Book Reviews

Book Blurb

There’d been a Rivers at the helm of Argyle Community Hospital for six generations, and Harper Rivers was set to take her father’s place whenever he decided to hang up his shingle. Unfortunately, the board of directors had other ideas—they accepted a buyout offer from a health care conglomerate with plans to close the hospital’s doors to the community that depended on it. And Presley Worth, a high-powered corporate financier, came to town to oversee the closure. Funny thing was, no one asked Harper, and she had no intentions of following anyone’s orders but her own—no matter how beautiful, smart, or commanding the new boss might be.

 

Book Review

This book is quite distinctive, very well constructed, captivating on several levels, with exhilarating interplay among a host of folks. The two key women find themselves on starkly opposing sides. They confront each other as if they are in a winner-take-all tournament, with potentially devastating consequences to the *local* folks. A victory is paramount for the obviously non-local takeover group of the key community hospital with the main focus being almost exclusively on improving the financial bottom line and appeasing their stockholders. The locals, attempting to protect the status quo, feel it is vital to everyone within the geographic scope of the key hospital that services remain as is. What an exceptionally delightful read; I heartily recommend it. There is also a rather hot love affair mixed in with the ongoing fireworks. Marvelous!

Doctor Harper Lee Rivers, as the eldest within the Rivers clan, is unquestionably the heir apparent. Two of her four sisters are also in the medical profession and intimately involved with the Rivers Hospital, officially called Argyle Community Hospital. From my perspective, Harper is a treasure as a doctor, additionally as a solid family person, plus she is a bit of a community icon, a great softball player, and lover par excellence. She certainly tries her darndest to present her family's perspective to the coolly efficient businesswoman single-mindedly focused on wrapping up this takeover in record time for personal and business reasons. I was delighted to be front and center to the calculating tactics, thrusts, and counter strikes between Harper and her primary adversary. Besides being immensely entertaining, it was wonderfully educational. My collegiate sporting experience was fencing and watching Harper and Presley, the business opponent, attack and parry was simply scintillating. Magnificent!

Presley Worth, Vice President of Operations at Sun View Health Systems, is a polished professional tour de force. She knows she has been shunted off to this project by her consistently calculating twin brother to keep her away from Sun View's base of operations while he executes some major maneuvers to gain support and a leading edge to outstrip his twin sister in the race to take over their father's position. That is constantly on Presley's mind in addition to managing the transition at Rivers Hospital. What she never anticipated was how intense and thoroughly diverting would be her personal and physical response to Dr. Harper Rivers and the environment encompassing Argyle. That interior chess match running parallel to her formidable contest of wills and intellect with Harper, had me totally enthralled on a continuing basis. Superior point and counterpoint!

Even with all the political machinations, the business warfare *in the trenches*, and the subtle yet entertaining local diversions, I must point out how magnificent the physical atmosphere is in wowing the visitors and succoring the residents. I wanted to pack a bag and head for Argyle to enjoy the place, the denizens, and the weather. So many fascinating elements and dynamics are gloriously woven in and around the people and the setting making this an extraordinarily rich, gratifying, and felicific escapade. The love affair certainly adds and provides a rich additional dimension that sends participants and observers alike cascading into marvelously unexpected permutations. This should not be missed, but savored and relished. Splendiferous!

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by Bold Strokes Books for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook and print
Length	Novel, 240 pages/79000 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	01-November-2014
Price	$9.99 ebook, $16.95 paperback, $19.99 bundle
Buy Link	http://www.boldstrokesbooks.com/9781626392687e.html