Absolutely brilliant, witty and sexy, Jen Comfort's Jeopardy inspired "What is Love?" hooked me from the first line. Comfort's books always deliver a delightfully queer, tender and emotional romance. Maxine and Teddy's rivals-to-lovers story is a breath of fresh air in the genre. It is fun and upbeat, while also packing a massive emotional punch. Teddy truly embodies everything I love most dearly about the "he falls first" trope, and Max's antagonism towards him just increases his love - truly perfect! I could not recommend this book more!

Maxine Hart credits her ADHD with giving her a prowess for trivia. Beating the 76-time Answer’s! champion, Teddy Ferguson, was supposed to be the end of her illustrious quiz show career until the producers decided to put together a show of all-stars. Teddy enlists Maxine’s help to beat Hercules KcKnight, the show’s undefeated champion. Maxine’s professional enemy is about to become her greatest ally.

Do you enjoy trivia game shows and spicy romance? Do I have a book for you! While it might sound like a bit of an unusual combination, trust me. It works. What is Love? is an open-door, contemporary romance. This stand-alone has just the right mix of swoony scenes and sassy banter.

Both of the MCs have relatable qualities. They balance each other well and bring out the best (sometimes worst) in each other. Their perceived flaws make them all the more likeable.

This is the first book that I have read by Jen Comfort but after listening to her speak at a book event, I knew that I needed to pick up a copy. Her sense of humor pours from every page. I am delighted to say that this is one of my favorite books so far this year and I can’t wait to read more of her work soon.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to the author, Montlake, and Netgalley!

I enjoyed reading What is Love? by Jen Comfort. You will fall in love with all the characters. Happy reading! I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and the publisher. This is my honest and personal review.

Who knew a book about a Jeopardy like trivia quiz show could be so HOT?? Definitely not me but this rivals to lovers, dual POV romance with excellent #ownvoices ADHD rep was certainly steamy, with amazing chemistry between the two leads and had me utterly captivated from start to finish. Great on audio and HIGHLY recommended!! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review! This just may be my new favorite Jen Comfort book!!

What is Love was a cute, high-energy romance that is 100% aimed at nerds. And I say that with all the love in my heart, because this is a competitive-trivia based romance - and I won't lie to you, I found basically every trivia fact in this so interesting, so I really feel like I was the target audience.
I felt like I cared a lot about our two MCs, and although the ending was maybe too cheesy even for me, it was very sweet and I was really rooting for them. There's a lovely set up of dynamics that were reminiscent of some of Chloe Liese's books: with an uptight, organised male MC and a joyful, outspoken female MC.
Glad to have picked this up as such a cheerful Spring read!

This is a steam and delightful and also fun rivals to lovers book set in a trivia competition. I love trivia game shows, and I adore rivals to lovers so this is my catnip. This book did not disappoint in any way, shape or form. I loved it from start to finish. I cannot shout enough about how much I love complicated heroines, and Maxine is the definition of a complicated heroine. I loved her so much. I also adored Teddy because it was fascinating to see the development of his feelings for Maxine. Supply itself flows from start to finish. The characters as I’ve already spoken about our delightful. The chemistry jumps off the pages and the flow of the relationship is wonderful. This is a book that will entertain you from start to finish.

There are few things that bring me more joy than a spicy book about nerds falling in love, and Jen Comfort has very quickly become a go-to author for this very specific category for me.

Which is to say that her newest book, What Is Love?, delighted me in all the best ways.

The premise is that uptight, Oxford-educated academic Teddy loses his trivia game show winning streak to Maxine, a high school drop-out with ADHD. Then she loses to him in a champions game. And then they have a third opportunity to play each other during another champions round with higher stakes – but because of the players they’re up against, they decide to suck up their rivalry and all the delicious tension that accompanies it to help each other prepare.

And yeah, I completely adored this. The banter is amazing, Teddy is so swoony in the nerdiest ways, and there is scene involving maps that is SCORCHING HOT.

Here’s what else you can expect:

💋rivals to lovers
✨opposite attract
😎characters in their 30s
🏡forced proximity
✏️professor x student vibes
🧠neurodivergent rep

This is genuinely such a fun read, but there’s a ton of character growth and emotional depth here, too. It’s a great balance of game-show hijinks, simmering tension, and all the seriousness life can throw at you, culminating in a love story that is deeply satisfying on every level.

4.5🌟
3🌶️

Full disclosure: I am not only an adult who was only recently diagnosed
with ADHD, but I was also a former contestant on Jeopardy. All that to say
this book GETS it. What is Love? is fun and sexy but it is also quite
possibly the most seen a book has ever made me feel. I’ve never been great
at explaining how or why I’m good at trivia, but my process is exactly like
Maxine’s. Seeing the way she and Teddy made their very different learning
styles work for both of them was perfection.

I’ve been a fan of Jen Comfort since I read her Phantom of the Opera retelling, Midnight Duet. It was bonkers in the best way and so funny. When I found out she was writing a Jeopardy inspired romance, I just HAD to read it.

Teddy and Maxine are rivals. They’re both former champions of the tv game show, “Answers!” Teddy has the longest winning streak and Maxine has won the most money. They’ve just been invited to a Tournament of Champions type show where they can, once and for all, prove who is the best.

I absolutely LOVED this book. My Jeopardy loving heart is FULL. This was a PERFECT book for me. It has all the trivia you could want, all the banter, sexy geography lessons, even a cute ginger cat. It’s funny, steamy, and had a twist or two I was not expecting. It also may have one of my favorite romance endings. Just saying.

How much am I betting this will be in my top ten this year? Max heart.

Thank you to Jen and NetGalley! I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

Ughhhhh this book was so good and now I want to make it my whole personality! Seriously, no notes. Five stars and then some, but alas, I have to write a review because not everyone will take this at face value.
First, let me say that I am a trivia nerd so a game show based off Jeopardy! and the idea of this book already appealed to me regardless of the plot, but HOLY COW can Jen Comfort write! It’s clear from the start that she did her research and it’s evident in the way she’s modeled her characters. I simultaneously think she must have some ridiculously high IQ and yet can also hang with the bros next door, because she nailed this rom-com. Teddy is the stuffy, prestigious control freak to Maxine’s unbound chaos risk-taking heroine, creating the perfect equation for a rivals to lovers set up. Add in a competitive streak for both of them plus a hell of a lot of flirting and pent up sexual chemistry with tons of button pushing (literally and figuratively) and you have a knock out of a game show romance. The meet cute instantly lets the reader know who these two are and solidifies a) Teddy’s hit-in-the-face-who-are-you? attraction for Maxine along with b) Maxine’s desire to immediately get under Teddy (and his skin). With tension this rife, I instantly knew I was in for the ride of the century with these two and Comfort DELIVERED. Maxine’s ADHD felt so realistic not just from an action standpoint but from how her brain worked and how she processed learning. And Teddy is exactly the type she needed to push her intellectually while also loving every single aspect of her.
I swooned so much for this book; the game show set up, the chapter headers as answers/questions, the love of trivia, the over the top horniness, and the most lovable MCs and side characters to boot. I can tell you right now that Jen Comfort just became an autobuy author for me. I can’t wait to dive into her backlog. Thank you to Montlake and NetGalley for an early copy. All opinions are my own.

My second read from Comfort, and it was enjoyable enough, but just not as good as Midnight Duet (that was one of my top reads of 2023!). Sadly I have to rate this one a 3.5, rounded up to 4, only because the surprise detail at the ending made it a bit more interesting…

I found my attention straying several times and having to go back and read pages over again because it felt rather technical about the show and trivia preparation (Answers!, a take on Jeopardy!)… not an enjoyable romance at (many) times. Other times it was sort of enjoyable and flowed better with interesting dialogue.

It didn’t feel like a third novel release (more like a debut)… which I was sad about because I loved her second book so very much! And I was anticipating this one and the premise a lot (and was hoping it was better than the other one with the orange cover that was basically the same book that I read in October... Sadly, neither was great).

I’m sure this one, Maxine and Teddy’s show rivals to lovers story, will find an audience who loves it, because there are game show and Jeopardy enthusiasts looking for romances… but it fell very short for me.

I received an advance copy from NetGalley and Montlake, and this is my honest feedback.

What is Love? is an absolutely delightful romcom. Set among champions on a Jeopardy-like trivia show, Jen Comfort shows that opposites attract among all the banter and fun facts.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Teddy and Maxine first meet in the green room of the game show Answers!, when Teddy is one of the most winning contestants in show history. Until unconventional Maxine beats him, going on a record breaking streak of her own. But later Maxine loses to him in the tournament of champions, and sparks continue to fly between them. Now both are pitted against the all-time champion in a $2 million tournament. Who is a jerk and deserves to be taken down. So the two combine forces to help each other prepare. But can they keep their attraction in check while spending all that study time together?

Maxine and Teddy are so much fun together. Every quip and trivia fact is visible foreplay, and it’s adorable that they think no one else can tell. But these characters have substance too, and it’s a delight to watch them uncover what makes each other tick. I especially like the ADHD rep, showing how unconventional brains are just as brilliant as conventionally taught ones.

If you are a passing fan of Jeopardy or trivia, you will adore this story. And even if you just have warm, fuzzy feelings about a forced proximity, opposites attract romance with tons of steam and banter, What is Love? is a must read.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Maxine and Teddy are total opposites in terms of personality and temperament and somehow end up rivals on a popular trivia question game show. We get to see them get under each others’ skin a few times before teaming up to study together to prepare for a final tournament against a common rival. Of course with their very different study styles (super regimented for Teddy and nonexistent for Maxine), they spend most of their time arguing and then trying not to sleep with each other. Until they realize that carnal acts make great study motivators. This book was super funny and steamy and highly entertaining.

There’s a lot to love about this book: interesting trivia, behind-the-scenes look at game shows like Jeopardy, a rivals-to-lovers opposites attract romance with sizzling chemistry right out of the gate. I personally had a hard time getting into the story – I strongly believe my brain was not vibing with the writing style at the time, not that the writing wasn’t great! – so I read it in several small doses over the course of a month which is unusual for me. However, this was a really fun, creative romance with hints of adventure and intrigue woven into the story.

Thank you Netgalley and Montlake for the review copy.

I struggle to know what to say about Jen Comfort's writing because she's so phenomenal. You know how there are some authors who write books and you know it's their book because they hit the same comforting, loving beats every time? Jen Comfort somehow writes a completely new book each time she publishes one, and yet each one is amazing and memorable. On @fatedmatespod Sarah MacLean often talks about an author's core story, and Jen has one. Her core story is a strong, independent, bisexual female who learns to expand herself. Some people would call her FMC's difficult or unlikable, but they're written with such depth and nuance that you love them and take their side immediately.

"What Is Love?" focuses on ADHD Maxine and her quiz show enemy-crush, Teddy, as they prepare to compete (again) on a trivia game show. I don't even know what to say about these two. Teddy is the most buttoned-up professor and Max is the most chaotic, brilliant competitor to ever challenge him- and of course they team up to beat their real evil nemesis. This book is filled with behind the scenes looks into the trivia show world, amazing factoids sprinkled throughout and a map scene that will live in my head forever.

I knew I was going to love this book from the moment I saw Jen Comfort made stickers with an orange cat wearing a bow tie that say "Slutty Nerd" on them as part of a preorder campaign (which yes, I obviously got), but I didn't know how much I was going to love this book.

What is Love? has an incredible chaotic good premise: Teddy, a Princeton professor who is on a 70+ game winning streak on Answers! in part due to his trivia brain but also his unfailing strategy, is thrown off by Maxine, an ADHD and true chaos monster who gets in his head (and his heart), and he loses his winning streak. But the next year, he beats her in an Answers! tournament. So when they are reunited for a Tournament of Champions style competition, they decide to team up so they can beat Hercules, the reigning unbeatable champion from the 1990s who is a legend but also kind of a jerk. Teddy agrees to help Maxine study (in a way that works for her brain), and in return, Maxine agrees to help Teddy learn to bet more and play less predictably. What results is a very nerdy, sexy, hilarious five weeks of studying (and "studying" wink wink) and adventuring.

This is such a good example of rivals to lovers -- there is a simmering tension between Teddy and Maxine, and even when they realize they're better teamed up than not, that tension is still there, both because they have something to prove in terms of their Answers! legacy, and because, well, they're unreasonably attracted to each other. Which results in some very spicy spice scenes. And I will not give any spoilers, because I want the payoff to be worth it, but the map scene had me UNWELL.

I also loved the ADHD rep in this book. In a lot of ways, Teddy and Maxine are complete opposites, because she can't study in the way he does. She can't just sit down and memorize a list of rivers. And instead of getting mad at Maxine and doubling down on that kind of studying, he figures out other ways to help her learn (with, ahem, positive reinforcement). And Maxine is so used to people realizing that that's how her brain works, and feeling like her "quirkiness" is actually just "brokenness," but Teddy does everything to tell her and show her that that's not what he's feeling.

(And speaking of rep, Teddy and Maxine are both bi! I am a Jen Comfort stan!)

The B-plot in this book about the Tournament of Champions is also so good (and so nerdy and funny, with an excellent cast of characters), and when that collides with the romance plot, there is NO! THIRD! ACT! BREAK-UP! It's honestly a perfect example of how to have tension in the third act, with both the romance and also the rest of the plot, without needing to have the characters break up.

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for providing me with an eARC of What is Love? in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the ARC of What is Love? by Jen Comfort. This book was like a sexy, nerdy, warm hug -- so much fun! I loved Maxine and Teddy and their chemistry and banter; the gameshow/trivia component was also a lot of fun to experience. There was also a great supporting cast of characters, sizzling open-door spice, and laugh-out-loud humor. Add this one to your TBR, it publishes on April 1!

Because I loved Jen Comfort's previous two books, I had the highest expectations for What Is Love, to the point that I was nervous I was building it up too high. And for the first 25% of this book, I was starting to be concerned this was the case because unlike Christof and Jon, Teddy Ferguson got a lot of my side-eye and "oh how dare!". But I had faith because Comfort has earned my trust, not very different Teddy earning Maxine's trust. My words are failing me because all I want to say is BIG ROMANCE, BIG FEELINGS, HIGHEST OF THE HIGHS, JUST EVERYTHING TO THE MAX.

For those who have read my other reviews, y'all know I do a piss poor job recounting the plot or the characters. It's a Jeopardy style, rivals to lovers, Teddy is uptight starchy in the streets (a bit of a freak in the sheets) and Maxine is a delicious prickly heroine with ADHD.

Anyway, what I really want to share is why I loved What is Love. It has Comfort's signature humor (which 10/10 works for me) and gorgeous prose especially in describing feelings. I also loved how she portrayed the relationship with the parents... yes they may have done shitty things but there's love there and I wish I saw more of this nuance in books. But this is extra special because in writing this rivals to lovers trope, Comfort was just so bold in drawing the ugly of Maxine and Teddy in the beginning. Which made the payoff of learning to love and being loved unconditionally (jfc I'm tearing up thinking about it) even more meaningful and was so skillfully and beautifully done.

So please read this book. Tell at least 10 others to go read this book. Help make it a maximum success because I would love more from Jen Comfort. The world is a better place with her stories in it.


PS. I received an ARC, won a paperback via a contest, bought it as part of the First Prime promo and none of these impacted my review aside from allowing me to read the book!

What is Love? was excellent! This is my second read by Jen Comfort and I love love loved it. I had the eARC and the ALC. Both formats were great but I’m an audiobook lover at heart. Max and Teddy have my whole heart and I can’t wait for everyone to meet them and read this!

Reader Friends, I was fortunate enough to receive an advanced copy of this book several months ago from the author and the way I INHALED this book! This is a book that will definitely keep you up past your bedtime because you are going to become obsessed with these two hot nerds. It’s very fast paced, emotionally charged, and incredibly hot. Comfort has a way of writing incredibly real and relatable characters that you immediately become invested in their happiness, and rooting for them while also wanting to shake some sense into them. I spent the whole book in complete awe of Maxine’s ability to exude confidence and fearlessness in public and also wanting to wrap her up in a big hug when her ADHD became to overwhelming for her. Maxine’s outgoing and self-assured personality was an excellent match for our buttoned-up, quiet professor Teddy, who she won against on their favorite quiz show Answers! The way she pushes his buttons is absolutely delicious and the way this man attunes himself to her moods and needs is magical. If you love contemporary romances with a big dose of humor, hot nerds, positive mental health rep, and watching the sleazy gross guy get his due, you’re going to love this one.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title. All opinions and mistakes are my own.