I finished this book at 3:30 am this morning. I couldn't sleep and it was the perfect companion. What looks like a sweet romance novel about dental students mines a lot of depth into anxiety, self-care, toxic masculinity, abelism, grief, trust, and friendship. I found it deftly handled all of those subjects and was a page-turner with a lovely story of two people trying to stay friends and falling deeper and deeper in love with each other. I look forward to reading Mazey Eddings' next book and will be recommending this one!

What a fun and poignant debut from Mazey Eddings! So much warmth and depth went into this book, and I also walked away from it definitely feeling like I need to upgrade my oral hygiene routine. When else can you say that about a romance novel?

There was a really breeziness to the way Eddings wrote. The dialogue was crisp, the friend characters were gold, and the unpacking of what anxiety actually looks like was refreshing; plus, it's incredibly obvious that Eddings is an expert in all things dentistry.

Personally, I'm not a huge fan of instant attraction, so it did take me a little while to really settle into the romance portion since our protagonists went from zero to SUPER INTO EACH OTHER within pages. I also found that it took a while (pretty much the first two-thirds of the book) for the romantic arc to really develop serious conflicts. Eddings' writing itself was super strong throughout; it just felt like a bit of an editing oversight (and I never put that all on the author).

All of that said, she's got a bright future in the world of romance — and I want to see more dentists fall in love!!!!

Obsessed with success, Harper, driven to be an oral surgeon, is surpassing all expectations at dental school -- and vaulting all obstacles, including contending with rampant misogyny from patients and members of her co-hort. She yearns to do high end work for low-income patients, and needs a great internship placement. The last thing she needs is a distraction! Enter dental student Dan, who is nearly flunking out and enlists her help for studying and playdates. Their attraction is immediate and inevitable and Harper resists, for #Reasons. In typical romance fashion, they get together, break up and get back together when they finally decide to be real and take a risk with one another.

This novel has a great supporting cast of friends of both Dan and Harper, vivid but not gory medical details, and great conflicts. It came with trigger warnings.
Obsessed with success, Harper, driven to be an oral surgeon, is surpassing all expectations at dental school -- and vaulting all obstacles, including contending with rampant misogyny from patients and members of her co-hort. She yearns to do high end work for low-income patients, and needs a great internship placement. The last thing she needs is a distraction! Enter dental student Dan, who is nearly flunking out and enlists her help for studying and playdates. Their attraction is immediate and inevitable and Harper resists, for #Reasons. In typical romance fashion, they get together, break up and get back together when they finally decide to be real and take a risk with one another.

This novel has a great supporting cast of friends of both Dan and Harper, vivid but not gory medical details, and great conflicts. It came with trigger warnings. The title implies ART for me, not DENTISTS, but it's a cute pun.

Side note: their meet-cute - a literal crash together on the stairs had me, as a manager, CRINGING, when heads were hit and no paperwork completed for the college's risk and liability department.

I read an advance reader's review copy of #aBrushWithLove from #NetGalley

I got an advanced copy. And LOVED this book! I couldn't put it down. What a great story and well written. The characters and friendships and relationships tackle everyday hurdles. Absolutely must read!

4 stars

Thank you NetGalley and St.Martins Press for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Brush with Love follows dental students Harper and Dan. Harper is in her last year and is extremely focused on her dream of getting an oral surgery residency and graduating top of her class. However, after a meet-cute with first-year student Dan, she becomes inexplicably drawn to him, and as much as she tries to resist so that she can keep her focus on school, he wheedles his way into her life.

This book was sweet enough to give you a cavity (haha…get it??). Mazey Eddings writes such witty dialogue that had me actually laughing out loud. The romance in this book was so cute and I loved how the dual POV gave the reader a peek into what both Dan and Harper are feeling throughout the story. Their chemistry felt natural, and their emotional connection was apparent. Not only did this book have excellent romance, but it also dealt with issues of mental health struggles. Harper has chronic anxiety, and her experiences and panic attacks were handled very accurately and sensitively. Harper and Dan are such emotionally complex characters, and I really enjoyed seeing them bond and learn to comfort each other and grow together.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book, and it was an excellent debut from Mazey Eddings. I look forward to reading more from her in the future!

5 swoon-worthy stars. I loved reading Harper and Dan fall in love with each other. You could really feel how connected they felt to one another from the start. I think Dan was honestly a bit too perfect in my opinion but he is literally the most perfect book boyfriend ever.

Definitely a must read, it will MELT your heart and give you a toothache from all the sweetness.

The anxiety rep in this book was everything I needed and more. And incase that wasn't incredible enough, there are so many zingers that keep the pages turning fast. It was equal parts tender and funny, and oh-so-sexy!

I love LOVE the vulnerability in Harper and Dan's relationship. It was refreshing to read a book set in the world of dentistry, as it's not often explored. But the themes are universal- grief, anxiety, the burdens we place on ourselves to be the best versions of ourselves and the guilt when we don't measure up. It feels very of the moment, a true nod to contemporary romance. I will re-read this for sure down the line!

I am swooning over Dan and Harper!! This book has everything I love; a hilarious meet-cute, friends to lovers trope, medical drama, heavy sexual tension, and serious mental health conversations that deserve representation in the romance genre. Harper’s friends were interesting side characters and I hope they get their own stories in the future. I devoured this in a day and am thankful for the review copy!

What a delightfully slow burn romance set in a dentistry school of all places! I wouldn’t call it insta-love but it certainly had insta-attraction from the get-go. Then we get a small taste of the friends to lovers trope. Harper and Dan’s chemistry felt really natural and I loved all of the friendships throughout the book. While it was mainly a light-hearted romance, it also dealt with more serious topics like loss of a parent, mental illness, anxiety/panic attacks, and more. It made the characters feel more real! There’s some steam but it is pretty mild. All in all, it’s a great book!

Harper is in her last year of dental school. She has worked very hard these last few years and she will do anything to graduate as a top student. After she has a run-in with a first year student named Dan, he begins pursuing her. Harper knows she should stay away from him so she can stay focused on her goals. As much as Harper resists, Dan wheedles his way into her life. The last thing she needs is a distracting relationship at this important time in her life, but Harper may not have a choice at falling in love with Dentist Dan.

From the moment of their meet-cute, I loved Harper and Dan together! Their dynamic was fun and flirty and they also have this immediate deep emotional connection. Dan is tender and puts himself out there, not caring that he seems desperate for her. He knows that she is a force to be reckoned with and that she doesn’t need saving but he also recognizes that she needs some TLC. They each have their own emotional baggage to work through and I love that they could support one another.

I appreciated the focus on mental health struggles in this book. Harper has an all-consuming anxiety and suffers from panic attacks. She is sometimes suffocated by her perfectionism and her past trauma. The most important part of her struggle is that this book highlights that we are never alone in our mental health struggles. Seeking support from friends, family and mental health professionals Is important. Harper‘s friend group was exactly what she needed - They gave her tough love to push her to get better and they also gave her compassion and support when she needed it.

This book hooked me in with fantastic dialogue, well developed characters, a swoony whirlwind romance and it gave me all the feels!

Steam level: 🔥🔥🔥
⚠️: cancer, death of a loved one, anxiety, panic attacks, sexism, fatal car accident

🤩 what Can I say ? This book is amazing and has an amazing anxiety rep that I love! Dan is a boy obsessed that I love a lot he is really amazing!!! I love him and Harper, is soooo cute she is an amazing strong character that is sooo cute I love her!
Please preorder this book and read it when it comes out because it’s amazing!

Content warnings: the author provides a really good dear reader statement with potential triggers including sexism, ableist language, depictions of anxiety, panic attacks.

I enjoyed this book so very much. It is a dual POV rom-com with a slow burn romance. The two MC are both in dental school: Harper Horowitz is in her final year and Dan Craige (yes!) is in his first year. They have a very charming meet cute moment and are both freaking adorable and I was invested in them from the beginning.

I genuinely laughed out loud during the book and was charmed by their romance. As Harper and Dan get to know each other they bond over mutual hatred of classmates “was anything hotter and more validating than hating the same people?” I mean, I think I’m probably an evilist for liking that so much but yes, agree.

Harper and Dan’s interactions felt genuine and I liked the balance of their romance building with the fun of being with someone you like. Teasing, jokes, silliness. Harper has general anxiety disorder and her experiences and panic attacks were handled very accurately and sensitively. I recognized my own experience with anxiety, sometimes too often, but I think that demonstrates how effective the writing is in this book <3

<b>"You really are my best friend," she whispered against his chest. He smiled as his heart beat into his throat. "All part of the pan, Horowitz. Now let’s get that pizza." </b>

Do you enjoy cackling so hard that tears prick your eyes? I do! Well, the romcom heavens are parting, trumpets are blaring, and angels are singing over A BRUSH WITH LOVE. (Nothing too dramatic-I don’t want to oversell it-WINK. YOU NEED IT).

<img src="https://media.giphy.com/media/s2qXK8wAvkHTO/giphy.gif"/>

Pretend that is tooth shaped confetti! I LOVED everything about Mazey’s debut novel. I think readers will resonate and relate to the characters. Harper and Dan had the best teasing banter! Major swoonage going on with Dan. Dental Dan. His relentless caring. *insert gushy-heart eyes*. A Brush with Love is going to be a TOP romance of 2022. Calling it. In January.

Note: reader see front matter for letter from Mazey and possible sensitive topics.

READ IF YOU LIKE:
-dual POV
-academia setting
-Daniel Craig as James Bond
-dental puns
-Judy, a toddler sized cat
-a very rom-com, body slam meet-cute
-Jewish rep
-mental health rep: chronic panic disorder enhanced by post-traumatic stress, claustrophobia, therapy
-#IsThisAKissingBook: 18+ "I constantly want to touch you. Hold you. Smother you with kisses. I dream about you. Think about you- it's just you. Twenty-four seven. Only you." …well, doesn’t that make you all melty.

Thank you SMP Romance/St Martin’s Press for an advanced copy. I loved it so much I preordered it!

Song: Crash into Me by Ella Maddux

It’s been quite some time that I have felt so overwhelmed with my emotions after just finishing a read. This was such a beautiful read for me. The characters where so adorable and the writing so vivid, and beautiful; the character development was just the finest. Similarly I really liked the chemistry, the banter, the angst and most importantly how the events unfolded and things turned out to be for the MCs. Overall, it’s a 4 star read for me!!

MAZEY EDDINGS IS FREAKING HYSTERICAL! I loved this debut novel so much! SO MUCH CHARM and heart and swoons. I need more books from this author!!!

I loved this emotional story of two damaged souls who come together. Will they be able to stay together? Harper is very goal oriented and afraid to let go of her anxieties. It is a beautiful love story and who knew dentistry could be so enticing?
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me a ARC in exchange for an honest review.
A Brush with Love by Mazey Eddings
Publication date: March 1st, 2022
4/5⭐️
This book was a super cute and unique rom-com. It was charming, funny and a good slow burn. I have no doubt I will see it heavily talked about in 2022. I absolutely loved Harper and Dan….their chemistry and vulnerability was endless and admirable. I will be recommending this one and also adding it to my favorites list 💜

I had heard amazing things about this book, but I didn't realize HOW amazing it would be. It made me laugh, cry, hold my breath, and kick my feet in giddiness. The prose is beautiful, especially the explanation of anxiety from Harper's perspective and all the open and honest conversations Harper and Dan have with each other. One of my favorite adult romances ever. Mazey Eddings is an auto-buy author for me now.

This was delightful!

Came for the slow burn, stayed for the obscenely large cat. :-)

A BRUSH WITH LOVE was thoughtful and swoony and everything I love in a romance novel. Mazey handled the representation of anxiety and panic disorders with such deftness and care. It made me feel seen and understood, and I know it will resonate with so many readers. Plus, the book was smart and had me cackling on multiple occasions. DELIGHTFUL.

Perhaps there was not enough external conflict and the end was a bit rushed for me, but I still adored this book and the themes it covers. We love characters who go to therapy! *claps*

A thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased review. A BRUSH WITH LOVE is out March 1, 2022!

Although I was rooting for A Brush with Love, by Mazey Eddings, this book ultimately did not work for me at all. The conflict is minimal, with the love interests being kept apart only because they are characters in a romance novel rather than for any real reason. In fact, nothing of particular interest happens, either with the characters as a couple or apart. The male main character is controlling and some of his behavior is extremely inappropriate, yet this is hardly addressed at all.

Overall, this one is simply a miss -- not worth spending the time it takes to read it.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.