Scan barcode
cadiva's review
4.0
While I've rated them both the same, I think I enjoyed this one a tiny bit more than the first book in what is so far proving to be an excellent series.
This had none of the preachy element that I felt had slightly taken over the narrative of book one, instead it was all about family, how they can screw with your head and change your perceptions of life.
From the bat, this was clearly going to more than the obvious sum of its parts. It's not really a fake boyfriend story, there is so much history between Owen and Erin.
I have to say, every single time I read his name I had a pause to catch up that it's a male character. There is an explanation for his name and Erin is an Irish gender-neutral name for the country of Ireland (Éirinn) but it's more commonly used as a female name, so it threw me but hey that's just a personal thing.
Erin himself was a complex character and I loved him, almost as much as I loved Owen, his ogre, his dragon, his defender against whatever tried to hurt him. Theirs is a genuine, emotional connection but, as my lovely friend Dani says in her review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2728458303
I wanted more tension, especially because the romance that followed was slightly lackluster. Erin is over 30 and a virgin. Owen is a former player. When the two get together, sparks ... uh, actually, nope, sparks don't fly because there are no sparks. And no steam. And I do mean NONE, unless you count two brief groping scenes.
The chemistry which I love to see in a romance is simply absent. Everything fades to black or is referred to off page.
This was a little disappointing, not because I wanted a full-blooded erotic porn encounter to read, but because it meant that element of their relationship was utterly missing. Erin's a virgin, the care Owen took with every other aspect of his relationship with him should have been there for the reader in this also, but it wasn't. It was a throwaway line.
Still, that's really my only grumble because I loved everything else about this narrative. It's not a standalone, you need to read book one because there is a series long thread running in the background about the hospital all the doctors work at and I think it'd mean a whole chunk of understanding about what's going on would be missing.
Now, on to Jared and Nick and I really can't wait for that one.
#ARC kindly received from the author via Dreamspinner Press in return for an honest and unbiased review.
This had none of the preachy element that I felt had slightly taken over the narrative of book one, instead it was all about family, how they can screw with your head and change your perceptions of life.
From the bat, this was clearly going to more than the obvious sum of its parts. It's not really a fake boyfriend story, there is so much history between Owen and Erin.
I have to say, every single time I read his name I had a pause to catch up that it's a male character. There is an explanation for his name and Erin is an Irish gender-neutral name for the country of Ireland (Éirinn) but it's more commonly used as a female name, so it threw me but hey that's just a personal thing.
Erin himself was a complex character and I loved him, almost as much as I loved Owen, his ogre, his dragon, his defender against whatever tried to hurt him. Theirs is a genuine, emotional connection but, as my lovely friend Dani says in her review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2728458303
I wanted more tension, especially because the romance that followed was slightly lackluster. Erin is over 30 and a virgin. Owen is a former player. When the two get together, sparks ... uh, actually, nope, sparks don't fly because there are no sparks. And no steam. And I do mean NONE, unless you count two brief groping scenes.
The chemistry which I love to see in a romance is simply absent. Everything fades to black or is referred to off page.
This was a little disappointing, not because I wanted a full-blooded erotic porn encounter to read, but because it meant that element of their relationship was utterly missing. Erin's a virgin, the care Owen took with every other aspect of his relationship with him should have been there for the reader in this also, but it wasn't. It was a throwaway line.
Still, that's really my only grumble because I loved everything else about this narrative. It's not a standalone, you need to read book one because there is a series long thread running in the background about the hospital all the doctors work at and I think it'd mean a whole chunk of understanding about what's going on would be missing.
Now, on to Jared and Nick and I really can't wait for that one.
#ARC kindly received from the author via Dreamspinner Press in return for an honest and unbiased review.
dithkusu's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars. Started reading this because I thought of the first book in this series, and realized I hadn't read the rest of them. Specifically, thinking of Jack/Hong-Wei being an intensivist and how rare/magical unicorn seeming the book portrayed it to be in small-town Americana, and made me wonder about the current global health crisis and how doctors in general, and doctors of his specific specialty are so needed right now, how they'd be coping, how dense urban hospitals and those underfunded rural hospitals would be dealing with influx of patients. Anyway, so I got kinda sad, and decided to continue this series. Unfortunately, I didn't like this book as much as I did the first, which was also rather touch and go at times. This took more effort to continue reading, felt it dragged on for a while. 2 stars is usually quite harsh for me, but this wasn't a full 3 stars type of read either so I rounded down. (Wish there was a wider rating scale here, but eh)
prgchrqltma's review against another edition
4.0
This was not a light read, since it contains mentions and descriptions of past physical and emotional abuse. I will read more of these, because I'd like to see how the larger plot arc plays out.
bellarinabookworm's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
cadiva's review against another edition
4.0
While I've rated them both the same, I think I enjoyed this one a tiny bit more than the first book in what is so far proving to be an excellent series.
This had none of the preachy element that I felt had slightly taken over the narrative of book one, instead it was all about family, how they can screw with your head and change your perceptions of life.
From the bat, this was clearly going to more than the obvious sum of its parts. It's not really a fake boyfriend story, there is so much history between Owen and Erin.
I have to say, every single time I read his name I had a pause to catch up that it's a male character. There is an explanation for his name and Erin is an Irish gender-neutral name for the country of Ireland (Éirinn) but it's more commonly used as a female name, so it threw me but hey that's just a personal thing.
Erin himself was a complex character and I loved him, almost as much as I loved Owen, his ogre, his dragon, his defender against whatever tried to hurt him. Theirs is a genuine, emotional connection but, as my lovely friend Dani says in her review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2728458303
I wanted more tension, especially because the romance that followed was slightly lackluster. Erin is over 30 and a virgin. Owen is a former player. When the two get together, sparks ... uh, actually, nope, sparks don't fly because there are no sparks. And no steam. And I do mean NONE, unless you count two brief groping scenes.
The chemistry which I love to see in a romance is simply absent. Everything fades to black or is referred to off page.
This was a little disappointing, not because I wanted a full-blooded erotic porn encounter to read, but because it meant that element of their relationship was utterly missing. Erin's a virgin, the care Owen took with every other aspect of his relationship with him should have been there for the reader in this also, but it wasn't. It was a throwaway line.
Still, that's really my only grumble because I loved everything else about this narrative. It's not a standalone, you need to read book one because there is a series long thread running in the background about the hospital all the doctors work at and I think it'd mean a whole chunk of understanding about what's going on would be missing.
Now, on to Jared and Nick and I really can't wait for that one.
#ARC kindly received from the author via Dreamspinner Press in return for an honest and unbiased review.
This had none of the preachy element that I felt had slightly taken over the narrative of book one, instead it was all about family, how they can screw with your head and change your perceptions of life.
From the bat, this was clearly going to more than the obvious sum of its parts. It's not really a fake boyfriend story, there is so much history between Owen and Erin.
I have to say, every single time I read his name I had a pause to catch up that it's a male character. There is an explanation for his name and Erin is an Irish gender-neutral name for the country of Ireland (Éirinn) but it's more commonly used as a female name, so it threw me but hey that's just a personal thing.
Erin himself was a complex character and I loved him, almost as much as I loved Owen, his ogre, his dragon, his defender against whatever tried to hurt him. Theirs is a genuine, emotional connection but, as my lovely friend Dani says in her review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2728458303
I wanted more tension, especially because the romance that followed was slightly lackluster. Erin is over 30 and a virgin. Owen is a former player. When the two get together, sparks ... uh, actually, nope, sparks don't fly because there are no sparks. And no steam. And I do mean NONE, unless you count two brief groping scenes.
The chemistry which I love to see in a romance is simply absent. Everything fades to black or is referred to off page.
This was a little disappointing, not because I wanted a full-blooded erotic porn encounter to read, but because it meant that element of their relationship was utterly missing. Erin's a virgin, the care Owen took with every other aspect of his relationship with him should have been there for the reader in this also, but it wasn't. It was a throwaway line.
Still, that's really my only grumble because I loved everything else about this narrative. It's not a standalone, you need to read book one because there is a series long thread running in the background about the hospital all the doctors work at and I think it'd mean a whole chunk of understanding about what's going on would be missing.
Now, on to Jared and Nick and I really can't wait for that one.
#ARC kindly received from the author via Dreamspinner Press in return for an honest and unbiased review.
georgiewhoissarahdrew's review
2.0
"Enemies-to-marshmallows" - that's a trope, isn't it? Certainly it's what happened here. A very promising opening few chapters scuppered by the forces of sugar.
There was real potential here in bristling personality clashes between Owen the hospital ogre and Coolly Professional HR Director Erin. Improbably, though, a relationship of equals quickly morphed into a less interesting hurt/comfort narrative. I don't have a problem as such with hurt/comfort*, but when it comes with so many many references to Erin (who is male, in spite of the name) as a princess in need of rescuing, I find it hard to enjoy what Caz (in her review of the first book) called a "regressive presentation".
Certain scenes seemed to be much more suited to a high school story - for instance, when Erin is a nervous wreck because he can't decide what to wear, and big scary Owen says
"I know the sweater you’re talking about. I remember packing it and thinking it would flatter your complexion...None of those socks will do, though."
Erin (Coolly Professional HR Director Erin) replies, "I can’t wear socks as wild as yours."
[You what?! You're CPHRD Erin, you can put what you flipping well want on your plates of meat.]
Where the book and I parted company totally, though, was in the sub-plotregarding embezzlement by the hospital board. FOR GOODNESS' SAKE, IF YOU INTRODUCE A SUB-PLOT ABOUT FINANCE, MAKE IT REALISTIC. Do authors (Cullinan is not the only culprit) just think, "Oh well, no one understands money, I can do what I like?" Do they? Because that's how it reads.
You can't just say, "I looked at the records and it's clear there has been embezzlement," because it doesn't work like that. Embezzlers - particularly ones who have got away with $25m - don't make it easy by including a column in the books marked "Ill-gotten Gains". Nowhere does Cullinan even mention the hospital having an accountant - the role that stops embezzlement happening. Why not? BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE TOO REALISTIC. And don't get me started on why Owen, Erin and their "Scooby" gang don't involve the police....
Should any budding authors be interested, I have many many many workable ideas about how finances could be siphoned off creatively and realistically in plots and can make them available for a very reasonable sum. For strictly fictional purposes. . Rant over.
In short, the personality transplants and the loopy plot nixed this book for me, and I won't be looking out any more.
* Trigger warning
I should mention that what was done to Owen by one of his parents is indescribably awful - a psychological wound that makes it amazing he's got himself on track to the extent he has.
There was real potential here in bristling personality clashes between Owen the hospital ogre and Coolly Professional HR Director Erin. Improbably, though, a relationship of equals quickly morphed into a less interesting hurt/comfort narrative. I don't have a problem as such with hurt/comfort*, but when it comes with so many many references to Erin (who is male, in spite of the name) as a princess in need of rescuing, I find it hard to enjoy what Caz (in her review of the first book) called a "regressive presentation".
Certain scenes seemed to be much more suited to a high school story - for instance, when Erin is a nervous wreck because he can't decide what to wear, and big scary Owen says
"I know the sweater you’re talking about. I remember packing it and thinking it would flatter your complexion...None of those socks will do, though."
Erin (Coolly Professional HR Director Erin) replies, "I can’t wear socks as wild as yours."
[You what?! You're CPHRD Erin, you can put what you flipping well want on your plates of meat.]
Where the book and I parted company totally, though, was in the sub-plot
You can't just say, "I looked at the records and it's clear there has been embezzlement," because it doesn't work like that. Embezzlers - particularly ones who have got away with $25m - don't make it easy by including a column in the books marked "Ill-gotten Gains". Nowhere does Cullinan even mention the hospital having an accountant - the role that stops embezzlement happening. Why not? BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE TOO REALISTIC. And don't get me started on why Owen, Erin and their "Scooby" gang don't involve the police....
Should any budding authors be interested, I have many many many workable ideas about how finances could be siphoned off creatively and realistically in plots and can make them available for a very reasonable sum. For strictly fictional purposes.
In short, the personality transplants and the loopy plot nixed this book for me, and I won't be looking out any more.
* Trigger warning
I should mention that what was done to Owen by one of his parents is indescribably awful - a psychological wound that makes it amazing he's got himself on track to the extent he has.