A therapist’s take on Love & Lidocaine by Kendra Hope
Spoiler-light: I’m talking about the emotional themes, but I’m not giving away the moments that made this book so sweet.
This book was SO. STINKING. CUTE.
Seriously, if you’re looking for a swoony, feel-good romance that leaves you smiling the entire time, this is it.
I adored these characters from the very beginning and loved watching their relationship unfold. The romance was sweet, the banter was fun, and I found myself rooting for them every step of the way.
The closed-door romance worked perfectly for this story, too. I never felt like anything was missing because the emotional connection carried the book so well. I cared about these characters, believed in their relationship, and closed the book with the biggest smile on my face.
What really made this one stand out to me, though, was Hope’s healing journey. Her story wasn’t only about falling in love. It was also about learning to trust again, finding her confidence, and beginning to believe that she was worthy of being loved.
Once my therapist brain showed up, I kept coming back to this:
Healing doesn’t mean becoming a different person. It means becoming more fully yourself.
Sometimes hurt changes the way we see ourselves. It can make us question our judgment, doubt our worth, and become much more careful about who we let close. Even when we want connection, a part of us may still be waiting for the next hurt and trying to keep it from happening again.
If Hope Were Sitting Across From Me
I wouldn’t begin by telling Hope that she just needed to trust people again or be more confident. If it were that simple, she probably would have already done it.
I would want to understand what had made trust feel unsafe in the first place. What had she learned about herself because of what she had been through? Had she started believing that being hurt meant she was difficult to love, foolish for trusting, or somehow responsible for what happened?
I might listen for beliefs that sound something like:
“If I let someone get close, I’ll probably get hurt again.”
“I should have known better.”
“Maybe I’m too much, or not enough, for someone to really choose me.”
“If I need reassurance, I’ll push people away.”
“It’s safer not to expect too much.”
“I have to feel completely confident before I can let myself be loved.”
These aren’t direct quotes from Hope. They’re the kinds of beliefs I found myself wondering about while reading.
If Hope Were My Client
We might talk about the difference between protecting herself and shutting herself off from the connection she actually wants. I would want to help her notice when the past was filling in the blanks and convincing her that this relationship would end the same way.
We might also work on rebuilding trust in herself. That would not mean convincing her she could never be hurt again. None of us can promise that. It would mean helping her believe, “Even if something hurts, I can listen to myself, speak up, set limits, and take care of me.”
The goal wouldn’t be to turn Hope into someone who never feels afraid or needs reassurance. It would be to help her feel more secure in who she is, communicate what she needs, and let someone care for her without believing she has to earn it first.
You don’t have to become someone else to be worthy of healthy love.
A Question for You
Has something from your past made it harder to trust what is happening in the present?
When someone treats you well, can you let yourself receive it, or do you find yourself waiting for the catch?
And maybe the harder question:
Do you believe you are worthy of love as you are, or are you still trying to become “better” before you let yourself be fully known?
Healing doesn’t always look like becoming fearless. Sometimes it looks like noticing the fear is there without letting it choose what happens next.
It can look like trusting yourself a little more, saying what you need instead of hiding it, and allowing a healthy relationship to feel good without immediately preparing for it to disappear.
If this brought up something familiar about trust, confidence, or wondering whether you are truly worthy of love, it might be worth getting curious about where those beliefs began. Therapy can be a place to understand what hurt taught you about yourself and decide what you no longer want to keep carrying forward.
I offer virtual therapy for women in Oklahoma and Texas.
