★★★★★
5 Stars
Dr. Elijah Hawkins needs … something.
After his wife jumps headfirst into a midlife crisis, he’s left with his young son, Roman, and a lot of unanswered questions.
That something turns out to be a someone—Dorothy Mayhem, nursing student, patient transporter, reckless driver, and emu owner.
Dorothy studies humans, the neurotypical kind, through books and television. Then she emulates their behavioral patterns to fit in with her peers.
But nothing can prepare her for Dr. Elijah Hawkins.
Single dad.
Brilliant pediatric oncologist.
And the sexiest doctor at the hospital.
When his failed attempts at asking her out turn into a string of playdates with his son, Dorothy finds herself unexpectedly enamored with the boy and his father.
And that’s a problem, a huge one, because Elijah’s ex-wife is a famous plastic surgeon—and Dorothy’s idol.
Doctor Eli. A year ago he was a 37 year old, very happily married man. With a two year old son. Working his dream job at the hospital. He still is most of those things. But he's not married anymore. His wife left him. Just like that. From one happy second to the not-so-happy next. They're now sharing custody for little Roman and they're still working at the same hospital. But that's it.
Enter Dorothy. She's in her last year at Nursing school and she's working several odd jobs at the hospital. And she's kind of super attracted to the sexy single doc. But she's also ... different. People think she's weird. But Eli thinks she's fascinating. Refreshingly honest and adorable.
But he's not ready for anything new, right???
But even if he was, he doesn't have a single clue how to go about asking Dorothy out. Especially when she misunderstands his every weird attempt! LOL!
Plus Eli's ex is not yet really out of the picture ....
What will happen with Dorothy & Eli?
Will there be a HEA???
READ THE BOOK TO FIND OUT! ☺
ADORABLE!!!!
I just loved this book!
You immediately fall in love with Dorothy and Eli and little Roman!
But Dorothy is not an easy person to get close to. She has Aspergers and with that come a lot of little and bigger issues. The one that makes the most problems for her: her social awkwardness. She says what she thinks and she doesn't understand most jokes or innuendos. She has no filter!
She really likes Eli and he seems to like her back. But then there's his ex wife - and Dorothy loves and respects Docter Hathaway!
Eli is fascinated by Dorothy. He feels like a highschool kid falling in love and lust for the first time! But Dorothy is not making it easy. Well, she's very easy in some aspects, but she's so very complicated in others. But Eli knows she's worth everything.
It's so super adorable for the reader to watch them fumble their way to that happily ever after!
Even though we don't know if there will be a happy end for a long while, because there's still the ex wife. And up until a year ago Eli had the perfect little family with Julie and Roman.
I adored every little second of this story!
I NEED to see this on Netflix asap!
PERFECTLY ADEQUATE was so much more than just adequate! I ADORED THIS BOOK!!
It was funny, sweet, charming, moving, fresh, adorable.
A heartwarmingly and beautifully (im)perfect love story!
Run to your nearest amazon for your own Doctor Eli - this one is MINE!☺
It was funny, sweet, charming, moving, fresh, adorable.
A heartwarmingly and beautifully (im)perfect love story!
Run to your nearest amazon for your own Doctor Eli - this one is MINE!☺
ARC received for an honest review.
This is my first Jewel E Ann book - I know, I know, I have been living under a rock!
And what a perfectly adorable story this is!
You can't help but love Dorothy and Eli right from the start.
Lovely Dorothy is not our usual heroine - and I love her even more for it. See, she is on the spectrum, and doesn't see the world the same as you or me.
I love her candidness. I have family and friends on the spectrum, and I could see parts of each of them in Dorothy's character.
It was cute the way Dorothy, Eli and their family were forging a relationship. I was not a big fan of the last 15% where the ex started playing with them. I may have shed a tear though with Dorothy and the way it affected her.
But this could have just been me.
PS - I am loving all these illustrated covers that are out there these days - it is a great change from the abs we have seen for years!
♥ EXCERPT ♥
This is my first Jewel E Ann book - I know, I know, I have been living under a rock!
And what a perfectly adorable story this is!
You can't help but love Dorothy and Eli right from the start.
Lovely Dorothy is not our usual heroine - and I love her even more for it. See, she is on the spectrum, and doesn't see the world the same as you or me.
I love her candidness. I have family and friends on the spectrum, and I could see parts of each of them in Dorothy's character.
It was cute the way Dorothy, Eli and their family were forging a relationship. I was not a big fan of the last 15% where the ex started playing with them. I may have shed a tear though with Dorothy and the way it affected her.
But this could have just been me.
PS - I am loving all these illustrated covers that are out there these days - it is a great change from the abs we have seen for years!
♥ EXCERPT ♥
“You
can call me Eli.”
She
swallows hard. “I don’t actually think I can.”
“Why
not?” I force my gaze away from her mouth.
The
second our eyes meet, she averts her attention to her feet. “Because you’re
half of the Hathaway-Hawkins duo.”
This
is a new one to me. “I’m divorced.”
“I
know. I …” She makes an attempt to look at me, but her attention shifts to my
temple then maybe my ear. “I mean you’re a brilliant doctor, and Dr. Hathaway
is too—so brilliant. God, she’s just phenomenal. Like there are no words. But
still … you change the lives of young children. You save them. You’re what
every young person entering the medical field can only dream of becoming.
You’ve earned the title. I can’t call you by your name. It’s too personal. I
don’t know … almost intimate.”
She
has Julie on a really high pedestal. Me? Down a few pegs. Sounds about right
for my life at the moment. It’s not that Julie doesn’t deserve to be on the
pedestal. No matter how much I hate her, I still love her. And her skills as a
pediatric plastic surgeon are unmatched. She deserves Dorothy’s admiration.
But
I don’t want to talk about medicine, accolades, and saving lives. I know … I
know … how terrible of me. Sorry, but I need something for myself. Something
personal and maybe a little selfish.
Definitely
intimate.
“I
don’t need a babysitter for Roman.”
She
jerks her head back, giving me her full attention, eyes squinted, gaze locked
to mine. “What?”
I
trap my top lip between my teeth, drowning in coconuts as my heart races,
sending ample blood to all regions of my body. God … I just want—need—to kiss
her.
“Oh
jeez …” She shakes her head, closing her eyes for a breath. “You invited me to
dinner to … flirt.” Her eyes open to their widest point.
A
tiny laugh escapes me. I can’t help it. Everything about this woman feels like
a rebirth. “I invited you to dinner because Roman really likes you. And I just
can’t thank you enough for all that you’ve done for him. You’re so generous.”
Gah!
I suck at this!
What
is my problem? Yes. The answer is yes! Yes, Dorothy, I invited you over to
flirt, maybe even kiss. And other things …
“Oh.”
She takes a step backward, stumbling a bit as the front door catches her, and
more embarrassment tints her cheeks. “Well, now I feel stupid. Yes, of course
you invited me here because Roman likes me. Duh. Now I just look like an idiot
for assuming you wanted to flirt with me. And really, no need to thank me. My
generosity is selfish. It makes me feel good to do nice things. That’s all. And
really, you’ve bought me coffee and made me dinner again. It’s like I should be
thanking you again. But that’s probably weird. So … I’ll just go now.”
Really,
really weird shit goes through my mind as she fidgets. Dr. Hawkins is nowhere
to be found. Neither is Roman’s dad. Raging-puberty-hormones Eli Hawkins
invades my head—both of them really. And I just want to kiss Dorothy. That’s
the PG version of my thoughts. Most of them are R-rated. Worse than the
R-rating. All I can think about are the ways Dorothy and I can be generous with
each other, leading to never-ending thank-you’s that don't involve stationary,
replacement scrubs, superhero capes, pasta dinners, lunch boxes … or clothing.
“Should
we call it even? No more thank-you’s,” I suggest.
“Okay.”
She lifts her gaze, eyes going a little cross-eyed like her focus is centered
on the bridge of my nose.
“Okay.”
I release a slow breath, but it does very little to relax all of my body. “Can
I ask your age?” I’m not sure why I’ve been so chicken about asking her age. I
think it worries me that she’s too young, and I’ll feel like a dirty old man
having really inappropriate thoughts about her.
“I’m
thirty. Why?”
“You
just look young.”
“I
wear massive amounts of sunscreen.”
I
nod slowly.
Just
kiss her, you big chicken!
What
if she doesn’t want to be kissed by me? Or flirt with me? I internally laugh at
the memory of her comment and at myself for being just as awkward. Why does
something so simple have to be so complicated?
“I
have a forty-five-minute drive home.”
And
school the next day. Where is my head?
Oh,
that’s right …
“Of
course. I’m sorry. I lost track of time.”
“Okay.”
She smiles.
I
love her okay’s. They feel like more than the average okay.
“I’ll
walk you out.”
“Have
you not closed all of your rings?” She holds up her wrist, signaling to her
watch.
I
chuckle. “All rings were closed hours ago.”
“We
could track each other. Share our rings. Did you know that?”
Rings.
Kisses. Trips to the on-call room for sex.
For
the love of God … get your shit together, Elijah!
“Never
mind. That’s weird.” She shakes her head, rolling her eyes at herself just
before opening the door and scurrying ten steps ahead of me. Her pace gains
momentum with the hill of my driveway.
My
long strides catch up to her at the bottom of it. She looks both ways and bolts
across the street to her car, clicks the locks, and opens her door.
“Goodnight!”
“Dorothy
Mayhem … you’re killing me.”
She
turns just before ducking into the driver’s seat.
“What
do you mean?”
Resting
my hands on my hips, I drop my chin in defeat and stare at my untied gray
canvas shoes. “What if I did ask you to dinner tonight to … flirt?” I glance
up, digging my teeth into my bottom lip on a slight cringe.
Her
body remains stoic as her eyes shift from side to side, like she’s been caught
on a hidden camera. “Well … then I wore the wrong outfit.” She refuses to look
me in the eye.
“I
think you look amazing.”
“Yes.
But this is a playdate outfit. Maybe even one I’d wear to apply for a
babysitter position. It’s fun, but wholesome. Practical and safe.”
I
just want to spend one day in her head. Everything about her fascinates the
hell out of me. The curiosity gives me such a high.
“Tell
me about your flirting outfit.”
“Well
…” She clears her throat, keeping her focus on the big hill leading out of my
development. And of course … her cheeks are perfectly flushed as she talks to
the wind. “Since Romeo was involved, I would have chosen my red dress with
white stripes. It hits just below my knees, but it’s strapless. And I would
have worn my blue cardigan with it and matching blue wedge sandals with straps
that tie around my ankles. Flirty … but appropriate for young eyes.”
“And
if Roman wouldn’t have been here tonight?”
I stare at the side of her head, wondering if she’ll look at me again
before driving home.
She
narrows her eyes. “I would have taken off the cardigan after you invited me
into your house.”
The
picture she paints in my head does all kinds of wicked things to me. Why
imagining her in a striped strapless dress has such a physical effect on me is
a mystery. It’s not like she suggested showing up wearing nothing but high
heels and a trench coat. Dorothy Mayhem possesses her own brand of seduction,
and I’m completely entangled in every part of it.
“And
in this scenario, would you have kissed me after I walked you to your car?”
She
turns completely red. I feel certain even her toes hidden in those blue shoes
have to be red. “You’re making fun of me.”
Her comment knocks me back a good ten steps, even
if my body remains right next to her. Why would she say that?
↓ LINKS TO THE BOOK AND AUTHOR ↓
Jewel is a free-spirited romance junkie with a quirky sense of humor.
With 10 years of flossing lectures under her belt, she took early retirement from her dental hygiene career to stay home with her three awesome boys and manage the family business.
After her best friend of nearly 30 years suggested a few books from the Contemporary Romance genre, Jewel was hooked. Devouring two and three books a week but still craving more, she decided to practice sustainable reading, AKA writing.
When she’s not donning her cape and saving the planet one tree at a time, she enjoys yoga with friends, good food with family, rock climbing with her kids, watching How I Met Your Mother reruns, and of course…heart-wrenching, tear-jerking, panty-scorching novels.