Cover Image: The Doctor and the Midwife

The Doctor and the Midwife

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

This is a fun book. I actually learned quite a bit about midwife's and their role. This book definitely has shades of You've Got Mail, which is a movie I happen to love. I enjoyed seeing the arc the characters took in getting to know each other and overcoming prejudices. I really enjoyed reading this book.

Was this review helpful?

I read Alva’s first book and while these are loosely connected, it can be read as a stand alone.
👩🏼‍⚕️
Audrey is a midwife that practices with home births. She meets the hot but arrogant young doctor, Ammon, and it’s instant loathing.
👨‍⚕️
Ammon is in the middle of his residency for being an OB and he gets women that flirt with him or throw him out of the room. So he can’t understand Audrey’s dislike of his charm being a doctor.
👩🏼‍⚕️
They work together with a few patients but also anonymously through an app for avid rock climbers. Very “You’ve Got Mail” but sweet Christian fiction. I wish there was an epilogue.
👩🏼‍⚕️
A few TINY things that made this a 4 star for me: a few typos and formatting errors that were repeated enough (I mentioned this to the author so hopefully it gets changed in the final print), mentioning that Ammon is super athletic and has a hot body but he only works out once and drinks a few Red Bull’s. I feel like it’s almost a cop out that the hero needs to be super built and muscular but to not even back it up just further perpetuates that’s what “normal” men are like. Like I said tiny bit but the formatting drove me crazy the most. Where it got in the habit of a break between POV and quite a few times it wouldn’t have that break so it would be jarring to release you were in another POV.
👨‍⚕️
This book comes out in a few months and I received an ebook from net galley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

One of the most intriguing fiction novels on birth that I have read. The author did a good job juxtaposing the birth community and the ideals and opinions that live there. There is such a divide between who believes in what, and she portrayed that perfectly. I enjoyed the online romance because it was clean and suitable for young readers.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for this review.

Was this review helpful?

I really liked this story! The tension between the main characters right from the beginning really made for an entertaining read. Their dislike was so believable, and I got emotionally involved with their lives and couldn’t help but cry a few times at their sorrows. Their jobs were very interesting and added so much to the emotion of the story. This is a keeper to be read again.

Was this review helpful?

I passed on this book several times because of the cover (yes, I judge books by their covers), but then I saw a friend with similar reading tastes recommend it so I took a chance.

Audrey is a midwife who assists women with at-home births and Ammon is an ob-gyn doctor who works at the local hospital. There are sparks between them in their first brief meeting, but soon they clash hard—they are fundamentally opposed to what the other does and thinks.

At the same time, Audrey meets a guy on a rock climbing board and they start talking. She wants the coordinates to a certain place and the guy wants to make sure she deserves going there.

The guy is Ammon and he's surprised when he later finds out that Audrey is the girl he's been talking to in the rock climbing board for weeks.

It's a really cute story, it's well written, and despite the familiar "You've Got Mail" plot, it still had me reading it in one seating, wondering how Audrey and Ammon would get over their reservations over the other.

The ending was kind of abrupt, as I've come to expect from most stories by this publisher.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

Was this review helpful?

#TheDoctorAndTheMidwife #NetGalley

Audrey Novak, has a hard time trusting men, due to abandonment issues. She also has a strong personality, and loves being a midwife. When Audrey meets Ammon Parker for the first time, she finds him to be arrogant, she finds out he is an Obstetrician and doesn't believe in her job as a midwife, In Ammon's opinion all babies should be delivered in a hospital. They are constantly at odds with one another. I really liked this book, which is a sequel to Everything She Wants, both novels can be read as a stand alone novel.

Was this review helpful?

Ammon is an egotistical jerk. That's what Audrey thinks when she first meets him. And she's not entirely wrong. But she's not entirely right, either. As we get to know Ammon, we see that his facade of arrogance is partly to protect himself, and partly because he thinks that's what his patients need to see in order to believe he can do a job he feels inadequate for.
We find that Ammon cares deeply for others, though he doesn't always show it well.

Audrey is a fiery redhead. She has a passion for her work and isn't afraid to stand up to doctors, no matter how qualified they may be, in order to get her patients the best care possible, AND the care that they need. Qualified and professional, yet caring and compassionate, Audrey is the midwife that every woman wants.

While there is occasional disjointedness in the story, overall it flows well. The author includes enough information about pregnancy and birth to give the reader a good picture of what is happening, without getting too graphic. It's a delicate balance to find, particularly when describing a c-section, but done well in this book.

The romance between Ammon and Audrey and their online personas at times moved a little fast and required plenty of suspension of disbelief. It wasn't that the romance wasn't believable, just the speed at which things moved. If the pace could be slowed a little, or more detail included, it could be more realistic.

That said, this book is a great read and I was drawn in by it enough to finish it within a day. If you enjoyed You've Got Mail, you'll love this book!

Was this review helpful?

The Doctor and the Midwife was a very clean, contemporary work of fiction with strong religious convictions. (I have no problem with that at all, especially if I know what I'm in for before I begin.) There was a lot of tension in this book, but also humour, and a ton of miscommunication or misinterpretation. Preconceived ideas add a barrier to a romance between two very strong and opinionated individuals who, thankfully, both have a vulnerable side. Watching the romance evolve and characters grow was appreciated. Overall, it was quick and easy to read, but I wasn't overly invested in the outcome one way or another as I seemed to miss that intriguing personal connection to the characters or plot you get when a book was written with you in mind.

My thanks to the publisher for a complimentary copy of this title via NetGalley. Opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

This was such a sweet book. I really enjoyed the development of the main characters. This book included interesting information about childbirth including home births. If you enjoy romance, you would enjoy this book.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this book.

Was this review helpful?

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

I loved Amman and Audrey, both work with Mothers during pregnancy and delivery and both have different viewpoints how babies should be delivered. I loved seeing these two evolve in their opinions along with falling in love. This was a great book very enjoyable.

Was this review helpful?

I hadn't read anything by Sarah Alva before, but I love a good medical romance so I was excited to pick up The Doctor and the Midwife!

Audrey Novak has dealt with plenty of doctors who don't believe that midwives have a place in childbirth. So, when she meets the new doctor in her apartment complex, she's not surprised he seems against her profession. She tries to steer clear of the arrogant man, but he keeps popping up in places she doesn't expect. They don't get along, yet sparks fly when they're together. When Audrey meets a guy online that she connects with, they give each other a kindness challenge, so Audrey tries it out on the doctor. She starts to see another side of him, but is that enough to build a friendship on? Or more?

I really enjoyed the way the author set up this romance. She uses a lot of the same ideas as the movie "You've Got Mail" only they are rock-climbers that are messaging each other. I thought the characters were believable and relatable. Audrey is trying to help her patients have a safe birth at home and have a voice in the choices that are made. Ammon, as a doctor, is also working for a safe birth for his patients at the hospital. It was nice to see them work together and see that maybe their first impressions were wrong. The secondary cast was also well-done and added depth to the story, along with the rock-climbing aspect. Some readers might have trouble with all the medical jargon used, but the emotions of the situations are easy to feel. Both main characters have some baggage to work through and the author does a great job of letting the reader experience the growth with the characters and not rushing through anything. The romance is sweet and I'll definitely be looking for another book by this author!

Was this review helpful?

Audrey is a certified nurse midwife that specializes in at home birth and believes that the less medical intervention in a delivery the better. Although, she also recognizes the essential piece modern medicine plays and is very willing to call on a doctor whenever she needs to consult someone else or encounters a problem with a mother-to-be. She tends to be very protective of her position and specialty, often appearing prickly and defensive. Audrey wonders if she will ever be a mother or if her career will need to be enough. Ammon is an ob-gyn resident who wishes mothers-to-be would just let him do his job and stop interjecting their preferences and thoughts. He feels a need to present a strong, assured presence and often appears egotistical and gruff. He wonders if he has chosen the wrong medical field to specialize in. He feels that something is lacking. Both have a love of rock climbing. They find themselves neighbors their apartment building as well as co-workers in labor and delivery at the hospital. As they butt heads over how to handle cases and that disagreement bleeds over into their private lives will they be able to find a way to work together and even get along? Will they be able to recognize the strengths the other brings to situations both professional and personal? A good read. Be aware the first part may seem to move a little slower as medical practices and ideas are introduced and explained in the story. I was given a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

#netgalley #thedoctorandthemidwife

I thought this read was cute and quirky. The main characters had some pretty big stereotypes and insecurities to get through before they could see what their true feelings were. The storyline was deep at times, and I really feel like the characters grew a lot.

Was this review helpful?

What do you get when you cross a doctor and a midwife with different philosophies of pregnancy and birth?? You get a whole lot of conflict. If you add to it the things that they have in common, you get a wonderful story.

This contemporary Christian romance was refreshing and full of conflict, angst, and two people desperately fighting their growing attraction. Audrey and Ammon are good for each other and it seems that those around them know it, but they don't. It certainly adds fire to the story.

I loved the two different perspectives and how they were formed. I also love it when the two main characters are able to change the little hard and prickly edges and help each other be better. Those kinds of relationships are too me the best part, when they are equally matched and learn to grow. Where they were both insecure, they learn to grow and to forgive, each other, and others that cross their paths.

I was drawn into this story and found it was a nice palette cleanser for the Historicals that I usually read.

I received an eARC from the publisher via netgalley and this is my review.

Was this review helpful?

Dr. Ammon Parker believes all babies should be born in the hospital. He thinks home births are unsafe and that no woman should go through that. He also does not believe in alternative medicine. Audrey Novak is a midwife who believes in educating her patients on all options and providing home births when the patient requests it. Audrey and Ammon clash both professionally and in their personal lives since they happen to share the same group of friends and same interests. Will they be able to look past the surface of each other to find more about the other person?

This is a very clean cut, religious romance book. The banter back and forth between the main characters is very entertaining. The only issue I had with the book is the kindle edition was off for page numbering/spacing so it would list the page number and author's name or book title randomly in the middle of a page. It was a good book but not one that I would reread.

This book was given to me an an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in an exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated in any way.

Was this review helpful?

Like oil and water:
Audrey is a home birth midwife whilst Ammon is an OB/GYN and a traditionalist. They clash over their opposing philosophies and butt heads all the time. Yet unbeknownst to each other, they're actually communicating online where they get on well. it was fun seeing these prickly individuals spar and eventually fall in love.
There is humour and I liked how it also dealt with real life issues that we can all relate to, such as being kind to others even when we don't like them. I also really enjoyed how it presented so many different aspects surrounding child birth, the good and the bad, yet still managed to depict the beauty and gift that new life is. I did find it rather unrealistic that Audrey could volunteer so much and only had relatively few paying clients, especially as she didn't grow up wealthy.
There is a light faith element and personally I would have liked to see them turning to the Lord and praying about their prospective life partners instead of just relying on feelings.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

Was this review helpful?

Audrey, a mid wife and Ammon, a doctor are hostile neighbors. Their differing views regarding the birthing process opens the door for some good conflict between them. Throw in some chemistry, even if they don't want to admit to it, and it hooks you.
Audrey begins an online flirtation with a fellow climber who, unbeknownst to either of them, is Ammon.
I really enjoyed reading this book.
Thank you Sarah Alva, Covenant Communications and NetGalley for allowing me an advance copy for my honest feedback.

Was this review helpful?

This was such a sweet and feel-good romance. Perfect for those looking for a book that's a bit of a slow burn but well worth the payoff at the end.

Was this review helpful?

The Doctor and the Midwife by Sarah Alva is a delightful retelling of “You’ve Got Mail.” The characters are charming and the plot is engaging. I loved this fun and quick read.

Was this review helpful?

Going from enemies to falling in love isn't my favorite trope, particularly if the enemies are pretty mean to each other. It's just not that fun to read about people constantly harping on each other; it has to be really well done to keep it from being too abrasive. This book didn't start out so well for me; I felt like both Ammon and Audrey were too rude and I really wasn't liking either of their characters. However, I kept reading and did end up liking both of them and the story. I thought the doctor and the midwife aspect was interesting and original. Overall, this is a fun, clean contemporary romance.
I read an ARC provided by the publisher via #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?