Jo Bartlett

Good story that centers around two main characters - Esther and her mother, Caroline. Esther is a nurse in her hospital's emergency room, where she frequently works with her best friend, Danni, a doctor. Her biggest problem is having to deal with her cheating ex-boyfriend, Lucas, another doctor. She is enjoying being free and having time to spend with her friends. She is living on her own for the first time and loving the independence. Then Danni's brother, Joe, arrives from Australia to augment the hospital's psychiatric corps. Esther has always had a crush on Joe but won't risk two friendships with an ill-advised relationship.

Joe came home to Cornwall after a breakup with his girlfriend. He looks forward to a change of scenery and new challenges. He doesn't expect to be drawn to his sister's best friend, especially since she makes it plain that she isn't looking for anything except friendship.

However, when Esther's caring heart gets her into trouble with a young patient who has suffered a devastating loss, Joe is there to provide backup and support. I enjoyed seeing them work together to help the young man and grow closer as they spent time together. I liked Joe's protectiveness as the patient's attention grew more intense. But as Esther and Joe's relationship deepens, she panics at the realization that he will return to Australia, and fearing the effect on her heart, she pulls away. It takes a dangerous situation to make her realize that life is too short to play things safe. I liked the ending.

The other story is about Esther's parents, Caroline and Patrick. They worked hard all their lives to save for retirement and had big plans for that day. They moved from London to Cornwall to be closer to Esther. Caroline retired first and has been looking forward to making their dreams come true. In the meantime, she has made new friends and spends time volunteering. But when Patrick retired, instead of moving forward with their plans, he became a homebody uninterested in anything even remotely adventurous. Caroline is frustrated and feels a growing distance between herself and Patrick. I felt terrible for Caroline and wanted to shake Patrick for constantly blowing off her concerns. I suspected something else was going on and was proved right. It took a near tragedy to bring these two back together.

I enjoyed the medical aspects of the book, which covered everything from dementia to kidney failure. I loved seeing the caring healthcare workers, the assorted patients, and the fun volunteers. Each one had a unique personality, and I laughed out loud at some of the interactions. There were also tears at heart-wrenching moments and hope that things would work out for everyone.… (mehr)

My sincere thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read Finding Friends at the Cornish Country Hospital. I give my unbiased opinion of the book in the following short review.

This book is the second in a series of standalones that take place at the Cornish Country Hospital. I did not realize this when I started the book and even though I was able to follow the story, I think I would have enjoyed it a little more had I already been introduced to the characters. This particular book follows Esther, a nurse at the hospital, and her mother Caroline who is navigating what seems to be a midlife/retirement crisis that her husband is going through. There is a definite friend group at the hospital who get along very well and have some great banter when they gather. There is a little romance as well as some suspense thrown in to make the story move along quickly. This was definitely one of those books where I wanted to jump into the pages and shake some sense into a few of the characters more than once, but overall it was an easy to read and entertaining women's fiction story. I will have no trouble recommending it to fans of this genre.… (mehr)

Did you know that New York's Central Park has rangers? Neither did I. Meet Me in Central Park by Jo Bartlett is about a lot more than the park. It is the story of Libby who travels from England to work at her Aunt's Christmas store in New York City. While this might sound like fun to some, it is actually part of Libby's worst nightmare. You see, Libby has lost her parents in a tragic accident and she just can't quite pull herself out of the guilt and depression she feels. She can't imagine Christmas without her parents and doesn't want to even try to celebrate. Her grandparents have a hand in getting her to New York, and while Libby goes along with it, working in a festive Christmas store is not something she is sure she can handle. She meets Harry, a Central Park ranger, early in the book and feels a strange connection to him and he to her. While it is not love at first sight, it is sure a lot of like. The book continues with Libby working through a lot with the help of her aunt and a new found family of friends.

This was a sweet story and I really loved the found family aspect of it. I did have some trouble getting into the book at first and put it down a few times before I really got into it. I think that had more to do with me not being in the mood for Christmas in early fall. That being said, when I did dive in for real, I quite enjoyed it and especially loved how everything tied together at the end. If you want a taste of Christmas in New York, give this one a try. It is light on the romance and more into Libby dealing with her grief, so keep that in mind.

My sincere thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read Meet Me in Central Park and give my unbiased opinion of it in the above review.… (mehr)