I adored this book from start to finish! What an amazing, amazing book. I was generously allowed this book as an audiobook ARC, and I will absolutely be purchasing it! The voices chosen for audiobook are fitting to the characters.

This book is dual POV, and I’m such a sucker for dual POV. The FMC/MMC are well written with detailed, emotion filled personalities and pasts. I loved them so much, along with all the other characters. The wit in this is 1000/10 superb, it had me gaping and then laughing out loud, frequently. The representation in this book was both refreshing and thoughtful. I respect the author for their inclusion of diverse ethnicity in characters, the display of mental illness and trauma in MCs, the struggle of women in the workplace, and much more.

This book was incredible and if you’re thinking, “do I really want to read a romance about dentists?” The only acceptable answer is YESSSSSSSS. Its a beautiful book with the perfect amount of fluff & spice without taking away from the realness of the situations. It is a HEA and Dan is the absolute blueprint for men from now on :)

Thank you Mazey Eddings for the absolute joy this book brought me!

I was granted a copy for an interview for my podcast Buzzing about Romance. The audiobook is very well done. I felt the voice acts brought to life the characters. 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.

Summary: Harper is a very hard-working, high-achieving dental student when she meets Dan, a first-year dental student who is handsome, caring, and very much struggling through school. They quickly fall for each other despite trying their hardest to stay away from those feelings.

Things I Loved:
-Trigger warnings by the author at the beginning of the book were very appreciated
-Depiction of complex grief and mental illness was beautifully portrayed
-The struggle of going through school and struggling
-Support of their friends throughout their home as well as relationship stress

Things I Didn't Love:
-Dan was at first so likeable but as the book went on, he let Harper roll over him and did not stand up for himself a single time, which was frustrating as it felt as though the relationship only worked because he caved to her every wish and command
-I asked myself every single time the characters went into a bar why they were allowed in, only to remember that they were very much of drinking age. The characters so much reminded me of high school students, it was hard to imagine that each of these characters had no only finished high school but also college and were then in an advanced degree program. I wish the characters had been slightly more mature in many of their actions.

Overall:
Very cute book with a uniquely well-done perspective on complex grief and mental illness. 4/5 stars

**I received an advanced listening copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

Love travels to a dental school in this contemporary romance novel. When Harper and Dan meet accidentally one day, they both know the meeting will lead to other encounters. But, with a myriad of obstacles in the way, will they be able to make things work or stay forever in the friend zone?

This is one of the few books I’ve read that features a main character who lives with severe anxiety. Eddings even provides a trigger warning before the book to make readers aware of a character’s bout with anxiety, not to mention the other forms of abuse and sexism portrayed in the text. I applaud Eddings for creating a character that lives through so much and carries so much in their head – definitely believable to anyone who has lived with anxiety or knows someone who lives with anxiety.

Admittedly, I did not connect well with the characters. Harper and Dan did nothing for me as a couple, and in some ways, Dan seemed too good to be true. The side characters were a bit distracting, and not necessarily in a good way. The audio narration overall was okay – I preferred the female narration over the male narration – but I think the dual narration was perfect. It helped to differentiate the voices of Harper and Dan.
Overall, this is a fluffy romance, with serious subject matter undertones, set in a school for dentists, a unique choice. I actually learned a bit about teeth and the various bones that make up the face and jaw!

This was a really fun and honest romance. I really liked both Harper and Dan. They were such fun characters and both super cute together. I loved the honest talks that this book featured from both characters. There was some mental health discussion that was written really strongly and well done. Both characters had to deal with pressures from themselves and others and seeing how they both dealt with it was great. The dental school theme was fun and I liked seeing how that works. Both characters had great ambitions and worked really well towards them. The romance was cute, a little but not very spicy, but I thought it was fun. Overall, super cute

This was such an interesting read.  This story is told from the dual perspectives of Harper and Dan whose family histories play an intricate part in their characters.

Harper is a senior dental student who has worked hard to get her to the top of her class.  After a loss she suffered as a child, she’s learned to control the only things she can including being as prepared as possible for the rigours of a stressful education program.

Dan is a first-year dental student whose family obligation has him in an education program he declined years before.  He is not the gifted dental student that one would expect from parents who were both dentists.  Leaving a job and career he loved was difficult but in his eyes necessary.

The two meet and romance begins but the two know that once Harper graduates that she will be leaving to begin a residency program.  The romance provides an escape from their everyday lives but pushes Harper to lose that sense of control she so badly needs.

These characters are highly likeable and easy to connect to.  The story is engaging and has a natural flow.  The romance is charming.  I appreciated the author including an example of gender bias found in health care settings. Where the book shines for me, however,  is in the author’s ability to write about Harper’s anxiety.  She writes with respect and empathy - two qualities that are imperative to me as a reader.

I listened to the audiobook format of A Brush With Love which was narrated by Emily Lawrence and Vikas Adam.  I enjoyed their easy to listen to performances full of expression.  I would not hesitate to read this format of the book.

What a cute little dentistry filled happily ever after.

Harper is an advanced dental student waiting for placement in the top oral residency program. She cares about her career and a couple friends, beyond that, she has no time or desire for anything else.

Dan is an underclassmen with little desire to even be apart of this program, but more so feels a family obligation to be there and join the family dental practice.

They literally fall into each other and it sparks this relationship that both of them want but Harper cares more about a job and career after school than wanting to start a relationship.

She loves all the gross things about teeth and dental reconstruction but falling in love is torture to her.

We embark on this journey through love and heartbreak with them that will ultimately lead to figuring out how to love even through the hard times and obstacles life will throw at us.

I listened to the audiobook and unfortunately was not a fan of the echo that persisted throughout. Additionally, I had a difficult time with the female narrator. I think I would have enjoyed the book more if I was reading it instead of listening.

Things I loved were how the author spent lots of time focusing on Harper's anxiety and on mental illness as a whole. I wanted to like Harper more and I wanted to root for her more but I think my feelings for her are a testament to the brilliance of the author. She created such a realistic and complex character in Harper.

Dan is one of the best book boyfriends I've encountered in some time.

This friends to lovers tory kept the reader on the edge of will they wont they kind of anticipation that once things finally came together it was awesome.

This is a great book for anyone who loves college romance, representation of anxiety and mental health in romance, difficulty family dynamics, and an HEA.

I could not bear to listen to the female narrator of this book. It literally made me wince. The story had potential, but it was offputting to have a trigger warning at the beginning like this. Made it more ominous than it needed to be.

It was on trend with the love story within academia trope that's popular right now, but honestly, the main character was just a childish mess. I couldn't relate to her whatsoever, which is wild because I suffer from anxiety as well. I will say I appreciated the way mental health was discussed but yeah... this was a miss for me.

A Brush with Love was such a wonderful story. I’m not a fan of insta-love and that isn’t what you get here. It’s more of a ZING to some part of your body you can’t identify because you have never felt it before. Harper goes on a wild emotional ride to not only pinpoint what she’s feeling and what she’s ultimately going to do about it.

Dan is, or at least would be, the perfect boyfriend, except that Harper has her sights only on becoming an oral surgeon. Nothing can stand in her way. If you aren’t a textbook or library study room, you are a distraction or obstacle she must avoid. That is until her anxiety overtakes her. Dan is there, not to be a hero, just simply to ensure she has everything she needs.

Through the story, the author speaks about not being alone in your mental illness and that it doesn’t define you. I really like the message shown by Harper’s friends and Dan truly being there and not walking away when things got tough for Harper.

5 stars

I am thankful to have both the ebook and audio versions to switch between so I didn’t have to stop listening as I went about my day. The narrators provided excellent character voices and were a pleasure to hear.

Thank you to @netgalley @mazyeddings @macmillanaudio and @stmartinspress for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

A Brush with Love follows two dental students as they cope with the stress of dental school, their past baggage and the inconvenience of falling in love.
There were a few things about this book that I really enjoyed. The couples banter and flirtation was adorable. Their chemistry was evident and I am a sucker for a good 'want you but can't have you' tension that draws out and fills the story with angst and tension. Our main character Harper deals with anxiety and panic attacks and I really appreciated the portrayal of the struggle it is to deal with things like that. The people in her life were supportive but not always saying the right things which is relatable as hell, and I appreciated the honesty of her lashing out in times of panic because again that is very realistic to what anxiety can show it's self as.
However, I feel like this book used a lot of the same tricks repeatedly. By the 3/4th mark I was exhausted by the characters antics. It felt like every time we resolved the main conflict in the story the would ultimately end up having the same argument again and we would end up right back where we started.
Overall this is a cute romance that ultimately feels just a little forgettable. I enjoyed it enough and will recommend it to future patrons but don't see myself thinking heavily about it moving forward.

There was a lot to unpack in A Brush with Love. At first it seemed like a dental student who strove to perfection and was a little snippety, a nice break from the ordinary perfectionist college student. Then, it turned completely left into a full blown melt down that was very off putting. This story needed to come with several warning labels regarding the vast amounts of toxicity.

This was a really cute book. The author did a great and respectful representation of different trials and mental illnesses specifically anxiety. As someone who has suffered similar things I thought she did a wonderful job in describing it. I loved how the main character wasn’t afraid to stand up for herself now matter how hard it was. This was a great book.

This book was amazing from start to finish.
I found myself relating so closely to the main character, Harper, and it really made me enjoy the book so much more. The characters were dynamic and added to the meaning of the book. Each character shows a depth that is sometimes lacking in this genre and you can tell that so much thought and care was taken in creating them. I've found in the past that I can have a hard time relating to characters but that definitely wasn't the case with this book. Harper is such a complex character that has so much history. It's a challenge to write this kind of character without overloading the reader with information or making it seem overdone but Harper was written flawlessly. I loved seeing representation for anxiety and other mental health problems that are often skirted over. Mazey Eddings discussed so many important aspects of anxiety and the related mental health issues in this novel and it was executed perfectly. Harper's character pulls at your heart strings and is so loveable.

Dan was the perfect love interest and his character development throughout the novel was amazingly written. He was simply adorable and so good to Harper. He wasn't perfect but that's why I love him so much. No one is perfect and I loved seeing a love interest that reflected this. He didn't have the perfect life and he wasn't always 100% put together but he was such an amazing character with so many layers. Also, can we just talk about how hot he is real quick *drools*, I mean come on, he may not be perfect but he is absolutely perfect. A good looking guy, who's smart, has a good relationship with his mom, AND has ambition. Come on, for all his issues, he is totally perfect.

The plot flows smoothly and keeps you engaged throughout the book. You follow Harper, an excellent student in her last year of dental school, fighting to make it into an oral surgery program. Harper struggles with an anxiety disorder and often fixates on being the best. After a family tragedy and feeling like she doesn't have anyone to turn to, Harper has carefully built walls that protect her from being hurt more and ensure that she focuses on completing dental school. Harper is convinced that she can't afford any distractions, until she meets Dan. Dan is a first year dental student, although he's the same age as Harper. After a chance encounter, Harper and Dan begin growing closer and soon find themselves entangled in each other. Harper is terrified of letting anyone past her walls and getting distracted from her goals, causing her to push Dan away. Dan, however, doesn't give up and continues to be there for Harper when she needs someone to help her keep her head above the surface. I found this book making me so angry, sad, and overjoyed for all the right reasons at all the right times. Harper and Dan's story provides the reader with an amazing romance while still maintaining a sense of realism and not skirting over important issues. Harper's anxiety disorder gave the book a feeling of vulnerability that made me feel less alone and heard as someone that struggles with anxiety. I loved this book because it was realistic, it wasn't always sunshine and rainbows, and it gets into some issues that not all authors are prepared to, or can execute properly.

A perfect romcom from start to finish, I fell in love with this book and looking back on it now, I can only think of good things to say. I know that normally when I see a review only singing the praises of a book and not pointing any faults out, however minor they may be, I'm doubtful about how truthful the review is but I really can't think of anything bad about this book. At times I've been picky about writing styles but Mazey Eddings' writing style has to be one of my favorites. The characters are dynamic and well thought out. The plot is engaging and flows perfectly from beginning to end. Overall I love this book and will continue to recommend it to anyone who will listen!

I loved this book! Brilliant debut release - fantastic job!
Excellent narration from Emily Lawrence and Vikas Adam (both familiar to me, and always a pleasure to hear) - well done all around. Different character voices and easily to tell them all apart. I enjoy both of these two.

The writing was so well-done, and there was no indication that Mazey Eddings was a newbie writer. It flowed so flawlessly and all of the characters were beautifully crafted and developed, and we really got a great experience in each of Harper and Dan's perspectives.

With each main character having a difficult back-story that we grew with and learned throughout the novel, it really built the narrative and their love story (sort of a slow burn, friends to lovers), and also played into the major plot-point where they had to come to blows (as all great romances do), and decide where to go next. Everything leading into and out of this, and the entire book (all the friendships included) was just So. Darn. Good!

Harper had her anxiety coming from her parental issues and losses at a very young age, and her anxiety disorder was extremely well-represented and displayed, and well handled here in this book. If this isn't an #ownvoices story, I would be very surprised - it means that Mazey Eddings has done extremely deep research and it was beautifully included in the storyline without it being too much or overwhelming. The way Dan handled Harper and her episodes, along with his own issues with parents, of loss and obligation and feeling as though he had to follow his parents wishes when these were far from his own, and being able to understand and support Harper and everything she went through - "chefs kiss" - it was fantastic. And the descriptions of dental school were beautiful too ... not enough to make me interested in that field of work, but to make it somewhat interesting to somebody that is in a field so unrelated but took a few not too dissimilar classes in Uni (ie. Osteology) and remember the good 'ol days!

While I don't suffer general anxiety, I do have social anxiety and recognized a lot of the triggers and reactions are similar, and I appreciated everything in this book relating to Harper's anxiety.

Everything about this book is top-notch, and I highly recommend it to absolutely everyone!

I received an ALC copy from Netgalley, and this is my honest review. Run out and grab a copy, now!

#bookreview A Brush with Love by Mazey Eddings

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of the audiobook.

☺️ the good ☺️
- Dental students, interesting premise at dental school.
- The cover is so cute.


🤨 the bad 😒
- I may have a skewed view because of the narrators, but this book is SO LONG 😩
- I didn’t feel the love between these two. I just didn’t. I kept wanting Dan to dump her because she was being terrible to him.
- Harper. I liked the depiction of anxiety, but she’s such a frustrating human being 😖 I don’t know why her friends put up with her. And they take FOREVER to confront her about her issues
- Dan is a mess. And then he doesn’t even have to own up to his issues because his mom just realizes she’s being over the top with her expectations.
- The unexpected jump between an almost anxiety attack and then a full on sex scene. What.


😍 the beautiful 😍
- It’s interesting to see an anxiety riddled dental student. But not in a romance novel. Not for me. (Ugh, see I tried to have a beautiful comment 😣)


rating: ⭐️⭐️
steam: 🔥🤷🏼‍♀️
my face while reading: 😟😮☹️😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒🙄

Maybe you need to be in a certain mood for this book or it’s suffering in comparison to It Happened One Summer, but I was mouthing the ridiculous more than anything for the second half of the audiobook. Guess it’s not for me 🤷🏼‍♀️

#bookstagram

I loved this book it was such a good romcom. Harper and Dan are so amazing. Dan really does bring out the best in Harper making her realize that her anxiety is not something for her to be ashamed of but something that makes her who she is and her being herself is why he loves her. This book really did an amazing job of speaking about mental illness and saying it's okay to let people in your life know that you're not okay and not to keep all of your emotions and thoughts to yourself it's okay to ask for help when you need it. Dans character really develops the further into the story you get finally talking to his mom and doing what he wants to do with his life and not settling for what other people want him to do. Harper is a strong female lead that stands up for herself when it comes to the bullies at the university trying to make her feel insignificant for all her hard work. I liked how venerable they are with each other about their emotions and feelings.

The author’s note at the beginning of this book is super important as this book brings up some pretty triggering content. As always please check those out if you plan on reading this one.
I hate going to the dentist but I loved listening to this book!
Harper & Dan were so cute! This romcom will have you rooting (no pun intended) for them both as they try to navigate a healthy relationship together!
What I loved:
•Diverse characters
•Jewish & mental health rep
•Dan was a cutie patootie
•Sweet yet spicy scenes
•Big Booty Judy
•Dual POV’s
•Harper’s friends

It was overall, a decent book. There were certain things I liked about this book and other things that I wasn’t a fan of. I loved the diverse characters, the unique occupation, and the epilogue was adorable. I also thought it was important to learn and read about Harper’s panic attacks and childhood trauma, along with Dan’s guilt for not going into dentistry. However, Harper wasn’t a really enjoyable main character for me. I know a lot of her personality relies on being an overachiever and her panic attacks, but I wish she had a little more depth. All in all, it was a quick, easy, and funny read.

I don’t even know where to start. I guess I will say that I love the romance genre. I have my favorites but even the ones that are so-so are leaps and bounds ahead of this book. I received an advance copy of the audiobook (which is my standard way of “reading” romance) and there were several times I had to turn it off because I just couldn’t listen anymore. The only reason I made it to the end was that I cannot leave a book unfinished.

The two main love interests in the book are not that interesting. They are supposed to be 26 years old and the drama that occurs between them is something you would see in 19 year olds. Harper just seems to whine and complain about everything. If she doesn’t get her way, it’s the end of the world. I get that she has an anxiety disorder, but it isn’t the anxiety disorder that makes her so obnoxious. Dan was OK. He had his issues. They all do in these types of books, but I wanted to yell at him to find someone else to love. You don’t deserve her! Their friends don’t add to the story and lack a purpose most of the time. I’m not sure why they are even there at times.

The novel starts with a warning about potential triggers. I will say that was very offputting to me. I understand that you want your readers to know of potential triggers, but for me I kept thinking something major was about to happen or I was going to be devastated by something. Other authors have talked about their characters’ issues at the very end of the novel. I prefer that placement so much more. I feel like you can talk about the issues that the characters faced and even provide support or information where they can learn more about it.

Please save yourself some time and go to the next book on your list.