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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
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
vikidoki's review
emotional
funny
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? Yes
5.0
IF ANYONE DARES TO SAY ANYTHING BAD ABOUT THIS BOOK I WILL UNFRIEND YOU IMMEDIATELY
mazey eddings, not only is your Instagram account hilarious but your writing style is absolutely brilliant. I can’t even begin to express why I am so amazed by this book starting with how it incorporates so many topics so respectfully and naturally. but plan to read an amazing story with realistic representation of topics like mental health, feminism, abusive relationships, death it’s all in there and I love it. I admire how mazey connected mental health and ableism and how you can manage it. the description of anxiety made me feel seen (as a person that has anxiety) and it’s executed in a way that seriously stunned me. I love the characters. I love Dan (even though he has a slightly weird name), I love Harper, I love everybody in this book. mazey eddings manages it to write alluring and lovable characters that you just wanna hug.
What I particularly enjoyed was for example how dan realized it’s not healthy for him to stay if harper was just playing with him and I love that harper realized that it was the best step to take. I really enjoyed how the storyline between parents and the main character made you get so much more inside to the character itself and how parents affect the relationship that you have to yourself . i adore dan and harper together, I adore their random grocery runs and I absolutely adore how dan always notices the anxiety that harper feels. get me a dan right now please and thank you.
I just have to say I am eternally grateful for this book. it’s an amazing book for women in STEM and I see absolutely no flaw in this book (but maybe it’s just a post haze from just finishing the book but yolo)
I DEEPLY RECOMMEND READING THIS BOOK xoxo love u
p.s.: i think i was definitly high with good-book-weed
mazey eddings, not only is your Instagram account hilarious but your writing style is absolutely brilliant. I can’t even begin to express why I am so amazed by this book starting with how it incorporates so many topics so respectfully and naturally. but plan to read an amazing story with realistic representation of topics like mental health, feminism, abusive relationships, death it’s all in there and I love it. I admire how mazey connected mental health and ableism and how you can manage it. the description of anxiety made me feel seen (as a person that has anxiety) and it’s executed in a way that seriously stunned me. I love the characters. I love Dan (even though he has a slightly weird name), I love Harper, I love everybody in this book. mazey eddings manages it to write alluring and lovable characters that you just wanna hug.
I just have to say I am eternally grateful for this book. it’s an amazing book for women in STEM and I see absolutely no flaw in this book (but maybe it’s just a post haze from just finishing the book but yolo)
I DEEPLY RECOMMEND READING THIS BOOK xoxo love u
p.s.: i think i was definitly high with good-book-weed
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Car accident, Medical content, Ableism, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Alcohol and Misogyny
michaela999's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
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, Medical content, Mental illness, Grief, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Sexism, Emotional abuse, and Toxic friendship
hannahkiwi's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Medical content
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Car accident
collie98's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, and Medical content
mspecht's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders and Car accident
Moderate: Death of parent and Medical content
bookswithca's review
emotional
medium-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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, and Ableism
Moderate: Cancer, Death of parent, Medical content, Sexism, Terminal illness, Car accident, Death, Gaslighting, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Panic attacks/disorders
kayaks's review
emotional
funny
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? Yes
4.0
“I know I’m a mess. I know … I know I’m not easy to love…”
“Harper, loving you is the easiest thing I’ll ever do.”
this book was so sweet it gave me cavities. listen, if the characters of this book were allowed to make dental related puns so can i.
a brush with love was absolutely adorable and hilarious but it also was quite heavy at times—but i didn’t mind it. there was always a good balance between the heavy and the light. there were some issues i had (such as the pacing and certain things/choices characters made) but once again my love for the characters and book as a whole outweighed the bad. and i loved this book. it filled me with so much serotonin and genuinely made me laugh out loud (actually laugh and not just where you suck in a huge gust of air and exhale it).
also, this whole book felt very ali hazelwood like. that’s not a critique. it’s a compliment. i cannot wait to read the sequel and see what kind of ridiculous situations that will transpired. and i can’t wait to catch up with dan, harper, judy the cat, alex, thu, indira, lizzie (and her mysterious love interest), and the rest of the characters. except the giles brothers. they better not make a reappearance.
“Harper, have you ever had the overwhelming urge to rip out your reproductive tract and use the fallopian tubes to choke the stupidity out of men? Because that’s where I’m at.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, and Mental illness
Moderate: Car accident, Sexism, and Medical content