A Nurse to Claim His Heart - Juliette Hyland (HMED #1237 - Apr 2022)

Series: Neonatal Nurses (Book 1)

Will a fake relationship turn into a forever romance?
A picture is worth a thousand words…What about a viral video?
 
When Dr. Benedict saves an infant on the Washington Metro, the treatment he performs with nurse Penny becomes the talk of the town—and social media! Not least because the world thinks they’re a couple… While a real relationship is a no-go zone for divorced Benedict, prolonging their “faux-mance” is the perfect way to raise vital hospital funds. But the longer their ruse goes on, the more real it feels!
 
Good fake-relationship-turned-real story. Benedict and Penny work together in the local NICU. They've known each other for several years and were friends before Penny became engaged and moved away. Benedict had a bit of a crush on her but has many reasons to keep his emotions locked up. Then Penny returned to DC, no longer engaged, and took up her old position in the NICU, but their friendship didn't follow suit.
 
Penny came back after she ended her engagement to her lying ex-fiance. It turned out the man was married and managed to hide it all that time. Devastated by the betrayal and angry that she missed the signs, Penny has difficulty trusting her judgment.
 
Benedict and Penny were in the same subway car when a medical incident happened with a baby. Their teamwork kicked in, and they handled the emergency efficiently, quickly becoming a social media sensation. Because the hospital is fundraising for a cause near Benedict's heart, they reluctantly agree when the PR department asks him and Penny to pretend to be a couple for a few weeks. Neither expected the strength of the sparks that flared between them.
 
Benedict and Penny fool themselves into believing that they can indulge their attraction without their feelings getting involved. Penny already knows that Benedict doesn't believe in love, while she still hopes for the kind of love and marriage her parents have. Benedict's history is heart-breaking, and I ache for the load of guilt that he carries. At the time of his brother's death, he also did something that speaks well of his kindness and compassion but is about to come back and cause problems for him with Penny.
 
I liked seeing Benedict and Penny spend time together. Penny's powers of observation give her some good insight into Benedict, but nothing she says gets through his layers of guilt. And despite the feelings he refuses to admit, he hangs on to his opinion about love. I ached for Penny, who could no longer deny her feelings, and whose feelings of betrayal hit hard when she found out Benedict's secret. Benedict redeemed himself very nicely, with an excellently carried out surprise.

The Shoe Diaries - Darby Baham (HSE #2890 - Feb 2022)

Series: Friendship Chronicles (Book 1)

It's never too late to put your best foot forward
 
From the outside, Reagan “Rae” Doucet has it all: a coveted career in Washington, DC, a tight circle of friends and a shoe closet to die for. When one of her crew falls ill, however, Rae is done playing it safe. The talented but unfulfilled writer makes a “risk list” to revamp her life. But forgiving her ex, Jake Saunders, might be one risk too many…
 
For me, this was just an okay book. I had a hard time liking the main character, Rae. Early in the book, she seems to have a constant litany of complaints, from her job to her love life, but no intention of actually doing anything about them. The best part of her life is her vast closet full of shoes, and even there, she shows discontent over the ones she's never worn.
 
Rae is a journalist who works for an online magazine in DC, writing about political and social issues. She'd love to take her articles in new directions, but her boss is resistant to the idea, and Rae doesn't push. Instead, she backs down and grumbles to her friends about being stifled. She runs into her ex-boyfriend from college, who apologizes for being a jerk and indicates an interest in trying again. But Rae isn't interested in risking her heart on someone who's already broken it once.
 
Then one of Rae's best friends falls ill. Christine encourages Rae to stop playing it safe and go after what she wants while she can. With the encouragement of her friends, Rae begins a "risk list" of goals to break out of her safe little world. But writing it down and doing it are two different propositions, and weeks go by with no progress. I liked seeing her other friends hold Rae accountable for her delaying tactics.
 
I was happy when Rae finally started taking those risks, though I ached for her over the catalyst for it. I especially enjoyed her confrontation with her boss, though I initially thought she would back down again. Her fears are understandable, and the realism of her job search was well done. It was great to see that someone appreciated her drive and creativity when she found a good fit for employment.
 
My biggest disappointment was in the lack of romance. At the beginning of the book, there's a brief sighting of Jake, the college ex, but then Rae gets involved with this other guy. It looked serious, which left me confused. When that relationship crashed and burned, I ached for Rae and understood what happened. I liked the support she received from her friends and family but wondered if/when we'd see Jake again. Though he made a few more appearances, I never felt any connection between him and Rae, so the so-called romance fell flat for me.
 
This book felt much more like a chick-lit story than a romance. I liked seeing the growth that Rae experienced and enjoyed the linking of her shoes to various life events. It isn't unusual for inanimate objects to trigger memories, which was well done. I would like to have seen an epilogue with a bit more of Rae and Jake together. Hopefully, they will show up in the next book.