The Spanish Doctor's Love-Child

Mediterranean Doctors #10

by Kate Hardy

When dangerously handsome Leandro Herrera finds he's the new boss of nurse Becky Marston—the woman he just shared the most amazing night of his life with—he can't resist breaking one of his golden rules. He'll bed her again, though he'll still make it clear there will be no strings, no commitments.

But Leandro finds it difficult to keep his emotions separate—especially when Becky announces she's expecting! Suddenly the hot-blooded Spanish doctor is demanding Becky become his wife!

Genres: Romance, Harlequin, Harlequin Presents, Contemporary Romance

Hardcover

First published August 1, 2008

About the author

Kate Hardy is the award-winning author of more than 100 books for Harlequin Mills & Boon and the Georgina Drake cozy crime series for Storm. Her novel 'Breakfast at Giovanni's' won the RNA Romance Prize in 2008, 'Bound by a Baby' won the RNA RoNA Rose in 2014 and ‘A Will, A Wish, A Wedding’ won the RNA Liberta Books Shorter Fiction award in 2021. She's been shortlisted six more times for the award, as well as for two Romantic Times awards.

She lives in Norwich in the east of England with her husband, two grown-up children, springer spaniels Archie and Dexter, and too many books to count. She's a bit of a nerd who loves cinema, live music, the theatre, ballet, history and cooking, and adores anything Italian. She loves doing research, particularly if it's hands-on and means experimenting with cooking. Reviewers say that her books are full of warmth, heart and charm - and also that you'll learn something new and interesting from them!

Kate also writes bestselling local history books under the name of Pamela Brooks.

Reviews

[Tali · Rating 2 out of 5]

So, this is a medical romance, but when I bought my copy it was marketed as a modern romance. The story is okay, but really it's not my sort of thing. It kind of felt like in the medical/hospital moments, there was a bit of an info dump about everything the medical terminology meant. The same kind of thing happened when the hero was talking about how he came from Barcelona - suddenly I felt like I was being given the tourist guide to that city rather than feeling like the character came from there. This isn't a bad story, but I just don't think it was ever going to be my cup of tea.
2 stars.

[Susan in Perthshire · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this story. Leandro and Becky are a fabulous couple and the writer drew me into their story so skilfully that I was engaged for the duration. A nice side story with Leandro’s Mum and Dad and it even had an epilogue. The only thing I missed was a satisfactory scene to put Becky’s awful parents in their place. Being told Leandro has spoken to them is not the same. Leandro was one of the best heroes I’ve come across and he more than made up for Becky’s continuous and boring lack of trust ! A really enjoyable and satisfying read,

[Nightwitch · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a Harlequin medical romance from the 2000s, meaning it’s detailed descriptions of medical procedures interspersed with a rather anemic romance between two commitmentphobes - Becky’s recovering from a bad marriage, which ended in part because she didn’t want children and also because she’s traumatized by her parents’ unhappy marriage (they got married because she was en route), while Leandro also doesn’t want children (he’s a workaholic and believes children need two present parents) because he’s traumatized by being raised by a stigmatized single mother. Needless to say, when these two ambitious professionals who don’t want children and are very much in a “situationship” (among other things Leandro is moving back to Spain in a few months) accidentally get pregnant, neither is willing to contemplate “a termination,” Leandro insists on marriage, and Becky tearfully refuses.

So far so good. Where the book falls down for me is, firstly, Becky’s traumatic backstory - not only do we have all the above, but she discovered she was pregnant right after her first husband left her (for his pregnant girlfriend), then had a miscarriage for which she blames herself (because the baby knew she didn’t want it, puke) - and secondly, Becky’s insistence that she’s going to be a single mother and Leandro won’t be involved. Becky, my friend, he’s telling you he wants and plans to be involved. You don’t get to unilaterally make the decision that he won’t be.

There’s also the issue that Leandro spontaneously decides, while Becky is telling him that she’s pregnant and will only marry for love, that he totes is in love with her for realsies, which… I don’t know, dude, you have a lot of daddy issues stemming from your lack of a father, do you think that could be impacting your decision-making process here?

Anyway, on the whole I'd classify this as aggressively average - you're getting exactly what you think you're getting, nothing more, nothing less.

[Tonya Warner]

Becky was devastated by the knowledge she was not loved by her parents. Always trying to win their love and approval, and failing, took a great toll on her. With the destruction of her marriage and loss of her unborn child behind her, she focuses on her job and being the best she can be.



Leandro does not want a family or marriage. He is a doctor, and it is his sole focus. Except, Becky gets in the way.



A really sweet story.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book enjoyed reading it.

[Princesscj1989 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book, secretly every girl wants a Leandro lol. One of the best romantic stories I've ever read.

[Charlotte Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book, secretly every girl wants a Leandro lol. One of the best romantic stories I've ever read.

[Ama · Rating 2 out of 5]

Entertaining enough. Quick read.

[Twipsy]

I love this book really connects with the reader

[Sharlane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice quick read