A review by jessa_sage1996
Doctor Fix-it by Mel Walker

2.0

The book is written with a much more mature and serious tone than I'm used to romance novels having. An important emphasis is placed on how good of a dad Brayton Patterson appears to be. The other man character is Dr. Reggie Morgan, an ER doctor at the same hospital that the main woman character. The protagonist of the story is the main woman character, Dr. Angie Carmichael.


SPOILERS!!! 


A quarter of the way through it, I have some thoughts about the characters and the plot. First, the author seems concerned with character building so I feel like I kind of understand them even if it's through the eyes of the protagonist. Brayton seems cool. He's fun, he cares greatly for his son, he's smolderingly attractive. The protagonist feels drawn to him, first as a one night stand then as a reason to break her rules. Reggie works with her, he would understand without explanation how demanding her job is, he has personal connection with her past which seems important to Angie, and (though he's older) he's described as attractive.


Negatives to each? The way the narrator talks about Brayton is like waiting for the other shoes to drop. I don't know yet if those are her own projections/anxiety or foreshadowing. Brayton also lives a distance away and the two characters have totally separate lifestyles. Someone or both will have to compromise majorly for the relationship to work. Reggie exhibited a real red flag of possessiveness early in the book. He asked Angie to consult, realized she and the patient's dad knew one another when they were startled to see one another, then told Angie that consorting with a patient is against the rules. First off, dude, you asked her to be there. She didn't know who it was, she didn't volunteer. She was asked. Then he got weirdly clingy afterwards, leaving the protagonist to worry about his unfounded jealousy. That's a yikes for me.


The romance between Angie and Brayton is abrupt. A one night stand, a chance encounter In a professional setting, and suddenly the future must involve the other person. At least with Reggie there is a built upon history.


The protagonist, Angie, drives me crazy. She comes across as naive despite the book trying to convince me otherwise. Reggie, I think, despite liking Angie, would probably agree with me. Along with naivety, she also has double standards in regards to her "rules". I will say that she seems to be hardworking in her job. I understand she feels let down by her father and believes she is somehow responsible for the fallout of his actions, but she goes through the mental gymnastics of the situation selfishly.


"All I hear is jealousy in his voice, but I know he believes it's different." (Angie, pg 130). It literally is different. Reggie went behind her back to diagnose a patient. She went behind his back to sleep with said patient's dad. Trying to compare those two situations is ridiculous and I can't understand how Angie feels justified with the belief that the two situations are equal.


Honestly, even with his flaws, Reggie is the only character I consistently understand. Reggie and Angie's dad. Brayton, I guess, didn't really have a personality to me or worth remembering. He didn't really seem like a romantic lead. He seemed more like a side character. He wasn't bad, he just didn't seem to have a real personality to him.


END SPOILERS!!!


After finishing the book, my final opinion is this: I didn't enjoy reading this book. I didn't believe it. I didn't believe the characters for the most part. If someone is more interested in the plot of a book than the characters, you might find enjoyment with this book.