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Surgery by the Sea
Medical student Meg Richardson hadn't really wanted to leave London and her promise romance with Steve to go and work with a G.P. on the Welsh coast for the summer, but she couldn't let a friend down, and she could see that the job would have its compensations. But the attractive, unreliable, weathercock-like Owen Roberts was certainly not one of them! It was not long before thoughts of Steve began to fade -- but what was the use of dreaming about Owen when he had already left a trail of broken hearts behind him? And what reason had Meg to suppose that he wouldn't just add hers to their number?
352 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1978
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 12, 2017
This story is set in the late 1970's, but the details and character sensibilities seem to be from an earlier era. (Trains and hospitals don't have air-conditioning?) Not that that is a bad thing. There is a lot charm in this story of a London-based medical student (h) interning at a small practice in Wales.
There is a string of cousins to keep track of: The h's friend, a fellow medical student who was originally going to take the internship in Wales until she broke her leg.
The GP - it's his busy, rural practice. He is a widower with three kids and a young housekeeper who is immediately jealous of the beautiful heroine.
The hero - known for his string of girlfriends and his love 'em and leave 'em attitude. Hero is staying with his cousin the GP "doing nothing" but taking the local jealous, spoiled beauty (OW) to the beach.
The heroine's train is met by the hero. He tries to flirt with her, but she's having none of it. A short guy (the GP) is supposed to pick her up. Eventually she figures out the hero is the cousin she had been warned off of. The hero is having a grand old time teasing her and pretending to be a wastrel playboy.
Eventually the heroine finds out that the hero is a famous consultant of hematology and is recovering from a disease he picked up in South America. (No sponging, alas. He only has a dizzy spell. SD missed a great opportunity there)
And you can imagine how the rest of the story goes. The heroine falls for the hero, but doesn't trust him because everyone warns her off - the GP, the housekeeper, his medical student cousin, the OW. When the GP gets sick, the heroine and hero run the practice together and get closer for a few days.
The hero sends out a lot of mixed signals He's jealous, but he continually tells the heroine he's only up for a casual affair - maybe she should find someone boring to marry. Then his medical student cousin (and friend of the heroine's) brings a carload of fellow medical students from London for a couple of days of holiday by the sea. Unfortunately there is one guy who has a crush on the heroine and another guy who has it in for her because she rebuffed his drunken advances. From this little episode the hero concludes the heroine is a prim tease.
The author did a great job showing the entitlement of "the nice guy" and how the heroine really has no defense against it.
Meanwhile, the heroine's time is running out. So back to London she goes for more classes.
Eventually the hero takes on a consultant position in London and they get together. The black moment comes when the heroine drops by the hero's flat with the hero's birthday present. The OW is there and claims she's been sleeping the hero. The h believes her and confronts the hero who tires to defend himself. The h won't listen and the hero is hurt and says he wants to have nothing to do with someone who won't trust him.
To add insult to injury, the hero's cousin won't speak to her either. (Ironic, since she warned the h off in the first place).
So there's lots of angst as the heroine goes about her business and catches glimpses of the hero. It's only when the GP decides to marry his housekeeper and invites the h, that these two get together. Hero has been suffering, too. Let's get married and be doctors together in the World Health Organization. HEA.
It was refreshing to read about women medical students who were going to combine a career with family. The h was bright and forthright until her pride got in the way. Same with the hero.
There is a string of cousins to keep track of: The h's friend, a fellow medical student who was originally going to take the internship in Wales until she broke her leg.
The GP - it's his busy, rural practice. He is a widower with three kids and a young housekeeper who is immediately jealous of the beautiful heroine.
The hero - known for his string of girlfriends and his love 'em and leave 'em attitude. Hero is staying with his cousin the GP "doing nothing" but taking the local jealous, spoiled beauty (OW) to the beach.
The heroine's train is met by the hero. He tries to flirt with her, but she's having none of it. A short guy (the GP) is supposed to pick her up. Eventually she figures out the hero is the cousin she had been warned off of. The hero is having a grand old time teasing her and pretending to be a wastrel playboy.
Eventually the heroine finds out that the hero is a famous consultant of hematology and is recovering from a disease he picked up in South America. (No sponging, alas. He only has a dizzy spell. SD missed a great opportunity there)
And you can imagine how the rest of the story goes. The heroine falls for the hero, but doesn't trust him because everyone warns her off - the GP, the housekeeper, his medical student cousin, the OW. When the GP gets sick, the heroine and hero run the practice together and get closer for a few days.
The hero sends out a lot of mixed signals He's jealous, but he continually tells the heroine he's only up for a casual affair - maybe she should find someone boring to marry. Then his medical student cousin (and friend of the heroine's) brings a carload of fellow medical students from London for a couple of days of holiday by the sea. Unfortunately there is one guy who has a crush on the heroine and another guy who has it in for her because she rebuffed his drunken advances. From this little episode the hero concludes the heroine is a prim tease.
The author did a great job showing the entitlement of "the nice guy" and how the heroine really has no defense against it.
Meanwhile, the heroine's time is running out. So back to London she goes for more classes.
Eventually the hero takes on a consultant position in London and they get together. The black moment comes when the heroine drops by the hero's flat with the hero's birthday present. The OW is there and claims she's been sleeping the hero. The h believes her and confronts the hero who tires to defend himself. The h won't listen and the hero is hurt and says he wants to have nothing to do with someone who won't trust him.
To add insult to injury, the hero's cousin won't speak to her either. (Ironic, since she warned the h off in the first place).
So there's lots of angst as the heroine goes about her business and catches glimpses of the hero. It's only when the GP decides to marry his housekeeper and invites the h, that these two get together. Hero has been suffering, too. Let's get married and be doctors together in the World Health Organization. HEA.
It was refreshing to read about women medical students who were going to combine a career with family. The h was bright and forthright until her pride got in the way. Same with the hero.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 21, 2023
I really couldn't like the heroine Meg in this novel. I found her short tempered, often jumping to conclusions and speaking without thinking most of the time. Meg is training to be a doctor and has a crush in Stephen, a house surgeon with whom she had gone out a few times. She has to do sort of internship and when her friend meets with an accident Meg swaps with her and goes to a distant Cornish village to work under a GP called David who is a widower with 3 kids.He has a housekeeper called Mair who is in Love with him but David hardly acknowledges her.Then comes the hero Owen who is a pathologist currently jobless and holidaying in David's house. After the initial few tiffs Meg falls in love with Owen.There is a childhood friend of Owen called vivienne who is in Love with Owen and she dislikes Meg who is getting close to Owen. After a lot of misunderstandings Owen and Meg finally unite and marry.
I found Meg to be leading men with or without her knowledge and dumping them. She dumps Stephen when she starts liking Owen but until then she was liking Stephen a lot which I didn't like. At some point of time, even David fancies her. Then she hurts vivienne by snatching Owen from her though Owen says he never liked vivienne. Somehow, I couldn't like Meg at all in this story
I found Meg to be leading men with or without her knowledge and dumping them. She dumps Stephen when she starts liking Owen but until then she was liking Stephen a lot which I didn't like. At some point of time, even David fancies her. Then she hurts vivienne by snatching Owen from her though Owen says he never liked vivienne. Somehow, I couldn't like Meg at all in this story
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews