LOVE'S HEALING TOUCH by Jane Myers Perrine

My First Book of the Year

(1) LOVE’S HEALING TOUCH by Jane Myers Perrine

Love Inspired September ’07 ISBN 0-373-87450-2

Mike Fuller, whom we met in The Path to Love, is back as the Hero in Love's Healing Touch.  Forced to drop out of medical school to take care of his younger brother and mother, who is just out of prison for art forgery, Mike takes a job as a Clinical Assistant (AKA orderly) in an Austin hospital.  He feels as though if he can't be in medical school, he can still be around medicine.  He doesn't expect to have an instant attraction to Dr. Ana Ramírez.

The attraction is mutually unwanted on Ana's part.  She doesn't understand what she perceives as Mike's lack of ambition, since he has such a gift for medicine and pediatrics.  She's also afraid of what the hospital gossip will say if a Resident gets involved with a lowly orderly. 

I hadn't read this one earlier due to an aversion to hospitals (which, if you kept up with my blogging last year, you'll understand).  However, I was hoping to finish it by December 31st, which didn't happen.  I finished it January 1st, so I'm counting it my first book of the New Year.  Once I started it, I wondered why I hadn't read it before!  The characters are interesting and well-developed.  I really enjoyed Mike & Ana's romance, especially the Anglo/Hispanic connection. 

Cover authenticity:  8

Characterizations: 8.5

Setting: 9

Overall enjoyment:  (a reminder for those who aren't familiar with my scoring--emoticons range from 1-5, numbers range from 1-10.  Of course, I suppose if something was truly awful, it could get a negative number, but I haven't read anything truly awful yet!)

This one appears to be sold out in the original edition, but it's worth hunting for a previously read copy!

"Never say you will pray about a thing; pray about it." Oswald Chambers