I had SO much fun reading What is Love? by Jen Comfort. A great rivals-to-lovers story about Teddy and Maxine who are battling on a gameshow called Answers!. The steamy tension is there from the beginning, but neither of them want to admit it, of course. When they are called to play in the Ultimate Championship round of the gameshow, some gameplay weaknesses that have come up in the past encourage them to seek help from each other in studying (in more ways than one!) in order to prepare for the big game and prize money.

Not only was the banter TOP NOTCH between them with nerdy facts sprinkled throughout (so witty--I want to be friends with Jen Comfort in real life), as was the spice (!!), but the personal growth of the main characters and their relationship with each other was so heartwarming throughout the entire book, too. And I loved the representation of bisexuality and neurodivergence (ADHD). Will definitely recommend What is Love? and can't wait to read more from Jen Comfort in the future (I wouldn't mind seeing more Teddy and Maxine too!!).

Thanks to NetGalley and Montlake Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

4.25 rounded up. I read another book by this author and this one was much better - fun characters, an interesting rivalry, and it's never bad to read about a game like Jeopardy. It's very much a highwire act of shenanigans with a little mystery, a little character misunderstanding, a little trivia.

I received an ARC in advance and for free in exchange for a potential review.

Jen Comfort's books are quickly becoming comfort for ME personally and What is Love? did not even remotely disappoint. After the bonkers goodness of Midnight Duet made it one of my favorite books of 2022, I was so so excited to get my hands on her book and I absolutely devoured it. She has such a natural knack for writing beautifully flawed but real people who you can't help but root for and connect with and Maxine and Teddy were no exception. I love the opposites attract trope, especially when, as they start to get to know each other better, the so-called "opposites" begin to realize they aren't quite so different after all. Starchy academic types with a wild side are my kryptonite and Teddy leaped off the page at me from the first page. Both he and Maxine have beautifully-crafted personal arcs and I loved the emphasis on family that both had without dragging down the romance. As a lifelong Jeopardy! fan I probably would have loved this book no matter what, but it was a true knock-it-out-of-the-park read. Cannot recommend it enough! (especially if you, too, love collecting odd little facts like trophies)

3.5 stars rounded up. I’ve been following Jen Comfort since her debut Astronaut and the Star released as an Amazon First Reads book and thoroughly enjoyed her last book, a gender bent Phantom of the Opera retelling.

What is Love? centers around two trivia game show rivals who agree to help each other prepare for an upcoming tournament. Maxine is feisty, adventurous, and insecure about her ADHD and lack of formal education. Teddy is neurotic, uptight, and completely enamored by her, even if she brings chaos to his otherwise structured and orderly life.

I loved seeing Maxine voice her insecurities and see her fight her growing attraction to Teddy. As the eldest child of a gambling addict single mother, she’s had a lot of pressure on her and many obstacles that got in her way. Similarly, Teddy also had a lot on the line with the tournament and is hesitant to give in to his desire for her. The whole will-they-or-won’t-they dynamic is the most painstaking slow burn but it’s so satisfying when they both decide to risk it for each other. After all, sometimes you need to take a big risk in order to get a big payoff.

What I liked:
-rivals to lovers
-ADHD representation
-slow burn
-nerdy banter

What I disliked:
-way too much trivia talk
-spice level

Rivals to lovers is one of my favorite tropes and Jen Comfort knocks it out of the park in What is Love?

This story is funny, fun, filled with banter and spicy times! If you like game shows this book is definitely for you.

I really enjoyed the relationship between the two main characters and thought their relationship developed perfectly. I loved their interactions, they were the best part of the book. These two a basically couple goals by the end of the book.

I also liked the idea of a game show being the setting of a book. It's unique and interesting.

I had so much fun while reading this, I didn't want it to end.

Wow, this book. It’s so hard to know what to say about this story except that I am kinda gobsmacked and completely and utterly obsessed!

You don't have to be a Jeopardy! fan to love What is Love? (though avid followers will love the behind-the-scenes look at a fictional quiz show). This is the kind of comfort read I tear through — the leads are charming and have great chemistry, the dialogue is sharp, and the side characters have great personalities. I don't want to spoil the ending, but I do want to commend Jen Comfort for elegantly side-stepping a lot of frustrating tropes that create conflict. Instead, she found a way to add tension and suspense in a refreshing way.

⭐️ 3.25 /5
🌶️ 2 /5

Do you like trivia like jeopardy?
How about rivals-to-lovers?
Some sexual tension?
Then, "What Is Love" is the book for you!

The story tugs between rivals/enemies-to-lovers and instant attraction. So, you best believe the tension is there.
The characters are very interesting. FMC has ADHD and is strong and independent but can't resist MMC. 
MMC is sweet, caring and dominating where it counts 😉 I love how good MMC understands FMC. 

I think the trivia competition storyline dragged on a bit. But we were rewarded with some forced proximity and very creative—and spicy—ways to study for their competition 😏

Overall, a lighthearted read and the ending was the cutest!

Thank you NetGalley and Montlake for this Advance Reader’s Copy. I leave this honest review voluntarily.

This book is hot!! Max and Teddy have lots of chemistry and I loved the interactions between this unlikely pair and how much tension there was between these quizzing nemeses. All of the antagonising, the banter, the outright flirting! I was hooked.

Max is an incredibly enigmatic character who is full of life and very funny. Getting inside her head was interesting and it’s impossible not to empathise with her but she definitely isn’t looking for any sympathy. She’s bold, intelligent and goes after what she wants - whether her suspender wearing enemy is standing in her way or not. The dual narrative also made this book sing - their voices contrast beautifully. Teddy is reserved and socially awkward but Max brings him out of his shell and challenges him, and he loves (almost) every second of it. His infatuation with Max is so sweet and whilst she sometimes misinterprets what he says, they don’t suffer the miscommunication.

On top of the romance, the quizzing, the battle of wills, the neurodivergent representation is so well woven into the story through Max’s character. We’re shown how prejudice and a lack of understanding of ADHD have impacted her and influenced the relationships in her life, as well as what her day to day experiences of ADHD are whilst also showing she is so much more than her ADHD. This book is absolutely fantastic (though a little slower in places) and I truly enjoyed it!

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

Everytime I read this title, my mind finishes it with: Baby, don't hurt me!

And boy, this book didn't disappoint me.

The witty banter between Teddy and Max made their romance so much better.

I have never read a romance centered around a trvia game, but it wasn't bad. At first I didn't understand the workings of the show, as I don't have something like that in my country, but later I found it very fun and a good addition to the story.

I was drawn to this book by the fun blurb, and interesting relationship between the main characters. Rival-to-lovers in such a direct way felt like a rare and fun new take. I was also excited about the trivia aspect of this book, I love a good TV quiz!

Unfortunately I really struggled with these characters. Just from the outset I thought Teddy was quite unpleasant, he was snotty and superior, he made faux-pas that were actually pretty rude, and I just could not imagine a world in which he would be deemed attractive. Comfort obviously wanted us to chalk this up to his education, but as someone that knows several Oxford-grads, it just didn't ring true. Max was not much better to be honest, the insta-lust of it all, the femme fatale vibe, she just didn't seem like an actual person so much as an archetype.

From that point on I just could not engage with the plot, I wasn't invested enough in either of them.

I wanted to like this book, I am sure other people really will, but it just was not for me.

4.5/5
Loved reading it. The book was perfect.
I loved Maxine's character and her Quirky personality and her and Teddy's chemistry.
I would read more books of this author in future.

loved this enemies to lovers romance with a game show mixed in. Loved that he was strait laced and she was whirlwind but they had spark and worked together and found their way to love.

I loved this book! 4.5 stars rounded up to 5. It had one of my favorite spicy scenes of all time (the map one iykyk). I really loved both of the main characters as well. I was going to rate it 4 stars because the trivia portions got a little boring for me but I bumped it up to 4.5 because the ending was one of my favorites of all time! I typically don't like the endings of books but woah this one blew me away! All of the external conflict in the book really helped with the pacing and made this such a quick read for me!

a good read and i didn't want to put it down. this was very enjoyable and loved it all. read it today

This book has exactly what I want from a romcom. Maxine's dialogue is witty and fun, it delivers in the comedy.
I love the outgoing girl, stuck-up guy trope. The tension between Maxine and Teddy was really great too.
The ending was surprising and usually I enjoy a good plot twist, neither of them winning was definitely that, but that they didn't really try just to make a grand gesture thus throwing the game felt out of character and worked against both their greater goals. The book also fails then to explain how Teddy will become a full time writer without the prize money. I would've wished for more resolution there but other than this the book was a fun, enjoyable read.

This was a hot nerdy good time! In the beginning I didn’t really believe their romance - it seemed kinda off - but once they start banging you forget all about it!! I enjoyed this one

Okay this may have just hit on the exact kind of vibe I was looking for on a grey Saturday, but I L-O-V-E-D this one. Maxine and Teddy are *chef's kiss* perfection. Setting a show in a Jeopardy-esque world is something I would have taken years to think of and yet! It's perfectly done here. The tension, the chemistry, the banter. Firing on all cylinders. Even though the ending gets a little wacky, I loved every second of it.

5 stars for how much I enjoyed the read. Thanks to NetGalley and Montlake for the ARC.

Question: this quiz gameshow based romance received a 5 star rating from confusedbugs for being unique, hot and funny…

Answer: what is What Is Love?


Oh my god, I loved this book. it was so different, I’ve never read a quiz show romance but I'd definitely do it again!

Listen, this book made me MAD but in the best way. The tension and chemistry between these characters was so intense and incredibly well written that every ‘almost’ made me mad. like… just get to it we all know you want to!! But I loved it, it was perfectly written tension.

I also loved the ADHD representation and the understanding of and willingness to learn from the characters. I was so glad that neither of the main characters were stereotypes (of neurodiversity or class) and both were completely loveable and well written.

This book, and it’s drama (and spice), has been on my mind for the past couple of days. It’s unforgettable.

I could gush about this book for the next year and a half straight. So funny, so sexy, so so smart!! I wanted to crush it in a single sitting, but also wanted to prolong it as long as possible because I didn't want it to end. I loved it with my whole max heart!!!