Critical Care

CALVERT, CANDACE

CRITICAL CARE

After her brother dies in a trauma room, nurse Claire Avery can no longer face the ER. She's determined to make a fresh start -- new hospital, new career in nursing education -- move forward, no turning back. But her plans fall apart when she's called to offer stress counseling for medical staff after a heartbreaking daycare centre explosion. Worse, she's forced back to the ER, where she clashes with Logan Caldwell, a doctor who believes touchy-feely counseling is a waste of time. He demands his staff to be as tough as he is is. Yet he finds himself drawn to this nurse educator...who just might teach him the true meaning of healing.

I'M KICKING MYSELF FOR WAITING SO LONG TO READ THIS. I'M NOT A GREAT FAN OF MEDICAL DRAMAS ON TELEVISION AND I WAS CONCERNED THAT THE MEDICAL JARGON WOULD BE TOO DETAILED AND PULL AWAY FROM THE STORY.

I WAS SO WRONG!

CRITICAL CARE IS ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I HAVE EVER READ! I LOVE CALVERT'S STYLE -- HER WRITING IS SMOOTH, DESCRIPTIVE AND COMPELLING. HER WORDS ENTICED ME TO READ MORE...AND MORE...AND MORE. I HAD A HARD TIME PUTTING THIS BOOK DOWN.

THE PLOT WAS SOLID -- AND YES THERE WERE ER SCENES, BUT THEY WEREN'T WEIGHTED DOWN WITH TERMINOLOGY. IT WAS THERE, BRINGING A SENSE OF REALISM TO THE SCENE, BUT CALVERT ALSO LET US INSIDE HER CHARACTERS' MINDS SO WE COULD FEEL THEIR EMOTIONS AS WELL. IRONICALLY, THE ER SCENES BECAME SOME OF MY FAVOURITES.

I LOVE THE WAY THE ROMANCE BETWEEN LOGAN AND CLAIRE IS DEVELOPED AS WELL. CALVERT DID A WONDERFUL JOB OF PORTRAYING THAT AWKWARD RELUCTANCE TO AN ATTRACTION YOU'RE NOT SURE YOU'RE READY FOR. BUT SHE DIDN'T BELABOR IT AND THE ROMANCE BUILDS INTO SOME INCREDIBLY ROMANTIC SCENES.

THE ONLY GOOD THING ABOUT ME WAITING SO LONG TO PICK UP ONE OF CANDACE CALVERT'S NOVELS IS THAT I CAN NOW RUSH OUT AND READ BOTH THE SECOND AND THE THIRD IN THE MERCY HOSPITAL SERIES.