REVIEW: What Is Love? By Jen Comfort

In What Is Love? By Jen Comfort, Maxine Hart had to grow up quickly on the streets of Brooklyn, but it taught her how to take care of herself and her younger sister Olive. She’s also learned over the years how to use her ADHD to her advantage. Specifically, being able to absorb information like a sponge–something that helped her wipe the floor with her opponents when she was on the hugely popular game show Answers!. That was when Maxine met Teddy Ferguson. The reigning champ at the time, Teddy was the handsome guy blocking her way to the top of the trivia ladder. Beating him was a thrill. But if she’s being honest, maybe not as much of a thrill as when they kissed the night before their showdown. So, when she learns they will be matched up again in a new tournament of champions, Maxine looks forward to the chance to grind Teddy into the floor again. Or getting the chance to kiss him. Time will tell.

‘Maybe it was time to stop treating Teddy like her enemy, because now that she’d really stopped to think about it…it seemed an awful lot like he’d never been her enemy in the first place.’

Teddy was wowed by Maxine the first time they met and even more awed when she obliterated him on the show. It was definitely a hit to his ego. But if he had to lose, he’s (sort of) glad it was to her. Thinking they’d likely not cross paths again, Teddy tried to push Maxine’s gorgeous face to the back of his mind. But a new competition will soon be bringing them together once more and he’s honestly not sure what to expect. When Maxine throws in the idea of teaming up in their preparation for the tournament and to strategize how to take down their only other competitor, Teddy is leery at first of her. He’s not sure if he can trust her motives. But as he realizes the true depth of his feelings for her, he’s willing to do anything to help her and keep her in his life.

‘If there was a prize to be won in this battle of wits, it wasn’t the money–it was her.’

WHAT IS LOVE?, Jen Comfort’s newest spicy rom-com, will be a winner for romance and trivia fans alike. With tropes like enemies to lovers, polar opposites, forced proximity, as well as neurodivergent and LGBTQ+ rep, this is one book I can see myself re-reading in the future just to spend time with these characters again.

Maxine slid a finger across her jugular, then pointed at him, to make sure he knew his days were numbered.
His lips twitched. “I’m shaking in terror.”
New plan: she wasn’t just going to beat Teddy. She was going to break him.’

If you’ve read either of Jen Comfort’s previous novels (The Astronaut and the Star, Midnight Duet), then you already have an idea how fun her storylines are and how much chaos she puts her characters through. WHAT IS LOVE? took that up a notch or two. And I will be up front–this story might not work for all readers. Between Maxine’s brashness and penchant for inappropriate humor and Teddy’s posh, snobby persona, both characters started off a tad rough before learning from their mistakes and maturing. Who they became by the end of the book was night and day from when they met, and I think readers will love their playful, seriously hot relationship.

There was a fair amount of focus on trivia, studying for the Jeopardy!-like game show Answers!, and behind the scenes moments while on the set that I found interesting and entertaining. And as all of that was happening, Teddy and Maxine were falling for each other even though it probably wasn’t the best idea at the time. But I thought they were a nice pair. They complemented each other in their differing knowledge, their opposite personalities, and very different backgrounds. While it did seem like Maxine could use her ADHD as a crutch sometimes, it felt like this was quite a genuine, raw look at how she handled her neurodiversity. Teddy turned out to be a big help to her narrowing in on her focus for the tournament–once they stopped bickering and he understood what she was battling. Thus, proving he was not only a great adversary on the show for Maxine but also the perfect partner in their personal lives.

QOTD: Are you a trivia fan? If so, ever play in any local trivia contests?

Book Info:

Publication: Published: April 1st, 2024 | Montlake |

Head and heart collide in a story of polar-opposite rivals that’s anything but trivial in this game show romance from Midnight Duet author Jen Comfort.

Answer: From the Latin word for crossroads, this is knowledge so common as to be obscure, the pursuit of which engages millions daily. Question: What is trivia?

Trivia is the magic in the mundane, the connection in the commonplace, and Maxine Hart’s second-favorite pastime. A self-proclaimed Brooklyn street rat and a high school dropout, Maxine has never been a fan of formal education, but thanks to her ADHD “superpowers,” she’s a glutton for knowledge—and a good fight. And when Maxine enters the trivia game show Answers!, her brilliance, coupled with her penchant for big bets, devastates her competition. Even record-holding, 76-time-winner Teddy Ferguson.

Or was it their kiss the night before they faced off that threw the buttoned-up professor off his game?

Now, Maxine and Teddy cross paths again in a high-stakes tournament against all-time Answers! winners, including undefeated champion Hercules McKnight. With nothing in common but an insatiable appetite for knowledge and a desire to win, Maxine offers Teddy a deal: combine their strengths to shore up their weaknesses. She’ll push his tolerance for risk and improve his buzzer speed, if he’ll find creative ways to fill in the gaps in her education.

Except neither one of them foresaw just how scintillating learning could be…