First Do No Harm by Emily SmithFirst Do No Harm by Emily Smith is set in Boston City Hospital as a romance of cleaver past issues brewing between a resident doctor and a physician assistant.

Pierce Parker is a serial monogamist who wants nothing more than to find her one true love. She has had her fair share of heartbreak hopeless moments. Leaving Atlanta with a broken hearted in search of a fresh start, she joins the same hospital as her cousin, Galen. They are almost identical in looks and mannerisms but Galen has the one thing she does not have, true love. (You can find Galen and Rowan’s story in All of Me.)

After Dr. Cassidy Sullivan’s program is disbanded in Rhode Island she gets thrown into a position in Boston City Hospital where she is set to finish her residency. Her secretive past drowns the notion or idea of romantic entanglements or at least so she thought.

However, Cassidy and Pierce are drawn together, and sparks fly. Even Cassidy cannot deny the pull of attraction. Can Pierce get past her past heart break and look into the future? Can Cassidy let go of her past to allow someone to love her? Will the secret Cassidy is holding on to come in between them?

The Characters

Pierce is a good ol’ fashion sexy butch with a lookalike older cousin. She does not want to fall into the relationship trap only to have her heartbroken again.

She has her weaknesses and we love her internal battles around dating and I particularly enjoyed how she would seek advice from her cool older cousin, Galen.

Pierce and Galen grow close and we get to see a lot of Galen and Rowan in this book which is such a treat for fans of All of Me. Their interactions are filling with humor and sibling bickering. We get to see Galen take the role of older and wiser older sister, as she nurtures her younger cousin through the dating world.

Cassidy is smart, confident, and hardworking but her upbringing has shaped the way she sees the world and how she treats her romantic pursuits.  Watching Cassidy fall in love and open her heart to the possibility of a future is beautiful to witness.

Galen and Rowan are great side characters- though this can be read as a stand-alone, it adds more depth to the story to know their love story in All of Me.

Also fun to watch is how Rowan and Cassidy became friends.

The Writing Style

The story is written from 4 different perspectives but is focused on our two MCs. I liked being able to hear Galen and Rowan’s thoughts and they were never the focus of the story only the addition.

It is slow paced and easy to follow along.

The Narration

This book is Narrated by Keira Grace, and I was able to tell the voices apart. She did a good job with this narration.

The Pros

This was a medical romance that was light on the medical and heavy on the romance. This may work for those who are looking for medical romance but don’t want to get a degree in medicine to follow along.

The Cons

I struggled with the stereo typing of butch/femme roles and looks. Cassidy is femme (as is Rowan) and Pierce is butch (as is Galen). I love a good butch/femme pairing, but without the stereo types.

In this one I related to Cassidy and her femme invisibility and her love of sports.

The Conclusion

If you are looking for a medical romance that is light on medical and angst this is a good fit. It flows well and has some humorous moments especially between the cousins. The audiobook was well paced, and Keira Grace did a good job voicing each character. Some parts had me laughing out loud while I was working out.

Excerpt from First Do No Harm by Emily Smith

Pierce realized that Cassidy was directly addressing a subconscious and fleeting thought Pierce had had since their dinner with Rowan and Galen; Cassidy had no time to start a relationship. She shook her head, trying to remind herself that that was so far from mattering it shouldn’t have even crossed her mind.

“But…I think I’m ready to change that…” Cassidy smiled shyly, and Pierce’s legs trembled a little as they brushed Cassidy’s. “Are you, you know, seeing anyone?”

It took a lot for Pierce to think anyone was interested in her. But Cassidy was sending signals about as subtle as flare guns and traffic-cone orange. Maybe it was the beer, or just the epic fatigue from an endless day. It was impossible, but something seemed to be happening between them.

“I suppose I should call it a night,” Cassidy finally said, once the waitress had cleared away the final nacho crumbs and empty glasses. A sinking disappointment swamped Pierce at the thought of leaving her.

“Same. What time do you work tomorrow?”

“Seven a.m.”

“No, really.” Pierce was certain she was joking.

“I’m serious…I have to be back at the hospital in about…five hours?”

“I’m so sorry! You should have said something. I would never have kept you out so late.”

“You didn’t keep me out.” Cassidy reached across the table and brushed Pierce’s thumb with her index finger for the briefest second. “Besides, usually when I give the seven a.m. start line, it’s an excuse to get out of a date. Or, if I’m really nervous, I’ll fake a page.”

“I can’t help but notice you haven’t gotten any pages since we’ve been here,” Pierce said, curling the corner of her mouth into a wry grin.

“Didn’t even take it out of my bag.”

Their eyes locked for several seconds, the energy that had been pulsating between them now thickening into a firestorm of questions and possibilities and all kinds of things Pierce hadn’t felt in the longest time, until the waitress came to pick up the check, only partially breaking the spell they’d been under.

“Do you want a ride home?” Pierce asked as they approached her waiting car.

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Series

All of Me

First Do No Harm

Bits and Bobs

  • ISBN number: 9781635556995
  • Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
  • Audiobook Publisher: Bold Strokes Books Inc
  • Narrator: Keira Grace
  • Emily Smith Online 

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