GENERAL INFO

Year Pub/Re Pub: 1/9/23

Book's cover: Loved the blue color and both main characters w/ the dog

Format: Net Galley arc

Source: "Thank you Net Galley and (publisher) for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own."

Book's Price: $3.99 kindle

Price I'd Value: same

Setting: San Diego, California

Genre: Contemporary romance

Tropes: faking dating, office romance, enemies to lovers

Standalone/Cliffhanger/Part of a Series: standalone

HEA/HFN ending: HEA

Epilogue Included: yes, 1 year later

Character(s)POV Spoken: H/h- Ian and Amber

BOOK DESCRIPTION

Synopsis/Plot Summary: Into the world of veterinarian medicine, 2 nemeses since school 7 years ago, Amber and Ian are forced together and film a TV reality show. There are loan sharks, lions, and little animals.

M/F-M/M-M/M/F-etc: M/F

Representation: Animal rights/welfare and foster children protection

Contains Cheating: no

Contains Children: yes, if you consider your pet your child, which most people in this book do.

Flashbacks: yes, Amber growing up in foster care w/ her siblings. Ian's family drama and breaking away

Jealy/Possy/OTT H/h: Yes, both are jealous. Ian doesn't know Bruno is Amber's brother nor does he like the looks of Wade or the Sheriff Seth. Amber meets "the blonde twins" and Maya at Ian's family gathering, doesn't care for the mean girls.

Amount of Sex In The Book: enough

Overall Smex Rating: 4, yes to wall sex!

CHARACTER DESCRIPTION

Hero: Ian Todd

Hero Description: Veterinarian with wildlife tv show who wants to pursue zoo medicine. Travels the world to spotlight endangered, exotic species. Voted "Most Sexist Vet Alive." He humiliated Amber 7 years old while in vet school on Valentine's Day with a stupid candid camera prank. His family owns a real estate empire that he walked away from.

Hero Likability Rating: 4

Heroine: Amber Hardin

Heroine Description: Put in foster care at 1 year old because mother was sent to jail for dealing drugs. She never knew who her father was. Spanish/Irish, in mid-twenties, working as ER veterinarian in San Diego to finish residency and pass board. She has her own reality TV show where cameras follow as she works. Has a big ego, curses a lot, has tattoos, and changes color hair (red, pink) w/ a nose ring. Lives with adult siblings (all the "problem" foster children put together in high school).

Heroine Likability Rating: 4

Secondary characters:
Bruno-Amber's brother. Abandoned son of a Mexican immigrant. Never met his biological parents. In law school delivering fast food to make money.

Joley-Amber's sister. Was homeless, works as a reception while in dental school. Has many one-night stands.

Marino-Amber's brother. A gaming nerd who fixes computers. He has a gambling addiction, owes $30,000 to a loan shark.

Dr. David Kovac-an experienced vet owns part of the hospital and loves the cameras.

Dr. Caleb Morris-Hospital Director and Amber's boss

Wade Decker-client who brings in sick dog, Joley's one night stand

Seth Briscoe-Sheriff, Joley's ex

Brock-Ian's brother, in the family business, arrogant, no loyalty to Ian or his wife

Victoria Todd-Ian's mother. Very manipulative, a snob. Tries to set up Ian with potential wives who she deems acceptable.

Marianna-Executive producer who is blackmailing both Ian and Amber to have a "showmance" for TV ratings.

Nabi-fashion designer, Ian's friend. Her parents are friends of Ian's parents.

Will Vanderson-Ian's roommate in school, helped prank Amber

Pinot-Amber's dog

H /h RELATIONSHIP INFO

Endearments: Dillweed (Amber to Ian) and Goth Girl (Ian to Amber)

OW/OM/Exes: None for Amber. Ian's ex- Maya

Cheating Before/During/Outside H/h Relationship: no

CONTENT WARNINGS/TRIGGERS: h stalking/assault, wounded/sick animals, gambling addiction

AUTHOR OVERVIEW: Zoe Forward

New author or read before & any favorites: 1st time author for me

PERSONAL OVERVIEW

Technical/Editing Quality: 4

Writing/Content Quality: 4

Overall Rating: 4*

Do You Recommend This Book: yes

Will You Re-read This Book: yes

Would You Read More Books by this Author: yes

COMMENTS/NOTES

Favorite line: "I am powerless to my addiction. My life has become unmanageable." Amber makes Marino repeat the 1st step in Gamblers Anonymous after he's relapsed.

New Vocabulary: a lot of unknown (to me) dog breeds and medical jargon I had to look up, so be prepared!

i LOVED this! the enemies to lovers rom com was just so great! And the fake dating aspect was so much fun. A really fun read and I can't wait to read other titles from this author!

☽𝔹𝕆𝕆𝕂 ℝ𝔼𝕍𝕀𝔼𝕎☾

💐Coming out 9 January 2023💐
Thank you to NetGalley and Zoe Forward for the opportunity to review this ARC in return for an honest review.

Overall:
2.5/5 ✰
1.5/5 🌶

𝕋𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤:

I discovered this book on NetGalley and was drawn in by the cover and blurb. Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, this did not work for me.

First and foremost, it has some of my favourite tropes, and the blur looked wonderful. Yet, the enemies-to-lovers phenomenon was just mutual pinning with a negative scenario that transpired in the past between these main characters.
I didn't bond with any character. Not even with side ones
All happened overnight, and numerous plot points were placed in the midst. Amber certainly did not have a happy childhood or adolescence, yet the material is flung at the readers and ends up feeling disorganised.

Both main characters had several "you're not like other girls" moments.
Situations that are overly dramatised.

Overall, I feel the storyline had potential, but the manner in which it was done was not for me.

Thank you so much Netgalley and the author for the ARC!

'Doc Showmance' stays true to the blurb and delivers every bit of steam and melodrama that were promised.

I haven't read any veterinary romance before. In fact, I doubt there are many in this category. A vet herself, Zoe's urge to write about two badass, stubborn, entertaing vets is very justified. Kudos to the author for merging her experiences and wild imagination to give life to a hilarious and thoughtful story.

Our protagonists Amber and Ian both belong to dysfunctional families. Amber lives with her foster siblings - Bruno, Marino and Joley. Despite having different parents and no social liability to each other, their connection is beautiful and incredibly heartwarming. On the other hand, Ian couldn't be furthest from his. With power hungry, manipulative guardians, it's surprising that he has compassion left in him at all. After finishing vet school, both had parted their ways following a bitter incident. When fate collides them once more to star on a tv show, will they able to move past the past or will hatred bring them down?

I mean obviously hatred doesn't bring them down. That part is certain, isn't it?

Unfortunately - though I love fake-dating, enemies to lovers, hospitals, doctors, animals, slow burn, badass females, the book didn't click for me as much as I wanted it to. The characters are likable but the story could have been written better with a bit more maturity. Ian's background could use more depth. More highlights should be given on the animals - in my opinion. I would have loved to see them bond with their patients, to read about the work Ian actually does in his tv show, how they protest against animal abuse and so on. At the end, it felt like a lot of information were crammed into few sentences. Otherwise, it's quite a good read. I don't regret picking it up.

Cute, casual romantic read. Perfect for fake dating trope fans and animal lovers. Love Amber's bright and bold personality!

This book was so much fun and Amber was such a bad@ss. I loved how strong she was and how she didn’t take crap from anyone. I really enjoyed Ian but there were moments that made me feel like icky because of him. Sometimes he would say things that just seemed out of touch or kinda misogynistic. It’s not that he was being mean, they just didn’t quite hit right. I did love the ending and honestly, he did pretty awesome by that point. This was a veryyyyy quick read and I wouldn’t have minded a few extra chapters that went into a bit more detail. Otherwise, highly recommend the book. If you want a book that you can finish in an afternoon, this is it.

A thank you to Zoe Forward and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. Doc Showmance comes out January 9, 2023.

Doc Showmance is an enemies-to-lovers, romantic comedy starring Amber, a veterinary ER doctor she works at an animal hospital where a reality show is and even though she hates it she likes the extra money. In a bid to up ratings the show decides to bring in Ian, a popular exotic animal vet whose own reality tv show is on the verge of being canceled. The only problem is Amber and Ian are not strangers, they went to the same veterinary school where they were friends but soon become enemies after an immature prank. This all has to be put aside when the showrunners devise a fake showmance between the two. On camera they will have to look like to people falling into lust than love, good thing that might just be happening off camera as well.

Doc Showmance was such a funny and fast paced read. Amber honestly was such a bada** (you know what I am trying to say, especially when it comes to her family and the animals, she takes care of. Ian also brings compassion and passion to those he cares about, including animals. Even though their past was a rough patch they were such a cute pair, both had such similar passions. I loved the small bit of found family in it. If love tension, spicy scenes, animals and love Doc Showmance is the books for you.

“Us faking interest in each other might be the most fun I’ve had in years”
“I could handle Mr. Sexiest Vet Alive for a few months, right?”
I didn’t comply love this book … I thrived on it !!!! I think I just developed a new personal addiction to hot, frustrating, sexy vets who have an obsession for their college crush !!! I can’t believe what I just read !!! Amber and Ian’s story had almost each and every one of my favourite tropes: forced proximity, fake dating, college crush to enemies to lovers, one bed and even a very possessive man who is more than happy to make everyone who speaks ill of her, pay … even her brothers !!!
I absolutely loved the plot and the romance between the two main characters !!! I felt like the book was so well written, it was impossible to get lost. And the spicy times made you feel every goosebumps and chills of an amazing romance. But there was nothing like the way I screamed and lost it when I read about a banter between Amber and Ian or when their tension broke every limit of the imaginable!!!
They clicked together and fit in a way that felt almost surreal. But after all … what can you expect from a foster child and a spoiled player who are forced to work in the same veterinarian hospital for a tv show???
There are bound to be some sparks somewhere !!!
I’m so glad I had the chance to read this book and I so hope the author will explore this story more with some other side characters that caught my attention in more than one way !!!
“You want me. It’s why you’re spitting mad”
“I like when you say my name. It’s almost better than Dillweed, but you say it with such passion”
“I’m going to make you forget anyone who’s tasted you before”

Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!



I absolutely adored this book. This book was so amazing and the vibes were immaculate. I loved all the characters and the whole fake dating plot line. Amber is my queen i love her so much<33 Overall you should definitely 100% read this book especially if your a big animal person but even if your not (which I'm not usually) you should still read this. Its dual POV which just makes me so happy when i see it in books. And overall this was such a heartwarming and sweet book. Anyways I love love love this book and it was absolutely PHENOMENAL. So please go read this when it comes out.

If a book is enemies to lovers it is an instant read for me. I just love all the friction and build up to when they finally realize the truth. They don’t actually hate each other. Doc Showmance was full of the build up and bickering!

Amber is an ER veterinarian who’s hospital has their own reality show and Ian is an exotic animal vet with his own traveling reality show. They both went to vet school together but they were most definitely not friends. After Ian’s involvement in an embarrassing moment for Amber they were constantly bickering and trying to one up the other in school.

Fast forward to present day, Ian has showed up at Amber’s hospital to add some drama to her reality show. They are forced into a fabricated relationship for ratings which certainly works. They are what reality TV embodies, fighting with some sexual tension underneath. It was fun to watch their relationship evolve while they also watched it on their tv show!

Thank you @netgalley and @zoeforward for this ARC!
Release Date: January 9, 2023
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🔥 Scene: Marriott

All the laughs, the cuteness, and the steaminess in this book… they were sheer perfection! I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to get into this book because I honestly couldn’t see how the story could really work in a way that actually makes sense but I did and I finished in one day.