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A review by becks_reads
A Brush with Love by Mazey Eddings
emotional
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Thank you, NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to the audiobook A Brush with Love by Mazey Eddings, in exchange for an honest review.
I wanted to love this book so much. It seemed like a cute romance that also dealt with some heavier topics. However, this book fell just short of my expectations. Don’t get me wrong there was plenty of cute moments and discussion of anxiety. It just didn’t land the way I expected.
Let’s talk about Harper. From the beginning, it was insta love for me. Meaning I liked her character a lot. She had depth, was funny, and was enjoyable to read about. However, the more I listened the more she became unbearable. She started to make decisions that bugged me and would repeat the same things over and over again. I understand that she had major anxiety, and these are some things you would do if you had anxiety. However, the way they were written was annoying. In the end, she had the chance to redeem herself but by that point, I was too annoyed.
Now Dan. I love Dan, and wish the story was mostly about him. He is in dental school against his will. Wading through familial guilt and loathing. Yet he keeps moving forward, always making sure those in his life are cared for. He was the perfect gentleman to Harper. However, Harper walked all over him. He honestly deserved better.
The story. It was cute if you ignore the annoying Harper moments. There were ups and downs, cute dates, funny friends, real situations. I have one major qualm with the story though. Harper got majorly drunk one day, and Dan was pretty sober. Harper made a complete full of herself, taking off her dress and trying to seduce Dan. Being the gentleman that he is, he put her shirt back on her and tucked her into bed. That whole moment just felt gross, and unneeded. Made Harper feel like a 16-year-old girl, not 26. So in short, I guess I didn’t like the story that much.
Finally, the audiobook portion. There were two narrators for this story because it was told from dual perspectives. I loved Emily Lawrence! She did such a good job with her pacing, and tone. Vikas Adams did great while narrating Dan's thoughts or conversations with men. However, as soon as he had to voice a female, the voice got all breathy and cringy to hear. It made all the women sound young and like a seductress, even in serious moments. Besides that, I liked the audiobook portion.
I wanted to love this book so much. It seemed like a cute romance that also dealt with some heavier topics. However, this book fell just short of my expectations. Don’t get me wrong there was plenty of cute moments and discussion of anxiety. It just didn’t land the way I expected.
Let’s talk about Harper. From the beginning, it was insta love for me. Meaning I liked her character a lot. She had depth, was funny, and was enjoyable to read about. However, the more I listened the more she became unbearable. She started to make decisions that bugged me and would repeat the same things over and over again. I understand that she had major anxiety, and these are some things you would do if you had anxiety. However, the way they were written was annoying. In the end, she had the chance to redeem herself but by that point, I was too annoyed.
Now Dan. I love Dan, and wish the story was mostly about him. He is in dental school against his will. Wading through familial guilt and loathing. Yet he keeps moving forward, always making sure those in his life are cared for. He was the perfect gentleman to Harper. However, Harper walked all over him. He honestly deserved better.
The story. It was cute if you ignore the annoying Harper moments. There were ups and downs, cute dates, funny friends, real situations. I have one major qualm with the story though. Harper got majorly drunk one day, and Dan was pretty sober. Harper made a complete full of herself, taking off her dress and trying to seduce Dan. Being the gentleman that he is, he put her shirt back on her and tucked her into bed. That whole moment just felt gross, and unneeded. Made Harper feel like a 16-year-old girl, not 26. So in short, I guess I didn’t like the story that much.
Finally, the audiobook portion. There were two narrators for this story because it was told from dual perspectives. I loved Emily Lawrence! She did such a good job with her pacing, and tone. Vikas Adams did great while narrating Dan's thoughts or conversations with men. However, as soon as he had to voice a female, the voice got all breathy and cringy to hear. It made all the women sound young and like a seductress, even in serious moments. Besides that, I liked the audiobook portion.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual content