This is my sixth Jo Bartlett book and I always so enjoy sinking into her storytelling, the characters and the small towns and villages. After reading the first in the Cornish Country Hospital series a few months ago, I was really keen to return in this second instalment. 💛

As with the Cornish Midwife series, which I’m really enjoying making my way through, this book featured the same characters as the previous, but shifted to a different perspective - this time that of Esther, an A&E nurse and best friend of doctor Danni, the main character in the last novel.

Dementia and elderly care, mental illness, infidelity, cancer and trauma are navigated throughout this book, to the back drop of the busy A&E department and the wider town of Port Kara - and relationships are navigated with parents, children, and friends and partners both old and new.

This book had me turning the pages through the twists of romance and drama, and enjoying getting to know the characters more. I love discovering an author I know I’ll really enjoy, and being able to return to a little world in a series books, and I’m so glad to have found that here - looking forward to part three!

I love a good series that I can get stuck into and Bartlett is one of my favourite series authors - The Cornish Midwife - and now this, the Cornish Country Hospital series.

FFATCCH is the second in the series already and another fab inclusion.

The book finds us in the busy A and E department of the Cornish Country Hospital, where there's a dose or two of drama and romance to be had, along with the usual hustle and bustle of the emergency department.

I really enjoyed it, the characters are likeable and it was great to catch up with those old and new.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW


Review for 'Finding Friends At The Cornish Country Hospital' by Jo Bartlett.

Read and reviewed for Jo Bartlett, Boldwood Books, Bold Book Club, Book And Tonic and Rachel's Random Resources Tours.

Publication date 26th March 2024.

This is the second book I have read by this author. It is also the second book in Jo's 'The Cornish Country Hospital' series but can be read as a standalone. I have also read 'Welcome To The Cornish Country Hospital' (book 1 in this series) which i would also highly recommend!

This novel consists of 27 chapters. The chapters are short to medium in length so easy to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

'Finding Friends At The Cornish Country Hotel' discusses some topics that may upset some readers or may not be suitable for others. I like to point this out ahead of time in my reviews so you can judge if this book is for you or not. In this book Jo discusses Suicide, Drowning, Accidents, Narcissism, Mental Health and Dementia.

What another absolute stunner from the extremely talented Jo!! Well done Jo on an absolutely beautiful and perfect read!! This is the ideal page turner where you could sit there and turn around and just imagine everything coming to life around you.

This book is extremely well written with beautiful descriptions that completely drew me in. The synopsis and the cover match the storyline perfectly!!

I fell in love with the first book in this series 'Welcome To the Cornish Country Hospital' and have been looking forward to reading this book ever since realising that was just the first book in the series. I was a bit dubious after loving the first book so much wondering how on Earth Jo was going to make another book just as good. Well, there was absolutely nothing to worry about as she didn't just make a book just as amazing but one that was even more addictive especially as I had already met many of the characters previously and it was like meeting back up with old friends again!! This addition to this series has yet another storyline that completely swept me away. I absolutely adored the storyline and getting to know the lives of so many different people, seeing their relationships and friendships change and see how they react to secrets, heartache, changes, romance and everything else that goes on in this absolutely fantastic read!! I adore the fact that it was mainly based around a hospital as I have yet to read another series let alone another book (apart from this series) set in a hospital environment and I was just fascinated by the different situations going on. Along with the hospital staff and patients lives the main storylines revolve around Esther Hamilton who is an A&E nurse and her Mum Caroline who is a volunteer at the same hospital. Jo does an absolutely beautiful job of weaving both of their storylines together in a way that ensures the reader can see what is going on from several points of view letting us see a bigger picture and doing so in a smooth way so the chapters flow perfectly. Esther is trying to keep her narcissistic cheating ex fiance Lucas as far away from her as possible but it isn't easy when he works in the same hospital her as a surgeon. Esther has sworn off men but then her best friend Danni's brother Joe Carter returns from Australia and has split up with his glamorous girlfriend. Sparks start to fly between them but Esther is determined not to let anything happen between her and her best friends brother after the last relationship with slime ball put their friendship at risk. While all this is going on Esther's mother Caroline is starting to feel fed up with life. She is retired as is her husband Patrick. They spent their lives working hard to enjoy their retirement but while Caroline is determined to live her life, go on adventures and have fun, Patrick is more focused on pottering in the garden, doing DIY, putting his feet up and watching TV and making excuse after excuse not to do anything or go anywhere. While Caroline is visiting her mum Ruby in St Bede's nursing home she meets David whose wife Judy is also suffering with dementia and living in the same home. David is the complete opposite of Patrick and is full of fun ideas. David volunteers at Dorton's Adventure Centre and it isn't long before a friendship is made and Caroline starts volunteering there too. However Caroline starts feeling more towards David and it is clear David feels the same and when David suggests Caroline joins him on the scuba diving weekend run by Dorton's Adventure centre Caroline is torn about what to do. Will romance develop between Esther and Joe or will she risk losing out for the sake of her friendship? Will Caroline go on the weekend away with David and if so will things go further than friendship? Why is Patrick making excuses not to do the things he promised Caroline they would do? Will Lucas get his own way and win Esther back? Well, why are you still wasting your time reading my review?? Just grab a cup of tea or a glass of wine, get comfortable and get lost in this stunning storyline now!! I've not long got home from Cornwall and missed it before I read this book but OMG Jo has made me want to jump in the car and go straight back now!!! Jo's evocative writing skills ensures the readers are absolutely sucked into the stunning storyline with the atmosphere and characters coming to life all around them. I absolutely fell in love venturing back into Cornwall and Jo's vivid descriptions are absolutely perfect and evocative. I became so invested in this book that it actually felt like going on a holiday and I absolutely dreaded coming to the end where I had to unpack my suitcase and get back to reality. It was an absolutely compelling and addictive heart lifting read that kept me turning the pages until late at night. I loved discovering the pasts, secrets and histories of the characters and I was absolutely swept away in the story line. Everything and everyone came to life around me and I cannot wait to return in the next book in this absolutely stunning series. This book really was an emotional rollercoaster ride filled with friendship, family, drama, medicine, love, secrets, affairs, romance, heartache, emotions and everything you could ask for!!! The fact that Jo has done her research when it comes to the hospital environment completely shines through so a HUGE well done to Jo. It is a massive shame when authors don't do enough research into their chosen topics and/or environments and their books are then littered with unnecessary mistakes as it really can spoil a book that would otherwise be fantastic. This book is escapism at its best and is a perfect way to disappear into an amazing world for a while. It is one of those books that I just could not put down and drive everyone mad by walking around reading it every chance I got and ended up devouring it in one sitting!! This book would make an absolutely gorgeous movie which I would absolutely love to see!!

An absolutely gorgeous, page turning and addictive addition to a stunning series!! Don't even peek into this book until you've cleared your schedules as you won't be able to put it down!!

Although this is the second book in the series I would have had absolutely no problems reading it without reading the first book 'Welcome To The Cornish Country Hospital' previously. Any details or events that have previously happened are mentioned in just the right amount of detail to let a new reader know what has happened and yet not too much to bore a previous reader.

I became completely invested in the characters in the first book and I absolutely loved meeting the majority of them again and getting to know different characters more. Esther, Caroline and the majority of the characters are absolutely fantastic (not all, some are just complete dingends) with their own individual personalities and quirks (each of them). Every one of the characters had a part to play and they were all completely unforgettable. My heart completely went out to Esther who loves her best friend Danni but has also developed strong feelings with Danni's brother Joe. Sadly we can't chose who we fall in love with and Esther's heart made a difficult choice as she doesn't want to risk anything coming between her and Danni again. I also felt sorry on Caroline who felt like she was wasting the last of her life away, seeing people around her dying while Patrick is refusing to go out and enjoy what life they have left. Esther and Caroline are such lovable and caring characters that I just was rooting for their happiness from the moment I met them!!! I must say that I really liked hospital volunteer and previous midwife Gwen who offers her advise along the way, she had me in absolute stitches with some of the things she came out with, such a larger than life character and a complete breathe of fresh air!! I really enjoyed getting to know most of the characters, some from the start and others more, and when I came to the end I felt like I was leaving amazing people and new friends behind and felt quite sad about that but am happy in the knowledge that this book is just the second book in this absolutely stunning series and I just can't wait to get stuck into more of these gorgeous books. I loved watching how so many characters, relationships and personalities develop and change from the first page to the last. They all made me laugh, swoon, angry, cry, joyous and much more!!! Regardless of whether you love them or hate them all of these characters work perfectly together to make this a stunning page turner and I cannot wait to return to Cornwall to meet them all again!! Well done Jo on yet another absolutely stunning success!! I would also like to say a HUGE thank you in acknowledging and thanking me in your notes, it means the absolute world to me and every word I have said about this book and the previous one is 100000% true, genuinely one of the best and most stunning series' I have read!!!

Congratulations Jo on an yet another absolutely gorgeous success!!! I'm definitely looking forward to my next holiday to Cornwall and cannot wait for the next book in this series!!! This is the exact reason you are in my favourite author club and here is to your next success 🥂 !!!

Make sure you read to the very end of the book to read the first chapter of Jo's 'The Cornish Midwife' which sounds just as fabulous as this book was and I cannot wait to get stuck into it myself!!!

Overall this is a gorgeous addition to an absolutely stunning series with an amazing gang of characters that will sweep you away to the gorgeous coast of Port Kara, Cornwall from the very first page to the end!

341 pages.

This book is just £2.99 to purchase on kindle, free with kindle unlimited and £9.99 in paperback (at time of review) via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 5 /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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Finding Friends at the Cornish Country Hospital is the second installment in Jo Bartlett's captivating Country Hospital series, showcasing her exceptional talent.

The narrative centers around Esther, an A&E nurse, who, after a breakup with Lucas, decides she's not ready for a new relationship—until her best friend Danni's brother returns from Australia. Throughout the story, we also get to know Esther's parents, Caroline and Patrick, who are adjusting to retirement. As Esther collaborates with Joe to assist a patient, will she be able to suppress her emotions? It turns out to be a summer of secrets!

Having missed the Cornish Midwives series, I was thrilled to reconnect with Gwen and catch up with Jess! Jo has a remarkable ability to engage readers with vivid scene descriptions and characters who resonate with real life. Her novels are truly captivating! Don't miss out, get your copy today.

Day-to-day life in the Accident and Emergency department of the Cornish Country Hospital is so perfectly captured in this engaging read – the routine and the drama, the relationships between the individuals who work there, the lives and challenges of the individuals who find themselves needing their care.

Esther works, as a nurse, alongside her best friend Danni, the doctor we got to know so well in the first book in the series – their friendship is particularly special, and she certainly needs her support when her path continually crosses that of her arrogant and cheating ex, surgeon Lucas. They even share a home – but, very aware that Danni’s relationship with the lovely Charlie is moving to another level, she comes up with a solution that works for them all. And she finds herself living next door to Danni’s brother, Joe – visiting from Australia, working with the hospital’s psychiatric team – and finds herself as drawn to him as she always was, but feeling that a relationship would be the wrong thing for them all.

But Joe certainly proves a useful ally when Esther finds herself in difficulty after caring for a young man who’s suffered a particularly traumatic loss – the book’s main story line, sensitively handled as always, but escalating with particular drama as his mental health gives increasing cause for concern, with quite a few moments that really had me on the edge of my seat. But that’s all balanced by the unfolding story of Esther’s parents, now both retired, having also moved to Cornwall – their fresh start just isn’t working out, with an increasing distance between them, and her mother Caroline has no idea what she can do to put things right. The way the author handles the issues between them is just excellent – their situation is one that older readers couldn’t fail to empathise and identify with, and I found myself feeling very deeply for them both as their layers of secrets were slowly peeled away.

As always, this is such a beautifully told story – well drawn characters, a slowly developing romance, very real issues bringing an edge of darkness, but warmth and lightness to be found in the relationships, with plenty of touches of humour too. It’s entirely readable as a standalone story, but I very much enjoyed catching up with the individuals I’d so enjoyed spending time with in the first book in the series – and I’ll certainly be very much looking forward to my next visit.

Having read the first book in this series last year this has been a welcome return to the Cornish Country Hospital to meet again with characters who are now as familiar as old friends. Nurse Esther Hamilton is still struggling with unwanted attention from her ex-fiance, juggling her demanding job in the Accident and Emergency department at the hospital and at the same time worrying abut her parents who seem to have lost the spark from their relationship.

Finding Friends at the Cornish Hospital certainly continues the series with a lovely warm hearted story which looks at the bonds of friendship and of what happens when fate intervenes. With some darker moments which are quite tense and a close look at the delicate nature of dealing with mental health issues the author doesn't shy away from difficult topics and yet manages to keep everything very light and readable. There are some laugh out loud funny moments as well as the sad stuff but all credit to this talented author for including both light and shade.

I race through these stories in day, not because they are light on content but, quite simply, once I start I can't put them down. Finding Friends at the Cornish Hospital is no exception and whilst it is a definite continuation from the first book, it can also be read as a standalone story.

4.5 stars
This is the second in the series of the Cornish Country Hospital and it’s been lovely being back with Esther, Danni, Gwen and the team at St Pirans.
As always Jo Bartlett has written a story full of warmth, the importance of family and friendship and although this story covers hard hitting topics such as mental illness and loss, these are covered sensitively and with compassion.
The slow burn of the friendship between Esther and Joe was wonderful and the support he was able to give her professionally really interesting.
I really enjoyed the storyline from Caroline’s pov - her struggle with the menopause was such an important story to cover and again handled with care.
I’m really hoping it isn’t too long before we get the chance to return to St Pirans in the not so distant future.

This is the second in the series and the story continues where the previous one left off. This one focuses on Esther, who has broken off her engagement and is rooming with her best friend Danni, who are both working at St.Pirin’s Hospital. Joe Carter, Danni’s brother returns from Australia after a breakup and to take a new job at the hospital. Joe and Esther grow closer as they work together to help a troubled patient. Esther’s mother is settling into retirement with her husband who is losing his zest for life and does not want to do much of anything.


I enjoyed the second installment in this series. It was fun to see the continuation of Esther and Danni’s friendship, as well as all of the goings in at St Pirin’s. The story of the troubled patient was pretty intense but well done. It was an interesting read about love and loss, mental health issues, second chance, and slow-burn romance set in a small town in Cornwall. Hopefully, there will be more in the series. Definitely recommend this read!


Thanks to @boldwood @netgalley @rachelsrandomresources for the ARC

After just reading the first book in this new series by an author I enjoy reading very much I was more than eager to dig into Finding Friends at the Cornish Country Hospital and get an update on the characters' lives. Though this is a series it can be read as a standalone, but why would you do that when both books are so much fun.
The first book has Danni's story and now we have Esther's story. Esther was going out with Lucas, Danni's ex but the jerk cheated on her. There is so much going on in this book, so many side stories that I am hoping to see a continuation of one that will develop into out next book in the series. There is also Caroline, Esther's mom. They say retirement can be really rough on a couple not used to being around each other all day long. As Caroline tries to engage her husband in activities to spend time together and have a closer bond, he seems to be pulling the opposite way, away from her. It was very realistic seeing Caroline and her husband's story as often times happens with long married couples. They both has misconceptions about how the other feels and secrets are so damaging in relationships.
Danni's brother Joe is in town from Australia and working in the same hospital. Things seem to be a great match with Esther but how could things possibly take a romantic turn when he will be here for such a limited time?
Once again, I enjoyed the realistic hospital setting and meeting the patients. There is a bit of a charged atmosphere with the hospital staff dealing with mental illness, as kindness is thought to be so much more. It had me feeling creeped out a bit.
The author does such a great job of drawing the reader into the character's lives and having you right there with them. Such a strong story line, it kept my attention and had me eagerly reading it. I am hopeful there will be more in this series because I am not ready to let these characters go quite yet.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

As a fully fledged fan of Jo Bartlett books, I couldn’t wait to return to The Cornish Country Hospital for the second book in her latest series. Whist I am a lover of reading a series in order where possible, you could happily read this as a standalone ( I do recommend all books by Jo anyway though!)
This time we focus on Esther and how she is coping following her recent break up from (the awful) cheating Lucas. As she is Danni’s best friend we also get to see how her romance with Charlie is progressing from the first book in the series.
I love Esther’s characters, I did in book one and even more so now. She’s lucky to be near family, but doesn’t necessarily see that things are not exactly rosy there either. Caroline, Esther’s Mum, was looking forward to having a fun filled returement with her husband, but he no longer seems bothered by her or anything she tries to do.
We also meet Joe, Danni’s brother, who sounds swoon worthy in every way. He and Esther have always got along but Esther has always fancied him, could a close friendship be in jeopardy if romance takes hold?
Fantastic, as always. I loved finding out more about each character, they have ups and downd, things aren’t smooth sailing for anyone. A traumatic event brings Esther and Joe closer together, but in her eagerness to help others Esther also puts herself at risk.
A engaging story about friendship, kindness and being there for those you love. Things are not always going to be simple but with some support you can make your way through any difficulty. It has brilliant storylines, drama, tension, romance as well as humour at times (Good olf Gwen!)
I really like this new hospital setting and look forward to reading what’s next.

I am a huge fan of Jo and her work and I have been for a few years. Although I haven't read every single book that she has written to date, I hope to rectify that in the not too distant future. I must admit that I have a particular fondness for the series set in The Cornish Country Hospital. I read and loved the first book in the series and I have been impatiently waiting for the second book to be released. Well ladies and gents the second book in the series is called 'Finding Friends At The Cornish Country Hospital' and it was released on 26th March 2024. I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'Finding Friends At The Cornish Country Hospital' but more about that in a bit.

I was drawn to this book by the fact that I saw Jo's name on the cover of a book that I knew I hadn't read yet. As soon as I started reading, well that was it. I knew that I wouldn't be doing anything other than reading for the rest of the afternoon because I knew that I wouldn't be able to put the book down for any length of time. My Kindle wasn't exactly glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it travelled everywhere with me. Part of the reason why I enjoyed the story so much has to do with the fact that I loved the main character of Esther Hamilton and she ended up feeling more like a friend rather than a character in a book. The more of the book that I read, the more of the book that I wanted to read and the quicker the pages seemed to turn. I had to keep reading to find out if Esther got the 'happy ever after' ending that she so deserved. I was so wrapped up in the story that I lost all track of time and just how quickly I was getting through the book. All too quickly I reached the end of 'Finding Friends At The Cornish Country Hospital' and I had to say goodbye to the hospital, the staff and most importantly Esther herself. I found 'Finding Friends At The Cornish Country Hospital' to be a delight to read from start to finish.

'Finding Friends At The Cornish Country Hospital' is superbly written but then I have come to expect nothing less from Jo Bartlett. Jo has an easy going writing style that is easy to get used to and easy to get along with. In fact reading one of Jo's books often feels more like a chat between friends rather than reading a book. I hope that makes sense. Jo's love for her characters shines through in the very vivid and realistic way in which she describes them. She makes her characters seem just as real as you and I. I love the very vivid and realistic way in which she describes the Cornish Country Hospital and the area in general. In fact if I was to close my eyes, it would be easy enough to imagine that I was at the hospital with the sights and sounds of such a place going on around me. This was one of those books that took me on an emotional journey and I found myself going through the same emotions that the characters went through. I love the way in which Jo makes the reader feel as though they are part of the story and at the heart of the action. That's how I felt anyway.

In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'Finding Friends At The Country Cornish Hospital' and I would definitely recommend this book to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Jo's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

If you read the first book in the Cornish Country Hospital series and enjoyed it, then I am sure you were excited to return and see how Esther is now doing.

We met Esther as Danni's best friend in the first book so needless to say, we also get to see how Danni is when hearing Esther's story. Esther was just as easy to love as Danni. Esther really is a nurse with a heart of gold, but does she perhaps take her job and caring a step too far and what will happen when someone gets too attached to her? I loved that it was Esther's story, work, drama and romance, but also her parents' story. I really did not want to put this book down until I had found out how it would all end.

Another great read by Jo Bartlett and the second book in the series and it didn't disappoint. An easy and enjoyable read with some great and very likeable characters including Esther and her story which I rally enjoyed. There is so much in this book to like from the friendships made, starting again after a breakup and all the happenings at the hospital.

A well written book that took me no time at all to read. It is fun but also covers some poignant topics and happenings in everyday life. It has a bit of everything and is a book that can be enjoyed by any reader. I look forward to seeing what happens in the next book in this series.

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Jo Bartlett - Finding Friends At The Cornish Country Hospital

Welcome back to The Cornish Country Hospital, for book 2 in this delightful series.
Finding Friends At The Cornish Country Hospital can easily be read as a stand alone story, but I think you’ll always get more from a book if you read a series in publication order.

#FindingFriendsAtTheCornishCountryHospital is primarily Esther’s story. Esther is a nurse in the hospital’s A&E department. She loves her job despite the occupational hazard of bumping into her slimy ex boyfriend who also works at the hospital. On the plus side, Esther’s best friend Danni, is a doctor at the hospital too.
Esther is a competent and compassionate person. These qualities could well lead her into the sort of danger that will threaten her life.

Danni’s brother. joe is back in town. Sparks fly between him and Esther. Love is off the table for then both though, especially as Joe’s future plans mean he won’t be around for long.

The two other characters who play a big part in this story are Esther’s parents. They are both facing their own difficulties and have seemingly drifted apart from each other. Can they open up and reconnect before it’s too late?

I expected this book to be a light hearted, feel good read. And in many ways it was. However, the story does go to some dark places and explores a number of tough issues.
I enjoyed the combination of light and dark. It was well written and appropriate to the tone of the story and indeed the series.

#FindingFriendsAtTheCornisbCountryHospital is an engaging read. Easy to fall in to, and hard to put down.

I liked the range of characters. Most were immediately likeable. Some were frustrating and one or two needed a good kick in the shins!

This story has a big heart and shouts loudly about the beauty of love and friendship.

A fab book, and I can’t wait to read what comes next in the series.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

With thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources, Netgalley and Boldwood Books for a digital review copy of this title.

It's Esther's story in the second book in the Cornish Country Hospital series. It's unnecessary to read the first book to enjoy this one, but the characters are complex, and the relationship dynamics believable, so read it if you can. Making a single life without Lucas is going well for Esther until someone from her past returns, and their chemistry signifies more than friendship between them. The medical setting is integral to the story and well-researched. The sensitive exploration of the medical events through the characters immerses you in the characters' lives and makes what happens to them matter. The final chapters are poignant and suspenseful and lead to a positive conclusion. I hope more stories are set in the Cornish Country Hospital, as it's proving to be as addictive as the Cornish Midwife series.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

this is a book about friendships....

esther is finally getting back on her feet after her break up with her cheating boyfriend and though they work in the same hospital she is starting to feel more positive each day and her friendship with danni her best friend is something she is happy about

life couldnt get any better until the day she found out that danni brother joe was back from australia and working in the same hospital, esther had always had a thing for joe but didnt want to ruin the friendship she had with danni but a girl could dream....

but things were going to spiral for everyone and not in a good way....

not a bad storyline

As someone who has spent a lot of time in hospital and has a real fear of them you would think that I wouldn't want to read about them but strangely I love books and tv shows in a hospital setting. Finding Friends at the Cornish Country Hospital is a brilliantly plotted story with the right amount of tragedy and fun. In this book we follow A&E nurse Esther as she is coming to terms with her break up from her fiance. With her best friend Danni's brother Joe in town she is struggling to hide her growing feelings for him. Meanwhile her parents are going through their own turmoil as neither of them are there happy selves. I love how passionate and dedicated Esther becomes towards her patients she is definitely the kind of nurse I would want looking after me as she truly cares about everyone. Amidst the drama happening in A&E there is plenty of outside dramas beautifully woven through the pages to enjoy. Although the book is part of a series it can be easily read as a standalone. I am loving this series and I think it would be a great tv series. It reminds me a little of Grey's Anatomy.

My sincere thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read Finding Friends at the Cornish Country Hospital. I give my unbiased opinion of the book in the following short review.

This book is the second in a series of standalones that take place at the Cornish Country Hospital. I did not realize this when I started the book and even though I was able to follow the story, I think I would have enjoyed it a little more had I already been introduced to the characters. This particular book follows Esther, a nurse at the hospital, and her mother Caroline who is navigating what seems to be a midlife/retirement crisis that her husband is going through. Mental Health is a strong theme throughout this book, and I thought it was well written. There is a definite friend group at the hospital who get along very well and have some great banter when they gather. There is a little romance as well as some suspense thrown in to make the story move along quickly. This was definitely one of those books where I wanted to jump into the pages and shake some sense into a few of the characters more than once, but overall it was an easy to read and entertaining women's fiction story. I will have no trouble recommending it to fans of this genre.

I didn't like this book quite as much as the first in the series, but it's still really good. I loved getting to know more about Esther and her parents - Esther played such a big part in the first book and didn't get an especially happy ending at the end of it. I was also curious to get to know a little more about Danni's brother as he too played a part in the Danni's story. I love Jo Bartlett's ability to bring in the medical part of these character's lives - it's so great to get to see the characters as more than just two parts of a romance. I also appreciate that she doesn't make the characters pull off miracles with patients; they can't save everyone and that keeps everything in more of a realistic situation. I'm also a fan of Jo Bartlett's ability to pull in characters from previous books in a way that allows you to see their stories continue as well. And it's always fun to see what Gwen is getting up to! The romance between Esther and Joe is a pretty slow-burn. It's obvious there is something strong between them right from the start, but their actual romance is pretty subtle. I also liked that they had feelings for one another prior to the Dillon situation otherwise I would have worried it was just the stress of that situation that served as the foundation of their relationship. I wish he had mentioned to her a little earlier that he was considering staying so that she wouldn't have felt insecure about it. As for Esther's parents I kept wanting Caroline to just have it out with Patrick and get into an argument with him. She so often pushed her anger down rather than telling him what his behavior was doing to her and how it was making her feel. It was like she was afraid to cause a fuss and was more wiling to burn the whole thing to the ground by getting involved with another man (who was a pretty icky guy if you think about it). I was so glad when she came to her senses. It was probably a good thing that she had to face the consequences of her actions because it really ended up serving as the catalyst to get the truth from Patrick about what was going on with him and getting them to actually talk. I wish it hadn't taken Esther getting kidnapped for them to get back together, but I have a feeling it was imminent even without that. I'm not sure what characters we will get to meet in the next book, but I'm really hoping there is a next book and this wasn't designed as a 2-book series. I'm really looking forward to seeing what happens next at this little hospital (and maybe know that Lucas finally gets his comeuppance).

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book a lot. It's the second book in a series, but it can still be read as a stand alone.