If you loved the PhD romance of Adam and Olive from The Love Hypothesis, then you must definitely read the Dentistry romance of Harper and Dan from A Brush With Love!

This has been the most relatable book for me ever!! This is the only book I know so far that has been in a dental school setting and the emotions–stress, anxiety and everything in between–have been so accurate, not only during exams, but the everyday feeling of just entering the school and going throughout the day as a dental student couldn't be more accurate.

Thank you, Harper and Dan for filling the void in my loveless dental student life HAHA! thank you for the friendship and love you've shown for each other, indeed, it’s nice to have someone lift you up and motivate you in life. And if it’s meant to be, it will be.


Thank you, tooth friend Mazey, for this book! I feel so represented as a dental student. Not everyone could understand the stress we undergo as stuDENTs and I appreciate this book so much.

Can’t wait for the world to read this book!!!

Harper slipped and fell down the stairs of Callowhill University’s School of Dental Medicine and crashed into Dan, where the mold of a patient’s dentition flew from his hands, fell to the ground, and shattered. Not what you would call a ‘meet cute’ situation, but when they recovered and looked at each other, a few sparks may have ignited. Harper apologized and offered to help Dan reconstruct the mold.

Harper was a senior and at the top of her class aiming for a residency in oral surgery after graduation. She was intensely focused on this goal and had not allowed any distractions to get in her way, until she met Dan. Dan, although the same age as Harper, was a first-year student at the school and not as focused as Harper, shall we say.

The sparks that flew when they first met smoldered a bit during that mold reconstruction, although Harper was trying hard to resist her natural attraction to Dan. Dan was enamored with Harper and had no thoughts of resisting. He couldn’t take his eyes off Harper.

Both carried some baggage they were trying to suppress. Harper had lost her mother in a car accident when she was twelve years old and went to live with an aunt and uncle. Her anxiety level since then has been extremely high. Always afraid of what might happen next, afraid of crowds, and afraid to fail.

Dan was accepted by the college once before but decided not to attend, much to the disappointment of his parents, particularly his father. Dan loved numbers and finance and was doing well in the position he had in New York, until his father got sick and died within months. Now he was his mother’s only hope in saving his father’s dental practice and reapplied to the school in the wake of love and guilt. Dan’s father had always been a bully, to everyone, but especially to the son he felt failed him and was thus worthless.

As Harper and Dan dance around their feelings for each other and try to resist starting a relationship, their friends do everything in their power to throw them together every chance they get. The enjoyment you’ll get just from reading their escapades is worth every minute of reading this charming yet serious story.

Harper does love Dan, but she’s determined to stay focused on her goal. She feels she can’t concentrate when Dan is around, nor can she think of school when he’s not. Dan loves Harper and would do anything for her but doesn’t fully understand why she’s pushing him away. Can they achieve a balance that will work for both of them? You must read this delightful and honest debut book to find out.

As the author, Mazey Eddings, mentions in her prologue, there are discussions about anxiety and other mental health issues she handles delicately and genuinely, in my opinion. I give full praise to this author in her debut novel and hope to her from her soon.

Thank you Netgalley, St. Martin’s Griffin, and Mazey Eddings.

This isn't exactly a groundbreaking romance beyond the fact that I don't think I've ever read one with dentists, but it certainly pulled me in and made me care about the characters with a story that's full of emotion and introspection.
Harper is about to graduate from dental school after working hard and studying even harder to hopefully earn a coveted spot as a surgeon. Dan is in dental school for all the wrong reasons and hates it. Together they're a couple that makes no sense on paper, but they fill in each other's empty spaces perfectly. Dan in particular is always doing his best to accommodate Harper's quirks and make a spot for himself in her busy life. It's not really a balanced relationship and blows up a bit spectacularly, as every romance must at least once in the plot before they both work on themselves and earn the HEA.
The anxiety that Harper lives with is so strong that it's practically its own character within the story. Eddings writes the feelings that Harper experiences so viscerally that it almost feels like you're the one going through the panic attack, so be warned that there's that deep well of negative within the plot telling the sweetness of the relationship.
The relationship between Harper and Dan is so cute most of the time, that I'm willing to forgive how dark it gets as Harper's anxiety rages out of control. Plus, the overall message of letting go of the past and finding/following your own way to happiness is positively saccharine enough to earn you a trip to the dentist so it gets brownie points for that.

Happy thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the early read!

A Brush with Love, unfortunately, did not manage to meet my expectations for this genre or work.

The Instalove was too insta and highly unbelievable. The protagonist is hard on herself to the point of self-destruction and debilitation. While I do not shirk away from romances that dare to offer discourse around "serious" topics such as mental health (i.e., The Charm Offensive) I do not feel this book achieved those aims.

The humor was fine, but most of this novel just didn't land for me. Not to mention all the dental jargon just did not appeal to me as a reader.

Do you ever read a good book but struggle to put your thoughts about it together? That’s how I feel after reading A BRUSH WITH LOVE by Mazey Eddings. The book has lots of effervescent, toe-curling romantic moments that made me swoon. But it also deals with some heavy subjects, including serious mental illness, and complicated family relationships including a difficult parent’s death and unwanted career pressure. It deals with all of these subjects very thoughtfully and beautifully, and the romance is just spectacular. I especially I appreciated that the ending was not rushed, but felt very genuine and realistic.

But OOF. There was a lot of heaviness within these pages that I had not fully anticipated. Objectively, I can step back and say this is a really good book. But personally, I struggled to fully enjoy it because of the more serious aspects of the book and my own mental health. So that’s my biggest advice for prospective readers: know that this is not a light fluffy rom-com. Although it has those lighter moments, the book also packs a serious punch.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reading copy! This is a great debut novel from Mazey Eddings, and I can’t wait to read the rest of the books in this series based on the main character’s friends. Harper is a dental student who is struggling with a general anxiety disorder (GAD) when she meets Dan, who is in dental school based on familial loss and guilt. This was a slow burn, charming, contemporary romance that I loved. This is an OWN voices debut, and I appreciated the honesty and empathy that Eddings gave to Harper and her very severe anxiety. As someone who is married to a person with anxiety, some parts of the book were hard for me to read (I recommend reading the content warnings), but overall, I appreciated this honest and raw portrayal of flawed and beautiful main characters. One of the main reasons that I read so much romance is that I believe that everyone deserves to be represented and loved, no matter who they are and what is in their past, and this book really shined with this message. Harper and Dan deserved love in their messy and complicated life, and they found it with each other through a very healing journey. I recommend this book for fans of contemporary romance, OWN voices, and empathetic mental health portrayal.

3.5/5⭐️

There’s not many books with anxiety rep so I am grateful this book exists! This book is so relatable because girly Harper has anxiety and I do too.

Now, I didn’t like all the back and forth between Harper and Dan. It got annoying at points and Harper said a specific thing that I did NOT like which made me hate her a bit, oops. It was pretty predictable but enjoyable.

Overall a cute book and I did enjoy most of it.

The author’s writing is good and I can’t wait for the second book. (Hopefully it’ll be better!)

I adored this book! I wasn't sure how a book about dental patients was going to be sexy and give all those typical romance feels. But, boy, did this deliver! I devoured this book in one day! Excellent writing and pacing, I loved the honesty shown in regards to mental illness and struggles with anxiety! We'll be hand selling this at our independent for spring break reads and beyond! Thanks for the chance to preview this title!

I loved the strong characterization of Dan and Harper. What tortured people! Some of this read really young even though both characters are adults with successful careers. I blame it on the dialogue they had throughout the book. Be ready for some tissues because each character has issues with their past that will make you cry.

Do they learn to trust each other and move on, you will have to read this yourself to find out! Recommended, for sure.

Thanks to Netgalley, Mazey Eddings and St Martin's Press Griffin for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 3/1/22

"A Brush with Love" is a sweet story of the budding romance between Harper, a high-achieving dental student with big aspirations, and Dan, a first-year who's only really passionate about carrying on his father's legacy. From their first meeting, they have instant sparks and their attraction is undeniable. The plot also balances the romance with Harper's struggles with mental health. Where the book falls a bit short is the quick pacing of the romance without fully introducing the characters' personality, making it difficult to become invested in the relationship. The side characters, in particular Harper's friends, are pretty one-dimensional and seem more like Harper's personal hype team.

Many thanks to the Publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 Stars

Is "Rom Dromedy" a thing? If not, it should be. This was equal parts romance/comedy/drama and it sucked me in. You get the romcom, but not the fluff as this book dives into mental illness and neurodiversity

Harper is finishing her last year of dental school fueled by an anxiety disorder and perfectionism. She has her sights set on graduating at the top of her class and getting an oral surgery residency. Dan is in the middle of his first year of Dental School and is barely passing, despite his legacy as the son of two dentists, one of whom was world renowned. Harper is there because she can't imagine doing anything else, Dan is there because of familial obligation.

Their meet cute is nothing short of adorable and be prepared to fall for Dan right away. Meeting Harper is the only bright side to his days, while Dan is the one distraction Harper can't afford to have. This is definitely a slow burn romance, but the character development and progression of the relationship makes it worth it. Add in a group of zany friends and you've got a great story.

I'll be honest, it did drag a bit in the middle and the anxiety disorder element started to get old. BUT, by the end I realized how necessary it was. Having an anxiety disorder myself, I had to get past the fact that not everyone is aggressive in accepting and seeking treatment. Sometimes the ups and downs, back and forths are all part of getting to rock bottom in order to make the changes necessary for a healthier and happier life.

I was impressed by the author's ability to alternate the POV between Dan & Harper in the most seamless way I've ever experienced. And kudos to her representation of mental illness. The fact that the main character was Jewish was another added bonus, since it's something we don't often see. I loved the ups and downs and how invested I was in the characters---I would definitely recommend this book. It's fantastic!

A Brush with Love by Mazey Eddings was so much more than its cover implied. Harper and Daniel meet when she collides with him on the stairway at their dental school and manages to break the dental mold he had spent hours upon hours making. She offers to help him re-do the mold and their relationship takes off from there. Meet cute aside, these are two complex characters, and their relationship is not easy. Harper suffers from severe anxiety stemming from losing her mother in a car accident when she was 12. Dan is trying to become a dentist to become part of the family legacy when it is not his calling. One of the things I like most about Dan is that he truly sees Harper and knows that she doesn't manage her struggles easily. He allows her to dictate the progression of their relationship and agrees to be "just friends" when he knows early on that he wants more. Harper knows she wants more too, but she doesn't know how to deal with Dan and maintain the high standards she has set for herself in regard to her career in dentistry. Obviously, they can't keep hiding their feelings indefinitely and the author doesn't shy away from portraying their struggle in a real way. This was one of the more unique romance books I have read recently. I can't say I've ever read one that has dentistry as a background. The characters in Harper's friend group were also important to the story and well written. Everything about this book was wonderful and more than I expected. I will recommend.

My sincere thanks to St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book and give my opinion of it.

An emotional slow burn romance, A Brush with Love by Mazey Eddings is full of love, laughter, friendship, and heartfelt moments. But those moments are balanced by the struggle of losing a loved one, anxiety, expectations and failure which made this book relatable on so many levels.

Thanks so SMP and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This romance wasn't the right fit for me. I can do YA romance and I can do adult romance, but new adult rarely hits home for me and I'm not exactly sure why. Harper is passionate about her future career as an oral surgeon, and Dan is struggling to find his place in dental school when what he really wants to do is finance. When they (literally) collide, Harper has no time for the sparks that fly between them. Harper's anxiety is depicted very realistically, but overall the writing felt self-conscious and Dan came off as way too perfect. Despite the HEA, I felt like the signs were glaring throughout the novel as to their future divorce down the road. Also, the side characters - a villain, supportive friends - were props to further the romance instead of an integrated part of the story. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced digital review copy.

Harper is Very Serious about being an oral surgeon. She is in her last year of dental school, awaiting placement in residency, which is highly competitive. She knows what she wants to do with her life, she has her goals set and just waiting to be checked off - she doesn't have time for anything else. Romance? Never heard of it.

Dan is a first-year legacy dental student. His father was a dentist and after his passing, Dan feels immense pressure to follow in his footsteps and not like the family business sink into financial ruin.

While both are on their way to their respective classes, Harper falls down a flight of stairs and crashes right into Dan, knocking his work to the ground. Being such a fastidious student, she is insistent on fixing his work that she ruined. Dan, on the other hand, is not so worried about his school work but is very interested in getting help from Harper regardless. They form a fast 'friendship' but both are attracted to the other and have a hard time repressing it.

This book was a mainly fun, quick read, but I just never fully connected to Dan and Harper as a couple. I enjoyed their banter and friendship, but the sex scenes didn't set me on fire. On an emotional level, this book delivers. Harper lives with sometimes crippling anxiety, which makes relationships of any kind hard for her to navigate. Dan is entirely supportive of her struggles, but the story tends to always put him at the disadvantage in those situations. Harper can be very cruel and Dan takes the brunt of it, fully offering Harper forgiveness without a second thought. But all in all, I would recommend this one. It almost feels like an elaborate joke (in a good way!) the romance content we get these days. 'What are you reading? Oh, just a dental romance with anxiety rep'. We're too lucky!

Sweet and low angst! Adorable debut novel!

This is great for romcom readers who really want a soft read and not a high angst read. Did read a bit like new adult so keep that in mind!

A Brush With Love • Mazey Eddings ⭐️ - 5
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I. Absolutely. Adored. This. Book.
I can’t say enough wonderful things about it! Have you ever read a book that makes you warm and gooey inside? This one did it for me right from the start! I never usually read the dedications 🙈 but this one caught my eye and really resonated with me.
“For all my anxious angels and worry warriors. Don’t let the monsters get you down.”
Also the sexual innuendoes are on point 👌🏻 they do not disappoint!

Dan is probably my favourite book boyfriend EVER! He actually may be my favourite character. He is so patient and understanding throughout the whole book. Don’t get me wrong Harper is also amazing! I love her passion for her career, her views on her religion and how she is confident and assertive when standing up for herself. I love them together! #couplegoals
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This book does talk heavily about anxiety as Harper battles with it throughout. Now I don’t have anxiety I appreciate the way that Mazey explained it so I was really able to understand how Harper was feeling. But I also found myself relating to some of the ways that Harper was describing it especially “Her mind transformed into a highway, incoherent thoughts racing from all directions that she couldn’t slow down.”
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I felt so invested in the book I went through all the emotions! I loved the acceptance and the help that came from an unexpected source.
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If you read any book I recommend let it be this one! Definitely looking forward to reading more from Mazey!

A Brush with Love is a sweet story, a young adult story, and the characters are adorable. An accidental meeting creates a brush with love and they take it from there. Lovely and fun. Thank you @NetGalley@MazeyEddings@StMartinsGriffin

I enjoyed this overall, but as a person who suffers from an anxiety disorder, I was really happy that the author gave a content warning. The anxiety is very real in this book, handled sensitively but really a major part of the main character's life. I spent a lot of time rooting for Harper to be more honest with herself, her friends, and her love interest about the debilitating level of anxiety she was facing without any therapeutic interventions. Again, a very realistic portrayal, but definitely something to be aware of going into the novel. I enjoyed the romance here and thought it was well-paced and had a conflict that actually made sense (so many contemporary romance novels have some kind of silly thing that comes between the two characters on their way to HEA, but this is a good example of a real conflict that characters couldn't just get over - both of them really needed to work on themselves and their mental health). I've heard that Lizzie's book is next, and I just really REALLY hope there's also a Thu book in the mix - I wanted to know so much more about Harper's friends!

A Brush with Love

Harper has no room for distractions as she waits for a placement in one of the top oral surgery placements. But then she literally runs into Dan, a first-year dental student following the family legacy. Despite an instant attraction, the two agree to be just friends

From the most perfect meet cute to the end, this book grabs your attention and doesn’t let it go. The depiction of Harper’s anxiety felt so raw and honest and real, which I really appreciated. I loved Dan as a main character and how he was fully into Harper from the beginning and was ready to support her no matter what. His patience and empathy toward her was incredible and something I want to see more of in romance novels! Add some amazing side characters, and this was a great read!

I enjoyed the audiobook and really felt the male narrator in particular was amazing. He brought so much emotion to the story and I loved it.

Thank you to SMP Romance, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the advanced copies.