One of my favorite things is reading books that are written about a profession BY someone who is in that profession. Especially when it's a fiction novel.

This book was such a fun and heartfelt "friends to enemies to lovers" trope read and I found myself smiling while reading quite a few times. I come from a family where multiple people hold medical degrees and it was pretty funny to read about the medical components of this book and be reminded of things that my family members have experienced as well.

The chemistry between our main characters was FUEGO and I loved getting to know them over the course of this novel. I also really appreciated the social anxiety representation that the FMC brought to the table as someone who also struggles with it.

Highly recommend this fun romance romp!

This book follows Grace and Julian, new OBGYN residents who start off on the wrong foot and soon love to hate on each other. Each has to overcome personal setbacks related to their career while navigating the drama between other doctors and, at times, soul sucking shifts.

I thought this was a good balance between flirty and serious. There are several real life scenerios/situations related to mothers and childbirth and a few are sad so tread with caution.

I really liked Grace's character but have to say...she is so much more forgiving than I would be in her situation- iykyk!

This book.... first of all, doctors written by a doctor? A dual-career queen? Yes pls.

It was such a nice, refreshing read and I am so obsessed with this. I have had no time to read but the minute I picked this book up it wasn't put down until I was done if that says anything.

There's a group of friends just beginning their residency at a hospital (Think Greys Anatomy vibes a little bit here) And of the four, in pops Sapphire Grace Rose, the new resident who everyone thinks slept their way to the residency. First of all, that in of itself is such a true narrative that actually happens everyday with no merit to it and something like that RUINS careers. So I felt so bad for her and at the same time angry because one of the opening chapters was a huge mixer between the residents, and other hospital people and that was one of the big topics was her sleeping her way there. However, while her and Julian bickered and went back and forth, I loved that he always had her back as did the rest of the residents. The found family aspect of this book was so good and so wholesome. Their group chats were so adorable and meeting for Mexican food to debrief is something I would do with my friends.
Julian was such a sweetheart and after learning he had been raised around women it made sense as to why. His and Sapphires progression through the book gave me slow burn but also you knew how they were feeling and denied a lot. I don't want to get too much into the plot because too into it would spoil it, but this book is worth the read and the miscommunication trope, I'm not gonna lie I eat it up. Although I did eat it up, it did anger me how quickly Sapphire almost gave up on Julian. The whole "he deserves better than to stick with someone with these rumors about her" had me rolling my eyes, but Julian was a trooper and I loved every bit of this book. I also loved the conclusion where we learned some things that also had me rolling my eyes but overall I was happy with how the book ended. Also I loved the secret Santa gifts. such a minuscule detail of the book but you could tell in that they were end gaaaame.

I think this was a hit of a debut and would 1000000000% read another book from this author.
Thank you for the E-Arc Net Galley, Deidra Duncan and Harlequin Trade Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

Spice: mostly fade-to-black + 2 brief open-door scenes

TROPES: You know, to tie you in
- enemies to friends to lovers
-contemporary romance
- ADHD (our boy Julian)
- social anxiety (Sapphire)
- pining (mutuallllll)
- slow burn
- medical romance
- workplace romance
- forced proximity


FAV Quote from the book:
* “It was a terrible day, and after it all happened, I kept thinking that if I could make it home, make it here, to you, everything would feel just a little bit lighter.”

This book was fun and relatable! As someone who currently works in healthcare and has had rumors started about me by those who were actually doing the rumors... I loved this story. I loved Grace's tenacity and determination to reach her goals. She wasn't going to let a couple rumors ruin her training experience. Honestly, same for Julian on a different level, because people really are jerks about DOs.

Was the storyline somewhat predictable? Sure. Did I still think about the book even when I wasn't reading? Yes. Would I recommend this book? Definitely

Most romances has a touch of predictability, but the story still covers so many topics that are deeper. Definitely highlights what it's like to be a woman in medicine. Also, shows the importance of having those we trust and can lean into the most when we need them. Plus, like all good books it shows communicating our feelings is gold.

Love Sick by Deidra Duncan was such a fun book! I loved the rivals to lovers trope between Grace and Julian.
A compelling romantic comedy that was such a fun and lighthearted story.
This was a wonderfully written romantic comedy.
I absolutely loved these characters and really enjoyed getting to know them.
A sweet, funny and heartwarming read!

📚 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!