Working side by side…
With a secret prince!
In desperate need of staff for her small clinic on a
beautiful Malaysian island, Dr. Arissa Cotter accepts the help of tourist Dr.
Philippe Aronaz, little knowing her knight in shining armor is also a prince!
But when he sweeps her away to his Mediterranean kingdom, she discovers
Philippe faces battles of his own. Arissa has always hidden herself away -- dare she step into the
spotlight and stand by her prince’s side?
Very good book that
sucked me in from the very first pages. Philippe was on a plane, headed to a
small island resort where he could rest and relax and try to regroup after his
last patient in the ER. But a tragic event on the journey led him to Arissa
Cotter, a doctor at the island's small clinic. Suddenly rest and relaxation were far less appealing.
I loved both Arissa and Philippe. She is strong and
determined, and above all compassionate. She is also a very private person. The
one time she shared her past with someone it didn't go well, and she has been
wary ever since then. I loved her passion for
her work, especially the Safe Haven project. Philippe was terrific. He is kind
and caring and determined to improve
healthcare for the people of his country. He has big ideas for what he wants to
accomplish.
I loved the development of the relationship between
Arissa and Philippe. From the moment they met there were chemistry and an unexpected connection. I loved the way that
Philippe dove right in to help at the clinic. Arissa was impressed by how hard
he worked and his rapport with the patients. She was also intrigued by him, as
she felt that there was something more driving him than he has talked about. Philippe was equally intrigued by Arissa and her dedication and
passion for her work. They quickly became friends as they worked together,
though under that friendship was a simmering attraction. That attraction bubbled
to the surface a couple of times, which caused some tension between them.
Neither was quite sure what to do about it as they would soon go their separate
ways. Philippe frequently found himself thinking of bringing her back home with
him. When a paperwork snafu caused her to lose the job she had lined up,
Philippe jumped in with an unexpected offer.
With the deepening of their friendship, Philippe felt
increasingly guilty about not telling Arissa the whole truth of who he was. He
had to come clean when he invited her to go home with him and help him set up a
Safe Haven program there. Arissa was stunned by the revelation and torn about
what to do. She wanted to help, but she was extremely wary of being with
someone who was constantly in the limelight.
Philippe promised to protect her privacy, and
she reluctantly agreed to go with him. Seeing Philippe in his "natural
habitat" brought home to Arissa what his life was like. Philippe tried very hard to show her that he was the same man
he'd been on the island but eventually
came to realize that there was no way to separate his two personas. This was especially
clear when they toured the hospital together. Philippe's
feelings for Arissa grew deeper, and he dreamed of her staying. The
scenes at the ball, from the warmth of his family's welcome and how right it
felt to be together to the despair Philippe felt after asking Arissa to stay,
were vividly portrayed. Even sharper were the events of the next day when unwanted
pictures of Philippe and Arissa made the papers. I ached for Arissa because this her fear of people digging
into her past to the surface, and her reaction was to run. Philippe was furious
at what happened, protective of Arissa, and desperate to keep her with him. I
loved the advice and encouragement he got from his mother, which gave him the
courage to go after what he wanted. The
scene at the fire station was incredibly emotional. I loved how Philippe showed
Arissa that she was the only one for him. The effect his words had on Arissa
had me in tears, and I loved her response. The epilogue was a great wrap-up to
the story, showing how their love spilled over into the work they've done for both
their countries.
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