[Note from Frolic: Today, our friends at Harlequin have rounded up some must-read medical romances. Take it away!]
Escape to the world where life and love play out against a high-pressured medical backdrop. Six new books available every month!
The Vet’s Unexpected Hero by Traci Douglass (First Response in Florida, #1) Available May 25
About the Book:
In the midst of the hurricane…will she find safety in his arms?
Vet Lucy Miller is happy with her quiet, ordered life. But when a tropical storm bears down on her Florida Keys animal sanctuary, the arrival of devastatingly gorgeous, yet equally guarded, emergency medic Jackson Durand brings disorder—and desire! He’s there to rescue her, but Lucy suspects her red-hot reaction to Jackson will be much more dangerous than the storm raging overhead…
Exclusive Excerpt:
[Jackson] finished his report, then turned the podium over to the chief of police to discuss law enforcement’s preparations for the storm.
Good thing, too, since his attention kept returning to Lucy Miller. The name suited her. Short, sweet and no-nonsense. She stared back at him, her dark eyes wide, her long hair tied back into a neat ponytail at the base of her neck with a light green scrunchie the exact same color as the top she was wearing. Her cheeks were flushed, and dark brows knit. She crossed her arms, fingers tapping on her skin, three times. Stop. Three more times.
Yep. Definitely something going on there.
“That’s right isn’t it, IC?” the police chief asked, and Jackson found himself at a loss.
Crap. He cleared his throat and stared down at the notes in front of him, trying to get his head back in the game. This wasn’t like him. He was Mr. Efficiency. Mr. Two Steps Ahead of Everyone Else, because he had to be. Mr. Get the Job Done. This was ridiculous. He had important things to do here. Way more important than watching some woman he’d just met, no matter how attractive.
“Weather,” Luis whispered helpfully from where he’d taken a seat at the table.
“Right. Current reports have Mathilda veering west of the Keys with only the possibility of some minor outer band involvement as she passes. Therefore, our current readiness level is staying at three. If the path of the storm changes however, we will update the status appropriately. Please keep your phones on and be ready to respond to any alerts. Also, remember that if the readiness level reaches one, all team members are required to shelter in place within the city limits of Key West for the duration, so prepare accordingly for that as well. Might not come to that, God willing, but better safe than sorry.”
Jackson shuffled his notes, his gaze flicking back to Lucy again. She was chatting quietly with Stacy now, who’d taken a seat beside her at the table again, and Lucy smiled at something Stacy said. And man, what a smile that was. Like a sunbeam breaking through the clouds above. A good smile.
A beautiful smile.
Her One Night Secret by Traci Douglass (First Response in Florida, #2) Available May 25
About the Book:
A return, a reunion…A shocking revelation!
Firefighter Stacy Williams knows two things about her return to Key West. Her promotion gives her the security she needs to raise her son, and it will be almost impossible to suppress the memories of her passionate night with Dr. Luis Durand. Almost…until working on the hurricane response team brings an encounter with the tall, dark and nomadic doc! And the chance to make her life-changing confession…
Exclusive Excerpt:
Silently, he moved in beside his brother now and leaned back against the wall, grateful for the dimmed lights in the room as he stared up at the podium and the presenter.
Stacy Williams.
The name suited her—steady, sure, sensible, sexy as hell yet completely unassuming.
It was that last one that had his throat constricting with adrenaline as long-ago memories assailed him. Still hushed, still shadowed. But then they’d been on the beach, just the two of them beneath the moonlight, huddled on a blanket, entwined in each other’s arms, the stars the only witness as they’d made love on the sand dune and his world had been rocked forever.
That had been the night before he’d left to go to Myanmar. The night when the future had seemed so uncertain and the only tangible thing he’d had to hold on to had been her. If he closed his eyes, he could still remember the feel of her silky skin against him, hear her soft cries as she came undone in his arms, taste the sweetness of her kisses on his lips…
“Everything okay?” Jackson asked, giving him some serious side-eye.
“Fine,” Luis said, shaking off the unwanted warmth inside him. It had been one night, a drunken fling. It didn’t mean anything at all. Even if it kind of felt like it did, at least to him. He wasn’t really a one-night-stand kind of man. Wasn’t a relationship guy at all, honestly. He didn’t have the time.
Too busy taking care of others. Always putting others’ wants and needs ahead of his own.
He was a doctor. That’s what he did. Who he was.
“And now I’ll turn things back over to IC Jackson Durand,” Stacy said before heading back to her seat, her gaze briefly meeting Luis’s before flickering away again.
Luis’s gut clenched. She recognized him. She knew.
They’d never spoken after that night. He’d left the US early the next morning on his flight, and she’d gone back to Miami, he’d assumed. They’d both gotten on with their lives, obviously. But in that brief meeting of their eyes, he’d seen her blue ones widen slightly and Luis knew she’d been remembering that night, too. Before he caught himself, he was moving across the room to stand closer to where she was sitting.
Healing Her Emergency Doc by Caroline Anderson, Available May 25
About the Book:
His runaway date is back……for good?
When Laura and Tom find themselves competing for a job in Yoxburgh Park Hospital’s ER, it’s, well, awkward! Last time they met, Laura ran…before they could become more than friends. But with just one job on offer, what’s the harm in giving in to temptation? They’ll hardly be working together. Right? Wrong! And when Tom gets a life-changing diagnosis, can Laura convince Tom that she’s ready to be by his side—always?
Exclusive Excerpt:
‘Laura?’
The voice was deep, soft, and weirdly familiar. She hadn’t heard it for years, but it still made her heart tumble in her chest.
No. It can’t be…
But her heart was doing a little jig behind her ribs as if it knew better, and she felt suddenly dizzy and light-headed.
Don’t be ridiculous. It’s just low blood sugar. Or interview nerves. And anyway, it won’t be him. Not here…
Slowly, reluctantly, she looked up and met those totally unforgettable slate grey eyes. Eyes that had teased, and laughed, and—just that once—burned for her.
But not now. Right now they looked a little stunned. She knew how that felt.
What’s he doing here?
The interview? No—but why else would he be wearing a suit? And if he was in the running, she was scuppered. He was too good—too convincing. He should have been a salesman, not a doctor. He could convince anyone of anything, and the interview panel would fall for it, just like they all did. Like she had.
Almost… But she hadn’t made it easy for him.
She’d turned him down over and over again for the whole of their medical degree course, but rejection had been a bit of a novelty for Tom ‘Mr Popularity’ Stryker and he wasn’t a quitter, so it had turned into a sort of game. He’d ask, she’d say no.
It had taken him five years of persistence, but at the Leavers’ Ball he’d had one last go, cranked up the charm to full volume and pulled out all the stops, and he’d almost convinced her to go home with him. Almost.
She hadn’t seen him since that night, but just remembering it made her squirm. Awkward wasn’t in it.
Please don’t bring it up.
Surely he wouldn’t, not here. Maybe he wouldn’t. He was smiling at her now, the warm, effortlessly sexy smile that had always made her stomach turn over and her heart beat a little faster. So that hadn’t changed, then.
Why aren’t I over you?
How to Win the Surgeon’s Heart by Tina Beckett (The Island Clinic, #1) Available June 29
About the Book:
Things are heating up…in their Caribbean paradise!
For Dr. Nate, work is everything. Without him, his renowned hospital wouldn’t exist! Now he’s ready to step up to the plate—again!—as nearby St. Victoria Hospital faces a staff shortage. Surgeon Sasha is beyond grateful for the help, but she’s not so sure about Nate… Her heart’s been broken by wealthy and far-too-attractive men before! Can Nate prove to Sasha he’s different?
Exclusive Excerpt:
The door to the back opened and a couple of people got off the shuttle, followed by a man who must be Edwards in black jeans and a matching polo shirt.
She’d expected Armani and had gotten Men in Black, instead. Great.
Maybe he’d decided to dress down for the Saint Victoria crowd.
There she went again.
Pushing through the glass door, the heat outside swept across her cheeks and made her clothing want to stick to her skin. She hurried to meet him halfway down the side
walk. “Dr. Edwards? I’m Sasha James. Nice to meet you.”
“You, as well.”
A quick smile appeared, forming a crease on the left side of his face, one which disappeared in the blink of an eye. With black hair swept back from a strong forehead and an even stronger chin, the man’s features were swoon-worthy. Fortunately, Sasha was no swooner. Not anymore. Her gaze traveled a little further down, where the swell of biceps was noticeable under the sleeves of his knit shirt. How in the world had he gotten those? Warmth washed through her belly, and her hand instinctively went there to push back the tide. It didn’t work.
She had to admit his appearance didn’t immediately scream wealth and privilege, the way she’d expected it to. The way Austin’s had done. There was no softness to his jawline, no paunch around his middle—not that her former boyfriend had had either of those things. Maybe, like Austin, this man spent hours exercising to keep himself fit. But she didn’t think so, and underneath that rugged veneer there was something that said this was a man not to be trifled with.
Well, that was okay. She’d already met his type during her time at Harvard. Rich men were a dime a dozen there. And they were not always who they seemed, as she’d discovered.
She had to admit though, Dr. Edwards had done quite a bit for the island, had taken in a lot of Saint Victoria’s hardship cases. Courtesy of The Island Clinic’s wealthy clientele.
The Pediatrician’s Twin Bombshell by Juliette Hyland, Available May 25
About the Book:
The wrong time……to meet Mr. Right?
Why is pediatrician Tessa all work and no play? Well, she’s far too used to people not believing in her. Still, Tessa can’t resist one—incredible!—night in nurse Gabe’s arms…and the chance to feel wanted. But it’s not just Tessa who is battling her past. Widower Gabe has his own scars to heal. So when Tessa discovers she’s pregnant, he’s determined to look after her! But is Tess ready to trust Gabe?
Exclusive Excerpt:
“I’ve already asked for the check and am going home to get out of these torture devi—” Her tongue froze as she met the honey eyes next to her.
God, he was gorgeous! His dark hair was trimmed, but a bit of a five o’clock shadow accented his firm jaw. His arms were muscular without looking like all he did was grunt in front of a gym mirror and drop weights on the floor.
Clearing her throat, she held up her empty glass and tried to push the unexpected arousal away. The man before her was extraordinary.
“Just let me strike out. Then I can tell my sister I tried and go home myself.” He winked before waving over her shoulder. “If you want to throw the ice in my face to make it look really convincing, she will definitely let me off the hook.”
Tessa laughed and had to stop herself from leaning closer. “I’ve never thrown anything in someone’s face. But now I kind of want to.”
“The option stands.” Two dimples appeared in the Adonis’s cheeks. “But if you keep laughing, it won’t be believable—though I wouldn’t complain. Even with the air-conditioning, this place still feels like an outer ring of—”
He caught the last word, and Tessa beamed. “Not from Texas, then?” The question slipped between them, and she gripped her glass. She hadn’t meant to drag out this encounter, but she suddenly didn’t want it to end.
She really needed to make some new friends…or set up a dating profile on one of the apps the single medical professionals were always discussing. No. She was not interested in that.
But what was five extra minutes in this hellhole, if it was with the dreamboat before her? At least he’d give her something delicious to think about in her lonely bed tonight.
“Originally, yes. But I’ve been out of the state for years. I forgot how hot it was in Dallas in June.” He leaned over her shoulder, then shook his head. “She just gave me a thumbs-up. Ah, well, I can still tell her you told me to take a hike in a few minutes. I’m Gabe.”
“Gabe?” The subtle shift in his voice tickled the back of her brain. Her gaze wandered his chiseled cheeks, and the bite of recognition stole through her. It couldn’t be… “Gabe Davis?”
Island Fling with the Surgeon by Ann McIntosh, Available July 27
About the Book:
Make-believe? Or more than she bargained for?
When Dr. Genevieve Broussard convinces nurse Zach Lewin to enter a fake relationship to help keep her meddling mom off her back, she’s confident there’s no danger of it turning into anything more. Her first priority has to be her surgical career, and both Gen and Zach are still reeling from recent betrayals. But as the summer heat in the Caribbean loosens inhibitions, their fake “affair” is at risk of becoming all too real…
Exclusive Excerpt:
The first time Dr. Genevieve Broussard operated with the assistance of surgical nurse Zachary Lewin she was cautious, as was normal when working with new personnel. But the main difference, in that circumstance, was how aware she was of him. His presence alone put her on high alert in a way she didn’t imagine she’d be if he were a woman.
Of course, it was hard not to be aware of Zach. Although he wasn’t exceptionally tall—perhaps three or four inches above her own five foot six—he was barrel-chested and solid; the muscles in his arms and legs seemed set to tear open the seams of his scrubs.
He was also very good-looking, his skin the color of café au lait with a sprinkle of light freckles across his nose and cheeks, making her wonder if he had any elsewhere. Not conventionally handsome by any means, but striking in a serious, no-nonsense type of way. The lovely British accent didn’t hurt either, adding a rather exotic flair to an already interesting package.
And he had a direct, interrogative way of looking at her, as though his dark brown gaze was trying to ferret out her every secret.
He was also quiet and—she later came to learn—rather solitary, with an air of distance that forestalled any impertinence or overtures of friendship.
Not that, at the time, she was considering fostering any kind of camaraderie. She hadn’t come to St. Eustace to make friends, especially of the male persuasion. All she needed to know was whether he was competent in the operating room or not. Especially since the anesthesiologist she’d been assigned was one of the new doctors who’d traveled to St. Eustace to gain extra experience.
She’d been assured the young anesthesiologist was capable, and all she had to do was keep an eye on him and write a report afterward, but the teenage patient on her operation table was her first concern.
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