[ARC REVIEW] “Doctor Dearest” By: R.S. Grey

Official Synopsis:

Natalie

Dr. Easton is part man, part myth.
He’s a formidable surgeon. Highly respected in his field.
He also happens to be an ex-collegiate quarterback with a classically handsome face.
Are you catching on yet?
He’s horrible.
Beautiful.
A walking Ralph Lauren ad.
He’s also so off limits he should come with a warning label: This way lies heartache.

Not only is he an attending at the hospital where I’m training, he’s also my brother’s best friend. If you’ve lost count, that’s two reasons why I plan on putting this ridiculous crush behind me. Besides, it’s definitely not mutual.

Dr. Easton has never once paid me special attention. No tempting smirks. Not even one subtle innuendo. To him, I’m just another resident—all but invisible.

Connor

For the last five years, I’ve mentored Natalie in the OR, stayed in line, and kept my hands to myself, but it’s been agonizing.

Natalie is trouble in scrubs. A walking temptation I’ve been forced to ignore.

For so long, I’ve wanted her in silence. By the time fate finally throws me a bone, my patience has run out.

Natalie’s brother is leaving town, and he wants me to watch over her while he’s gone.

He has no idea how I feel about her.
Neither does she.
But she will.

Haven’t you heard good things come to those who wait, Natalie?
Well…I’ve done my waiting.

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Review:

“Doctor Dearest” includes all of the great signature stamps of an R.S. Grey book — especially the witty banter!

I know she has written other books before with doctors as the main characters (like Hotshot Doc), but I haven’t read them. Even though Connor was sort of her superior, him and Natalie seemed to be on a more even playing field, which I liked. Natalie works in the pediatric burn unit (BICU), whereas Connor is a plastic surgeon, so they will occasionally work together on surgeries.

My biggest contention with this book was actually a thought that Natalie had. I don’t want to include the exact quote, since I read an ARC version, but the line seemed to suggest that asking for consent isn’t romantic, or something along those lines, and it rubbed me the wrong way. The whole romanticization of controlling behave isn’t something I support, so even though it’s a common reoccurrence in romance books (in lots of R.S. Grey’s, but she’s not the only one), I still always feel the need to mention in my review. It won’t stop me from reading her books in the future, but it does make me concerned for readers who might not look at it as critically as I do. I wouldn’t want them to think that consent isn’t something that should be discussed with their partners. I think it can start to set a dangerous precedent, even though I’m confident that’s not the intention.

Aside from those types of moments, I really enjoyed the rest of it! Natalie was a fun, confident, and relatable character. She was a great doctor, and that was never undermined. I liked how her relationship with her brother, Noah, and her best friend, Lindsay, was portrayed. (I sense a companion novel in there too…) In one scene where Natalie and Lindsey are talking to some guys in a bar, the guys were trying to guess their occupations. Their first guess was PR and communications, which is actually what I’m studying right now in college! I’m a fan of the ‘brother’s-best-friend’ trope, which is obviously present in this book. Without giving too much away, a twist (or, I should say, a surprise) shows up later on in the book, which complicates all of the relationships. I like how it was portrayed though, with neither Natalie nor Connor becoming toxic towards each other because of it. They handled it like adults (which, they are, but still, it was nice to read). That being said, although the timeline might not have worked in terms of how long it takes to become a doctor (I’m a PR major, remember? Definitely not looking into medical school!), but I feel like the story would have benefitted if Natalie and Connor were both in their twenties. Calling the book ‘new adult’ when Connor is well into his thirties (although Natalie is in her late twenties) feels a little more ‘adult’ than ‘new adult’ — at least according to how I personally understand the genre.

Overall, this was an enjoyable book, and I’m excited to read more of Rachel’s (R.S. Grey) in the future! I received a digital copy of this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review.