Book Review: Critical Care by Candace Calvert/2 Stars

About the book:

After her brother dies in a trauma room, nurse Claire Avery can no longer face the ER. She's determined to make a fresh start--new hospital, new career in nursing education--move forward, no turning back. But her plans fall apart when she's called to offer stress counseling for medical staff after a heartbreaking day care center explosion. Worse, she's forced back to the ER, where she clashes with Logan Caldwell, a doctor who believes touchy-feely counseling is a waste of time. He demands his staff be as tough as he is. Yet he finds himself drawn to this nurse educator . . . who just might teach him the true meaning of healing.

My thoughts:

Medical dramas are not usually my thing. I've read one or two over the years, and while some are good, those stories don't tend to stick with me in the long run. But because I was a fan of Grey's Anatomy (until recently), and because of all the reviews that say all the drama is there just like in the tv show, I decided to give it a shot.

Well.....

I didn't like it. I didn't like it one bit. There seemed to be zero creativity, and instead, seemed to be a book that wanted to copy everything from the tv show (not everyone has seen Grey's, ya know). Now, I know that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but really... McSnarly? Giving the one lone male doctor in that hospital that nickname showed no imagination at all. And wait for it...we get a glimpse of another guy later on in the story named McMuffin (he, thankfully, didn't stay around long). The "Mc" names were so irritating, and really, could've been left out of the book altogether.

Then, there was the drama. This book was loaded with it, but that wasn't necessarily a good thing. One review I read prior to reading this book said that all the characters needed a good dose of therapy to get through all their problems, and she hit the nail on the head with that statement. Therapy was never mentioned one single time. I don't know if that's because the author intended for her audience to see that all problems can be solved through prayer and relying on God to see them through, but that seems a tad unrealistic. Don't get me wrong when I say that because I believe God answers our prayers, I believe He meets us in our times of need, and so on. BUT...He gave us doctors (whether that means physical or psychological) for a reason, and sometimes, they are the ones to assist us through life's storms and heartaches, along with our trust and faith in God.

I cannot give more than 2 stars for this book. The issues I've mentioned really just scratch the surface as to why I didn't enjoy this book. The only reason I gave it more than one was because out of all the characters, Erin was the one I liked the most. The end of this book gave a good intro to the next book which will center on her character.

Southern?  No
Sass?  No