Review: The Will (Magdalene #1) by Kristen Ashley

Early in her life, Josephine Malone learned the hard way that there was only one person she could love and trust: her grandmother, Lydia Malone. Out of necessity, unconsciously and very successfully, Josephine donned a disguise to keep all others at bay. She led a globetrotting lifestyle on the fringes of the fashion and music elite, but she kept herself distant.

While Josephine was trotting the globe, retired boxer Jake Spear was living in the same small town as Lydia. There was nothing disguised about Jake. Including the fact he made a habit of making very bad decisions about who to give his love.

But for Josephine and Jake, there was one person who adored them. One person who knew how to lead them to happiness. And one person who was intent on doing it.

Even if she had to do it as her final wish on this earth.

Whenever I read a book by Kristen Ashley, I wonder if it is really necessary for me to write a review. There hasn't been one book by her I haven't liked or loved. Reading her stories, you know upfront a bit what to expect. Though not by the plot, because that's always full of surprises. But about the emotions you will feel. Her writing just gets to me, and each and every time I feel somewhat drained after finishing one of her stories. Like I need a minute to recover.

For me it's also impossible to put her books down once I get started, unless I'm forced. The characters, their story, the setting, it's just all so well thought out and it feels so real. That for me is one of the biggest parts why I love her stories so much. They feel so real in a way, mostly the characters.

Josephine and Jake are both in their forties. Meaning they have already lived, they have a past, they made mistakes, and they are certainly not perfect. Josephine upbringing was horrible, but with the help of her grandmother she escaped that. Now leading a great life as the PA of a famous photographer. She has some friends and gets to travel around the world. Still when it comes to love, she has seen only the ugly side and decided for herself that she didn't want it. If she ever feels the need she will find someone, but Josephine will never give in.

Now with the passing of her grandmother, pretty much the only person she ever felt unconditional love from, Josephine is a bit lost. She returns back home, thinking she just finished organizing some stuff and be back on her way. What she hadn't counted on was the pull of the Lavender House, her grandmother's house, and the safety Josephine finds in that house. One other thing she hadn't expected was Jake.

Her grandmother had never mentioned him, but it looks like he was a big part of her life. Josephine doesn't know what to do with that information, but luckily Jake isn't afraid to take on the challenge that is Josephine. Now honestly it all moves kind of slow, but I liked that, because once again that adds to the realness of the story. And what a story it is!

We follow along as Josephine starts to place her grief of losing her grandmother, while dealing with Jake in her life. That connection between them isn't there suddenly, it grows and it has plenty of hurdles to keep things interesting. An unconventional love story, with characters I fell completely for. Just the way Josephine talks, was amazing and added this whole other dimension to the story. Jake past is a colourful one, and certainly adds plenty of drama. This one was another amazing book by Kristen Ashley. I just can not get enough of her writing.  

Magdalene - Reading order and purchase links

*All books can be read as a standalone*

  

The Author

Kristen Ashley was born in Gary, Indiana, USA. She nearly killed her mother and herself making it into the world, seeing as she had the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck (already attempting to accessorise and she hadn't taken her first breath!).

Kristen grew up in Brownsburg, Indiana but has lived in Denver, Colorado and the West Country of England. Thus she has been blessed to have friends and family around the globe. Her posse is loopy (to say the least) but loopy is good when you want to write.

Kristen was raised in a house with a large and multi-generational family. They lived on a very small farm in a small town in the heartland and existed amongst the strains of Glenn Miller, The Everly Brothers, REO Speedwagon and Whitesnake (and the wardrobes that matched).

Needless to say, growing up in a house full of music, clothes and love was a good way to grow up.

And as she keeps growing up, it keeps getting better.

Connect with Kristen Ashley:

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Review: Start Me Up (Hearts and Crafts #1) by Nicole Michaels

Why do Do-It-Yourself...

Single mom Anne Edmond can handle—and hand-make—just about anything. From table settings to party favors, floral arrangements to nursery décor, there is no project her creativity and a glue gun can’t tackle. But dating? That’s a whole ’nother story. Case in point: Mike Everett. He’s a gorgeous mechanic and known car-whisperer, a man who can work with auto parts like nobody’s business. And he has thrown a monkey wrench into Anne’s carefully-crafted life...

When you can do it together?

One look at Anne is enough for Mike to know that she’s no fixer-upper. She’s perfect just the way she is—and the chemistry between them works like a charm. Mike’s always been a no-strings kind of guy, but Anne’s impressive self-reliance—and gorgeous exterior—gives him pause. This time, a fast joyride just doesn't seem like enough. But first he has to convince Anne that he means to take her all the way...

*I received a copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Start Me Up is a sweet and cute romance novel, with some surprisingly hot scenes. It's perfect if you're looking to escape reality or a story to cheer you up. I was seriously smiling throughout reading it. Anne and Mike are two adorable characters and they are perfect for each other. Honestly this whole story seems to be dipped in sugar, it's so sweet, though at times actually a bit too perfect for me.

Anne is a supermom. While she might be raising her daughter on her own, everything is always in tip top shape. The fact that she's a creative genius/party planner, might have something to with it. Or the blog she's running might help her keep that image high. All is well in her world, except it could use a man, but Anne isn't easy to trust someone. So when Mike shows interest in her, she's sceptic how a young bloke could possible be interested in an older single mom.

Mike admits that he's a typical bachelor. He has his business, he hangs out at the bar a couple of times a week, and is never shy for female company. Life was actually pretty good for him and settling down was a thing for the future. That all changed upon meeting Anne. In his eyes she is perfect, everything a man could ever want. Now he just has to be able to convince Anne that what they have is more than a fling.

It is a bit of a typical love story, but none the less fun. Anne's insecurities get a bit tiresome after a while, and Mike's instant love isn't easy to believe. Other than that, it really was a sweet and adorable love story.

3.5 stars

Hearts and Crafts - Reading order and purchase links

  

The Author

Nicole resides in a small town outside of Kansas City with her husband and three sons. When she isn't writing, she's a wedding and portrait photographer, loves to cook, read, and watch historical dramas or documentaries.

Connect with Nicole Michaels:

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Review: Devil You Know (Butcher Boys #1) by Max Henry

Love.

How do you define it? I guess it’s up to the individual. Love can be a sweet gesture of flowers on your anniversary. Love can be a meal waiting at home after a long day at work. Love can be a gentle caress. Or the unspoken words in your lover’s eyes.

Love isn’t a backhand, given because of a warm beer. Love isn’t wearing long-sleeves to hide bruises from the ladies at the supermarket.

I thought I’d never experience love. Such emotion didn’t seem to fit with what I had—who I was.
But he stepped in, and showed me his.

He pulled me from the dark abyss I had lost myself to, and showed me the simple things which could bring such joy. Sun on my face. The smell of fresh coffee. Colours in the autumn leaves. All the little things.

He shows me these things, but he doesn’t share in them. He knows happiness, but he doesn’t feel it. He will give love, but never accept it.

He saved me. Now it’s my turn to return the favour …

For me personally the worst thing that can happen with a story, is that I can not connect with the characters. Unfortunately that's exactly what happened here, and if I can't connect with a character, then I don't care what happens to them. Which makes it very difficult as Jane is being abused by her husband, and I do feel terrible about that, but somehow the way it was written I didn't care about it.

I was very happy for her when her neighbour came to the rescue. Malice, her prince charming, though he's neither charming or a prince at all. He takes her away from a bad situation, and I admire him for doing that. Having that courage to step up to this bully, and being able convince Jane that she shouldn't take it anymore.

So far so good. Malice takes her somewhere where they can stay low, until all the paperwork is in order and Jane can get herself back on her feet. That's when it went downhill for me. I can understand there is a certain attraction between Jane and Malice, but with his temper and her very recent past it didn't make much sense to me. Maybe mostly it was because Jane didn't behave the way I expected an abused woman to behave, at least not in such a short period of time.

Also there is this push and pull going on between them, that was tiresome and most of all repetitive. I felt like I read the same discussion/argument over five times. There is this mysterious side to Malice, that was always hinted at, but never fully explained to almost at the end. Even when it was from his point of view, he talked more about the horrors in his mind and how he shouldn't be feeling this way towards Jane. But you know, there was just something about her.

What could have been a deep, dark and emotional story, in the end just fell flat to me. The way it was written I couldn't connect with the characters, the dialogues were tiresome and mostly repetitive, and with his big secret I really don't understand how these two people could ever make it work. I know authors can take some unusual situations, and I just go with it, but with Jane and Malice I just didn't see it.

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The Author

I rediscovered my love of reading last year after never really having the time with two small children, and in doing so, realised I didn't just want to read the books - I wanted to write them.
So I put fingers to keyboard and wrote. Then wrote some more. And before you know it, here I am now.

I decided that at thirty it was high time to stop living a 'what if' life and give my dreams a chance. Lost deep in thought one day as I walked the kids in their buggy, I realised that I didn't want to be an old lady who sat and reflected on her life thinking 'what if I had tried?' I wanted to be an old lady who reflected on her life and thought 'At least I didn't leave a stone unturned.'

I am me. Life is not to be lived in the shadow of others, doing what you think your peers expect you to. Life is to be lived to the fullest, explored and challenged.

Next time you sit and think 'what if', sit and think 'what if I die tomorrow?' There is no time like the present.

Connect with Max Henry:

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Review: Below the Belt (Worth the Fight #3) by Sidney Halston

In Sidney Halston’s latest sizzling MMA romance, a former title contender turns the tables on his knockout trainer with a lesson in seduction.

Once one of the most sought-after names on the mixed martial arts circuit, Antonio “Scarface” Marino watched his career go down for the count as he chased skirts and made tabloid headlines. Now he’s finally making a comeback, and it’s all thanks to Francesca Silva, a Brazilian bombshell as tough as any of her fighters. But who’s the real Francesca: the trash-talking trainer who rides him hard, or the vulnerable woman who blushes at his touch?

Francesca went to the mat to sign Tony because she believes he still has the potential to bring big success to her gym—if she can keep his head in the cage and out of her personal life. After a short-lived marriage soured her on love, a one-night stand is all she can handle. Now Tony’s kisses are stirring up complicated feelings—especially when he agrees to face her ex in the ring. Francesca’s used to freezing guys out. But Tony’s tempting her to give in to the heat.

*I received a copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Sidney Halston's writing, to me, is good and enjoyable. She writes loveable characters, interesting though kind of predictable plots, and the smexy scenes are hot. While I wouldn't call her books amazing, I'd rather think of the word pleasant. They are great if you're a hardcore fan of the sport romance genre, or you know, if you're in the mood for that genre. For instance I like that genre, that's why I keep requesting these books, but I also know what to expect from them. Rarely do they surprise me or take me on an unexpected ride.

The same with Below The Belt, you know upfront how it's going to end and I was about seventy five percent correct on how Tony and Francesca would get there. To be clear, this doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy it, 'cause I did. An excellent relaxing and sexy story, with no big surprises.

Worth The Fight - Reading order and purchase links

All books can be read as a standalone

    

Against The Cage: Amazon

Full Contact: My review - Amazon ($0.99)

Below The Belt: Amazon

The Author

Sidney Halston lives her life with one simple rule: “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” Mark Twain, or even simpler, “Just Do It” Nike.

And that’s exactly what she did. After working hard as an attorney, Sidney picked up a pen for the first time at thirty years old to begin her dream of writing. Having never written anything other than very exciting legal briefs, she found an outlet for her imaginative romantic side and wrote Seeing Red, among four other novels currently in the works, including the sequel to Seeing Red. That first pen stroke sealed the deal and she fell in love with writing.

Sidney lives in South Florida with her husband and children. She loves her family above all else, and reading follows a close second. When she’s not writing you can find her reading and reading and reading… She’s a reader first and a writer second. 

When she’s not writing or reading her life is complete and utter chaos trying to balance family life with work, and writing (and reading). But she wouldn’t have it any other way.

Connect with Sidney Halston:

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Review: The Five Stages of Falling in Love by Rachel Higginson

Elizabeth Carlson is living in the pits of hell- also known as grief.

Her husband of eight years, the father of her four children and the love of her life, died from cancer. Grady's prognosis was grim, even from the start, but Liz never gave up hope he would survive. How could she, when he was everything to her?

Six months later, she is trying to pick up the pieces of her shattered life and get the kids to school on time. Both seem impossible. Everything seems impossible these days.

When Ben Tyler moves in next door, she is drowning in sorrow and pain, her children are acting out, and the house is falling apart. She has no time for curious new friends or unwanted help, but Ben gives her both. And he doesn't just want to help her with yard work or cleaning the gutters. Ben wants more from Liz. More than she's capable of ever giving again.

As Liz mourns her dead husband and works her way through the five stages of grief, she finds there's more of her heart to give than she thought possible. And as new love takes hold, she peels away the guilt and heartache, and discovers there's more to life than death.

*I received a copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

This is the story of a woman who has had her happily ever after ripped away from her. Grady, her husband, the love of her life and the father of her four children, died from cancer, and now Liz is left alone to pick up the pieces of her heart and life.

With four little children relying on her, she's been trying, but is mostly just going through the motions. Getting out of bed, getting the kids out of bed and to school, cleaning up, make dinner etc. It's considered a good day if Liz only breaks down twice to cry. On some level she realizes things can not keep going like this, but lost in grief she doesn't really care.

We follow closely how Liz goes through the five stages of grief, and slowly gets her life back together, and maybe even opens up for love again. I find her an amazing and realistic character. While I wouldn't consider this a happy story, it does have that undercurrent of hope that keeps you through. It's no fun to read about someone grieving, and crying a lot, but it is real and that's what I like about it.

I do feel that Ben, her neighbour, is a certain catalyst for Liz to finally start her grieving process, he's certainly not the motivator for her to keep going. It's all her own doing, and her kids are also a big part of this. Ben is a sweetheart though. Moving in next door, he never expected that crazy bunch, but fell for all of them. I love his interactions with the kids, and the patience and understanding he shows towards Liz.

While this book certainly is about grieve and romance, to me it was mostly a story about hope and never giving up on life and love. Wonderful characters, and a realistic take on the whole situation, overall a nice little gem.

3.5

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The Author

I was born and raised in Nebraska, but spent my college years traveling the world. I fell in love with Eastern Europe, Paris, Indian Food and the beautiful beaches of Sri Lanka. But I came back home to marry my high school sweetheart and now I spend my days raising our growing family. In those few spare moments I have, I am either reading or writing Young Adult Fiction, because I am obsessed with it.

Connect with Rachel Higginson:

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Review: Kate & Alf by Carrie Stone

Kate loves Alf. And Alf loves Kate… Doesn’t he?

Kate can’t wait for her long-term boyfriend Alf to propose. So he might be a bit of a control freak who’s obsessed with his career … and he also seems to have conveniently forgotten their two-year plan to get married, buy a bigger house and have children. But Kate’s sure that ring will be on her finger soon.

When her thirty-second birthday ends in humiliating, proposal-less disaster, even Kate is left wondering if Alf really is The One. Then Alf’s friend, Marcus, needs a place to stay. With his dark eyes, easygoing manner and kind concern for Kate, Marcus is everything Alf is not - and it's not long before Kate begins to wonder if there’s more to life than diamonds.

*I received a copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Being together for seven years, it's not unrealistic of Kate to expect a marriage proposal from Alf. But after he dissapoints her once again, she realizes this relationship isn't going the way she thought it would be. A clear wake up call is needed, and she decides things need to change between them. Alf's focus is too much on his career and he has no clue what is going on. It's not all his fault, they both realize things have become too much of a routine and they are in a rut.

Marcus staying with them is just another signal for Kate that things between her and Alf are not working out. This all happens pretty early in the story, but after that things become almost stale. Kate's inner turmoil becomes tiresome, and there is a lot of switching point of views that I found unnecessary. The story is not just about Kate and Alf, but also about Marcus and Megan, their best friends. Creating a whole second plot line that wasn't interesting to me.

The interactions Kate had with the elderly at the retirement home where she worked, were the most entertaining of all. Though her road to self discovery and further self development were interesting. I would liked to have seen more of that. I didn't understand the appeal of Alf or the fact that Kate was so hung up on him. Even after sevens years, it still takes her a while to fully realize what kind of man Alf is.

Honestly it was that epilogue that I found most interesting. It's the fresh start Kate wants to take, and a new development that I wanted to explore further. For me this story is so much focused on the past, and things or people that aren't good for you, that it's kind of depressing and dull. I also have the feeling that the writing style wasn't really my thing, as I just couldn't get into the story.

2.5

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The Author

Carrie was born and raised in London and the suburbs, but tired of the dreary weather and her permanently pale skin, has spent the last decade living and working internationally.

Her third novel is published by Harper Collins and will be available early 2015.

Connect with Carrie Stone:

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Review: Three Brothers by Nicole Williams

I grew up with three brothers. They weren’t tied to me by blood, but our connection went beyond genetics or bearing the same last name. Our connection was forged the summer I turned thirteen, the summer my mom ended her life and left me in the custody of John Armstrong, a man I’d never met. Packing all I owned in a couple of boxes, I left the familiarity of the big city and headed west to Red Mountain Ranch, set in a lonely valley outside of Jackson Hole.

Nothing was as it seemed at Red Mountain—it didn’t take long for me to figure that out. John was kind to me but distant, as if he was afraid to let anyone get too close. His three teenage sons had their own devices for keeping love as far away as they could. The eldest distracted himself with cheap relationships that had a shelf-life of one night. The middle son threw himself into the rigor of running a ranch, and the third wielded cruelty and mind-games in his quest to keep people from getting close.

Time has gone by, and I’ve spent those years trying to forget the brother I’d fallen for—the biggest mistake of my life.

Finally, I’ve moved on. Finally, I’m back. But what I didn’t realize was that running away from the wrong brother meant I’d also run away from the right one. The one who’d been there for me all along, waiting in his brother’s shadow for the day I either would or could move on.

But a decade is a long time to wait. Has the brother I should have chosen all of those years ago moved on too? Am I about to discover that my biggest mistake wasn’t falling in love with the wrong brother, but failing to return the love of the right one sooner?

Does unrequited love have an expiration date?

I’m about to find out.

While the premise of this story seems very much about romance and love, to me that was only a small part of it. It's also about coming home, forgiveness, discovering secrets and saying goodbye. A lot of pretty heavy themes that will weigh on you, but done in a way that you'll gladly accept them. For me some parts reflected life perfectly. There are definitely the good moments, but it's not perfect at all.

Scout coming back after so many years is difficult for every man at Red Mountain. They all had a certain bond with her, and while they understood why she had to leave, it didn't make things easier for them. These boys are now men, and well a lot can happen in seven years. From the moment Scout enters the house, she realizes so much has changed and then some things not at all.

She has come back not for a happy reason, so while she tries to connect this family back together it just might be too late. So there is definitely that heaviness that hovers over everything that happens in this story, making it not a light read. Still you get swept up into their tales, and into their daily lives. While she can slowly pick things back up with John, Chase and Chance, it's different than it used to be.

It's interesting to see how they all deal with the changes and with Scout's return. She left one brother, but in return also turned her back to the rest of the family. Which to me was a bit difficult to understand. Somehow I got her need for a clean break from Conn, but it wasn't fair towards the others. Also as we never get into the reason of why Conn is so hateful towards the world, and what exactly happened between him and Scout, made him a difficult person to understand. The motivation for his behaviour was lost to me and left me disconnected from him.

As for the romance part of this book, that at times actually felt a bit bland. It's clear for me from the beginning how the other brother feels for her, and the way Scout feels for him. So that part was somewhat predictable. Though there were still plenty of other twists and turns that made this story so captivating. It's that struggle, the impending doom and all the high emotions, that made it so riveting.

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The Author

I'm a wife, a mom, a writer. I started writing because I loved it and I'm still writing because I love it. I write young adult because I still believe in true love, kindred spirits, and happy endings. Here's to staying young at heart *raises champagne glass* . . . care to join me?

Connect with Nicole Williams:

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Excerpt & Giveaway: Priya in Heels by Ayesha Patel

Love doesn’t conquer all…does it?

Priyanka Patel is the epitome of an obedient daughter. She’s finishing up her medical residency at one of Houston’s busiest emergency departments, and has agreed—albeit reluctantly—to marry the man her family has chosen for her. The only thing that can derail the “perfect” life laid out before her is the sexy musician down the hall who wants into her life…and into her bed.

Tyler O’Connor has been infatuated with Priya since she treated his sprained ankle in the ER, and after saving her from a brutal attack, he can't get her out of his head. When Priya puts her family's wishes before their relationship, agreeing to an arranged marriage with another man, Tyler is devastated.

But love is fierce and unreasonable and clashes with the carefully sculpted life her parents want for her. Is going after her heart such a big deal, or will it truly unravel Priya’s world?

Women who wore heels all day belonged in a mental institution for heinous self harm. Residency taught us to always look professional, and I envied the female docs who rocked nice shoes every day, but I drew the line with heels. Hello, plantar fasciitis, anyone?

Even in sneakers, pain bubbled around my ankles and prickled up my calves. One month of fifteen-hour days in one of Houston’s busiest emergency departments had turned my ankles into dainty twigs ready to snap in half.

I tried not to wobble to room twenty-three, and the wheelchair in the corner called my name. Maybe the ED tech could wheel me to the next patient?

The nurses giggled as I hobbled past station two.

“Oh, honey, try doing this for a living,” Mara said.

“You’ll get used to it,” David encouraged.

Right.

I skimmed over the file I’d been using to fan myself with. It belonged to a man who lived in epic STDville. Eww. Thank goodness his numerous venereal diseases couldn’t attach to his folder and fly off onto my mouth.

“Oh, wait, this one.” Dr. Lemur snatched that folder from me and replaced it with a thinner one.

This man thought he had a broken ankle. Much better! On my last day in ED rotation, I wasn’t in the mood to deal with another nasty sexaholic. I had already had one last week, and the guy had persistently hit on me. He had been lucky that he’d walked out with his genitals intact.

More times than not, the reality of a person’s illness paled in comparison to what they thought they had. This broken ankle was more likely a sprained one, and that was an easy fix.

Still attached to my notes, I opened and closed the glass door to room twenty-three, then closed the curtain behind me before looking up. What a mistake! I almost stumbled over my aching feet. Okay, I had to close my mouth now before the patient slapped a piece of tape across my forehead that read, “Idiotic Buffoon.”

The patient straightened and gave me a lazy smile. Yeah, he knew he had the looks. Shimmering green eyes like emeralds. Auburn hair, a little wavy, wisped across his forehead, curled over his ears, and flirted with his shirt collar. Kissable lips curved upward, set above a firm, square jaw. He almost had me stuttering like a boy-crazy teenager, the way his intense eyes held my attention.

Icy air puffed down from the ceiling vent and tickled the back of my neck, jolting me back to my senses. It was one of those weird moments when time stopped and all of a sudden you couldn’t remember what you were doing or how long you’d been mentally gone. It was a moment that made me think, Damn!

“Tyler O’Connor?” I managed to say, playing off my unprofessional reaction to the stunningly handsome man and quelling any interest.

“Yep,” he replied in a thick, low voice. Either too dreamy to be real or sleepy from pain medicine.

“Think you sprained your ankle or broke it?”

“Yep.”

“Okay, let’s take a look.” I snapped on a pair of white gloves from the triage cart, pulled up a rolling stool, and sat down. All the while, I surreptitiously noticed that Tyler was focused on my face, so meeting his eyes again was impossible.

With shoe off, sock on, Tyler rested the injured foot on a chair. The butcher paper crinkled underneath him as he shifted on the gurney while I lifted his foot onto my lap. At six-foot-one and a muscular two hundred pounds, according to his chart, his leg felt like dead weight.

I pulled down his sock to check for bruising and wounds, then pressed and felt for swelling. He hissed.

“Hurts?”

“Yep,” he responded in his amazing verbal repertoire.

“What were you doing when you injured yourself?”

“Walked off stage and buckled on a step.”

The image of this tall, brawny man stumbling down a few steps tickled me. I stifled a giggle. When I looked up, he rested his forearms on his thighs and leaned in, his face way too close for comfort.

“Oh, sorry.” Apparently, the giggle had escaped.

He flashed an insanely swoon-worthy smile. “Do I need an X-ray?”

“Only if you want to spend a bunch of time in our lovely hospital.”

“Do I get a meal and you at my bedside?”

I responded dryly to subdue his flirting, “You get a hit of high-energy electrons and an hour of sitting alone.”

“It’s not even broken, is it?”

“No.” I couldn’t help myself. I thumped his ankle. He jerked forward. “A broken ankle would hurt much worse.” I returned his foot to the chair and rolled away.

“Yeah, I figured. Bar owner demanded I get it checked.”

“Guess he thought you’d sue?”

He shrugged and I wrote a few notes as he craned his neck to look over the folder’s edge. “Thought you guys had electronic notes.”

“We do. This is for my personal notes to take to clinic. I’m a resident, so…” I responded as if that explained anything because, of course, everyone knew residents made their own notes to study and report back to their attending doctors.

“Cool.”

“Are you in pain? I can prescribe something.” This tactic tended to flush out drug abusers, those who went straight to narcotics.

“Nah. Rest, ice, compress, elevate. Right?”

“You got it.”

“Guess I wasted two hours and a hundred bucks for nothing. I should make the bar owner pay.”

“Look on the bright side, Mr. O’Connor, at least you have good insurance.”

“Better than that, I have a good doctor. Are you working late?”

“No. You’re my last patient.”

“Are you doing anything after work?”

I peered up and tried very hard to hide an impending grin. My lips quivered in the futile effort, and the boy-crazy teenager inside of me giggled with excitement. “I’m not allowed to date patients, Mr. O’Connor.”

“Ah. Well, in half an hour I won’t be your patient, right?”

“You know what I mean. We would have had to meet a different way.”

“Well, how about you come by The Harmon’s where my band’s playing? We could meet there.”

“The bar? Your bar? Where you tripped?” An image of him falling crossed my thoughts.

“You think it’s funny?”

I frowned. “Sorry. Of course it’s not funny, Mr. O’Connor.”

He chuckled. “Anyway, check us out. We’ll be going back on at eleven.”

Standing, I handed him a piece of paper to end the conversation before it traveled down personal roads. “Here’s a prescription for pain medicine, in case you need it. Eight hundred milligrams of Tylenol.”

“I could just inhale four over-the-counter Tylenol, right?”

“Yes.”

“I didn’t catch your name.”

“I’m sorry. I failed to introduce myself. I’m Dr. Patel.”

“And your first name?”

“Irrelevant.”

He lowered his eyes to my chest and slowly dragged them back up. “Pry-anne-kah?”

I flipped the name badge and slapped it against my chest. “Observant, aren’t you?” I said curtly, hating that the residents had both first and last names on our badges.

“Did I pronounce it wrong?” He grinned again.

“Yes. It’s pronounced Pree-ahn-ka. Priyanka.”

“That’s kinda hard. Think I’ll call you Pree.”

“You can call me Dr. Patel.” I gritted my teeth.

“Is that offensive?”

“Houston only has a million Indians, and a million other ethnic people. You should try harder to properly pronounce names instead of being lazy and assigning unwanted and unwarranted nicknames.”

“Ouch!”

I shook my head and forced a smile. “Don’t overdo it tonight. Have a good one, and take care of that ankle.”

“Bye, Dr. Patel,” he said in a somewhat amused tone.

There were many things I couldn’t tolerate, including people who judged, those who expected doctors and nurses to be at their beck and call, and people who thought they couldn’t pronounce a three-syllable name. “Priyanka” wasn’t that difficult, especially in comparison to some names. Snapping at a cocky patient wasn’t acceptable, but Tyler would walk out of here unscathed by my anger. Mostly.

Like the rest of the patients who wandered in and out of the ED, Mr. Tyler O’Connor faded from memory soon enough. Despite his remarkable good looks, perhaps the hottest Irishman ever, only patients with interesting reasons to visit stayed with me. Like the STD guy, and the woman who had lacerated her vulva because she had decided to crawl over a bathroom partition to get out of her locked stall…as opposed to crawling under on a dirty floor in her pretty dress. The partition had broken beneath her weight, and well, the rest had been a painful, tear-filled adventure. I tingled with sympathy for her.

My shift officially ended, and hell month in ED would soon be a haunting memory. Another hour of electronic charting and handwritten notes for myself and I was ready to skip right on out. Well, I would’ve stayed if a car accident came in, a stroke victim, or the always emotional pediatric case—for the experience—but nothing of the sort happened.

I changed out of my hospital-assigned blue scrubs and into jeans and a snug, black top. I slipped on my favorite plaid pink and purple backpack because, of course, I intended to bring plaid back, and hurried out to my car just as my cell rang.

“Hey, Vicki. What’s going on?”

“Are you coming to dinner, or what?” my roommate asked in a high-pitched voice above the clamor of what sounded like a party in the background.

“I’m just leaving work. Where are you?”

“The Harmon’s.”

“Oh, uh, sure.”

“We just got here, waiting for a table. We should be seated by the time you get here, but you can still grab some food from the bar menu.”

The thought of running into a patient outside of work, particularly to a place he had invited me to, caused me to hesitate. “It’s late.”

“Have you eaten?”

“No.”

“Not all day, right? Get some food, hang with us, come out once in a while!”

“Ugh, sure. Be there in twenty minutes.”

Though I dreaded being seen by Tyler O’Connor, because he would assume I went there for him, The Harmon’s Brewery & Restaurant had the best food, a rocking vibe, and was centrally located for my friends. We ate there at least once a month. The only problem with the place was its downtown location, which meant a ton of one-way streets, horrible parking, outrageous parking fees, and weekend crowds half drunk and wholly pushy. But I was starved because I hadn’t had time for lunch or dinner again, and the fridge at the apartment was a little sad.

Vicki cooked more than I did. She had a nine-to-five job, Monday through Friday, and loved the Food Network. But she never cooked on Fridays, which were knighted “leftover day.” She never cooked on Saturdays, either, because it was girls’ night out. Sometimes I believed Vicki didn’t cook on those days to dwindle down our food supply so I had no choice but to meet her someplace if I wanted to eat.

It worked.

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The Author

Ayesha Patel was born in the rich and colorful state of Gujarat in western India before moving to Texas. She quickly found her footing in languages and creative writing and weaves her diverse background into her stories. She currently lives in the beautiful, though rainy, state of Washington with her husband and two puppies, Gambit and Rogue. With a splendid view of Mt. Ranier behind her, a cup of coffee in her hand, and a ridiculously fast laptop at her fingertips, Ayesha is thrilled to explore the literary world.

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