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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)

Love this workplace romance!
As a healthcare professional myself, I was immediately drawn to this book.
Julian and Grace have tremendous chemistry and the characters are very well written. Their banter was fantastic. I enjoyed how they developed throughout the book.
Warning for a slow burn, but worth the pace.
Mental health representation is hard to write but it was done so perfectly here.
The plot is structured well and kept me reading.
If you are in healthcare, love a good workplace romance, and a slow burn, this is for you! Grab this book! Such a fun read for this nurse!

Update 4/30/25: I also received an ARC of the audiobook and I still enjoyed this book! Love it!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

I picked this ALC because my favorite trope is enemies to lovers and I love medical MCs. This book did not disappoint. The narrators did a lovely job! Their narration really made the story entertaining and engaging. And I love how the author’s own experiences as a resident was naturally woven into the story.

Tropes:
🩺He falls first
🩺Forced proximity
🩺Enemies to lovers
🩺Medical MCs
🩺Who did this to you?
🩺Pop culture references
🩺Dual POV

I genuinely have high respect for doctors and this book is yet another reminder of that. The amount of work they do to save lives is well articulated in this story even though this is primarily a romance. This story also shows how incredibly damaging gossip can be. Especially how damaging it can be to a woman’s reputation.

The story was well written and entertaining throughout. There were no boring moments and it all played like I was watching a movie. Loved the banter between the leads as well as the pop culture references.

Oh and Julian the MMC? literally perfect book boyfriend. He’s kind, understanding, funny, handsome, hot, and above all love the FMC in a way that’s healing and powerful. Our FMC Grace has had a difficult life and I was rooting for her from start to finish. I was frustrated with some of her decisions but equally understood the reasoning as to why she’s the way she is. I also wanted to punch some of the side characters who are cringy and obnoxious. Looking for an enemies to lovers romance with some drama and personal discovery and healing? This will get you covered. Such a great debut!

Alternative title: Grace and her Garbage Friends. Wowza. It is no wonder she has her heart locked up tight. I loved Grace and Julian’s chemistry and banter so much. I liked his backstory as well, but hoped he would have done more to stand against the BrOB-GYN nonsense. Still, he did right by Grace and for that, gold stars to Julian. Audio note: Really good performance by both narrators !!

I read the audio version and while I enjoyed the story, there were times when the narration was flat. Also, I didn't love the teasing from the MMC at the beginning. It's too much and Grace gives a clear boundary which he continues to cross. It felt disrespectful and icky, especially for someone who claims to be a feminist. I also didn't like the breakup. I'm not sure what I would have done in it's place but it was lacking emotion. I may have even rolled my eyes during that part. I have read other romance books with breakups and this is the first one that didn't seem convincing. Other than those things, I enjoyed the book. I really liked the female narrator and felt the male narrator was pretty monotone. If I didn't read this through the audio version, I probably wouldn't have finished it.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This one got me. I even choked up a couple times. It is like if Grey’s Anatomy didn’t have unbearable characters and ended the series at the good and right time.

I have to say I’m not usually into medical reads, just having worked in the field for so long that you want to distance from it sometimes. HOWEVER, this book just sounded so fun and right up my alley with the enemies to lovers and such a great plot. Well, let me tell you I am SO glad I didnt let this one pass me by. I was on the edge of my seat at work and once I got home listening to this book because I was so hooked. I want to start with I love the fact that the author is actually an OB and wrote things from experience and knowledge, I really appreciated that. I also enjoyed the battle from the start with Grace and Julian then the kindled friendship and eventual love. I also enjoyed the foreshadowing and everyone just knowing that they would end up together and married, throughout the whole book. I always enjoyed MOST of the characters except for Maxwell for really all reasons and Alicia for you know or you will find out reasons! I am proud of Grace for overcoming all of the rumors, distrust and falters that happened to her throughout the book and for Julian always being a good guy and sticking true to him. I am giving this book a 4/5 stars and I want to give it a full 5 stars but I am just so angry at things that happened in this book and some of the characters that it’s holding me back but this was seriously an amazing book and I would highly recommend it to everyone! Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for allowing me to listen and review this book with my own thoughts and opinions! Also a big shoutout to the narrators Meg Sylvan and Eric Yang you truly made this listen so enjoyable!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for this review copy of Love Sick.

Love Sick tells the story of Grace, a resident OBGYN who due to a rumor going around the hospital is accused of sleeping her way into a job. Another resident, Julien hears this rumor and accidentally starts a fued between them when he asks not get involved in her drama.
What follows is a romance between the two as Grace deals with the drama she faces.

Overall, I’d give it 3.5 stars. There were parts that were super cute, and really clear the author works in the hospital herself, but other parts that felt too cartoonish to be taken seriously. A lot of characters weren’t given depth in order to make Grace the true victim of apparently a horrible hospital staff. Overall I’d say it’s a good debut novel, I just didn’t feel like it should have been a romance. It would have made a great literary fiction book instead, focusing on Grace’s journey through rumors, and accepting herself.

I binge-listened to the audiobook at work and let me just tell you how deeply I sighed and eye-rolled at every phone call that made me press pause on this story.

Grace and Julian were flawed, lovable characters with amazing chemistry. Their initial hatred was justified, but the BANTER?! My ears were warm from the heat. I love a good enemies-to-lovers and this DELIVERED. Plus, seeing Grace and Julian support each other despite their initial first impressions and eventually becoming friends, then lovers, was heartwarming. Regardless of Julian having insecurities over being a DO, not an MD, and Grace having the nastiest of rumors spread about her, they made the most of their residency and their relationship. Grace had a lot of trauma from her past and I understand why she behaved the way she did, even if I really didn't agree with her behavior at times. I wasn't expecting the plot reveal with a certain someone toward the end of the book, but I was SO proud of Grace for allowing herself to forgive this person but still keep them at a distance; her character development by the end was admirable. This book truly brought to light the struggles of working in the medical field, trying to heal from past trauma, the detrimental impact of rumors on the psyche and how difficult it can be to accept the love we don't think we deserve. I greatly appreciated the writing and the perspective from an author who is an OB/GYN herself; it really helped me feel immersed in the story. I also need to point out what a phenomenal job the narrators did. Eric Yang and Meg Sylvan told this story so beautifully, I felt like I was listening to the characters themselves at times.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This was such a good debut! I’ve been reading a lot of STEM romance books recently and this one did not disappoint.

I really enjoyed the banter between Grace and Julian. It had me kicking and giggling. My main irritation was the excessive calling her by a name she doesn’t prefer. I just don’t like that microtrope. (This could also due to me not enjoying when people call me any nickname instead of my full name.)

I loved that the romance was more of a slow burn and that it wasn’t just “I hate you now I love you.” It definitely made it seem more believable.

I thought the audiobook was great! It was able to bring the banter to life in a great way.

Tropes: workplace romance, enemies to lovers, forced proximity

Okay I’m off to go watch Private Practice because I don’t have it in me for 21 seasons of Grey’s Anatomy.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Audio, and the author for the ALC ✨

This was an enjoyable listen that kept me engaged and wanting to come back to it.
I enjoyed the insight to hospital life from the perspective of a doctor in training.
The romance was prominent and believable, but there were other elements to the story beyond the romance that provided variety and kept me interested.
Content warning: There is a substantial element of the plot that deals with misogyny—specifically in the workplace—and, to a lesser degree, some elements of relationship trauma. To me, these topics were handled respectfully. However, the issues surrounding these topics can be upsetting and frustrating, so keep that in mind.
The writing generally was fine. Nothing amazing. There are some truly cringe-worthy cliches towards the end. But, the characters seem realistic and believable for the most part, and the romantic relationship proceeds in a generally believable fashion—you know until act 3, of course.

Overall, I enjoyed this and would recommend it to romance readers who enjoy workplace romance or doctor romance.

3 1/2 ⭐️

Thank you to Harlequin audio And NetGalley for this audiobook ARC.

This book was delightful! You could tell this was a passion project— the hospital setting stood out for its realism, and I appreciated being able to approach the story with the knowledge that the premise was based on the author’s experience in the profession.

The love story was sweet and the chemistry was steamy, which I love! I especially loved the enemies premise in the beginning— a lot of times, ‘enemies’ in contemporary romances feel contrived, but the reasoning behind the animosity for these two felt realistic.

One small complaint: the male narrator for the audiobook was…. not my favorite. Some of his delivery really fell flat for me. Thankfully, it wasn’t enough to significantly detract from my reading experience.

Now, it’s time for me to join everyone else in these reviews binging Grey’s Anatomy…

Thank you to Canary Street Press for providing this audiobook via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Harlequin audio and Deidra Duncan for advanced listening copy of this audiobook. All thoughts in this review are my true and honest opinion.

Overall, I found this to be an enjoyable listen. While Grace is more extreme about it than me, I completely relate to her trouble with being able to open up and be vulnerable to another person and essentially having trust issues that the person won’t hurt or take advantage of her.

Even when she isn’t capable of seeing or understanding it (and maybe before he knows it), Julian will do absolutely anything for Grace, and I love how many times he proves that throughout the book!

While I have never worked in a hospital, I did volunteer in one for years and currently work in another aspect of public health. While some things did feel a little exaggerated, I was impressed with how well dynamics between the residents, attendings, nurses, etc. were presented! I also being able to see in our characters how OBGYN residency requires being good both at the more physical aspects/anatomy-heavy parts of the job like surgery and delivery and also the more memorized knowledge things like figuring out medication dosages, what medications are best for a particular illness, etc. I also loved Julian’s backstory for why he chose OBGYN; as a patient, I find myself questioning why a man went into OBGYN than I would for a woman in that specialty.

The narration was fine- not the best I’ve listened to, but definitely not a dealbreaker level for me. I think I’ve just gotten a little spoiled with other books that have duet narration so going back to dual narration and each of them doing both characters took a bit of time for my brain to adjust back to.

First off, thank you @NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the ALC🎧

4.5 ⭐️ - I am a love sick fool for Love Sick. Grey’s Anatomy meets Mindy Project, what more could you need?

The hook:
Grace is a first year OB-GYN resident. Before her first day at the hospital, she discovers there’s a rumor going around that one of the residents secured their spot in the program by sleeping with one of the higher-ups. Off to a rocky start, Grace goes through the trials and tribulations of her residency. Julian is another first year resident in her cohort, and they get off to a very rough start. Their endless bickering and fighting leads to endless tension, a cautious friendship, then the most gut wrenching but beautiful love story to make you feel SICK to your stomach.

❤️❤️❤️

My general thoughts:
Please grab a box of tissues! I was not expecting how beautiful and gut wrenching this story would be! If you are a fan of medical dramas, this is right up your alley. There was endless humor, banter, bickering, fighting, flirting, and also stress! For someone like myself who knows little to nothing about the world of medicine, I loved how detailed and specific the author is with the doctor knowledge. The author herself is a doctor so it’s like reading someone’s first hand experience going through residency. I commend you doctors.. you are truly heroes. I could never work the long endless shifts.

I loved the pacing of this book so much. It felt long because it spans over ~2 years of their residency. It allows you to grow with the characters, build thicker skin like they do, and also fall in love with all the characters. I want to be invited to group therapy and I want to try the unicorn blood cocktail!

The rumors that go around the hospital are crazy and at times I had a bit of trouble going, really? These grown adults gossip like high schoolers? But then I recall the stories my sister tells me who works in a hospital herself, and yeah - there is actually a lot of this drama. It made my heart hurt for Grace, she did not deserve a second of the harassment she received. Without spoiling it, I must say I eventually caught on to the big plot reveal and let’s just say I am STILL fuming. This is the only reason I was torn between 4 and 5 stars.

I know this was a perfect read for me when I stayed up until 2am with a box of tissues on a Sunday night. Yes, my eyes are puffy. Because I am sadistic, this is my favorite reaction to a romance novel. Give me the HEA but make me WORK for it.

❤️❤️❤️

Some special quotes:

“I want your days to be good.”

“I’ll let her destroy me and I’ll do it with a smile. I’m hers now”.

“I’m magnetized to her. If the lights disappeared and plunged us into blackness, I’d still find her. She’d glow. A glittering star illuminating the dark”.


🎧🎧🎧
Audiobook specific notes:
-This is dual POV and dual narration
-Meg Sylvan put on the performance of her lifetime here!! The voices she has for each of the characters are SO unique it makes it so easy to tell apart who is speaking. She even has a certain inflection for like ~inner thoughts~ so you know she’s saying that in her head. That is so special!! She also goes the extra mile - like when the FMC is giggling, she’s actually giggling through the dialogue. Or when the line reads “she yawned through her sentence…” Meg actually yawns through it! It’s these little touches that elevate the narration for me. There’s a part where the FMC is running on no sleep, going delirious - the way Meg brings that to life, it made ME feel like I was delirious. Perfect, no notes.
-I am new to Eric Yang as a narrator but I did enjoy his voice. His character’s voices were clear, his flow was excellent. He has a very soothing voice and somehow he had a “doctor” voice to me, so it was a great fit.
-Production was great, everything sounded smooth and cohesive. Overall a fantastic audio.

This was a strong debut from Deidra Duncan! In this enemies-to-lovers story, Grace and Julian are trying to navigate their ways through medical residency and find that they need each other's help. The story's set over several years, and when I realized this, I thought I'd be annoyed with book stretching out over so much time, but it works. It's not instalove; it feels much more genuine because we see their love develop over time.

I didn't want to put the story down. In addition to compelling writing, the narrators are both phenomenal! I hope this will be the start of a series; Grace and Julian have lots of friends whose stories I want to read!

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the audio ARC.

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The audio was so good! I love dual narration so having both MC have their own voice so nice. Both narrators did a great job embodying each character and the audio flowed so nicely.

Bravo Diedra on your debut novel! This book made me want to go rewatch greys anatomy for like the 20th time 😜I loved the the medical talk the inside scoop on what goes on in the L&D floor. I loved Sapphire “Grace” and Julian’s love story. The slow burn was very good!!! Highly recommend it!

Loved everything about this audiobook. ADHD representation for our MMC and this story is about doctors written by a doctor how better can it get? 🥹🥰 makes me want to watch a new medical show.