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The Grumpy Cardiologist's Christmas Wish: A Clean and Wholesome Holiday Romance
A grumpy pediatric cardiologist. A Child Life specialist who runs on glitter. Twelve days to save a hospital tradition.
Dr. Dale Cross hasn't celebrated Christmas in twenty-three years — not since his mother's sudden cardiac death on Christmas Eve when he was twelve. Now he keeps his pediatric cardiology ward sterile, efficient, and decoration-free. Paper snowflakes are a hazard. Glitter is a biohazard. And Beth Martinez, the Child Life specialist who rehangings everything he tears down, is the most persistent hazard of all.
Beth Martinez has spent four years building Mercy Children's Twelve Days of Christmas tradition into a lifeline for sick kids and exhausted families. When a budget-cutting administrator demands clinical proof the program works or it dies permanently — along with Beth's position — the Chief of Pediatrics assigns her an unlikely research the cardiologist who's been stuffing her snowflakes into supply closets.
Twelve days. Caroling, gingerbread houses, therapy corgis in elf costumes, and one data-driven doctor who's starting to crack. Dale's clinical objectivity doesn't stand a chance against Beth's infectious warmth — or the undeniable evidence that her program heals in ways medicine alone cannot.
But when Dale's growing feelings collide with twenty-three years of grief, he does what he's always shuts down, pulls away, and retreats behind walls built to survive Christmas Eve.
Beth won't chase a man who runs. Dale has to decide whether love is worth the risk of loss — before the season ends and he loses her for good.
Slow-melting tension. A hero who learns to feel again. Tears that earn every smile. A happily ever after worth the wait.
✅ Grumpy sunshine
✅ Forced proximity
✅ He falls first
✅ Workplace romance
✅ Opposites attract
✅ Holiday romance
✅ Found family
✅ Emotional healing
✅ Grand gesture
Perfect for fans of Becky Wade's clean medical romances, Jenny Hale's heartwarming holiday fiction, and anyone who loves a Hallmark-worthy grumpy-sunshine love story.
Start the Christmas at Mercy Children's Hospital series today — where scrubs meet snowflakes and every grumpy doctor gets the love story they deserve.
Heat Closed door
Funny, emotional
Book 1 of 3, interconnected standalones
HEA
Dual, third person
Dr. Dale Cross hasn't celebrated Christmas in twenty-three years — not since his mother's sudden cardiac death on Christmas Eve when he was twelve. Now he keeps his pediatric cardiology ward sterile, efficient, and decoration-free. Paper snowflakes are a hazard. Glitter is a biohazard. And Beth Martinez, the Child Life specialist who rehangings everything he tears down, is the most persistent hazard of all.
Beth Martinez has spent four years building Mercy Children's Twelve Days of Christmas tradition into a lifeline for sick kids and exhausted families. When a budget-cutting administrator demands clinical proof the program works or it dies permanently — along with Beth's position — the Chief of Pediatrics assigns her an unlikely research the cardiologist who's been stuffing her snowflakes into supply closets.
Twelve days. Caroling, gingerbread houses, therapy corgis in elf costumes, and one data-driven doctor who's starting to crack. Dale's clinical objectivity doesn't stand a chance against Beth's infectious warmth — or the undeniable evidence that her program heals in ways medicine alone cannot.
But when Dale's growing feelings collide with twenty-three years of grief, he does what he's always shuts down, pulls away, and retreats behind walls built to survive Christmas Eve.
Beth won't chase a man who runs. Dale has to decide whether love is worth the risk of loss — before the season ends and he loses her for good.
Slow-melting tension. A hero who learns to feel again. Tears that earn every smile. A happily ever after worth the wait.
✅ Grumpy sunshine
✅ Forced proximity
✅ He falls first
✅ Workplace romance
✅ Opposites attract
✅ Holiday romance
✅ Found family
✅ Emotional healing
✅ Grand gesture
Perfect for fans of Becky Wade's clean medical romances, Jenny Hale's heartwarming holiday fiction, and anyone who loves a Hallmark-worthy grumpy-sunshine love story.
Start the Christmas at Mercy Children's Hospital series today — where scrubs meet snowflakes and every grumpy doctor gets the love story they deserve.
Heat Closed door
Funny, emotional
Book 1 of 3, interconnected standalones
HEA
Dual, third person
117 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 24, 2025
4 people are currently reading
10 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 30, 2025
This is my first book by Melanie Oakley, but it won’t be my last. This story drew me in from the beginning and kept me reading into the wee hours of the morning.
Dr. Cross (Dale) is a no nonsense whatsoever kind of doctor. He is a stickler for policies and procedures and works longer hours than he should. He’s a gifted Cardiologist and works way more hours than he should. Dr. Cross works with pediatric patients and is rigid about protocols. The part he’s good at is “checking monitors, reviewing overnight notes, maintaining the careful balance between medical precision and human reassurance that pediatric cardiology demanded.” He doesn’t like “messy complications of adult conversation.” He’s a no-nonsense kind of guy; whether he’s working or at home.
He stops by to check on Lily’s recovery. Lily asked if he took down the Christmas stuff again. She tells him that Miss Beth told her he does it every year. She puts them back up. “Miss Beth made them with the kids on the fifth floor who can’t leave their rooms.” Now, if that doesn’t make his heart skip a beat, what will?!
Jason Washington (pediatric surgeon) looks at him and says, “You do know she’s just going to put them all back tonight, right?” “Then I’ll remove them again tomorrow.” The two of them have been at this for three years. He reminds him that “The Twelve Days tradition starts tonight. You’re going to see a lot more decorations.” Dr. Cross thinks her “sparkles constituted legitimate therapy.”
Beth is a fresh air filled with optimism and love for her patients. She tries to let their medical issues be forgotten for the moment when she’s able to decorate for them and get them involved. She wears fun themed scrubs and truly cares about the children.
Budget cuts are coming and every department is being investigated to see what they can do without. “The Twelve Days” tradition may be hit with budget cuts. Beth speaks up “family stress levels, patient cooperation, staff morale, community engagement.” She has letters from families and patients. Dr. Morrison suggested gathering information on this year’s celebration. “Document everything. Health outcomes, family stress assessments, patient cooperation metrics. Partner Child Life with our medical departments.” Guess who Dr. Morrison thinks should collect all the data? Yes, Dr. Cross, the Scrooge!
Now, I don’t want to give too much away. You need to get this book to find out the outcome. Do not miss it! Will the two of them be able to work together? Will Dr. Cross (aka Scrooge) be able to see how the celebration helps the children and their families? Is it possible for him to admit he was wrong? What could go wrong with the plan? Drama, ups & downs, confusion, attraction, and more are waiting for you to get lost in. Get your copy of The Grumpy Cardiologist by Melanie Oakley today and find out the answers to these questions and more!
Dr. Cross (Dale) is a no nonsense whatsoever kind of doctor. He is a stickler for policies and procedures and works longer hours than he should. He’s a gifted Cardiologist and works way more hours than he should. Dr. Cross works with pediatric patients and is rigid about protocols. The part he’s good at is “checking monitors, reviewing overnight notes, maintaining the careful balance between medical precision and human reassurance that pediatric cardiology demanded.” He doesn’t like “messy complications of adult conversation.” He’s a no-nonsense kind of guy; whether he’s working or at home.
He stops by to check on Lily’s recovery. Lily asked if he took down the Christmas stuff again. She tells him that Miss Beth told her he does it every year. She puts them back up. “Miss Beth made them with the kids on the fifth floor who can’t leave their rooms.” Now, if that doesn’t make his heart skip a beat, what will?!
Jason Washington (pediatric surgeon) looks at him and says, “You do know she’s just going to put them all back tonight, right?” “Then I’ll remove them again tomorrow.” The two of them have been at this for three years. He reminds him that “The Twelve Days tradition starts tonight. You’re going to see a lot more decorations.” Dr. Cross thinks her “sparkles constituted legitimate therapy.”
Beth is a fresh air filled with optimism and love for her patients. She tries to let their medical issues be forgotten for the moment when she’s able to decorate for them and get them involved. She wears fun themed scrubs and truly cares about the children.
Budget cuts are coming and every department is being investigated to see what they can do without. “The Twelve Days” tradition may be hit with budget cuts. Beth speaks up “family stress levels, patient cooperation, staff morale, community engagement.” She has letters from families and patients. Dr. Morrison suggested gathering information on this year’s celebration. “Document everything. Health outcomes, family stress assessments, patient cooperation metrics. Partner Child Life with our medical departments.” Guess who Dr. Morrison thinks should collect all the data? Yes, Dr. Cross, the Scrooge!
Now, I don’t want to give too much away. You need to get this book to find out the outcome. Do not miss it! Will the two of them be able to work together? Will Dr. Cross (aka Scrooge) be able to see how the celebration helps the children and their families? Is it possible for him to admit he was wrong? What could go wrong with the plan? Drama, ups & downs, confusion, attraction, and more are waiting for you to get lost in. Get your copy of The Grumpy Cardiologist by Melanie Oakley today and find out the answers to these questions and more!
December 27, 2025
Twenty-three years ago, Dr. Dale Cross lost his mother on Christmas. Since then, he doesn’t celebrate the holiday. He tears down any Christmas decorations that are in his cardiac ward. The hospital knows him as Dr. Grumpy.
Child Life Specialist, Beth Martinez, loves Christmas and does everything she can to make the pediatric wing into a celebration of the season. Her young patients need this, and she plans to give them everything she can. She tries to overlook the grumpy doctor who constantly removes her decorations.
This year things are different. Budget cuts are threatening to eliminate Beth’s department unless she can prove it’s a necessity for the patients. The hospital wants data and facts. Much to her dismay, they team Beth with Dr. Grumpy. She refuses to let him stand in her way. The children need this department, and she will fight for it.
Dale proves to be an incredible asset to Beth. Their love for their patients draws them together. It’s not easy since Dale has a tough time letting go of his fear of the holiday. Beth is determined to get through to him.
This is a beautiful Christmas romance. The story of two people being drawn together even with their differences. It’s a story of hope, love and inspiration. It has all the ingredients for a warm and fuzzy holiday read. A very sweet romance that I can easily see as a Hallmark movie.
I never read this author before, but I'm ready to binge on her books. They are perfect when you want that "feel good" feeling.
Child Life Specialist, Beth Martinez, loves Christmas and does everything she can to make the pediatric wing into a celebration of the season. Her young patients need this, and she plans to give them everything she can. She tries to overlook the grumpy doctor who constantly removes her decorations.
This year things are different. Budget cuts are threatening to eliminate Beth’s department unless she can prove it’s a necessity for the patients. The hospital wants data and facts. Much to her dismay, they team Beth with Dr. Grumpy. She refuses to let him stand in her way. The children need this department, and she will fight for it.
Dale proves to be an incredible asset to Beth. Their love for their patients draws them together. It’s not easy since Dale has a tough time letting go of his fear of the holiday. Beth is determined to get through to him.
This is a beautiful Christmas romance. The story of two people being drawn together even with their differences. It’s a story of hope, love and inspiration. It has all the ingredients for a warm and fuzzy holiday read. A very sweet romance that I can easily see as a Hallmark movie.
I never read this author before, but I'm ready to binge on her books. They are perfect when you want that "feel good" feeling.
January 9, 2026
Cute hospital story about total opposite personalities and working together. She is fighting for her Twelve Days of Christmas program for the pediatric patients. He is fighting her Christmas spirit but also wanting the best for his pediatric cardiology patients! He has deep personal emotions to work through as well as asses the helpfulness of her program. What follows is the first reluctant overlap of their holiday feelings (total opposites) to joyfully sharing and realizing the benefits of the holiday activities for the patients.
So much kindness and happiness and love.
So much kindness and happiness and love.
November 16, 2025
Cute story
Beth and Dale do not agree on Christmas, she likes to put Christmas decorations up and he takes them down. These frenemies are tasked together to see if the 12 days of Christmas help the patients who are in the hospital long term. Forced proximity causes then to see each other differently and the sweet romance begins. A sweet and swoony story with some humor make for a fun story.
Beth and Dale do not agree on Christmas, she likes to put Christmas decorations up and he takes them down. These frenemies are tasked together to see if the 12 days of Christmas help the patients who are in the hospital long term. Forced proximity causes then to see each other differently and the sweet romance begins. A sweet and swoony story with some humor make for a fun story.
December 11, 2025
Christmas isn't a happy time for some people who have sad memories of the time. Dr. Dale Cross is one of those who doesn't enjoy the Christmas season. Then he has a change of opinion after working with a special nurse to find ways to make Christmas important to the children at their hospital.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews