Healing Hearts by Sarah M. Eden
As the only doctor in the frontier town of Savage Wells, Gideon MacNamara knows his prospects for a bride are limited. The womenfolk in town are either too young, too old, or already spoken for. So, being a practical man, he decides to take advantage of the matchmaking service of the day—mail-order brides—and sends away for a woman with nursing experience.
When Miriam steps off the stagecoach in Savage Wells, she sees a bright future in front of her. But when the town—and Gideon—meets her, ready for a wedding, her excitement quickly turns to horror. Somehow Dr. MacNamara's message had gotten turned around. He didn’t want a nurse, he wanted a wife. When she refuses to marry him, she finds herself stranded in Savage Wells with some very unhappy townspeople.
But Gideon is not like the other men Miriam has met. Embarrassed by the misunderstanding, he offers her a job, and the two begin an awkward—and often humorous—dance of getting to know each other as they work to care for the people of their town. Romance blossoms between the two, but when a former medical associate of Miriam’s arrives in town, Gideon and the other townsfolk must rally around Miriam to protect her from a dangerous fate. Gideon and Miriam must decide if they are willing to risk their hearts for each other even as buried secrets are brought to light.
Review: Gideon MacNamara is the only doctor in the frontier town of Savage Wells. Knowing his prospects for marriage are limited, he decides to send away for a mail order bride who also has nursing experience. But Miriam arrives unaware that she is supposed to be also marrying her future boss. Despite their awkward beginning, the two try to figure out a way to work together to serve the medical needs of the community. But it quickly becomes evident that Miriam is hiding details about her past. As her past is uncovered, Gideon begins to fall for her but also realizes he must work to save her from a dangerous fate.
I liked this clean romance, especially because it had a whole plot besides just the love story. In short, it had a good bit of substance. Without giving any spoilers, Miriam is concealing details about her health history and is running from her diagnosis and the implications it has on her profession and future. While it was a tad far-fetched, it did illuminate the dangers of being diagnosed with mental health conditions during previous time periods and reveals the character and empathy of Gideon as a person and physician.
I was a little disappointed in the romance side of this book, which felt underdeveloped in comparison to the other drama of the book. I just wish they had a few more scenes together to establish their connection before the conclusion of the story. A cute, clean romance with some substance but I do wish it had been a tad heavier on the romance end.
Stars: 3
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