The Best Medicine (A Bell Harbor Novel)

The single, sexy and successful plastic surgeon Dr. Evelyn Rhodes has a secret - her age. Evelyn gets a shakedown on her thirty-fifth birthday. She manages to survive the ninja birthday party, complete with tiara and sparkly confetti, but a call to the ER to stitch up one very perfectly symmetrical Tyler Connelly puts her happily single status at odds with her raging pheromones. Tyler is too young and his reputation precedes him - followed closely by a pair of handcuffs in the custody of arresting officers.

Ms. Brogan has spliced a wonderful jaunt of a woman struggling with her sexuality into a medically accurate tale of thirty-something versus the reality of no longer being a young twenty-something. She clearly defines her setting, inviting the reader to visit the small community with its vivid infringement on one's private life. Her research is obvious and yet fits seamlessly into the story. The only failing noticed is the lack of a well-placed and defined climax. (Not the sexual kind, but the story arc type.) At times the characters seem to operate on a shared wave length, dampening the overall picture. Ms. Brogan deftly handles the writing delimna, however, by hooking and drawing the reader effectively. While the novel's use of language may be a bit strong for sensitive readers, overall, it's a delightful jaunt down the thirty-something corridor debating  marriage and single issues!

Shaunna Gonzales