Love Sick by Deidra Duncan

Deidra Duncan’s debut novel Love Sick arrives like a perfectly timed epidural—exactly when you need it most. This enemies-to-lovers medical romance doesn’t just scratch the surface of hospital drama; it performs open-heart surgery on the genre itself, exposing both its vulnerabilities and its beating heart with surgical precision.

Set against the brutal backdrop of OB-GYN residency at Texas University Medical Center, Duncan crafts a story that’s equal parts Grey’s Anatomy intensity and The Hating Game wit. The result is a compulsively readable romance that diagnoses everything wrong with toxic workplace culture while prescribing a hefty dose of hope and healing.

Characters That Pulse With Life

Grace Rose: The Heroine We’ve Been Waiting For

Grace Rose—whose real name Sapphire becomes a source of both shame and eventual empowerment—is a revelation. Duncan has created a heroine who’s brilliantly intelligent yet crippled by social anxiety, professionally competent yet personally vulnerable. Grace’s struggle with vicious rumors about sleeping her way into the program creates a character arc that’s both infuriating and deeply relatable.

What sets Grace apart from other romance heroines is her authentic messiness. She’s not the quirky-but-perfect protagonist we often see; she’s a woman fighting for respect in a system designed to diminish her. Her social anxiety feels genuine rather than performative, and her fierce determination to prove herself medically resonates with anyone who’s ever felt underestimated.

The way Duncan handles Grace’s response to workplace harassment is particularly nuanced. Rather than making her a passive victim or an unrealistically resilient warrior, Grace becomes a complex woman learning to navigate professional and personal boundaries while maintaining her integrity.

Julian Santini: More Than Just a Pretty Face

Julian could have easily fallen into the “arrogant surgeon” trope, but Duncan imbues him with layers that unfold throughout the story. His insecurities about being a DO (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine) in a traditionally MD-dominated program add depth to his character, revealing someone who, like Grace, is fighting for legitimacy in his chosen field.

Julian’s initial behavior toward Grace—while inexcusable—stems from a place of wounded pride and professional insecurity rather than genuine malice. This distinction matters because it makes his character growth feel earned rather than convenient. When he begins to see Grace clearly, his transformation from antagonist to protector to partner feels authentic.

The chemistry between Julian and Grace crackles from their first contentious encounter. Duncan excels at writing banter that’s sharp enough to draw blood but intimate enough to reveal the attraction simmering beneath their hostility.

Duncan’s Surgical Precision With Language

Duncan’s background as a practicing physician elevates this novel beyond typical medical romance fare. The medical details feel authentic without overwhelming non-medical readers, and the hospital hierarchy and residency training process are portrayed with unflinching accuracy.

The author’s writing style perfectly captures the exhaustion, dark humor, and camaraderie that define medical training. Lines like “My blood slowly turns to battery acid” and descriptions of patients getting “the TUMC special” (multiple STDs) demonstrate Duncan’s ability to blend medical reality with engaging narrative voice.

The dual POV structure works exceptionally well, allowing readers to understand both Grace’s vulnerability and Julian’s confusion. Duncan avoids the common romance pitfall of making her characters’ motivations opaque to create artificial drama. Instead, we see exactly why they misunderstand each other, making their eventual connection feel inevitable yet hard-won.

Themes That Matter

Workplace Harassment and Toxic Culture

Duncan doesn’t shy away from the darker aspects of medical training. The rumors about Grace feel sickeningly realistic, and the way they spread and persist despite being completely false highlights how toxic workplace cultures can destroy careers and lives. The institutional response—forming a task force rather than addressing the root causes—rings true to anyone familiar with organizational politics.

Imposter Syndrome and Professional Identity

Both protagonists struggle with feeling like they don’t belong—Grace because of her gender in a male-dominated field, Julian because of his DO degree in an MD-centric program. This shared vulnerability becomes the foundation for their eventual understanding and connection.

The Cost of Perfectionism

The novel explores how the medical profession’s demand for perfection can be psychologically damaging. Grace’s need to be flawless to be taken seriously and Julian’s fear of making mistakes that could harm patients create realistic internal conflicts that drive the plot forward.

Where the Scalpel Slips

While Love Sick by Deidra Duncan excels in most areas, it’s not without minor flaws. Some secondary characters feel underdeveloped, particularly among the supporting residents who could have been given more distinct personalities. The resolution of the workplace harassment storyline, while satisfying, feels somewhat rushed compared to the careful development of the romance.

The novel occasionally relies too heavily on medical emergencies to create dramatic tension, though this is more of a genre convention than a serious criticism. Some readers might find the hospital setting overwhelming if they’re not fans of medical dramas.

The Supporting Cast and Found Family

Duncan creates a believable found family among the residents that provides both comic relief and emotional support. The group text messages and resident gatherings feel authentic to the experience of people surviving an intense training program together. Characters like Alesha, Kai, and Asher provide important perspective and prevent the story from becoming too insular.

The “Group Therapy” dinner scenes are particularly effective, showing how healthcare workers process trauma and stress through dark humor and mutual support. These moments provide necessary breathing room between the more intense romantic and professional conflicts.

Steam and Sentiment in Perfect Balance

Duncan strikes an excellent balance between emotional intimacy and physical chemistry. The romantic scenes feel earned and authentic to the characters’ development. The author doesn’t rush the physical relationship, allowing the emotional connection to build naturally before adding heat.

The love scenes, when they arrive, are both tender and passionate, reflecting the characters’ personalities and their journey toward trust. Duncan writes physical intimacy with the same precision she brings to medical procedures—carefully, skillfully, and with attention to both technique and emotion.

A Debut That Diagnoses and Heals

Love Sick succeeds because Deidra Duncan understands that the best medical romances aren’t just about sexy doctors in scrubs—they’re about people finding connection and healing in high-stress, high-stakes environments. The medical setting isn’t just window dressing; it’s integral to who these characters are and why their love story matters.

Duncan’s insider knowledge of medical culture adds authenticity that elevates the entire narrative. The exhaustion, the gallows humor, the impossible hours, the life-and-death decisions—all of it feels real because it is real. This authenticity makes the romance more meaningful because we understand the world these characters inhabit and the pressures they face.

Final Prescription

Love Sick by Deidra Duncan is that rare debut novel that announces the arrival of a major talent. Duncan has created a medical romance that’s both entertaining and substantive, addressing serious issues while delivering the emotional satisfaction romance readers crave.

For fans of medical dramas, this novel provides the perfect blend of professional tension and personal stakes. Romance readers will appreciate the well-developed character arcs and the satisfying enemies-to-lovers progression. Anyone who’s ever felt like an outsider in their professional environment will connect with Grace and Julian’s struggles for acceptance and respect.

This book proves that romance novels can tackle difficult subjects without losing their essential optimism. Duncan offers hope that toxic workplace cultures can change, that love can bloom in the most unlikely circumstances, and that sometimes the person who challenges us most is exactly who we need.

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