed with drama, emotional moments, & of course romance.

The story does a great job portraying different residents' lives at different stages, especially when such rumors come to play. As for the romance, i really liked towards the 2nd half of the book. For someone who loves enemies-to-lovers banter, Grace & Julian's initial animosity came across as childish & sometimes cringy to me.

I adored how their relationship blossomed, though. I liked how Julian became protective towards Grace & fell so hard for her. Not gonna lie the 3rd act definitely got to me. It was painful & sad. But nevertheless I liked the communication in the end.

<i>Thank you Netgalley & Publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.<i>