BETWEEN FRIENDS & LOVERS

In hopes of getting over her decade-long crush, a doctor-turned-influencer takes a chance on a shy writer.

Dr. Josephine Boateng, aka @drjojobee, is the “Virgin Sex Doc” to her hundreds of thousands of followers. Despite the well-known fact that she’s still a virgin at 29, Jo turned her mental health leave into an empire, creating a safe space on social media for her followers to receive sexual health care and advice without judgment. Not that Jo wants to be a virgin; in fact, she’s been holding out for almost a decade in hopes that her best friend may soon return her romantic feelings. It doesn’t make things any easier that her best friend is Ezra Adelman, celebrity heir to a tech fortune and “America’s Bachelor Prince.” But when Jo confesses her love to Ezra at his mother’s star-studded birthday bash, he doesn’t say he loves her back. Heartbroken, Jo runs to her room in the Adelman’s mansion—only to find that she’s not alone. Malcolm Waters, a newly published author and “dynamic new voice” in literature, was avoiding the crowds when he stumbled into Jo’s empty room. Almost instantly, Jo realizes this down-to-earth writer is everything Ezra’s not: shy, humble, and even a little bit awkward. Jo asks Mal out, and though he’s slow to jump into bed with her, she realizes a gentleman might be just what she needs. Is Jo ready to commit to Mal, especially since her heartbreak is still so raw? Or will the pressure of the limelight and Ezra’s friendship destroy Jo’s first real love? Obuobi’s second novel is a powerful exploration of finding yourself, especially when you’re outwardly confident and have a carefully curated social media presence. Jo is a strong yet flawed character, and her openness about depression, especially as a Black woman and a doctor, provides a refreshing perspective on an overlooked issue in health care. Jo and Mal are communicative and forgiving with one another, and Obuobi weaves a vulnerable, page-turning tale about trust, mental health, and second chances.

Read this book—doctor’s orders.