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The Real McCoy
Stephanie Hays, RN, has been infatuated with the handsome, well-respected Dr. Peter Granville since her days in nursing school. And now she has the good fortune of working alongside the ?Great Granville? in his hospital unit. There, she spends her days longing for precious scraps of his attention, even if they?re won only by her legendary clumsiness. Dr. Luke Carter is Granville's senior resident ? and a man who attracts women like ants to a picnic. But the only woman he wants is Stephanie, and she's blinded by her attraction to Granville. She fails to see him through Luke's eyes: as a cold, egocentric bully who?ll do anything to get to the top. Determined to make Stephanie realize the unsettling truth about her idol, Luke conceives a plot to reveal Granville for who he really is. Is this the ticket to winning Stephanie's heart at last?or will it drive her straight into Granville's arms?
212 pages, Paperback
First published January 8, 2013
139 people are currently reading
142 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
January 20, 2018
This fit firmly the definition of chick lit /women's fiction. Canadian Brit chick lit. This was like a sensually squeaky clean (G to PG) version of Bridget Jones's Diary and Grey's Anatomy . It was fascinating as a woman in the United States to see the career, personal, social, and adversity life intricacies of a woman in a British Canadian professional middle class enivroment with some visits to the upper class world. At the same time Stephanie had fears and problems as a daughter, sister, and member of society that are issues of today that all women can relate to even if not from British Canda. The romance, humor, and medical drama was also entertaining. I sometimes just couldn't stop reading as I got I invested in the characters including the patients.
The author is a current career hospital nurse so the medical terminology was very pervasive and the medical case drama pretty organically real and heart tugging intense. There is even a medical mystery in the novel.
Some readers were stuck on the fact that Stephanie the heroine (like Bridget in Bridget Jones's Diary) was focused on a guy that the readers know (she doesn't) is a very bad person while a super kind good guy in heart and action with McDreamy and McSteamy looks to match the good inside person is ignored in her hyperfocus on the other guy. These weren't issues for me, because "hello" besides all her other personal life struggles she goes through in this novel this wouldn't have been much of a chick lit/women's fiction without her having to grow as person and learning many life lessons by the end including about personal relationships. The romantic resolution at the end was spot on realistic and the sparks felt swoony and eternal between the heroine and the hero Dr. Luke Carter.
Language: No profanity.
Special issues: There are some family members and patients with serious possibly deadly medical conditions that are dealt with during the novel. There is a death and past deaths mentioned.
Sensuality: Pretty squeaky clean. Kisses only.
Source: Amazon Prime Reading loan.
The author is a current career hospital nurse so the medical terminology was very pervasive and the medical case drama pretty organically real and heart tugging intense. There is even a medical mystery in the novel.
Some readers were stuck on the fact that Stephanie the heroine (like Bridget in Bridget Jones's Diary) was focused on a guy that the readers know (she doesn't) is a very bad person while a super kind good guy in heart and action with McDreamy and McSteamy looks to match the good inside person is ignored in her hyperfocus on the other guy. These weren't issues for me, because "hello" besides all her other personal life struggles she goes through in this novel this wouldn't have been much of a chick lit/women's fiction without her having to grow as person and learning many life lessons by the end including about personal relationships. The romantic resolution at the end was spot on realistic and the sparks felt swoony and eternal between the heroine and the hero Dr. Luke Carter.
Language: No profanity.
Special issues: There are some family members and patients with serious possibly deadly medical conditions that are dealt with during the novel. There is a death and past deaths mentioned.
Sensuality: Pretty squeaky clean. Kisses only.
Source: Amazon Prime Reading loan.
August 29, 2013
this was the most frustrating book I have read for 2013 so far. and hopefully the last.
why did this book not work for me?
its full of unbelievable stuff!
have you ever heard of a clumsy nurse? if not, I introduce to you Stephanie Hays, RN. she falls and trips everytime and she's notoriously known for being a walking disaster. can you imagine her doing assisting while you have an operation? I can just see her trip with a tray full of sterile scalpels, while part of someone's brain is open and the doctors having to re sterilize a new set of instruments. if you're a nurse or a doctor you cannot afford to be clumsy.
luke carter, the hero in the story, is a medical resident. he has an extreme dislike to dr peter granville, to the point that he wants to put granville to jail. why? because granville broke his big sister's heart. really?! thats it? also, doctors, especially residents do not have the time to go to the gym, country club, bowling, or be cute with the opposite sex, especially when they are on call all the time, and still pass their exams.
stephanie, our heroine is also shallow minded. she is in love with granville and barely knows the guy.
I know this is fiction but I still wanted this to be more believable. if I wanted magic I would have read a paranormal book.
I want my money back.
why did this book not work for me?
its full of unbelievable stuff!
have you ever heard of a clumsy nurse? if not, I introduce to you Stephanie Hays, RN. she falls and trips everytime and she's notoriously known for being a walking disaster. can you imagine her doing assisting while you have an operation? I can just see her trip with a tray full of sterile scalpels, while part of someone's brain is open and the doctors having to re sterilize a new set of instruments. if you're a nurse or a doctor you cannot afford to be clumsy.
luke carter, the hero in the story, is a medical resident. he has an extreme dislike to dr peter granville, to the point that he wants to put granville to jail. why? because granville broke his big sister's heart. really?! thats it? also, doctors, especially residents do not have the time to go to the gym, country club, bowling, or be cute with the opposite sex, especially when they are on call all the time, and still pass their exams.
stephanie, our heroine is also shallow minded. she is in love with granville and barely knows the guy.
I know this is fiction but I still wanted this to be more believable. if I wanted magic I would have read a paranormal book.
I want my money back.
March 30, 2013
Horrible character development, and the main character seemed like an idiot, being in love with a man she had never talked to for years and being obsessed with him while he acted like a loser, then still trying to defend him while seeing him act like a loser for herself. Lame. I had to skim the last half of the book because I wanted to see how this swill ended, but couldn't take actually reading this drivel any longer.
How in the world does this book have a 3.68 average rating on Goodreads right now?
How in the world does this book have a 3.68 average rating on Goodreads right now?
November 16, 2015
The girl had the mentality of a high schooler- she's obsessed with a man she's had one interaction with, and lashes out against anyone she feels is not giving him enough respect. Felt long and very stilted.
November 18, 2015
Not a bad story but.....
I liked the story line , but it was poorly written. Like a team age book report. Too childish for my liking
I liked the story line , but it was poorly written. Like a team age book report. Too childish for my liking
February 17, 2018
At first I had a hard time getting through the book but then I started to love Stephanie and understood her completely. However, I feel like the author sped through this book. The end especially. I feel like though there wasn't much more that they could do she could have given it more than five paragraphs. it's a good story I did really enjoy it.
November 27, 2017
Tenía ganas de leer algo en inglés y opté por esta novela sencilla y sin pretensiones, el típico paperback para leer "sin pensar". Me ha hecho gracia primero, porque me recordaba a los líos de la serie Grey's Anatomy, y segundo, porque me identificaba mucho con la torpeza de la protagonista xDD
January 19, 2018
The real McCoy
It has the cliff hangers you need and the excitement and love you least expected. Granville was a bully and arrogant doctor. Meanwhile his attending doctor was sweet and Caring. Recommend this book for anyone who needs a good romance.
It has the cliff hangers you need and the excitement and love you least expected. Granville was a bully and arrogant doctor. Meanwhile his attending doctor was sweet and Caring. Recommend this book for anyone who needs a good romance.
March 2, 2018
Loved it!
You know it’s a great book when u can’t put it down and finish it right away while there are other things that needs to be done. Definitely one of the better books I’ve read.
You know it’s a great book when u can’t put it down and finish it right away while there are other things that needs to be done. Definitely one of the better books I’ve read.
December 19, 2017
Cute love story
A cute love story. No love scenes, but that was okay. Heavy on the medical, which too was okay because it wasn't too over the top.
A cute love story. No love scenes, but that was okay. Heavy on the medical, which too was okay because it wasn't too over the top.
August 24, 2014
2.5-3 stars
Synopsis:
Stephanie Hays, RN, has been infatuated with the handsome, well-respected Dr. Peter Granville since her days in nursing school. And now she has the good fortune of working alongside the ?Great Granville? in his hospital unit. There, she spends her days longing for precious scraps of his attention, even if they?re won only by her legendary clumsiness. Dr. Luke Carter is Granville's senior resident ? and a man who attracts women like ants to a picnic. But the only woman he wants is Stephanie, and she's blinded by her attraction to Granville. She fails to see him through Luke's eyes: as a cold, egocentric bully who?ll do anything to get to the top. Determined to make Stephanie realize the unsettling truth about her idol, Luke conceives a plot to reveal Granville for who he really is. Is this the ticket to winning Stephanie's heart at last?or will it drive her straight into Granville's arms?
This book is difficult for me to review. I liked the premise of the book and loved the (H) Luke but I really couldn't get into the (h) Stephanie's character at all. She was not likable to me and she's a clumsy nurse? I mean some people are clumsier than others but she was helping people, giving IV's and incubating but everything else she managed to spill or drop. Here is a quote: "If Steph hasn't hurt herself or someone else within twenty-four hours, it's been a good day." I just found that a little unbelievable because she was an RN. And I'm actually getting a little sick of the clumsy heroine, it seems to be a common theme in romance novels.
I had a hard time understanding why Luke was so infatuated with Stephanie, I didn't feel the connection I guess.
Luke: "One day you walked onto the ward. It was as if you poured sunlight into my soul."
I actually wrote WHY? on my notes. Stephanie was kind of cruel to him when he always tried to help and make her smile. I do commend the author for this though not too often do you get the guy pining for the girl that's a bitch. I have to say she did warm up after awhile but it was a long time and 70% into the book there was still no (love) connection between H and h. I think I would have liked it better if I got more of Luke and his motives; got into his head to know why he loved Stephanie so much, what drew him to her.
Lastly one page jumped ahead six months I would have loved that to be the epilogue. I personally like an epilogue in the books I read.
I think the author had a great story but it was just lacking a little for me. More character description and a little more of Luke and I think I would have given it another star.
http://triciaciak.blogspot.com/
Synopsis:
Stephanie Hays, RN, has been infatuated with the handsome, well-respected Dr. Peter Granville since her days in nursing school. And now she has the good fortune of working alongside the ?Great Granville? in his hospital unit. There, she spends her days longing for precious scraps of his attention, even if they?re won only by her legendary clumsiness. Dr. Luke Carter is Granville's senior resident ? and a man who attracts women like ants to a picnic. But the only woman he wants is Stephanie, and she's blinded by her attraction to Granville. She fails to see him through Luke's eyes: as a cold, egocentric bully who?ll do anything to get to the top. Determined to make Stephanie realize the unsettling truth about her idol, Luke conceives a plot to reveal Granville for who he really is. Is this the ticket to winning Stephanie's heart at last?or will it drive her straight into Granville's arms?
This book is difficult for me to review. I liked the premise of the book and loved the (H) Luke but I really couldn't get into the (h) Stephanie's character at all. She was not likable to me and she's a clumsy nurse? I mean some people are clumsier than others but she was helping people, giving IV's and incubating but everything else she managed to spill or drop. Here is a quote: "If Steph hasn't hurt herself or someone else within twenty-four hours, it's been a good day." I just found that a little unbelievable because she was an RN. And I'm actually getting a little sick of the clumsy heroine, it seems to be a common theme in romance novels.
I had a hard time understanding why Luke was so infatuated with Stephanie, I didn't feel the connection I guess.
Luke: "One day you walked onto the ward. It was as if you poured sunlight into my soul."
I actually wrote WHY? on my notes. Stephanie was kind of cruel to him when he always tried to help and make her smile. I do commend the author for this though not too often do you get the guy pining for the girl that's a bitch. I have to say she did warm up after awhile but it was a long time and 70% into the book there was still no (love) connection between H and h. I think I would have liked it better if I got more of Luke and his motives; got into his head to know why he loved Stephanie so much, what drew him to her.
Lastly one page jumped ahead six months I would have loved that to be the epilogue. I personally like an epilogue in the books I read.
I think the author had a great story but it was just lacking a little for me. More character description and a little more of Luke and I think I would have given it another star.
http://triciaciak.blogspot.com/
April 1, 2013
Stephanie Hays, RN, has been infatuated with the handsome, well-respected Dr. Peter Granville since her days in nursing school. And now she has the good fortune of working alongside the ?Great Granville? in his hospital unit. There, she spends her days longing for precious scraps of his attention, even if they?re won only by her legendary clumsiness. Dr. Luke Carter is Granville's senior resident ? and a man who attracts women like ants to a picnic. But the only woman he wants is Stephanie, and she's blinded by her attraction to Granville. She fails to see him through Luke's eyes: as a cold, egocentric bully who?ll do anything to get to the top. Determined to make Stephanie realize the unsettling truth about her idol, Luke conceives a plot to reveal Granville for who he really is. Is this the ticket to winning Stephanie's heart at last?or will it drive her straight into Granville's arms?
June 23, 2014
I've recently reread this book, and I did not find it as amazing as the first reading. I still loved the story, but the writing was far too formal. Who really calls their parents Mother and Father, not only to their faces but also to doctors as well? And would a man seriously call his daughter 'daughter' rather than use her actual name?
Furthermore, Stephanie annoyed me. Although she claimed to be in love with her medical idol Dr Peter Glanville, she only ever calls him Dr Glanville, very impersonal for such profound love and adoration.
Maybe my enjoyment of this book suffered a second time as I've read a lot of books that are better than this one since the first reading. I would still recommend The Real McCoy, despite slight annoyances I found within the writing.
Furthermore, Stephanie annoyed me. Although she claimed to be in love with her medical idol Dr Peter Glanville, she only ever calls him Dr Glanville, very impersonal for such profound love and adoration.
Maybe my enjoyment of this book suffered a second time as I've read a lot of books that are better than this one since the first reading. I would still recommend The Real McCoy, despite slight annoyances I found within the writing.
June 27, 2014
This story was very sweet. I am giving it 4 stars, but it's more a 3.5 for me. The story flowed very well, and I had was very surprised at how the twist in the story took place.
Although the writing is very good - In my opinion Ms Leonard's style has an old fashion quality, which I think would be better suited for novels taking place in an earlier century. This is where it loses a half star for me, because most people wouldn't talk in this fashion, so the dialogue was strange for the environment.
Although the writing is very good - In my opinion Ms Leonard's style has an old fashion quality, which I think would be better suited for novels taking place in an earlier century. This is where it loses a half star for me, because most people wouldn't talk in this fashion, so the dialogue was strange for the environment.
September 15, 2016
The blurb to this book seamed interesting. The book itself was not.
The main character was inmature and anoying there was alot of unnecessary detail and the writing style felt like it was more high schoolish than being aimed at adults.
Writing style: 1 stars
Story: 2 stars
Flow of the story: 1 stars
Character development: 1 stars
Heroine: 1 stars
Hero: 2 stars
Secondary characters: 1 stars
Tone/mood of the book: 1 stars
Emotion evoking: 2 stars
Originality: 2 stars
Enjoyment: 2 stars
Effect on me: 2 stars
The main character was inmature and anoying there was alot of unnecessary detail and the writing style felt like it was more high schoolish than being aimed at adults.
Writing style: 1 stars
Story: 2 stars
Flow of the story: 1 stars
Character development: 1 stars
Heroine: 1 stars
Hero: 2 stars
Secondary characters: 1 stars
Tone/mood of the book: 1 stars
Emotion evoking: 2 stars
Originality: 2 stars
Enjoyment: 2 stars
Effect on me: 2 stars
March 25, 2014
This book as a whole is actually pretty good. With random pov's from the male lead I enjoyed his random insights. Where this book lost me was the end. Although I love me a HEA I don't like when they're rushed, and this one was SUPER rushed I feel. It was like the whole book built up to this momentous decision and from one page to the next the decision was made and the book was ended. I just felt like the build up led up to this giant spark but rather than explode it just kind of fizzled.
March 21, 2013
I always love to read stories set in Canada, and even more so when Tim Hortons gets a mention. Mmmmm....timbits.....
Back to the review - this was a nice, quick read. The characters were lovely, except for one (we've all had a Dr Granville in our work lives at some stage, admit it). Very G-rated, but still quite sweet.
Back to the review - this was a nice, quick read. The characters were lovely, except for one (we've all had a Dr Granville in our work lives at some stage, admit it). Very G-rated, but still quite sweet.
March 24, 2013
This book was, how can I put it? Bland.
It is the story of a love triangle that never was and the love story that never happened.
It's written well enough, but the characters lack something...life, maybe? No butterflies in your stomach as you read the no real connection to the love story... really nothing special.
It is the story of a love triangle that never was and the love story that never happened.
It's written well enough, but the characters lack something...life, maybe? No butterflies in your stomach as you read the no real connection to the love story... really nothing special.
March 4, 2016
Sweet, but cheesy...
The story spends so long building and has a very compact ending that's leaves you wanting. I had a difficult time relating to the main character and she seemed kinda pathetic in her desperate attempt to be noticed, then becomes a wishy-washy mess. Other characters are flat with no depth. Can't say I would recommend this or read another by this author.
The story spends so long building and has a very compact ending that's leaves you wanting. I had a difficult time relating to the main character and she seemed kinda pathetic in her desperate attempt to be noticed, then becomes a wishy-washy mess. Other characters are flat with no depth. Can't say I would recommend this or read another by this author.
November 2, 2013
I quite liked this book. I enjoyed the lead characters and how there was narration at times from them both. I generally do not like when there is more than one narrator, but in this case it worked. I would recommend this book.
March 21, 2014
This was okay. There just wasn't much romance to this. I'm unsure why Luke was attracted to Stephanie. She wasn't very nice to him once she finally noticed his existence. And she was extremely blinded by her infatuation with Dr. Granville. The misplaced loyalty was frustrating.
March 20, 2014
GOOD READ
GOOD READ
Short story about the love found between Dr Luke and nurse Stephanie. Enjoyed the story but very sad in parts. Was so glad that the evil received what they deserved. Would recommend to anyone who enjoys a good quick read on a rainy afternoon.
GOOD READ
Short story about the love found between Dr Luke and nurse Stephanie. Enjoyed the story but very sad in parts. Was so glad that the evil received what they deserved. Would recommend to anyone who enjoys a good quick read on a rainy afternoon.
June 16, 2018
A great love story
I enjoyed this book. I had a hard time putting it down
Sheryl Leonard is a good writ e r. She kept my interest with each new addition to the story. I would recommend this book to anyone who just wants to follow along.
I enjoyed this book. I had a hard time putting it down
Sheryl Leonard is a good writ e r. She kept my interest with each new addition to the story. I would recommend this book to anyone who just wants to follow along.
June 22, 2013
This book was so terrible, I couldn't even finish it...! .5 stars
March 11, 2013
This was a cute, easy read and a perfect break from all the crazy angst that I've been reading. Really enjoyed it.
March 16, 2013
Cute quick read
June 15, 2013
Too clichéd and formulaic for my liking. Gave up pretty soon in.
July 9, 2013
The characters are annoying and the story is soo short!!
July 27, 2013
Loved this story.... Never know whatcha got right in front if you!!! :)
November 9, 2013
Good story, liked the characters. Reminds you to just look at what is in front of you it may surprise you. It was a quick read, a nice change.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews