A BRUSH WITH LOVE

An aspiring oral surgeon has to rethink her priorities in life and love when she literally crashes into a handsome first-year dental student.

Harper Horowitz is, by her own admission, a bit of a perfectionist, almost to a fault—she foregoes socializing for studying, studying, and more studying, all in order to pursue her dream of earning the top placement in an oral surgery residency. Life, or maybe fate, seems to have other plans when she topples down the stairs and lands right on top of Daniel Craige (no relation to the famous Bond actor). He's handsome, he's funny, and what's more, he's really into Harper, but the timing couldn't be worse, especially when there might be an imminent cross-country move in her future. The two solemnly agree to remain friends, but they start to reconsider that plan with all the free time they're spending together—and all the hard truths that come to the surface along the way. Eddings’ debut is equal parts hilarious and heart-wrenching, though the bumps on the road to Harper and Dan’s happily-ever-after do contribute to some uneven pacing, particularly at the conclusion. What’s most rewarding about the book, however, is the fact that Harper and Dan have a dynamic that helps each of them discover the best version of themselves in the course of their romance; Harper not only acknowledges, but finds successful ways of mitigating her deeply rooted anxiety, and she and Dan both deal with unresolved trauma connected to their pasts.

A poignant debut that will put a smile on your face.