I was somewhat disappointed with this story. At first glance, the book seems to hit all the right tropes but it veers off into a strange direction that I didn’t particularly enjoy. Maybe the author had an agenda regarding addiction and treatment of serious medical cases, I’m not sure. I for one, do not like a fiction writer becoming preachy about any topic. I see this a lot and for my taste I don’t mind the occasional comment about a social or emotional situation that the characters face in the USA especially, but when the book feels like it was written in this way to preach on something political, I’m not comfortable with it. I can agree or disagree with these sorts of comments or plots but that doesn’t make me want to read the novel. I look to literature in the fiction realm to become immersed in a story, not to reflect on some political agenda. This may be just me but it detracts from the story rather than enhances the story, in my opinion.
I did enjoy the medical situation that affected the son and some of the story around this. I hated the way the parents handled it though. Most hospitals will set up a payment plan for situations like this, or there are several different funds that are available. Plus the community wanted to help out by creating a go-fund-me, which is a sad commentary but very generous and the parents put zero faith in it.
Overall, this book largely did not work well for me. I think people who love this author can probably overlook much of what annoyed me.
#DoNoHarm #Netgalley #GalleryBooks

Do No Harm is an addicting page turner about a mother who will do whatever it takes to save her son, no matter the cost. This book captured my attention from the very beginning and it's one that I've thought about long after turning the final page. Easily one of my favorite books of 2021, this is a must read!

Dr. Emma Sweeney loves her little family. She is married to Nate, a detective. They have an adorable five-year-old son, Josh, and an elderly dog, Charlie. She can't imagine a different life. After losing both of her parents as a young teenager and losing her brother, Ben, to prison, Emma can't imagine having any other life. Her little family is everything to her. Then one day Josh passes out while his grandmother is watching him and he is diagnosed with cancer and her entire world comes crashing down. And it gets worse. Her insurance won't cover the treatment necessary to save his life. Emma is willing to do anything to save her son. Is she willing to risk it all and throw away the oath she took to Do No Harm?


Do No Harm is a thriller that examines what a mother will to save her son's life. On paper, Emma and Nate Sweeney appear to be a successful career-driven couple. In reality, they are in debt and rent their house from Nate's mom. (This is the first inconsistency I noticed). But Emma allegedly used her parent's life insurance for college. So where is all the debt coming from? When Emma finds out that her insurance won't cover Josh's treatment, she immediately went down the path of no return. It was like she didn't explore any other options. With each passing page, it made me dislike Emma more and more. She went from being a doctor who saved lives to this lawless creature. It wasn't really believable. And the end was even more incredible. - CLICK HERE FOR SPOILERS. The entire book disappointed me. I have enjoyed Christina McDonald in the past, but this one seemed like she phoned in it.



Bottom Line - Do No Harm fell short of my expectations for Christina McDonald. It was predictable and disappointing, not at all like her previous novels. I hope the next one is better.





Details:

Do No Harm by Christina McDonald
On Instagram
Pages: 368
Publisher: Gallery Books
Publication Date: 2.16.2021
Buy it Here!
Thank you to NetGalley for the free book in exchange for an honest review.

Do No Harm will make you ask questions about what you're willing to do when your child needs life saving treatment and you don't have the funds to make it happen. I like that this was a medical-based thriller, and the drug aspect was a nice twist to take this from typical medical drama to the next level.

Another great book from this author. Emma needs to find money fast! Her son is diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and the treatment is very expensive. Emma is a doctor and her husband is a detective and between them they don’t make enough money for the treatments. Emma has to let her values and morals go in an effort to raise the money and she stands to lose everything if she is caught. This is a definite must read. I have loved this author’s books ever since I read The Night Olivia Fell and this is another amazing story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.

While I liked The Night Olivia Fell, her sophomore book, Behind Every Lie was just okay. I had hoped that her third book would be better. It was, just a little, bit still not great. While the premise, 'what lengths would you go to to save your child', had you really thinking about your own moral compass, the book just didn't deliver. Some parts were predictable, and I guessed the last "twist" before I finished. The very end surprised me a little, and was disappointing, after everything I was mad that's the way it ended. Emma wasn't a great main character, but she loved her son fiercely. Nate was a better person, and he deserved better. All around.

Another great novel by Christian McDonald. Dark, suspenseful and it kept me on my toes the whole time. When something happens to one of your loved ones you never know how far you will go to save them! Great pace, great character development and well-written. Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC.

This page turner kept me reading to see how the main character would ever escape the predicament she put herself in. While I appreciated Emma’s willingness to do anything to save her son, I felt that her journey into the drug world was too quick and a bit unrealistic. I would have liked to see her grapple with the decision a little more. I did think that our society’s current issues with pain killer dependency was well represented and I understood the characters who had to turn to illegal drugs just for pain relief. Overall it was a good read and well written by the author.

This ended up being SO GOOD! I can’t recall why I sat on it for as long as I did, but dang, what a mistake! I was sucked in from page one, and couldn’t believe the ending!

This was my first Christina McDonald book. I enjoyed the characters and the plot but just felt like something was missing. It felt a little too repetitive at times and pretty slow moving in several parts. I definitely did not see the ending coming though and I like when a book can surprise me. I will definitely give another one of her books a try. This was an interesting read and mostly held my attention but didn't WOW me.

As a fourth year pharmacy student, this book really intrigued me. I was so excited to see a story told from a perspective I have continually learned about and devoted countless hours to studying and fighting. It was an enjoyable read and really gave some insight into the side of the opioid epidemic I don't see as a student.

I enjoyed this book quite a bit and think most medical professionals would enjoy it too!

This is my third book by Christina McDonald and I really enjoyed this one. Darker, gritty, suspenseful and kept me guessing!

Do No Harm
by Christina McDonald
Published Feb. 16, 2021

I have not read this author before, but I found this book to be thrilling and a great read. What is a mother willing to do to save her child's life? What a dilemma. I found myself wanting to know more about this family and what was going to happen. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me the digital ARC.

3 star

How far would you go for your child? That is exactly what we see in this fantastic thriller.
You do not want to miss this one !!

I received a copy of this from NetGalley in exchange for fair and honest review.

Incredibly thought-provoking--and this original and high-tension page-turner will haunt you for a long time. What would YOU do in the same situation? Every time you decide--you'll decide to think again. Perfect for bookclubs!

My goodness! I was on the edge of my seat seeing how this was all going to play out. This is quite the study in what a mother will do to save her son. She went from 0 to 60 in no time and was so far into the weeds in such a short time. Was it always believable? Heck no. But it was completely riveting and sad and indicative of the health care and opioid epidemic facing our country. I loved it!!

I've never had a problem handselling Christina McDonald's books. The reason is simple. Once a person reads her novels they are a fan of her work for life. Do No Harm was an outstanding psychological thriller. It'll be so easy to recommend. Her characters and arcs are always so exciting to explore. Bravo!

This book made me uncomfortable given the ongoing opioid crisis going on in our country. Interesting premise but didn't work for me.

Another gift from Christina McDonald.

What would you do as a mother to save your child?
What ever it takes!
Do No Harm is a fantastic read about the lengths a logger will go to save her child no matter what.
Lots of twists and turns. One you won’t want to put down.

As a mother, you do whatever it takes to protect your children. And that was exactly what Emma did. She did what she could to save her son.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. It is nice to read a thriller that isn’t about husbands or wives cheating and/or killing each other. There were times I wanted to scream at and shake both Nate and Emma. They both seemed naive and gullible in their own ways. Emma constantly seemed to throw someone under the bus. But I guess that was part of doing whatever it takes. I didn’t see the twists coming which is also a good change of pace. I wish things could have happened differently but I guess can’t always get a 100% happy ending.