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After her brother's tragic death fighting a fire, former trauma nurse Claire Avery can't face going back to the ER. But when she must offer staff counseling after a propane explosion in a local day care center, Claire's plan self-destructs. She's back in the ER, battling painful memories-and the handsome and surly doctor who thrives on chaos. Dr. Logan Caldwell has learned to distance himself from painful emotion. He expects his ER staff to be as tough as he is, and when hospital administration sends a beautiful but pushy education nurse to offer counseling, he'll have none of it.
Format: Paperback
Number of Pages: 350
Vendor: Tyndale House
Publication Date: 2009
Dimensions: 8.25 X 5.50 (inches)
| ISBN: 1414325436
ISBN-13: 9781414325439
Availability: In Stock
Series: Mercy Hospital
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After her brother dies in a trauma room, nurse Claire Avery can no longer face the ER. She’s determined to make a fresh start--new hospital, new career in nursing education--move forward, no turning back. But her plans fall apart when she’s called to offer stress counseling for medical staff after a heartbreaking day care center explosion. Worse, she’s forced back to the ER, where she clashes with Logan Caldwell, a doctor who believes touchy-feely counseling is a waste of time. He demands his staff be as tough as he is. Yet he finds himself drawn to this nurse educator . . . who just might teach him the true meaning of healing.
Candace Calvert’s Critical Care offers a heart-warming story, delving deep into the characters’ lives as they struggle with life’s relevant, common issues. Nurse Claire Avery has her future mapped out perfectly -- until she is assigned to work in the ER. Claire finds her world spinning out of her control after dealing with a tragedy that hits too close to home and meeting Logan Caldwell, a handsome doctor. Their lives collide as they try figure out the true meaning of healing and hope.
Jeremiah 29:11 says, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.’” Claire learns that her plans don’t always match what God has in store. After meeting Logan, her heart begins to heal in ways she never thought possible. Logan also learns a few lessons of his own after one of his co-workers becomes injured in a car accident, and both Claire and Logan learn to agree to disagree.
The plot is believable and easy to follow, and the dialogue is fluid and lifelike. Calvert, herself an ER nurse, incorporates medical terminology and jargon but is sure not to overwhelm the reader. The book is biblically sound, offering godly perspectives on how to deal with tragedy and relationships. Calvert does not tie up all the loose ends, leaving the reader wanting a sequel.
I enjoyed the book; the first chapter hooked me, and the rest flowed quickly and smoothly. The ending does not disappoint. Calvert keeps her main characters front and center, yet she artfully develops supporting characters. I highly recommend this book; it would make an excellent gift, as almost every woman should enjoy it. Critical Care is ideal for fans of ER and Grey’s Anatomy and will entertain women of all ages. This well-written novel is the perfect pleasure book and an excellent addition to any book collection, sure to uplift and encourage its readers spiritually. – Caitlin Wilson, www.ChristianBookPreviews.com
“Good-bye, ER. Hello, Critical Care! Candace Calvert delivers a wonderful medical romance that peeks inside the doors of an ER to discover a cast of real-life characters who learn to love and live and discover God’s truths, all in the high-stress world of medicine. If you like ER and House, you’ll love Logan and Claire and their friends at Sierra Mercy. Give me another dose, and soon!” —Susan May Warren, award-winning author of Happily Ever After and Nothing but Trouble
“I’ve always said if I weren’t an author, I’d be in the medical field, so it’s no wonder I ate up Candace Calvert’s new book Critical Care. I lived and breathed the problems and struggles in ER along with the characters. Terrific story and terrific writing. Can’t wait for the next one!” —Colleen Coble, author of Cry in the Night and Lonestar Secrets
“Finally, a reason to turn off ER and Grey’s Anatomy. Here is a realistic medical drama with heart. Candace Calvert gets it right with page-turning prose, a heartwarming love story, and hope. Don’t make us wait too long for the next one!” —Harry Kraus, MD, best-selling author of Salty Like Blood and Could I Have This Dance?
Average Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars(4.5 out of 5 stars)
8 of 16 Reviews Showing:(View All Reviews) 4.5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Ebany (Durban, South AFrica), November 06, 2009 I loved this book. The author does a great job of drawing you into the story with all the various characters. I could not wait to see a happy ending for all the characters in the book, only to realise that I will have to wait for the next book to see that happen. I hope that the book is released quickly as I want to see some more good endings 4 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Sherilyn (Texas), September 29, 2009 I enjoyed this book. I like how the author makes these characters come to life, and you get to know them. This book is a good read, and I recommend it, and will look forward to the next one in the series. 4.5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Rhetta Holland (Polk City, FL), August 31, 2009 I loved this book. I could picture myself being there with the staff at Mercy Hospital. The entire story was a very good read. I can't wait until the next book in the series comes out. 4 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Janna Ryan (North Platte, NE), August 30, 2009 Debut author, Candace Calvert, has accomplished something unique and wonderful with the start of her Mercy Hospital Series. "Critical Care" introduces us to a wonderful cast that I'm hopeful to see again and again in future books. Logan is the doctor in charge of the ER at Mercy and is known for being hard on nurses, to the point of making them quit. Erin is the head nurse who runs the nurses like a pro, but can't seem to get her love life to get in line like it should. Sarah is the reliable nurse that works extra, extra shifts and is always early because she doesn't want to let Logan down - but is her personal life falling apart? Into the middle of this mix in the ER we find Claire thrust because a huge daycare tragedy has occurred and they need her help with evaluating whether the staff is handling what they dealt with. The only problem is that Claire, who used to be an ER nurse, had trauma of her own and now avoids the ER like the plague. Can these four broken, hurting healers heal themselves? This venture into the ER is sure a riveting way to find out. I am looking forward to our next venture to Mercy Hospital! 5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Darlene Dye (South Lebanon, OH), August 03, 2009 I couldnt put it down .Since i work in health care i though it very good I would recommend this book 4 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Bruce Judisch (San Antonio, TX), July 22, 2009 Doctor Logan Calvert is the hard-nosed ER director at Sierra Mercy Hospital. The good doctor’s utmost motivation is the wellbeing of his patients. “Good,” you say. Well, in his drive for perfection, he goes through ER nurses like a hot knife through soft butter. If they aren’t the crème of the crop, they’re history. No questions asked, no answers offered. Oh, and he has a hidden trauma in his past that defines his drive.
Nurse Claire Avery is attached to the education department of the hospital. Her counseling task: to “heal the healers” who day in and day out, psychologically deal with the trauma they encounter in different ways. Oh, and she has a hidden trauma in her past that defines her drive.
ER Nurse Sarah Burke is an overachiever. Excessively efficient, she is driven by her self-imposed commitment never to let Dr. Caldwell down. Oh, and—yes, you guessed it—she has a hidden trauma in her past that defines her drive.
ER Nurse Erin Qinn is the nurse-in-charge of the ER nurses. She is competent, caring, and caught in the middle between the iron-fisted Dr. Caldwell and her own nursing staff. Hidden trauma? I’ll let you decide.
All of these drives at times complement, at times collide. Conflict, the grit of reality in the ER and, of course, unexpected romance combine to make this a fast-paced novel that challenges your mind, your heart, and your faith all at the same time. Ms. Calvert—a former ER nurse herself—delivers a tightly-written tale that sends you to the peak of contentment on one page, then into the valley of frustration on the next; kind of like, well, life in an emergency room.
If you like ER and Grey’s Anatomy, but yearn for a clear Christian motivation in the mix, "Critical Care" is your book.
* No, I didn’t forget the outside-looking-out. The milieu of the story is the “in” and there would be no setting for the story if there were no “in.” Nice try. :-) 4 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Patricia Curtright (Cassville, MO), July 22, 2009 This is a very interesting medical/love story! I enjoyed the medical aspects of this book, being an LPN, I actually learned more medical terms & procedures! 5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Sally (Odessa, FL), July 01, 2009 I'm hooked on Grey's Anatomy, and now I'm hooked on anything that Candace Calvert writes. This is her first novel, so I'm hoping that there will be many more to come. Her experience as an ER nurse shines through the pages that I could not turn quickly enough. If medical programs interest you, this book would be worth your time.
The plot is an intricate one with twists and turns that keep the reader guessing. Characters are believable. Although this is a romance, it's not typical. Claire and Logan keep the reader wondering whether or not romance might develop. I won't tell as I don't want to ruin it for you. It's not the typical Christian fiction either. One character is a God follower, but others are not. Added into the plot is a bit of a whodunit when money disappears. It's simply a good read. View all 16 Reviews
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