Review: Sexy sexy
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 02 4, 2014
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.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.