Book Review: In the Doctor's Bed by Brenda Jackson

This is a nice, light "Doctor" romance story.

In the Doctor's Bed

by Brenda Jackson

• Mass Market Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Harlequin Kimani (July 19, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0373862202
• ISBN-13: 978-0373862207

Genre:  Contemporary Romance

My Rating: 3.0 of 5.0

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2011

The skills of a surgeon…

Having a crush on her drop–dead–gorgeous boss could get Hopewell General intern Jasmine Campbell fired…especially with the prestigious Virginia hospital reeling from a shocking scandal. But head resident Lucien De Winter is impossible to resist. And he's arousing a healthy dose of desire as the good doctor wages an all–out war to make the sheltered Southern belle his own…

The heart of a lover

Head over heels for Jasmine, Lucien vows to keep their relationship a secret. He knows they're playing a dangerous game, but he can't live without the sensual sister. Even if it means putting his hard–fought career on the line, the seduced surgeon is ready to risk it all. Because Lucien knows that the only thing to cure his acute condition is a lifetime of love.

Review:
Jaclyn Campbell is an attractive, caring and clearly smart intern at Hopewell General. She has worked hard to get where she is so she shouldn’t be thinking about risking all she has planned just because she fell for her handsome boss, Lucien DeWinter, the first time she saw him.

Lucien DeWinter is a talented surgeon and the head resident overseeing the intern program.  He has a strong future and surely it isn’t worth the risk of dating one of his beautiful interns. But his efforts to resist her are failing after months of trying to avoid her.

The hospital has a strict non-fraternization policy and the chief of staff and head nurse are sticklers about enforcing rules. Jaclyn and Lucien have separately struggled with their attraction to each other.  When circumstances finally put them together they don’t want to fight the draw anymore.

Jaclyn and Lucien in this story are both very likeable: attractive, smart, hard working and compassionate. Too bad that they are stuck in a not so likeable dilemma and a weak story. The beginning of the book focuses on their denied desires. After they get together the book focuses on their lovemaking and sneaking to avoid their relationship being discovered. In my opinion, this isn’t a great storyline.  Not only is this not ‘likeable’ behavior, but it doesn’t seem likely to me as it seemed their careers should out weigh their sexual attraction until they could find some other solution - like one moving to another hospital position. I don’t tend to read many ‘doctor’ romances as it is not a field that draws me. I think I could have enjoyed this story if I wasn’t turned off by the sneaking around.

This is the second book I read by Brenda Jackson. I have to say that I like the characters she creates. Even the gorgeous, could-be stuck up and obnoxious males turn out to have good,  likable qualities.  I like Ms. Jackson’s writing style which is crisp and smooth flowing.  The sexual attributes of this book are a little on the heavy side for my tastes– an aspect other romance readers might enjoy more. I have to classify this as a nice romance but it would never be a favorite of mine.

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Quotes I liked:

It had taken all of his control to keep his features neutral, void of expression.  Each and every time he was around her he risked the possibility of giving something away. Page 35.

There was something in his gentle and understanding tone that pushed her to the edge. There were so many emotions she was trying to deal with. Page 42.

I received this from Harlequin Romance.

This story is set in Washington, D.C. for my Where Are Your Reading Challenge.