I received an ARC of this novel from St. Martin's Press through Netgalley. I have reviewed a lot of books and read way more than I have reviewed, but I have never reached out to an author after reading a book and I did with this story. It was terrific! I immediately wanted to tell all my friends about it, but it isn't released until March! Arrgh! So instead I will tell all of these book review readers about it.
It is the story of Harper, who is in her last year of dental school with aspirations of becoming a dental surgeon and Dan, a first year dental student with aspirations of becoming a corporate executive instead of a dentist. It would be easy to say it is a "quick read" or a "beach read" but this story is so much more than that. Harper is neurodiverse-a new term for me-which means she lives with anxiety-and other challenges that shape who she is and how she navigates relationships-often by pushing people away so they don't see how much she is impacted by her neurodiversity. Dan only sees a smart, driven and successful person he wants to be with all the time. Harper is trying her best to not really let him see the real her, for fear he couldn't love her if she wasn't the "perfect" person she was trying to become. Dan also struggles with his past and the legacy of who he is and what he needs to do -vs- what he wants to do.
What I loved, loved, loved about this novel was how the author shared this beautiful love story in a way that is unapologetic and free from making anxiety the central focus. Certainly Harper has anxiety-but she isn't anxiety-know what I mean? Mazey Eddings showed that ALL people are deserving of love and ALL people come with a past and present challenges which can make finding love a struggle, but there is a matching puzzle piece for everyone if you want to find it badly enough. This is beyond 5 stars! I will be first in line to see what Ms. Eddings writes next!

This was soooooo good. It's a literally Rollercoaster of emotions- one second you're laughing, the next you have tears streaming down your face. Mazey did an amazing job of making all of the characters so loveable. They're so real and the fact that they're dealing with things like anxiety and guilt make them so dang relatable. I absolutely loved this. I cannot wait until it comes out so I can start recommending it in store... psst... I already have!

I loved Harper and Dan together. They both had to make some changes and did so in a realistic way. While it covered some serious mental health topics, it was still a light and easy read.

A Brush with Love had a unique setting & I actually loved the premise of the book and where the tension lies between the main characters. The portrayal of anxiety left me a little uncomfortable, but it is interesting since the author is neurodiverse.

Overall, a sweet nerdy love story.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc in return for an honest review.

This was such a lovely book, cute and charming and full of delightful banter, while at the same time offering great representation of anxiety. Dan was such a wonderful romance hero, so considerate and swoon-worthy. Harper was a multi-faceted heroine of the kind I love to see. I felt honoured to read an ARC of this book and so very much look forward to what Mazey Eddings writes next!

Thank you NetGalley and St Martins for the opportunity to read.

A Brush With Love is a cute story that also deals with mental health issues which I found very relatable.

Mazey Eddings' A Brush with Love was a fabulous rom-com/mental health novel. She did a wonderful job showing how anxiety can touch people's lives.

Super cute romance novel. I love books that have imperfect/flawed main characters (and not flaws like they just love too much). The beginning is a little cheesy with a love at first sight feel and lots of initial facial caresses (if we touched peoples faces we just met that much we would be social pariahs) but after you get to know the characters and their background the story and characters become much more human and relatable. A little predictable, but isn't that one of the reasons to love romance? Happily ever after all right.

This book was sweet and funny, yet also dealt with mental health issues in a compassionate and relatable manner. That being said I’m a bit torn on how to review it. The story moved slowly at times, largely due to the characters themselves choosing to do so, and by the time we got to confronting the big issue head-on it moved quickly. All in all, it was a nice read.

“She looked at Dan and saw the reflection of her surprise in his eyes. She also saw the moment he gingerly took her piece of honesty and cradled it in his mind. He nodded gently, telling her without words that he’d treat that piece of her delicately and with respect. No poking or prodding or nagging for it to be more. Just allowing it to be a small moment of her vulnerability that they now shared.”

In reading the acknowledgments of this novel, Mazey Eddings says that “vulnerability is a superpower”. I’ve been saying for years that wearing my heart on my sleeve is my superpower and THAT is why I connected with this book on every level.

Where do I even start? This book made me understand anxiety, mental illness, guilt, and shame on an entirely new level. I FELT the emotions that Harper and Dan were struggling with. I understand so deeply now.

This is such a tender and beautiful love story. It’s imperfect and messy and HARD. But it’s perfect. You’ll fall in love with Harper and Dan and their AMAZING a group of friends.

It’s so much more than “a romance set on dental school”. It’s a lesson on forgiveness and vulnerability and grace and compassion.

THANK YOU TO @STMARTINSPRESS FOR A FREE ADVANCE COPY OF THIS NOVEL. ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN.

Could I love this book more? I don't know how it's possible. Did I know I could care about and learn so much about dentistry? For sure not, but somehow, Mazey Eddings makes everything possible. I love Harper and Dan so much as characters in their own right, and as a couple they are lovely. This book has the most realistic depiction of anxiety I have ever read. As someone who experiences thought spirals, and has been in therapy for years, so much of what Harper thinks about, and how she acts is familiar to me. Mazey Eddings does an incredible job of simultaneously making you laugh while teaching you and giving you empathy for these characters' struggles. Also, the cast of supporting characters is delightful! I recommend this book to anyone and everyone, really and truly.

This was uneventful. I wasn’t a fan of adult romance to begin with so I guess that’s why I didn’t enjoy this.

4 1/2 stars.

When I started reading this story, I thought it would be a cute rom-com, but it actually turned out to be so much more—a deep story with characters hurting and with family problems.

Dan and Harper falling for each other was inevitable, despite her fighting her feelings so much and for so long. The more time they spend together, the harder it is to stay apart. When Harper's anxiety escalates, everything crashes.

I wasn't expecting such an emotional read that made it impossible for me to put it down.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

Sexual content.

Synopsis from Goodreads: 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.

This book was hilarious! Not just because of the oral jokes (dental humour, anyone?), but also because of Harper's great sense of humour and wit, and her realism. It was so refreshing to read about someone with crippling anxiety. I've never had an anxiety attack as crushing as one of Harper's, but it was nice to read that I wasn't alone in all of my overthinking. Dan's character was nicely rounded out too, and I liked the way that while he complimented Harper's personality, he also had his own story and problems - he didn't end up being the perfect hero who would help her calm her anxiety. Spoiler: I love seeing therapy portrayed in books. With therapy becoming a more common and accepted approach to living life in a healthy way, I love seeing it reflected in a character's life. I want them to get help, and move on from their pain and grief. Eddings does a great job with that here, and I'll definitely look for more books from her in the future.

Thank you to St. Martin’s, NetGalley, and the author for my review copy—all opinions are my own!

It was an absolute honor to early read A BRUSH WITH LOVE, and to offer it an entirely heartfelt endorsement: tenderly written and oh-so-sexy, A BRUSH WITH LOVE brims with emotional depth, whip-smart banter, and sizzling chemistry.

Set in the world of dentistry and the complicated decade of our twenties, ABWL is such a smart, compassionate, witty, and poignant story that made me laugh one moment, then wipe my eyes the next. Dan’s gone-for-her love for Harper was perfectly swoony, sexy, and tender; Harper’s slow unfurling into vulnerability with Dan, as she entrusted her fears and grief, her anxieties and hopes to him, was beautifully touching. Mazey has a unique talent for rendering raw, human experience with both humor and heartfelt care—this story, like its characters, affirms that all of us are worthy of love and happy endings, that mental health struggles do not preclude us from joy and love and intimacy. In short, this story completely stole my heart.

This book is really hard to rate and review.

Overall I like the representation of the mental health and anxiety issues. I think these stories are important and representation is great. I also felt that it was unnecessary to give Harper a backstory to her anxiety. Not everyone who suffers from anxiety does so because of a previous tragedy or event. Besides that, I thought the representation was great.

As far as the actual love story goes…

I felt like the conflict between Dan and Harper wasn't enough to keep the story moving. Instalove and slow burn was a really frustrating combination and I found myself skipping ahead.

Overall, good debut and I’ll keep reading more from this author.

Reluctant romance readers (hi, yes, I am one of you). You have to give A Brush with Love a shot. Or at least remember the name Mazey Eddings - you're going to be seeing her books all over the place soon.

A Brush with Love is smart and sweet and hilarious. The balance between each element in the story is flawless - Eddings will have you saying "awww" one moment and cracking up the next.

Harper is a dental student working towards a residency in oral surgery. She's SMART. She's DRIVEN. She's...AWKWARD (sometimes). She's dealing with some trauma and grief from her childhood and she tends to keep everyone at arm's length. Dan is a first-year dental student, reluctantly trying to live up to a legacy left by his (complicated and not-so-nice) father.

After a meet-cute that's more like a meet-funny or a meet-omg! Harper and Dan become fast friends and, although their story itself is something of a slow burn, they develop feelings for each other very quickly but it never feels insta-lovey or forced.

The good? A Brush with Love is heartfelt and emotional without being sappy. It's sweet without being too sugary (come on, that would be bad for your teeth! ...I'll see myself out). Harper and Dan are lovable, Harper's friends are a GODDAMN DELIGHT. Harper deals with some very real anxiety that is so accurately portrayed on the page, I sometimes forgot that I was reading fiction.

The bad? Most of you are going to have to wait until 2022 to read this. But I have a solution for you: preorder this delightful piece of romcom goodness. It's basically like sending a gift to your future self.

Thank you St. Martin's Press for the NetGalley ARC!

A Brush With Love by Mazey Eddings is not only a steamy, electrifying love story with the most exquisitely torturous slow burn and most satisfying surrender to feelings. It’s also a love letter to ending the stigmatization around mental health, and mental illness. That not having a perfect brain does not make you less, does not make you unlovable, and is NEVER a reason for shame. And that therapy is not a bad word, and needs so badly to be normalized in our society.

Harper’s journey not only with Dan, but with herself, was so beautiful and moving. Getting to see her grow, and learn to accept herself and her brain was wonderful. Dan’s journey with his guilt and overwhelming feelings of obligation over living a life he could actually love was so well done. And both Dan and Harper learning to live with their grief was so raw, and honest, and moving.

This book made me sweat, laugh, swoon, and cry. I could not possibly love Dan, Harper, and Judy the cat any more. I also, of course, LOVED the interspersed feminism. I hope everyone will pre-order and read this book because it is AMAZING!

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

Trigger warning: This book deals with an anxiety disorder.

It’s like this book was made for me.

From the very first page I knew I needed to settle in and buckle up because Harper’s story was going to take me on an emotional ride.

Harper is anxiously awaiting her acceptance into a residency program when she meets Dan. She is considered one of the top students in her class, but it doesn’t come for free. Harper 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. That means no distractions or everything she worked for will come crumbling down.

Insert distraction Dan.

Dental school was never in Dan’s plans. His passion never lied 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 at Callowhill’s School of Dental Medicine. 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 undeniably perfect. They took everything about each other and accepted it with open arms. Harper keeps a thick wall around her heart to protect herself from the pain that comes from having loved and lost and from letting anyone in that might see the absolute mess she is inside. And believe me, Harper had a lot to learn. 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. He never pushed or asked for more than what she gave. He was content to let her set the pace and when they took steps backwards, he didn’t walk away. He stayed because she was worth it. 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 from strangers to best friends to lovers that I could not get enough. There was so much tension and angst, I thought I would burst.

While this story does touch a lot on the topic of anxiety, there is still plenty of comedic relief.

This story is also really goofy and down right hilarious. It made me laugh out loud. If anything, this story proves that all you need is a small group of friends to get you through anything. Everyone needs Harper’s friends in their lives. I wanted to be their friends!! I loved the openness they shared, how even when things were said in the heat of the moment, their friendship still remained intact like nothing had ever happened, and how they were there to give Harper a dose a reality she often so desperately needed, but also knew when not to push. This book also shows the value of true friendship.

One of the things that called to me about this book was the fact that I myself am currently going to school to be a doctor.

So when Harper spoke about feeling like she always has to be perfect, how a B can feel like you failed, I GOT IT.

As a Pre - Med/Med Student, the competition is so high and it is extremely nerve wrecking, nail bitingly stressful. It makes you feel like you have to be perfect 100% of the time and like there is no room for error.


Through this review, I also want to share my personal experience because for some, it could genuinely feel like Harper was overreacting at times. While I admit, I am thankfully not on Harper’s scale of anxiety, everything Harper felt could be what your friendly medical student goes through in reality as well.

This past semester was so rough for me. I was depressed, in a constant state of anxiousness/anxiety, I felt like I was failing every single thing and like I could do absolutely nothing right. I couldn’t even use reading as my escape anymore because I truly felt like I needed to devote all my time to school. Even though I knew that I needed breaks and would take them for myself, there was that constant nag in the back of my head that reminded me of all the things I needed to do. So, it’s like I couldn’t truly relax or rest and actually ended up berating myself for the breaks I took. At some point mid semester when I completely broke and I felt like my future was completely ruined from one bad semester, my mom was there to take me away for the weekend and it was the breath of fresh air I needed.

I’ve always been someone’s who’s been hard on myself. When I was younger, I struggled with it even more, but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned to be okay with Bs, even if my major doesn’t support that ideology. This semester, I had to take it a step further and tell myself, I survived this semester and sometimes that’s all you can do and just be okay with that.

All of this to say, if you read this story, be patient with Harper. It really can be more daunting than it might seem. I related with Harper in pretty much every aspect of who she was and I believe that some of you will too.

I cannot wait for everyone to experience this book and love it as much as I did!

A dental school romantic comedy that wrestles with anxiety and mental health? Okay!

So this is probably the best ARC I’ve received from NetGalley before, but I honestly would never have picked it up if I hadn’t been gifted the ARC because the title is SO cheesy. However, the story is definitely deeper than it suggests.

It follows two students in dental school who have a lovely little meet cute that jump starts a friendship. I have been battling anxious thoughts and feelings before going to bed, so I started reading this at night before I went to sleep to read something cute and light. The interesting twist in it for me was that the main character also had anxiety. I thought the author handled this pretty well. Honestly, her story was a little traumatic for me and so parts of it were not sweet and light and kind of made my own anxiety worse, so I skimmed some of those parts.

Overall, I think Rom-com readers will love this. Dan is devoted and humble, and very easy to like. Harper is intelligent and driven, and easy to sympathize with.

*I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publishers (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review*