A review by elvang
Against Doctor's Orders by Radclyffe

4.0

I received an ecopy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

Harper Rivers is set to take over as head of the Argyle Community Hospital when her father retires. The board of directors, feeling the fiscal pinch and unable to pay their creditors see no alternative but to sell the hospital to a western conglomerate known as SunView Health Systems.

Presley Worth is comfortable in her number crunching role in her own family dynasty. Her father has hinted at retirement and she and her twin brother are both angling for top spot in SunView. She is hoping to make short work of the closure of this overstaffed and unprofitable country hospital so she can return to Phoenix.

What happens next is an entertaining ride with a nice balance of folksy small town friendliness mixed in with the hard reality of a community on the brink of losing their easy access to quality healthcare. And of course, a lovely romance.

I liked Harper and Presley. Both are strong and determined women. Harper is a dedicated physician who puts the care of her patients and their families in front of her own needs. Presley is an astute business woman who quickly grasps the inefficiencies she sees in the community hospital where a little old lady greets you at the front doors and physicians still make house calls.

It's this strength of character which makes the romance that develops between these two that much sweeter. The reader senses the connection, sees how each is willing to lower their personal barricades in spite of their opposing views. As barriers are crossed the relationship heats up. Make that sizzles. The passion these two share leaps off the pages of this book. It's a beautiful thing.

There is the usual collection of secondary characters to surround Harper and Presley and fill out the storyline. Harper's sister Flannery gets the role of the competitive hot shot chief of surgery and expert lady killer with a heart of gold. Presley's assistant Carrie fills in as the solid friend and confidante and is a character I would have liked to see get more page time. Both act as foils for the leading ladies and do a good job of advancing the plot.

Harper's mom Ida is the heart of the Rivers family and the voice of reason Harper relies on to help her deal with this first woman to sweep her off her feet. If I have a problem with the secondary characters it would be with the one dimensional Edward, Harper's father. He delivers the news of the potential hospital closure, appears to be close to Harper but is seldom seen or heard from and has little impact on the central theme of the story.

The same goes for Presley's twin brother Preston. He is the reason for most of her tension. Will he try to persuade stock holders to elect him as the next CEO of SunView over his sister? Has he sent Presley off to upstate nowhere so he can make this happen? When the reader finally gets to meet Presley's nemesis, their meeting is mostly held behind closed doors. I would have liked a few more scenes with these two going toe to toe.

The health care professional in me got a bit squeamish when Harper and her mother discuss a patient Harper had cared for at the hospital during the night.This breech of confidentiality is unheard of in today's health care settings. I have to assume the author was driving home the local, friendly and familiar atmosphere of the community hospital and what would be lost if patients had to be treated by strangers in distant cities.

Against Doctor's Orders is a beautiful romance that delivers all the heat and passion fans of this genre have come to expect in a Radclyffe novel. What impressed me the most was the growth I see in her main characters. The strong masculine woman has been replaced by two women of equal strength and depth of character. Its nice to watch and a pleasure to read.