Thursday, July 8, 2021

How to Win the Surgeon's Heart - Tina Beckett (HMED #1183 - July 2021)

Series: Island Clinic (Book 1)

Things are heating up……
in their Caribbean paradise!
 
For Dr. Nate, work is everything. Without him, his renowned hospital wouldn't exist! Now he's ready to step up to the plate -- again! -- as nearby St. Victoria Hospital faces a staff shortage. Surgeon Sasha is beyond grateful for the help, but she's not so sure about Nate… Her heart's been broken by wealthy and far-too-attractive men before! Can Nate prove to Sasha he's different?

 
Good book. As a young doctor, Nate was part of a team sent to a Caribbean island to help after a hurricane. What he experienced there affected him profoundly, especially the death of a little girl. He left the island determined to do something to help, only to face opposition from his famous plastic surgeon parents. Turning his back on their disappointment, Nate used his trust fund to start the Island Clinic.
 
Sasha is a surgeon at St. Victoria Hospital on the island where she grew up. As the book opens, she waits for Nate's arrival from the clinic as he offered to help out the short-staffed hospital. Sasha, who's been burned in a relationship with a wealthy doctor, views Nate with a great deal of skepticism. His clinic caters to the rich and famous; as chief of staff, she wonders if he even practices medicine anymore.
 
Sasha came across as very judgmental of someone she knows nothing about. She knows it and tries to stop, but her cynicism runs deep. I liked how Nate began smashing her preconceptions from the moment he got off the shuttle. Her eyes opened when they immediately faced a critical heart case, and Nate leaped right in, evacuating the patient to the clinic when he needed a specialist. After three years of avoiding the clinic like the plague, Sasha was forced into it when she wanted to check up on the patient. I liked how she saw how wrong she'd been as Nate gave her a tour, and she learned that the wealthy patients funded the clinic's work with the island's residents.
 
I enjoyed seeing the relationship develop between Nate and Sasha. The sparks fly immediately though both try to resist them. Each has a reason to protect their hearts. Sasha finds it difficult to trust her judgment after her last relationship, and Nate still feels the sting of rejection by his parents. I liked watching them find ways to spend time together and seeing them get to know each other. I liked how Sasha spoke her mind, from the gala planning session to her own needs and desires. I also liked Nate's caring and compassion, as shown in the scene with Sasha's uncle.
 
As their physical attraction grows, so do their feelings for each other, though neither is ready to admit it. I ached for them both when Sasha's fears sent her running from her feelings. A little help from Sasha's mother helped Nate see what he needed to do. I loved the depth of their emotions as they broke free of the chains of the past and moved toward a future together. I liked the epilogue too.
 
As is usual with this line, actual medical issues are a big part of the story. I enjoyed learning about both issues in a way that was easy to understand for the average reader.


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