[ARC Review] Hello Doctor by Kelsie Hoss
He’s the hot, newly single doctor who just moved back to his hometown, hoping to find some stability for his daughter. Meanwhile, I’m a hot mess, just fired from my job and ousted from company housing. I’m living in my old bedroom and trying to get my appointments in before my insurance runs out along with what little is left of my money.
That’s when Fletcher tells me we may be able to help each other out. He needs a live-in nanny for his daughter over the summer, and the last three have quit after a day.
With no other job options in my small hometown, I quickly accept.
After all, I’ve dealt with pigheaded, balding middle managers. I can handle an eight-year-old girl… right?
If I can’t help her and set aside my feelings for this hot single dad, I’ll need to find a new job away from my family and outside of the town I love.
My thoughts: Hello Doctor was honestly so much heavier than I expected from a romance featuring childhood crushes, a boss/employee relationship, and a wily little girl.
Hoss did not shy away from real-world issues, giving readers a beautiful example of a love that defies the typical fairy tale, the blissfully trouble-free romance.
Fletch and Liv had so many obstacles in their way, but instead of each set back putting me off of their happily ever after, I instead loved the strength every character in this story displayed. Fletcher and Liv certainly had a lot on their plates. Fletch had to find a balance between moving back to his hometown, raising his daughter on his own, starting a new job, and forgiving himself for what he saw as unforgivable mistakes. Liv, likewise, was starting a new chapter of her life as well, with a new job, new living arrangements, and plenty of self-doubt when it comes to her body and whether she was lovable.
The main characters in this story were so authentic. Between Fletcher's challenges letting go of what he saw as his failures to Liv's ongoing challenges with PCOS/endometriosis, these characters were so very real on the page. Their internal and external struggles came across as genuine throughout the story.
Honestly, the realness of the characters, their responses to what's going on in their world, will be what sticks with me far beyond the actual plot. While Hoss wrote a fantastic story, for me as a reader, the characters - both main and supporting - outshone the actual actions of the plot. From Fletch to Liv, to Liv's brother Rhett, every single character was fully fleshed out, Hoss sparing no detail or personality.
For readers looking for a no-drama happily-ever-after, Hello Doctor might not be the right read. But for anyone looking for true depth and character development, this will be a fantastic (and spicy) read.
[A huge thank you to the author for providing an advanced copy of Hello Doctor for review.]
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Release date: 7/28/23
Format: eARC
eARC provided via: Social Butterfly PR
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