Thank you Netgalley, Deidra Duncan, and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the eARC.

This book is the debut book for Deidra Duncan and she crushed it! Lovers of Grey's Anatomy will love this book and everything it offers. As a graduate student in the medical field, I loved all the references!! I also loved that the medicine didn't take a back seat throughout the romance. What a great start for this author!

I loved this book! For a doctor romance this is the most detailed and accurate portrayal. With working in the medical field, I find most medical story's lack in the background of the work the characters are doing. I love how this book accurately describes the rotations that doctors do while in residency and how challenging that can be.

For the characters, I absolutely LOVED Grace and Julian's banter through out the whole book. I laughed so many times in the beginning reading this. I even have to give a shoutout for the smaller characters within the story. All of the writing regarding the smaller characters had meaning and made the story 10x better and funnier. The story continued to progress very well and had many events that kept it ever changing and not dull. Also, how can you not love a good enemies to lovers??

This book did have mild spice. It wasn't too detailed about some of the sexual scenes but when it was detailed man was it steamyyyy.

The only thing I did not like was the portrayal of every nurse towards Grace. Some times while reading it felt like a bit too much with the bullying they do towards her.

All in all, I highly recommend this book!

Thank you Deidra, NetGalley, and Harlequin Trade publishing for allowing me to read this amazing ARC!

4 out of 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Oh my gosh. This is the best ARC I’ve ever received! If you’re a healthcare worker like me, you will really love this cute romance!!! As a nurse, the accuracies hit home with all the medical talk & experiences in the hospital/clinics. If you love Grey’s Anatomy & love the enemies-to-lovers trope, you’ll like this book! Such a breath of fresh air to read about accurate medical representation in novels because the author is a practicing physician in OBGYN herself!!! The toxicity and hostility of women DOES exist within healthcare… the book is sooo real for that!!! & Reading about these new doctors brings back memories to some of my favorite medical residents & even the residents we (nurses) talked about watching out for because they could kill patients (kidding but not, lol). But anyway… what makes this story come to life is the vulnerability, romance, and friendships amidst everything going on around these new medical student graduates. ☺️

Writing: 4/5
Pace: 4/5
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Ending: 4/5
Enjoyability: 4/5

(More in-depth analysis below)

👩🏻‍🏫💡 I received this book to read as an Advanced Reader/Review Copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are entirely my own.


💕Would you recommend this book?
Yes!!! Especially if you work in healthcare or love Grey’s Anatomy!

🪶Favorite Quote:
“ Before you, everything was just quiet. Then you came along and suddenly there was music. Like a love song. The kind you want to listen to over & over. It’s stuck on repeat in my head & synced to your heartbeat….. It’s become the rhythm of my life. “


🌶️ Spice Level: 🔥
There’s mild spice. Honestly, for all the banter between the two MMCs and the slow-burn… there needed to be MORE sexual tension! After their initial intimate scenes, I craved for more of that type of writing because of how damn long it took for them to be together! Lol!
——


📝Writing Style: 4/ 5
First person dual POV of the MMC and FMC. Every chapter also told what month/year of their medical residency we’re in. The writing is casual but is age-appropriate and doesn’t feel juvenile.

I like how the author informs readers in the beginning of some medical terminologies used (differences between interns/attendings/etc.). I’m a nurse, so I know what placenta abruption and a D&C is, so I’m just curious how much non-medical readers would question some of the diagnoses & procedures.


🏃🏻‍♀️Pace: 4/5
The pace was great in the beginning, but the slow-burn and the lack of intimate-detailed scenes kind of made the second/third parts a little slow & boring.


🗺️Plot: 4/5

Plot Themes/Tropes-
* Medical/Workplace Romance
* Enemies to Lovers
* Forced Proximity
* Slow Burn
* ⚠️Trigger Warnings/Other topics: Emotional abuse/manipulation, attempted assault/rape, mention of death, mention of miscarriages and infant deaths

Summary: Grace prefers going by her middle name ‘Grace’, but her actual name is “Sapphire Rose”& that itself gets her all these assumptions & stereotypes about who she is. As she starts her first year of OB residency, a rumor already goes around about how she slept around to get her slot at the program. What a way to have a reputation from the start. Then she makes a ‘frenemy’ with one of her co-interns, Julian, after he initially dismisses her at their first time meeting when he realizes she’s the girl the rumors are about.

The plot mostly lingers around their intern year and second-year of OBGYN residency. That’s how slow-burn this romance was, LOL. But in all seriousness, the plot is very simple. Two OB interns in denial about falling in love, and the “background”is their experiences in residency. It’s simple, but I love how the plot is realistic to medical experiences that occurs.


👨‍👩‍👧‍👦Characters: 4/ 5

Female Main Character (FMC):
Grace - Very intelligent, introverted, and reserved. I love her nerdiness. I hate how everyone keeps spreading rumors about her, but I also don’t like how she’s not good at communicating. Flaws and all, she does have somewhat of a redemption at the end.

Male Main Characters (MMC):
Julian- He’s a sweetheart and a charmer! I don’t really have anything negative to say about this man. He is SO loyal to his girl and that itself is swoon worthy! 😍

Supporting Characters: I love getting to know all the interns & residents. I feel like the author can expand on these series! Justice for Asher!!! And maybe a prequel to Alesha’s story?! So much potential!!!

🎬Ending: 4/ 5
Predictable. *SPOILER* The third-act breakup was really unnecessary, and I hated how martyr Grace was trying to be. 🙄 Also, I’m not trying to “downplay” Grace’s past trauma, but I thought there was going to be some other deeper mystery as to why she’s so reserved. However, it was a good ending to the story, so there’s nothing really bad to say!

🙂Enjoyability: 4/ 5
I really really enjoyed this book and all the medical accuracies & how relatable it was because I am a nurse and have worked with plenty medical interns/residents/physicians. I only bumped a star down because I wish the pace was a bit faster & plot less predictable.


📈Final Rating Averaged: 4 out of 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

——

Rating Rubric:
1/5: 🌟 Horrible - “Why did I even waste my time?”
2/5: 🌟🌟 Unimpressed - It could have been better.
3/5: 🌟🌟🌟 Good/Average- I would recommend this, but nothing was too out of the ordinary; it’s what’s expected.
4/5: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 Great! - There were some good surprises, but not enough to blow my mind.
5/5: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Outstanding - Above & Beyond, It left me wanting more and thinking more about it.

Julian has just started his hospital internship when he hears a scandalous rumor about one of his fellow interns, Saphire Grace Rose. They have a tense introduction that leads them to start off on the wrong foot and become workplace enemies. While trying to navigate surviving their hospital internships they also have to survive each other.

This book is for all the Greys Anatomy girlies that want an MMC that’s a little bit Derrick mixed with Karev and a MFC that’s a little Izzy mixed with Little Grey. Overall, a little too angsty for me to give it 4 or 5 stars but for a breakout novel had some funny dialogue and did alright with character growth. It’s neat that it’s written by a doctor that witnessed or experienced a lot of these situations herself.

While I can acknowledge for a breakout novel the author did okay and will probably only improve from here, some things about this story really missed the mark for me. Right out of the gate I felt like the incident that caused the conflict was off in delivery. It made it hard for me to sympathize with either character instead of be annoyed with them both for being juvenile. I also got very frustrated with the “why are you overreacting treatment” from ALL the main characters at first, and no one really taking up for her.
Also I know it happens, but the fact that defending her own honor at the beginning made her “hysterical” to literally every character EVEN the MMC left me agitated with ALL of them. Which is discouraging when you don’t feel like you can root for anyone.


Themes: enemies to lovers, hospital interns, found family, third act break up

This was like if you took an entire season of Grey’s Anatomy and put it into a book. There was romance, drama, friendship, and medicine. I really enjoyed this book! The main characters were both flawed but very human and very easy to relate to. They weren’t always perfect, they were sometimes rude or even a little bit unlikeable but I felt like that made it easier to root for them. Julian and Grace started off hating each other but it quickly turned into more playful banter with lots and lots of pining. I loved how Grace was able to slowly open up to Julian after having a bad former relationship and I especially liked how Julian picked up on her hesitation and was so patient and gentle with her.
There is a third act breakup and while I didn’t love it I did understand it and felt like it gave both Grace and Julian the room to grow that they really needed.
This are some slightly heavy themes in this book but I would still say overall it was a pretty lighthearted book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Canary Street press for the ARC!!

THIS BOOK!! I loved it! This book was the perfect combination of enemies to lovers, workplace romance, slow burn, and a “he falls first”. Grace is a first year OBGYN resident in a teaching hospital. She is immediately faced with rumors about her on her first day, claiming that she slept her way into the program. Grace maneuvers through these rumors affecting both her job and personal life. The author does a great job with character development throughout the story. Grace meets Julian, another first year, and they have amazing chemistry. Unfortunately, Julian offends Grace by putting his foot in his mouth regarding the rumor. They quickly become enemies. However, the tension between them is so so good!! I was rooting for both Grace and Julian from beginning to end.

I normally dislike medical romances because they hit a little too close to home for me being I am a nurse and normally are so far from accurate. But it turns out Deidra Duncan is not only an author but an OBGYN! I LOVED the accuracy of the residents every day work life and the hospital setting. So if you work in the medical field and love romance novels, I would 100% recommend this book. Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley for the arc! I know this book will have its fanbase, but it wasn't for me, although I so wanted it to be! I love the setting in the medical field, but the rumors, treatment, and misunderstandings felt too immature for my taste, and I had trouble getting through it. I will absolutely read more of Duncan's books, as the writing was wonderful.

Imagine if Grey’s Anatomy and 10 Things I Hate About You had a baby… you’ve got Love Sick! Written by an actual OB-GYN, this romcom feels refreshingly authentic, giving readers a glimpse into the medical world while delivering a swoon-worthy enemies-to-lovers romance.

And I mean TRUE enemies to lovers, and deliciously so. Julian is the golden boy—kind to everyone except Grace (which is kind of, sort of her fault but we don’t blame her for it, ya know?), and she’s the only one immune to his charm. Their banter is razor-sharp, and their inner monologues as they fight their attraction make it even better. Add in some well-placed pop culture references, and the result is a romcom that is basically unputdownable.

Beyond the romance, Love Sick also explores some really interesting themes, like the sexism that still lingers in male-dominated fields like medicine. It also tackles how quickly a seemingly harmless rumour can spiral, shaping reputations and careers in ways that feel all too real. These elements add depth to the story without taking away from the lusty fun.

The first 15% felt a little rushed, and I wish some medical moments had a tiny bit more detail. Also, Julian’s motivation for becoming a doctor could have been shown a little more instead of told. But once the story found its rhythm, I devoured it.

Now… spoilers ahead… I loathe a third-act breakup… but this one wasn’t that bad. It made the ending much sweeter and well-earned and I closed the book feeling fully satisfied.

I dnf'd after two chapters. Julian's chapter made me uncomfortable and I didn't appreciate the sub plot about the promotion rumor. There was too much medical terminology in chapter one and the "bro" attitude turned me off before making it to Grace's chapter.

DNF at 26% (Please read this review with understanding that I did not finish this book and these are my honest, respectful opinions.)

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this book for my honest opinion. I do apologize for DNF'ing this ARC but life is too short to read a book you don't think you will enjoy in the end, and I DNF maybe once a year.

In books, there is such a thing as insta-love, but this was a heavy insta-dislike for me. I was very interested in this book because I'm in the medical field and I even work in a residency clinic myself, so I thought it'd be interesting to see a romance in this setting.

Hazing for interns is not new, but the rumors that Grace endured were excessive to me. To inhibit someone's progress for the sake of some rumors was so cruel. I understood that the author was trying to set Julian and Grace's relationship as love-hate, but Julian was an a*s to me. I read 26% of the book and he is aware that 1) people thought her legal name made her sound like a str*pper and people made fun of her for it and 2) Grace has blatantly reminded him time and time again how much she hates her name and he STILL calls her that. To me, I didn't see it as teasing, but it was just mean and added onto the issues she was going through in the hospital. She didn't deserve that.

I think this story relied too much on hospital cliches and I couldn't see myself enjoying a book that employed all of these things.

This book took place over the course of two years and the major jumps in time messed with me a bit. I felt like their relationship was a slow burn in the book, but if you look at the time it took, it was an unbelievable amount and I felt like having some deeper conversations a bit earlier would have helped move that along. Grace had a lot of baggage with relationships and while I could understand it, it took her a bit too long to get out of her head for my liking.

Mein Leseerlebnis

Das romance Buch enthält eine frische Geschichte, die in einem Krankenhaus spielt. Die Autorin ist übrigens selbst Ärztin, was ich sehr spannend finde. Man kann also davon ausgehen, dass die Details zur Krankenhauswelt und der Ausbildung der jungen Ärzt:innen zutreffen (die Armen!).

Leider konnte mich die Liebesgeschichte trotz der interessanten Grundidee nicht überzeugen. Lässt mich erklären, warum das so war.

Von der ersten Seite an konnten mich die Geschehnisse leider nicht mitreißen. Das lag vor allem daran, dass die Charaktere auf mich weder besonders interessant, sympathisch noch lebendig gewirkt haben. In Bezug auf ihr Verhalten wirkten sie auf mich zudem teils jünger, als sie es wirklich waren. Damit habe ich beim Lesen gehadert und hatte dadurch Probleme, mich auf den Roman einzulassen.

Da mich die Liebesgeschichte auch nach gut zehn Kapiteln nicht berühren konnte, habe ich beschlossen, sie nicht zu beenden.

Keine Bewertung, da abgebrochen.

Für wen?

Wer Liebesgeschichten mag, die junge Ärzt:innen in ihrer Ausbildung begleiten, für den könnte das Buch eine schöne Sache sein.

Mein Fall war das romance Buch leider nicht. Kann man mit den Charakteren mehr anfangen als ich und mag Sachen wie Grey’s Anatomy, dann könnte die Liebesgeschichte aber etwas für einen sein.

Thank you NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Deidra Duncan for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely LOVED Love Sick. It had Grays Anatomy meets Ali Hazelwood vibes in a hospital setting; it was a fast-paced rivals to lovers story of Grace and Julian who are both residents at the local hospital and shows their progression from hate to more. There was lots of banter, witty dialogue, and memorable situations and side characters. I loved Julian and Grace as MCs, as they were relatable and interesting. Grace is a young woman who is an overachiever and perfectionist who is sometimes paralyzed by her need to be perfect. Julian is a laid back young man who has some difficulty with the academic side, but has gifted hands. Together they work together to help the other succeed.

This book had a lot of interesting background, too, including discussions on sexism, medical care, the working conditions and treatment of residents and student doctors, and more.

If you enjoy: rivals to lovers, Gray's Anatomy, Ali Hazelwood, STEM-based novels, and workplace romance, this novel will capture your heart! Definitely a must read.

Wow this book was great. Thank you Net galley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC!

Grace is a first year resident for a prestigious OB-GYN program. Grace has trust issues and low self esteem from a previous relationship. Before she even has a chance to prove herself a rumor started circulating that she slept her way into the program. She finds this out when she shows up to a get together for the other 1st year residents. This is where she first meets Julian.

Through out the book I got so frustrated by how everyone so easily believes the rumors about her and treat her terrible. I'm glad she had a great group of friends that believed her and stuck up for her.

Grace and Julian don't start off on the right foot at all. They both judged each other based on rumors and first impressions. I liked how during the book they form somewhat of a friendship and it evolves from there. I laugh because their banter was so good through out the book and they had great chemistry.

Can Julian get Grace to give him a chance or will Grace let fear continue to rule her life?

I would recommend this book to my friends 100%.

Oh my gosh this book was perfect!!!!! I loved everything about Grace and Julian’s story! I’ve never read a medical romance but it totally gave the best Grey’s Anatomy vibes! I loved the relationship growth in this book!! Perfection!

Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the eARC!

I was amazed at how quickly I got swept up in the story! Loved the dynamics among the group, but especially with Grace and Julian. I was horrified at the premise of the story being that rumor that haunted Grace and how many rumors were allowed to run rampant through the hospital - I’ve seen firsthand how devastating rumors can be - and mollified that they finally did something about it at the end. Loved the sweetness of Julian’s proposal. It was perfect for their love story. I’d like to have companion novels that tell the story of some of the other characters in this novel.

Love Sick is an enthralling and addictive romance set against the high-pressure backdrop of a teaching hospital. Told through dual perspectives, the story pulls readers into the lives of Grace and Julian, two ambitious interns navigating the challenges of medicine, friendships, and unexpected passion. Grace is a determined go-getter, shaped by a lifetime of perseverance, while Julian balances his love for medicine with the camaraderie and chaos of interning. As their connection deepens, sparks fly—leading to a steamy yet heartfelt romance filled with humor and chemistry. With a setting reminiscent of the first three seasons of Grey’s Anatomy, this book is sexy, fun, and laugh-out-loud hilarious—perfect for fans of medical drama and sizzling love stories.

3.5 ⭐️’s

Right off the bat this book had me hooked! Doctors in love?! Julian and Graces immediate tension and steamy energy was so drawing. Grace beginning her residency, started very rough. A rumor was spread that she slept her way into the program, but luckily she had people believe she worked her way up. Grace is relatable, with self doubt surrounding her Im sure everyone relates to. Julian is the perfect boyfriend, reliable and not overbearing. He was raised by a strong woman, teaching him how to treat a woman right WHICH WE LOVE💅. The third act breakup, was understandable but it just angered me. Overall this book is a great found family book that brings comfort and heartwarming moments. Thank you Net-galley and Deidra Duncan for letting me read this book!!🩷🩺🥼

Grey’s Anatomy meets The Hating Game is the perfect description of this book. I loved the banter between the characters and the portrayal of the healthcare system. Cannot wait to read this authors next book

The banter and story line for this book had me running back to read it every chance I got. It felt like a perfect friends to lovers. I do wish the format was a little more clear as it did jump days/weeks in paragraphs.