A Brush With Love by Mazey Eddings [Book Review]

 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.

So with the greatest of intentions and the poorest of follow-throughs, the two set out to be “just friends.” But as they get to know each other better, Harper fears that trading fillings for feelings may make her lose control and can't risk her carefully ordered life coming undone, no matter how drool-worthy Dan is.

Blood, gore, and extra-long roots? No problem. The idea of falling in love? Torture. 

REVIEW

I LOVE this book! 

I was not expecting the emotional journey that I went on with Harper and Dan, but now being on the other side I can tell you I feel euphoric that we made it through. 

This one starts out with a meet cute (they literally run into each other) and initially I wasn’t expecting the depth of character and deep emotional pull I felt reading. 

Harper is dedicated to her studies and determined to get into a great Residency. Dan is doing Dentistry because he feels he has to. On paper, these two are polar opposites… but they’re not. 

As a person who has dealt with anxiety disorder for my whole life I loved the attention placed here on Harper and her dealings with her own anxiety. I am very familiar with the battle between wanting to be “me” even if that means being anxious rather than changing myself with medication. I have also dealt with the thoughts of separating myself from my anxiety and I loved the thoughtful focus placed in this book on Harper’s struggle with it. 

There is a stigma to mental illness of any kind and this book truly touches on so many aspects of it that it felt real, and my stomach was in knots as I read. 

Dan was a sweet guy, and he would do anything for Harper. I loved the attention he put towards constantly confirming everything was what Harper wanted and he never forced anything on her which I loved. 

Also, who knew Dentistry could be so hot? 

I recommend this one to anyone who loves some depth to their romance/rom-coms. There are some important things touched on here and the story itself felt real and powerful and I loved it. 

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martins for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

The Rake Gets Ravished by Sophie Jordan [Book Review]

New York Times bestselling author Sophie Jordan returns with an all new sizzling historical romance in her Duke Hunt series about a woman determined to reclaim her family home from the dangerously handsome owner of London’s most popular gaming hell.

The owner of London’s most popular gaming hell, wealthy and powerful Silas Masters is feared by men and desired by women—except Mercy Kittinger. When the blackguard wins her family home in a game of cards, Mercy steals into Silas’s rooms, intent on destroying the proof. But things don’t go to plan... 

She would have her way with him...

Caught in the act, Mercy must be bold to save herself... even if it means seducing the dangerous rogue and then disappearing with the dawn, debt voucher in hand. Safe at home and determined to settle back into her quiet, uneventful life, Mercy burns at the memory of her night spent ravishing the most compelling man she’d ever met. Thank goodness she’ll never see him again! 

He didn't see her coming...

No one trifles with Silas Masters. Even if he could forget the dark-haired seductress who undid him, he can’t allow anyone to steal from him. He will hunt down the sultry woman who haunts his dreams and show her just how sweet payback can be.

REVIEW

 I haven’t read a Sophie Jordan book since she was writing YA… and now I’m thinking that was a definite mistake! 

There is a soft spot in my heart for Regency Romance, it’s the subset of the genre that I first read and as such, reading Regency is almost like coming home. 

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book, but everything I want in a Regency was here. 

Our heroine Mercy (whose name I love) begins her journey with so much agency I was cheering. It is up to Mercy to rectify the mistakes of her idiot brother and save her family… and she does it by stealing and ruining herself. 

Like… what?! 

Mercy’s character agency was truly the highlight for me in this book. She knew what she wanted, and she took charge of it. She was tired of being a spinster, so she took charge of what she wanted. She wanted to protect her family, so she took risks. She was the one doing all the work while her brother put them in ruin and I loved it. 

Silas (whose name I also love) was the typical gaming hell owner who has sworn off marriage… until he runs into Mercy. He was kind, protective, and essentially everything we want in a Regency man. 

The side characters were also fantastic and I’m crossing my fingers for a Grace book!

I’m rating it 5 stars because I literally felt my stomach dropping when the tension got high, and any book that makes me physically react is worth a read! 

Don’t miss this one out on February 22, 2022! 

Huge thanks to Harper Collins/Avon and Netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review!

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