Judith’s review of Their Divine Doctor by Heather Rainier.
Emma Guthrie has been playing it safe all her life, watching friends marry and have families. She’s dedicated her life to healing others and now it’s time to heal herself.
Duke Rivers and Gage Randall are intrigued by the blushing doctor, whom they’ve observed in the past making a naughty sex toy purchase. Fate brings them together when Emma treats Gage for an arrow wound to the buttocks. When she moves in upstairs, they decide it’s time to take a chance.
The socially awkward threesome discovers a mutual need to stop allowing life to pass them by, and they embark on a quest to accomplish each item on their “bucket list” together. From the treetops of the North Georgia Mountains to the frozen Canadian Northwest Territories and points in between, they chase their dreams as danger closes in at home. Will Emma pay the ultimate price for loving them both?
It isn’t often that we come across a novel that embraces really awkward people–all of them, in fact. In other stories it may be an awkward hero or a shy heroine, but in this holiday menage tale every main character is a person who has been absorbed with lots in their life that has little to with personal relationships. Dr. Emma has given her whole adult life to pursuing her dream of being a doctor and giving her time and attention to the community of Divine, Texas. Duke and Gage are security and technology “giants” in many ways, but that keeps them behind the scenes more often than not, and most definitely not out where they interact with others very much. For all three, it’s OK for a while. But all three of these people are now coming to a time in their lives when the job, the profession, the daily grind just doesn’t “do it” for them. Through an interesting set of circumstances, these three peoples’ lives converge and their mutual attraction gives them the courage to reach out to one another. And that all important bucket list? It’s what seems to give them an agenda as they work through the issues in their personal relationship.
This is a story of people that are often invisible unless their doing their job or their skills are needed. Yes, they all have a small circle of friends, but those people, as important as they are, are really on the periphery of their lives–perhaps that’s where they have all kept them. But now Emma knows that she is getting older and she wants someone important in her life to love. She wasn’t planning on having two hunks pursuing her. But Emma’s heart is large and she is probably one of the most open-minded and open-hearted people you could ever meet. Her generous spirit seems to call to Duke and Gage and they are more than delighted to be embraced by her generous heart and her loving arms.
Throughout this Divine Creek Ranch series is it evident that the underlying truth that drives these stories is that human love comes in all shapes and sizes and is expressed in many different relational configurations. There has been a sense of rejection even among some citizens in the wider community of Divine, but there has also grown to be a portion of the community that have accepted that some people have not difficulty including more people in their family circle. And for Emma, Duke and Gage, having that sense of security, knowing they are deeply and irrevocably loved is the missing piece that has now been put in place so that they are finally whole. Once again readers are treated to the good things about all these people: genuine caring and respect for one another, open minds for people who may have chosen an alternative way of living and relating, deep community ties, friendship that goes the extra mile, and a sense of being connected on many levels.
This is a shorter holiday story, but it adds just a little bit more to the reader’s growing knowledge about this growing circle of friends and family as well as insights into the community. Most of all this story embodies the very values that all people know to be an intrinsic part of what the Christmas spirit is about. As always, Ms Rainier brings her growing expertise and writing skill to the task. All of us who love this series have been aware of her growth as a writer and her careful handling of language, story line and plot. It is a truly delightful read and one that will be welcomed by fans of this series. This is also somewhat shorter than most of the other books in the series but it is every bit as good. While it is a stand alone book it is even better when the reader is familiar with characters that have been featured in previous novels. It is the kind of book that will be a joy to read at any time of the year.
I give it a rating of 4.5 out of 5
You can read more from Judith at Dr J’s Book Place.
This book is available from Siren Publishing. You can buy it here or here in e-format.
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