I don’t really know why, but the idea of reading a romance book about two dentists was super exciting to me. I was super excited to read this book for whatever reason. I’m glad it was able to live up to what I thought in my head.

Harper has been working her ass off to get into the oral surgery residence program. But after falling down the stairs and damaging some teeth in the process, Harper is suddenly distracted because of everything to do with Dan. Now Dan is a first year student, and even though he is quickly falling for her, he knows from his own journey into dental school just how challenging this is, so he agrees to play by the rules Harper has made. But as they get closer to each other, they both begin to realize getting a root canal might be easier than falling in love.

I have really got to start reading synopsis…. I thought I was going to be reading a rom com where someone falls down the stairs, some teeth fall out, and that’s the meet cute and the rest is a rom com where I was laughing my butt off. This was no rom com. In fact, the addition of the GAD being present was even less silly for me. What I wanted was a book about about romance, filled with dental and toothpaste puns, but what I got was so much more. I’m so glad I had just low expectations, because it made me able to enjoy the fact that it was much more, even more. If that makes sense at all.

OK, I wasn’t the biggest fan of all the baggage that everyone had. I’m a firm believer that you have to work on you before you try being with anyone else, so this was a lot for me. So from the very beginning I wasn’t the biggest fan of them being together. But then when it came to them individually, I LOVED them. Harper was like a dental superhero lol She is uber smart and I didn’t understand any of the terms she was saying, but she sounded so cool saying them. And Dan…. He was my favorite. Such a sweet character! The way he waited until she was ready, was there through EVERYTHING. It was torture seeing him hurt because he wasn’t with her, but I did love seeing him pine for her. But the romance didn’t really seem real to me. I guess because her anxiety had such a hold on her. It didn’t seem like her feelings for him could break through what her anxiety was telling her brain. I don’t know how to explain it.

There were some things I had trouble with while reading this tho and I thought it needed it’s own section in my review. I wasn’t the biggest fan of Harper, but I think it was because I had seen so much of myself in her. I also have GAD and I found myself thinking, “do I do this? Do I react like this? Do people get this reaction from me too?” I know it does nothing to compare my illness to someone else’s but sometimes it slips in when you least expect it. That was the long winded way of saying that Harper’s GAD was a great representation of what living with GAD is like.

Women in STEM is always a win for me. And I am so grateful we have one about an area like dentistry. It’s not something that’s always seen, so to have someone come in to represent and to “pull it out” like this? I loved it.

Y’all I like balance and symmetry in all aspect of my life. I especially like it when characters have balance. I loved that Dan and Harper both had things to work on and work through… different things, yes… but balance see?
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This was such a great book, I just love how Dan pursed a relationship with Harper - she didn’t want her plans derailed, but as we all know sometimes our best laid plans just need a little tweaking!
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I also really liked how the author dealt with anxiety in this book. It plays out differently with every one, and I honestly don’t think it looks alike for two people. She wrote about it with grace and compassion.
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All that to say you are definitely going to want to read this book!

Here’s my review of A Brush with Love in three words: I. Loved. It. And while I could leave it at that, I’m not going to because I want to talk about this book. Honestly, I kind of want to yell about it from the rooftops; I’m just that excited by and happy with it.
Smart, funny, and achingly realistic—especially for those of us who have experienced the holy terror of anxiety (and the stigma of mental illness)—A Brush with Love is one of the best debut novels I have ever read. I might have picked it up because I am always down for a punny title and the friends-to-lovers trope, but author Mazey Eddings hooked me with her writing and characters from the first chapter.
There is so much depth here. On the surface, it’s a fun, cute rom-com. The kind that offers the ultimate escape, the full fantasy. Gorgeous, understanding guy meets quirky, intelligent girl, sparks fly, and BAM, true love. Throw in some killer female friendships, more dental puns, and voilà, you have an incredibly enjoyable book.
But here’s the thing: that’s just the tip of the iceberg—or the cap of the mushroom, if you will—and below it is a glimpse of what it’s like to feel different. To be different. To be weighed down by grief and guilt, and fear. Speaking as someone with two-plus decades of experience coping with mental illness, it was affecting.
I can’t recall ever reading a description of anxiety that felt as authentic as the one I read here. The way the words wrapped around me felt like being caught in a hug that’s too tight, pinning my arms by my sides, but also like a hug I desperately needed and that soothed.
Because the truly wonderful thing is that hug also came with a rom-com’s lightness and a sense of fun, breaking through at all the right moments, leaving warmth and good feelings in its wake. Not to mention some seriously swoony moments and a grand gesture worthy of any big-screen rom-com
In short, I’m already looking forward to reading more of Eddings’ writing and am thrilled to see that this series continues with another character I am liable to find relatable: an Australian.

This was such a great story! The storyline and characters were so great!! I felt so seen when reading this one! Macey Eddings did so well with writing Harper’s character and her dealings with anxiety and panic attacks. Dan and Harper’s love story was sweet and I appreciated the imperfections. Overall this was a really good read!! 4.5 stars!!

Happy Pub Week to A Brush with Love! This is my first read of March, which I finished last night. It was a cute and entertaining story about two students in dental school. Dan and Harper are two characters you can't help but *root* for 😉. Dan lives in the shadows of his deceased father, who was pretty famous in the dental world. Harper's mom died when she was younger, and she does everything she can to make her mom proud. Harper also lives with anxiety and has panic attacks. It's comforting when you meet characters who you see yourself in. As someone who lives with anxiety and panic attacks, I saw myself in Harper. I could relate to so many of the feelings she experienced. Those are those special moments in reading that make you feel less alone. I probably should talk more about my struggles with mental health, but if you ever need someone to talk to, my DMs are always open! And Dan, he is so sweet, gentle, and honest and forthcoming about his feelings towards Harper *swoon*. Their friends are the perfect comedic relief and the steam is *chef's kiss*. Make sure you check it out! I got my physical copy in a book swap. Thank you SMP Romance for the digital ARC!

As someone who suffers from anxiety, I have never felt so seen in a book. There were times I wanted to tell Harper to snap out of it, but in those moments, I was also able to self reflect and see myself in her shoes. The need to control everything in my surroundings in an attempt to alter the outcome, is something I have always dealt with in my life. Dan and Harper’s meet-cute, the fact it was inspired by Mazey falling at dental school is just 🤌🏼😂 Dan was just perfection. He reminded me so much of my husband, especially in those moments where Harper was having an anxiety attack or just helping her cope with her daily anxiety. My husband and I are opposites in that way like Harper and Dan, I’m highly emotional and just sort of a lot and my husband is incredibly calm and passive. We balance each other out well and he’s always the calm in my storm.

What a fantastic debut novel from Mazey Eddings!

Harper is anxiously awaiting her acceptance into a dental residency program when she meets Dan. She is considered one of the top students in her class and she got to where she is through pure hard work, studying, and perseverance. Her drive? Anxiety. Anxiety pushes her and motivates her to be at the top of her game 24/7. Dental school was never in Dan’s plans. His passion never lay with the family practice, but with finance and numbers. However, when guilt and duty get in the way, Dan finds himself as a first-year. While it’s a place he never intended to be, it’s a place that will forever change his life.

Harper and Dan were so perfect. They took everything about each other and accepted it with open arms. Harper keeps a thick wall around her heart to protect herself and control her anxiety. When Harper wanted to continue to preserve her heart and keep her walls up, Dan was there patiently waiting for her to bring them down. On the other hand, Dan needed help himself. With the guilt and shame that he felt, Harper was there to provide an understanding outlet.

This really is the story of two people who needed each other to help begin the process of healing. It was such an adorably cute love story of watching Harper and Dan go from strangers to best friends to lovers that I could not get enough of. There was so much tension and angst, I thought I would burst. At the same time, this story is also really goofy and downright hilarious.

Definitely recommend this one!

I received this book as an arc from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Trigger warning: This book deals with an anxiety disorder.

A Brush With Love by Mazey Eddings. Anyone who has ever struggled with mental illness can relate to this book. Anyone who hasn't can get a better understanding of what it's like to do so through the character of Harper Horowitz. Harper has always struggled with mental illness but her mother's death sent her over the edge, and she is singularly focused on getting her dental degree and afraid to let anyway see her in all her messiness. Dan is struggling under the weight of expectation. He was never really good enough for his father, and although he has no interest in following his parent's footsteps and becoming a dentist, he somehow finds himself guilted into enrolling in dental school. When Harper and Dan literally run into each other in dental school, the sparks fly but Harper wants to be just friends and Dan reluctantly agrees. However, the more she gets to know him the less she can handle her feelings and the more afraid of letting go she becomes.

Harper is a really relatable character not only for those who have also struggled with mental illness but also for anyone who has ever been afraid of not being accepted for who they are. You can't help rooting for her. Dan is the kind of guy every girl would be lucky to have loving and supportive to his core if only Harper would let him be there for her. The secondary characters of Harper's three close friends Thu, Lizzie, and Indira are just about the best friends a person can have literally pushing Harper toward her happy ending. You will wish you could be a part of their friend group.

If you love a great romantic ending, you will really enjoy the final chapter of this book (before the epilogue). It's like something out of a movie. All in all, this is a really outstanding book.

I don’t know anyone who is excited to go to the dentist. I, personally, would rather lick a red hot poker than volunteer for the dentist chair. However, this book, might just change your mind. And if I’m being honest, it absolutely changed mine.

What I loved about this book was the characterization. Harper is a reflection of so many of us who are dealing with anxiety and depression. She’s driven, she’s compassionate, and she’s more than a little guarded. But I am one who absolutely believes that love has the power to overcome any obstacle and is worth fighting for. The chemistry between Dan and Harper is palpable. The situations they find themselves in are realistic, awkward, heart-warming, and right. The measure of a good rom-com is that you want the couple to figure out how to get out of their own way, you want them to trust in love enough to take a chance on each other. And this book absolutely hits that mark.

Believe it or not, this book actually gave me the courage to call my dentist and make an appointment. I don’t know if the author wanted to be a dentist or just knows a dentist, but her skill at humanizing and sharing Harper’s compassion, made me see the folks who enter this profession in a new light.

I enjoyed this book immensely. There are moments that hit you right in the heart and others that make you laugh out loud. For me, the beginning was a little slow, though somewhat ironically, I prefer a slow burn and the chemistry got very juicy very quickly. I might have liked just a little bit more smolder before the flames, but that is entirely me.

I wanted to give a quick shout-out to @skyeslibrary for the recommendation.

For its ability to make me see dentists in a new light, for delving into elements of mental health so that the stigma can continue to fall away, and for creating a couple I genuinely and whole-heartedly wanted to see together, this book earns 4 and a half stars from me.

This book starts out as a cute little rom com that I could see playing out as a movie in my head but let me tell you- it’s more than just cute. It packs an angsty and emotional punch too.

Our heroine is in dental school studying her little heart out when she runs into (quite literally) our hero in the corridor and ruins his assignment. She offers to help him fix it and our hero is KEEN for any and all attention she will give him. When the stakes for graduating are so high can she juggle studying and boy distraction?

The heroine’s representation of anxiety felt so real to me and made me bleed inside because as someone with anxiety this was bang on. Both hero and heroine go through a lot in this book to get to a point where they can be in a functioning relationship and I was rooting for them the whole time. All the characters very much came across as new adult even though they were in their mid 20s which threw me for a bit but I rolled with it. Cant wait for more!

Harper meet-crashes into Dental Dan and the slow burn begins in “A Brush with Love” by Mazey Eddings!

This book is hilarious and has great analogies! We get moments that make us grin to moments that make us laugh out loud. This has witty banter and great friends, including Judy, who bring lightness to the heaviness of life.

You get all the feels from this book! During the vulnerable scenes, you are gutted! I suggest you have tissue nearby especially at the 80% mark.

I love the pacing, the pining, and the Ghost movie moment. I love that Harper and Dan got together, and love their length of time apart. I love reading how supportive the friends are and it made for a great grand gesture plight after reading a beautiful, tear-jerking text.

If you love romantic comedies and friends-to-lovers, then this book is for you!!

Thank you to Net Galley, St. Martin’s Press and St. Martin’s Griffin for the ARC in exchange for a honest review.

This book met all of my expectations and managed to exceed them. On the surface level, this is a cute romance novel about two dental students who can’t seem to stay away from each other. But it goes deeper than a lot of romance novels does. It deals with several heavy subjects, from family issues to mental illness, and it handles them gracefully and respectfully. I love how delicately it discusses the guilt of family burdens in trauma as well as anxiety and panic attacks. There was chemistry between Harper and Dan, but there was also a lot of personal growth. Watching them struggle with their personal issues and learning to handle them so that they can be together is such a good example of a healthy relationship. This is probably one of my new favorite book couples. This book did not disappoint. Thank you to NetGalley for the courtesy ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Happy Pub Day to this delightful read!!! 🪥🦷 I have been anxiously waiting to post about this book since I finished this ARC 2 weeks ago…. long story short, I LOVED IT!!! 💕 Harper and Dan’s love story captured my heart - while the characters aren’t perfect, they grow together and truly are better together which I love to see. I will absolutely be purchasing a physical copy of this book to read again and again and will anxiously await Mazey Eddings’ next novel!! 5 stars!!!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Super cute romance story with a lovely, motivated main character who is struggling secretly with anxiety and panic. She ends up having a meet cute with a handsome and patient fella so cute the slow burn fantastic-ness. Add in an awesome squad of friends and lots of witty cute moments and you have got an intriguing and wonderful read.

I initially was enticed by this book by the dental school setting which is surprisingly unique. I loved the title. There was much I liked about this book -- the acknowledgment of how anxiety can exert such control over your life. and the importance of therapy. I found Dan to be especially endearing, but couldn't quite connect with Harper. It may just be me, because I think the author accurately portrayed what it's like for people with severe anxiety.

The book just didn't hold my attention. There were parts of the book that I enjoyed and then it would drag for me. If you are interested, I still think you should give it a shot. I would read another book by this author again.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review.

This was a super sweet romance!

Dan was amazing, and Hannah was so relatable. Great tension, on point banter, cute dates, mental health rep, friends to lovers, slow burn, and steamy! I am sold.

The only thing that bothered me at times was Hannah BUT I totally understand where she was coming from, and I’m very similar, which is exactly why I was frustrated tbh😂

I’ll be very excited to see what Mazey Eddings does next!

*special thanks to St Martin’s Griffin and netgalley got a copy to review

• r e v i e w || A BRUSH WITH LOVE •

“Blood, gore, and extra-long roots? No problem. The idea of falling in love? Torture.”

10/10 dentists recommend this book. What a sweet book with a cinnamon roll hero that will make you crave pizza and remember to floss. It's a slightly older than new adult romance (dental school) and has some great banter, anxiety rep and great female friendships.

🥰 really liked || 💗 low steam
🤟debut author, dual pov, opposites attract

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher for a tour. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: A Brush With Love

Author: Mazey Eddings

Book Series: Untitled Series Book 1

Rating: 5/5

Spice: 3.5/5

Diversity: Vienamese character, possible Chinese character, Lebanese MC, Ashkenazi Jewish MC with chronic pain disorder and PTSD/anxiety, ADHD character

Recommended For...: romance, medical romance, contemporary, residency school, college

Publication Date: March 1, 2022

Genre: Romance

Age Relevance: 18+ (language, sexual content, racism, parental death, parental abandonment, sexism, social anxiety, academic anxiety, panic attack, grief, trauma, romance)

Explanation of Above: There is some cursing in the book. The book is a romance story with romance elements and a lot of sexual content. While the actual smut doesn’t start until 68% into the book, there are little bits of sexual content and mentionings here and there throughout the book until then. There is racism mentioned and sexism shown. There are two scenes where parental death is detailed, grief is shown occasionally in the book, and one scene where parental abandonment is mentioned. There are two scenes that shown a panic attack and a couple of scenes that have social and academic anxiety shown. Trauma is also mentioned.

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

Pages: 336

Synopsis: Harper is anxiously awaiting placement into a top oral surgery residency program when she crashes (literally) into Dan. Harper would rather endure a Novocaine-free root canal than face any distractions, even one this adorable.

A first-year dental student with a family legacy to contend with, Dan doesn’t have the same passion for pulling teeth that Harper does. Though he finds himself falling for her, he is willing to play by Harper’s rules.

So with the greatest of intentions and the poorest of follow-throughs, the two set out to be “just friends.” But as they get to know each other better, Harper fears that trading fillings for feelings may make her lose control and can't risk her carefully ordered life coming undone, no matter how drool-worthy Dan is.

Blood, gore, and extra-long roots? No problem. The idea of falling in love? Torture.

Review: I really liked this book! The book took me a little over 2 hours and 30 minutes to get through and I read it all in one sitting because it was just so addicting! I love that the book was a residency romance and that the love interest was a nervous, tongue-twisted man while the main MC was a smart, brainiac girl who had a lot of past trauma she needed to deal with. The book is told in a duel POV narrative for the most part, but a lot of the chapters are from Harper’s POV, and the book is an insta-love romance. The book also had really good moments where it showed feminism and consent. The book had great character development and good worldbuilding. The book had great pacing and the story was well plotted. I really enjoyed reading it and I already want to reread it.

The only issue I had with the book is that there was a bit of confusion with where Harper was towards the end of the book. She mentions moving, but she’s still at the residency school, but then she’s moved. It’s a little bit confusing but doesn’t affect the main story overall.

Verdict: It’s so good! Highly recommend!

Title: A Brush with Love
Author: Mazey Eddings
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Received By: Arlena Dean
Rating: 5
Review:
"A Brush with Love" by Mazey Eddings

My Assessment:

"A Brush With Love" featuring Harper and Dan was quite a cute read. Both of these two had problems. But were they fixable problems? I got upset with the heroine several times due to her naiveness in life. The story was rather long, so the reader will have to keep up with what is going on; however, the chapters are named, which did help. The story gives the reader a realistic look at how things can go, especially general anxiety. I loved the hero, Dan, but when it came time to leave, he did the best thing that he needed to do...fix his problems. The dentistry setting for the story was right on the line of what all goes on in the person pursuing dentistry. Would I recommend this read? Yes!

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for the ARC to review and give my honest opinion of the read.

I was granted a copy for an interview for my podcast Buzzing about Romance. For a Debut offering Mazey did a goo job writing these characters. I very much enjoyed that the author was given an opportunity to share her own voice representation. Some of the characters are a struggle to relate to but over all it is a well written well edited book.