Dr. Mathieson's Daughter

by Maggie Kingsley

BACHELOR FATHER! Specialist Elliot Mathieson is known for being able to charm women with just a smile! But it looks like as if he's going to have to say goodbye to his bachelor lifestyle for good, now that he's discovered he's a father. Elliot begs nurse Jane Halden to help him look after his little girl. And she can't refuse him, though perhaps she should. Because, unkown to Elliot, his good friend Jane has been in love with him for years!...

Paperback

First published December 31, 2001

Reviews

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Playboy A&E Special Registrar Elliot is shocked to learn that his French ex-wife Donna has died and left him custody of her daughter. They attempted a reconciliation 7 years ago and Nicole was apparently the result. Elliot has little experience of children and asks Senior Sister Jane Halden to help him care for Nicole. Jane, who has been secretly in love with Elliot since he moved to St Stephen's Hospital, London two years ago, reluctantly agrees. Jane is short, with an hour-glass figure, and not the type of woman Elliot goes for.

Donna was serially adulterous so Elliot now only has short-lived romantic relationships as he does not want to fall in love and be hurt again. Nicole is the image of Donna and he is initially unable to bond with her but she and Jane become close. Elliot comes to appreciate Jane's qualities and becomes attracted to her (partly because he thinks two of their colleagues fancy her and he becomes jealous). He falls for her but bungles his marriage proposal. She thinks he only wants her as a mother for Nicole.

I enjoyed the book until the last two chapters. Jane is a 'nice girl' but learns to stand up for herself. Elliot is not as shallow as he appears. My main problem with the story is his decision, when he discovers that Nicole is not his daughter, to keep this information from Donna's sister Michelle, her closest known relative. Nicole is Michelle's last link with her sister and she and her husband, who were in Iran on an archaeological dig when Donna died, want to adopt her. Michelle is unable to have children. Yes, Elliot has come to love Nicole but she has only been with him for two months. Jane agrees with him that he should not try to track down Nicole's biological father and to only tell her the truth when she is a teenager. I find these decisions quite unethical. How do they think Michelle and Nicole will feel when they learn the truth?

My other gripe is that there are three different cover photos but none of them get the appearance of the characters right. Elliot is blond, Jane has shoulder-length black hair and Nicole is six and has long auburn hair.

[Chantal Venter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I truly loved this book! It was so amazing.