Review: Romance with Reality
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 10 12, 2013
I must admit from the product description I wasn't expecting the type of book this story became..Nessa Cavanaugh is a Psychology student in her final year as an Intern at a prestigious hospital. On her first rotation in the Oncology Department she meets handsome Dr Aron Lindstrom. They have an instant attraction and chemistry but Nessa is warned that Aron is a bit of a ladies man. Wishing to tread carefully and protect her heart they begin a slow moving relationship with Aron trying to prove that he doesn't just want Nessa for sex.Nessa has to speak to child patients with cancer and their families, helping them get through the experience. Aron is their Dr. There are a lot of medical conversations in this book and some emotional moments concerning children with cancer so be warned.My reason for deducting a star is because although the author spends a lot of time on the medical aspects of this book she does too much 'telling' and not enough 'showing' in regards Nessa and Aron's relationship. Yes I felt their connection but there were too many instances of things they did as a couple being glossed over and while the book spans more than a year, a lot of that is us being told it's 5 months later etc. I would have liked to read more of Nessa and Aron interacting and read more dialogue between them.Now for the twist in this tale and the 'reality'. The author obviously knows her stuff on this subject. I have read another book which deals with this subject but that was with teenagers. Early on in this book we learn of Nessa's fear of becoming like her father, there is a chance she could inherit his problem. I will spoil it slightly by confirming it's a mental illness for those readers not wishing to read this type of story. However, there is a little twist in the tale and the title of the book 'spiral' is relevant as Nessa and Aron's relationship spirals..Finally, I was disappointed there was no epilogue but perhaps that's because with this type of story we can't be sure that Nessa and Aron would ever have a perfect happy ever after and that is realistic.For a freebie, this was a good read. It's not all hearts and flowers but a story that deals with a lot of everyday realities. It's certainly not a feel good romance story so be warned.