by Nicki Edwards
Published by Momentum
on January 22nd 2015
Genres: Australian Rural Romance, Contemporary, Medical, Romance
Pages: 182
Intensive Care is a straight-down-the-line medical romance with an Aussie rural-romance flavour. Kate Kennedy is a capable intensive care nurse manager with a successful but controlling partner. Their life in Sydney seems as slick and shiny as their minimalist, modern apartment – but you know the drill, looks are deceiving, and when push comes to shove Kate packs up suddenly, and scoops up a job in a country Base Hospital ICU.
The generous, warm local coffee shop owner, a contrast in every way to her previous man, catches Kate’s eye. There follows my favourite part of the book – a slow-burn friends-to-lovers story. And who doesn’t love an Irishman who can pour a perfect flat white as easily as he can build a fence? But old sorrows, like dumped exes, are not so easily left behind; and, being a medical romance, you know you’re in for a fair share of medical drama as well.
I loved most of this book. As I’ve said, Friends-to-Lovers is a favourite trope of mine, as is Competence Porn (Kate’s a nurse who knows her stuff!), and I also like that this is book with competent med-picking and no obvious glaring errors in that area.
I did feel a bit manipulated by the conclusion of the book, as it suddenly morphed into what felt to me like Christian message-fiction. I didn’t need a lecture (and one veering into anti-choice territory, at that) on top of the story – just let the story tell itself. My only other critique is the bad cover, which looks like a DIY self-pubbed job, and definitely does not do the book justice.
I’d definitely pick up another Nicki Edwards book, if the anvilicious religious-message side of things was eliminated.
[Content note for domestic abuse.]