⭐️Rating: 4/5
✍🏼Author: Zoe Forward
📖Genre: RomCom

This story is about successful emergency veterinarian Amber who is known for her strong demeanor and no bullshit personality. The vet ER she works at also happens to be the focus of a reality show. The producers of the show want to add some spice to the show and recruit a very handsome Dr. Ian Todd (who also has his own reality show) to join the team of veterinarians. They push Ian and Amber to have a fake showmance in effort to increase ratings—- come to find out these two have history with one another and faking a relationship won’t be easy, for either of them.

What I loved most about this book was Dr. Ian Todd (jk- although he is getting added to my book boyfriends list)... I appreciated these two characters coming from very different worlds and not letting that stop them, I also loved the found family aspect and Ambers circle of people that truly cared about her. The reality tv trope was also my fave since im a reality tv junkie!! The spicy-ness was also a lovely bonus. I really really liked this book and highly recommend! Can’t wait to purchase the hard copy✨

Thank you @netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

2.75
Doc Showmance was a dual POV and had ALL the tropes: enemies to lovers, 2nd chance romance, workplace romance, there’s only one bed, fake dating, AND a book where the guy falls first.

I was intrigued when I found out the romance was between two vets. The book reads like an alternate universe’s take of the TV show ‘Bondi Vet’. Add in a fake romance between two workplace rivals to bump up the ratings, pepper in a little drama between coworkers, and you have ‘Doc Showmance’.

For the first half of this book I was sold!
Is this a good book to be reading when your pets aren’t doing so well and you’re visiting the vet lots? Probably not. But when I tell you I read this and wished my vets put up the same fight for my pets the way Amber did throughout the novel.. That alone made me finish this book.

Despite everything, the pacing of this book felt off. For the first half of the book, I felt like it was taking forever for the MCs to start their fake-dating. Then, two thirds of the way through, I felt like the plot took a turn and started deviating in different directions. There were some points where it felt like there were too many things going on, and sometimes information was just thrown in without much build up that it kind of felt like a last minute decision to include some of these storyline’s.

If you don’t mind another romance where the FMC is so small it becomes a personality trait, then this book is for you. By no means is this a bad romance. Did it tick all my personal boxes for what I consider a good romance? No. Do I regret reading it? Also no. This just wasn’t my personal taste and felt a little too rushed for me to get the full effect the author tried to convey. But for anyone wanting a quick romance read about two vets in an emergency veterinary reality tv show, then consider picking this book up!

Thank you Negalley for the ARC for this book.
What intrigued me to read this book was the blurb on the book. Even the trop has been done to death, the story line felt new. The book started off a little slow , but reeled you in right after that. There was enough burn, lots of chemistry between the two. I loved that the female protaganist is a strong character and that she could defend herself on her own.
The male protaganist, however on the other hand felt like lacked decision making.
Overall a 3 stars

The concept of this book drew me in immediately. Enemies to lovers and reality TV stars mixed in with veterinary medicine? I was so intrigued. I’m glad I read this one. It was light and easy to read and I really loved both of our main characters (Goth Girl and Dillweed forever lol!). The book did have it’s cringe moments but overall it was super sweet. I loved Amber’s family dynamic and the supporting characters were superb and I’d love to read more into their stories! And Ian was just precious from the very beginning.

If you like fake dating, enemies to lovers, grumpy/sunshine, vet/ med workplace drama this is one you won’t want to miss!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review

I put in a request to read Doc Showmance because romance novels set within the medical field are incredibly rare. Add in the subgenre of veterinary science and a reality show background, you’ve practically got yourself a unicorn! Doc Showmance did work on some levels for me but on other levels it crashed straight to the ground. I often complain that the Enemies to Lovers trope is more than sniping at your coworker and playing harmless pranks around the office. Doc Showmance took that dynamic and cranked it to 11. Our couple was practically spewing venom at each other and they somehow had to engage in a fake relationship for television ratings? Good luck with that. It was difficult to root for our protagonists being so hateful and realistically accept their abrupt transition to dating. The heroine featured many of my major turn offs and I had to do a mental Wooly Willy to erase her character description. The multicolored hair, nose piercing, and sour attitude had to go. I disliked many things about Dr. Amber, but her dedication to animals was commendable. I imagined her as Dr. Callie from Grey’s Anatomy who suddenly made the switch from orthopedics to emergency veterinary medicine and crash landed in a tattoo parlor.

While the couple’s dynamic was less than inviting, I was more than impressed with the veterinary care. Although I may not be the biggest fan of animals and I worked at a zoo for 4 years, I can still spot expertise. The author herself is a professional veterinarian and her knowledge of the field was well documented in the novel. From the terminology to the medical procedures, it was evident the author knew what she was talking about in Doc Showmance. This was my favorite feature of the book and I wish it was more prominently showcased than the reality show drama. It’s unfortunate when a reader is more invested in surgery than the romance in a love story.

Doc Showmance didn’t quite bump up my heart meter or affect my oxygen levels, but I managed to find some enjoyment. I would have preferred to be invested in the romance, but my interest took a detour to the surgery theater. I never thought I’d choose animals over a love story, but here we are. After reading Doc Showmance, I learned that I’d like an increase in medical romances and a severe decrease in reality show/ mean Enemies to Lovers plotlines. I know I can’ cherry pick tropes, but I may have more control when directing my own Doc Showmance.

I absolutely loved this. Cute, easy to story to read. I’m a dog groomer, so I am always a bit hesitant to read any stories involving jobs working with dogs. But overall it was great! I loved Ambers story with her siblings. This story had lots of forced proximity, which is one of my favorite tropes. Goth girl and dill weed relationships is everything I wanted it to be. I never knew which way the story was going to go with all of the side characters. Added it to my reread list!

3.5 stars

Two veterinarians with their own reality TV show fake date to boost their shows' ratings? Hell yes!
The story is dual pov and has tropes such as fake dating, former academic rivals, and forced proximity.
I enjoyed watching the relationship develop between Ian and Amber. I appreciated that Amber's fierceness and loyalty to her patients stayed throughout the story.
This was a fun, quick read!

Many thanks to NetGalley and author for sending me this arc in exchange for an honest review

This was a great book about two characters that are fire and ice. They have know each other since vet school and have had some very strong feels for each other. Hatred being one of them. Now they are being pushed to work together on a vet tv show and this might be the chance he has been looking for. Ian knows that his feelings for her are true since they have lasted so many years but she won’t give him the time of day. Know with them working together she can’t avoid him or their spark. I loved this story. I was given an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book! It was definitely cringey at parts, but in the same way as you would telling stories over a bottle of wine with a friend. Easy read! Cute romance! And I’m just a sucker for any enemy to lovers plot. 🧡

I requested (out January 9th) this book because the blurb intrigues me.
It was a good romance not my favourite (because I didn’t stick with Amber in the beginning). But Ian intrigued me since the blurb. So I wanted to know more about him.
What I liked in this book were that Amber was the grumpy and Ian was the sunshine.
The opposites attract romance is one of my favorite tropes and enemy to lovers too.

I really loved Joley. Amber’s sister. I don’t know why but I really loved Joley and Seth. Even if we don’t see them much.
So it was a good romance a bit slowly in the beginning.
Thank you @netgalley for sending me an arc.

This was a fun romance. I worked in veterinary clinics for over 20 years and all the clinic content is accurate. I've never worked in a clinic that was filmed for TV but I have seen tons of drama and found everything in the book believable.

Amber was not a likable character, I had trouble rooting for her. I think her big ego reminds me of some of the veterinarians I've worked with and that wasn't fun. But I did enjoy the development of her relationship with Ian.

While this wasn't a home run for me, it was enjoyable and I recommend it for romance readers who are interested in veterinary. medicine and animals.

*Note to publisher* there are some serious inconsistencies in this book. Ian punches his brother in the nose but when his mother mentions it the next day they say Amber did the punching. Then later in the book it is clear that Ian did it.

(2.75⭐️)

Veterinarians Ian Todd and Amber Hardin are the main characters of Zoe Forward's romantic comedy, Doc Showmace.

This novel was a flurry of emotions because, one moment, Ian and Amber were going at it, and the next, they were calling each other out. It would have been understandable if this had only happened a few of times, but it kept happening and became tiresome. In essence, it appeared as though the book's goal was to create some kind of reality tv, with LOTS of dramatics that detracted from the plot.

However, I will say that I liked the first half of the book more than the second since at that point, Ian and Amber still "hated" each other and were engaging in some amazing flirtatious banter. Also, I must add that I admired Amber's strength and independence and her refusal to take crap from anyone.

All in all, this book had so much potential, but I just found it difficult to relate to the characters.

*Thank you to the author, Zoe Forward, for providing me with this e-arc in exchange for an honest review!*

Reality TV, fake dating, academic rivals, enemies-to-lovers, years of pining, found family, badass veterinarians, dual POV…this book had everything! I loved how passionate about her patients and family Amber was and how strong, feisty, and snarky she was. Ian is so much more than just “Sexiest Vet Alive” and deserves more than his sucky family. The romance was sweet and angsty and hot, and the slow burn was perfect. I’m really hoping this turns into a series… I’d love a Joley/Seth book and maybe a Bruno/Nabi book There were some Easter eggs, right?? BRB going to read the author’s backlist.

3.5⭐️
This book was great for my animal loving heart! It was hard to follow the quick love/hate change, but the banter made up for it!

- Enemies to lovers
- Fake dating
- Grumpy/sunshine
- Vet/medical tv drama

Let me just say, I was a big fan of the FMC, Amber. She was smart, strong and witty!
Overall the book was good. Definitely a little cheesy in certain parts but I enjoyed it.

Quick description: Amber is a ER vet doctor whose clinic does filming for a tv show. When Dr. Ian Todd, an exotic animal vet with a tv show of his own starts working at the clinic. Amber and Ian and friends/rivals from vet school. The show producer believes having them pretend to date will be great for the show and help each of the two out. Pretending to date is easier said than done for these two.

They you netGalley for the arc of this book!

I really enjoyed this enemy to lovers novel. The banter between the two had me laughing out loud throughout the whole book! I loved the characters so much. They were so unapologetically themselves & i find that to be so endearing. They appreciated each other for their unique personalities and even with their animosity at times they stood up for each other no matter what.

The only things that bothered me about this book was the miscommunication piece in the book. I feel like that wasn’t fully addressed in terms of the whole Valentine’s Day prank. I’m not a huge fan of the whole miscommunication thing as a whole so that’s a personal thing for me. I also felt the ending was a little rushed. I know the couple had a lot of history and pent up feelings but i feel as if we went so quickly from hate to in love i needed a little more building in the middle part of the book.

Over all this was a solid 4 star book & i truly enjoyed reading it!

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a fun read! I loved the emergency vet role and the characters. Give it a try!

Doc Showmance by Zoe Forward

Published: January 9, 2023
Zoe Forward
Pages: 309
Genre: Romantic Comedy
KKECReads Rating: 5/5
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

Zoe Forward is a USA Today bestselling author, parent, wife, veterinarian, and chocolate lover. Author of spicy paranormal and contemporary romances. Zoe Forward brings readers the perfect combination of action, adventure, romance, humor, and a bit of magic. Her novels have won numerous awards, including the Prism, Readers' Choice Heart of Excellence, Golden Quill, Carolyn Readers Choice Award, and the Booksellers' Best Award.

“The whole world is obsessed with my love life.”

Amber is hardworking and passionate about her job as a veterinarian. She also carries the weight of supporting her siblings, the only family she has. Her love for her patients is the only thing that makes participating in the reality show filmed at her clinic worth it until the show decides to spice things up. Ian has traveled the world working with animals. He’s a natural on camera and ready to steam things up with his new costar.

This book was so cute! The entire concept was original and sweet. I loved having a reality show filmed while professionals were doing their job.

I found the balance between work and filming realistic, and the meddling orchestrated by the production team for ratings came across as something that happens.

I loved the characters in this book. Amber was fierce, intelligent, and talented. Ian was kind, loyal, and ambitious. Their balance was so well done. Amber comes from the foster care system, with her family she built versus Ian’s, growing up with an ultra-wealthy, very arrogant family that did things for show was brilliant.

I devoured this story in a single sitting. I couldn’t put this book down. The plot was so charming, and the story sucked you in. This is an addictive, adorable, and pleasantly heartfelt read.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Xpresso Book Tours for letting me have an advanced reader copy! 📚♥️

Being put in the spotlight for your job and then having it aired on TV as a reality show isn't Amber Haskin's idea of fun. She doesn't like that they follow her around 30% of the time now and then they want to up it for the addition of the fake romance with enemy wildlife vet Ian Todd. The old flame that went out quicker than it started back in vet school thanks to a prank forces the awkwardness of the two and the bickering. They are both fantastic doctors. They care for their patients with their whole heart. When they realize that they will have to kiss and be close on camera that makes them question the ludicrousness of the show. But as they spend time together what do you think will happen? That Ian will escape and go back to thr wild life show? Do you think he will stay on the reality show? Will Amber lose it all with her mouth and actions?

Talks about: fake dating, reality show, veterinarians, dynamic families, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, gambling, foster family

Spicy: 🌶
Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I had a little difficulty on getting involved with the narrative, but there, in the middle of it, I could enjoy more the romance. This fact had affectec my experience, sadly, but it wasn't a bad book. On the contrary. It was light and and typical enemies to lovers trope (who has secretely always been lovers)