As a midwife running her own home birth practice, Audrey Novak deals with pressure like a superhuman. Until, that is, she meets her handsome and arrogant neighbor, Dr. Ammon Parker. Ammon, who believes only in modern medicine, is just as unprepared for the infuriating—and inconveniently beautiful—midwife. When the two are repeatedly called to the same labor and delivery unit, their clashing … ideals and fiercely independent personalities threaten to derail both their professional goals and their pride.
Outside of work, Audrey is a passionate rock climber, tantalized by a secret route she’s heard about in an online forum. Her hunt for the climb’s location leads her to the intriguing BelayingonofHands, a man who claims to have set the route. Soon their anonymous virtual flirtation and witty exchanges deepen into a true connection. But when Audrey discovers the man from online is actually Ammon, she’s blindsided. It seems they have more in common than she could have imagined, but will their differences keep them from making the climb to true love together?
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Sweet, quirky, and cute contemporary romance. For those who loved You’ve Got Mail, this is for you.
This is a super cute “You’ve got mail” story. It is a clean wholesome romance. I really liked the characters. There’s a lot of bantering between Audrey and Ammon, which is fun and sweet. The subject of, the method of childbirth, is an important and interesting subject. I think that the author has done her research, and made it informative not boring. The romance part of the story, a very real life Issues and trials. A great contemporary romance!
This was such a fun contemporary romance. I enjoyed the way the author played on the movie You’ve Got Mail, but made this story still feel original with the concept of the doctor and the midwife and their common love of rock climbing. The humor and banter between the two main characters was really great to me. The grammar flirting in the messages cracked me up. If you like the enemies to lovers trope this is definitely a book for you. While I feel like this book was informative about pregnancy, the author did a good job to show the two professions without going into too much descriptive detail that would make a reader uncomfortable or feel inappropriate. A clean romance, I definitely will be recommending this one!
Like oil and water:
Audrey is a home birth midwife whilst Ammon is an OB/GYN and a traditionalist. They clash over their opposing philosophies and butt heads all the time. Yet unbeknownst to each other, they’re actually communicating online where they get on well. it was fun seeing these prickly individuals spar and eventually fall in love.
There is humour and I liked how it also dealt with real life issues that we can all relate to, such as being kind to others even when we don’t like them. I also really enjoyed how it presented so many different aspects surrounding child birth, the good and the bad, yet still managed to depict the beauty and gift that new life is. I did find it rather unrealistic that Audrey could volunteer so much and only had relatively few paying clients, especially as she didn’t grow up wealthy.
There is a light faith element and personally I would have liked to see them turning to the Lord and praying about their prospective life partners instead of just relying on feelings.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.
I was fortunate to be able to read this book from start to finish in one sitting! Granted, I started it at three in the morning- but hey, who needs sleep? It’s my first time reading this author so I didn’t know what to expect, and I was happily sucked right in to the characters and plot. It is definitely a “You’ve Got Mail” enemies to more story, but the vivid characters and details of the labor and delivery profession- whether midwife or doctor- kept me glued to the pages. Audrey and Ammon both have their own issues and vulnerabilities they are privately dealing with, so for a while they only see the parts of each other that they intensely dislike. They totally bring out the worst in each other! It takes plenty of eye-opening experiences together and some influence from friends for both of them to look past the facades they each put up. Totally cried at the more emotional parts, and I loved the journey these two went on together.
My one beef is that the author was careful to describe certain things in a politically correct manner- for example, instead of “homeless person” she used “a person experiencing homelessness,” but when describing adoption she used the stigmatized term “put up for adoption” instead of the preferred positive term “placed for adoption.” It wouldn’t bother me if it was someone’s dialogue since I understand it is a commonly used term, but it was part of the narrative the same way the other PC terms were used. This may just be a huge pet peeve of mine since I am a mother who has adopted, but the main character Audrey is very socially conscious so I think it would have been more appropriate to use a more acceptable phrase for describing adoption.
Disclosure statement: A complimentary copy of this book was provided from a tour group, publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, OR borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR purchased. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.
The Doctor and The Midwife bySarah Alva was soooo good!
After having 4 kids this book hit home! Fun to see behind the scenes battle of the hospital/home birth. I had high blood pressure and preeclampsia 3/4 times so I’m thankful for my OBGYN who was able to deliver all 4 of my babies!
Audrey and Ammon have a very rough start and ruffled all each other’s feathers from the start. The climbing app conversation was fun yet in person there was some hostility. Merging the two was quite the process! I liked that they both had strong opinions but were open to learning the benefits of both sides. Not only the doctors and midwives need to learn this love and acceptance but so do mothers! 4 is plenty of children for us lol, BUT I stay in the scene of child birth by photographing birth stories (pre Covid). The miracle of birth is incredible and I still tear up Every. Single. Time!
Such a fun RomCom! Highly suggest it!
I am addicted to Christian romances. I love light stories and in some cases funny too. In this case, the book brings a very clear inspiration with the film You’ve got Mail and I really enjoyed follow the journey of the fearless Audrey and the arrogant Ammon.
Ammon is being challenged in front of the pregnant women at his Medical Residence and everything gets worse when he has to face the midwife Audrey who goes to great lengths to show how inconvenient the doctor is. It turns out that what started as a battle gradually turns into attention and affection.
They don’t realize that they have so much in common until the day when Ammon discovers that Audrey is the right girl for him and that he can offer everything she ever dreamed of in a relationship, but Audrey doesn’t like the doctor’s attitudes at all and he will need do everything if he wants to win her heart.
At first, I found the writing a little confusing with few dialogues presenting the characters and many technical details about the births, but as the story progresses I was able to connect with all of them, especially Freddy and Ellie, best friends of the protagonists and who have a go-and-go dating. The ending was super cute but it could also have shown more of the couple after they get along.
3,5/ 5 stars
A clean romcom! This was such a fun enemies to love story! The witty banter between the lead characters had me laughing out loud!
A sweet romance with wonderful characters and a unique insight into the medical world.
Absolutely loved this story, Ammon an OB, and Audrey a Midwife clash over their views on hospital birth vs home birth. Ammon feels it is unsafe for women to give birth at home and Audrey feels that in many ways a home birth is more beneficial than a clinical one. Ammon and Audrey pretty much butt heads through most of the story but unbeknownst to them, they are falling in love online. They are both part of a rock-climbing forum online and get along great online but in real life, they cannot stand each other. This story flowed great for me, I loved the buildup between Ammon and Audrey and how they grew and learned from each other. This story was also very informative, we see hospital births and home births each has its own pros and cons. Being a doula herself, I really appreciated that the author presented us with authentic facts, I now know a lot about home birth and also the bad side of hospital birth. Overall great read.
Romance, clean, contemporary; Christian CJCLDS faith, mild faith elements
Lucy and Ammon’s story was so well done. I loved the back and forth between them, their misunderstandings, hurts, and worries. The online internet/hiking group connection made for a fun way for them to connect in a positive way. Both of their work experiences, successes, devastating moments, lack of sleep, connections, and ‘moments’ both off and on-line were well done. Nuances are always the mark of a better read for me, and this had them. The well-described emotions, hurts, worries, and attraction, along with their connection, kindnesses to each other (when those happened, let me qualify that one), healing their pasts, finding their present, and making their futures, cleverly woven and bound together.
I loved this was told from alternating points of view, getting both sides of the medical care for women in childbirth, and seeing the patients, doctors, and midwives work together at this moment of birth and women’s lives in the mix. Adding Ammon and Lucy’s families to the mix, their climbing, some wonderful moments that are just ‘life’, and sweetly pulling their lives together and the ‘climbed’ through the obstacles in their relationship and fought for each other in the end.
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. My opinions are my own.
Sarah Alva’s book, The Doctor and the Midwife, was such a cute contemporary story! I loved the whole You’ve Got Mail feel of it. And there is so much knowledge and detail poured throughout the pages. It was fascinating and interesting while also being a sweet and wonderful enemies to friends love story. Audrey and Ammon clashed so well together you almost couldn’t see a way for them to see beyond their differences! That made the ending that much sweeter and more perfect for their story. On a personal note, I also enjoyed the story because my dad was an OB/GYN. He was the good kind that would listen. After hearing his stories and knowing his dedication to his patients, I really loved seeing different sides to the incredible experience of giving birth.
I received a complimentary copy of the book. All opinions are my own and are expressed voluntarily.
This story was hilarious and I enjoyed reading it cover to cover.
I loved getting to know Dr. Audrey and Dr. Ammon as their jobs kept intertwining at the hospital and with clients. I could relate and understand both Doctors points of view in regards to medical care and quality of care. They were both passionate about hiking and patient care and had alot in common, even though they clashed and irritated each other constantly. It was a shame they had to be friends online first instead of giving each other a second chance to really get to know the other. Definitely a good example in real life-that we need to stop and get to know others and not just form a firm opinion after one encounter or experience.
Clean Christian romance with lots of laughs and groans of frustrations-highly recommend this quick, easy reading! I loved it!
I received a copy of this book complimentary for blog and social media review. All opinions are my own.
Sarah Alva’s a new author to me but the book blurb sounded interesting. You’d think a doctor and a midwife would get along pretty well, but not when the doctor makes his dislike and mistrust of midwives known at their first meeting! Ammon really put both feet in it when he basically said Audrey was an unsafe provider and provided inadequate care. When he finds out that Audrey is a Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM), far from an unsafe provider, he has to eat his words and apologize.
Audrey and Ammon are both rock climbers and connect through a rock climbing board, but neither knows the other’s real name, and although they frequently bump heads a lot in real life, they get along quite well conversing through the board. I kept waiting for them to figure out who the other was.
I liked that Audrey not only improved her relationship with Ammon, but also her mother. I enjoyed watching both characters learn their first impressions of each other were wrong. I liked that the story wasn’t just about their professions, although it was a big part of it. We get to see them with their friends.
4.5 Stars
THE DOCTOR AND THE MIDWIFE is a twist on the classic movie In the Good Old Summertime or the newer classic, You’ve Got Mail. It’s the story of two people who build a connection through the Internet without realizing that they don’t like each other in real life. It’s a story full of snark, humor, heart-touching situations, friendship, and a slowly-building romance. Definitely a story that contemporary Christian romance fans will enjoy!
I loved the banter and chemistry between Audrey and Ammon, but Audrey… man, she had a huge chip on her shoulder! She was downright mean and rude and Ammon would respond accordingly. It took me a bit to actually like her, making me torn at the beginning of this, but I was really curious how they would work things out. Even from the start, you could feel an instant tension between these two and their snarky dialogue (which was quite entertaining) as well as their individual moments when they were trying to be the best at what they did, pushed me forward. As the story unfolds, so do these characters with their vulnerabilities, their dreams, and their strengths. I ended up loving them both so much!
There were some really difficult sections of this story. Parts that made me cry that dealt with grief and loss. Ammon and Audrey both act so confident. They have to. Ammon is still trying to find his footing as a doctor and Audrey is trying to grow her business and face others’ doubts but also her own. It was really interesting to have two characters at somewhat opposite ends of a profession in a way, and see how they could work their way to respect and come to understand each other. They both had to adjust their perspectives, but I liked that they also found things they could take from the other and apply to their own roles. I also felt like Ammon really developed in this story, and I always enjoy when a character does that.
The author did such a fabulous job in retelling a classic, but really making it her own. Having watched both the older movie and You’ve Got Mail a million times, it was fun finding what was similar and what was different. The things I love about the movie are also present here and I appreciated that here, there isn’t any cheating. There’s also a light touch of an inspirational element woven throughout as both of these characters are religious. However, there wasn’t anything preachy – it’s just who they are. I really loved seeing their friendship and then romance bloom and the story progress to a very satisfying end.
In the end, was it what I wished for? I thoroughly enjoyed this story! It was a great mix of humor and romance, but also some really heart-wrenching things that made this a story that pulled on my emotions. I’m looking forward to more from this author!
Content: Clean, although there are some triggers in regards to childbirth.
Source: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, which did not require a positive review. All opinions are my own.
Even though the events in this book are fictional, some made me cry happy and sad tears. I loved the visual effect this author creates with her writing!
I like to read books that make me empathize with the characters like in this book. These characters were people I would enjoy meeting.
Reading this novel reminded me of all the possible myths there are surrounding home birth and midwives. I loved the first meeting between Audrey and Ammon. One thing I liked about Ammon as a doctor was that he prayed before surgery! This is the type of doctor I would want to work with.
Audrey and Ammon’s anonymous exchanges are hilarious! They had several Pride and Prejudice type moments.
I hope there is a sequel featuring the roommates Ellie and Freddy! That would be sweet!
I received a free copy of this book. All opinions are completely my own.
I was unsure about this book but… there was such a surprising twist and turns. I felt so connected to the characters, the feelings and drawn to how it was going to end. Sarah did an amazing job at weaving the story.
Audrey Novak is a driven young woman. With her own midwifery practice and years of experience of helping women have the best experience possible while giving birth, Audrey knows what it means to be a patient’s advocate.
Dr. Ammon Parker is a second-year resident who struggles with knowing whether or not he picked the correct profession.
When Audrey and Ammon meet, sparks fly. With Ammon insulting her profession and belief in midwifery, Audrey is determined to avoid him and to continue to be an advocate for pregnant women.
A fun romance filled with witty conversations, great character development, and plenty to laugh and smile about, The Doctor and the Midwife is a story you won’t want to miss.
Audrey and Ammon’s story was so engaging! I loved the fire, spark, and rhetoric between the two of them. Every time they were together there was that angst and fiery spirited conversation, I could not get enough of it! The fire and passion each one possessed for their profession made sparks fly while their opinions clashed. I could feel the heat from their arguments and so many burning comments. Their online relationship showed a kinder and more open side to both of them. I felt like they could be their true selves when not under scrutiny. There are laugh out loud moments, emotional moments, and moments where I wanted to cry. This book is LDS fiction at its best and I cannot wait for more from Alva! I received a copy of this book for free; all thoughts and opinions are my own.
What do you get when you cross a doctor and a midwife with different philosophies of pregnancy and birth?? You get a whole lot of conflict. If you add to it the things that they have in common, you get a wonderful story.
This contemporary Christian romance was refreshing and full of conflict, angst, and two people desperately fighting their growing attraction. Audrey and Ammon are good for each other and it seems that those around them know it, but they don’t. It certainly adds fire to the story.
I loved the two different perspectives and how they were formed. I also love it when the two main characters are able to change the little hard and prickly edges and help each other be better. Those kinds of relationships are too me the best part, when they are equally matched and learn to grow. Where they were both insecure, they learn to grow and to forgive, each other, and others that cross their paths.
I was drawn into this story and found it was a nice palette cleanser for the Historicals that I usually read.
I received a complimentary copy of this book and this is my honest review.