Love Sick by Deidra Duncan is a compelling debut that blends medical drama with a slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers romance. Set in an OB-GYN residency program, the story follows Grace Rose, a brilliant yet socially anxious intern, who battles workplace rumors questioning her merit. Enter Julian Santini, a charming DO resident whose initial misjudgment of Grace sets the stage for fiery banter and undeniable chemistry..

For fans of Grey's Anatomy and The Hating Game, Love Sick offers a heartfelt exploration of love, resilience, and the complexities of the medical world. A strong debut that leaves readers eager for more from Duncan.

If you like Grey’s Anatomy, this book is for you. Grace and Julian are residents at the same hospital, and let’s just say their first meeting isn’t a meet-cute. I adore a good enemies to lovers trope, and it was fulfilled with this one. I think it’s cool that the author is a doctor so you know all of the medical jargon is correct.

Thanks as always to NetGalley for the ARC.

This was a lot of fun and a good palate cleanser! This is my repeated plea for authors to PLEASE stop using modern slang like “slay” in books 🙂‍↕️ thank you to the publisher, author and NetGalley for my advanced copy, out 5/12!

4.5⭐️2.75🌶️

Contemporary romance
Medical romance
Workplace romance
Dual POV
Women in STEM
Grumpy sunshine
Rivals to lovers
Slow burn
Mental health rep
Golden Retriever MMC
Found family
Banter
Forced proximity


Tw: medical procedures and trauma discussed, birth trauma discussed, abuse mentioned, sexual harassment, mysoginy, toxic work environment,

As a practicing OB-GYN, Dr. Diedre brings a level of authenticity to medical life that’s often missing from hospital-based romance novels. If you’re usually skeptical of the genre because of its detachment from reality, this book might just win you over with how grounded and accurate it feels.

The story follows two new medical residents navigating the chaos of their program. Julian, a kind-hearted and endearing “golden retriever” type, is dealing with undiagnosed ADHD and self-doubt about his abilities. Meanwhile, Grace is grappling with workplace gossip and social anxiety. Their slow-burn romance is laced with clever banter and emotional depth.

Julian was a standout character; charming, vulnerable, and consistently lovable. Grace’s arc, while occasionally repetitive in setup, becomes compelling and heartbreaking once the full scope of her insecurities is revealed.

There’s a sizable cast of characters, and while that adds richness to the setting, I found some of the side characters a bit underdeveloped. Introducing so many at once (especially at a party scene) made it hard to distinguish them initially.

I also appreciated the thoughtful extras: the glossary at the beginning was not only helpful but genuinely funny, and the chapter headings did a great job of marking time in a clear, stylish way. The attention to detail in the medical aspects of the story added depth without ever feeling overwhelming.

#hiveinfluencer

Thank you Canary Street Press and Hive for gifting this eARC via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving this review. All opinions are my own.

First year of residency is hell, and Grace Rose, a brilliant new OB-GYN resident, starts off in the deepest circle. Her social anxiety is on high alert after she discovers she's battling a rumour that she slept her way into the program.

This book was excellent! You can tell it was a book about doctors written by a doctor in the best way. I was so quickly invested in this book and in these characters. I loved them, and I loved all of their banter. The banter in this book was genuinely fantastic; I loved the bickering between Grace and Julian and how their whole group talks to each other. I loved the commentary on how women are treated within the medical field, both as patients and as doctors, and how women are treated generally. I also just loved Grace and Julian as characters generally, I related to both of them at times, and I loved seeing how they worked through their issues and worked to improve. I am so excited that this author will publish anything else.

🩺Workplace
🥼Close Proximity
💉Pining
🩺ADHD (MMC)
🥼Social Anxiety (FMC)
💉Slow Burn
🩺Medical Romance
🥼Enemies to Friends to Lovers

I adored this debut novel and cannot wait for more from this author. I love books that have a STEMM focus and having the entire novel be a journey through residency brought out my Grey’s Anatomy loving side. The author being a practicing doctor certainly brought reality into the novel - I never questioned the authenticity of the medical content. There was a strong theme of sexual harassment and I do hope there is an included trigger warning page in the final copy. However, I have read other reviews that said this being a strong theme isn’t realistic. I hate to break it to those people, but it is. As someone who experienced severe sexual harassment in graduate school, it can feel like that permeates the entire experience - even years later (with therapy!) it can feel like that. I hope that this doesn’t continue to be a reality, but it can be. I honestly believed it brought so much complexity to the story and told us a lot about the characters- even with other things revealed toward the end. The tension that built between Grace and Julian was fantastic and funny, but later became electric and so supportive. I loved this entire story and by the end, these characters felt like friends. I can’t wait to see what this author writes next and look forward to it! 5⭐️, 2🌶, ⚠️

This might end up being my biggest surprise of the year. I was hooked from literally page one! It’s a medical drama/romance written by a real-life OBGYN, and you can definitely tell. The hospital setting felt chaotic in the best way, and I loved the cast of residents constantly teetering between burnout, friendship, and hilarious rants about their workload.

The story follows Grace and Julian, two OBGYN residents who clash hard from the start. Grace is dealing with a nasty rumour that she slept her way into the program, and between that, her social anxiety, and a crappy past relationship, she’s constantly on edge. The way this story addressed misogyny in medicine—such as double standards and how gossip affects women vs. men—along with the animosity between specialties and the overall hospital hierarchy, was so interesting!

I loved the dynamic between Julian and Grace. The initial mutual loathing, the genuinely funny banter, the tense slow burn ... the pining! I could not get enough. Seeing their relationship evolve was so fun. Grace has the medical knowledge down but lacks Julian’s surgical ease, and I loved seeing them grow into a kind of protective teamwork. This was such an entertaining, unique mix of real-world med issues, personal growth, and a romance that seriously sizzled!

A fab enemies to lovers workplace romance, the story Julian and Grace. I liked how it was told from both points of view,and also the side characters. Looking forward to more from this author.

The chemistry between Julian and Grace was electric. Their playful hate-flirting delivered exactly what it needed to—fun, snappy, and just the right amount of over-the-top.

The friendships between the five OBGYN interns were another highlight. Their bond felt genuine, and I loved watching each of them grow personally and professionally throughout their residency. It added a lot of warmth and heart to the story.

For every person that has recently asked me: have you watched The Pitt? I’ve finally got a rebuttal - have you read Love Sick!? Out May 13, and it will scratch every medical drama itch you have.

Big thanks to NetGalley, Harlequin Audio, and Canary Street Press for the e-ARC and audiobook!

This debut about OB-GYN residents in a hospital system is loaded with all of your favorite romance tropes. Lots of banter, and a simmering “are they fighting or flirting?” energy that keeps you guessing, and a truly likable cast of characters.

Deidra Duncan is a practicing OB-GYN (!!!), so all the medical drama feels super grounded and fresh without ever getting bogged down in jargon. You’re learning and being entertained. There are parts that had me a bit squeamish, and others that I actually cackled at.

Now, the main event - the romance: it's a slow burn that pays off. Not over-the-top spicy, but the chemistry is real, and the steam will get your heart rate up.

Perfect if you’re into:
💉 Medical drama without the melodrama
💬 Witty banter
❤️‍🩹 Enemies-ish to lovers with real heart
🎧 Audiobooks with great narration (truly, this one hits)

ok this was really cute!! I love julian desperately (what can i say i love a smart man being pathetic over a woman) and his and grace’s chemistry is definitely there!!

was at times a little millennial cringe (the countless harry potter references did start to get to be a little much) but overall i had a good time!!

alesha being the one who slept with higher up guy was kinda predictable but i like that they didn’t just forgive her right away.

anyway you’ll never see me not pick up a romance novel about smart people!! if you like ali hazelwood you will probably like this!

A Grey’s Anatomy-inspired rom-com with solid medical realism, Love Sick had its entertaining moments, but didn’t fully stick the landing for me. The premise was engaging and I appreciated the author’s firsthand healthcare insight, but the pacing dragged, the pop culture references felt forced, and the romance was weighed down by tonal inconsistencies and heavy topics that weren’t always handled with enough care. A decent read, but not one I’d revisit.

I was enjoying this because there are parts that are so actually accurate to the pathway of interning to residency for physicians. But what ruined this for me were the pop culture references and also the unrelenting sexism that took away from what actual can and does happen in the workplace, particularly in healthcare. Yes, hospital gossip is so real and honestly I believe that the male OBGYNs would have a men only club together. But, the starting premise (that gets picked back up when convenient) about how everyone believes she made it into the program by sleeping her way in, when these placements are very much algorithm based makes no sense (it's not like the rumor is sleeping your way to a chief position, etc). The FMC attributes it to her having a "p*rn star name" which also what does that mean?! The tonal shifts to these serious topics were jarring. Also the FMC hints that an ex coerced her into "degrading acts" during intimacy, in my opinion there should've been either a content warning or these topics be held with more gravity and care. I felt that they were mostly brought up only to show how unfair the rumor to the FMC was because she actually was so pure, celibate for 2 years, and had been through SA. When actually the rumor can be unfair no matter what the FMC has done or been through, felt like sl*t shaming in this roundabout way.

There are constant HP references. It would've been so easy to pick another fandom to show they are "nerds" or to make one up. Also the MMC is a Kanye fan... ew. This is to show their opposites attract vibe as the FMC is a swiftie but I could not recover from the ick of this man defending Kanye and forcing her to listen to him. The MMC also mentally compares her and her body to Gal Gadot. Also ick.

They do have chemistry. This did feel like Grey's Anatomy in a fun way. But too much of the above negatives really brought this down.

Thank you to HTP for the eARC and Harlquin Audio for the ALC. The narrators did a good job at least

This book has so much potential, the characters are likable and the banter between them is so much fun. The situation with misogyny and sexism at the hospital is interesting to explore. I think the ideas behind the book are excellent, it is a great idea to have this back and forth between these two med students.

The place where it fell a bit flat is that I had trouble connecting to the characters a bit. The story moved SO rapidly I was having a hard time really feeling a lot while reading. The book time jumps, it crosses a lot of time and it is necessary to move quickly in that case, but for me personally it was not something I enjoyed. I like it when books slow it down a bit, the time jumps really throw me off personally.

Thank you so much for an ARC!

This was a lot of fun and had a lot of fun tropes that I love! That made this a pretty easy read for me. I love the medical field dramas (greys anatomy, the good doctor), so this was a no brainer to love!

I absolutely loved this book. It’s so well written and has so many of my favorite tropes—rivals to lovers, workplace romance, slow burn. I flew through it and already miss Julian and Grace as if they were real people.

Grace is a first-year OBGYN resident navigating rumors that she slept her way into the program while carrying emotional baggage from a past relationship. Julian is a fellow resident, and after a rough first impression, the two are thrown together again and again. There’s so much tension and their banter had me grinning. The story unfolds over two years, which made their slowly building relationship feel even more satisfying.

What made this book stand out to me was how grounded and real it felt. I loved the mental health representation. Grace’s internal struggles were portrayed with such care and honesty, and Julian was the perfect mix of grumpy and deeply supportive. Their chemistry was fantastic and I really felt the weight of what they were going through.

The pop culture references (especially the Harry Potter ones) felt a little overdone to me, but it didn’t take away from how much I loved the story. I didn’t expect to get emotional over this one, but I definitely teared up a few times. This is easily one of my favorite romance reads this year.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book..


I liked this book and appreciated the author putting in her experience and expertise in this book.

Tropes: Miscommunication, medical drama, forced proximity/working together.
Reasons I really enjoyed the book:
1. I liked that the author addressed mental health, women in male dominated fields and what it’s like for misogyny to run rampant, even in a field devoted to women’s health.

2. I liked the side characters and their connections (Minus Alesha for obvious reasons)


Reasons Why this book wasn’t a 5 star read

1. While I liked the story and appreciated that she took us through the two years as interns then residents the writing wasn’t the best and there was some good banter, other times it felt clunky.

2. As a self-described dork, I can appreciate dorky references but the Harry Potter/ Star Wars/GOT references got annoying. It didn’t feel like natural conversation.
3. I understand the reason for the rumor and how it can continue to spread, I really thought it was weird that everyone assumed it was true at first because her name was Sapphire Rose. That seemed really weird (maybe it happens, I don’t know since I have a tragically basic name)

I was so excited to read an early copy of this one. It promised Grey’s Anatomy vibes paired with all the best rom com tropes and it delivered. ⁣
⁣
I loved Grace and Julian together, and as a person deeply committed to the enemies to lovers trope their dynamic was exactly what I want. I liked seeing them pull from each others best qualities while breaking down their worsts was perfect. I also really liked the timeline of the book being spread out over multiple years. It read like a quick burn but it’s built as a slow burn. ⁣
⁣
I also really appreciated that this cute little love story was woven around some intense and difficult topics and rarely pulled punches. From the intensity of a hospital setting, to the deeply obnoxious reality that is being a woman in the workforce. ⁣
⁣
Possibly most importantly, the Mambo Taxi appreciation in this book is very appreciated by those of us who left Texas and MiCo behind. Long live the best drink of the metroplex

📖- Love Sick
✍🏼- Deidra Duncan
Pub date- 05/13/25

★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

𝕊𝕪𝕟𝕠𝕡𝕤𝕚𝕤

Sapphire Grace Rose, a resident trying to find her way in the cutthroat world of the medical field is struggling to keep her head up. Wild rumors have spread in the hospital that she slept her way through the program. She’s avoiding getting in any type of relationship due to past trauma and of course not wanting to add more fuel to the fire. It’s hard to avoid any kind of relationship when she studies and works alongside of Julian.

𝕄𝕪 𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤 💭

I wanted to love this book but it fell short, especially the last 20-30 %. While I loved the banter between Grace and Julian, I hated the way Julian seemed desperate to hear 𝗜 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 from Grace. It almost felt like they were teenagers vs doctors! I understand each workplace has some sort of drama but to have grown adults (DOCTORS!) act like 13yr olds gossiping took away from the whole story. Grace definitely had self esteem issues and overall needed to recover from her past trauma. I did, however, love the medical terminology as well as scenarios that felt like you were watching Grey’s Anatomy.

the book was generally great! the romance was strong, although the third-act breakup was a bit draggy and didn't feel super plausible. I was also a bit surprised by the J.K. Rowling and Kanye West references throughout. 3.5 stars