Reviews with content warning for Death - On Rotation

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This is a strong own voices debut, and it's refreshing to read something set in the medical field written by someone who has practical experience and knows what they're talking about. I appreciated the footnotes as Angie explains what she's going through in her medical school process, and I found her own journey of self-acceptance more compelling than the romance between her and Ricky. The two of them have great chemistry, but their relationship timeline is fraught with angst--if, like me, petty communication issues are your pet peeve, this may not be the book for you.

Content Warnings

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

A special thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for an ARC of this novel!!!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5 stars)

Rep: West African Rep (Ghana), LatinX Rep (Mexican), Black Women in STEM, Black Women in Medicine, LGBTQIA+ Rep,

TW/CW: toxic parental relationships, alcoholism, death of a parent, tragedies in the hospital, cheating

Do you like?: black women in STEM, black women in medicine, interracial romance, side-characters who get their own character developments, strangers to slight enemies to lovers, blerd references (superiority complex activated), and a main character who is downright relatable?

If so, then I highly recommend this book for you!! Scratch that, support my girl and BUY THE DAMN BOOK! BUY TWO COPIES! I DON’T CARE JUST BUY IT!

On Rotation is more than just a romance novel, it follows the everyday life of third-year medical student Angela “Angie” Appiah, a Ghanaian-American who has checked off every box in order to be the perfect eldest immigrant daughter. That is, until her boyfriend breaks-up with her and she finds out that she hasn’t done the best on one of her most important exams. She is thrown into a whirlwind of emotions and now must figure out how to keep her residency dreams in tact. Until she meets Ricky Gutierrez, a Mexican-American freelance artist who is obsessed with love and gorgeous in every way. However, Angie is not trying to fall for another potential love flame that will do nothing but fizzle out in the end. Can Angie live up to the standards of her parents, follow her dreams, and learn to truly follow her heart?

So to start off, this book is a straight BANGER! I’ve never felt so seen by a book in my life! This book is more than just the romance between Angie and Ricky. We see Angie in her everyday life. We follow her through her third-year journey. We meet her family and get an insight on Ghanaian culture; we meet her younger sister who’s a complete firecracker and will do anything for her big sister. We meet her friends who are her second family and see the dynamics of friendships. We witness her go through a tough period with her best friend and see how sometimes your longest friendships can even be tested during adulthood. We meet her mentor, who wants nothing but to see her win. Just as the dedication says, this book is for the black girls who need to know thatyou are seen, YOU are loved, YOU can have whatever you dream of.

Characters:

Now Ricky……Ricky. I like you at the end of the day. But I’m bout to be on yo AHHH! Now, Ricky is not our average love interest. But that’s ultimately what I like about him. He’s a great person. But he shows us that great people, can make piss poor decisions in their personal life at times. I loved how he saw Angie for who he she was. He motivated her despite their different career choices and was always there to give her a supportive shoulder. He cares for her deeply and he shows it through his action. HOWEVER, my boy was on some bully bull for real! I hated the emotional rollercoaster he put Angie on. One minute you don’t like my girl, the next you do. We are too grown for all this and I’m happy that Angie was one to call him out on it instead of making excuses for him. He too was a great character to watch develop despite his excessive red flags lol.

My favorite character was Nia. Nia reminds me so much of my real life best friend. She is supportive of Angie and wants nothing but the best for her. I also love how we got to see some insight into Nia’s personal life as well. She served so much purpose in the story and I loved being able to see more of her personally.

In conclusion as I stated before, THIS IS A BANGER!! Instant buy author! Amazing story! Loved everything about this novel. Prepare to be sick of me because I’m not gone shut about this one for a while!!!

Content Warnings

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Out June 21, 2022 [Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!]

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Angie Appiah is the overachieving medical student daughter of Ghanaian immigrants, but when her boyfriend dumps her and she nearly fails a major exam all in the same day, she’s shaken by the stumble. Before too long, she meets Ricky, a gorgeous but infuriating artist—who just might upend her life even further.

There is SO MUCH I loved about this book! From reading other reviews, I suspected that the theme of an overachieving medical student dealing with burnout and figuring out what she wants out of life would resonate with me, and it definitely did—but the book also gave me an MC with the most relatable insecurities; deep and insightful commentary on medical education, healthcare, and the relationship of both to issues of race and Blackness; commentary on immigrant families and the pressures of being first generation; sapphic and non-binary representation; and honestly so much more. I adored the characters, the storyline, and all of the important issues that Dr. Obuobi managed to address so deftly.

There were moments where I thought the book might be a little bit long, but in the end I think every section and every sentence was necessary to the story. Both of the main characters also made several poor choices and engaged in terrible communication practices—but their growth over the course of the novel was wonderful to see. I am so excited for this novel to be out in the world, and even more excited to read whatever Dr. Obuobi writes next!

Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: Grey’s Anatomy but make it a rom-com; diversity and intersectional representation; strangers-to-friends-to-lovers.

CW: Medical content; death (including death of loved ones); mentions of gun violence/injury; addiction; some discussion of sexism and racism.

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