HOLIDAY HOUSE CALL

Calling It #3.5

by

Jen Doyle

Dr. Karen Carmichael prides herself on being capable, optimistic and always in control. But even neurosurgeons have breaking points, especially as the holidays approach. When Karen finds herself on the side of the road, explaining to a cop that her less-than-stellar driving was due to stress and tears rather than too much booze, it's humiliating. When that cop turns out to be a one-night stand from her past, it's icing on the bad-day cake.

Officer John "Tuck" Tucker didn't expect to see Karen again after their night together. The circumstances may not be ideal, but convincing this beautiful, stubborn woman to get to know him with his clothes on is more fun than he could have imagined.

Karen swore she'd never fall for someone who risks his life for his job. She sees enough heartbreak at work without inviting it into her personal life, and she has no interest in becoming involved in the small town Tuck calls home. But despite valiant efforts to keep her walls up, her affection for Tuck is growing into something much stronger. With a life built around work alone looking less appealing by the day, Karen will have to take a leap of faith—and trust that Tuck will leap with her.

Short and sexy, Holiday House Call takes us back to Inspiration, Iowa and introduces us to Officer Hottie, John ‘Tuck’ Tucker and new-to-town neurosurgeon, Karen Carmichael. The lady who also happens to have been the best one-night-stand Tuck ever had.

I can perform an awake craniotomy like no one’s business, but I’m a total mess in my personal life.”

The path to HEA isn’t a smooth one for these two and whilst being in their late thirties brings established careers and the notion of being older and wiser, for Karen it also brings a stubbornness and someone who doesn’t form relationships—friendship or otherwise—easily. And, irrespective of how attracted to Tuck she is, she can’t risk losing her heart to someone whose career itself is a risk. Tuck is a persistent bugger though and with his sweet gestures, honesty and patience, Karen starts to lower her barriers and let him in and, despite finding her running hot and cold a bit frustrating at times, I did very much like her. But it’s when the residents of Inspiration pull together and show her the meaning of a tight-knit community, the emotion comes into play and there were some moments when I sat fighting the lump in my throat.

I think I could be happy with you.”

Due to its shorter length, everything does have that feeling of being a little speedy but that aside, it’s always a pleasure to visit Inspiration and this time was no different. And whilst previous characters from the Calling It series do feature, Holiday House Call can easily be read as a standalone.