I really appreciate the author’s writing style. I kept turning the pages to see how it all plated out.

The story follows Emma, a doctor, who's little boy get diagnosed with cancer and requires an extremely expensive treatment. Emma and her cop husband don't have the money to cover the cost so Emma resorts to some less than savory ways of earning money. She may not be able to live up to the doctor's oath of "do no harm."

I always enjoy McDonald books and this one was no different. You get sucked into Emma's desperation and I'm sure mothers can resonate with her struggle to save her son. The length of the book was good, helping you to get sucked into the story and want to finish it to find out what happens.

I have never read a book like this. A mother trying to help pay for treatments for her son resorts to selling opioids. Having twists of a cop husband , an ex-boyfriend and her brother all involved in the plot. Did I tell you the mother is a nurse!
As I am reading, I wonder how will this ever end. Will she get caught,? Will her hubby get reprimanded as an accessory? Will she still keep her family together? Well some of these were answered with the surprise ending.
I will be reading this author again, as well as the two books prior to this one.

Do No Harm was an amazing medical thriller to read. I love all books by this author but this one just took the top spot. It grabs you from the very beginning and has you wanting more at the end! I definitely recommend this book.

The ultimate when good people do bad things for good reasons. How far would you go to save your child? A mother and doctor must decide how far she'll go to protect her child when she finds out her son has a rare form of cancer and has a chance with an extremely high cost treatment. This story embraces the how far would you go to protect your child at all costs? As the mother Emma embarks on a wild ride getting involved with the opiate trade. This was a fast paced, interesting premise with non-stop action and thought provoking take on the opioid crisis. This is one where you have to suspend your disbelief on how everything plays out and know going into it that it's one of those over the top made for tv/movie type of books and just sit back and enjoy the ride.

How far would you go to save the life of your son? What would you do to raise $100,000 in one month so that he could have a lifesaving procedure? You still have medical school bills, you own no assets so you can’t get a loan, and you can’t get this much on your credit cards.

This is just the dilemma that Dr. Emma Sweeney faces with her son Josh. This sweet and beloved Star Wars fan has just gotten a cancer diagnosis. A revolutionary treatment will likely save his life, but insurance won’t cover the full cost of treatment. Her husband Nate is a detective and doesn’t have a big paycheck either. It’s important that Josh get the treatment as soon as possible.

You likely know from the book blurb that Emma turns to the shady world of selling prescriptions to raise the money. What makes this book so interesting is the moral and ethical issues that are raised. What about the legitimate patients out there that really need this pain relief and insurance now refuses to pay the full cost of the drugs they rely on to live a functioning life? What about the ethics of insurance companies that are making medical decisions against the wishes of doctors? These same insurance companies are announcing record profits. What about all the patients out there now addicted to drugs since their doctors prescribed opiates to help with the initial pain? It’s all very complicated!

Emma is an orphan and spent her teen years in foster care. She’s good at compartmentalizing things which is good because this course of action seems to fly in the face of her training as a doctor – do no harm. And drugs are definitely harming her community. If she’s caught, she will lose her medical license and insurance. Emma has to grapple with the thought -- do the ends justify the means? The author did a great job of making me think about all those things as I read this book. It would be easy to judge Emma, but there are definitely some considerations the author gives us to think about.

Soon there is a fierce battle with Emma forging more prescriptions to raise the money and Nate trying to solve the drug case. He’s closing in on all the players and there is an action-packed showdown that kept me turning the pages.

The news stories just last week show that Purdue Pharma played a key role in fueling the decades-long opioid epidemic that has ruined countless families and taken too many lives. The drugs were diverted to the black market and doctors were paid to prescribe more Purdue drugs. The company was just hit with $8 billion in fines. I hope that this is the start of ending this terrible part of our country’s history.

WOW, this novel blew me away!!! I loved everything about it, the unique plot, the well developed characters, the twists and turns, etc.

As you know from the blurb Emma is a doctor still paying off her school debt and her husband Nate is a police detective. They have one son, Josh who is the light of their lives. Josh is precocious, funny, smart and loves all things Star Wars. The couple had been very happy, although both a little overworked.

The day that Josh comes home from school with some unexplained bruising they begin to get a little concerned, he’s also been feeling more tired lately. It’s not until a few days later, when Josh gets very ill while at Nate’s mom’s house that they take him to the hospital.

Their world is then turned upside down as they get the diagnosis that he has a rare and insidious type of leukemia that could end his life within months!! Then a specialist is called in who offers what could possibly be a life saving treatment for Josh, but the starting price is almost $100,000!!!

Emma and Nate vow to do whatever it takes to get the money for their son’s treatment, but they each have different ideas of how to get that money! Nate is convinced that if he gets a promotion and with a GoFundMe page started by his mom, they will be able to afford the treatment. Emma is certain that there will not be enough money and not soon enough. She takes matters into her own hands!

Emma becomes involved in selling prescriptions for opioids for money, she even turns to her brother and former boyfriend for help. There are however some very dangerous people in this business and she is afraid for her life at times and does things she never thought herself capable of.

Nate is working on cases to bring the opioid crisis in their small town under control by trying to find out who is supplying the drugs. If he solves this, he gets his promotion and raise.

Meanwhile our little hero, Josh, continues to fight through the chemotherapy and other treatments to help with his leukemia. It is a hard struggle but this is on tough little boy!!

WHAT I LOVED ABOUT THIS BOOK:
While maintaining a roller coaster, page turning novel, Ms. McDonald addresses the many sides of the opioid crisis. There are people who have become addicted either because they were originally prescribed opioids and can’t stop using them or they have an addictive personality and have always used drugs of one type or another.

She also presents the other side of the story which is often mislooked and understated. There are many people who really need Oxycontin and other opioids to live their life. There are those in chronic debilitating pain who now find that their doctors are hesitant to prescribe the drugs that they need because they are being watched so carefully. Some turn to the street for the drugs they need.

Cost of medical care and specialized treatments are also addressed. It’s a real problem that has to be addressed by this country!!

I felt so many emotions during this story. I felt love for Josh and sympathy for Emma and Nate who only want to save their son. My heart broke when things started to go so very wrong for them and the end was devastating. “The lies were woven around me, a spider’s web, swirling, tightening. I was becoming more and more entangled. I didn’t know how to get out now”.

If you love a fast paced thriller that is well written and also has a strong message to convey, you will love this novel! I think this is the best novel yet by this talented author.

I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley.
It is set to publish on February 16, 2021.

Will post to Amazon upon publication.

Emma, a doctor, and her husband, Nate, a police officer are living the American dream along with their five-year-old son, Josh. When Josh suddenly falls ill and needs expensive medical treatment Emma and Nate try to figure out a way to pay for it. What lines would you cross to save your son's life? Christina McDonald writes characters that are real and have flaws and I love her for that. This book will take you on a roller coaster ride of emotions but it is a ride you will be glad you took.

I will never not pick up a Christine McDonald book. She knows exactly how to draw you in and keep you on your toes. Her books are paced just fast enough that you just have to keep going to figure out what's around the next corner. Do No Harm was no different.

This book will show you just how far a mother's love will take her to save her child. And I have to say as mother myself I don't think there was one part of this story that seemed too outlandish because a mother's love is powerful thing.

Do No Harm has everything you need in a fantastic book. It hits every emotion, puts your heart in your stomach and brings it back again to where it belongs. This is just one book in the Christina McDonald world and if you haven't dove into that world yet I push you to dive head first.

DO NO HARM by Christina McDonald is heart-wrenching and emotional story of the extraordinary lengths a women will go to save her child. I couldn’t put this fast-paced and suspenseful book down. Emma has what seems to be a perfect life. Although orphaned as a young woman, she is now a respected doctor working to help lower income patients at a local clinic. She is married to her loving husband, Nate, who is a detective and they have a sweet young son, Josh. Her small family of three is everything she could want or need. Their lives come crashing down when Josh is diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia. His only hope for survival lies with a costly experimental treatment that is not covered by insurance. Desperate to find the funds they need to save their son, Emma and Nate both make shocking and risky decisions that could ruin their lives and careers. Emma gets involved in selling opioids on the street with shady characters from her past. Nate takes on a high profile case trying to bring down a local drug operation. The plot is expertly executed with plenty of emotional struggles, moral dilemmas and suspense. The timely story asks two questions: how far would a person go to protect a loved one and do the ends always justify the means? I was completely engrossed in this gripping and thought-provoking book and highly recommend it. This is definitely another winner for Christina McDonald! Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read an early copy.

This is the third book I've read by this author. I find the blurbs interesting, but the stories fall flat for me. Sadly, this was strike three.

I guess I'm in the minority, but I wasn't a fan of this book. It didn't seem all that original, and I found it quite predictable. Some parts seem a bit far-fetched, even for fiction. There were some plot points that seemed to be conflicting. I didn't really connect with the characters, and i didn't really care to connect with the. Apparently I'm not the correct audience for this author.

The premise of Do No Harm by Christina McDonald was brilliant! Imagine you are a doctor and your child is diagnosed with cancer. You know the only way to get the extremely expensive treatment that will save your child is to sell drugs. That’s right, the main character in this novel has quite a Sophie’s Choice. Will she get away with it? What about her husband, a detective- how will she keep this from him?

This was set up so well from the plot to the characters, it’s a really fantastic book that keeps you turning the pages! I wondered what I would do throughout this story. As parents we’d do anything for our

Here’s what you need to know:

Emma loves her life. She’s the mother of a precocious kindergartener, married to her soulmate—a loyal and loving police detective—and has a rewarding career as a doctor at the local hospital.

But everything comes crashing down when her son, Josh, is diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.

Determined to save him, Emma makes the risky decision to sell opioids to fund the life-saving treatment he needs. But when somebody ends up dead, a lethal game of cat and mouse ensues, her own husband leading the chase. With her son’s life hanging in the balance, Emma is dragged into the dark world of drugs, lies, and murder. Will the truth catch up to her before she can save Josh?

This will be published in February.

3 STARS

Emma is a wife, a devoted mom, and a doctor. When the unthinkable touches her family, she pushes all medical and personal ethics aside in order to save her son. An interesting premise to be sure, but unfortunately, a deep, emotional component was missing from the overall story, making it difficult for me to connect with the characters in any meaningful way. In fact, other than Emma’s love for her little boy, I found her to be cold more often than not, and much too eager to forsake her Hippocratic Oath to “first, do no harm.” As for Emma’s police detective husband, Nate, I didn’t care much for his character either. Those issues aside, “Do No Harm” is a very thought-provoking story that poses questions and raises moral dilemmas that readers are sure to contemplate.

5 stars!

WOW! This was the ultimate game of cat and mouse! A detective and a doctor, a husband and....a wife?!

What a perfect read for my 100th book of the year! Christina McDonald has been a favorite author of mine since her debut novel, The Night Olivia Fell, making it the first thriller read to leave me in tears. Christina’s writing is propulsive, enthralling, expressive, and atmospheric.

Her third novel may be my favorite yet....
With the current opioid addition/crisis on the rise, this couldn’t be timelier. The premise of this book was not only creative, opportune, and emotionally thought, it also opens reader’s eyes to the fact that opioid addiction effects the lives of your average, “normal”, hard-working, family-type, next-door-neighbor. Without being well versed on the topic, many assume drug use/abuse only effects those on the streets, homeless, or jobless; which is far from the case. I thoroughly enjoyed the parallel tale of a mother’s love as well as educating myself further on the opioid crisis in our nation. (Immediately googling for further information as I read along).

Hats off to Christina McDonald for hitting another home run with her 3rd novel. (Not to mention for being one of the BEST bookstagram authors, for always engaging with her readers. Side note – I love reading her reviews and even discussing other books with her).

HIGHLY, highly recommend! Add this to your 2021 TBR, so you don’t miss this utterly compelling thriller, being released in February.

This novel is thought provoking, position shifting, and heartbreaking. In true Christina McDonald style she forces the reader to think about where they stand on some significant social issues. While both Emma and Nate fight to save their son’s life the reader is left wondering what they would do in that situation and really begging the question of “do the ends justify the means?” For me personally while reading this story I felt my whole position on the healthcare system get rocked, as the daughter or an NP the position has been that drug addiction is wrong and the people selling and buying them are wrong. When the real case is that our system is broken, it benefits those who can afford it and those who get the power from regulating it. This story broke my heart. Not just from the storyline itself but the light it sheds on the “War on Drugs” and how that war is becoming the “War on the Disabled.”

Do No Harm is an intense, devastating, no-holds-barred medical thriller about a mother who risks everything to save her sick son. Emma is a hard-edged physician who is married to Nate, a charming and lovable detective. Although coping with their own demons, they live a comfortable life together until their young son is diagnosed with leukemia and in need of an expensive treatment to give him the best chance of survival. Nate begins working overtime with the goal of being promoted, while Emma seeks out help from her estranged, drug dealer brother to try and make money fast. The tension quickly builds as Emma becomes a crucial part of the very drug ring her husband is investigating. This is a incredibly well-written and expertly plotted medical thriller that left me completely shattered and shocked. Christina McDonald has created authentically flawed characters that make them relatable even in their extreme and desperate acts. In addition to the major storyline, there are plenty of secrets to unpack with each of the characters that add extra depth and mystery to the overarching plot. This book has everything you could ask for and will make you feel all the feelings! Highly recommend. Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Fantastic book . How far would you go to save someone you love? Wow, i wasn't expecting the ending. Christina McDonald has done it again. Lots of surprising twists throughout.

If you want to talk about a novel that takes you through the depths of just what a mother would do for her child-- WOW! Do No Harm was an incredibly well written story that explores said depths and the world of a mother and just what she would go through for her son.

Disclaimer first and foremost: Some of the reviews I have read really give away way more than what I would like for this story. Thankfully I went in blind and I 100% recommend that every one else do that as well. The story as a whole was genuinely heart-felt but knowing what it wasn't about right off the bat really added to the element of shock and surprise.

The characters in this novel were also a hit with me which seems to be a staple in any Christina McDonald novel. They were complex and deep enough that I kept wondering more about them and wondering what they could possibly be playing in the role of Nate, Emma, and Josh.

Do No Harm is depressing, emotional, poignant, fast paced, and chilling. It kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time waiting to see how everything would unravel and play out. With Christina's trademark emotionally charged writing, I couldn't read this book fast enough. I've read all of her books as of today and all of them have knocked me off of my feet. If you haven't read a Christina McDonald novel yet-- I'm not sure what you're waiting on.

Emma finds out that her son has an aggressive cancer and needs very expensive life saving treatment to survive. Emma is a doctor with a lot of medical school debt, and her husband Nate is a police detective. They quickly discover that their health insurance barely covers 10% of the cost, and neither of them make enough money to pay their bills and pay for the treatment he needs.

So Emma finds a way to pay for his medical care because saving her son is the most important thing in her world... and she ends up on a dark path of deception, especially as a doctor that took an oath to 'do no harm' and a husband in law enforcement investigating the opioid crisis in their small town. This book will make you wonder what you would do if put in the same situation? Definitely more family drama, than thriller (until the very end), but a nail biting read at the same time.

How far would you go to protect the life of your son? Emma’s son, Josh, is diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and the best chance of survival is an expensive form of treatment that neither she nor her husband can afford. Being a doctor has its benefits, though, even if that means illegally writing prescriptions for opioids to pay for her son’s treatment. But with a husband in law enforcement, only time will tell when this ticking time bomb of secret will explode.

This was such a suspenseful read, and I really enjoyed reading it! It kept me on the edge of my seat as I waited to see how everything would pan out. I was a little disappointed when a certain character died because it seemed like an easy out, but overall it was a good read and I definitely recommend it.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3561863428