Critical Care...

How weird is it that day I finally get around to reviewing this, I have spent 7 hours in the ER myself? Definitely not as pleasant as this book, that's for sure! I thought my shunt may be failing, but everything is good. Enough about me - on to the (very very late) review!

I tend to stick to the authors/genres I know, because I hate being disappointed in a book. It's just so...well, disappointing! Thankfully the risks I have taken in this area lately have paid off for the most part, at least in the books I purchase...the library, not so much. Which is nice, since I would hate to have spent money on something I hated.

Every author on my "favorites, so I have to read every book they ever write" list, have been unknowns to me, and I took a risk, bought a book of theirs, and fell instantly in love. I got my first Karen Kingsbury book (Even Now) as a gift. I bought my first Denise Hunter book (Convenient Groom) only because there was a "buy 3, get 1 free" sale and there were only 3 KK books I didn't have. I bought my first Colleen Coble book (Cry in the Night) when I spotted it in Dollar General. I bought my first Lynette Eason book (Too Close to Home) because it was on sale while I was on vacation. And finally, I bought my first Candace Calvert book (Critical Care!) on Amazon because I needed to use the last few dollars on a gift card. They say "Don't judge a book by it's cover", but I find some great treasures thanks to something just catching my eye!

Book: Critical Care

Author: Candace Calvert

Pages: 287

Summary: (back cover) After her brother dies in the trauma room, nurse Claire Avery can no longer face the ER. She's determined to make a fresh start - new hospital, new career in nursing education - move forward, no turning back. But her plans fall apart when she's called on to offer stress counseling for medical staff after a heartbreaking day care center explosion. Worse, she's forced back int the ER, where she clashes with Logan Caldwell, a doctor who believe

touchy-feely counseling is a waste of time. He demands his staff be as tough as he is. Yet he finds himself drawn to this nurse educator...who might teach him the true meaning of healing.

Thoughts: I don't usually read medical fiction. I'm more of a crime/suspense or plain ol' fluff kind of girl. All my life, I have been more drawn to the legal field than to the medical field, which I (try) to avoid at all cost. Until lately. I currently work as a legal transcription typist, but I will begin school to become an ultrasound tech *hopefully* in January. Lately, the medical field intrigues me. Blood still freaks me out, and today in the ER wasn't exactly "fun" - I am doing ultrasound, remember?- but I am much more interest than I ever have been.

Critical Care is the beginning of what I think will become a

"great fondness" for medical drama/romance. It was so good! It had the perfect blend of

heart-pounding drama (it starts with a daycare fire - if you know me, you know that grabbed my heart!) and sweet, sweet romance. I never thought a book about doctors would give me butterflies! The characters were three-dimensional and very likable - even when Logan was grouchy. Each was unique, and the secondary characters made me want to know more of their own story. I was very happy about this, because I hate not finishing a series, and lately the first book leaves me with no desire to read the others. Character development makes or breaks a story, and it definitely made it here.

Favorite things: The uniqueness. It wasn't just another romance novel. It stood out. There were "quirks" - Claire's cat, for example was a great addition to the story! And the daffodils! Daffodils are so super romantic now. :)

Least favorite: Not about Critical Care itself, but I kind of dislike that I only have the next two in e-book format on my Kindle for PC. I realized after I had bought it that I had the next one, Disaster Status, already on there! I just had to get the third, Code Triage, and I was set! I'm not much of an e-reader, but it's better than nothing. Since Critical Care is

on my favorites list, I'm sure I'll get them all in physical form eventually.

The Cover Story: Love it! Logan Caldwell's pretty attractive. :) Those eyes definitely played a part in my buying it. LOL.

My favorite quote: Gosh, I really need to remember to keep track of these while I'm reading! I will say that the quote on the front of the book was probably the biggest factor in my decision to try it out:

"Finally, a reason to turn off ER and Grey's Anatomy. Here is a realistic medical drama with heart." - Harry Krauss, MD

Casting Call:

Logan Caldwell: Logan was really easy to "cast." The guy on the cover looks just like Jake Gyllenhaal. Same slightly tousled hair. Same EYES. Even their lips look similar. Both are ridiculously good-looking. :)

Claire Avery: I knew I had an actress in my head for Claire, but I didn't know her name. While I was looking for her, I decided that Mila Kunis kind of fits the image I had in my head.

Oh one more thing! I found Candace Calvert on Facebook (I think it was on one of Denise Hunter's posts actually) and she is so sweet! She sent me a personalized bookplate, some bookmarks, and a letter saying she was looking forward to this review! It's always so neat when an author takes a personal interest in their readers. Hope you've enjoyed this, Candace, and thanks for sharing your God-given talent!