Series: Hope Children's Hospital (Book 3)
Letting go of his past…
…to embrace their future!
In this Hope Children’s Hospital story, pediatrician Dr. Finn Morgan keeps himself fiercely private -- after losing his leg in Afghanistan, he pushed everyone away. So his unexpected attraction to his colleague, physiotherapist Naomi Collins, infuriates him! Something in her stunning eyes tells him she’s a survivor, too. Christmas is a time for healing. Maybe they’ll both find what they’ve been looking for -- in each other’s arms…
Good story about two people, hurting from traumatic pasts, who are brought together by their desire to help a little boy. Finn is a surgeon who lost his leg in Afghanistan. While recovering, he was so determined to do it himself that he pushed away everyone who cared about him. He didn't want sympathy or pity, just to be left alone. That attitude has continued, as his reputation around the hospital is respect for his work but that he doesn't get close to anyone. Naomi is a physiotherapist who is known for her cheerful attitude and excellent results with her patients. But she is haunted by her past which makes it difficult for her to get close to anyone.
Finn and Naomi were tagged to work together to help a young boy who was the victim of violence in his home country in Africa. As the boy's surgeon and an amputee himself, Finn felt that he was in an excellent place to help Adao face the changes in his life. Naomi was the physical therapist who would help him adjust, but having come from a similar situation, she also connects with him on a deeper level. I loved the first encounter between Finn and Naomi. Sparks flew as they clashed over Adao's needs. Those sparks also revealed an underlying attraction that surprised both of them. Finn isn't happy about his attraction to Naomi. He has spent a long time burying his emotions and being around her stirs them up. Naomi doesn't believe that she deserves to be happy.
I enjoyed the development of their relationship. It got off to a rocky start with Finn behaving like a jerk to Naomi. Something about her throws him off balance and he lashes out in response. When Naomi stumbled across Finn outside of the hospital, she saw a very different side of him. I loved the scene of him with the kids and how relaxed he was around them. Finn was also further drawn to Naomi, intrigued by the pain he saw in her eyes. I loved how being around her made him realize that he was ready to start living again. The more he got to know her, the deeper his feelings for her grew. Naomi also felt her feelings for Finn growing and changing, but she was afraid to give in to them. The trauma of her past left her believing that she didn't deserve to be loved by anyone. I liked seeing Finn slowly break down her walls so that she would trust him with her story. His support of her gave her hope, but she was still wary. I liked how Finn also realized that he had to face his past before he could move on. His conversation with his ex-wife was eye-opening for him. I loved that he didn't give up on Naomi and showed her what she meant to him. Naomi's realization that he understood her and her fears gave her the courage to look forward instead of backward.
I loved the story of Adao and seeing his progress through the book. It was through him that bits and pieces of Finn and Naomi's stories were revealed, as each of them related to what he experienced. I ached for the little boy being so far from home and missing his family. It was heartwarming to see how many people rallied around him and the effect it had. I especially loved seeing him with Doodle, the therapy dog.
The epilogue was a fantastic ending to the story. We got to see how Finn and Naomi's relationship is progressing, with a very nice surprise for Naomi at the end of it. There was also a fantastic scene with Adao. I loved seeing him with his family and the difference in him from the beginning of the book. This was the first book of this series that I read, and I definitely want to go back a read the first two, as well as the next book (Theo's story).
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