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agentkp's review
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A nice story if a bit too fast for my tastes. I enjoyed reading though. There is this one line that bugged me A Lot on how an unexpected kiss isn't assault which, yes it is, but didn't turn me off completely.
leeen17's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
lildark1's review against another edition
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
reneetc's review against another edition
4.0
Solid story. I read [b:Love After Hours|36404629|Love After Hours (A Rivers Community Romance, #4)|Radclyffe|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1507885017s/36404629.jpg|58098883] first, so it only made sense to start from the beginning. Having read a few of Radclyffe's books, I've gotten use to her writing style and the types of characters she uses. However, Harper and Presley don't exactly fit Radclyffe's typical butch/femme couple. Perhaps this is what influence me to round up from 3.5 stars.
ravensfyre's review against another edition
3.0
Although this isn't one of her best works, Radclyff has once again managed to deliver a great book. Strong and yet vulnerable characters, and relationship insecurities on various levels make this book what it is.
'Against Doctor's Orders,' captures your heart in ways some of her other books might not have been able to.
This book has its flaws, one of them being its predictability.
/Spoilers/
The book starts out in the same way that most of her other books do : With raw unresolved sexual tension, and some rivalry.
The characters are lovable and although from different walks of life, both the characters can be related with.
It is well written and the erotica as usual is hot and steamy.
'Against Doctor's orders' is recommendable for those who have previously read Radclyff's work and even better for new readers, as they haven't read some of her better works yet.
All in all, it is a great book, with some predictability. Still, thoroughly enjoyable.
'Against Doctor's Orders,' captures your heart in ways some of her other books might not have been able to.
This book has its flaws, one of them being its predictability.
/Spoilers/
The book starts out in the same way that most of her other books do : With raw unresolved sexual tension, and some rivalry.
The characters are lovable and although from different walks of life, both the characters can be related with.
It is well written and the erotica as usual is hot and steamy.
'Against Doctor's orders' is recommendable for those who have previously read Radclyff's work and even better for new readers, as they haven't read some of her better works yet.
All in all, it is a great book, with some predictability. Still, thoroughly enjoyable.
the_readingduck's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
elvang's review against another edition
4.0
I received an ecopy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
Harper Rivers is set to take over as head of the Argyle Community Hospital when her father retires. The board of directors, feeling the fiscal pinch and unable to pay their creditors see no alternative but to sell the hospital to a western conglomerate known as SunView Health Systems.
Presley Worth is comfortable in her number crunching role in her own family dynasty. Her father has hinted at retirement and she and her twin brother are both angling for top spot in SunView. She is hoping to make short work of the closure of this overstaffed and unprofitable country hospital so she can return to Phoenix.
What happens next is an entertaining ride with a nice balance of folksy small town friendliness mixed in with the hard reality of a community on the brink of losing their easy access to quality healthcare. And of course, a lovely romance.
I liked Harper and Presley. Both are strong and determined women. Harper is a dedicated physician who puts the care of her patients and their families in front of her own needs. Presley is an astute business woman who quickly grasps the inefficiencies she sees in the community hospital where a little old lady greets you at the front doors and physicians still make house calls.
It's this strength of character which makes the romance that develops between these two that much sweeter. The reader senses the connection, sees how each is willing to lower their personal barricades in spite of their opposing views. As barriers are crossed the relationship heats up. Make that sizzles. The passion these two share leaps off the pages of this book. It's a beautiful thing.
There is the usual collection of secondary characters to surround Harper and Presley and fill out the storyline. Harper's sister Flannery gets the role of the competitive hot shot chief of surgery and expert lady killer with a heart of gold. Presley's assistant Carrie fills in as the solid friend and confidante and is a character I would have liked to see get more page time. Both act as foils for the leading ladies and do a good job of advancing the plot.
Harper's mom Ida is the heart of the Rivers family and the voice of reason Harper relies on to help her deal with this first woman to sweep her off her feet. If I have a problem with the secondary characters it would be with the one dimensional Edward, Harper's father. He delivers the news of the potential hospital closure, appears to be close to Harper but is seldom seen or heard from and has little impact on the central theme of the story.
The same goes for Presley's twin brother Preston. He is the reason for most of her tension. Will he try to persuade stock holders to elect him as the next CEO of SunView over his sister? Has he sent Presley off to upstate nowhere so he can make this happen? When the reader finally gets to meet Presley's nemesis, their meeting is mostly held behind closed doors. I would have liked a few more scenes with these two going toe to toe.
The health care professional in me got a bit squeamish when Harper and her mother discuss a patient Harper had cared for at the hospital during the night.This breech of confidentiality is unheard of in today's health care settings. I have to assume the author was driving home the local, friendly and familiar atmosphere of the community hospital and what would be lost if patients had to be treated by strangers in distant cities.
Against Doctor's Orders is a beautiful romance that delivers all the heat and passion fans of this genre have come to expect in a Radclyffe novel. What impressed me the most was the growth I see in her main characters. The strong masculine woman has been replaced by two women of equal strength and depth of character. Its nice to watch and a pleasure to read.
mjsam's review against another edition
3.0
I actually read this because I received Love On Call from NetGalley and realised it was part of a series, so went back and got the others to read first.
I haven't read a Radclyffe book for awhile, they were all starting to seem the same. I was surprised by how much I liked this book, although it did suffer from the usual Rad fic problems of a fast burn relationship.
Both main characters are interesting, there's a believable attraction between them, they do get to know each other (somewhat) before sleeping together, and the secondary characters are interesting, which is good given this is the start of a series.
The two leads do spend a lot of time together and discuss some big personal stuff, but I felt the relationship was lopsided, in that while Preston gets to knows a lot about Harper and her family, she doesn't share much about her own family (with Harper, though the reader is aware) until the last two pages of the book, so it's actually hard to see why Harper falls for Preston so quickly. However, most of the getting to know you stuff, though it takes up about 2/3s of the book, all happens in the space of roughly a week.
Because there's a work based conflict and one of the characters lives in the town, you know what the resolution will be miles before it happens, and I found the time jump to move to the resolution jarring and too rushed. Given that it had been flagged by a secondary character earlier, it didn't have to be, they could have worked together to bring about the same resolution and it would have made for a better ending.
This is an easy read, with likeable enough characters, if you've read a Rad book before, you pretty much know what to expect, and honestly, I enjoyed it more than I expected to. 3.5 stars.
I haven't read a Radclyffe book for awhile, they were all starting to seem the same. I was surprised by how much I liked this book, although it did suffer from the usual Rad fic problems of a fast burn relationship.
Both main characters are interesting, there's a believable attraction between them, they do get to know each other (somewhat) before sleeping together, and the secondary characters are interesting, which is good given this is the start of a series.
The two leads do spend a lot of time together and discuss some big personal stuff, but I felt the relationship was lopsided, in that while Preston gets to knows a lot about Harper and her family, she doesn't share much about her own family (with Harper, though the reader is aware) until the last two pages of the book, so it's actually hard to see why Harper falls for Preston so quickly. However, most of the getting to know you stuff, though it takes up about 2/3s of the book, all happens in the space of roughly a week.
Because there's a work based conflict and one of the characters lives in the town, you know what the resolution will be miles before it happens, and I found the time jump to move to the resolution jarring and too rushed. Given that it had been flagged by a secondary character earlier, it didn't have to be, they could have worked together to bring about the same resolution and it would have made for a better ending.
This is an easy read, with likeable enough characters, if you've read a Rad book before, you pretty much know what to expect, and honestly, I enjoyed it more than I expected to. 3.5 stars.
theamandashelby's review against another edition
4.0
Radclyffe is usually a go to for a good read; I honestly can’t say that she has produced an amazing book for a while. I really enjoyed this one though. I listened to the audiobook version. Radclyffe books are some of the best audiobooks, while they are not always the best books to read. This one I feel falls into that same category. The audiobook was really good, and made work fly by. The book retained my interest so that I listened during my commute to work, while at work, and my commute home. It was in my opinion one of her better books. I didn’t particularly like Presley as a character, but I loved Harper. I do find myself not liking these “lesbian attraction” towns that Radclyffe often uses. I find myself just pretending that the arrogant in your face lesbian aspect isn’t part of the story. It is so unrealistic it is a bit off-putting. After reading so many of her books though I am quite used to it. While the books are not fantastic, they are good entertainment and I will continue to listen to them. Audible has made Radclyffe a go to for audiobooks for me. I think I own them all, and I often listen to them multiple times. I have already downloaded the second Rivers Romance….so on to the next.