Dr. Almost: A Pandemic Love Story by Caitlyn CoakleyMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Romance During A Pandemic
I’ve been avoiding all the ‘pandemic’ romances that have been cropping up this year. Mainly because when I read romance I’m looking to escape reality and the pandemic is as real as real can be. However, I really like the Tobin Tribe books and didn’t really register that this was a pandemic love story until after I started reading. I’m glad I didn’t avoid it because though it dealt with the harsh realities of the pandemic it was also a sweet romance.
Rowan Serena Cassidy-Tobin is a celebutant. She’s incredibly wealthy, beautiful, sexy and sells millions of magazines with her escapades. She’s also incredibly intelligent, loving and desperately lonely. At the same time as travelling around as a celebrity selling appearances and posing for the paparazzi during the holiday break, she’s also been attending medical school, qualifying early with top marks. Due to the pandemic, she is roped into working in a hospital before fully qualifying to help treat COVID-19 patients.
Dr Jason Akerman is highly intelligent, not particularly attractive, comes from a wealthy family that’s rapidly going broke due to mismanaging finances and focusing on charity and medical work. He had to give up private practice and moved to work in a hospital and is given a job of working with the latest intake of almost qualified doctors.
Rowan (as she now likes to be called) and Jason are not an obvious couple and I liked that for once the hero wasn’t sexy and charismatic, he was awkward and homely. I also liked how the author did not shy away from the realities of working with COVID-19 patients and the horror and grind of it all. She captures the paranoia of a year filled with masks, hand sanitiser and chapped sore hands so well but in a way that doesn’t dwell on it too hard.
The romance between these characters is sweeter for never really seeing each other’s faces for a long time, as they fall for each other. It’s almost made me think more positively about choosing other novels set in the present climate.
One other thing I liked about this novel was how the author managed to turn around my opinion of Serena and explain how she became Rowan in a way that made sense and was sympathetic.
I was worried that this book would be the end of the Tobin Tribe books, but it seems there will be at least one more. I don’t know what I’ll do after that! I am very surprised that this series doesn't have more reviews and ratings for it because I think it's very engaging and enjoyable. I really hope more people read this author because I want her to keep writing.
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