My first time reading books by Colette Dixon but it won't be my last. I really enjoyed The heart of doctor Steele. Plot was unique and interesting. The writing style is compelling and kept me interested in reading more.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publishers and the author for an Advance Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This historical romance, set in the late 19th Century in Massachusetts was unexpected in its depth and well-researched dive into women's medical issues of the time.

Doctor Steele becomes the neighbour of the Landeaus, and Margaret Landeau is intrigued by the handsome man and wants to find out more about the scandal surrounding his self-imposed exile from the medical profession. Doctor Steele is drawn to both Margaret's attractiveness and her intelligence.

As he comes out of his shell and she learns more about medicine, a passion of hers, they overcome the townspeople's prejudice and try to forge a life with each other. But just when things look positive his past rears its ugly head.

Some of the descriptions of medical procedures in this book could be considered graphic but are period-appropriate. I think the characters are very well drawn and the emphasis on women's medical issues is rare and treated empathetically.

I would love to read more from this author as I really enjoyed this book.

Great use of historical detail. This romance leans into the medical field in a way I've never seen in romance before. Granted, I don't generally love gory descriptions alongside my love stories. But it was interesting here.

This book was ok. I have never read anything by Colette Dixon but the blurb sounded interesting. I thought the writing was good and the characters/plot were believable, but I never got sucked into the story. It felt like the story never peaked so I didn't have a need to see what happened next. As previously stated this is a good book, but just not for me.

I had a great time watching this couple grow. I am a huge fan of historical romance and this book checked a lot of boxes. I found the character development to be well done and I was interested throughout the whole story.

So here we have as hero John Steele who, after threats done by a female patient’s family, has been forced to hide and abandon his practice. He drowns his depression on alcohol, and refuses to socialize with his neighbors, but his meeting with the heroine and the arrival of a new patient on his doorstep are going to force him to begin to pull himself together. We then follow his journey to gain back his self-assurance and his trust in his practice, and the heroine is there to support him, to shake him, or even force him to face his problems.

Margaret is an intelligent heroine whose father always encouraged her thirst for knowledge, and she’s fascinated by medicine. She’s also obstinate and determined, so she isn’t frightened by the hero’s deliberately impolite behavior when they first meet, and she doesn’t hesitate either to apply at Harvard’s medicine university when only men are accepted. However she annoyed me when she was complaining because the hero hadn’t proposed, when a few days before she told him she never wanted to marry. How could he know it wasn’t true?

Between them the attraction is fast, but if you like novels with graphic sex scenes, there are only some deep kisses, and a few soft love scenes late in the book.

The hero’s profession is at the center of the story, and we assist at two times to an abdominal surgery described with lots of realism. The descriptions, if they’re not gory, are quite detailed and could disturb sensitive readers. They fascinated me, even if I’m really glad I was born after the anesthesia’s invention: during the first surgery, the hero puts one knee across the patient’s legs to prevent her from moving too much…
By the way it can seem strange that for this first surgery John doesn’t hesitate to ask for help a young woman he’s only seen three time, one of those at church, but 1) it’s a romance so they need to get closer and 2) she’s quite the only person he knows in the village. We also can recognize Margaret’s courage in this occasion, staying calm and holding the patient still during a surgery without general anesthetic, not everyone could do it!

The story about the hero’s problems is revealed slowly, Joh being afraid of Margaret’s reaction as he stopped believing in himself, but I liked how he’s finally forced to face his past and how the affair is solved, putting back in place in a satisfying way bigoted and jealous people.

The author’s notes at the end, about medicine and surgery at that time, pseudo-doctors, the discovery of what causes infections, were very interesting. And all in all I had a good reading time with this novel I recommend for its originality.

A really interesting historical novel. A good mixture of characters although I found it difficult how fast Margaret was accepted into helping with Dr Steele's cases. I loved reading about how medicine was developing at this time.

Loved this cover. I choose this book for two reasons. Romance and historical. It was written well and I learned a lot about what happened to Doctors and there reputations. I also learned it was impossible for a women to earn the right to go to medical school.

John was a complicated man. He struggled with many things, his parent’s death and failed surgeries made it hard for him to move forward.

I wanted more chemistry between
these two. The romance almost felt forced at time.


Thank you NETGALLEY and the publisher for this ARC, in exchange for my honest review. ♥️

This was an enjoyable read, with strong characters, and interesting insight into the state of women's medical care at the time. There were places where I definitely rolled my eyes, where the characters got a little preachy, or in Dr Steele's case to indulgent. I do appreciate that the heroine, Margaret insists that well she sees the good in Doctor Steele, she needs him to step up and be the good that she sees. So often the heroine is taken by potential and forgives too much. I appreciate that Margaret requires Dr Steele to actualize his potential.

Many thanks to Netgalley for this opportunity.

Sweet story, great writing and lots of depth. I loved it. Thank you publisher and netgalley for this arc in exchange of an honest review.

Interesting. This story was set in Massachusetts, in 1845. The characters are a young woman who is our heroine, and she wants to meet the new neighbor who moved into his deceased aunt's house. The heroine doesn't recall ever seeing him visit her neighbor and the heroine's sister reveals that local gossip has him in trouble with medical practices on women. The hero is a doctor that has escaped to his aunt's house, that she left for him in his will. I do not was to give too many details, but the young man attends church weekly and yet, rebuffs every attempt at the towns people who try to get him to join in.
This book was interesting because of the tone and style of writing. While most books roll along telling a story, this book had it own type of rhythm. I felt that I was watching an older medical drama from the 40's. The story jumped from one scene to another, instead of smoothly segueing together. It wasn't bad or wrong, it was just different. It was definitely very dramatic and climactic. The book had all the elements of a suspense filled drama that centered on the hero, who was a doctor. He was a surgeon, really, and he specialized in women's health. A gynecological surgeon. At the time if this book, doctors were still bleeding their patients to restore their 'humors' to their blood. This character was actually helping women with skillfull diagnosis and corrective surgery. The heroine wants to become a doctor, so she is intrigued with getting to meet, know and perhaps be employed by the hero.
This book was very interesting and was a good read. The grammar had a few errors that were easy to overlook. I give this book a 5 star review. I would recommend reading it.

Honestly, when I started this book I was afraid it was going to be a DNF (even though I rarely ever do that). It was slow and I did not think it would get its groove. But hold the phone, when the story really took off it took off. The setting is unusual, the storyline is nothing I have ever read before and it was wonderful. John is the youngest most curmudgeonly man I have ever read. It is almost hysterical if it was not so tragic. Margaret is a women ahead of her time and does not let men stop her from what she wants and craves – to be helpful even applying to Harvard medical college. The dynamic of John and Margaret’s relationship is loving and so sweet. I am so glad I gave this story a second chance because it became a great story.

This book is well written with a fascinating premise and well-drawn characters. The plot, for me, was a little slow. What draws the characters together initially are his wound and her curiosity, rather than anything going on in the external plot. That got kind of tedious. The hero was literally repulsive—so damaged that he pushed everyone away. I had a hard time liking him. The book had kind of a dark feel, whereas I'm looking for something that's fun and emotional from the start. I think this book would appeal more to readers who enjoy quiet, character-driven stories.

Will his dealing of his past tear them apart ...

It appears this book to be the first foray of the author in the historical romance world.
I loved it was set in a period and place I do not often read about, plus its main subject is not one I have read a lot about.
Sure, there are many tales of women looking for medical training, yet here the heroine is intrigued and decides about entertaining such prospect only truly after attending her first surgery.
John Steele is the enigma of this book, he is a broken man with a past full of shadows. A past he tries to bury but when it comes knocking at his door, he still can’t turn his back to the plea of a woman in pain.
Margaret is a kind young woman, she longs for more from life than marriage, she wants her own adventure but the woman’s brain is not seen as equally effective as men’s.
But while their possible future is threatened by overreacting and ignorant people, they are their worth enemies, what ever is thrown at them, it is them and only them that keep them apart.
For a clever and well taught woman, Margaret acts childishly at time. She is upset he did not spill his secrets in the few days they have met, then she believes the first gossips over the man she has worked with and is falling for, she pouts when she misinterprets his words, acting like a spoiled brat and not a balanced adult.
Yet, in the moment it counts most, she stands by his side, a hand to hold, her faith in him unwavering.
John is no better, in his darkest time, he chooses to run away, letting things fester instead of confronting them. It is only with Margaret’s help, he will stand up to face his detractors.

Along the pages, Margaret grows but she is not the only one, and while John has my sympathetic view, he too is very flawed. By playing the ostrich, not standing up for himself, he had a hand on the damages of his reputation.

Be forewarned there are gory details, but they appear as accurate and part of the tale. What women had to endure because of a world controlled by men and propriety over well being is unimaginable.
4.5 stars

I was granted an advance copy by the publisher, here is my true and unbiased opinion.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot: 📖📖📖 – I thought the plot was okay. It was better in the beginning but then as you found out more of the truth, I felt like the characters actions weren't as logical.
Feels: 🦋🦋 – The beginning half of the book had decent feels for me. There's a scene towards the beginning where Doctor Steele barely brushes Margaret's ankle and it was very sexy. But then it all fizzled away for me.
Romance: 💞💞
Emotional Depth: 💔💔 – There were emotional scenes to this book, trauma, loss, characters bearing their hearts, yet I still was left feeling like I didn't know either character super well. Only large events in their lives that made up the major plot points.
Sexual Tension: ⚡️⚡️
Sensuality: 🔥🔥 - The intimate scenes are a decent mix of emotional and physical aspects. Though it wasn't quite as explicit as I like, and a fair use of euphemisms during the act.
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑 – longer than a paragraph but not by much
Number of Sex Scenes: 🍆🍆

(All above ratings are subjective to me and out of a 1-5 scale)

Safety warnings attached at end.

Doctor Steele (John) turns up in town with rumors swirling around him. That he's a quack doctor. That he experiments on women. That he's a murderer. Margaret is determined to give him the benefit of a doubt and find out what kind of person he really is. John tries to push Margaret away with his surly personality, but she's determined to see the best in him.

Give this book a try if you are in the mood for:
-An American backdrop – this book takes place in Deerfield, Massachusetts
-1845 time frame. John is 29 and Margaret is 25.
-A doctor hero – John is a doctor (if you couldn't tell from the title 😜) and Margaret is also interested in surgery/care taking
-Some mystery added in with your romance. There's a bit of a mystery behind Doctor Steele and what he has suffered that's slowly unraveled throughout the book.
-Light to moderate steam – a few kisses and two fairly short scenes

The author's notes are fascinating. Some background on germ theory and disease from the 1800s and on women attempting to enter Harvard Medical School. You can easily see how she formed this story after being sparked by this research.

I enjoyed some aspects of this story. The beginning I really liked, the mystery surrounded John as Margaret was getting to know him. But as the story went on, it lost the tension for me. I also felt like the characters actions were a bit illogical. I was uncomfortable with how Margaret had a few misgivings about certain things but was willing to move on in a intimate way. I felt like we were missing a conversation that should have taken place. Still, the story was pleasant, and had a different feel than what I usually read. There's a lot of doctor talk, surgery scenes, and the like and those started to drag a bit for me.

Safety warnings for (possible spoilers)
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Graphic surgery scenes for ovary tumor, talk of past patient death, talk of abortions, alcoholism

Loooved this book. Descriptive historical setting and strong main characters. The setting around female health and medicine was fascinating.

Many thanks to Net Galley, Crimson Fox Publishing and the author for a chance to read and review this book. All opinions are expressed voluntarily.


The Heart of Doctor Steele is an absolutely fascinating book. The romance between a cynical man who have lost all faith in his profession and in humanity and the vibrant and filled with hope Margaret Landeau was captivating. How Margaret uses her no-nonsense approach to life to turn the man around in his beliefs was quite believably done and it was nice to see the woman in a much emotionally stronger position in the story.

Margaret was like a breath of fresh air, intelligent and strong in her convictions, having no qualms in facing any adversity, the scene where she faces the director of admissions in Harvard was pure joy.

The author has a background in medicine and it is evident in multitude ways in the book and understanding the development of gynecology as a field of medicine for the treatment of various problems categorized as simply female issues was absorbing to read.

The relationship between the sisters Charlotte and Margaret and also between Margaret and her father was another brilliant touch. I loved how Charlotte changes from a simpering gossipy girl to a mature woman helping her sister in every decision as the story progresses and the ending with a courtroom drama was surprising.

This review is published in my blog https://rainnbooks.com/; Amazon India, Goodreads, and Twitter.

I absolutely loved this book. I am so glad that I picked this up.

After losing everything, Dr. John Steele moves in to his late aunt’s house hoping to drown himself in whiskey and rid himself of the practice that has caused rumors and death to surround him everywhere he goes. Margaret Landeau has heard all of the terrible rumors claiming that he’s ill-used and exploited for his experimental surgeries. Not believing these rumors for a second, she ventures to discover the truth, no matter how much the doctor tries to push her away. When a dangerously ill girl arrives on Steele’s doorstep, he has so option but to turn to Margaret for help and eventually let her into his broken heart….

The premise of this book is so unique, it was such a breath of fresh air after reading so many historicals with similar stories. This book weaved a trope we are so familiar with (the mentally scared/broken hero) and applied it to a story we have never seen before. The chemistry between the two was sizzling, the main character’s yearning to learn and apply herself was invigorating, Dr. Steele’s denial of his feelings was wonderfully frustrating, and the tidbits of the historically accurate medicinal practice were so fascinating to read.

I gave this book 4 stars. I docked a star because the main characters’ feelings for each other came a little quick and the story dragged on a bit at the end. However, I would still implore you to read this book simply because of its unique story. Please pick up this book if you are a fan of grey’s anatomy, love learning about history, or are looking for a unique historical romance to pick up.

- 4 stars-

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Please check out my Instagram for the review: https://www.instagram.com/p/CE-oeVDDn9M/?igshid=1fdb74r35fc7

Maybe its me but a doctor that's being "encouraged" to practice even though he has misgivings did not make for an enjoyable story line. Perhaps its just me.

A historical romance where you actually learn some interesting history as well as fall in love, this book is both a beautiful love story and a battle cry for women's health in mid 1800s America before gynecology was a specialty. The hero is a surgeon, determined to stop practicing medicine, having been vilified for his shockingly daring (for the time) treatments on women, but his new neighbor sees the good in him and won't let him disappear into his bottle of whiskey. She has ambitions of her own which he admires. If you like an inspiring (but steamy) love story in which the characters lift each other up and make each other better, you will enjoy this. The writing is excellent, really immerses you in the time period, very well edited. Margaret is a strong heroine and her sister was a great character too. The hero was swoon worthy--I love me a tortured, but truly altruistic hero. There were a few suspenseful medical scenes and some great twists at the end. So much to love in this one!