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elizabeth_delozier's review
emotional
funny
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
5 stars, hands down.
I went into this blind. I had heard only snippets of how this book was adorable with just a dash of spice. I was expecting something terribly cheesy. Let me just say, what a pleasant surprise.
This book was all-around delightful. A rom-com (And yes, I do mean rom-com...I laughed out loud a lot throughout this book) set in a dentistry doctoral program. Our FMC is an extremely anxious overachieving type, who works herself so hard she doesn't give herself much room for a personal life. Our MMC is a non-traditional first year legacy at the school and is currently working through complicated grief of both his recently departed father and the life he left behind to help with the family dentistry practice. While more laid back in nature than the FMC, he is still very driven...just not for dentistry.
The story touches on aspects of complicated grief, severe generalized anxiety disorder, general mental health, the importance of a support system, and the overwhelming stress put graduate students.
While covering these topics, the story also provides a fun romance with delicious spice as well as my favorite women friendship groups I have ever read about. The amount of true support and love shown among that friendship group is so heart-warming, you'll wish they were your own friends.
I loved everything about this book, including the main character's Maine Coon. I want one.
Please go read this now. Tell your friends. Shout it from the roof tops.
I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Emily Lawrence and Vikas Adam, via NetGalley. An advanced reader's copy of this audiobook was provided to me via NetGalley by Macmillan Audio in exchange for an honest review.
I went into this blind. I had heard only snippets of how this book was adorable with just a dash of spice. I was expecting something terribly cheesy. Let me just say, what a pleasant surprise.
This book was all-around delightful. A rom-com (And yes, I do mean rom-com...I laughed out loud a lot throughout this book) set in a dentistry doctoral program. Our FMC is an extremely anxious overachieving type, who works herself so hard she doesn't give herself much room for a personal life. Our MMC is a non-traditional first year legacy at the school and is currently working through complicated grief of both his recently departed father and the life he left behind to help with the family dentistry practice. While more laid back in nature than the FMC, he is still very driven...just not for dentistry.
The story touches on aspects of complicated grief, severe generalized anxiety disorder, general mental health, the importance of a support system, and the overwhelming stress put graduate students.
While covering these topics, the story also provides a fun romance with delicious spice as well as my favorite women friendship groups I have ever read about. The amount of true support and love shown among that friendship group is so heart-warming, you'll wish they were your own friends.
I loved everything about this book, including the main character's Maine Coon. I want one.
Please go read this now. Tell your friends. Shout it from the roof tops.
I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Emily Lawrence and Vikas Adam, via NetGalley. An advanced reader's copy of this audiobook was provided to me via NetGalley by Macmillan Audio in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, and Grief
Moderate: Death of parent and Emotional abuse
kottengoesbork's review
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, and Mental illness
Moderate: Cancer and Emotional abuse
hellowildflower's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Alcohol, Cancer, Car accident, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual content
duckyreads's review against another edition
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
There were a lot of aspects of this book that I enjoyed: the realistic portrayal of anxiety, the dental school details, and Harper’s friend/support group. But I honestly don’t think that Harper and Dan should’ve ended up together. I’m happy they got their happy ever after, and I knew that’s how it would end since this is a romance, but I didn’t enjoy it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Misogyny, Death of parent, Mental illness, and Emotional abuse
jennyslibrary's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book!!
🌶🥰
It had me on a chokehold the entire time, love blooming on all the pages. Finally a book with a good anxiety disorder representation! The quotes and writing was beautiful, will definitely be picking this up again to browse for ideas for my own book, and also to fall back into the pleasure of meeting the characters again. You grow to love them all, with their different personalities and traits. Harper and Dans love is out of this world, with Judy (Harpers giant cat) adding to the cuteness of it all. Recommend a thousand times! And the love between Alex (Dan’s roommate), and Thu’s (one of Harpers bests friends) love story, it sweetens the plot even more / This book was funny, sad, tense, and extremely romantic. Every page had me drooling for a love like theirs, and with a happy ending/ I will definitely be reading a brush with love again.
🌶🥰
It had me on a chokehold the entire time, love blooming on all the pages. Finally a book with a good anxiety disorder representation! The quotes and writing was beautiful, will definitely be picking this up again to browse for ideas for my own book, and also to fall back into the pleasure of meeting the characters again. You grow to love them all, with their different personalities and traits. Harper and Dans love is out of this world, with Judy (Harpers giant cat) adding to the cuteness of it all. Recommend a thousand times! And
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Mental illness, Grief, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, and Death of parent
Moderate: Car accident
eternalreverie's review
emotional
hopeful
relaxing
sad
tense
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? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Sexism, and Panic attacks/disorders
rupanjali's review
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders and Death of parent
Moderate: Sexism, Medical content, and Emotional abuse
kikeen26's review
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual content
Moderate: Emotional abuse
carbs666's review
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book is a lot like The Love Hypothesis in a lot of ways. I can't be the only one who thinks that.
I enjoyed the emotional and sexual tension in this book. Dan's patience and willingness to let Harper lead lead way is very sweet, and his genuine concern and care for her is really what makes this book special. A book where the hero is just instantly obsessed with the heroine is kind of catnip for me, so I was bound to enjoy this read. Also, that party scene was, like, ripped straight from my teenage fantasies.
I do feel like I don't really know why Harper loves Dan. I know Dan thinks Harper is cute and brilliant and driven, but Harper mostly thinks Dan is....hot? I feel like the book doesn't do a great job of showing instead of telling how the characters are feeling, but it's definitely better than other recent contemporaries I've read in that regard. It just kind of felt like "okay, they're into each other, now that we've established that we can keep the plot moving" and there wasn't a lot of room to explore their connection.
I do like how this book handled messy family relationships and mental illness with nuance and care. A lot of Harper's concerns about if she could still succeed if she worked to let go of her anxiety resonated with me, and I'm sure a lot of other readers felt the same. I also liked that the book was honest about sexism in the medical field and it's impacts.
I gotta say, I'm a little tired of the traumatic death of a parent being a staple in a lot of newer contemporaries. I know dead parent is kind of a staple of the genre and that reducing interference from outside characters helps keep the MCs in their bubble, but it would be nice to try different ways of keeping the parents off the page!
I wish there was more sex! There's a lot of tension leading up to it but the pay off isnt really there? I am out here begging the contemporaries to please turn up the heat!!
I'm still giving the book 4 ⭐ because I genuinely enjoyed myself while reading it. It's only later when I put on my reviewer hat that I start to get nitpicky. Overall, this is a sweet book with a lot to offer! You'll like it!
I enjoyed the emotional and sexual tension in this book. Dan's patience and willingness to let Harper lead lead way is very sweet, and his genuine concern and care for her is really what makes this book special. A book where the hero is just instantly obsessed with the heroine is kind of catnip for me, so I was bound to enjoy this read. Also, that party scene was, like, ripped straight from my teenage fantasies.
I do feel like I don't really know why Harper loves Dan. I know Dan thinks Harper is cute and brilliant and driven, but Harper mostly thinks Dan is....hot? I feel like the book doesn't do a great job of showing instead of telling how the characters are feeling, but it's definitely better than other recent contemporaries I've read in that regard. It just kind of felt like "okay, they're into each other, now that we've established that we can keep the plot moving" and there wasn't a lot of room to explore their connection.
I do like how this book handled messy family relationships and mental illness with nuance and care. A lot of Harper's concerns about if she could still succeed if she worked to let go of her anxiety resonated with me, and I'm sure a lot of other readers felt the same. I also liked that the book was honest about sexism in the medical field and it's impacts.
I gotta say, I'm a little tired of the traumatic death of a parent being a staple in a lot of newer contemporaries. I know dead parent is kind of a staple of the genre and that reducing interference from outside characters helps keep the MCs in their bubble, but it would be nice to try different ways of keeping the parents off the page!
I wish there was more sex! There's a lot of tension leading up to it but the pay off isnt really there? I am out here begging the contemporaries to please turn up the heat!!
I'm still giving the book 4 ⭐ because I genuinely enjoyed myself while reading it. It's only later when I put on my reviewer hat that I start to get nitpicky. Overall, this is a sweet book with a lot to offer! You'll like it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, and Medical content
Moderate: Sexism
boris's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Sexism, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Medical content, and Grief
Moderate: Emotional abuse