This book is a good fit for readers looking for a heartwarming story about unexpected connections, finding a sense of belonging, and the power of love and care during vulnerable times

Marion Lennox’s Pregnant Midwife on His Doorstep should have, could have, and on some level, probably was a fine romance. It contains many love-worthy elements: forced-proximity, one-bed, puppies, a super-nice hero, and likeable heroine. And yet.

Here is, verbatim, Pregnant Midwife‘s blurb-summary:

Neurosurgeon Josh O’Connor’s isolated island hideaway is on lockdown, but nothing will stop him entering a raging cyclone to rescue mom-to-be midwife Hannah Byrne. Hannah hasn’t found happiness since leaving her beloved Irish village. Yet stepping into Josh’s warm house, she starts to feel she might finally have found a home—for her and her unborn baby. Might Josh’s rescuing Hannah from the storm change both their lives for the better?

It doesn’t do justice to Lennox’s fine writing, her ability to capture landscape and stormy weather, to draw the reader in with a knight-in-shining-armor, breath-holding rescue scene, one of Lennox’s favourite openings. Put the heroine in danger, match her with a knight-hero, have her be rescued and then, have her, in turn, emotionally rescue the hero. It’s a lovely theme and it should have appealed more than it did. Together, Josh and Hannah are lovely. They’re not given to sentimental dialogue, nor do they snap and banter their way to a reluctant liking and truce. They’re gently humourous, no-nonsense, and good at their work. They make a great team when they have to rescue another family stranded in the storm on the other side of the island. So, what made this a desultory read?

To start, let me give an idea of what Lennox can do, a snippet of the stormy rescue scene. Josh struggles to get Hannah out of her car after precariously hangs from the island bridge collapse:

A massive plank was wedged against the driver’s door. It was being shoved in by more timbers. The car was being pushed further in. He could see a face at the driver’s window. A woman’s face, framed by a mass of copper-red curls. A mask of terror. The woman was struggling. She was youngish. Soaked. Small but bulky. Terrified.

It’s spare, immediate, and draws the reader in. The same with the family rescue scene. The engagement ended there.

What I found was a slog was buying-into Josh and Hannah’s backstories, which served as their obstacles to love. Josh is guilt-ridden from an accident five years ago, when his younger sister was killed. It was his fault, but he remains haunted by it and has retreated to this island refuge, eschewing human connection. And yet, Josh is the warmest, friendliest, most helpful of men. And he spends most of the novel doing the opposite of what he thinks, and think he does, way too much. Hannah, on the other hand, craves human companionship, especially after her boyfriend left her when she became pregnant. And yet, she spends most of the novel declaring how she can handle things on her own. Except she never does: Josh to the rescue. On the other hand, given she’s eight-months pregnant, her protestations are unreasonable, more about bravado than realistic. From the start, it’s obvious Josh and Hannah belong together: they’re utterly and completely compatible. Their inner journeys to realising so, not terribly interesting. They doth protest too much. On the other hand, the final scene, a proposal, is magnificent, almost making up for the pages of ho-hum exposition. With Miss Austen, we deem Pregnant Midwife on His Doorstep “real comfort,” Emma.

Marion Lennox’s Pregnant Midwife on His Doorstep is published by Harlequin. It was released in July 2020 and may be found at your preferred vendor. I received an e-galley, from Harlequin, via Netgalley.

This was a decent read. It was light and quick to read. The characters were likable and the overall plot was good. I recommend.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a free copy of the book via NetGalley.

Pregnant Midwife on His Doorstep is a heartwarming romance featuring two somewhat prickly characters who find themselves falling in love very much in spite of themselves, in the middle of a storm, and medical crises. There are multiple occasions in the story where medical expertise is helpful and both characters are shown as very competent – particularly Josh, our neurosurgeon hero. Given the plethora of medical drama, the romance itself doesn’t seem as high-octane, but it is complex and emotional. Josh and Hannah’s past traumas don’t source from the storm, and they’re not as easily dealt with as the physical aftermath of a hurricane, even a scarily powerful one. The characters come together believably, their pasts making their choices to be together even more satisfying when those choices are made. Lennox has penned a very strong story that pulls you forward and leaves you with a great Happily Ever After.

Who is Hannah? Where is she from and where do we find her? Who are Josh and Maisie? What do we learn about Maisie in the first chapter alone? While Josh seemed crusty and. hard, the more I read, I realized he was just soft and squishy. When a massive storm hits, what series of events transpire that changes the tone of parts of the story? Oh my, this story took a series of twists and turns that I did not expect. I could not stop reading this story. See why.

Not something I will be reading again though because I found this book a little bit boring. The story was meh.

Thank you NetGalley, Harlequin Romance and Marion Lennox for gifting me an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
When neurosurgeon Josh saves the life of eight months pregnant, Hannah, during a storm, neither of them expect the sparks to fly. Together they hunker down and brave the storm, all the while getting to know each other and building a connecting. Soon, though, the storm has passed and they need to decide if their connection can last.
There were a few moments that seemed a little far-fetched and unnecessary, but I found this romance sweet and enjoyable. If you’re looking for your next HAE, look no further!

Good book. Josh has locked himself and his emotions away for the last three years. Consumed by grief and guilt over his younger sister's death, he focuses on his work and avoids human contact whenever possible. That isolation comes to an end when he rescues a pregnant woman during a cyclone.

This book sucked me in fast with the intensity of the action and emotions. Josh is preparing his house to withstand the cyclone when he witnesses the island's only bridge collapse with a car on it. Still haunted by the events of the past, he can't stand by and do nothing. I was glued to the pages as he raced to the site and struggled to save Hannah and her dog from the ocean.

I ached for Hannah. She left her Irish village with her boyfriend, traveling the world. When she ends up pregnant, he leaves her. Her family in Ireland disowned her, and the only family she has in Australia is a grouchy old great-aunt on this tiny island. When she arrived on the island to check on her aunt, she found her aunt had died, leaving Hannah to care for the dog.

I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Hannah and Josh. Hannah is more open and talkative and very independent. She doesn't like asking for help but will accept it when she has no other choice. Josh is used to living alone and doesn't want to talk about himself. It was fun to see their initial interactions. Josh's protectiveness kicks in quickly, and Hannah finds herself giving in to his care despite her independence. I loved seeing them work together to help the dog, along with all of the emotions that the situation brought to the surface. Among those emotions are unexpected sparks that flare between them. With the realization that Hannah would leave when the weather permitted, Josh discovered that isolation no longer had the same appeal.

Hannah fights hard against her desire to lean on Josh. She's aware of his need to be alone and does her best to convince him that she doesn't need him. That becomes a little harder to do when she unexpectedly goes into labor. I loved seeing Josh so involved and how Hannah and Erin find their way past his walls and into his heart. Hannah still insists on her independence until a crisis has her actually asking for his help. It was an emotional time for Hannah, and I loved the support that Josh gave her. It was also an eye-opening time for him. I loved his welcome home for her. It was sweet and romantic and a bit over-the-top. Josh's words to her showed how well he knew her and broke through her walls. Hannah finally understood that she could have the love and future she had given up on.

I loved the final scene in the book and how it showed the changes in their lives.

I want to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and author Marion Lennox for providing me with an ARC of the title Pregnant Midwife on His Doorstep!

This title was such a nice reprieve from some heavier reading! I love anything to do with the medical field, so this was spot on for me. The relationship between Josh and Hannah was sweet and simple, and it developed nicely throughout this novel. If you need a quick read that is light and distracting, pick up this title. It’s not anything earth shattering, but it’s good nonetheless.

Thank you again to those named above for the chance to read and review this ARC!

Unfortunately, I found this book to be a bit of a mess.

As the book opens, we are introduced To Josh. Due to some personal trauma, this former neurosurgeon is living a relatively secluded life on an Australian island. But a storm is brewing, threatening not just his safety but the safety of everyone else on the island.

As the storm rolls in, Josh witnesses the bridge - the island's only connection to the mainland - give way. And, even more alarmingly, there is a car on the bridge when it loses its war with the inclement weather.

As noble as he is skilled, Josh rushes to the water's edge, intent on helping. And that's when he meets Hannah. This 8 month pregnant midwife from the mainland owed Josh her life - and quickly gives him her heart.

As you would expect from any self-respecting romance novel, the sparks fly between this duo pretty much immediately.

As they weather the storm together, their infatuation with each other grows.

At this point in the novel, I was really invested. I liked Josh and I liked Hannah and I liked the idea of them being trapped on this wind battered island, snuggled up together, facing the storm as a pair.

But, all too quickly, the storm passed and they left the island. And that's when my troubles began.

Free from the burden of being trapped on the island, the author created new obstacles for the should-be couple. But, very quickly, both the type and the quantity of the obstacles they faced became a little unbelievable.

What started as a light romp became clunky and unwieldy and implausable.

All said and done, this was an easy enjoyable read. But certainly not one I'll remember.