The Doctor's Calling

Men of the West #25

by Stella Bagwell

She'd never thought she had a crush on her grumpy boss—but when Russ Hollister announced he was leaving his vet practice, the thought of not seeing him every day struck Laurel Stanton hard. Then his next proposal—that she move with him to a ranch and continue to be his assistant—made her rethink everything….For Russ, to focus on the horses and cattle on the Cantrell ranch was the chance of a lifetime. But suddenly, facing a day without lovely Laurel's patience, smile and soothing touch would be pure purgatory. He'd made her one offer—but should he make her another?

Genres: Romance, Harlequin

224 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

At seventeen, Stella married her high school sweetheart: Harrell, and they had a son Jason. She began her writing career almost by accident. She was a hairdresser and worked in her sister's beauty shop. Ironically, Stella developed a severe allergy to hairspray and was forced to resign. With time on her hands, Stella wanted to do something creative. She remembered a high school English teacher telling her she could be a writer if she wanted. Although she always loved reading romances, she never thought to write one herself. Armed with that now notion and an old, manual typewriter, she went to work, attempting to create a story similar to those she liked reading. The result‚ her first book, purchased by Mills & Boon and issued under the Harlequin imprint. After that, she became a full time writer and today, has close to forty published novels. Her for the future is to continue writing romance novels as long as there's an audience to enjoy her work.

Next to writing, traveling is one of her most favorite activities. Yet, because the southwest is dear to her heart, she sets most of her books there in rough, rugged ranch country. She feels it's essential to know a place before writing about it; that philosophy gives her more reason to plan trips! The marriage has always lived in southeastern Oklahoma. But, they purchased a portion of a twenty-two hundred, acre ranch; they now make their home there. Before moving onto the ranch, she had a swimming pool in her back yard and spent most of her summer evenings in the water. Her husband has promised to put in another pool, but for now she has to make do with the creek that runs through their property. The closest town of three thousand is fifteen miles away; she says she loves the seclusion, living among the woods and horses and wildlife. The only thing she doesn't like is making the thirty mile round trip to the post office or grocery store. Worse still, is the eighty-five mile trip to get office supplies!

One of her greatest joys was to see Jason, her only son, graduate from college with degrees in math and physical education. He now lives in Port Lavaca, Texas, where he teaches high school algebra and geometry and coaches football and weightlifting. Family has always come first with Stella and she enjoys spending time with her son when he visits Oklahoma. Sometimes, she and her husband drive down to the Texas coast to see him. However, her mother, step-father and siblings all live nearby and they have routine get-togethers. In her spare time, she enjoys practicing violin and guitar, both of which she can play by ear. She claims to need years of practice before calling herself a musician. Stella also enjoys gardening and being outdoors.

Reviews

[Kiki]

I wasn’t feeling the love.
If you ask me, heroine had it right when she said hero only settled for her as a convenient means to his family after seeing his ex wife pregnant clearly indicating she moved on.
We were treated with hero’s inner monologue after seeing his pregnant ex suggesting since she moved on he should to.
He also admitted he was helpless without heroine.
And in the 5 years heroine worked for him suddenly he realised he can’t live without her after realising his ex wife has moved on? All of a sudden she’s the love of his life?
Yeah, nah. Not buying it, sorry, couldn’t really get invested.

[Melody Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book a while ago and just realized I didn't review it. I will review more thoroughly when I re-read it.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book. Laurel had been Russ's assistant for five years. When he announced his move to the Cantrell ranch she was stunned, and stunned again when he asked her to go with him and stay on as his assistant. She had noticed his sexiness before, but had no intention of getting involved with him. Once they made the move to the ranch and started working Russ started paying more personal attention to Laurel. It wasn't long before he made his intentions clear - he wanted a permanent relationship with her. She fought against the idea because of her past, and refused to be convinced. It took a couple eye opening experiences for her to realize she could love and be loved. I liked both Russ and Laurel. After being a workaholic for so long, he finally realized that he wanted a more balanced life with a wife and family. When he made the decision to move to the ranch, he realized he didn't want to do it without Laurel by his side. She had come to mean so much more to him than he expected, and he wanted to pursue a real relationship with her. Laurel had been deserted by her mother when her twin sister got sick and her father and brother had emotionally withdrawn, leaving Laurel the only one to care for her sister. This left Laurel deciding that there was no way she would ever open herself up to that kind of emotional pain again. She also figured that she had used up everything she had and wouldn't be able to care for a husband and children the way they deserved. Russ's love for her scared her because she didn't feel that she could be deserving of it. Russ tried to show her how much love she had to give by pointing out the care she gave all the animals she helped treat. It was a talking to by her friend Alexa and her care for a sick calf that finally opened her eyes to the possibilities. I loved the epilogue also. Can't wait to read the next book.

[Lorrine Gregory · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good reading especially when you are looking for something short.

[Doris Ware · Rating 3 out of 5]

good book

[Rachelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of Laurel Stanton and Dr. Russ Hollister. Dr. Hollister decides to be the vet on the Cantrell ranch vs having his own practice. He decides to take Laurel with him. He realizes that he is in love with her and they have intercourse. She is 30 and it is her first time. She really just wants to have an affair. He does all he can to convince her to be his wife. Will he succeed.

The cover shows a calf. Laurel and Russ mention their pets and tell about the animals they work with which makes this suitable for the Animal challenge as well as the Alphabet Soup Challenge.

[Deborah D. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting premise - both main characters has major losses in their youth, both ended up in the veterinary profession and were denying their very human needs for a long while.

You can't avoid change..no matter how much you want to! Some very intriguing discussions, supportive friends and lessons from livestock ensure a satisfactory ending. It IS a Harlequin Romance after all!

[Callie James · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Doctor's Calling was a nice read. The dialogue sometimes felt a little old fashioned and I didn't feel the heroine's fears were a strong enough reason to keep her from committing to the hero, but still, this was a nice read.

[Frances · Rating 4 out of 5]

A romance for the practical woman. The heroine of this book is practice but a little blind to her own makeup but the hero waits her out. It is a good read for a night when you need some relaxation.

[Colleen]

I enjoyed this book.
I have enjoyed the whole series.

[Harlequin Books]

Miniseries: Men of the West
Category: Heart & Home