Northwest Nurse

by Arlene J. Fitzgerald

"I'll give you three months to set the wedding date, or the engagement is off."

Holly Doran, R.N., wasn't entirely sure that Dr. Brian Merdahl, the suave psychiatrist, was for her. The ad in the paper for a temporary nurse, far away in Oregon, seemed to be the answer. If she were away from Brian, after three months, surely she would know if she really loved him.

Ocean Breeze, Oregon was full of surprises for Holly. A big-city girl, from San Francisco, she hadn't expected to like small-town life so much. And she had never dreamed that the doctor she was to work with would be as young and as attractive as Dr. Key Catrell. At the end of a week at Ocean Breeze she was more confused than ever. Engaged to one man, how could she be falling in love with another?

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1964

Reviews

[Steven · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent writing and characterization. Medical parts done well, particularly the emergency room surgery scene. Evocative descriptions. Good use of body language to suggest emotional/psychological states. Strong plot with enough conflicts to keep things interesting. Pitch perfect happy ending that this genre usually requires including the bad actors getting what they deserved as well. Plenty of foreshadowing of the big event (a tsunami), my only complaint being that we didn't really get to experience the tidal waves because the protagonists were already on high-ground, where they were well-positioned to treat the injured in the aftermath. There were a couple of noir-ish side plots that I would have liked to have seen teased out more, which would have put our nurse protagonist in more danger, that's really all that was lacking.

[Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful vintage nurse romance from 1964. I love reading vintage romance novels, particularly those with a medical theme. Of course, they're old-fashioned but that's why I love them! When I finished it, I closed the book, sighed with a smile, and wished for a time machine!