Stevie‘s review of The Antidote for Everything by Kimmery Martin
Medical Fiction published by Berkley 18 Feb 20

I requested this book ages ago, based on the blurb, but when I finally got around to reading it, I got a good chunk of the way in and then had to go back and recheck that the blurb matched the story I was reading. There’s an awful lot about our main protagonist, her work, and her unsatisfactory love life before we ever get around to seeing much that resembles the real bones of the plot. There’s also one short description of a minor character early on that I found problematic, especially given the plot’s central theme. Having said all that, I suspect that readers picking up the book based on the author’s previous works are being given a chance to get to know and like our heroine, before the difficult parts are thrust upon them, and if that gets more people to sympathise with the plights of Georgia, and – more especially – her friend Jonah and his patients, then so much the better.


Urologist Dr Georgia Brown works in a church-funded clinic attached to a community hospital in Charleston, South Carolina, as does her best friend, Jonah Tsukada, who specialises in family medicine and is particularly popular with patients from the LGBT+ community. While Georgia is finishing up on her last day at work before heading off to an overseas conference, and already preoccupied with worries about her beloved dog’s veterinary appointment and with the fact that her latest boyfriend just dumped her very publicly, she receives a series of disturbing texts from Jonah, implying he’s worried about losing his job. More rumours circulate around Georgia as she sets off for home, but she puts them out of her mind in favour of conference preparations.

Then on a flight to the Netherlands, Georgia has to deal with a medical emergency and finds herself leaving the airport with her (highly attractive) erstwhile patient. The pair have a merry few days together, Georgia’s conference all but forgotten, and it’s not until she’s nearing the end of her trip that she learns that her best friend really is in need of her assistance. The new hospital board has taken action against Jonah on moral grounds, both because of his sexuality and because he treats so many trans* patients. On top of that, it looks like he’s being framed for a series of thefts from the hospital. Georgia – aided by her new boyfriend – resolves to do everything possible to help Jonah reverse the board’s decision to fire him (and turn away his LGBT+ patients) and to clear his name over the theft accusations.

As I intimated earlier, the main plot of the book had lots going for it. However, I really didn’t need Georgia’s love life superimposed over it. Jonah spent quite a chunk of the story sidelined, either because Georgia was elsewhere or because he was literally, or medically, unavailable to take part in the plot. Yes, this could have the potential to bring the issues before a wider readership and raise awareness of the issues dealt with in the story to a wider audience, but I do wonder how many of those who need to be made aware would be put off by the blurb, just as I felt that the blurb misled me over the genre of story to expect.

Reading the author’s notes afterwards, I do get the impression that she picked the issues to dissect after she’d already fallen in love with her heroine, and so, while her decision to run with the central theme is admirable, I personally would have much rather have read Jonah’s story – and a version of it in which he was fully involved with the action, at that – rather than watching Georgia try to make a go of juggling her romantic- and friendship-based relationships at the same time of trying to hold onto a job where she had to answer to a lot of really unpleasant people.

Grade: C

An important and timely novel. The intersection of medicine and conservative Christianity. Interesting, detailed and an important read in this day and age.

**I received an electronic ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review of this book.

After reading the endnotes and seeing how Kimmery Martin had first intended for this book to go, I am so glad she scrubbed those chapters and started again with a less conventional path and a story that is both timely and memorable.

Kimmery Martin does not tell you everything about her characters or situations in the first pages, or even the first chapters. You are slowly learning about them as their narratives, and their current controversy is unfolding.

Doctor’s Georgia Brown and Jonah Tsukada, work for a private religious-based hospital in Charleston.
Jonah is first to notice some of his patients are either not showing up for appointments or are being asked to leave by the administration. No one is telling Jonah why but when he confides in his best friend Georgia, they begin to uncover a duplicitous plot to remove patients, and their doctors, who the hospital deems unworthy of treatment. At its core, the reasons are deplorable and when the doctors delve into the motivations, they are confronted with a series of lies and career-ending innuendos which not only put their careers on the line but their lives also.

Of course, there are love interests and deceptions, but at the core is friendship, integrity, justice, and the meaning of family for people who have had to scrape and claw for everything they have.

There are a few parts that do not mesh as well as they could, but these broad-brush moments are forgiven since the book worked for me. So much so that I now must go back and find Kimmery Martin’s first book, The Queen of Hearts.

Dollycas’s Interests

In The Antidote for Everything, we meet Georgia Brown, yes like the song. She is unique in her profession as a urologist which means she sees a lot of naked men and takes care of some of their very important parts. Jonah Tsukada is her best friend, a family medicine doctor and a gay man that provides care for transgender and others of the LBGTQ community. Some of his patients are Georgia’s patients as well. Jonah was disowned by his family when he came out. Georgia was raised by her father, her mother left them behind when she was just 5 years old. Her father has since passed away. Georgia and Jonah are now each other’s family.

Georgia and Jonah work at a hospital founded by a fundamentalist megachurch. That hospital has now decided to stop their doctors from providing care for their LBGTQ patients and Jonah fears he will soon be fired. All this unfolds just as Georgia is set to leave for a conference in Amsterdam.

Mid-flight there is a page for a doctor to help a passenger in distress. She reaches back to her med school training to diagnose and treat the man. Mark McInnis, an American working in Amsterdam is very grateful and offers to buy her a drink when the plane lands. She is immediately attracted to Mark and the feelings are mutual. Her time is then spent between her conference, time with Mark, and worrying about what is happening with Jonah back in the States. Rumors are flying and there is even talk of missing drugs. Georgia is pulled between her new romance and helping her best friend.

_____

Ms. Martin has taken on a hot topic in the world today. That line between religious beliefs and a doctor’s oath to do no harm. Working at a hospital founded by a megachurch I don’t think the doctors should have been surprised by the decisions made but the author uses the actions as a vehicle to tell a great story of the lengths people will go to for their friends.

The characters Martin has created are genuine and the dialogue is snappy and true to life. Sometimes it is pretty funny too. Georgia is a strong, fiery redhead who doesn’t back down from a challenge. Mark really came to life within these pages. He understood Georgia and Jonah’s relationship and wanted to help. Jonah becomes a fan of Mark’s too.

Martin pursues a very creative plotline that I completely escaped right into. The pacing is perfect with twists that bring out a true mystery element as Gloria stands by her friend through thick and thin. The romance subplot becomes much more as the story moves forward. There were several emotional moments throughout the story. The way patients were treated first made me sad but then quickly made me angry, I felt the same for the way Jonah was treated. Again sadness and anger raised is head as more of what was actually going on was revealed.

A bonus to the book is that we traveled to Amsterdam and there was a hugely hilarious scene that truly had me laughing out loud. We also were able to do a little virtual sightseeing which is always fun.

Kimmery Martin brings all these elements together to give readers a very powerful story. Well-written and plotted the story left me thinking about how important our voices are in this world and the lengths can go to for our friends. The actions the hospital took are happening more than we know and Martin presents the issues in an entertaining way without going too far or in a preachy way. I will get a little preachy myself. Equality is something we should all want and discrimination is not okay.

The Antidote for Everything is a compelling read and I recommend it highly. I reviewed Martin’s debut novel, The Queen of Hearts in 2018 and the last line of my review was “I am excited by this author and can’t wait to see what she writes next.” Well her second novel is even better. She even has characters from that book make a cameo appearance in this one. Again, I can’t wait to see what she writes next.

I have mixed feelings on this one. The basis of the book could not be more in line with today's world and I was shocked to find out that it is still legal in some states to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation. This book covers some pretty heavy topics such as drug abuse, attempted suicide, homophobia, sexual assault and depression. It is quite an eye opener and I wanted to love this book. I think the biggest downfall was that it tried to cover too much between the discrimination, assault and budding romance. Overall, I enjoyed it but didn't love it.

I am delighted that I had the opportunity to read and review Kimmery Martin’s The Antidote for Everything which covers timely, relevant, and sometimes polarizing topics with grace, heart, and a bit of humor.

The main character Georgia is fantastic! I may be biased because she’s a fellow redhead, but I find her to just be pretty awesome all around. She’s a rare female urologist in the south (seeing plenty of naked men but with few romantic prospects), working for a hospital founded by a fundamental church. So of course, you can see where some of the issues she faces are going to arise. Progressive values have no place in the institution Georgia works for. But overall, Georgia likes her coworkers, her patients, and her life.

The central relationship of the novel is really between Georgia and her best friend Jonah. When Jonah came out to his family at 18, he was turned away. Now, Georgia has become his family. Their friendship is completely heartwarming and filled with snappy banter and heartfelt moments.
When Georgia is on her way to a medical conference in the Netherlands, a medical emergency onboard the aircraft calls her into service, and ultimately leads her to meet the other leading character, Mark. After she saves Mark, he wants to buy her a drink, a train ticket, and get to know her. And of course he is tall and hot! I liked the relationship between Mark and Georgia, but if I’m honest I was more interested in the friendship between Jonah and Georgia.

So that brings us to what I would consider the main tension of the story. Georgia is at her conference and beginning her blossoming connection with Mark, while Jonah is back in Charleston worried about his job. Patients who are transgender have been notified that the hospital won’t treat them, and they’ll need to find alternate medical treatment. When Jonah refuses to abide by the hospital’s “morality” policy and turn away patients, he is fired. And it doesn’t end there. My heart went out to Jonah as he suffered character attacks. Friends and former colleagues circulate rumors that he stole medications from the hospital.

Seeing the depth of Georgia’s friendship with Jonah was truly a shining part of this novel. Georgia goes to great lengths to help Jonah, including bringing Martin in. The situation in this book was one that is so timely, and is happening all around our country as political and social tensions escalate. Many feel the need to hold on even more tightly to their own moral code, and the fall out of policies such as this are devastating. Through Martin’s story, we see not only the impact on the patients, but also on the employees at the hospital. When a group has majority control, the options to stand up against something you disagree with disappear.

Martin actually had a number of personal experiences to draw from as she crafted this book, which is probably why it resonates so powerfully. For instance, she is a physician herself, and she knew a physician fired for similar reasons to those in this book.

This book manages to be both deeply thought-provoking and serious, while also being humorous and heart-warming at times. A really great book and one that I applaud for tackling tough issues that many shy away from.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing for my copy. Opinions are my own.

Linda's Book Obsession Reviews "The Antidote for Everything" by Kimmery Martin, Penguin Random House, February 18, 2020

Kimmery Martin, author of "The Antidote for Everything" has written a captivating, intriguing, witty, emotional and memorable novel. The Genres for this story are Fiction, and Medical Fiction. The story takes place in the present and goes to the past when it pertains to the characters or events. The author describes her characters as complex, complicated, quirky, and for the most part likable.  I love the way Kimmery Martin vividly describes her characters, story, and setting.

I appreciate that the author discusses relevant and important contemporary issues that are newsworthy today. Georgia Brown is a Urologist, and her best friend Jonah Tsukada is a physician, working in the same hospital. Jonah works with transgender patients. Georgia is outspoken and asserts herself, and Jonah has tremendous patience for his patients. When the hospital administration takes a stand that legally the doctors won't be seeing transgender patients, both Jonah, and Georgia have to decide if they stand up for what they believe in, or lose their jobs.

The themes of the importance of friendship, honesty, loyalty, and love are seen throughout this novel. The author also discusses that everyone, no matter what their sexual orientation is or lifestyle, is entitled to medical treatment. This is a wonderful, well written and witty novel that I would highly recommend for readers who enjoy a thought-provoking story.

A Beautiful timely thought provoking tale of friendship and hard choices. Kimmery Martin did a remarkable job of bringing her medical knowledge to the page and making it both readable and authentic. Living in Southern California and surrounding myself with accepting people I was shocked to find out that in over 30 states there are not laws against discriminating against the LGBTQ community. It is maddening and baffling that someone can be denied healthcare or a job based on who they choose to love or what gender they choose to identify as. This book addresses this issue, but the story is really more of a love letter to friendship. Georgia is a urologist working in a hospital in South Carolina. Her best friend Jonah is also a doctor practicing in the same hospital. Jonah is gay and as a result tends to many members of the LGBTQ community, when some of his patients begin to leave his practice he is concerned. When he finds out that the hospital is no longer treating transgender individuals he is mad. This leads to him resigning, rumors, accusations, and a downward spiral. Georgia is determined to stand by her best friend, but this leads to some questionable actions. The story has a few twists and things I did not see coming, as well as a generous dose of romance.

This was such an engaging story! Georgia and Jonah’s friendship was so strong and so special. Georgia was such a spunky, smart, sassy, and strong woman I really loved her character. The romance between Georgia and Mark was so real. I really appreciated how analytical Georgia was when it came to love, I think a lot of us (including myself) approach romance this way and it is seldom how it is portrayed in books and movies. I also really liked that Georgia and Jonah were flawed and made poor choices. Life is messy and this book does not sugarcoat it... it was real, it was raw, and it was wonderful!

This book in emojis. 👩🏻‍⚕️ 🏥 👨🏼‍⚕️ 🩺 💻 👫

*** Big thank you to Berkley for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

This was a powerful, poignant book that tackled important issues we are facing as a country right now. Transgender issues are important and I am thankful that books are bringing more of them to the forefront of literature. This book also touched on gender equality and other types of discrimination.

I loved the characters that Martin created and I thought that their development throughout the book was very well done. I loved the friendship between Georgia and Jonah. I knocked off a star though because their relationship that developed between Georgia and Mark felt like an after thought. I liked the guy but he felt like a plot device to move things along rather than an important part of the story.

The Antidote for Everything by Kimmery Martin. Unfortunately I was let down by this book. I enjoyed Martin’s debut, The Queen of Hearts, and was hopeful that this one would be on par. However, this book was a bit of sophomore, reminding me of television shows that try to tackle WAY too many themes and plots in the second season and leave the storyline incredibly jumbled. I write this review with a lot of sadness because this book tries to deal with so many important issues ranging from LBGTQ to women’s issues to mental health. While I appreciate Martin taking to the written word to voice these issues, all of which are near and dear to my heart, trying to intertwine them with stories of friendships, romance, the other themes within medical dramas, and having unclear POVs on top of it, left the book confusing and hard to read. A for effort, C for storytelling. If you like medical dramas like Grey’s Anatomy, New Amsterdam, or loved her first book, you should read this for yourself and form your own opinions. I’m sure many will love this book, it just didn’t do it for me.

Kimmery Martin has done it again! Medical drama ripped from the headlines, handled with grace and truth. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was like reading my favorite doctor show with no commercials! While the entertainment value was excellent, this book also provides the reader with a look at inequality in medicine and the injustices of society.

Georgia Brown -- just like the song -- is a nonconformist. Female urologists are rare. And Georgia is also an opinionated redhead with a nose ring, penchant for 1970's fashion, and unyielding dedication to her patients. She practices at a privately-owned clinic outside Charleston which is part of a large hospital complex founded by a fundamentalist megachurch. She was raised by her now-deceased father after her mother left when she was just five years old. Jonah Tsukada is more than just her best friend of seven years. Disowned by his own family when he came out to them at the age of 18, Jonah and Georgia are each other's family. Their relationship is the centerpiece of The Antidote for Everything and the reason why the book is instantly compelling. Martin is known for her characters' snappy dialogue and the conversations Georgia and Jonah are wholly believable and frequently hilarious. Martin illustrates a friendship that is solid, comforting, often exasperating, and thoroughly indispensable in both of their lives with compassion and authenticity.

As the story opens, another of Georgia's relationships has ended. She does not have a good track record with men, "perfectly comfortable being picky. She was not perfectly comfortable dating someone who said snide things about the pants size of the cashier at the grocery." She is scheduled to depart for the a medical conference in the Netherlands, but Jonah, who was supposed to attend with her, never registered. Just before she leaves, Jonah sends a text message: "I think I am going to be fired." Georgia is, of course, concerned, but Jonah tends toward exaggeration. He then clarifies that he believes his job is not in jeopardy, but "something weird is going on with my patients."

En route to the conference, Georgia is pressed into service when a medical emergency arises on the flight. Over the Atlantic with nowhere to land, she reluctantly tends to the unconscious passenger. Recalling information learned in medical school, but never put to use in her urology practice, she is able to correctly diagnose the problem. When the plane touches down in Frankfurt, the "mortified" passenger insists on purchasing her train ticket to Amsterdam . . . and buying her a drink. Mark McInnis is a six foot, five inch handsome American living and working in Amsterdam with whom she has "history's most epic conversation between two strangers on a train," and to whom Georgia feels an "instant attraction." The two find that they have much in common. Like Georgia, Mark has had a series of relationships, none of which has been spectacularly successful and, at age forty, he has begun questioning why he has been unable to make a commitment. He tells Georgia that he is attracted to smart, funny women, but that dishonesty is the one thing he cannot tolerate. "I don't want to be with someone who lies or who hides something major from me. Ever."

However, as Georgia's medical conference and romance with Mark are just beginning, back in Charleston Jonah is facing a career crisis. The clinic has notified patients in the LGBTQ community to find other doctors, and rumors are swirling that the medications stolen from the clinic were taken by Jonah.

The pace of The Antidote for Everything never slackens as Jonah's troubles worsen and Georgia remains by his side, determined to help save his career. Mark proves to be a staunch ally who understands and appreciates Georgia's devotion to her friend, even as Georgia prioritizes Jonah's needs over her burgeoning relationship with Mark. And Mark is able to provide assistance -- the name of one of the IT experts employed by his company -- when Georgia confides that she has an idea that might help Jonah save his job and cause the clinic to rescind its referendum.

Martin examines the lengths to which Georgia will go in her attempt to help Jonah. Jonah's career, freedom and, eventually, his life are at stake as Georgia navigates a growing crisis at the clinic that threatens her own career. She pursues alliances in surprising quarters as she plots to outmaneuver the clinic powerhouses who want to uphold the clinic's purported moral standards, along with those of some of the clinic's other employees, many of whom are members of the church that runs the clinic. Martin's story is inventively plotted, full of surprising twists and unexpected complications, all of which emphasize the unbreakable bond between Georgia and Jonah, as well as their commitment to equality and access to healthcare for all persons irrespective of their personal characteristics. The result is a fast-paced and frequently shocking, but utterly absorbing and decidedly timely mystery.

Martin challenges readers to contemplate how far they would go to help a friend in need, and consider the implications of laws that permit discrimination in the delivery of medical care or any other essential services, as well as employment. Martin's compassion and affection for her characters and their circumstances are apparent, but she never permits her narrative to delve into preaching or become heavy-handed in its delivery of a story straight out of current events and the issues that find Americans divided along ideological and political lines. The Antidote for Everything is a compelling, entertaining, and thought-provoking look at the dangers of intolerance and the bounds of friendship.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Berkley and Kimmerly Martin for the opportunity to read this book - 4.5 stars! I was a huge fan of Queen of Hearts and this follow-up is another winner. The author is a physician so writing stories that take place in hospitals and to doctors ring true.

In this book, we meet best friends Georgia and Jonah. Georgia is a female urologist and Jonah is a family practice doctor, both working in the same clinic. Georgia heads for Amsterdam for a conference - one that Jonah was supposed to attend with her but had to cancel. While she is there, Jonah informs her that the clinic is refusing treatment to gay and transgender patients. When Jonah, himself a gay man, refuses, he is on the block to be fired. Georgia does her best to remedy the situation but may end up causing even more heartache.

These are wonderful, real characters that you will love spending time with. There are some very important political thoughts - how a doctor/hospital can refuse to treat any person because of a difference of belief. But it's mostly a book of friendship and what lengths we would go to for those important to us.

The Antidote for Everything is a powerful and emotional read that explores the all too relevant and timely topic of LGBTQ discrimination. Set in Charleston, SC, the story follows what happens when two doctors buck the system and fight for the rights of their transgender patients who have suddenly and unexpectedly been denied access to medical care at a local hospital.

Dr. Georgia Brown, the protagonist, is a respected urologist at the hospital in question. She is on her way to a conference in Amsterdam when she hears the news about patients being turned away from her best friend and fellow doctor, Jonah Tsukada, who is also part of the LGBTQ community. When Jonah refuses to comply with the administration’s new policy, he is fired and the hospital starts circulating vicious rumors about him. When Jonah fills Georgia in on everything that has happened, she is equally distraught, both for her own patients and of course for her best friend, and vows to join the fight with him as soon as she returns home.

The doctors’ fight against discrimination made for a truly powerful and riveting read, but it honestly was the characters that made me love this book so much. Georgia is smart, feisty, and fierce, and Jonah is just everything I’d want in a best friend. It killed me to think that someone would go out of his or her way to tank his career just because they didn’t approve of his or his patients’ sexual orientation. The wit, the banter, and the unwavering support between Georgia and Jonah just captivated my heart. Both characters are complicated, messy, and sometimes don’t make the best decisions, but for me, that was part of their charm and what made them feel so real.

In addition to the gripping drama and scandal that surrounded the hospital, there was also a romance on the side for Georgia that really balanced out the story for me. Georgia has never been lucky in love, but when there is a medical emergency on her plane to Amsterdam and she’s the only doctor on board, a potential Mr. Right, whose name is Mark, falls right into her path. Their chemistry had me smiling, even though the rest of the book had me equal parts sad, angry, and frustrated for Jonah, Georgia, and their patients.

With a discrimination story and subsequent scandal that felt like something that could appear in the headlines of any media outlet these days, The Antidote for Everything grabbed my attention from the opening scenes and held my interest to the very last page. If you’re into medical dramas, stories about social justice, and stories about friendship and loyalty, give The Antidote for Everything a try.

I loved this author’s first book and was so excited to read this one. I didn’t enjoy this one as much. I did really like the characters and it’s a great conversation about equality and our flawed laws. However, I didn’t like a lot of the decisions made by the main character. She did a lot of things that had me saying, “But why tho?” She made some decisions that ultimately hurt the people she loved, and she willingly made those decisions. Overall I liked it, but didn’t love it.

Georgia and Jonah are physicians at a for-profit that has decided to no longer treat transgender patients. Jonah is devastated and Georgia is beyond offended and angry for their patients, for Jonah, and herself. Kimmery Martin takes her characters on an often convoluted path as they seek to right the wrong decision. I loved Jonah and Georgia and their determination. I cheered them on but found the story kind of clumsy in a few areas. That could be on me because there are a lot of high ratings on various sites. If the publisher’s description sounds good to you I suggest you give this a try.

Georgia is a urologist at a practice in Charleston when she saves a man's life on a plane. Meanwhile her best friend at work finds his patients are being told they are no longer welcome at the practice. And in a state where anyone can refuse service based on judgments on sexual orientation, there's nothing Jonah or Georgia can do. The author, an emergency doctor in the south, knows the daily lives of doctors and it shows.

Georgia and Jonah are best friends and physicians at the same hospital in North Carolina. Just as Georgia is leaving for a conference in Amsterdam, Jonah shares some bad news: their hospital is turning away transgender patients, and Jonah might lose his job for being gay. Together, they'll do anything to protect their patients and their own right as physicians to provide care for everyone.

As a queer person and someone who works in healthcare policy, this book means a lot to me. Discrimination in healthcare is a real problem, and I think this book does a great job of explaining how complicated it can be and how little say healthcare providers often have. Jonah and Georgia's friendship is lovely and is truly the heart of the book. The romance plotline didn't add much for me, but it wasn't too much of a distraction either. I wish trans characters had been more prominent in the plot, as their lives are so often the center of the conversation. But overall, I really enjoyed this, and Martin did a great job of writing thoughtfully about LGBT people and policy, even though it's outside of her personal experience.

This one was a slow burn for me, but in the last 20% I couldn’t put it down. Kimmery Martin’s books are like if Grey’s Anatomy was in Charleston SC instead of Seattle— Not only with the drama, but also with how she approaches relevant social issues. This is a moving story about equality & friendship. Highly recommend for fans of medical dramas!

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an advanced copy of this book.

This is the second Kimmery Martin I've read, and her second publication. As a Kentucky transplant, I'm all about supporting the local authors- so even though I wasn't completely enamored with The Queen of Hearts, I jumped on the opportunity to read Martin's follow up, The Antidote to Everything.

In her second novel, Martin introduces Dr. Georgia Brown, a spitfire urologist who made plans with her best friend and fellow doctor, Dr. Jonah Tsukada, to visit Amsterdam for a medical conference. Just as they were planning to leave, Jonah is under fire by the hospital admins. Discriminating (legally in the state of North Carolina) against the LGBTQ community, which Jonah is both a part of and also a primary physician for, the hospital begins to tell the LGBTQ patients that they are no longer welcome to the clinic, nor will Dr. Tsukada be able to see them anymore. This sets off a whole series of events that leave Georgia fighting for Jonah's job, life, and patients.

Although I think that Martin's second novel was a tighter, more cohesive and entertaining read than her debut, I was still struggling with certain aspects of her writing that, at this point, seem to be her style. One of those aspects is Martin's emphasis on her personal Kentucky background. I love when authors bring a piece of their lives to their writing, but to me, Martin almost forces it upon her characters and therefore onto her readership. For example, Georgia's admiration of a good bourbon and her time in residency in Louisville- if Martin had mentioned it once or twice without much ado, I would have been able to accept it more readily as part of Georgia, but Martin mentions bourbon fifteen times (I counted) throughout the entirety of the book. Additionally, she inserts references back to her last novel, which aren't all that necessary for the plot. As the reader, it just distracts from falling into the world she's building, because I keep being pulled back to the author, and her intentions for mentioning these things. 

Aside from that, I also really wished that Martin had focused her novel on just Georgia and Jonah. I loved their chemistry together, and though I'm a sucker for a romantic subplot, I felt that Georgia and Mark's relationship distracted from the main plot of Georgia and Jonah's relationship. Speaking of distractions, there was some word and phrase choices that felt a little to forced or stereotypical which led to some predictability in the plot. Also, I yet again wanted more character depth, and more of the grit that makes medical dramas so captivating and thrilling. Martin's own medical background should make this easy! 

Okay, okay, so it feels like I'm tearing this book and it's author apart, but I do want to say that I yet again enjoyed Martin's overall work- her pacing is good, the plot kept me guessing, and I wanted to know what would happen at the end. Oh and the humor!! What I'm trying to say is, THIS IS NOT A BAD BOOK, and MARTIN IS A GOOD AUTHOR. I just had higher expectations, and was bummed that it wasn't the knockout I had hoped for. 

With that in mind, Martin mentions that a character from this book might be getting a spotlight in her next novel, so I'm really hoping I can finally give this Kentucky author the 5 stars I so desperately want to give her, in her third book!

*This review will be posted on my blog on February 11th, 2020, on www.thelexingtonbookie.com.*