Book Review: PLAYING DOCTOR by Jan Meredith

PLAYING DOCTOR/Entangled Publishing/FLAUNT/ ~35k

Contemporary Erotic Romance

One of 6 novellas included in the launch of the sexy new imprint, FLAUNT

Release/Launch date: November 25, 2013

When a fellow RN jokingly predicts that Beth Roberts will meet a tall, ripped and totally lick-o-licious stranger who will fulfill her deepest desires, it’s supposed to be from across a crowded room, not giving CPR to a wedding guest. Given her tragic love life, Beth has no desire to become involved again, but who could have predicted the ponytailed doctor with the mischievous smile would break through her defenses?

Dr. Gabriel North blamed himself for his wife’s death. Now, after two years of battling guilt and meaningless hookups, he’s ready to move on. When he sees the sexy brunette at his friend’s wedding, his attraction is swift and strong, and he wastes no time in pressing his advantage. One night with the woman who makes him feel alive again isn’t enough. She has faith in him as a physician, but getting her to trust the man is going to take more than medical school has prepared him for.

Review by Melissa Snark:

PLAYING DOCTOR is a contemporary erotic medical romance. I have to admit, this was my first medical romance so I wasn't sure what to expect. While there's some medical terminology employed in the story but it wasn't too technical for me to follow, although, it was probably put into layman's terms for the sake of the average reader. The language is fun and snazzy and the real meat of the story is the relationship between the hero and heroine, which was handled beautifully.

Beth Roberts is a dedicated single mom to her teenage son, a widow and an ER nurse. She's likeable and sympathetic. She was the victim of domestic violence in the past and remains leery of men but her issues aren't overdone. She's a strong, confident woman despite what happened to her and she seems to form a common bond of trust and understanding with the hero immediately. Her mistrust of men is a central point of tension and it is really heartbreaking when she compares the wonderful hero to her dead husband.

Gabe North is a doctor and a widower of two years, still recovering emotionally from the loss of his wife. He's handsome and compassionate but has a sweet vulnerability that's heart melting. His guilt is sorrowful and it's wonderful watching him overcome it and decide that her wants to move on--with Beth. I was rooting for him to get the girl right from the get-go. 

Their meeting is certainly creative—on the dance floor at a wedding, trying to save the life of a man suffering from a heart attack. So very different from anything I've encountered in any other story. Following a sizzling one night stand, the couple goes their separate ways but cannot stop thinking about each other. Gabe contrives to cross paths with Beth again, and their sexy reunion doesn't disappoint.

The hero and heroine share great sexual chemistry. The buildup is slow and sensual. Verbal intercourse is hot hot hot. The love scenes are detailed and qualify as erotica. I really loved their back and forth—

Gabe blew out a breath and gave the muscle car one last covetous look. Man, he’d love to get behind all that power just once. As if reading his mind, Beth grinned, held out her hand and offered him a set of keys with a small tag on the ring that read, My foot and your ass need to meet. Her brow quirked. “Would you like to drive mine?”

“Oh, yeah.” They exchanged keys.

“I’m betting you know how to handle a stick.”

“I’ve never had any complaints.” He tossed the keys in his hand. The pink stain on her cheeks acknowledged the sexual innuendo. The flash of heat in her eyes said she was interested. Yeah, things were looking up.

“He likes a soft foot on the clutch and a heavy one on the gas.” Her voice was a little breathy, an octave lower than usual. He might not make it through the drink.

“I’ll be gentle.”

She smoothed her hand over the fender, but her eyes remained steady on his. “Don’t be, he likes it rough.”

Oh, fuck yeah.

The story is not dialogue heavy. A great deal of time and care are spent describing characters and surroundings. Settings are detailed and easy to envision. There was a little too much backstory, especially near the beginning, that slowed down the flow but my personal preferences actually run to dialogue heavy stories so I'm sure that influenced my impression. I also thought it was too much of a coincidence that both hero and heroine had deceased spouse instead of at least one of them being divorced.  I disliked the couple's failure to use a condom just because they both agreed that they were STD free. It wasn't the responsible decision for mature adults and it intruded on my enjoyment of the sex scenes more than a sentence describing him rolling on a raincoat would have.

I loved how the book ended with the potential for happiness, the promise of a positive future together, as opposed to effusive declarations of love following a really short period of time. PLAYING DOCTOR is a great read for fans of medical romance and lovers of sizzling erotica. Well done,Jan Meredith, well done.

 

Available for purchase:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Author Bio:

Jan Meredith has been a romance junkie since her teens. When she isn't penning steamy stories about strong-willed, independent women and the sexy men who love them, she works as an Infusion Therapy nurse. She lives near Mammoth Cave, KY with her husband (and former high school sweet heart) Tommy.

You can learn more about her at her web site.
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