The Antidote For Everything

by Kimmery Martin

In this whip-smart and timely novel from acclaimed author Kimmery Martin, two doctors travel a surprising path when they must choose between treating their patients and keeping their jobs.

Georgia Brown’s profession as a urologist requires her to interact with plenty of naked men, but her romantic prospects have fizzled. The most important person in her life is her friend Jonah Tsukada, a funny, empathetic family medicine doctor who works at the same hospital in Charleston, South Carolina and who has become as close as family to her.

Just after Georgia leaves the country for a medical conference, Jonah shares startling news. The hospital is instructing doctors to stop providing medical care for transgender patients. Jonah, a gay man, is the first to be fired when he refuses to abandon his patients. Stunned by the predicament of her closest friend, Georgia’s natural instinct is to fight alongside him. But when her attempts to address the situation result in incalculable harm, both Georgia and Jonah find themselves facing the loss of much more than their careers.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, LGBT, Queer, Adult, Romance, Adult Fiction

384 pages, Hardcover

First published February 18, 2020

About the author

Kimmery Martin is an emergency medicine doctor-turned novelist whose works of medical fiction have been praised by The Harvard Crimson, Southern Living, The Charlotte Observer and The New York Times, among others.

A lifelong literary nerd, she promotes reading, interviews authors, and teaches writing seminars, speaking frequently at libraries, conferences, and bookstores around the United States. Kimmery completed her medical training at the University of Louisville School of Medicine and the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. She lives with her husband and three children in Charlotte, North Carolina. For the last two years, she’s been working on a novel about a group of female doctors on the frontlines during an emerging viral pandemic; it will be released from Penguin Random House in Fall 2021. Her latest novel, The Antidote for Everything, is available now.

Reviews

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 4 out of 5]

BRAVA! BRAVA! BRAVA!

This is powerful, provocative, brave book questions one of the most important and sensitive subjects of our modern world and it handles it meticulously. The objectivity of the thoughts balanced with the emotional progression of story-telling. It was one of the greatest works that I’ve read so far with well rounded, impeccably developed characters.

Georgia, smart, sarcastic, unique, tough, brave doctor. I really adored her personality and wished to befriend her. Alas there are not much strong, crazily straightforward and original people in this world. And of course you also want some best and loyal friend like Jonah in your life. His story perfectly told, not with any over exaggeration or over imposing, so naturally and poignantly described and stole my heart.

And hello, hello look who’s back! I hope you read the “Queen of Hearts” because two of my fave characters made cameo in this bok. Yes, that’s right, I’m talking about: Emma and Zadie.
And of course we took an amazing European tour including Germany and Netherlands which are pros of the story.

I have complex feelings about romance parts. Maybe Georgia was so independent, direct and unique soul to form a bounding with a guy but I have to admit it’s impossible not to resonate with Martin.

This is story of equal rights, sexually, legally, humanly…It is about friendship. It’s about change and adaption. It’s about freedom and respect! It’s about awakening! It’s about real nature of true friendship!

In our modern world we have some shameful, disgraceful facts show us 10 US states still discriminate in public employment only based on either sexual orientation or gender identity. And when it comes to the loves about fully protection LGBTQ Americans aren’t fully protected from discrimination in 30 states! These numbers are disturbing, frustrating acts against the human rights.

So I’m happy this fantastic author chose a very crucial and effectively important subject and presented us a modern, realistic approach. Writing, characterization are good and capturing your attention from the beginning and you never get bored for a second, enjoying your reading.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this amazing ARC COPY with me in exchange my honest review.

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[Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, can we just take a moment to acknowledge the gorgeous covers on Kimmery Martin’s books? I didn’t think they could top her cover for Queen of Hearts, and just look at this? Even incorporating the medical slant to her novels into beautiful artwork.

Georgia Brown is a urologist and single. She sees lots and lots of men at work, but she wants romance. Her best friend is Jonah, a family medicine doctor who works in the same hospital with her in Charleston, South Carolina.

Georgia heads out of the country for a medical conference, and while away, Jonah finds out the hospital will no longer be providing medical care to transgender patients. Well, the hospital administration is ordering the doctors to stop. Jonah refuses to follow along and is fired.

Georgia fights alongside Jonah for what’s right, but something happens. Something harmful.

The Antidote for Everything is a timely and important novel. I didn’t realize this type of scenario was still happening in our nation’s hospitals, but apparently it is. I loved the characters, especially Georgia and Jonah. I wanted Jonah to be my best friend, too.

There are also some adorable cameos here as a reward for those of us who have been following Martin’s books. No spoilers.

I’m grateful Kimmery Martin took on this medical topic because she’s written an illuminating and provocative story that will hopefully put important issues like these in the forefront of stakeholders’ minds, so more will do what is right and treat everyone with equity as our nation’s founders would insist.

I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader

[Berit Talks Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Beautiful timely thought provoking tale of friendship and hard choices. Kimmery Martin did a remarkable job of bringing her medical knowledge to the page and making it both readable and authentic. Living in Southern California and surrounding myself with accepting people I was shocked to find out that in over 30 states there are not laws against discriminating against the LGBTQ community. It is maddening and baffling that someone can be denied healthcare or a job based on who they choose to love or what gender they choose to identify as. This book addresses this issue, but the story is really more of a love letter to friendship. Georgia is a urologist working in a hospital in South Carolina. Her best friend Jonah is also a doctor practicing in the same hospital. Jonah is gay and as a result tends to many members of the LGBTQ community, when some of his patients begin to leave his practice he is concerned. When he finds out that the hospital is no longer treating transgender individuals he is mad. This leads to him resigning, rumors, accusations, and a downward spiral. Georgia is determined to stand by her best friend, but this leads to some questionable actions. The story has a few twists and things I did not see coming, as well as a generous dose of romance.

This was such an engaging story! Georgia and Jonah’s friendship was so strong and so special. Georgia was such a spunky, smart, sassy, and strong woman I really loved her character. The romance between Georgia and Mark was so real. I really appreciated how analytical Georgia was when it came to love, I think a lot of us (including myself) approach romance this way and it is seldom how it is portrayed in books and movies. I also really liked that Georgia and Jonah were flawed and made poor choices. Life is messy and this book does not sugarcoat it... it was real, it was raw, and it was wonderful!

This book in emojis. 👩🏻‍⚕️ 🏥 👨🏼‍⚕️ 🩺 💻 👫

*** Big thank you to Berkley for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

[Twins.reading.books · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Antidote For Everything is so powerful and merges very sensitive topics which will make you go through mixed emotions throughout the pages! The fabulous medical prose by a doctor is always attractive to read and Kimmery is bringing a World filled with suspense and humour also complexed characters that you will love so much! 🌺❤
Georgia is a bookworm doctor and her life is not alike the other womens, she has a very interesting personality and her friendship with Joah is so special and unique that we all wish to have one in real life! Jonah's story is also incredibly elaborated! I loved Emma and Zadie cameo within the book, if you haven't read The Queen of Hearts theybare the main characters from Kimmery's first book! 🌺❤
The background settings of Europe places is fascinating and I enjoyed the Frankfurt hospital scene, the romantic scenes are so emotional and mind-blowing, Martin has shown us and the perfect side of the romance prose that will keep you keen on the book! Amsterdam was also incredible and I loved the scenes there so much!
🌺❤
The novel is moving, revolutionary and powerful it merges topics like sexual politics, equality and friendship! How far can you go to reach your rights and to let your voice be heard, the conflict and the drama that The Antidote For Everything brings are outrageous and extremely intriguing! The book is definitely ☆☆☆☆☆ and for sure one of the biggest novel of 2020!!!
🌺❤

[Tucker (TuckerTheReader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many thanks to Berkley Publishing Group for the copy in exchange for an honest review

"'I've read the Gospels,' she said, pausing, 'word for word, and I feel strongly that Christ would not have said to me, 'Suffer unto the gays urinary rentition; but everybody else can see the urologist.'"

This book was... hmm. Well, I can definitely tell that its one of those books that gathers many different opinions. There will be people who love it, hate it, and everything in between. (And because of that, I'm recommending you read it in spite of all the reviews that may say not to).

So, what's this book about?
The Antidote for Everything follows urologist Georgia Brown and her friend Jonah. Jonah and Georgia have just discovered that the clinic they work for is no longer accepting transgender patients. They refuse to abandon their patients but soon find that the situation may be harder than they first thought. And it may be more than just their jobs at stake.

I ended up giving this book three stars for a couple reasons.

Firstly, I felt like it was trying to be two things. It was trying to be a deep novel that commented on religion and how society uses it as a shield to be bigoted. At the same time, it was trying to be a medical drama. Those two aspects clashed making the book feel... like it was having an identity crisis.

Secondly, I felt like this book didn't really go anywhere. Sure, there were key events but I personally felt like nothing really happened. It was almost as if the plot had stagnated—if it had even been moving in the first place, that is.

That said, I really did appreciate the sensitivity and care shown for the LGBTQIA community by the author. I am aware that she had a few sensitivity readers go over this novel and, in my opinion, it shows. As a member of the community, I felt very respected. (Yes, there is mistreatment of the LGBTQIA community but it is shown in a negative light.)

Finally, I was really disappointed by the ending. I won't spoil but most of the book had a generally grim feel so I was hoping it would all be wrapped up in the end but it really wasn't.

Overall, this book, for me, wasn't that enjoyable but I still recommend you read it as it could be enjoyable for other readers.

Bottom Line:
3 Stars
Age Rating - [ R ]
Content Screening (Mild Spoilers) -
Educational Value (4/5) - [Anatomy, Safety, Mental Illness, Gender Identity and Sexuality]
Positive Messages (1/5) - [Some brief themes of hope]
Violence (1/5) - [Brief and very mild violence]
Sex (2/5) - [Sexual anatomy, Offscreen sex scene(s)]
Language (4/5) - [F**k, d*mn, sh*t, d*ck]
Drinking/Drugs (4/5) - [Alcohol consumption, Drug usage, Drug abuse, Medicinal durgs]
Content and Trigger Warnings - Drug abuse, Depression, Bigotry
Publication Date: February 20th, 2020
Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group (an imprint of Penguin Random House)
Genre: Contemporary

---------------

I have many thoughts but for now... 3 stars...

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the antidote for everything is books and chocolate

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[Mackenzie - PhDiva Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Antidote for Everything covers timely, relevant, and sometimes polarizing topics with grace, heart, and a bit of humor.

The main character Georgia is fantastic! I may be biased because she’s a fellow redhead, but I find her to just be pretty awesome all around. She’s a rare female urologist in the south working for a hospital founded by a fundamental church. Progressive values have no place in the institution Georgia works for. But overall, Georgia likes her coworkers, her patients, and her life.

The central relationship of the novel is between Georgia and her best friend Jonah. When Jonah came out to his family at 18, he was turned away. Now, Georgia has become his family. Their friendship is completely heartwarming and filled with snappy banter and heartfelt moments.

When Georgia is on her way to a conference in the Netherlands, a medical emergency onboard the aircraft calls her into service, and ultimately leads her to meet Mark. After she saves Mark, he wants to buy her a drink, a train ticket, and get to know her. And of course he is tall and hot! I liked the relationship between Mark and Georgia, but if I’m honest I was more interested in the friendship between Jonah and Georgia.

So that brings us to what I would consider the main tension of the story. Georgia is at her conference while Jonah is back in Charleston worried about his job. Patients who are transgender have been notified that the hospital won’t treat them, and they’ll need to find alternate medical treatment. When Jonah refuses to abide by the hospital’s “morality” policy and turn away patients, he is fired. And it doesn’t end there. My heart went out to Jonah as he suffered character attacks. Friends and former colleagues circulate rumors that he stole medications from the hospital.

Seeing the depth of Georgia’s friendship with Jonah was truly a shining part of this novel. Georgia goes to great lengths to help Jonah, including bringing Mark in. The situation in this book was one that is so timely, and is happening all around our country as political and social tensions escalate. Many feel the need to hold on even more tightly to their own moral code, and the fall out of policies such as this are devastating. Through Martin’s story, we see not only the impact on the patients, but also on the employees at the hospital. When a group has majority control, the options to stand up against something you disagree with disappear.

This book manages to be both deeply thought-provoking and serious, while also being humorous and heart-warming at times. A really great book and one that I applaud for tackling tough issues that many shy away from.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing for my copy. Opinions are my own.

[P.J. Vernon · Rating 5 out of 5]

With incredible voice and scalpel-sharp wit, Martin deftly navigates the light, the dark and the in-between of the human soul. As Southern and queer - and an early manuscript sensitivity reader - I saw myself reflected in honest pages penned by a true ally. This novel broke my heart in all the best ways.

[Lara Lillibridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was fortunate to be an early beta reader of The Antidote for Everything. As a member of the queer community, I’m often suspicious of cis-het writers who take on queer themes or characters, but in this case, Martin did a solid job of reaching out to multiple sensitivity readers as well as engaging with several LGBTQIA+ groups as she wrote the book, and it shows. We need ally stories as well as books by queer authors. We need representation in books and we desperately need more people to use their voices in support of the queer community. This is a strong, well-researched story about a highly relevant topic written with love and respect.

Now about the book—you know, plot, character development, and all those things a GR review should address!

One of my favorite aspects of Martin’s writing is the “beautiful disaster” protagonist, and she doesn’t disappoint in The Antidote for Everything. Georgia is smart, capable, and strong, but also messy and chaotic—just the way I love my characters and real-life friends. The most important relationship in her life is Jonah—her gay BFF. It reminded me so much of my old friend Jessie and the trouble we got ourselves into while being each other’s main emotional support. Many of us create our families as adults, and I loved seeing this dynamic in the story. In fact, you can tell that Martin deeply loves all the characters in the book, from the main characters to the dog to the patients. I teared up more than one time while reading this because I cared about the characters so much.

Martin’s humor shines in this novel from the very first line, “Most women did not begin their days by stabbing a man in the scrotum, but Georgia Brown was not most women.” With a Urologist as the main character, you get a lot of funny situations, and I loved her descriptions of male discomfort. She also doesn’t shy away from discussions of wealth inequality and how it affects health care outcomes. I’m a long-time fan of medical dramas (and the daughter of a physician), and The Antidote for Everything strikes the right note in her attention to detail without going overboard into TMI.

The tension is well-wrought throughout the book and the plot twists kept me guessing! The cover is straight-up gorgeous, but that is to be expected from Martin and Berkley. love this book and highly recommend it.

[Theresa Alan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 to 3.5 stars. This topic is timely and important. I wanted to like this novel more than I did. The heroine of this novel is a doctor, so Georgia analyzes everything through a scientific lens. The problem is, that I, the reader, am now analyzing her feelings of lust and attraction toward Mark, because that’s how the story is being told to me. I didn't FEEL it. Whatever novel I’m reading, I want to feel something. I want to laugh, cry, fall in love with the hero along with the heroine, or feel so filled with suspense I can’t wait to find out what happens next and actually get stressed out until I’m sure the hero is all right. The only emotion I felt reading this was anger toward the fact that it’s still legal to discriminate against members of the LGBTQ community in jobs and healthcare and housing in many states.

Holy cow, I just checked the ACLU website and it said that in 38 states it’s still legal to discriminate against LGBTQ folks. That seems wrong, statistically, and is obviously grotesquely wrong morally.

There were some nice plot twists, but all in all, this just didn’t do it for me.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this novel, which RELEASES FEBRUARY 18, 2020.

For more reviews, please visit http://www.theresaalan.net/blog

[Lily Herman · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a long-suffering Grey's Anatomy viewer and a person who loves books with a social justice bend, I was extremely excited to read Kimmery Martin's The Antidote for Everything. It goes without saying given that she's a doctor, but Martin's medical knowledge throughout this novel is incredible, and I loved her author's note at the end mapping out how she made sure to do right by various communities throughout her writing process.

While the overall idea of the novel was noble and I really liked its underlying objectives, the story and characters were hard for me to really grasp onto. If I had to find one word to describe it, I'd pick untethered; I never felt totally grounded during the entire time I was reading. The plot got quite convoluted to the point where it dipped from juicy drama to full-on soap opera melodrama, and I never warmed up to the protagonist Georgia; I was equally confused by Mark and where he fit into this story, especially because we randomly got his POV throughout.

This book wasn't right for me, but for those who love the messiness of TV doctors, it could be the novel for you.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my second Kimmery Martin medical drama and I love the way she (you can tell she’s a doctor IRL) makes all the medical scenes feel as if you’re really there in them. Georgia is a urologist and loves her job. Her best friend Jonah has been accused of a crime he didn’t commit and is also being forced out of his practice by the board because of anti-gay policies. They not only want to get rid of him, but all the LGBT patients in the practice.

Parts of this were riveting. Parts meandered a bit. I loved the Jonah and Georgia bits the most, as well as the doctor-stuff sections. An interesting read for sure!

Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader.

[Suzanne Leopold (Suzy Approved Book Reviews) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr. Georgia Brown is as vibrant as her fiery hair. A smart, witty, and tenacious urologist, Georgia is full of life despite her love life being somewhat lackluster. She works at a clinic outside of Charleston, South Carolina, with her closest companion being her coworker, family medicine doctor Jonah Tsukada. Georgia and Jonah are as tight-knit as they come, but Georgia has to head out to a medical conference without him

While Georgia is whisked up by the beauty of Europe and a magnetic ex-pat American called Mark, Jonah receives jarring news at work. His patients have been told to find a new doctor, and his LGBTQ+ patients are being denied care. The clinic intends not only to deny medical care to these patients but to enforce their morality clause, putting Jonah, a gay man, in the line of fire. Upon hearing this news, Georgia vows to fight for her friend and closest ally. However, amidst this battle for what’s right many people are harmed and dark secrets are unearthed.

Kimmery Martin, an emergency medicine doctor and author of The Queen of Hearts, delivers a captivating and provocative novel of friendship, difficult choices, and the intolerance still happening today. This story is both thought-provoking and heartwarming. It handles sensitive and timely topics such as medical discrimination, equality, and mental health while balancing them with love, friendship, and loyalty.

[Zsa Zsa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Where to start?
There are so many things I liked about this book that I am disappointed in myself for not giving it five starts already. It is 4.5 stars kind of book to me.
For me, there is always a gap between the time I add a book to my to read list and the time I actually get my hands on it and start reading it, in which time I forget the plot or why I liked to read it in the first place, which actually is a good thing because I get to decide if I actually like the book or the characters and I get to be surprised by what is happening. Not so much luck, cause with most books, usually a few pages in, you know not only what kind of book you’re reading but also the characters are usually so flat, your opinion of them is formed just by looking at the cover, which for a bookie is sad. Plus the more books you read, the harder it is to surprise you.
Which, brings me to my point. This book could actually keep me in suspense up until the last page, yet it was not a thriller, it was full of love, yet it wasn’t a romance, filled with drama but not a tear jerker. It had actually round characters who were well represented, it was about friendship but not Hollywood movie type when one is a main character and the side kick is just three supportive lines. It also had its own literary licenses here and there but the author admitted to them, so that’s what made it more endearing.
The last thing is most authors forget the famous lines or their characters memories, but Martin, actually remembered little things their characters did and said so it made sense to the end. And it was actually about things that mattered.
« If you didn’t have anyone in the world to offer you unconditional love, the next best thing was the memory of someone who had once done so. »

[Sarah Swann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved this author’s first book and was so excited to read this one. I didn’t enjoy this one as much. I did really like the characters and it’s a great conversation about equality and our flawed laws. However, I didn’t like a lot of the decisions made by the main character. She did a lot of things that had me saying, “But why tho?” She made some decisions that ultimately hurt the people she loved, and she willingly made those decisions. Overall I liked it, but didn’t love it.

[Jessica Strawser · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a big fan of Kimmery Martin's smart, witty debut, THE QUEEN OF HEARTS, and this follow-up does not disappoint. Her characters are fascinatingly brilliant, authentically human, and complicated in ways equally maddening and endearing. In other words, they could be your friends—and by the end of the story, they certainly feel that way. THE ANTIDOTE FOR EVERYTHING has a ripped-from-the-headlines hook: Martin's take on how doctors and corporations face down all too real stances on discrimination will make you think, feel, and ultimately stand up and cheer. (Thanks to the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy via Netgalley.)

[Kerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

A riveting page-turner that rivals your favorite prime time medical drama. Loved it.

[The Nerd Daily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally published on The Nerd Daily | Review by Beth Mowbray

Georgia is a urologist working at a hospital in Charleston, South Carolina with her best friend, Jonah. She enjoys her job and the people she works with, both patients and co-workers, until one day a scandal breaks loose. Many of Jonah’s patients begin leaving the clinic with no explanation. Then Jonah himself comes under scrutiny and is at risk of losing his job. As Georgia and Jonah uncover what is going on, they learn the truth: the hospital intends to no longer treat transgender patients. When Jonah stands up against this injustice, he is fired. With her own job on the line as well, Georgia tries to help Jonah find a way out of a particularly sticky predicament in hopes that the hospital will not only hire him back, but will also see the error of their discriminatory ways.

The Antidote for Everything is Kimmery Martin’s second fiction novel, drawing on her own experiences as a physician. A subplot of Georgia’s love interest adds another dimension to the storyline that is otherwise focused on medical and social issues. The novel also includes many aspects that are sure to draw the reader in: a strong female lead, mystery and twists in the plot, and the strong bond of friendship between the main characters, Georgia and Jonah. Martin’s writing is quite sound for one making such a drastic change in fields; however despite the solid writing the storyline feels too contrived overall. While there are compelling points throughout, by and large the novel feels too neatly planned out and structured, at least for this reviewer’s tastes. When broaching a large, complex, and currently relevant topic, such as that of gender identity which is examined here, one may be looking for more depth with the social commentary. At times it felt as if there was a pull between whether the story was truly focused on what Georgia and Jonah would risk to “save” their patients versus what they would do to “save” themselves or each other.

It is particularly interesting, however, to note some of the situations which influenced and inspired Martin to write this story. For example, Martin actually knows a physician who was fired for refusing to stop treating transgender patients. Martin also lives in the state of North Carolina and has stated that her writing was influenced by the passing of an anti-discrimination ordinance for gay and transgender people in the city of Charlotte a few years back. Despite the concerns noted by this reviewer, it does seem that The Antidote for Everything has the appeal of contemporary fiction which is likely to find a broad audience out in the reading world. If you tend to enjoy a bit of a lighter, more commercial fiction novel which still contains important social references, you may want to give this one a try.

[Bradeigh Godfrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book captivated me from the first page! I fell in love with Georgia, a fiery female urologist, and her best friend, Jonah, a compassionate family physician, as they fight for their patients’ access to medical care. Filled with Martin’s signature wit and voice, this story made me want to be a better human being, to stand with those who are marginalized and work to make this world a better place. I adored the friendship between Georgia and Jonah and the gorgeously-drawn setting of Charleston. A character-driven page turner with smart writing, an important message, and a whole lot of heart. Highly, highly recommended. Don’t miss this one!

I received an advance copy from the author. All my opinions are whole heartedly my own.

[Sage Agee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cis people might like this



But for a book where medical discrimination against trans people is a main plot device where are the trans people and why so many HP references

[Phoebe S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Berkeley Publishing for my copy of this book

In lieu of a summary, please see the page for this book on Goodreads

I need to stop myself from blithely gushing, since I know that isn't what people want to read, but I can't stop myself, so I'll just get it all out.

This book nourished me. I laughed at the jokes, I very nearly cried a few times, and I just all around loved it. I honestly think that this may be the best book I've read all year. There are occasions where you feel like the writer has a connection to your very soul, and this was one of those occasions.

Now, on to analysis. The plot is good, and there are several times it will blindside you, but the characters are really the heart of the story. Martin says she conceived of the characters before she wrote the current plot, and it shows. Not that the plot is bad or blase, but even if it drags in spots, you just don't care because the characters are So. Dang. Good. and you want to spend more time with them. Even though the book plays towards certain tropes and even acknowledges them point-blank at times, it never loses that feel of uncompromising realness that comes from the deep friendship between two friends.

The beginning of the book does have a considerable amount of exposition, but it's not unbearable by any means, and Georgia and Jonah help guide us through it. Once it got going, though, I was hooked right up until the end, which even though it didn't quite wrap everything up neatly, still seemed appropriate and earned.

People who are expecting lots of trans representation may be disappointed. Martin's view is that of an ally, but I feel that while she could write LGBT characters, she did not want to cross the line of speaking for them. Still, on this day after Transgender Day of Remembrance, I can say that it does touch on very real issues for those communities. It makes a point and explores its themes without sounding preachy, and ended up leaving me feeling fulfilled, enlightened, and a better human being, which is what I feel every good novel should do.

Martin seemingly thinks her humor is hokey, but I do not share her opinion. Sure, some humor is stupid, but it's the kind of humor that is charming because it's a little stupid, not the type of humor that would make you irate. And it's hard to be mad at anyone who writes with such glistening prose and while writing with a warm heart, isn't afraid to go into the light as well as the dark with her characters.

Although these words seem astoundingly inadequate for this book, I shall leave you with a few more. Buy this book when it comes out in February. You won't be sorry.

[Leah · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF on page 113.

I really wanted to love this one; the moment I first heard about it it went straight on my TBR and when I received an invitation to review an early copy? I pounced.

Unfortunately, what I wanted out of this book and what I got were two wildly different stories. Before page 30 the meet-cute happens (I use that term SO loosely) and I was utterly grossed out. Georgia is on a plane bound for Amsterdam to attend a medical conference for work when an announcement is made for a doctor. A man applied a handful too many seasickness patches and tried to combat the reaction with Benadryl, resulting in an overdose. Georgia stays with him and the second he regains consciousness, he begins flirting, even asking her out - proceeds to vomit on her - then continues to flirt. And bizarrely she's into it. Because he's handsome. Gag.

They then proceed to have a sex-fueled vacation (to the point where Georgia debates whether or not to attend the work conference). Her bestie ends up appearing and the two of them hit up a coffee bar, get high, get lost in search of food, etc. It's not until page 97 that details of What Happened At The Hospital are finally told and then it takes a few more pages before Jonah reveals his part in it.

Almost immediately that storyline (what I assumed the entire book would be focused on) is dropped because Handsome Mark returns to the apartment and they all go out to eat and make plans to travel to Paris. It was here my already thin patience finally broke. I really wanted to champion this novel but so little time has been spent on the meat of the story at this point, that I'm having a hard time convincing myself to continue.

[Scottsdale Public Library]

What a ride. Georgia was hilarious, whip smart, and imperfect - I adored her, along will all the other characters.
Important book about human flaws, equal access, and the power of friendship.- Lauryn P.

[Dawnny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very timely novel about two doctors, Georgia and Johah who are close friends. The hospital they work for tells the doctors not to treat transgender patients. This was a serious look at discrimination, sexuality and humanity. Heavy topics but it's also pretty witty. I loved Georgia! She had me laughing out loud. The story is powerful and very right now. I didn't like it as much as I did her last book. But it's a good read.

[Richard Derus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Real Rating: 4.75* of five, rounded up because no one has made me feel so in tune with a story that I've just...not noticed...the w-bombs she's dropped on me in a VERY long time.

I CHECKED THIS BOOK OUT OF MY LOCAL LIBRARY. USE THAT LIBRARY! THEY NEED OUR BUSINESS!

My Review: This is, apparently, one of my reviews that got struck because of the actions of someone truly cowardly and contemptible. No matter now! Their claws have been pulled, which is a thing I wouldn't even do to a cat.

When Georgia, a kind-hearted and very busy doctor, flies to Amsterdam to a conference, she is gifted by the universe with a hot guy, Mark, to have a vacation romance with. The problem is she's got a world of distracting trouble at home that impacts her found family, most especially her gay BFF Jonah. The solution is for Jonah to pack up and join her (and Mark) in Amsterdam.

As they're doctors, this doesn't strain credulity. They can afford it; they're neither one married or even involved (except Georgia's thinking about Mark that way and is wondering if he is too). The time they spend playing together in Amsterdam is illuminating...and you just know what will come of that when they get home! Mark's cool with Jonah the gay BFF, and with Georgia being herself. In fact, he's just a really, really great guy. This is always a good sign!

“I see,” Mark said, a perplexed look on his face as they all took seats. Georgia and Jonah did that to people sometimes: the syncopated rhythm of their speech, their obvious closeness, the unadulterated fun they had in each other’s company—all these things had bothered previous boyfriends of both of them, even though neither of them, of course, could possibly present as a romantic rival. But Mark didn’t seem threatened, just alert. He shifted his attention back to her.

All fun must end; all good things come with hideously high price tags, if the small-souled religious jackanapes have anything at all to say about it. And, in South Carolina where Georgia and Jonah practice medicine, they certainly do:

“That’s a widely held misconception, that science and religion are incompatible,” she said. “And if you’re Southern and religious, everyone assumes you’ve got the brainpower of an amoeba and you fit in socially somewhere to the right of Attila the Hun.”
–and–
"I've read the Gospels," she said, pausing, "word for word, and I feel strongly that Christ would not have said to me, 'Suffer unto the gays urinary retention; but everybody else can see the urologist.'"

I absolutely adore that line. It's so exactly and precisely accurate, true, and a devastating rebuke of the misuse of Religion from within the church! I know it's a no-brainer...but I am enraged at this (fictional; barely) nightmarish homophobic, transphobic, heinously unchristian use of their stupid religion's *actual*expressed*foundational*tenets* at every turn. That's what elevates this read above the herd and makes me wish I could push it at more people.

Another facet of Georgia (and, to my surprise, mega-rich-guy Mark) is the anti-materialist commonsensicality of them both:

Here she was, primed for action, and stuck with nothing to attack except a herd of smug Danish modern sling-back chairs the color of a polished acorn.
–and–
She beckoned toward a mohair-covered daybed, strewn with cashmere throws in various flaming colors: fuchsia, orange, lime. “This could take a while. Why don’t you join me on the divan? I’ll make cocktails.”

“This thing looks like a crayon factory vomited on a cotton ball,” he said, but, obediently, he removed his suit jacket and flopped onto the mohair concoction.

It's a lovely little grace note...not only does Georgia not check her brain at the church door, she doesn't fall for the blandishments of the overpriced and underdelivered "luxury goods" industry. Mark, we're told, is a businessman with a track record of success, so it makes a little less sense to me for him not to use the glossy surfaces of things to advertise it...but I will gladly accept Author Kimmery's decision.

What happens as a result of this authorial decision is that, as the stakes pile up and begin to form the auto-da-fé pyre, I am deeply and intensely invested in it all. I am not going to tell you anything I wouldn't've wanted to know going into this read: There's serious and disgusting amounts of sexism, homophobia, and deeply toxic patriarchal masculinity that gets weaponized against both our main characters (and thus, in Mark's eyes, against him too). There's a lot of soul-searching and conversation that ponders the real costs of the kind of stupidity and hatred that passes for "politically conservative morality" (in reality not political, not conservative, not moral):

In this day and age, people believe whatever fits with their worldview, no matter how strong the evidence against it is.
–and–
"The only thing that matters—the only antidote for discrimination and corruption and every other evil that plagues our society—is integrity. Behaving with honor. Shining a light on the truth. Not gaming the system to suit your . . . aims.”

There's a lot to unpack in those sentences. I am always surprised when someone writes down and gets published what I've been saying in my head for a long time. It's definitely happened here.

The way this book ends is, well...it suits the story. I think it should tell long-time readers of my reviews everything they need to know when I say I forgot to count the w-bombs Author Kimmery dropped on me...I forgot to notice them after two or three. I was that deeply and passionately involved in this well-told tale of what Family means, of how Faith should look, and what Fairness demands.

Definitely recommended reading.

[Doris Vandruff · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderfully crafted book. It covers a genre of issues. It also has two super delicious, hilarious characters. Not to stop there it also cover some serious issues regarding discrimination in healthcare. I don't want to give the story away. You just have to read this book. It has intrigue, love, loyalty, body guards, hot businessmen, doctors, nurses, friendship, and being honest. Most importantly about standing up for what is right in today's society. People are people, we all need love, acceptance and understanding.

[Chandra Claypool (WhereTheReaderGrows) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whew! So much I want to say about this book. I adored Kimmery's first book so was beyond excited for this read - especially with the subject manner as this world and our legalities when it comes to fairness to humans across the board is diminishing. It's heartbreaking and I applaud the author for bringing this to her pages.

Georgia is a very independent female who has relationship issues (girl, I feel you). While I adored her character in her loyalty to her friends (especially her friend who became family, Jonah), sometimes she couldn't look outside her own box. Jonah is a breath of fresh air that brings some levity to this very serious story while dealing with some extreme issues. Their friendship is fantastic and I enjoyed seeing their closeness and reading their banter. Their trip to the coffee shop in Amsterdam seriously made me laugh out loud. Mark, as Georgia's love interest, well... while I think this part of the story may not have been entirely necessary, I do think it was important in having an outside factor make Georgia realize some things about herself.

In all honestly, I spent a lot of time getting angry when reading what was happening to Jonah. From the discriminatory practice of the hospital to their patients, to Jonah himself and just the overall want to yell FUCK YOU about a zillion times, I was getting LIVID. And unfortunately this is actually going on in the real world these days. The author's research and own personal experiences can be felt throughout this read. I can only hope that eventually we'll go two steps forward rather than two steps back. PLEASE.

I do think some things got a little bit convoluted in how it all panned out and the actions that took place to get there but I can't get into it as I don't want to spoil anything. I also wanted more of Jonah's story - his patients, treatments, dismissals and more of his point of view. I know this is something the author couldn't write from and she touches on this in her notes but that doesn't stop me from wanting more. I do know that when I turned that last page, read the acknowledgments and author's note (and please please do read these), that I had very strong feelings and a lot of heart for this story.

[Kate Olson · Rating 3 out of 5]

(free review copy) Important and timely topic with extensive medical content. Crucial to note that Martin did use numerous sensitivity readers.

[Jamie (jamie.bookworm) · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I started this book I thought it was just what the doctor ordered (see what I did there 😜). Although I did enjoy it overall, it ended up just ok for me. I LOVED the first 1/3, it reminded me of the author’s first book, Queen of Hearts, which I loved. It had a similar feel, cute characters and I absolutely loved the medical aspects.

The last 2/3s fell flat for me. Although a timely and important topic is the main storyline, I felt the middle dragged on and the strong message got diluted. It was really slow and it felt way longer than it needed to be. The ending did pick up again a bit thankfully, but with this being one of my most anticipated releases, I can’t help but feel a bit letdown. I will definitely read whatever the author puts out next because I truly did love her first book, and I didn’t dislike this one, I maybe just had my hopes up and expectations set high.

Thanks to Penguin Random House Canada for the free book to review.

[Maria · Rating 2 out of 5]

UGH. Kimmery Martin really disappointed me with this one. Honestly, I picked up this book for a couple of reasons. 1) Beautiful cover art (don't judge a book by it's cover, I know) 2) I thoroughly enjoyed Queen Of Hearts and Martin's prose/writing style. 3) I thought this book would be interesting to read since it is new and broaches the subject of trans rights-specifically trans rights in a medical setting. But guess what?! It absolutely didn't.....like....not even a little bit. Instead, she focused on the 2 main characters who were all in all kind of boring. Sprinkled in the tiniest hint of romance-but made sure the dude was in a situation where the plot hole of him being gone all the time would be covered. It was honestly super disappointing--I couldn't stay interested in it and couldn't wait to finish it so I could warn everyone else not to waste their time.

[Tiffany · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was a major disappointment for me. It really could have been great and could have elucidated a relevant and serious issue, that of the rights of transgender people to receive medical care. However, that issue was barely touched on and seemed gratuitous and subjugated to a really obnoxious love story. And i seriously could not stand the main character, who exuded white- and cis-privilege.