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The Fifth Surgeon
Nadia Keating has barely started her cardiothoracic fellowship training, but she already has the archetype nailed—she’s direct, uncompromising, and suffering from a God complex.
Before she can focus on her impressive research, deeply closeted Nadia has a personal project: getting her inconvenient attraction to women out of her system. She picks a stranger online for a one-night stand.
Ashley Rylan, the chief of Nadia’s department, is her polar opposite—sweet, agreeable, and soft-spoken—and the stranger Nadia unwittingly chooses.
The two women’s meeting is a hostile disaster and they would love nothing more than to never see each other again. However, their paths keep colliding as Nadia embarks on an ambitious experiment that could lead to a historic medical breakthrough.
Despite warring egos and the secrets they keep, their connection is powerful and growing. Maybe having sex would help them get over their distraction at work? Or would that just ruin everything?
A lesbian medical romance about the powerful breakthroughs we can’t always see.
Tags: ice queen romance, medical romance, opposites-attract romance
100,000 words
Before she can focus on her impressive research, deeply closeted Nadia has a personal project: getting her inconvenient attraction to women out of her system. She picks a stranger online for a one-night stand.
Ashley Rylan, the chief of Nadia’s department, is her polar opposite—sweet, agreeable, and soft-spoken—and the stranger Nadia unwittingly chooses.
The two women’s meeting is a hostile disaster and they would love nothing more than to never see each other again. However, their paths keep colliding as Nadia embarks on an ambitious experiment that could lead to a historic medical breakthrough.
Despite warring egos and the secrets they keep, their connection is powerful and growing. Maybe having sex would help them get over their distraction at work? Or would that just ruin everything?
A lesbian medical romance about the powerful breakthroughs we can’t always see.
Tags: ice queen romance, medical romance, opposites-attract romance
100,000 words
320 pages, ebook
Published July 21, 2021
50 people are currently reading
1389 people want to read
About the author
Faith Prize
1 book136 followersGrowing up, Faith Prize had two dreams: to become a doctor and to write a book. She spent the last decade traveling the United States in pursuit of the former while neglecting the latter. Her sole writing experience consisted of generating bone-dry research articles. Fortunately, she came to her senses and decided that the two fields were not mutually exclusive. In fact, medicine is and always will be her muse. However, unlike her nonfiction work that is restricted by tangible facts, her fictional stories are filled with possibilities limited only by her imagination.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 256 reviews
October 5, 2021
**'The counterfeit innovator is usually wildly self-confident or just scared so be a better or even good storyteller because readers might think you're just a fake, beginner or a one-timer..'
3.5stars!
A nice story that's overloaded with medical terminologies, procedures and the inner workings with all the many staffs/doctors etc. within a hospital -- and it's also rife with this enigmatic love story from the first page all through to the ending. A recommended read!
3.5stars!
A nice story that's overloaded with medical terminologies, procedures and the inner workings with all the many staffs/doctors etc. within a hospital -- and it's also rife with this enigmatic love story from the first page all through to the ending. A recommended read!
July 23, 2021
4.50 Stars. Love and a little frustration sums up my feelings on this book perfectly. This was my kind of book. I love medical romances and an unapologetic ice queen, put them together and this is exactly what I want to read. The frustration part, which I will explain more later, is really because this should have been a full 5 star read. It was so close and had one thing been different, it would have been. Still, this was a fantastic debut and I would definitely consider getting this if it comes out in audio.
I love medical romances but I prefer them to have at least as much medical as romance if not even more medical. I want a lot of scenes to take place in the hospital. I want to hear about interesting cases and all the sort of soap opera drama that comes from working in a high stakes environment where relationships can blur work lines. I grew up watching E.R., and I loved Grey’s Anatomy -until the past two seasons that have gotten kind of weird- so I look for a similar vibe in my medical romance reads. I’m happy to say that this was everything that I wanted. The medical scenes where excellent and it was clear the author was writing from a place of knowledge that took this book to another level.
While I loved the medical, and clear knowledge that the author had on this subject, that realism was sort of shattered at one point. This was the frustrating part I was talking about. I’m going to keep things vague for spoiler reasons but the author chose to have one of the doctors do something that was so ridiculous, and to me against the code of professionalism and keeping patients alive, that I could just not swallow it. I get why it was done for drama’s sake, and I like drama in my medical romances, but how it was done was a real disappointment. I appreciate all the fantasy around romances, and I would normally not mind this as much, but because the medical was so well done in this book, I couldn’t forgive such an out there moment so I had to take a half star off.
Now back to some good stuff. I loved the character of Nadia. She will be a character that I’m not sure if ever reader will like, but I enjoyed her iciness. I loved that she was who she was, blunt and honest, and full of herself like most surgeons are, and I found her to be the perfect ice queen for a medical romance. I was also happy that she didn’t just thaw right away. While we got to know her better we saw new sides of her, but she still was the same person she always was and was not about to apologize for it.
I found that I also really enjoyed the romance. It is different than the norm, but I like different and it worked well for me. This is actually enemies to lovers which is another favorite trope of mine. And the romance progresses in a way that is different but very interesting. There is also a bit of an angry sex scene that is pretty steamy too. And while there is a lot of angst in their relationship, even that follows a different timetable than the average romance and I can’t tell you how refreshing it was. I wish more authors would mix it up this way.
While I am still a little frustrated, it is only because I really wanted to give this book the full 5 stars it should have had. However, I still loved the story and am very impressed with this debut. This author knows how to write medical romance and I hope there will be many more to come. This book was almost twice the size of a normal romance but I was so into the story that I didn’t even notice. It never felt long and I didn’t feel like parts dragged. Except for the one frustration, I honestly enjoyed everything else. I would absolutely recommend this to medical romance fans. I believe this is a great example of what a book from that genre should be.
An ARC was given to me for a honest review.
I love medical romances but I prefer them to have at least as much medical as romance if not even more medical. I want a lot of scenes to take place in the hospital. I want to hear about interesting cases and all the sort of soap opera drama that comes from working in a high stakes environment where relationships can blur work lines. I grew up watching E.R., and I loved Grey’s Anatomy -until the past two seasons that have gotten kind of weird- so I look for a similar vibe in my medical romance reads. I’m happy to say that this was everything that I wanted. The medical scenes where excellent and it was clear the author was writing from a place of knowledge that took this book to another level.
While I loved the medical, and clear knowledge that the author had on this subject, that realism was sort of shattered at one point. This was the frustrating part I was talking about. I’m going to keep things vague for spoiler reasons but the author chose to have one of the doctors do something that was so ridiculous, and to me against the code of professionalism and keeping patients alive, that I could just not swallow it. I get why it was done for drama’s sake, and I like drama in my medical romances, but how it was done was a real disappointment. I appreciate all the fantasy around romances, and I would normally not mind this as much, but because the medical was so well done in this book, I couldn’t forgive such an out there moment so I had to take a half star off.
Now back to some good stuff. I loved the character of Nadia. She will be a character that I’m not sure if ever reader will like, but I enjoyed her iciness. I loved that she was who she was, blunt and honest, and full of herself like most surgeons are, and I found her to be the perfect ice queen for a medical romance. I was also happy that she didn’t just thaw right away. While we got to know her better we saw new sides of her, but she still was the same person she always was and was not about to apologize for it.
I found that I also really enjoyed the romance. It is different than the norm, but I like different and it worked well for me. This is actually enemies to lovers which is another favorite trope of mine. And the romance progresses in a way that is different but very interesting. There is also a bit of an angry sex scene that is pretty steamy too. And while there is a lot of angst in their relationship, even that follows a different timetable than the average romance and I can’t tell you how refreshing it was. I wish more authors would mix it up this way.
While I am still a little frustrated, it is only because I really wanted to give this book the full 5 stars it should have had. However, I still loved the story and am very impressed with this debut. This author knows how to write medical romance and I hope there will be many more to come. This book was almost twice the size of a normal romance but I was so into the story that I didn’t even notice. It never felt long and I didn’t feel like parts dragged. Except for the one frustration, I honestly enjoyed everything else. I would absolutely recommend this to medical romance fans. I believe this is a great example of what a book from that genre should be.
An ARC was given to me for a honest review.
July 5, 2022
➥ 4 Stars *:･ﾟ✧
this book omg!! i adore it. i don't even know where to start.
okay, from the first page i was already intrigued and hooked. there was no long-ass set up or drag of introducing characters. it was boom action.
we start off in the hospital where we first meet the two characters and get a glimpse of what they're like, as we are told that Ashey Rylan is the chief of the cardiothoracic surgery department and Nadezhda (a.k.a Nadia) is a fellow doing fellowship training (with Nadia as her superior). they meet on a dating website and plan to have a one night stand, without knowing that they were eachother and so when they meet up, everything is cancelled, but the tension they have becomes inevitable at the workplace...
Nadia is a classic ice-queen and i love her sm. she has strong opinions regarding the way that Ashley (or Dr. Rylan, as she insists on calling her) runs her subordinates and how she is as a person: too sweet, too cheerful and lacking authority.
and i actually really liked these characters and i really appreciated that it never felt like one of the characters was just a lense that a reader could see out of, they were strong individuals. cute ones too. Nadezhda is probably my fave though because the mean girl does it for me. every. single. time.
the hospital setting omgg. it was done so well, you can tell that this was written by a doctor and wow, such excellency. i feel like i learned to much and (although i've never watched it) this seemed similar to grey's anatomy's atmosphere, and i loved it. so dramatic, full of action and romance was fit in there so perfectly. i adore how the romance was often occuring in the hospital ughh, so good.
now, i'm not going to lie, i read this book because i heard it had (consistent) sex scenes, which is seems to be (unfortunately) quite rare among lesfic. i was looking for something to fill the void in my heart after reading Tryst Six Venom, and although i really did enjoy this book, it was lacking a bit more in the..."hot" section per se.
the first sex scene was not my favourite. it wasn't awfully bad, but it just wasn't very hot to me sdffkd. Nadia basically let Ashley be "in charge" because Nadia had been disrespectful of Ashey's position and blah blah and you know what? it had potential. but...it started feeling very dom/sub and that is not why i read this book LMAO. the kiss that initiated it was cute though (aww). but then Ashley was all like "clothes off" (kinda hot but then-) "don't make me repeat myself" (getting stranger-) and then she made Nadia kneel at her feet like WHAT. i'm sorry wait let me calm myself. idk 😭😭 like and then she said "i'm in the mood to be pleasured rather than to please" ....(*crickets*) like girl...just say "fuck, baby" and that's enough asjdks. idk idk. 'twasn't for me. (olivia was hotter) this was in Ashley's office btw. also, i think i just like it when Nadia's in charge more hm.
but do not be discouraged, the sex and tension gets muchh better (Nadia had me fanning my face um anyways. doing the whole backing into a wall ANYWAYS). like one time, Nadia was arguing over Ashley not being strict enough with the interns and letting herself get walked over but Ashley was all "he probably does know the answer but was too frightened to tell you" and...
my jaw completely fell off. like okay Nadia...😦😦😦. damn. so yes, still read it please, it get's much better. and there are more moments like this that had my eyes widening and throat gulping bc-
however, (another one ikik) i do wish there had been a little more emotional intimacy. like i was desperate for some hurt/comfort like please. maybe i'm just soft but i just wanted at least one of them to crack and get comforted by the other :(( (maybe it's because TSV did it so well but ugh i need that in my romances idk). i love ice-queens but i tend to like when they're soft for the love interest, not actually mad at them themselves...? sometimes ofc, but i wanted Nadia to be weakk for Ashley.
anywhosie, so the rest of the smut was better, (even though sometimes it was lacking a bit of detail. it wasn't vague, like it was explicit but i felt like when we actually got to the part, it happened really quickly). do i wish my girlies had used a strap? ...yes. but it's okay, i forgive them.
moving along, the actual writing, i found to be very good. it was concise and descriptive and there was no horribly-dragging inner monologue. this book was so addicting, so much so that i was able to read this book all in one sitting and i could not put it down.
i really liked the side plots of the patients and Nadia's scientific research. it was really sweet.
but, i didn't absolutely adore the epilogue. why must there always be children 😭 even in sapphic romance (?). i just didn't love it. but it did find it super cute how they taught their kids medical history in the form of bedtime stories like AWWW. it was so cute. such girlbosses. and i love how Nadia's demeanor doesn't even change after the 5 years and that she is a strong-minded woman with strong opinions when addressing people who challenge her.
now for the real bummer, the cheating.... like why. it just made me mad tbh bc you're telling me we somehow managed to include man-drama in a sapphic romance? come-onn. it just felt unnecessary and it was so bothering. like why. and i also found it funny that they made the guy Nadia cheated on such a nice guy because it is SO unlikely that guys are ever like that LMAO. like he was all "i just want Nadia to be happy blah blah" and idk. and then she had to pick between Ashley and the man, like huh 😭, we can do better than that, please.
and unfortunately, because of all of that drama, it made me miss when they were just bickering in the workplace. it was just cuter and more fun :(
i don't want to end on a bad note though, because this book was really great, so here, have this moment because it had me dyinggg. Ashley has a headache and Nadia studied a type of medical care that was less invasive i think and more natural (i could be wrong) so she offered to give Ashley a neck massage thing (AAAAAAAA). (also remember how i mentioned that the first sex scene was quite dom/sub and BDSMy...well they did joke about it and it was funny lmao so store that in your brain):
lmaooooo i love them sm. i really enjoyed this book!!
thankyou to all the wlw/ff accounts on goodreads that write reviews and make these books known to me <3
She pushed Ashley to the nearest wall and pinned her there. "I love your bossy side. I really do. But it'll have to wait. I have an injustice to address first."
━━━━━━━━━━━ ♡ ━━━━━━━━━━━
this book omg!! i adore it. i don't even know where to start.
okay, from the first page i was already intrigued and hooked. there was no long-ass set up or drag of introducing characters. it was boom action.
we start off in the hospital where we first meet the two characters and get a glimpse of what they're like, as we are told that Ashey Rylan is the chief of the cardiothoracic surgery department and Nadezhda (a.k.a Nadia) is a fellow doing fellowship training (with Nadia as her superior). they meet on a dating website and plan to have a one night stand, without knowing that they were eachother and so when they meet up, everything is cancelled, but the tension they have becomes inevitable at the workplace...
Nadia is a classic ice-queen and i love her sm. she has strong opinions regarding the way that Ashley (or Dr. Rylan, as she insists on calling her) runs her subordinates and how she is as a person: too sweet, too cheerful and lacking authority.
and i actually really liked these characters and i really appreciated that it never felt like one of the characters was just a lense that a reader could see out of, they were strong individuals. cute ones too. Nadezhda is probably my fave though because the mean girl does it for me. every. single. time.
the hospital setting omgg. it was done so well, you can tell that this was written by a doctor and wow, such excellency. i feel like i learned to much and (although i've never watched it) this seemed similar to grey's anatomy's atmosphere, and i loved it. so dramatic, full of action and romance was fit in there so perfectly. i adore how the romance was often occuring in the hospital ughh, so good.
now, i'm not going to lie, i read this book because i heard it had (consistent) sex scenes, which is seems to be (unfortunately) quite rare among lesfic. i was looking for something to fill the void in my heart after reading Tryst Six Venom, and although i really did enjoy this book, it was lacking a bit more in the..."hot" section per se.
the first sex scene was not my favourite. it wasn't awfully bad, but it just wasn't very hot to me sdffkd. Nadia basically let Ashley be "in charge" because Nadia had been disrespectful of Ashey's position and blah blah and you know what? it had potential. but...it started feeling very dom/sub and that is not why i read this book LMAO. the kiss that initiated it was cute though (aww). but then Ashley was all like "clothes off" (kinda hot but then-) "don't make me repeat myself" (getting stranger-) and then she made Nadia kneel at her feet like WHAT. i'm sorry wait let me calm myself. idk 😭😭 like and then she said "i'm in the mood to be pleasured rather than to please" ....(*crickets*) like girl...just say "fuck, baby" and that's enough asjdks. idk idk. 'twasn't for me. (olivia was hotter) this was in Ashley's office btw. also, i think i just like it when Nadia's in charge more hm.
but do not be discouraged, the sex and tension gets muchh better (Nadia had me fanning my face um anyways. doing the whole backing into a wall ANYWAYS). like one time, Nadia was arguing over Ashley not being strict enough with the interns and letting herself get walked over but Ashley was all "he probably does know the answer but was too frightened to tell you" and...
Nadia stepped closer, forcing Ashley to take a step back against the wall. Her legs wobbled as she breathed in Nadia's addictive sent.
"So he would have told me what the next step is after the LITA is harvested?" Nadia's breath was hot on her cheek. "Tell me."
"Create a pericardial-"
Nadia tsked. She brushed a strand of hair away from Ashley's face, her fingers lingering. "Come on, Dr. Rylan. That was the med student's answer. You can do much better than that." She caressed her cheek.
"I'd expose the mid-LAD-"
"Mm." Nadia pressed against her, short-circuiting Ashley's brain.
Ashley gasped softly. A moan rather than words built up in her throat. She gulped, giving her mind a moment to collect itself. "do an end-to-side anastomosis with the LITA and anchor the distal LITA pedicle with stay sutures to avoide tension or kinking of the conduit."
Nadia stepped back. "See? If the knowledge is there, you don't need excuses."
my jaw completely fell off. like okay Nadia...😦😦😦. damn. so yes, still read it please, it get's much better. and there are more moments like this that had my eyes widening and throat gulping bc-
however, (another one ikik) i do wish there had been a little more emotional intimacy. like i was desperate for some hurt/comfort like please. maybe i'm just soft but i just wanted at least one of them to crack and get comforted by the other :(( (maybe it's because TSV did it so well but ugh i need that in my romances idk). i love ice-queens but i tend to like when they're soft for the love interest, not actually mad at them themselves...? sometimes ofc, but i wanted Nadia to be weakk for Ashley.
anywhosie, so the rest of the smut was better, (even though sometimes it was lacking a bit of detail. it wasn't vague, like it was explicit but i felt like when we actually got to the part, it happened really quickly). do i wish my girlies had used a strap? ...yes. but it's okay, i forgive them.
moving along, the actual writing, i found to be very good. it was concise and descriptive and there was no horribly-dragging inner monologue. this book was so addicting, so much so that i was able to read this book all in one sitting and i could not put it down.
i really liked the side plots of the patients and Nadia's scientific research. it was really sweet.
but, i didn't absolutely adore the epilogue. why must there always be children 😭 even in sapphic romance (?). i just didn't love it. but it did find it super cute how they taught their kids medical history in the form of bedtime stories like AWWW. it was so cute. such girlbosses. and i love how Nadia's demeanor doesn't even change after the 5 years and that she is a strong-minded woman with strong opinions when addressing people who challenge her.
now for the real bummer, the cheating.... like why. it just made me mad tbh bc you're telling me we somehow managed to include man-drama in a sapphic romance? come-onn. it just felt unnecessary and it was so bothering. like why. and i also found it funny that they made the guy Nadia cheated on such a nice guy because it is SO unlikely that guys are ever like that LMAO. like he was all "i just want Nadia to be happy blah blah" and idk. and then she had to pick between Ashley and the man, like huh 😭, we can do better than that, please.
and unfortunately, because of all of that drama, it made me miss when they were just bickering in the workplace. it was just cuter and more fun :(
i don't want to end on a bad note though, because this book was really great, so here, have this moment because it had me dyinggg. Ashley has a headache and Nadia studied a type of medical care that was less invasive i think and more natural (i could be wrong) so she offered to give Ashley a neck massage thing (AAAAAAAA). (also remember how i mentioned that the first sex scene was quite dom/sub and BDSMy...well they did joke about it and it was funny lmao so store that in your brain):
"Lie down on the sofa." Nadia kept a straight face, despite recalling the same words used when the roles were reversed.
Rylan blushed but complied. Nadia knelt behind her and reached for her neck. She focused on her work despite the conflicting urges to withdraw and bury her fingers into the soft skin playing a tug-of-war game in her mind.
Still, she couldn't resist one final dig. She leaned closer to Rylan's ear and whispered, "Do you need a safe word?"
lmaooooo i love them sm. i really enjoyed this book!!
thankyou to all the wlw/ff accounts on goodreads that write reviews and make these books known to me <3
━━━━━━━━━━━ ♡ ━━━━━━━━━━━
August 1, 2021
Sapphic Grey's Anatomy
This is a good medical romance novel. The medical research done to put the story together is extensive and it’s written well enough for a layman reader to follow and it feels like a sapphic Grey's Anatomy, minus the sleaziness. The romance also has the spark I like. And what’s better is that not only do both the medical and romance storylines have equal opportunity to play out fully, they are also weaved together tightly so much so we never forget that these characters are doctors. I was so engaged that I didn’t even realise this book is twice the length of what I usually read.
I love the opposites-attract dynamics and the chemistry is great from the moment Nadia and Ashley meet, both with the intention of hooking up with a stranger on a dating app. It’s refreshing to have the tables turned when the subordinate, instead of the boss, is the ice queen. The power dynamics feels more evenly balanced this way.
Nadia is an intriguing character and deliberately designed to be hard to figure out for most parts of the book. The parts of her we do know is that she's a first year cardiothoracic training fellow only in name. In reality, she is a medical genius with such incredible talent and skills, everyone puts her on a pedestal. Nadia is also obnoxious and a persistent ice queen until the end. Ashley is the opposite and I fell for her because of what I do know. She's the chief of Nadia's department and she's nurturing, cheery, a people-person and she's so easy to love. And yes, I love their chemistry very much even though it sometimes bothers me how unapologetic Nadia can appear to be and how forgiving Ashley is. But I also realise that it's their personality and that's why they click. But while we're at it, I would like to say that it also bothers me how unprofessional the characters can get in the most delicate of times.
Despite that, this is no doubt a solid debut. I feel like this story hasn't completely ended and it has potential for a short story at least.
𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘠𝘭𝘷𝘢 𝘗𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸.
This is a good medical romance novel. The medical research done to put the story together is extensive and it’s written well enough for a layman reader to follow and it feels like a sapphic Grey's Anatomy, minus the sleaziness. The romance also has the spark I like. And what’s better is that not only do both the medical and romance storylines have equal opportunity to play out fully, they are also weaved together tightly so much so we never forget that these characters are doctors. I was so engaged that I didn’t even realise this book is twice the length of what I usually read.
I love the opposites-attract dynamics and the chemistry is great from the moment Nadia and Ashley meet, both with the intention of hooking up with a stranger on a dating app. It’s refreshing to have the tables turned when the subordinate, instead of the boss, is the ice queen. The power dynamics feels more evenly balanced this way.
Nadia is an intriguing character and deliberately designed to be hard to figure out for most parts of the book. The parts of her we do know is that she's a first year cardiothoracic training fellow only in name. In reality, she is a medical genius with such incredible talent and skills, everyone puts her on a pedestal. Nadia is also obnoxious and a persistent ice queen until the end. Ashley is the opposite and I fell for her because of what I do know. She's the chief of Nadia's department and she's nurturing, cheery, a people-person and she's so easy to love. And yes, I love their chemistry very much even though it sometimes bothers me how unapologetic Nadia can appear to be and how forgiving Ashley is. But I also realise that it's their personality and that's why they click. But while we're at it, I would like to say that it also bothers me how unprofessional the characters can get in the most delicate of times.
Despite that, this is no doubt a solid debut. I feel like this story hasn't completely ended and it has potential for a short story at least.
𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘠𝘭𝘷𝘢 𝘗𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸.
August 4, 2021
5 Stars
“The Fifth Surgeon” is the debut medical romance from Faith Prize. Prize is a doctor herself and it shows in the writing. This is well written and I loved just about everything about it.
Nadezhda (Nadia) Keating is a brilliant doctor and she knows it. She’s the epitome of an ice queen. She’s direct, aloof, and doesn’t concern herself with people’s feelings. Ashley Rylan is Nadia’s chief and the bane of her existence. Ashley is cheerful and sweet and is just an all-around nice person. They accidentally meet up on a dating site and while they try to ignore their chemistry, things don’t go as planned especially when they keep seeing each other in the hospital.
Like I said, I really loved this and its main characters. I adored Nadia. She’s got the ice queen thing down and knows it and is unapologetic about it. Her God complex knows no bounds and it’s very rare that she’s wrong. I hate when “ice queen” characters are just misunderstood or something along those lines. If you’re going to write an ice queen, make her icy and mean it. And Nadia is! I also liked that although her feelings change for Ashley, it doesn’t change her personality. I think it made the times when she was proven wrong even better and more fulfilling (for me and for whoever proved her wrong.) I also loved Ashley a lot. And while she is a sweetheart, she has some steel underneath. I mean, she kind of has to put up with Nadia’s strong personality. She will stand up and defend herself if she needs to, she just usually doesn’t see much of a need. I think she was just the right amount of smart and sweet to get underneath Nadia’s skin. Watching them go toe to toe was entertaining and built up their growing tension and chemistry.
The medical side of this romance takes up a lot of time. There’s a lot of time spent at the hospital, to be expected, but it’s easy and fun to read. I’m in the middle of the road when it comes to medical romances, I don’t absolutely love them but I don’t hate them either. Prize made this readable and explained things in a way that even if I didn’t understand an exact word, I still got the meaning. My only complaint, like others, was the sometimes-unprofessional actions of the doctors at certain times. It didn’t bother me enough to take away my enjoyment and I saw the melodramatic purposes but it also made me roll my eyes a bit because Ashley is the chief!
I would also like to give a shout out to Prize for naming her character Ashley. It’s so weird to me that characters in books always have the rare/cool names. Most of the girls in my class were Ashley, Brittany or Jessica but it seems like we never see the popular names that would fit the age group.
I highly recommend this! It’s an impressive debut and I think most romance fans would find something to love about this one.
I received an ARC from Ylva Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
“The Fifth Surgeon” is the debut medical romance from Faith Prize. Prize is a doctor herself and it shows in the writing. This is well written and I loved just about everything about it.
Nadezhda (Nadia) Keating is a brilliant doctor and she knows it. She’s the epitome of an ice queen. She’s direct, aloof, and doesn’t concern herself with people’s feelings. Ashley Rylan is Nadia’s chief and the bane of her existence. Ashley is cheerful and sweet and is just an all-around nice person. They accidentally meet up on a dating site and while they try to ignore their chemistry, things don’t go as planned especially when they keep seeing each other in the hospital.
Like I said, I really loved this and its main characters. I adored Nadia. She’s got the ice queen thing down and knows it and is unapologetic about it. Her God complex knows no bounds and it’s very rare that she’s wrong. I hate when “ice queen” characters are just misunderstood or something along those lines. If you’re going to write an ice queen, make her icy and mean it. And Nadia is! I also liked that although her feelings change for Ashley, it doesn’t change her personality. I think it made the times when she was proven wrong even better and more fulfilling (for me and for whoever proved her wrong.) I also loved Ashley a lot. And while she is a sweetheart, she has some steel underneath. I mean, she kind of has to put up with Nadia’s strong personality. She will stand up and defend herself if she needs to, she just usually doesn’t see much of a need. I think she was just the right amount of smart and sweet to get underneath Nadia’s skin. Watching them go toe to toe was entertaining and built up their growing tension and chemistry.
The medical side of this romance takes up a lot of time. There’s a lot of time spent at the hospital, to be expected, but it’s easy and fun to read. I’m in the middle of the road when it comes to medical romances, I don’t absolutely love them but I don’t hate them either. Prize made this readable and explained things in a way that even if I didn’t understand an exact word, I still got the meaning. My only complaint, like others, was the sometimes-unprofessional actions of the doctors at certain times. It didn’t bother me enough to take away my enjoyment and I saw the melodramatic purposes but it also made me roll my eyes a bit because Ashley is the chief!
I would also like to give a shout out to Prize for naming her character Ashley. It’s so weird to me that characters in books always have the rare/cool names. Most of the girls in my class were Ashley, Brittany or Jessica but it seems like we never see the popular names that would fit the age group.
I highly recommend this! It’s an impressive debut and I think most romance fans would find something to love about this one.
I received an ARC from Ylva Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
August 29, 2021
4.5 stars. When you start reading this book make sure you have enough time to keep reading, because this is so addictive! Thanks GR friends for recommending this;) Medical romances are always fun and I’m a huge sucker for lots of medical jargon and Miss Prize clearly knows her way around the field of medicine. There are surgeries, complications and there is even some medical research. Add to this an ice queen and lots of interesting power dynamics and there you have it, a story that is almost impossible to put down.
The characters are so well described, they are layered and complex, especially our ice queen Nadia. She’s an ice queen by design, but I have to agree with several other reviewers that I think she could very well be on spectrum as well, as she clearly misses some social cues, perhaps it’s a combination of both. Nadia is brilliant and she knows it, arrogance doesn’t even begin to describe her god complex and… I loved her. She’s unapologetic about her behavior, but the way she shows affection in her own way was very well done. Ashley is sweet and a real people pleaser, always talkative and understanding and in every way the opposite of Nadia.
Generally, novels featuring ice-queens portray them in a commanding role, so what I really liked was the fact that Nadia is a fellow and Ashley is the chief. As can be expected, Nadia has a hard time taking orders, especially from the bubbly pushover Ashley, and boy are there some interesting power shifts going on (both on a professional and personal level). Also, the way they really notice each other for the first time outside a professional setting (on a blind date) was immediately setting the tone for their love-hate relationship.
There are some things that were not very believable (like the research part, even though it is well thought out and based on current research, important steps are skipped and I wish research could advance that easy, but we can dream) and, as other reviewers also noted, some things were not in line with professional conduct, which was too bad, but I could let it go for drama and entertainment.
I can’t believe this is a debut novel, it’s extremely well written and I’m curious to what Prize will come up with next. I definitely recommend this to (medical) romance fans.
The characters are so well described, they are layered and complex, especially our ice queen Nadia. She’s an ice queen by design, but I have to agree with several other reviewers that I think she could very well be on spectrum as well, as she clearly misses some social cues, perhaps it’s a combination of both. Nadia is brilliant and she knows it, arrogance doesn’t even begin to describe her god complex and… I loved her. She’s unapologetic about her behavior, but the way she shows affection in her own way was very well done. Ashley is sweet and a real people pleaser, always talkative and understanding and in every way the opposite of Nadia.
Generally, novels featuring ice-queens portray them in a commanding role, so what I really liked was the fact that Nadia is a fellow and Ashley is the chief. As can be expected, Nadia has a hard time taking orders, especially from the bubbly pushover Ashley, and boy are there some interesting power shifts going on (both on a professional and personal level). Also, the way they really notice each other for the first time outside a professional setting (on a blind date) was immediately setting the tone for their love-hate relationship.
There are some things that were not very believable (like the research part, even though it is well thought out and based on current research, important steps are skipped and I wish research could advance that easy, but we can dream) and, as other reviewers also noted, some things were not in line with professional conduct, which was too bad, but I could let it go for drama and entertainment.
I can’t believe this is a debut novel, it’s extremely well written and I’m curious to what Prize will come up with next. I definitely recommend this to (medical) romance fans.
September 11, 2021
One of the best medical romances I have read to date. I am quite impressed with this new author and her writing style. Sincerely recommended.
5 stars
5 stars
August 17, 2021
“Even a broken clock is right twice a day.”
This book was full of surprises !
Of course a queen of ice queens and her superior mind stirs passionate feelings and of course her sweet counterpart melts a diversity of hearts
I enjoyed the book from page 1 to the end.
As Lex (GR friend) I was annoyed by a poorly managed attitude of a sceen, that was too hard to believe, but it didn't take the enjoyment of the rest of the story.
The book kept a wonderful tension between the Mcs through the whole story and it involved me in this tension as a reader too.
Good read!
4.4*
This book was full of surprises !
Of course a queen of ice queens and her superior mind stirs passionate feelings and of course her sweet counterpart melts a diversity of hearts
I enjoyed the book from page 1 to the end.
As Lex (GR friend) I was annoyed by a poorly managed attitude of a sceen, that was too hard to believe, but it didn't take the enjoyment of the rest of the story.
The book kept a wonderful tension between the Mcs through the whole story and it involved me in this tension as a reader too.
Good read!
4.4*
August 23, 2021
This book is a fantastic debut novel. Congratulations Faith Prize, you did a fabulous job.
A medical romance that contains everything it needs. Two MCs who are pretty much opposites, medical action, a glimpse into the organ transplant future, hot sex, and finally love. What more could you ask for?
Nadia (Nadezhda) Keating is a medical genius, she thinks she is the medical goddess. She has just begun her training as a cardiothoracic specialist, but she has already invested several years in artificial organ research. She is extremely direct, impersonal, hardly shows any emotions, and believes she is above everyone, she definitely has a God complex.
Nadia's boss is Ashley and she is the opposite. She shows heart and feelings, is helpful, and is an extremely good surgeon, not without reason she is the chief of heart surgery. And she absolutely can't stand for the life of her, when someone questions her procedure during an operation, especially when they do not know all the facts.
Although a blind date ends disastrously, this begins the lustful story of the two. Nadia wants to explore her attraction to women is despite all differences attracted to Ashley. And damn, the first sex scene was incredibly hot, phew, I almost needed a cold shower afterward.
Faith Prize has developed personalities that are very complex and interesting. Nadia is described as an ice queen (but as Gaby from lezreviewbooks.com mentioned, I think rather she is on the spectrum). She is an incredibly talented researcher, but emotionally almost incapable of showing emotion, she has a brash, sometimes harsh way of dealing with colleagues, which makes her difficult to like at times. However, it is all the more exciting to see how Ashley can see more and more behind Nadia's facade and how Nadia can open up to her more and more, but remains true to herself on the outside and doesn't change completely, which would be unbelievable.
As much as I like personalities that are loving and funny, I also appreciate when authors develop characters that are complicated and difficult, and I need time to really like them. And as different as Nadia and Ashley are, they complement each other very well as a couple and are believable.
All the medical talk isn't always easy to understand and possibly it can be a bit distracting to a reader, but for me, it was fascinating and exciting. Prize brings a breath of fresh air to this genre and rivals medical romance queen Radclyffe with her very first book. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more from Faith Prize.
My rating 5 stars
Many thanks to Ylva Publishing for receiving an ARC for an honest review.
A medical romance that contains everything it needs. Two MCs who are pretty much opposites, medical action, a glimpse into the organ transplant future, hot sex, and finally love. What more could you ask for?
Nadia (Nadezhda) Keating is a medical genius, she thinks she is the medical goddess. She has just begun her training as a cardiothoracic specialist, but she has already invested several years in artificial organ research. She is extremely direct, impersonal, hardly shows any emotions, and believes she is above everyone, she definitely has a God complex.
Nadia's boss is Ashley and she is the opposite. She shows heart and feelings, is helpful, and is an extremely good surgeon, not without reason she is the chief of heart surgery. And she absolutely can't stand for the life of her, when someone questions her procedure during an operation, especially when they do not know all the facts.
Although a blind date ends disastrously, this begins the lustful story of the two. Nadia wants to explore her attraction to women is despite all differences attracted to Ashley. And damn, the first sex scene was incredibly hot, phew, I almost needed a cold shower afterward.
Faith Prize has developed personalities that are very complex and interesting. Nadia is described as an ice queen (but as Gaby from lezreviewbooks.com mentioned, I think rather she is on the spectrum). She is an incredibly talented researcher, but emotionally almost incapable of showing emotion, she has a brash, sometimes harsh way of dealing with colleagues, which makes her difficult to like at times. However, it is all the more exciting to see how Ashley can see more and more behind Nadia's facade and how Nadia can open up to her more and more, but remains true to herself on the outside and doesn't change completely, which would be unbelievable.
As much as I like personalities that are loving and funny, I also appreciate when authors develop characters that are complicated and difficult, and I need time to really like them. And as different as Nadia and Ashley are, they complement each other very well as a couple and are believable.
All the medical talk isn't always easy to understand and possibly it can be a bit distracting to a reader, but for me, it was fascinating and exciting. Prize brings a breath of fresh air to this genre and rivals medical romance queen Radclyffe with her very first book. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more from Faith Prize.
My rating 5 stars
Many thanks to Ylva Publishing for receiving an ARC for an honest review.
March 14, 2022
17/08/2021: I LOVED THIS SO MUCH!! The story, the medical stuff, both MCs and even the side characters!! So perfect!! I mean, there was only one tiny thing missing in the end because Ashley always wanted to get married and I wish that had happened, but as I said, that’s a tiny detail in a very beautiful and happy and heartwarming happy ending!! I simply loved it! I don’t remember reading such a good medical romance in a long time. 100% recommend
14/03/2022 (reread): As soon as I saw that there was an audiobook for this book and it was narrated by Abby Craden, I just had to listen to it asap and omg the book was already super good, but Abby made the impossible and made it even better, if that’s even possible. That woman’s voice and the way she voices the characters is heaven 😍🥰 thank you for your service, ma’am 💛 just wow! love love love love it!!!
14/03/2022 (reread): As soon as I saw that there was an audiobook for this book and it was narrated by Abby Craden, I just had to listen to it asap and omg the book was already super good, but Abby made the impossible and made it even better, if that’s even possible. That woman’s voice and the way she voices the characters is heaven 😍🥰 thank you for your service, ma’am 💛 just wow! love love love love it!!!
April 14, 2022
i would 100% let Nadia ultraviolence me, and i mean how could i not ?? pure hotness radiates from this woman, and i'm weak, terribly weak for cold, smart & dominant women 😩
but i have to admit that some parts really annoyed me and to be honest, the spicy scenes could have been ... well more spicy & the first scene wasn't really my favorite :(
also the hospital setting was so well-done, i loved it but i will definitely blame Faith Prize if i end up disappointed at the end of my fellowship because i didn't find a hot girlfriend there 😭
but i have to admit that some parts really annoyed me and to be honest, the spicy scenes could have been ... well more spicy & the first scene wasn't really my favorite :(
also the hospital setting was so well-done, i loved it but i will definitely blame Faith Prize if i end up disappointed at the end of my fellowship because i didn't find a hot girlfriend there 😭
September 15, 2021
I think this is my first time reading a book where the younger subordinate is the ice queen. Everything about Nadezhda Keating intrigued me. Even her name is unique.
Nadezhda (or Nadia) came off as an obnoxious, stoic, cold person with a God complex who would squash you away if you so much as cross her path (though I thought she might be on the spectrum when reading the book). She is so the opposite of Ashley Rylan, the Chief, and who also happened to be Nadezhda’s boss. Ashley is kind, helpful and way too soft-hearted. She can’t seem to say No and always gets trampled all over by her Attending. Which is the exact reason why Nadezhda didn't like Ashley. But as they say, opposite attracts, and both Nadezhda and Ashley balanced out each other.
There were surprises in the book which I didn’t expect at all, and I’ll leave it at that. Overall, The Fifth Surgeon is very impressive, especially for a debut. Very well written with not much medical jargon thrown in that makes readers like me who are not in the medical world understood what the author is relaying.
Ratings: 5 ⭐️
Available in Scribd
Nadezhda (or Nadia) came off as an obnoxious, stoic, cold person with a God complex who would squash you away if you so much as cross her path (though I thought she might be on the spectrum when reading the book). She is so the opposite of Ashley Rylan, the Chief, and who also happened to be Nadezhda’s boss. Ashley is kind, helpful and way too soft-hearted. She can’t seem to say No and always gets trampled all over by her Attending. Which is the exact reason why Nadezhda didn't like Ashley. But as they say, opposite attracts, and both Nadezhda and Ashley balanced out each other.
There were surprises in the book which I didn’t expect at all, and I’ll leave it at that. Overall, The Fifth Surgeon is very impressive, especially for a debut. Very well written with not much medical jargon thrown in that makes readers like me who are not in the medical world understood what the author is relaying.
Ratings: 5 ⭐️
Available in Scribd
August 6, 2021
I love medical romances and every time there’s a new release I’m happy to read them. I took a chance with The Fifth Surgeon as this is a debut but I’m glad I did because this book is very well written and has a lot of food for thought.
Nadia Keating is a cardiothoracic fellow with incredible potential to make a breakthrough in her specialty but with a huge God complex. Focused on exploring her attraction to women, she embarks on an anonymous search for a one-night stand that unwittingly leads to her boss. Ashley Rylan, the chief of Nadia’s department, is exactly the opposite of Nadia, soft-spoken, sweet, and agreeable. A casual fling with her department fellow is a recipe for disaster but Nadia is as annoying as beautiful and the temptation is too much. How will both women be able to navigate the pressures of work, research, and love?
This is not a typical medical romance. Starting from the title and continuing to the plot twists, to the main characters’ relationship, and even the amount, type, and detail of the medical scenes. The author’s approach is fresh, original, and brave. Ms. Prize doesn’t shy away from controversy both in the medical scope and in the relationship aspects. It’s a blunt approach that might not satisfy every reader but will make this novel hard to forget for those of us who liked it.
Medical romances vary in the ratio of medical scenes against romance and, in some cases, the medical aspects are just reduced to the background with one or two hospital scenes featured as a backdrop. This is not the case as this novel is at least half medical, half romance. The author is a doctor herself and it shows, not only in the level of detail of the medical scenes but also in the amount of medicine history poured into the pages. I was happily surprised that all the information didn’t sound excessive or too technical. The author manages to clarify the medical procedures and terms without sounding preachy or boring. I’m not sure if everyone will enjoy the amount of information but, at least, a non-medical reader will understand everything that is being described. There is also an element of science fiction to the medical plot and some ethical considerations to be made but they make sense in the universe the author created. I’m going to keep it vague to avoid spoilers.
In the beginning, I wasn’t as engaged with the romance as with the medical plot. Nadia is a hard-to-like character but I understand why the author fleshed her out that way. I guess that geniuses tend to be full of themselves (surgeons even more) and even though Nadia sounds authentic, she’s initially unlikeable. Some will describe her as an ice queen, but to me she seemed more in the spectrum, ignorant about social clues, lacking communication skills, and sometimes even being outright rude or cruel. Eventually, the reader starts to understand her actions and, hopefully, warm up to her. Kudos to the author for writing her so convincingly and for not falling into the temptation to write a popular character. Cleverly, Ms. Prize writes Ashley as her exact opposite which balances things out and makes them a credible couple as they complement each other well. Their chemistry together is very good and the sex scenes sizzling hot. Well done to the author for getting this so right in her debut novel. Color me impressed with this debut.
If you are into medical romances, you should give this a try as it’s original, engaging, and enjoyable. 5 stars.
Nadia Keating is a cardiothoracic fellow with incredible potential to make a breakthrough in her specialty but with a huge God complex. Focused on exploring her attraction to women, she embarks on an anonymous search for a one-night stand that unwittingly leads to her boss. Ashley Rylan, the chief of Nadia’s department, is exactly the opposite of Nadia, soft-spoken, sweet, and agreeable. A casual fling with her department fellow is a recipe for disaster but Nadia is as annoying as beautiful and the temptation is too much. How will both women be able to navigate the pressures of work, research, and love?
This is not a typical medical romance. Starting from the title and continuing to the plot twists, to the main characters’ relationship, and even the amount, type, and detail of the medical scenes. The author’s approach is fresh, original, and brave. Ms. Prize doesn’t shy away from controversy both in the medical scope and in the relationship aspects. It’s a blunt approach that might not satisfy every reader but will make this novel hard to forget for those of us who liked it.
Medical romances vary in the ratio of medical scenes against romance and, in some cases, the medical aspects are just reduced to the background with one or two hospital scenes featured as a backdrop. This is not the case as this novel is at least half medical, half romance. The author is a doctor herself and it shows, not only in the level of detail of the medical scenes but also in the amount of medicine history poured into the pages. I was happily surprised that all the information didn’t sound excessive or too technical. The author manages to clarify the medical procedures and terms without sounding preachy or boring. I’m not sure if everyone will enjoy the amount of information but, at least, a non-medical reader will understand everything that is being described. There is also an element of science fiction to the medical plot and some ethical considerations to be made but they make sense in the universe the author created. I’m going to keep it vague to avoid spoilers.
In the beginning, I wasn’t as engaged with the romance as with the medical plot. Nadia is a hard-to-like character but I understand why the author fleshed her out that way. I guess that geniuses tend to be full of themselves (surgeons even more) and even though Nadia sounds authentic, she’s initially unlikeable. Some will describe her as an ice queen, but to me she seemed more in the spectrum, ignorant about social clues, lacking communication skills, and sometimes even being outright rude or cruel. Eventually, the reader starts to understand her actions and, hopefully, warm up to her. Kudos to the author for writing her so convincingly and for not falling into the temptation to write a popular character. Cleverly, Ms. Prize writes Ashley as her exact opposite which balances things out and makes them a credible couple as they complement each other well. Their chemistry together is very good and the sex scenes sizzling hot. Well done to the author for getting this so right in her debut novel. Color me impressed with this debut.
If you are into medical romances, you should give this a try as it’s original, engaging, and enjoyable. 5 stars.
July 22, 2021
I do love a good medical romance, so when I saw The Fifth Surgeon by Faith Prize about to be published, I grabbed it. It seemed to be a fairly lengthy novel, so I figured it would take me about three days to read it. I’m a slow reader compared to some. I began the story in the afternoon. At 1:45 A.M. that night I finally turned my tablet off. I was over 85% finished. The only reason I didn’t finish the book that night was because I was afraid I would fall asleep and drop my tablet. I woke up early the next morning and finished it then. This novel is that good.
This is one of the best medical dramas/romances I’ve read in a long time. The author obviously knows her medical terms, and she writes in a way that lets the reader understand them as well. A lot of the medical knowledge is quite involved and some is futuristic, so this is really high praise. The story grabs your interest and won’t let go. The hospital setting is also well-described, adding to the overall realism of the story.
For me though, it is the people that really make this tale wonderful. Nadia Keating and Ashley Rylan are the two main characters. Both are surgeons, and also intelligent, driven, and very believable. Ashley is actually Nadia’s boss which causes some friction between the two. In spite of that friction, the chemistry between the two is off the charts. Add in the fact that Nadia is a consummate ice queen with some very personal secrets, and you have all the ingredients for an extremely hot romance.
I believe this may be the author’s debut novel. If it is, I’m even more impressed. Usually with a first novel, you expect a few new author mistakes, but honestly, I can’t find anything. This is an exceptionally well-written novel, and I can’t wait to read more from this author.
I received an ARC from Ylva Publishing for an honest review.
This is one of the best medical dramas/romances I’ve read in a long time. The author obviously knows her medical terms, and she writes in a way that lets the reader understand them as well. A lot of the medical knowledge is quite involved and some is futuristic, so this is really high praise. The story grabs your interest and won’t let go. The hospital setting is also well-described, adding to the overall realism of the story.
For me though, it is the people that really make this tale wonderful. Nadia Keating and Ashley Rylan are the two main characters. Both are surgeons, and also intelligent, driven, and very believable. Ashley is actually Nadia’s boss which causes some friction between the two. In spite of that friction, the chemistry between the two is off the charts. Add in the fact that Nadia is a consummate ice queen with some very personal secrets, and you have all the ingredients for an extremely hot romance.
I believe this may be the author’s debut novel. If it is, I’m even more impressed. Usually with a first novel, you expect a few new author mistakes, but honestly, I can’t find anything. This is an exceptionally well-written novel, and I can’t wait to read more from this author.
I received an ARC from Ylva Publishing for an honest review.
July 22, 2021
The Fifth Surgeon is ripe with doctor lingo and surgical procedures which I thoroughly enjoyed coming from a family of health care professionals. It is also an enemies to lovers romance which is written in a way that I have never quite read before. There are actually a few different romance tropes blended together to make this story very unique and quite enjoyable.
Dr Ashley Rylan is Chief of the cardio thoracic surgical department where osteopathic doctor Nadezhda Keating is doing her fellowship training. Nadia (Nadezhda) is a very no nonsense and non-emotive person and doctor. She rubs her fellow workers and superiors the wrong way with her always being the smartest person in the room and knowing it attitude. I did not like Nadia at all for the first three quarters of the book.
Ashley is the complete opposite of Nadia in her approach to work colleagues and others. She is warm, supportive and caring. This story starts simply as two women on a dating site agreeing to meet up for a date. When they both show up and recognize each other they realize this is a date from hell.
This is Faith Prize’s first novel and you could not tell. The Fifth Surgeon turns into a complex romance with a kicker of an obstacle which drops, it seems, out of nowhere.
As I mentioned earlier I did not like Nadia until the last quarter of the novel. In fact I fell in love with her then. I read out loud passages of the book to my wife to share my new found love for Nadia and some of the things she says. For example her thoughts on yoga are “Stretching is the warm-up, not the actual exercise. People should stop pretending otherwise.” I am still chuckling over it.
I especially loved the epilogue and the story of the surgeon knights Nadia tells. This epilogue could easily be a stunning short story all on its own.
While I was a bit slow to warm up to the novel I am so very glad I read it. The writing style is smooth and welcoming with the story telling being exceptional.
I plan on rereading this novel again this year for the sheer pleasure of it. You should read it once at the bare minimum.
I was given an ARC by Ylva Publishing for an honest review.
Dr Ashley Rylan is Chief of the cardio thoracic surgical department where osteopathic doctor Nadezhda Keating is doing her fellowship training. Nadia (Nadezhda) is a very no nonsense and non-emotive person and doctor. She rubs her fellow workers and superiors the wrong way with her always being the smartest person in the room and knowing it attitude. I did not like Nadia at all for the first three quarters of the book.
Ashley is the complete opposite of Nadia in her approach to work colleagues and others. She is warm, supportive and caring. This story starts simply as two women on a dating site agreeing to meet up for a date. When they both show up and recognize each other they realize this is a date from hell.
This is Faith Prize’s first novel and you could not tell. The Fifth Surgeon turns into a complex romance with a kicker of an obstacle which drops, it seems, out of nowhere.
As I mentioned earlier I did not like Nadia until the last quarter of the novel. In fact I fell in love with her then. I read out loud passages of the book to my wife to share my new found love for Nadia and some of the things she says. For example her thoughts on yoga are “Stretching is the warm-up, not the actual exercise. People should stop pretending otherwise.” I am still chuckling over it.
I especially loved the epilogue and the story of the surgeon knights Nadia tells. This epilogue could easily be a stunning short story all on its own.
While I was a bit slow to warm up to the novel I am so very glad I read it. The writing style is smooth and welcoming with the story telling being exceptional.
I plan on rereading this novel again this year for the sheer pleasure of it. You should read it once at the bare minimum.
I was given an ARC by Ylva Publishing for an honest review.
August 23, 2021
FANTABULOUS! 😊
August 6, 2021
The Fifth Surgeon is the debut novel of Ylva’s new author Faith Prize. I had been looking forward to reading this book ever since I heard about it. It tells the story of Nadia Keating, the very talented but obnoxious cardiothoracic surgeon, and Ashley Rylan, the sweet and kind chief of the department.
I’ve always had an affinity for medical romances, and I would say that this was special because of how informative it was. As a reader, I felt that I learned a lot about medicine, osteopathy, and surgery. There were a lot of facts and medical information, but they were explained in simple terms and were thus not difficult to digest.
I was very impressed with the writing; Faith Prize's style is just to my liking, with the words just flowing easily. What I did struggle with was liking the characters. Even from the start, Nadia was too cold and arrogant. I couldn’t imagine her being nice or falling for anyone. She had her good moments, but then she would go and do something rude, so I really struggled with that almost throughout the whole book. On the other hand, I was cheering for Ashley’s happiness, but I felt like she would go out of character at times. Actually, there were countless moments in the book wherein they both went out of character and did questionable things.
There were a lot of sweet and tender moments in the book, but I couldn’t enjoy them 100% because some felt like they came out of nowhere. I have difficulty buying how Nadia suddenly developed feelings for Ashley. Some of the things in the book felt disjointed as well. The science aspect of it was amazing, though! I found myself turning the pages quickly in excitement.
Aside from those I have mentioned, I have a few problems with some of the events that transpired in the book. However, I cannot list them as it would be regarded as spoilers. There are actions and decisions that don’t sit well with me, but I think Faith did her best to try and redeem the characters in the end. The ending was really heart-warming. :)
The book really has great potential. I truly believe that Faith Prize is talented and can be a great writer. I look forward to reading more of her work! :)
An ARC was given in exchange of an honest review.
I’ve always had an affinity for medical romances, and I would say that this was special because of how informative it was. As a reader, I felt that I learned a lot about medicine, osteopathy, and surgery. There were a lot of facts and medical information, but they were explained in simple terms and were thus not difficult to digest.
I was very impressed with the writing; Faith Prize's style is just to my liking, with the words just flowing easily. What I did struggle with was liking the characters. Even from the start, Nadia was too cold and arrogant. I couldn’t imagine her being nice or falling for anyone. She had her good moments, but then she would go and do something rude, so I really struggled with that almost throughout the whole book. On the other hand, I was cheering for Ashley’s happiness, but I felt like she would go out of character at times. Actually, there were countless moments in the book wherein they both went out of character and did questionable things.
There were a lot of sweet and tender moments in the book, but I couldn’t enjoy them 100% because some felt like they came out of nowhere. I have difficulty buying how Nadia suddenly developed feelings for Ashley. Some of the things in the book felt disjointed as well. The science aspect of it was amazing, though! I found myself turning the pages quickly in excitement.
Aside from those I have mentioned, I have a few problems with some of the events that transpired in the book. However, I cannot list them as it would be regarded as spoilers. There are actions and decisions that don’t sit well with me, but I think Faith did her best to try and redeem the characters in the end. The ending was really heart-warming. :)
The book really has great potential. I truly believe that Faith Prize is talented and can be a great writer. I look forward to reading more of her work! :)
An ARC was given in exchange of an honest review.
September 5, 2021
4.5 stars
As ice queens go, Nadia Keating is as frigid as they come. And if you're going to write a character like her, she has to be as great as her God complex purports her to be. And new author Faith Prize certainly did that here. I'm a big fan of medical dramas and romance so this was a perfect blend for me. Nadia isn't a character that is immediately likable - at least on the surface. A brilliant cardiothoracic fellow, she's single minded and doesn't suffer fools lightly. She expects everyone to be extremely competent and she rips to shreds anyone who isn't. And she barely tolerates those who are because they just aren't quite up to the level that she is - never mind that she may be below them in the hospital hierarchy.
The way she meets her boss, Chief Ashley Rylan, outside of their work environment is cringeworthy and sets up an interesting dynamic between the two. It was fun to watch it all play out. Keating reminded me of the other iciest of ice queens Natalya Tsvetnenko from Lee Winter's Requiem for Immortals. Their disdain for pretty much everyone else is almost comical, yet not. It makes them fascinating characters - especially when that one person enters their lives that breaks through their armor, as much as they try to keep them at bay. And while there are a few moments in this story where either a main or secondary character behaves in an irrational (or immature) way, I don't think that's necessarily uncommon. (I was as disappointed in Ashley's best friend and fellow surgeon as anyone in that regard.) Even when you would think their intellect or positions would dictate they behave in a more disciplined manner. But intelligence doesn't always mean that people don't let their emotions get the better of them.
That said - it all added to the drama and I found it an engrossing, entertaining read. And sexy as hell. The medical aspect was especially interesting. Knowing Prize is a surgeon herself certainly added to the integrity of the work. The Fifth Surgeon is an impressive debut and I look forward to more works from Prize in the future!
As ice queens go, Nadia Keating is as frigid as they come. And if you're going to write a character like her, she has to be as great as her God complex purports her to be. And new author Faith Prize certainly did that here. I'm a big fan of medical dramas and romance so this was a perfect blend for me. Nadia isn't a character that is immediately likable - at least on the surface. A brilliant cardiothoracic fellow, she's single minded and doesn't suffer fools lightly. She expects everyone to be extremely competent and she rips to shreds anyone who isn't. And she barely tolerates those who are because they just aren't quite up to the level that she is - never mind that she may be below them in the hospital hierarchy.
The way she meets her boss, Chief Ashley Rylan, outside of their work environment is cringeworthy and sets up an interesting dynamic between the two. It was fun to watch it all play out. Keating reminded me of the other iciest of ice queens Natalya Tsvetnenko from Lee Winter's Requiem for Immortals. Their disdain for pretty much everyone else is almost comical, yet not. It makes them fascinating characters - especially when that one person enters their lives that breaks through their armor, as much as they try to keep them at bay. And while there are a few moments in this story where either a main or secondary character behaves in an irrational (or immature) way, I don't think that's necessarily uncommon. (I was as disappointed in Ashley's best friend and fellow surgeon as anyone in that regard.) Even when you would think their intellect or positions would dictate they behave in a more disciplined manner. But intelligence doesn't always mean that people don't let their emotions get the better of them.
That said - it all added to the drama and I found it an engrossing, entertaining read. And sexy as hell. The medical aspect was especially interesting. Knowing Prize is a surgeon herself certainly added to the integrity of the work. The Fifth Surgeon is an impressive debut and I look forward to more works from Prize in the future!
February 26, 2022
4 Stars - the medical portions of the book are amazing
I enjoyed this book and will probably re-listen to it at some point. I found the medical portions of this book to be exceptional. Added a lot of great drama and insight into being a surgeon. I enjoyed the romance but at the same time didn't really understand the attraction Ashley had for Nadia. I could see why anyone would be into Ashley - she is intelligent, kind, outgoing and cheerful. Nadia is intelligent, arrogant, short tempered and a buzzkill. Obviously she had some redeeming qualities but one scene that just stuck out in my mind is when they are trying to decide what to do on their first date and Nadia just keeps slamming every suggestion as a waste of time. Would I want her to operate on me? Hell YES. Would I want to date someone like that or understand why anyone would? Not really. I dunno, maybe I need a re-listen to warm up to her a bit. It took me awhile to understand the appeal of Elena Bartell, so this might be a similar situation.
I enjoyed this book and will probably re-listen to it at some point. I found the medical portions of this book to be exceptional. Added a lot of great drama and insight into being a surgeon. I enjoyed the romance but at the same time didn't really understand the attraction Ashley had for Nadia. I could see why anyone would be into Ashley - she is intelligent, kind, outgoing and cheerful. Nadia is intelligent, arrogant, short tempered and a buzzkill. Obviously she had some redeeming qualities but one scene that just stuck out in my mind is when they are trying to decide what to do on their first date and Nadia just keeps slamming every suggestion as a waste of time. Would I want her to operate on me? Hell YES. Would I want to date someone like that or understand why anyone would? Not really. I dunno, maybe I need a re-listen to warm up to her a bit. It took me awhile to understand the appeal of Elena Bartell, so this might be a similar situation.
October 27, 2022
I listened to the audiobook. And Abby Cradens performance was spot on. As always. So 5 ⭐️
The story itself was an 4 - 4,5 ⭐️ experience for me. A lot of medical procedures were described but the romance was also a huge part of the book. It’s an enemies-to-lovers kind of story with one ice-queen character and some twists which I didn’t see coming.
The story itself was an 4 - 4,5 ⭐️ experience for me. A lot of medical procedures were described but the romance was also a huge part of the book. It’s an enemies-to-lovers kind of story with one ice-queen character and some twists which I didn’t see coming.
June 8, 2023
RTC 🔥🔥🩺
July 31, 2021
I'm in awe of the plot points leading to the announcement/event at the end. Subtly and cleverly weaved into the storyline from the very first chapter. Wow!
I also enjoyed the medical history/humour - they held my interest without slowing the story's pace.
I did find the character development uneven, and in favour of Nadia. A few secondary characters were also obvious props.
I also enjoyed the medical history/humour - they held my interest without slowing the story's pace.
I did find the character development uneven, and in favour of Nadia. A few secondary characters were also obvious props.
August 16, 2025
1. What I liked less :
-I had trouble understanding Nadia quick and one hundred eighty degre change of heart, or I don't simply understand how her brain works as a genius and maybe in the spectrum.
-i know it's for the sake of the drama but when Ashley confront Nadia in the middle of a surgery it didn't felt right to me. A physician would not put a patient life at risk for it's own feeling, let alone during a life changing procedure. It could have been handling differently with as much drama effect because i thought then that Ashley was a bad doctor.
- i was a little frustrated by the five years gap. It felt like I miss a lot like how Ashley finally to accept her feelings and trust Nadia ,how they finally fit as a couple and a team.
2.What i liked
-Chemistry between to opposite characters. Opposite attract is one of favorite trope
- Nadezhda character: the reason i was so frustrated by the 5year gap is that I grow to like Nadia and wanted to see more of her soft side and seeing her evolving.
-the fact than Nadia is cheating. A lot won't love this side of the story because they want this flawless story. But for once MC is not perfect and it's more realistic to see a MC sometimes does not take the right decision out of fear and not being perfect. It's bold and it felt realistic.
-This book is half romance half medical stories. Medical historical facts and medical scenes are very detailed yet the author managed to explain them to readers who have no clue
- Really happy ending
To summerize this debut novel was really good and I think Faith Prize is impressive managing to be a doctor and a writer. I trust her to write many good stories in the future. Solid 4.3
-I had trouble understanding Nadia quick and one hundred eighty degre change of heart, or I don't simply understand how her brain works as a genius and maybe in the spectrum.
-i know it's for the sake of the drama but when Ashley confront Nadia in the middle of a surgery it didn't felt right to me. A physician would not put a patient life at risk for it's own feeling, let alone during a life changing procedure. It could have been handling differently with as much drama effect because i thought then that Ashley was a bad doctor.
- i was a little frustrated by the five years gap. It felt like I miss a lot like how Ashley finally to accept her feelings and trust Nadia ,how they finally fit as a couple and a team.
2.What i liked
-Chemistry between to opposite characters. Opposite attract is one of favorite trope
- Nadezhda character: the reason i was so frustrated by the 5year gap is that I grow to like Nadia and wanted to see more of her soft side and seeing her evolving.
-the fact than Nadia is cheating. A lot won't love this side of the story because they want this flawless story. But for once MC is not perfect and it's more realistic to see a MC sometimes does not take the right decision out of fear and not being perfect. It's bold and it felt realistic.
-This book is half romance half medical stories. Medical historical facts and medical scenes are very detailed yet the author managed to explain them to readers who have no clue
- Really happy ending
To summerize this debut novel was really good and I think Faith Prize is impressive managing to be a doctor and a writer. I trust her to write many good stories in the future. Solid 4.3
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 1, 2021
Giving this 5 ⭐️'s as this might actually be the best book I've read since starting my goodreads wlw reading account!
What can I say? I loved the chemistry, I loved the romance, I loved the drama, I looooved the two mains, and I loved how many medical details (and not just medical) Faith Prize added to this book, just making this book rise above the others that I've read so far. It wasn't necessary, but it made the book just that much sweeter to consume.
I loved how well the author thought out the whole story line, and how happy and fulfilled by the whole book I felt as I turned the last page.
Nadia was, of course, my favourite character! Her ice(y) personally and reasoning as to why she was who she was was explained well, although, I would've loved to have read more about her childhood and growing up. Ashley was such a sweetheart, my heart broke for her a few times. Without giving any spoilers, I'm just going to say that I dont know if I could've done what she did after Nadia's "secret" was revealed, I doubt I would've been that strong.
I definitely recommend this book to everyone, especially those who enjoy wlw books filled with exquisitely written medical scenes and knowledge. To those who love a good ice queen, opposites attract kind of storyline. I wouldn't but this into a slow burn pile of books, although the main characters' relationship wasn't definite or clear until the almost end.
What can I say? I loved the chemistry, I loved the romance, I loved the drama, I looooved the two mains, and I loved how many medical details (and not just medical) Faith Prize added to this book, just making this book rise above the others that I've read so far. It wasn't necessary, but it made the book just that much sweeter to consume.
I loved how well the author thought out the whole story line, and how happy and fulfilled by the whole book I felt as I turned the last page.
Nadia was, of course, my favourite character! Her ice(y) personally and reasoning as to why she was who she was was explained well, although, I would've loved to have read more about her childhood and growing up. Ashley was such a sweetheart, my heart broke for her a few times. Without giving any spoilers, I'm just going to say that I dont know if I could've done what she did after Nadia's "secret" was revealed, I doubt I would've been that strong.
I definitely recommend this book to everyone, especially those who enjoy wlw books filled with exquisitely written medical scenes and knowledge. To those who love a good ice queen, opposites attract kind of storyline. I wouldn't but this into a slow burn pile of books, although the main characters' relationship wasn't definite or clear until the almost end.
September 19, 2021
3.5 I will probably be the out there review on this one, not that I'm reviewing officially. The first part was fantastic. I'm not even into ice queens, don't get the point of someone being so mean to everyone. Nadia was that and then some. I would say I even enjoyed it, because the medicine was phenomenal. The second part of the book...that was another thing. This is the part where I usually say ok, the ice queen has some sort of feeling in there. Well, Nadia doesn't. She still treated everyone, including the other main awfully. The fact that she gave basically an ultimatum on children too...wow. I feel there was no vindication for that character. The other main deserves better. And that's something that makes me sad as a romance reader.
The medicine, as I mentioned before, was superb...until the whole let's just build him a heart. Now, I've not kept up with the latest in transplant but come on. And yes, this is fiction and the idea is great. I guess I had hoped for it to be a little more realistic as everything else was. For example, yes, the idea was 7yrs in the making but Nadia was still going through her medical training. No time for such a research with the hours needed for surgeon residency. Maybe saying the groundwork was done and she just figured out a final element or something like that.
I absolutely loved the medical history as well-unexpected I will admit. The concept of the Fifth Surgeon was brilliant!
So all in all, I will read this author moving forward and her medical background brought a Radclyffe feel to the book in terms of the knowledge and main medical story. That I can get behind and the reason it was a 4 and not a 3 for me. And the fact that it made me read it in 2 days and write a long review when lately I haven't, that's something.
The medicine, as I mentioned before, was superb...until the whole let's just build him a heart. Now, I've not kept up with the latest in transplant but come on. And yes, this is fiction and the idea is great. I guess I had hoped for it to be a little more realistic as everything else was. For example, yes, the idea was 7yrs in the making but Nadia was still going through her medical training. No time for such a research with the hours needed for surgeon residency. Maybe saying the groundwork was done and she just figured out a final element or something like that.
I absolutely loved the medical history as well-unexpected I will admit. The concept of the Fifth Surgeon was brilliant!
So all in all, I will read this author moving forward and her medical background brought a Radclyffe feel to the book in terms of the knowledge and main medical story. That I can get behind and the reason it was a 4 and not a 3 for me. And the fact that it made me read it in 2 days and write a long review when lately I haven't, that's something.
August 5, 2021
I loved this book. And in my case it was really evident because I am a big fan of medical stories and bad-ass surgeons. My only (very little) complain is the ending. Too much stuff happens in the epilogue.
February 21, 2022
4.5 stars
(Much of this review was from the ebook version as my thoughts are very nearly the same except for a few added comments about the audiobook.)
As ice queens go, Nadia Keating is as frigid as they come. And if you're going to write a character like her, she has to be as great as her God complex purports her to be. And new author Faith Prize certainly did that here. I'm a big fan of medical dramas and romance so this was a perfect blend for me. Nadia isn't a character that is immediately likable - at least on the surface. A brilliant cardiothoracic fellow, she's single minded and doesn't suffer fools lightly. She expects everyone to be extremely competent and she rips to shreds anyone who isn't. And she barely tolerates those who are because they just aren't quite up to the level that she is - never mind that she may be below them in the hospital hierarchy.
The way she meets her boss, Chief Ashley Rylan, outside of their work environment is cringeworthy and sets up an interesting dynamic between the two. It was fun to watch it all play out. Keating reminded me of the other iciest of ice queens Natalya Tsvetnenko from Lee Winter's Requiem for Immortals. Their disdain for pretty much everyone else is almost comical, yet not. It makes them fascinating characters - especially when that one person enters their lives that breaks through their armor, as much as they try to keep them at bay. And while there are moments in this story where either a main or secondary character behaves in an irrational (or immature) way, I don't think that's necessarily uncommon, even though you would think their intellect or positions would dictate they behave in a more disciplined manner. I was certainly disappointed in Ashley's best friend and fellow surgeon as anyone in that regard. But intelligence doesn't always mean that people don't let their emotions get the better of them.
That said - it all added to the drama and I found this an engrossing, entertaining listen. And while I found the book sexy as hell when I first read it, in the voice of Abby Craden it raised the heat quotient up to sizzling. The couple's first encounter especially had me practically sliding out of my chair! Wow.
The medical aspect - and even the history of medicine - was especially interesting. Knowing Prize is a surgeon herself certainly added to the integrity of the work.
I'm so glad this was released on audio and look forward to what’s next from this talented author.
(Much of this review was from the ebook version as my thoughts are very nearly the same except for a few added comments about the audiobook.)
As ice queens go, Nadia Keating is as frigid as they come. And if you're going to write a character like her, she has to be as great as her God complex purports her to be. And new author Faith Prize certainly did that here. I'm a big fan of medical dramas and romance so this was a perfect blend for me. Nadia isn't a character that is immediately likable - at least on the surface. A brilliant cardiothoracic fellow, she's single minded and doesn't suffer fools lightly. She expects everyone to be extremely competent and she rips to shreds anyone who isn't. And she barely tolerates those who are because they just aren't quite up to the level that she is - never mind that she may be below them in the hospital hierarchy.
The way she meets her boss, Chief Ashley Rylan, outside of their work environment is cringeworthy and sets up an interesting dynamic between the two. It was fun to watch it all play out. Keating reminded me of the other iciest of ice queens Natalya Tsvetnenko from Lee Winter's Requiem for Immortals. Their disdain for pretty much everyone else is almost comical, yet not. It makes them fascinating characters - especially when that one person enters their lives that breaks through their armor, as much as they try to keep them at bay. And while there are moments in this story where either a main or secondary character behaves in an irrational (or immature) way, I don't think that's necessarily uncommon, even though you would think their intellect or positions would dictate they behave in a more disciplined manner. I was certainly disappointed in Ashley's best friend and fellow surgeon as anyone in that regard. But intelligence doesn't always mean that people don't let their emotions get the better of them.
That said - it all added to the drama and I found this an engrossing, entertaining listen. And while I found the book sexy as hell when I first read it, in the voice of Abby Craden it raised the heat quotient up to sizzling. The couple's first encounter especially had me practically sliding out of my chair! Wow.
The medical aspect - and even the history of medicine - was especially interesting. Knowing Prize is a surgeon herself certainly added to the integrity of the work.
I'm so glad this was released on audio and look forward to what’s next from this talented author.
August 30, 2022
Updated rating: I saw more James Berry discussion on twitter recently and it reminded me of this book and just made me more sad. So I knocked a star off. I'm still going to look out for Faith Prize books in the future though.
So I'm writing this fully aware that my rating is going to be an unpopular decision, but I also understand why other people might be much more into this book than me. After seeing this book released last year and seeing five star review after five star review, you might say I had high expectations for this book. And the first half of the book 100% met them. I was super into it But for me it took a sharp dive with one event and honestly never really recovered.
The Fifth Surgeon follows Nadia Keating and Ashley Rylan. Nadia and Ashley are both surgeons but couldn't be more different in personality. Nadia is your ice queen, reserved, egotistical, and uncompromising. But Ashley, especially for a surgeon is much more open, emotional, and compassionate about people. These personality types definitely clash over and over but after a blind date throws them together they see each other differently.
As I mentioned, I was really into this book from the beginning. And that is based on the characters and the intense medical environment. I wouldn't say medical settings are my favorite, but I definitely do enjoy them. And Faith Prize being a surgeon seemed to amplify how it was written. I loved that part of the book. And even when my overall enjoyment of the book eased, I still enjoyed the medical parts greatly.
I also really loved the characters. They are nuanced and interesting and I loved seeing both Ashley and Nadia clash and come together which happens several times. Their chemistry is for real. And whenever they were at each other's throats I really felt that emotion. It was real for me and it was great.
I also really enjoyed the inversion of the ice queen character. Typically your ice queens are in positions of authority over the more warm character, then they embrace the warm character. But having Ashley be in a position of power over Nadia was really fun to read. I was here for it.
I'm gonna mark my criticisms under a spoiler tag as they are a little plot related.
Despite those issues with the book, this is an enjoyable book with dynamic characters. I'm definitely looking out for other books Prize will give us, because while I had issues here, I don't think they're necessarily the kind that will affect other books she writes.
So I'm writing this fully aware that my rating is going to be an unpopular decision, but I also understand why other people might be much more into this book than me. After seeing this book released last year and seeing five star review after five star review, you might say I had high expectations for this book. And the first half of the book 100% met them. I was super into it But for me it took a sharp dive with one event and honestly never really recovered.
The Fifth Surgeon follows Nadia Keating and Ashley Rylan. Nadia and Ashley are both surgeons but couldn't be more different in personality. Nadia is your ice queen, reserved, egotistical, and uncompromising. But Ashley, especially for a surgeon is much more open, emotional, and compassionate about people. These personality types definitely clash over and over but after a blind date throws them together they see each other differently.
As I mentioned, I was really into this book from the beginning. And that is based on the characters and the intense medical environment. I wouldn't say medical settings are my favorite, but I definitely do enjoy them. And Faith Prize being a surgeon seemed to amplify how it was written. I loved that part of the book. And even when my overall enjoyment of the book eased, I still enjoyed the medical parts greatly.
I also really loved the characters. They are nuanced and interesting and I loved seeing both Ashley and Nadia clash and come together which happens several times. Their chemistry is for real. And whenever they were at each other's throats I really felt that emotion. It was real for me and it was great.
I also really enjoyed the inversion of the ice queen character. Typically your ice queens are in positions of authority over the more warm character, then they embrace the warm character. But having Ashley be in a position of power over Nadia was really fun to read. I was here for it.
I'm gonna mark my criticisms under a spoiler tag as they are a little plot related.
Despite those issues with the book, this is an enjoyable book with dynamic characters. I'm definitely looking out for other books Prize will give us, because while I had issues here, I don't think they're necessarily the kind that will affect other books she writes.
March 30, 2022
I am a character reader.
And for that, I am in the minority of reviews here in that most people seemed to have loved this. I’ll start by saying this is a very impressive debut, an author I will def check out more from, and wonderfully narrated by Abby Craden. I’ll also say I adored Ashley for the most part, loved Pari, and was compelled enough to to basically listen to the majority of this in one long sitting once I really got into it. I almost feel like this should be a 4 star read, but…. I never ended up liking Nadia.
It had nothing to do with plot spoilers things (that I def ranted about in my various listening reaction updates) and all to do with her arrogance and god complex. I usually Love an ice queen. But the arrogance for me was a huge turn off, and that’s specific thing never changed. On the one hand, i appreciated that Nadia is who Nadia is, and she shifts to accommodate the people she loves slightly, but she’s just an asshole to me! I felt like Ashley spent a lot of the story forgiving and accommodating Nadia’s behavior and calling things endearing or whatever that had me just straight up yelling into the night that she’s just being an arrogant dick multiple times.
It’s clear that I’m in the minority and that most people seem to warm up to her eventually, but I just never did enough. Despite that, this was a very enjoyable listening experience, and I’m allllmost tempted to rate it higher but I just didn’t like her. I def rec this, though.
And for that, I am in the minority of reviews here in that most people seemed to have loved this. I’ll start by saying this is a very impressive debut, an author I will def check out more from, and wonderfully narrated by Abby Craden. I’ll also say I adored Ashley for the most part, loved Pari, and was compelled enough to to basically listen to the majority of this in one long sitting once I really got into it. I almost feel like this should be a 4 star read, but…. I never ended up liking Nadia.
It had nothing to do with plot spoilers things (that I def ranted about in my various listening reaction updates) and all to do with her arrogance and god complex. I usually Love an ice queen. But the arrogance for me was a huge turn off, and that’s specific thing never changed. On the one hand, i appreciated that Nadia is who Nadia is, and she shifts to accommodate the people she loves slightly, but she’s just an asshole to me! I felt like Ashley spent a lot of the story forgiving and accommodating Nadia’s behavior and calling things endearing or whatever that had me just straight up yelling into the night that she’s just being an arrogant dick multiple times.
It’s clear that I’m in the minority and that most people seem to warm up to her eventually, but I just never did enough. Despite that, this was a very enjoyable listening experience, and I’m allllmost tempted to rate it higher but I just didn’t like her. I def rec this, though.
March 20, 2022
4,0 stars - I really liked this. If I get this right, it's a debut novel, and an impressive one as that.
Both doctors had great chemistry, and the plot wasn't as ordinary as other medical romances.
I especially liked Ashley's best friend and Nadia's mentor Pari Singh, she's really blunt but great.
I also liked how the men in the story were depicted overall. I was together with I man like the Russian man. He did nothing wrong, and yet he couldn't win.
This would have been 5 stars easily but one incident that made me cringe so much, because it was out of line and so unprofessional on Ashley's part, when she stormed into the OR and hence upsetting Nadia and endangering Nadia's patient. And for no other reason than hurt feelings because of none of her business really.
Looking forward to this author's next novel.
Both doctors had great chemistry, and the plot wasn't as ordinary as other medical romances.
I especially liked Ashley's best friend and Nadia's mentor Pari Singh, she's really blunt but great.
I also liked how the men in the story were depicted overall. I was together with I man like the Russian man. He did nothing wrong, and yet he couldn't win.
This would have been 5 stars easily but one incident that made me cringe so much, because it was out of line and so unprofessional on Ashley's part, when she stormed into the OR and hence upsetting Nadia and endangering Nadia's patient. And for no other reason than hurt feelings because of none of her business really.
Looking forward to this author's next novel.
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