catiecat06's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
sandlynn's review
3.0
I, myself, have mixed reactions to Ruby Lang’s Acute Reaction, published in 2015.
This book focuses on two smart people with a lot of emotional baggage who find acceptance and love with each other.
Petra Lale is a 31 year old allergist, who, unlike most of her medical compatriots, including her two best friends, decides to strike out on her own and open her own practice. 32 year old Ian Zamora is a restaurateur in Portland who spends more time attending to every detail of his successful business rather than with his girlfriend — a girlfriend who insists that Ian help take care of her cat even though he’s extremely allergic. That being said, Ian is determined to maintain the relationship since it’s the one thing in his life that isn’t quite on track. To help the situation, Ian makes an appointment with Dr. Petra Lale, the new allergist in the same neighborhood as his restaurant. When he visits her for the first time, he’s struck at 1) how little help Dr. Lale has and 2) how attractive and competent she is in spite of having to manage almost everything in her practice on her own. Petra, too, finds Ian attractive, but she’s very professional and would never act upon it. Besides, her life is currently wrapped up in trying to make a success of her business, worried that she took this big step too soon.
Not long after Ian’s first appointment, he finds he can’t stop thinking about Petra and decides to break up with his girlfriend … and her cat. However, since he knows no other way to keep seeing Petra, considering that it’s against medical ethics to date a patient, he continues seeing her professionally. Before long, he’s considering breaking off their doctor-patient relationship, but Petra strikes first by sending a letter stating that she can no longer be his doctor since he has feelings for her that she cannot return. That would appear to end that except, Ian and Petra keep running into each other and Petra begins to question her own professional ethics — let alone the worries she has about her business — and starts to wonder if she should’ve ever become a doctor. In addition, unlike Ian’s certainty regarding them as a couple, she’s unsure about her romantic choices, seeing herself as a projection of her mother whose been married a number of times. How will these two hard-working professionals make room in their lives for a romance that is off limits?
I was expecting to like this book a bit more than I did. On the upside, I love that Petra’s and Ian’s professions are such a part of the story. They are not wallpaper professionals, but are shown doing their jobs, worrying about them, and having them spill over into their personal lives as happens outside of novels. if you like competence porn, this is for you. Even though Petra is struggling in her business, she’s still extremely competent and Ian is, of course, a success, although his problem is not letting his business over shadow his personal life. In any event, this book does a great job of making Petra and Ian well-rounded people. There are a number of side characters who are more or less successful. Petra’s friends, her mother, and sister are there more as a foil for comparison in terms of Petra’s insecurities and anxieties. Ian’s friends are barely there — except at the very end. There is one character — a young patient of Petra’s — who was the most enjoyable and became important to both characters.
What didn’t work for me is that the plot seemed to stall in the middle — with both characters, but mostly Petra — spending most of the middle of the story going back and forth over their feelings, never seeming to progress. I began to lose patience with her and was surprised Ian hung in that long. Her neuroses were examined and re-examined in minute detail. It was only in the last 20 or so pages that things began happening to move the plot forward and one of those things was also a negative to my mind — Ian’s ex-girlfriend suddenly makes a re-appearance and becomes a big obstacle in Ian and Petra’s relationship despite not being a factor at all for most of the story. And, of course, she was the usual nasty “other woman”. Even though I was happy that events were happening that finally forced some action, you had to muck through a lot of annoying naval gazing to get there. I would give this book a B-.
This book focuses on two smart people with a lot of emotional baggage who find acceptance and love with each other.
Petra Lale is a 31 year old allergist, who, unlike most of her medical compatriots, including her two best friends, decides to strike out on her own and open her own practice. 32 year old Ian Zamora is a restaurateur in Portland who spends more time attending to every detail of his successful business rather than with his girlfriend — a girlfriend who insists that Ian help take care of her cat even though he’s extremely allergic. That being said, Ian is determined to maintain the relationship since it’s the one thing in his life that isn’t quite on track. To help the situation, Ian makes an appointment with Dr. Petra Lale, the new allergist in the same neighborhood as his restaurant. When he visits her for the first time, he’s struck at 1) how little help Dr. Lale has and 2) how attractive and competent she is in spite of having to manage almost everything in her practice on her own. Petra, too, finds Ian attractive, but she’s very professional and would never act upon it. Besides, her life is currently wrapped up in trying to make a success of her business, worried that she took this big step too soon.
Not long after Ian’s first appointment, he finds he can’t stop thinking about Petra and decides to break up with his girlfriend … and her cat. However, since he knows no other way to keep seeing Petra, considering that it’s against medical ethics to date a patient, he continues seeing her professionally. Before long, he’s considering breaking off their doctor-patient relationship, but Petra strikes first by sending a letter stating that she can no longer be his doctor since he has feelings for her that she cannot return. That would appear to end that except, Ian and Petra keep running into each other and Petra begins to question her own professional ethics — let alone the worries she has about her business — and starts to wonder if she should’ve ever become a doctor. In addition, unlike Ian’s certainty regarding them as a couple, she’s unsure about her romantic choices, seeing herself as a projection of her mother whose been married a number of times. How will these two hard-working professionals make room in their lives for a romance that is off limits?
I was expecting to like this book a bit more than I did. On the upside, I love that Petra’s and Ian’s professions are such a part of the story. They are not wallpaper professionals, but are shown doing their jobs, worrying about them, and having them spill over into their personal lives as happens outside of novels. if you like competence porn, this is for you. Even though Petra is struggling in her business, she’s still extremely competent and Ian is, of course, a success, although his problem is not letting his business over shadow his personal life. In any event, this book does a great job of making Petra and Ian well-rounded people. There are a number of side characters who are more or less successful. Petra’s friends, her mother, and sister are there more as a foil for comparison in terms of Petra’s insecurities and anxieties. Ian’s friends are barely there — except at the very end. There is one character — a young patient of Petra’s — who was the most enjoyable and became important to both characters.
What didn’t work for me is that the plot seemed to stall in the middle — with both characters, but mostly Petra — spending most of the middle of the story going back and forth over their feelings, never seeming to progress. I began to lose patience with her and was surprised Ian hung in that long. Her neuroses were examined and re-examined in minute detail. It was only in the last 20 or so pages that things began happening to move the plot forward and one of those things was also a negative to my mind — Ian’s ex-girlfriend suddenly makes a re-appearance and becomes a big obstacle in Ian and Petra’s relationship despite not being a factor at all for most of the story. And, of course, she was the usual nasty “other woman”. Even though I was happy that events were happening that finally forced some action, you had to muck through a lot of annoying naval gazing to get there. I would give this book a B-.
kbriney's review
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
thesawyerbean's review against another edition
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
I am allergic to the writing in this book. So long, so ridiculous, so dodgy and, worst of all, so boring! I have 42 annotations throughout his book, all of which are examples of terrible, cringeworthy and frankly bizarre prose to which I was either incredulous or laughing at. To give a few notable examples (I am loath to use the term highlights for obvious reasons):
“Petra admitted to herself, assessing his strong wrists and solid forearms as he swirled a glass of something golden and expensive-looking. His flexors flexed, as they should. ”
“She lacked moral fiber. She was the ethical equivalent of a Twinkie.
“Let me tell you, gluten is the shit. All that chewy, springy stuff in your mouth?”
“Helen, of course, looked graceful and delicate, as usual, with her soulful brown eyes, arched brows, and a swan-like neck. She would have made a lovely victim for the guillotine. A surprising number of men liked that sort of thing.”
Please be serious, what is going on here??
This isn’t even bringing into question the absolutely horrendous premise of this book. Doctor-patient romance is one you have to do in a tactful way for it not to be ethically disastrous and unfortunately this not only did it badly, but made it uncomfortable to read. Petra got jealous when he rightfully went to another allergist for treatment as if he cheated on her. She ‘endearingly’ said she liked how she knew everything about him because she knew his medical history:
But Ian was endlessly fascinating, despite the fact that she knew so much about him. She knew how old he was. She knew that he’d had his appendix out, and that his father had died of melanoma, and that his eyes widened and he sucked his cheeks in lightly when he felt pain. She knew that his touch set her skin fizzing.
This was made worse somehow by the fact they then used Ian asking Petra her medical history as some kind of foreplay?
Add on to this that quite literally none of the characters were likeable. Petra was self-effacing constantly in a way that was less endearing, more pathetic. Ian was pretentious and annoying. Jim was mildly misogynistic while Gerry was viciously so. Helen and Sarah need to get a grip. Genuinely who was I rooting for here? Also the fact that all the major conflicts were resolved mysteriously or by them just not even caring… awful. Insipid. Vile.
This grew on me like a rash, give me a shot of adrenaline so I can possibly read ever again.
“Petra admitted to herself, assessing his strong wrists and solid forearms as he swirled a glass of something golden and expensive-looking. His flexors flexed, as they should. ”
“She lacked moral fiber. She was the ethical equivalent of a Twinkie.
“Let me tell you, gluten is the shit. All that chewy, springy stuff in your mouth?”
“Helen, of course, looked graceful and delicate, as usual, with her soulful brown eyes, arched brows, and a swan-like neck. She would have made a lovely victim for the guillotine. A surprising number of men liked that sort of thing.”
Please be serious, what is going on here??
This isn’t even bringing into question the absolutely horrendous premise of this book. Doctor-patient romance is one you have to do in a tactful way for it not to be ethically disastrous and unfortunately this not only did it badly, but made it uncomfortable to read. Petra got jealous when he rightfully went to another allergist for treatment as if he cheated on her. She ‘endearingly’ said she liked how she knew everything about him because she knew his medical history:
But Ian was endlessly fascinating, despite the fact that she knew so much about him. She knew how old he was. She knew that he’d had his appendix out, and that his father had died of melanoma, and that his eyes widened and he sucked his cheeks in lightly when he felt pain. She knew that his touch set her skin fizzing.
This was made worse somehow by the fact they then used Ian asking Petra her medical history as some kind of foreplay?
Add on to this that quite literally none of the characters were likeable. Petra was self-effacing constantly in a way that was less endearing, more pathetic. Ian was pretentious and annoying. Jim was mildly misogynistic while Gerry was viciously so. Helen and Sarah need to get a grip. Genuinely who was I rooting for here? Also the fact that all the major conflicts were resolved mysteriously or by them just not even caring… awful. Insipid. Vile.
This grew on me like a rash, give me a shot of adrenaline so I can possibly read ever again.
nipomuki's review
4.0
This was an agreeable listen. I liked the main protagonists and enjoyed the different relationship dynamics with friends and family, the personal growth they both went through and some very cute scenes. The conflict felt a bit drawn out to me, maybe I would have preferred it as a novella. Also there were some of the things in it that make it harder for me to “believe” in a contemporary romance: like the kid giving advice to adults, the talking to by the best friend, the mean ex-gf, and yes, the ethical conflict seemed a bit contrived to me. Very diverse cast, and fitting narration.
frogy927's review
5.0
I don't remember who recommended these books, but this was a charming surprise when I finally got around to reading it after it's been lingering on my Kindle for I don't know how long. Absolutely delightful.
vkm13's review
4.0
First book completed for the Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon!
This book is so much fun but also complicated in ways I completely relate to. I particularly love how most of this book isn't the story about how Ian and Petra get together but actually about their relationship - and their lives outside that relationship.
I tend to mostly read historical romance but contemporary books like this remind me why I should branch out more - and I very much look forward to reading the next two in the series.
Also, Simon & Shuster, if you're reading this, BRING BACK CRIMSON ROMANCE.
This book is so much fun but also complicated in ways I completely relate to. I particularly love how most of this book isn't the story about how Ian and Petra get together but actually about their relationship - and their lives outside that relationship.
I tend to mostly read historical romance but contemporary books like this remind me why I should branch out more - and I very much look forward to reading the next two in the series.
Also, Simon & Shuster, if you're reading this, BRING BACK CRIMSON ROMANCE.
xakyr's review against another edition
2.0
I really thought the blurb on this book sounded great, but after reading the book, my opinion is that it made way more out of the book than what was there. The main characters were hard to connect with, constantly did things to undermine the relationship between themselves and with friends, and wound up being unlikeable. The only redeeming thing was the character of Kevin, as he was cute and precocious. It could have been an interesting story, but it wound up being dull and boring. I'll be deleting it from my Kindle library.
butterbee's review against another edition
4.0
"Remember Lisa Lale’s number one edict from on high? Men are not to be trusted to make a woman happy.” “I have never said that.” “I don’t have my Portable Lisa Lale with me, so it’s not an exact quotation, but I think I’m familiar with a number of variations on this theme.”
Petra is just starting out with her own practice when restaurant-owner Ian comes in for allergy shots. The Hippocratic oath, family, and cat dander come between them as they start to realize how they feel about each other.
I found Petra's internal dialogue about her insecurities a bit overplayed, but I really enjoyed the secondary characters (Kevin!).
"He looked beyond every weird rough surface, every objection, and he still saw her. It wasn’t just charm. He made an effort with her. He probably loved her, too. God, it was frightening."
Petra is just starting out with her own practice when restaurant-owner Ian comes in for allergy shots. The Hippocratic oath, family, and cat dander come between them as they start to realize how they feel about each other.
I found Petra's internal dialogue about her insecurities a bit overplayed, but I really enjoyed the secondary characters (Kevin!).
"He looked beyond every weird rough surface, every objection, and he still saw her. It wasn’t just charm. He made an effort with her. He probably loved her, too. God, it was frightening."