Member Review
Review by
Carol (, Reviewer
Continuing a strong theme of women supporting women, Mistletoe and Magic for the Cornish Midwife by Jo Bartlett is #6 in the heartfelt Cornish midwife series.
Thanks #NetGalley @BoldwoodBooks for a complimentary e ARC of #MistletoeAndMagicForTheCornishMidwife upon my request. All opinions are my own.
Two single parents, daughters who are best friends, and a supportive community of midwives are the ingredients for a heartfelt and memorable story. Nadia (a midwife), her mother (Frankie), and Dr. Spencer are surrounded by a colorful cast of supporting characters. Nadia and Dr. Spencer are single parents and their young daughters are best friends from school. Of course, play dates are scheduled and a few sparks fly between Nadia and the doctor. A budding romance is only one aspect of this drama-filled story as relationships among the birth center staff and pending births drive a great deal of the action.
Even though Mistletoe and Magic for the Cornish Midwife is part of a series, it can definitely be read as a stand alone. However, for a richer reading experience, I recommend reading the series in order. Each installment focuses on one midwife and issues are resolved at story’s end. I’m not sure if this is the last of the series, but I’ll happily read additional installments. I love a good series and I appreciate this one because of its theme of women supporting women, engaging and thoughtful content, closed door romance, and no profanity. Even though each story has a bit of trauma and angst, I still consider them “uplit” overall.
The characters are the best part of the Cornish Midwife series. Each installment in the series focuses on a character who works as a midwife in the community and is facing a personal life crisis. In this story, Nadia is a single mom trying to make it all work despite lack of support from her daughter’s deadbeat father. Nadia enjoys a wonderful support system composed of the midwife team and her mother, and recently, her new doctor friend. The possibility of romance surprises her in all the best ways, but Nadia and Dr. Spencer have some obstacles to overcome. Nadia’s mom, Frankie, and Dr. Spencer are well-drawn characters that round out the story. Frankie’s son (Nadia’s brother) has lingering anger over his mom’s divorce and this causes Frankie to keep her new love interest a secret. Dr. Spencer’s backstory is poignant and emotional.
In addition to themes common to midwifery, pregnancy, and delivery of babies, other thoughtful themes include women supporting women, slow-burn romance, family support, moving forward, health issues, and close-knit community. Although the title suggests that this is a Christmas story, Christmas is more of a backdrop to the story rather than a primary focus.
Content Consideration: cancer
I highly recommend Mistletoe and Magic for the Cornish Midwife (and the entire series) for readers who love well-written women’s fiction with substantial themes, a focus on the midwife profession, and small coastal villages. The Cornish midwife series is one of my favorite series for those looking to binge read women’s fiction with realistic characters.
Thanks #NetGalley @BoldwoodBooks for a complimentary e ARC of #MistletoeAndMagicForTheCornishMidwife upon my request. All opinions are my own.
Two single parents, daughters who are best friends, and a supportive community of midwives are the ingredients for a heartfelt and memorable story. Nadia (a midwife), her mother (Frankie), and Dr. Spencer are surrounded by a colorful cast of supporting characters. Nadia and Dr. Spencer are single parents and their young daughters are best friends from school. Of course, play dates are scheduled and a few sparks fly between Nadia and the doctor. A budding romance is only one aspect of this drama-filled story as relationships among the birth center staff and pending births drive a great deal of the action.
Even though Mistletoe and Magic for the Cornish Midwife is part of a series, it can definitely be read as a stand alone. However, for a richer reading experience, I recommend reading the series in order. Each installment focuses on one midwife and issues are resolved at story’s end. I’m not sure if this is the last of the series, but I’ll happily read additional installments. I love a good series and I appreciate this one because of its theme of women supporting women, engaging and thoughtful content, closed door romance, and no profanity. Even though each story has a bit of trauma and angst, I still consider them “uplit” overall.
The characters are the best part of the Cornish Midwife series. Each installment in the series focuses on a character who works as a midwife in the community and is facing a personal life crisis. In this story, Nadia is a single mom trying to make it all work despite lack of support from her daughter’s deadbeat father. Nadia enjoys a wonderful support system composed of the midwife team and her mother, and recently, her new doctor friend. The possibility of romance surprises her in all the best ways, but Nadia and Dr. Spencer have some obstacles to overcome. Nadia’s mom, Frankie, and Dr. Spencer are well-drawn characters that round out the story. Frankie’s son (Nadia’s brother) has lingering anger over his mom’s divorce and this causes Frankie to keep her new love interest a secret. Dr. Spencer’s backstory is poignant and emotional.
In addition to themes common to midwifery, pregnancy, and delivery of babies, other thoughtful themes include women supporting women, slow-burn romance, family support, moving forward, health issues, and close-knit community. Although the title suggests that this is a Christmas story, Christmas is more of a backdrop to the story rather than a primary focus.
Content Consideration: cancer
I highly recommend Mistletoe and Magic for the Cornish Midwife (and the entire series) for readers who love well-written women’s fiction with substantial themes, a focus on the midwife profession, and small coastal villages. The Cornish midwife series is one of my favorite series for those looking to binge read women’s fiction with realistic characters.
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