This book had an interesting premise and was very compelling — once I picked it up, I really couldn’t put it down. I found myself really drawn into the love story and rooting for a happy ending. That said, it was much heavier than I anticipated. The role of slut shaming and gossip was almost hard to read, and the FMC’s past trauma was a blanket of sadness on the otherwise sweet love story. I very much enjoyed the book, but I’d definitely pay attention to trigger warnings of abusive relationships and toxic workplaces are triggers for you.

4 stars

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Vibes:
➤ Hospital Romance
➤ Comedy
➤ OBGYN MCs
➤ Dual POV

Recommended For:
Anyone who loves a hospital setting with sitcom type humor, a slow burning romance and a super brainy FMC.

Thoughts:
What I enjoyed most about this debut novel was the knowledge that this was written by a practicing OBGYN. Although I know the people and situations were all made up; it made me feel like I was getting a peek into the lives of those working in L&D.

Duncan also had such great one-liners. There are a few that made me laugh out loud. Again, her being a practicing physician makes me feel like these are lines she’s used in real life.

The audio production was great. The voices were clear and felt true to character for both male and female. Pacing was also great and consistent between the two narrators.

However, there were a lot of things that I really thought should have been addressed as potential trigger warnings, and maybe the final copy will include these. I also feel like maybe some of them may have been mishandled? I'm not sure. This entire book left me with complicated thoughts. I enjoyed it at face value and some of the humor was great, as was the peek into the world of L&D. However tackling topics such as women's health, misogyny, SA/coerced consent, among many other things may not have been appropriate in a lighthearted romcom.

Trigger Warnings: This book deals with the highs and lows of women’s health. While some of these topics are discussed in a casual manner that might be normal to medical professionals, some of the topics could be upsetting to some, protect your mental health!

Thank you so much NetGalley and for this ALC! I heard only good things about this book so I was delighted to receive a copy of this audiobook!
Love Sick by Deirdra Duncan is a a debut novel coming your way in May! Think the first seasons of Grey's Anatomy in a romance book! Grace Rose, a new OB-GYN resident, struggles with social anxiety and a false rumour that she slept her way into the program. Forced to work alongside Julian Santini, her rude but handsome co-resident, their mutual dislike slowly turns into unexpected attraction. As they battle hospital gossip and the pressures of residency, the line between love and hate begins to blur.
I really loved this one! At first, I wasn’t fully sold on the enemies-to-lovers dynamic because the origin of their dislike felt a bit unclear, but as the story went on, I totally vibed with both characters. One small thing though—around 30% into the book, there’s a mention of a Kanye West song, and honestly, I would have left that out given how controversial he is now. I definitely did a double take when his name popped up!
As for the narration, I was sold from the very first lines! Both Meg Sylvan and Eric Yang did an amazing job. I don’t think I’ve listened to any audiobooks by them before, and it was such a great surprise — it’s often the same voices in contemporary romance, so it was really refreshing to hear something new!

I really enjoyed Love Sick, especially the first three-quarters of the story. It had the feel of a season of Grey’s Anatomy, full of emotional twists, medical drama, and evolving relationships. I liked that the story followed different stages of residency, giving a layered view of both the professional and personal sides of the characters’ lives.

One of the highlights for me was the use of dual narrators. They did a great job bringing the characters to life and really helped me get immersed in the story. Toward the end, the book did start to drag a bit and lost some of the earlier momentum, but overall, I still found it a very enjoyable listen and would recommend it to fans of character-driven medical dramas.

Thank you to Harlequin Audio for the advance listener copy of Love Sick by Deidra Duncan.

Grace is entering her first year of residency. Grace and her ex broke up in med school and as she starts her residency she learns there is a rumor that she slept with someone to get into her program. This rumor is heard by fellow resident, Julian, and the two residents do not get off to a good start.

I was drawn to this story due to its premise. I was so excited to read a romance taking place between two people who were going through residency. Unfortunately, I didn’t end up connecting with the romance. My interest remained mostly with the medical aspects of the story. I did enjoy the narrators, particularly Meg Sylvan, who I’ve heard narrate other books.

Love Sick had so many of the things I love about a good romance: enemies to lovers, workplace tension, and a hero who is nothing but green flags. Julian is absolutely swoon-worthy - a true gentleman who respects women and makes it easy to root for him. Grace, too, was a strong character, with enough depth to make her struggles and pain feel real and believable. Deidra Duncan did a great job giving both leads a layered backstory that made their relationship feel earned.

Unfortunately, I think my experience was impacted by the format I chose. I listened to the audiobook, and the two narrators just did not work for me. Some of their tone and inflection choices made the story feel overly melodramatic, which pulled me out of the emotions more than once. I kept wondering if I had read it myself, would I have connected with the characters and pacing more naturally.

There’s nothing wrong with the story itself, and I definitely plan to recommend it to friends who prefer physical or Kindle editions. But if you’re thinking about grabbing the audiobook, I might suggest reading it instead.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was advertised as being Greys Anatomy meets The Hating Game and I think it really lived up to that description! I really enjoyed this one - the cast of characters was great and you can tell that the author really knows her stuff on the medical side. So impressive that this is her debut novel! I listened to this as an audiobook and I thought the dual narrators both did a fantastic job at bringing this to life. Thank you to the Hive and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ALC of this book!

I really loved the first 3/4 of this, but I thought the last part fell flat. The ending helped to redeem it a little, but I thought the last section needed to be either cut or really fleshed out. Instead it felt sort of rushed and unnecessary to me. Overall still a solid story and one I would definitely recommend, especially to Greys fans!

Read this one if you like:
- medical drama
- hate to love
- workplace romance
- found family

Grace Rose and Julian Santini are both OB-GYN residents who get off on the wrong foot after a miss-understanding concerning Grace's reputation. They begin as rivals with plenty of great banter, become reluctant friends with alllll the pining, and eventually lovers with some spice 🌶 .
I loved this one! Their chemistry was great and I couldn't put it down! I was invested in their relationship and loved the slow build up over the years. I can't believe this was just a debut, and am looking forward to reading more from Deridra Duncan in the future!
Thank you to Harlequin Audio and NetGalley for the free audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

I love medical dramas, if you don't like shows like Grey's Anatomy or Chicago Med, this book probably isn't for you. Deidra Duncan did a great job with this book, and I love that she's an OBGYN.

This book made me hate most people in those hospitals, outside of the immediate resident intern group. Poor Grace, she sure is a trooper, I would've said gotten myself kicked out of that program so many times. The bickering between Grace and Julian was really entertaining and I loved the bond that they formed and how they found support in each other. Grace definitely had a lot of baggage and things she had to work through, I wish she had a better support system outside of this friend group. The unfair treatment of Grace in this book made me so angry and made me wonder if the rumor mill in hospitals are actually this horrific. Really enjoyed this book and the relationship between Grace and Julian.

Format: audiobook

Thank you NetGalley, Deidra Duncan, and Harlequin Audio for the advance audiobook.

Wow! I listened to the audiobook, and Meg Sylvan and Eric Yang were perfection. I could not stop listening. This is a definite must-read. The medical accuracy and insights were amazing. The story is so realistic, and the characters are well-rounded and feel like real people.
This is the story of Sapphire Grace Rose, who is beginning her OBGYN residency and is excited for a fresh start to show what a great doctor she will become. What happens instead is that a rumor is spread by an attending at the meet and greet mixer that one of the female OB residents slept their way into the program. There are three female OB residents. One is happily married with a child, one had test scores that were astounding, and the third is named Sapphire Rose.
At that mixer is another OB resident, Julian Santini. He hears this and tries to keep a level head having four older sisters and knowing how misogyny works. When the implications of this person not having to earn their spot like he did (he is a D.O. and not an M.D.), he fights these feelings to wait and meet them. Then, in walks, a gorgeous woman in a red dress. They begin to talk and have instant chemistry, and she says her name is Grace. When her full name comes out, he leaves. She then overhears a group of men that includes Julian, talking about her and spreading this rumor. She stands up for herself and storms off, where Julian follows and offers an apology she does not accept.
What ensues is amazing banter, chemistry, self-acceptance, and love. I cannot recommend this book enough. Get it now!

I loved how real this book was. Love Sick covers the main characters obgyn first and second residency years. Because the author is a board certified obgyn, it is very detailed and FEELS like a greys anatomy season. It addresses the rampant sexism and rumors that take flight in a hospital ruining careers left and right. On top of the residency journey plot, the two main characters come together through unlikely channels after absolutely ‘hating’ each other because of a lofty meet-cute misunderstanding. Being misfits in their fields (sort of), Grace and Julien work together to improve their weaknesses. Over time, they grow to realize how much they adore each other, but that rumor mill and Grace’s past loom over her, causing her to be very untrusting. That is alllll I can say without being spoiler-y, but you NEED to read it!!

I had an ALC & ARC and boy did the narrators deliver! They conveyed the emotions SO well. The little sniffles, crying, anger, joy, ALL of the emotions were spot on for both characters. Exactly what I look for in an audiobook production!

Thank you NetGalley, Canary Street Press, & Harlequin Audio for the gifted copies!

4.5 ⭐️
I loooved this book. I am such a sucker for he falls first and hardest.
When I tell you their banter is top tier 😮‍💨
I will forever be looking for my “saw this and thought of you” relationship that they have.
I wanted to think that the rumor aspect of this book was over the top and unrealistic but honestly… it’s spot on. And as someone with extreme sensitivity to what people think of her, I was able to understand Grace’s self protecting decisions even when they weren’t the right ones.
Julian was so patient and reassuring. A patient man and a healing woman are such a good combo. Absolutely cannot recommend this book enough once it releases!

Thank you to NetGalley, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All thoughts are my own and are in no way influenced by early access to this title.

I enjoyed the medical accuracy throughout the story and thought the supporting cast added a lot of charm. Grace and Julian had some entertaining moments, but their relationship felt a little rushed, and I would have liked to see more development between them on the page. The narrators were just okay for me — one felt a little stiff and the other a bit too scattered — which made it harder to connect with the characters. Overall, it had a lot of potential and some fun elements, but it didn’t completely pull me in the way I had hoped.

It reads like an episode of Grey's Anatomy. I'm not sure if you'll take that as a positive or negative. Cause in my mind I saw Izzy and Alex. The narrator was just okay.

When I saw this lovely little cover on NetGalley, I knew I needed to read it asap!

Mr. Bee and I are both in the medical field and started our love story working together so I have a special place in my heart.

Love Sick begins with Grace's first year of residency is hell. She's brilliant, anxious and extremely relatable. Her introduction to the first years doesn't go as planned. In fact, she over hears them discussing how she "must have slept her way into the program.

FALSE.

And so this sets her and against Julian, a fellow first year, who fought his way into the program.
These two have great enemy energy and the story sucked me right in.
Great for fans of Grey's Anatomy, you will love the enemies to lovers, found family tropes here.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for an advanced listener copy of this, I sped through it and can't wait to see it hit shelves May 13th.

This was a fun read, full of medical jargon. I liked that the characters were imperfect and it was interesting to see what the life of a resident would be like. The book was told in alternating POV and the audiobook was also very well done, making the book more enjoyable.

~~What I liked~~
-The book was well written and was easy to read (listen to).
-The characters were easy to relate to. Grace has social anxiety and Julian has ADD. Them together was enjoyable to see.
-Seeing Grace and Julian help each other was sweet.


~~What I didn't like~~
-There was perhaps a bit too much medical stuff for me, and I enjoy learning about new things, but it took away from the romance of the story a bit.
-I didn't like that Grace wasn't very open with Julian about her past. I get that it was part of the story, but I don't like books where communication issues are the underlying problem for the couple.
-Not being in the environment personally, I do feel like the rumor of Grace 'sleeping' her way into the program was over-perpetuated. At some point her own merit should have shown that she got where she was because she was capable.

Overall, this was cute, and I'll probably remember it because of the medical stuff, but it isn't one I'll likely revisit or highly recommend. It was a good debut novel, though, and the audiobook was good.

I really liked this story! It follows two residents trying to survive the chaos of becoming doctors, and the romance felt so real. I loved that Julian knew what he wanted but didn’t rush Grace into anything — he gave her the space she needed and was super patient. Watching them go from enemies to friends to something more was such a great slow burn. Julian really stuck by Grace, even with all the pressures they were both facing during residency. The narrators were new to me, but I thought they did a great job bringing the characters to life. If you’re into slow-burn romance with a lot of heart, definitely give this one a shot.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the free advanced audio copy. I’m leaving this review voluntarily!

I rarely read medical based romance books and was really intrigued by this one. Overall it was a cute, quick read but I felt like the chemistry and the writing was not completely there. The medical aspects felt very real and I loved that the Author was an OBGYN. The banter between the main characters was cute but felt a bit rushed and clunky as it progressed. I would definitely consider reading another book by this author.

Love Sick
by Deidra Duncan

Love Sick is like a perfect blend of Grey's Anatomy and a classic rom-com, packed with angst, humor, and serious steam. Grace is just beginning her residency in OB, trying her best to fit in with the other new residents. Her social anxiety creates some tough barriers, and things only get harder when a rumor starts circulating that she "slept her way" into the program.

Julian, another new OB resident, has his own struggles, entering the program as a DO and working hard to prove himself. He hears the ugly rumor about Grace but tries not to judge, until he meets her in person and realizes she's the one everyone is whispering about. Their first meeting goes horribly wrong, but the banter that follows is electric.

As Julian learns the truth about Grace, what starts as tension slowly transforms into something deeper. Grace wants to let Julian in, but past heartbreak has built heavy walls around her heart. To be with Julian, she must learn to trust again.

I gave Love Sick 4 out of 5 stars. I loved that this book was written by a real doctor, bringing an authentic feel to the hospital setting. The pacing was excellent for most of the story, although the ending felt a bit rushed.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Meg Sylvan and Eric Yang, and they both did an amazing job bringing Grace and Julian to life! They nailed the emotions.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the opportunity to experience Love Sick!

I freaking loved this book! Then I looked in goodreads and this is a debut novel! Amazing! All romance lovers need to read this one.

The storyline between Grace and Julian was so original. I can say that with 5000 books read! The story was refreshing, full of energy and promise. Loved it! 5 stars

Many thanks to Net Galley and Harlequin Audio for an audio ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.