The Princess's Christmas Baby - Louisa George (HMED #1142 - Dec 2020)

Series: Royal Christmas at Seattle General (Book 4)

A pregnant princess…

…and her knight in shining scrubs?

When a forbidden and oh so passionate weekend together leads to a very unexpected consequence, Dr. Lucas Beaufort and Princess Gigi Baresi find their lives turned upside down. So when a car crash leaves Gigi's father -- the king! -- with his life hanging in the balance, she'll have to decide: duty to the crown, or claim the family, and love, she's always wanted…

Like the other books in the series, this one takes place during the time between the automobile accident that injured the king and Christmas, plus a prologue that sets the scene for Gigi and Lucas's relationship. Lucas is Gigi's brother's best friend, and Dom asked Lucas to watch over her during a visit to Seattle during the summer. Gigi has the reputation of being trouble-prone, though she is trying to change that. That troublesome side of her comes out when attraction flares between her and Lucas.

Lucas is a buttoned-up kind of guy who Gigi calls "Captain Serious." Events in his past have caused him to lock away his emotions. He isn't happy when sparks of attraction flare between himself and his best friend's little sister. Resisting her determined advances is impossible, and they spend an intense weekend together before parting ways.

The next time Lucas sees Gigi is when she and her father arrive in his ER at Seattle General. Before she consents to have her injuries treated, Gigi insists on seeing Lucas. He is stunned when she drops the bomb that she is pregnant, and he is the father. Lucas never intended to have a family, so this news isn't very well received at the beginning. Fortunately, after adjusting to the idea, he wants to be sure that his child never suffers from the same miserable family relationship that he did. I liked how he wanted to have a serious conversation with Gigi about how they would handle it. I was not very happy with how Gigi kept putting it off.

Matters are complicated by the fact that with her father in a coma and her brother incognito as a doctor at the hospital, Gigi is the one who must provide leadership for their small country. While I applauded her conscientious devotion to duty, I also felt that she frequently used it as an excuse not to have the necessary discussions with Lucas. I did approve of her invitation for him to return to Isola Verde with her so that they could spend time together.

I ached for both Lucas and Gigi during this visit. They grow closer physically and emotionally, but their differences also become more apparent. Lucas is uncomfortable with the whole palace/royalty life where he feels useless. Things improve somewhat when Gigi takes him to the new hospital, and an unexpected turn of events gives him a purpose while he's there. Gigi spends a lot of time tempting Lucas and pushing for more than he's ready to give. When they return to Seattle, her future and his seem to be set on different paths. I hurt for Lucas when Gigi walked away because of duty and for Gigi because she needed him in her life. I loved the ending when Captain Spontaneous replaced Captain Serious, and Lucas went after the family he never knew he wanted.

I enjoyed the epilogue as it brought together all four couples from the series a year later. I liked catching up on their lives, though I was a little confused. The resolution of the country's leadership was not the same as I thought it was at the end of the first book, Falling for the Secret Prince. I'm not sure if it is a continuity issue or an evolution of the plan. Either way, I did like it.

The Bodyguard's Christmas Proposal - Charlotte Hawkes (HMED #1141 - Dec 2020)

Series: Royal Christmas at Seattle General (Book 3)

The top of her Christmas list?

A family!

Nurse Kat Steel always wanted a big family, but a childhood accident and her ex's departure ended that dream -- she's not about to lay her heart on the line again. Until Logan Connors -- ex-bodyguard and new trauma surgeon -- and his adorable son arrive! Logan's complicated past means he's not looking for happily-ever-after, either. Could a little mistletoe magic change that for them all?

Good book. Like the previous two books in the series, it takes place over the days between the auto accident that brought the Isola Verde royal family into the hospital and Christmas. This book centers on Logan Connors, the king's bodyguard, and Kat Steel, one of the ER nurses.

When Logan arrives in the ER, he makes an immediate impression on everyone around him. Thanks to his past as an army doctor, his actions saved the life of the VIP patient (most are not aware of his identity). His presence and looks earn him the nickname "Comic Book God" from many of the nurses. Kat is assigned to treat Logan's injuries, a task made more difficult by Logan's focus on his charge rather than his own well-being. I loved Kat's determination and how she finally got through to him. Underneath the practicalities, sparks of attraction flew between them.

I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Logan and Kat. The connection they felt in the ER grew stronger when Kat encountered Logan and his son Jamie the next day. Both are determined to resist it. Logan was burned in his marriage to Jamie's mother and preferred to keep his focus on Jamie. Kat was deeply hurt by her ex-fiancé and the reason he broke off their engagement. A second blow brought the end to another dream, leaving Kat determined to protect her heart. But when Logan starts his new job as one of the ER's doctors, they find it impossible to avoid each other. Add in one determined little boy who has fallen in love with Kat, and the connection between them continues to grow.

To protect their hearts, both Logan and Kat believe that they can have a holiday fling and keep their emotions out of it. The chemistry between them is intense, and there is no doubt about their physical connection. Neither expected the more profound attachment as they spent time as a family unit. I ached for Kat as Jamie wiggled his way into her heart, reminding her of the things she couldn't have. As her feelings for Logan grew, Kat dreamed of a life together but also believed that it was an impossible dream. Logan also found himself letting go of the past and thinking of a future with Kat. I loved his reaction when she told him about her ex. I hurt for them both when Kat pushed Logan away because of her fears. The ending was perfectly done, with Jamie playing a big part in showing Kat that they all belong together.

Something that got my attention throughout the book was some of the language. The book takes place in the US, with American characters, yet British terminology crept in. Kat wore a jumper, not a sweater; it was a doctor's shout in the ER, not his turn; and things were sorted rather than organized. It's not a detriment to the book, just something that would briefly draw my attention from the story itself.

Neurosurgeon's Christmas to Remember - Traci Douglass (HMED #1136 - Nov 2020)

Series: Royal Christmas at Seattle General (Book 2)

Christmastime with a stranger --

A lifetime together?

Neurosurgeon Maxwell is determined to atone for the one life he couldn't save…his late wife's. Set to perform delicate surgery on a king, Max finds himself shadowed by PR director Ayanna. They must work together to keep the king's case a secret. But when Ayanna temporarily moves in to Max's apartment, they face a very different type of tension -- their undeniable attraction!

Very good book. This book takes place simultaneously with the first book in the series, Falling for the Secret Prince, but concentrating on the king's neurosurgeon and the hospital's PR director. It can be read as a standalone, but the first book provides additional background and context.

Ayanna is the new PR director for the hospital and her first day is chaotic. The hospital's upcoming fundraiser ball is way behind in its planning, a VIP patient arrived three weeks early for his surgery thanks to a car accident and his presence must be kept quiet, and she needs to pick up the patient's neurosurgeon at the airport. She's not happy to arrive at the airport and find he's already gone.

Max has no time to wait around. Max must act fast with his patient badly injured to ensure that his future surgery isn't jeopardized. He neither wants nor needs the hospital's PR person's constant attention, but he can't get rid of her.

The sparks flew at the first meeting between Ayanna and Max, and they weren't all antagonistic. Once they got past that earlier unpleasantness, they discovered they got along pretty well. Perhaps too well. Both were aware of each other in ways that they preferred to avoid. Max had locked down his emotions after his wife's death - a death he blamed himself for. He deals with his loneliness by burying himself in his work. Ayanna swore off men and love after her fiancé ran off with her best friend. Now she's concentrating on her career.

When Ayanna needs a place to stay while her apartment undergoes repairs, Max offers her the second bedroom in his hotel suite. As they spend time together, the attraction between them blossoms. I enjoyed seeing Max use his love of cooking to take care of Ayanna. It was fun to see Ayanna pull Max into her family's circle by inviting him to Thanksgiving dinner with them. I loved the slow lowering of the walls around their hearts and seeing the trust build. But when each of them realizes that their feelings go deeper than expected, old fears resurface. I ached for them both when a careless comment set off an argument that ended in harsh words and hurt feelings. Though both realized their mistakes quickly, each believed that it was too late to fix it. I loved the support that Ayanna got from her family, including the advice not to give up. Max had to provide his own kick in the pants, and I loved the nod to Clarence and It's a Wonderful Life. I adored the scene at Ayanna's parents' house, from her and Max's reunion to her family's antics. 

Falling for the Secret Prince - Alison Roberts (HMED #1135 - Nov 2020)

Series: Royal Christmas at Seattle General (Book 1)

Revealing his past…

is a risk worth taking!

Dr. Dom di Rossi's world literally crashes through the ER doors when his father, the king of Isola Verde, is involved in a car crash. Until now, Dom's royal connection has been carefully guarded. But when Dr. Emilia Featherstone, his old medical school rival, recognizes a previously unseen vulnerability behind his delicious eyes, she unintentionally becomes the keeper of his secret -- and his heart!

Good slow-burn romance. It wasn't quite enemies-to-lovers, nor was it friends-to-lovers but somewhere in between. Dom and Emilia first met in medical school, where they were fiercely competitive with each other. Since then, they have ended up at the same hospital, where Dom is the head of Emergency Medicine and Emilia, a talented orthopedic surgeon. Their working relationship is one of mutual respect accompanied by the same teasing banter that got them through med school.

I liked both Dom and Emilia. Emilia is determined to be the best at what she does, driven by the memories of her upbringing. Her focus is on her career, especially after her last relationship crashed and burned. Dom is also driven to be the best, especially since he feels that he is on borrowed time. Nobody around him knows that he is the Crown Prince of a small Mediterranean country and will eventually have to return home to take up his responsibilities. That day arrives sooner than Dom anticipated when his father and sister end up in his ER after a car crash.

I loved the development of the romance between Dom and Emilia. Though she doesn't know why Emilia knows Dom well enough to see that these two patients particularly shake him. When she catches him at a vulnerable moment, Dom confesses the truth to her. Initially angry and hurt at being lied to for all those years, Emilia soon understands his reasons. As Dom deals with his father's recovery, it is a great relief to him that Emilia knows the truth. For the first time in years, he can be entirely himself with someone. This creates a shift in their relationship, and they find themselves growing closer. There are some sweet scenes of the two of them together and the slow building of the sparks between them. Neither believes anything can come of it.

I ached for Dom, who dreads giving up the career he loves for a role he doesn't want. He'd rather stay in Seattle and see where things might go with Emilia. Emilia, who has no family of her own, reminds him that family is everything. I also hurt for Emilia. She realizes that she loves him, and has for a long time, but believes a woman with her background is not the type of woman he needs. I wondered how they would overcome those obstacles. Advice came from an unexpected source, and I loved seeing Dom embrace it. His big moment with Emilia was sweet and romantic. I can't wait to read the rest of the series and hope to see more of them.