One Christmas on a Scottish island… A lifetime together? After her fiancé’s shocking betrayal, district nurse Audrey Walsh hopes to escape Christmas on remote Bourtree Island! Instead, she’s met by a gorgeous man in a Santa suit–Dr. Cooper MacAskill! They’re stuck working–and living–together till New Year, both with their demons to face. Except their inconvenient attraction and the warmth … attraction and the warmth of this island community offer them healing and happiness–if they have the courage to take it!
From Harlequin Medical: Life and love in the world of modern medicine.
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This was a new-to-me author and I’m so glad I got the chance to read this book. It was a sweet second chance Christmas romance for two people who had gone to the remote island of Bourtree Island. It was well written and had a developed storyline. The characters were charming and the island residents were heartwarming. Both Audrey and Cooper were both there to figure out their future and help the island residents by providing medical care.
Audrey Walsh was running to escape Christmas and her fiancé’s betrayal. She was committed to spending five weeks being the district nurse to the community. She was touched by the resident’s open hearts and their love for family.
Dr. Cooper “Coop” MacAskill grew up on Bourtree Island but had left it behind when he was old enough. Now he has returned but feels guilty for not coming back before his grandmother passed. Coop has been offered the job as the physician for the island but is not sure he wants to return after the hard time he had as a child living on the island. Can Audrey and Cooper find their future on the isolated island providing medical care to the community?
I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This was a heartwarming small-town (island) holiday romance between two people running from their pasts. A few days after finding her fiancé getting merry with an elf, Audrey heads for Bourtree Island as a temporary District Nurse. Her Christmas spirit in tatters, Audrey hopes to escape the holiday altogether. That doesn’t look likely when she’s met by Dr. Cooper MacAskill – in a Santa suit! Cooper is an ER doctor in Glasgow but returned to Bourtree Island to bury his grandmother. He struggles with his guilty feelings over his infrequent visits and not being there when she died, as well as his bitter memories from his childhood on the island.
I liked the slow burn development of the relationship between Audrey and Coop. Thanks to Audrey’s anti-Christmas feelings and Coop’s struggle to gain some holiday spirit, they didn’t get off to the easiest start. There are also their upended expectations. Audrey thought the doctor would be an older man (like the one about to retire), while Coop expected a more matronly woman, like the island’s regular nurse. Neither expected a good-looking counterpart and the accompanying sparks of attraction.
Audrey hits the ground running as Cooper takes her on her first patient visits within moments of arriving. I loved seeing them quickly settle into a professional rhythm of teamwork and mutual respect. That teamwork gets an extra boost when burst pipes at her temporary lodging send Audrey to stay at Coop’s house for the duration. As they work together tending to the islanders’ needs, Coop’s obvious respect for Audrey’s abilities goes a long way toward rebuilding the confidence that her ex had destroyed. At the same time, Audrey helps Coop move past the guilt.
I liked how they grew closer as Coop and Audrey shared the pain of their pasts and their concerns for the future. It doesn’t take too long before their simmering attraction bubbles over. Neither one knows where it will lead, but they’ll take the “happy for now.” Both understand that the time for decisions is rapidly approaching and have some serious soul-searching to do. Their insecurities return as each believes that the other doesn’t return their feelings, affecting their decision-making. I seriously wanted to shake them both and tell them to talk to each other. I loved Coop’s “aha” moment and his determination to do something about it. The pub scene was fantastic, and the follow-on down the road a couple of years was great.
I loved the setting of a small island, where everyone knew everyone else. Because of Cooper’s familiarity with the people and their circumstances, he treated his patients with more than just medications. He also had to reconcile his childhood memories with their adult counterparts and accept the changes. I enjoyed getting to know some of the islanders/patients and how their issues affected both Cooper and Audrey.