The Doctors Secret Bride by Ana E Ross

Michelle is in the worst place due to circumstances beyond her control. She’s jobless, almost homeless and penniless! As a last resort she accepts a job as a nanny although the down side to this is she is having trouble resisting her rich sexy boss who has no idea about her troubled past.

Once you get into the story it is reasonably well written. With a mixture of emotional conflict, suspense and romance but be warned there are some sensitive parts to this story. Which some readers may find difficult regarding domestic violence/child abuse. I feel that these should be mentioned in the synopsis to allow informed reader decisions to be made.

A reasonable read for a lazy afternoon.

The writing style is great and it's fantastically written. A wonderful story, beautifully told. I absolutely tore through it! A sparkling, joyful read!

Such a good read. I can’t wait to read the next books in this series. The author paints such a good picture of the conflict and emotional struggle between the two characters.

If you are a devoted romance reader looking for a great way to pass a rainy afternoon or a gateway into the genre, this book is for you! You will find action, suspense and romance that will keep your attention till the end.

Quick Summary: A tug-of-war romance

My Review: The Doctor's Secret Bride by Ana E. Ross was a mixed bag romance. The story had a lot of different layers to it. Essentially, it was about Dr. Erik LaCrosse, a widower who had trust issues, and his nanny (Michelle), a woman who had a conflicted past.

What I Liked About This Book:
- I really liked the relationship that Michelle had with Precious. The fact that they both lost their mothers was huge. Michelle could understand the little girl's plight in a way that no one else could. I think that bonded them in an unusual way. Also, I liked how Michelle was mindful of the tender feelings Precious had regarding Cassie, Precious' deceased mother. Michelle never tried to replace Cassie or to jockey for Cassie's position.

- I liked the close bond that Michelle shared with her brother. They were there for each other. This was evident throughout the story. After enduring such a traumatic upbringing, they remained connected and protective of one another.

- I liked that the author allowed Michelle and Robert to thrive. Despite the horrible past that they were subjected to, they both were able to prosper in life.

- I liked that Michelle was tenacious. She had a grit to her. She didn't break in the face of adversity. She didn't apologize for who she was as a person, even though she was battling with shame, grief, betrayal and anger associated with the man she knew to be her father.

- I liked how the author made mention of the volunteering and service done at the community/youth facility. Reading about the underprivileged kids who came from troubled backgrounds and the work that was being done to help them was notable. Even in the epilogue, the author didn't fail to communicate the compassionate outreach efforts done to aid those who were needy.

- The reunion scene between Michelle and Precious was sweet. I loved it.

What I Did Not Like About This Book:
- The beginning of the story was incredibly difficult to get past. There was an overwhelming overuse of adjectival phrases, in my opinion. I was slightly turned off, but I made myself continue, believing that things would get better. Things did, indeed, get better. As the story continued, the author seemed to warm up her writing. As a result, the story flowed more smoothly.

- Some of the language sounded unnatural. For example, oftentimes, a person's whole name would be called at the weirdest moments. It worked a couple of times, however this repeated practice was done so much that it stood out. It became awkward.

- The emotional arc between Erik and Michelle was like watching two people on a seesaw. The up and down, back and forth tug-of-war revealed much about their maturity level or lack thereof. Was their character growth? Yes and no. Was there true maturation with their relationship? That is the question.

- The "angry sex" situation was baffling. The way that the scene was written was too much. It wasn't believable.

- The confrontation scene after the time apart was a yes until it was a no. (I'll leave it there.)

My Final Say: This was an okay read. There were certainly likable elements to the story, but there were also some aspects about the story that I did not care for. The author did a fairly good job setting up other books for this series. I would be open to giving Yasmine and Robert's story a chance.

Rating: 2/5
Recommend: +/-
Audience: A
Warning: References domestic abuse/child abuse and murder

I was afforded an opportunity to read this title via a NetGalley ARC, in exchange for an honest review. The words I have shared are my own opinions and have not been influenced in any way by the author or publisher.

* A Goodreads review has been posted.

When I think of romance, I think of books just like this one, that gives all the feels and satisfies every romance junkies' heart. This is a perfect books to snuggle up with on any day.