I loved this book!! As a love of Greys Anatomy and all other Med-Rom-Com shows this was a breath of fresh air. The OBGYN specialty was oddly satisfying and the author did the specialty well. I use to work in healthcare and have had 3 kids so the commentary by the doctors on new moms and the experience on the L&D floor had me cracking up! I went into this expecting a troped up romance that barely rang true to the real medical world but it was actually very very well done. I will be recommending this to all my Greys Anatomy girlies.

Also, Sapphire or should i say "Grace" was more relatable than unbearable. Sometimes an insecure FMC can be just miserable and annoying to read... Grace was not. While I haven't experienced her woes I felt for her deeply and understood her hesitancy with Julian.

A medical based book, i have to try it! This book drew me in I loved Julian and Grace. The plot line was ok, some of the negativity was a little drawn out.

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 rumor that she slept her way into the program.

Um. False.

Grace sets the record straight by putting on her devil-red lipstick and putting her rude - and frustratingly handsome - co-resident, Julian Santini, in his place. But rumors take on a life of their own, and no amount of studiousness, or support from her co-residents, can course-correct her reputation. Ironic, given Grace hasn't been physical with anyone since her ex broke her heart in med school.

Julian is exhausted from years of studying. Despite that, he's determined to prove he deserves the residency position he narrowly landed. If only he could buckle down and concentrate. Instead, he's preoccupied by the judgy girl grappling with an absurd rumor - a woman he unintentionally offended on day one.

Yeah, he put his foot in his mouth. But he has no interest in participating in the hospital's frat house culture that continues to slut-shame Grace.

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

As much as I wanted to power through this, I just couldn’t. I got 60% through and I still don’t know what the point of the story was. You’d think at the halfway point there would be something that would make me want to continue, but there wasn’t. It just felt like a bunch of STUFF happening but nothing for the plot.
I stopped listening at a really cringe interview scene with the narrator laughing. That was the straw for me.
The misogyny was annoying (they gave a trigger warning ).
I just couldn’t waste any more time on this book. I really tried. But 60% with no substance was it for me.

An okay story but I did not enjoy the coarse language and overall tone. The idea that someone’s life could be so impacted by their first name is a little hard to believe. At the very least if she suffered so deeply because of her name she could legally change it… I did really enjoy the harry potter references though. But the comparison to Pulse is really not justified other than the fact that they both feature medical interns. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

2/5 ⭐️
1.5/5 🌶️ The door isn’t closed, but it’s also not completely open if you know what I mean.

Thanks to NetGalley, Harlequin Audio, and Deidra Duncan for an ALC in exchange for my honest review.

I did not like this book. I’m going to just be completely straight forward with that from the beginning. There are very specific tropes that I just did not vibe with here that I can enjoy in other books. The main issue? The MMC sucks. Fake feminist misogynistic nonsense from the start and just immediately making out with a new woman as soon as he breaks up with the love of his life? Cooooool. Also, can we talk about how there are technically TWO third act break ups in this since there’s also a friend break up? There was too much toxic masculinity and toxic misogyny for me in here. This needed a warning, honestly, and maybe the point was to show how it is, but this didn’t feel like a romance. This felt very heavy on the General Fiction with a dash of romance with a lowercase “r” instead of Romance.

The audiobook was done incredibly well. I will say, if you really enjoy medical dramas this could be for you. The medical aspect seemed well done. I just could not get behind the pacing of this book. The author spends more than 92% of the book tearing this FMC down, essentially and then she barely gets any time for a HEA. I’ve read bully romances with more fluff and less angst. This was just not for me. It might be for you though!

This book reminded me a lot of Greys anatomy, which is why I was so intrigued in the first place. Doctor gossip, romance and witty humor. I didn’t love this book, but didn’t hate it either! The narrator who played Grace was spot on. I’ve listened to her other audiobooks and she definitely fits to the character.

I had a hard time connecting with Grace and Justin, not sure why. I was hooked in the very beginning but felt kind of dragged on just a little bit. But I did like how the author is a physician herself, I feel like she was really able to connect to the characters in that way and the experiences the characters were going through, were based off of her own experiences.

I enjoyed the setting, but not the relationship between Grace and Julian. This took place over two years- far too long for the petty banter and, worse, the unfounded rumors to go on. It just wasn't realistic.
Meg Sylvan and Eric Yang narrate the audiobook.

Love Sick by Deidra Duncan is a charming and heartfelt love story that strikes a great balance between light romance and emotional depth. The chemistry between the characters feels genuine, and their development throughout the story adds layers that make them feel real and relatable. While the pacing dragged slightly in a few places, the engaging dialogue and sweet moments more than made up for it. Duncan does a lovely job weaving humor and vulnerability into the narrative, making it an enjoyable and memorable read. A solid 4-star romance for anyone who loves character-driven stories with heart.

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.

The audiobook narration was really great as well! I enjoyed both narrators.

If you like Grey’s Anatomy and rom-coms, Love Sick is a perfect book for you. It has alternating chapters from each character and the audiobook has a different narrator for each one which I loved. Many narrators are good at doing multiple voices but it’s just not the same as having a male and female narrator. The enemies-to-lovers trope in this book works like a charm, and you are just waiting for someone to make a move….

Thanks to NerGalley and Harlequin Audio for this audiobook advance copy. #netgalley #harlequin #lovesick

I listened to the audio in addition to reading it on my kindle. I was really excited when I heard about this one! I love the Grey’s Anatomy drama, but sometime the narrators were a little too dramatic when reading some of their lines. It was giving high school play versus narration. I thought that the story was cute but the narration took away from it a bit.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperAudio for the audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5/5 stars. I know nothing about the medical field but this read just like I was watching a medical comedy/drama and I enjoyed that! I think the switch from “feuding” to “lovers” was nicely paced. But I hate a third act breakup AND the epilogue/ending being what it was - to me it’s a tad corny and overdone. I would gladly pick up another book by this author.

This was such a fun book! I loved the rivals to lovers trope between Grace and Julian. Their chemistry was off the charts! I also liked the hospital setting and the way the author talked about gender disparity in the medical field. The double standard between male and female doctors was so frustrating, but it made me root for the FMC. I highly recommend this book!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Love Sick by Deidra Duncan! Releases May 13th!!

I was so excited for this one, and it did not disappoint. 💜It was cute, emotional, and absolutely perfect. I lovedthat both of the characters had distinct personalities that were unique and fit together extremely well.
I truly loved that this book outlined the FMC and MMCs lives over a significant period of time, not just a couple months. I feel like this was extremely realistic.

I personally never watched Grey’s Anatomy or any of those medical shows however, this made me feel like maybe I should. I loved the medical setting, and the two main characters helping each other be better doctors. They truly supported each other, and worked through challenges together!

This book is one hell of a slow burn, but in the best way! I loved the emotional depth of the characters, and there lived experiences. It was so raw and real. Overall highly recommend tot add this to your TBR!

Review for the audiobook: It’s hard to describe, but I personally loved consuming this via audiobook. There’s a scene where the female main character is laughing while she tries to talk, and the voice actor was able to portray that moment, and it just made it feel so much more real and much more enjoyable. Highly recommend!

This was so sweet and spicy! It was described as greys anatomy vibes and that is 100% correct! The enemies to loves vibes were so good and the banter between grace and Julian was SO GOOD!

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Out of all the medical shows I’ve seen, I don’t know why this is reminding me of Grey’s Anatomy. Maybe because it’s a medical drama where people have preconceived ideas about characters? Then I looked and saw this was actually written by a doctor which is freaking cool.

Rumors and reputations played a really big part in this book and I personally wanted more of the romance. I loved their banter in the beginning and wanted it to continue further in the book.

Audiobook-
I actually don’t hate when Meg Sylan does the MMC voice. That’s a freaking win in itself. But I do just also like her as a narrator. I don’t think I’ve heard Eric Yang before but I liked him too.

Love Sick by Deidra Duncan is a compelling romantic comedy set in the high-pressure world of OB-GYN residency. The story follows Grace Rose, a determined first-year resident, and her complicated relationship with fellow resident Julian Santini.

Duncan, a practicing physician, brings authenticity to the medical drama, realistically portraying the challenges and intensity of residency life. The book explores themes of workplace dynamics, overcoming adversity, and the power of connection amidst demanding circumstances. With its blend of humor, heartfelt moments, and engaging banter, Love Sick offers a captivating reading experience.

Skilled narrator effectively captures the characters' personalities, the emotional depth of the story, and the vibrant hospital setting. The witty banter between Grace and Julian, in particular, is a highlight of the listening experience.

I officially love this couple and love Julian! He is absolutely book boyfriend material. This book was so much fun and had me laughing out loud, but the love story between them is so sweet. The struggles Grace (or Sapphire) went through are so sad but Julian's reactions were perfection.

Deidra Duncan set out to write the most accurate medical rom com out there: as a physician herself, it's clear she went to great effort to ensure the representation of residency in her novel was accurate. No over-the-top plot points or romanticizing of medical training like Grey's Anatomy here.

The book is set in a fictional Texas hospital and its OBGYN residency program. Julian and Grace are two of the new residents, who unfortunately get off on the wrong foot. Rumors of Grace's promiscuity have infiltrated the residency program even before her arrival and threaten her relationship with peers and faculty. Seeing Julian as an instigator of the rumors, she gives him the cold shoulder. Over time, he becomes a trusted a confident and friend and Grace begins to wonder if maybe she has feelings for him afterall. The ghost of her past relationship haunts her and prevents her from fully leaning into their connection. This coupled with escalating rumors and gossip push her to a breaking point that cause her to reevaluate her career and capacity for love.

There's a lot that works in "Love Sick:" the setting is believable and realistic, which is rare in these kinds of medical rom-coms. Duncan does not simplify or gloss over the more menial details of medical training for the sake of her audience. The language is accurate and precise, which I think will go a long way for readers who work in this kind of setting. The slow burn is slooooooow. Julian and Grace's chemistry is good with plenty of development and high stakes. The friendship between co-residents creates a fun cast of characters. My two main qualms are: the length of the book, which drags on a bit longer than necessary, and the surprisingly negative representation of health care providers. The faculty and residents are mean with little care for honesty or integrity until they are forced to face consequences. Maybe this was the author's real life experience which I want to respect, but I don't see this book as doing a lot to increase readers' trust in their obgyn. There's a decent amount of scenes mocking patients. And in addition to the aforementioned cattiness of the residents/faculty, it just made me feel kind of grossed out by the whole operation. I think this is a great book for other physicians who enjoy seeing their experiences reflected or who want something that really puts its finger on the terrible abuses that occur in residency. However, as a general, non-medical, reader these themes took away from what I was hoping would be a light-hearted and fun romance.

The audiobook was well done with dual narration for Grace and Julian's parts. I did find it disappointing that some words were mispronounced like "peds" (pronounced like "keds" in the audio, when it should be "peeds") and also, ironically, "uterine."

Tropes: enemies to lovers, forced proximity, third act break-up. slow burn

Spice: 2/5 (mostly closed door)