A Place in Your Heart

Loved this story! I am very picky about the historical romance novels i read but this one passed with flying colors!!

Unfortunately this book and I, well, we didn't match well. I'd give it three very weak stars because it took me ages to read it, starting, putting it down again, starting again, switching to another book and so on. I can't even tell why I needed that long, the story is nice and I really loved the characters but somehow it didn't work for me. Many parts of the story are rather predictable despite the fact that many of the characters' actions were not realistic and irritated me.

I get that the circumstances were very special but somehow the characters seemed to be caught in a loop, forever running hot - and cold again because they remembered that things were rough and they were still mourning lost loves or ...whatever. It felt rather repetitive, like "oh, he is nice but I still love...." and the same goes for Charles, our hero in a way. Gracie is sweet and nice but still in love with her deceased husband, the only person who ever really got her and treated her as an equal, hence the broken record because he repeats it every time she feels something for someone else, like Charles, for example.
With everything turning into chaos, those two have to find out whether there is more between them than just the doctor and the nurse...

I received a copy from NetGalley; this is my honest review. #APlaceInYourHeart #NetGalley
-Captivating military medical romance, intersperse with a mystery all on its own.
-The medical details are graphic but fascinating: "He slid the blade through the skin until the tip stabbed through below his fingers on the opposite side."
-Many pertinent details about the Civil War, the soldiers/officers and the many problems they incurred such as the bombarding of the temporary hospitals.
-There is no insta-lust in this story; it's more enemies to lovers w/o the sex. It's funny, endearing, and sad all at the same time.
-Engrossing mystery throughout the book with a better ending than what my mind thought it was...

I am a big fan of historical romance, though usually my preference is for the Regency era or the occasional Highlander offering. But the blurb on this Civil War romance caught my attention. It centers on an Irish nurse named Gracie and the disagreeable surgeon who drives her crazy.

Charles constantly makes cracks about her tender sensibilities and insists that the medical ward is no place for a woman. What seems like arrogance, though, really masks a complete inability on his part to connect to other people. It is never explicitly stated, but I feel like he may have had mild Aspergers or fallen somewhere on the autism spectrum. He could not express his feelings; he did not understand humor. He was ostracized his entire life but just could not find his place. Except with medicine.

This is definitely an enemies to lovers story. Charles makes Gracie crazy, but over time she grows to appreciate his skill and realizes there is more to him than meets the eye. It doesn’t hurt that he excites her with his unbidden kisses. Still, she doesn’t feel like any man can ever replace her late husband. This is a slow burn romance for sure. (And a virgin hero, BTW.)

I liked Gracie and her unwavering commitment to her patients. I felt her frustration dealing with all of the sexist doctors she encountered. For that matter, I felt Charles’s frustration with some of the backward medical thinking of the time. Though I liked the hero, I still did not feel like I understood entirely his violent tendencies or exactly what happened in his past that got him demoted. Maybe I’m supposed to infer a little bit more about that, as I did with the autism, but I think I would’ve liked an explanation that was a little more overt.

There is a lot of time and attention focused on the medical elements of the book. Everything from the smells and sights of a hospital ward to surgical techniques and the damage various bullets can do. I don’t know a lot about the accuracy of things like that, but if you dig that level of detail, it’s there.

Then there is the mystery which pops up in the second half. I don’t want to spoil it, but it did not feel completely necessary to the story. It almost felt like an afterthought. It takes so long for this couple to really completely connect that I felt a little short-changed. They get together and then it’s all over. I know they have an HEA, but I wanted more clues about what their life was going to be like together. Maybe an epilogue would’ve helped in that way.

There were a couple of typos, but overall, I enjoyed the story. I’m glad I picked it up and if you are in the mood for a historical romance with a medical bent, you should consider giving it a try.

Rating: B/B-

Gracie and Charles cross paths in the medical wards of patient care during the Civil War as they both strive to survive and be accepted for the roles to help heal. Interesting characters in a time of strife find a future with good story line. This is the first book I've read by this author and will look for her other books.

Ebook from netgalley and publishers with thanks. Opinions are entirely my own.

It took me awhile to get into this book. While I like the heroine instantly, it took me longer to warm up to the hero. He was socially awkward and very to get to know. Their romance was a nice story, but it developed painfully slow. I did like the portrait of the Civil War that enveloped the love story. The hardships of the soldiers and the medical staff are realistically portrayed and the medical details are both fascinating and somewhat repulsive at the same time. The mystery is interesting but is slow to get going. A mixed bag for me.