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The Best Medicine

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The first novel in a sparkling and sexy new contemporary romance series about four best friends looking for love in all the right places—and the one woman who discovers that it takes more than an impeccable bedside manner to make dreams come true.…
Lauren Hastings is finally ready to enter the real world. At twenty-six, she’s about to get her master’s in psychology, and she’s well on her way to beginning the career of her dreams—until she suffers public humiliation and has to endure something she thought she’d never have to deal with again: a part-time job.
A gig at Trinity Hospital isn’t exactly Lauren’s definition of a good time, but Dr. Scott Jacobs quickly changes her mind. He’s straight-up gorgeous, and he always gets what he wants. And that includes Lauren. It’s an ideal arrangement for both of them. No strings. Just fun—at least at first.
But feelings quickly begin to run deeper than either Lauren or Scott is willing to admit, causing issues neither of them want to confront. After all, who wants to risk the perfect relationship on something as terrifying, as messy, and as unpredictable as love?

336 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 2, 2015

17 people are currently reading
947 people want to read

About the author

Elizabeth Hayley

36 books1,535 followers
Elizabeth Hayley is actually “Elizabeth” and “Hayley,” two friends who love reading romance novels to obsessive levels. This mutual love prompted them to put their English degrees to good use by penning their own. They learned a ton about each other through the process, like how they clearly share a brain and have a persistent need to text each other constantly. They live with their husbands and kids in a Philadelphia suburb. Thankfully, their children are still too young to read.

Never Have You Ever (The Love Game 1) is now available! Read the ebook for FREE!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
Profile Image for D.G..
1,439 reviews334 followers
dnf
April 17, 2015
DNF @ 24%

At the 14% mark, the hero comes down to the cafeteria and picks up a salad. He sees the heroine eating lunch by herself and joins her. Although he's her boss, they have this supposed "banter" going and he asks her:

"Do you always let your mommy pack your lunch for you?"
"Yes," she replied simply."Do you always eat like a woman?"


In general, I don't get too bent out of shape by sexist remarks in books (I want real characters that are not uber PC all the time) but this bothered me a lot because of three reasons:
1) She clearly meant it as an insult.
2) I don't understand what's "womanly" about eating a salad, specially a doctor, who you would think is mindful about his health.
3) By saying that a salad is "woman's food" is she implying that women are always dieting?

I kept reading pass the "eating like a woman" remark but nothing is happening so far that makes me want to continue. The hero says he's not into relationships but so far, no hint as to why and he seems so normal otherwise that his refusal to have a relationship seems more an attempt by the authors to make him all angsty and dark, when so far his behavior with his patients and all people around him doesn't match that - he's actually pretty nice and sweet.

The heroine on the other hand is one of those "feisty" women who doesn't have too much judgment and is not very professional (from the get go, she gives him lip even though he's her BOSS and did her a favor by giving her a job when she needed one.)

It may get better but I'm not finding anything so interesting to get pass the "woman's food" remark.

Thanks to Berkley/NAL and Netgalley for providing a review copy of this book.
Profile Image for ☕️Kimberly  (Caffeinated Reviewer).
3,589 reviews785 followers
June 17, 2015
Coffee dates with The Best Medicine

First Date: Hayley introduces us to Lauren Hastings an outspoken, snarky twenty-six year old who is completing her master’s degree in psychology. A night out with her best friends lands Lauren in a bit of trouble forcing her to accept a part time job for a doctor at Trinity Hospital. Right away, I like Lauren. She has spunk, a good sense of humor and the events that unfolded have me worried that this girl has the worst luck.
Second date: Hello Doctor Yummy. *wipes drool* I mean hello Dr. Scott Jacobs. Scott fast-tracked through college and medical school and has taken over his deceased father’s practice. The man oozes confidence and charm. Sure, he has commitment issues, but I have no problem admiring the view. The sparks are zinging around the office and poor Scott is at a loss for words. The wicked banter and one-line zingers have me eager to see these two tango. An arrangement of sorts develops and while I can see the writing on the wall, I am all in. Hold on to your book dear reader as things are about to get heated.
Third date: Despite the intense heat Hayley allows a friendship to grow, pushing both characters past the boundaries they have set. We get to learn about their friends and family giving the story depth. Hayley fleshes out both Scott and Lauren exposing the real reasons behind their commitment issues and allows them to share personal experiences. Their stories were genuine and this late date was filled with a little angst and some of the sweetest, swoon worthy moments.

Caffeinated thoughts on my dates with The Best Medicine: What a fun ride Hayley gave me. I adored this couple and appreciated how their relationship unfolded. The ending wrapped up nicely and has me eager for Just Say Yes, Quinn's story.

Copy provided by publisher. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer
Profile Image for Valerie.
927 reviews437 followers
June 7, 2015
I thought I'd like this book. All signs pointed that direction. The cover, the blurb, the romance. Yes, it looks like my kind of book.


But the first 40 pages were a no go for me. I didn't like Lauren a lot. And, while I liked Scott more, it wasn't a lot more. I hesitated. Do I really want to finish this? After all, I'm a pretty character driven reader. And I really didn't like Lauren. She was mouthy and rude, proud of her ballbuster nickname. The good news was that Scott could handle her. And I did enjoy their banter. So I kept reading.


SO GLAD I KEPT READING. Here's the thing, the first 40 or so pages these characters feel like they are trying to impress the world. Trying too hard. Trying to be strong and bold characters that make a statement. Then they settle down into getting to knew each other and I ended up liking them.


Lauren has some pain in her past. Her brother and a past fling still haunt her. She's good at reading people and speaks before she thinks on a regular basis. But when she starts being real, she feels like a friend. One that you need to protect sometimes but who is definitely in charge of protecting you all the time. And I liked her.


Scott's pain is different but very real. He doesn't do relationships for a powerful reason. That reason is one he just doesn't examine anymore. And I love his brother. His big brother who helps him see how things really are and insist that he re-examine. Once Scott decides to re-examine, he figures things out. And it's only fair that he does, he gives his patience that kind of compassion - he deserves the same.


Together these two are combustible. While Lauren is bossy outside the bedroom, she lets Scott be in charge in the bedroom. And that boy is the boss...hehe. Inside joke there. I did enjoy their heated moments together.


And then there are the friends waiting in the wings for their own story. I wonder if Sam will get his. He needs one too. Just sayin'. Looks like Scott's brother, Tim, and Quinn, Lauren's friend, are next. I read the teaser in the back of this book and it looks good. I really like both of these characters and can see them together. Looking forward to it.


If you love your women mouthy and your men confident, then this is the book for you. But really, give this one at least 75 pages before you judge. It's so good after that.


Profile Image for Alison Bliss.
Author 12 books1,071 followers
April 27, 2015
This is a great start to another awesome series by Elizabeth Hayley!

I love adversarial characters and this book delivers. Lauren is a sassy heroine with a sharp wit and a smart mouth, while Scott is a hot doctor who is sexy as hell and always gets what he wants...and he wants Lauren.

Not only is this a fun book, but it's super-sexy and kept me panting for more. Because sex and laughter = THE BEST MEDICINE!

Profile Image for Mandi.
2,355 reviews733 followers
Read
June 4, 2015
DNF after chapter 2. The heroine rubs me the wrong way - didn't want to continue.
Profile Image for Ruby Messersmith.
32 reviews
May 22, 2023
We all know why I read this, what a way to ring in the new year. I felt like a 50 year old woman in an unhappy marriage in the best way possible while reading this. It did not disappoint 😂
Profile Image for A.BookNerd.Bookseller&Bibliophile.Blog.
2,787 reviews107 followers
June 29, 2019
This book has it all! Witty banter, a strong heroine, a hot doctor with commitment issues and some hot as hell sex! Lo and Scott’s story has it all. ~ A Bibliophile ❤️📚
Profile Image for Melanie Maloney.
414 reviews8 followers
June 29, 2019
This book has it all! Witty banter, a strong heroine, a hot doctor with commitment issues and some hot as hell sex! Lo and Scott’s story has it all.
Profile Image for Chanel.
399 reviews59 followers
September 12, 2019
I was looking for a good doctor read, because I relentlessly obsessed with Grey's Anatomy, and one of my girls recommended this one to me.

The story begins with Lauren who is quite a character. She's confident in herself and not afraid to stand up for what's right which is why when the story opens we see her and her girls having a good time in the club when a guy invades her personal bubble with unwanted attention and she literally kicks his ass. Unfortunately it lands her in jail but, hey, she defended her honor.

Her mom invited her to work at the hospital for the summer to keep her out of trouble but also so she can get experience because she's a psychology major. There she meets Dr. Scott who usually doesn't mix work and pleasure but is inexplicably drawn to Lauren's personality and her good looks.

What follows is what is supposed to be a no strings attached, sex only relationship but sex is never without intimacy and both Lauren and Scott get a big lesson in this over the course of the story. The only reason I docked a star is because the story didn't seem to flow as well. At times it was instant scene changes and sometimes even POV changes that were pretty abrupt. I also, and this is me being nitpicky, but majority of the story didn't so much take place on the hospital so I didnt get my Meredith Grey/Derek Shepard vibes as much as I wanted. However, the steam favor in this one is smoking hot so if you're into doctors and confident women and characters who have pasts they help each other figure out, and really hot sex, give this book a try.

Also, it's an HEA. No cliffhangers and can read it stand alone.
Profile Image for The Book Trollop.
482 reviews33 followers
April 29, 2015
This book was expected from this dynamic writing duo. It had strong characters, amazing wit, banter, and humor.
Oh, and of course, the sex and almost sex scenes made me want to take my kindle into the bathroom for some bath tub reading.



Dr. Scott was very alpha, with a twist of anxiousness. He had a vulnerability that made him more real to me. He wasn't Mr. Perfect in control and I expected him to whip out his red room of pain but was pleasantly surprised to see the authors take him in another direction.



Lauren was what I love in a heroine of a story. She doesn't take shit from anyone and can banter with the best of them. She's strong, even with all the shit that happened in her life, she rose above it and became the person she is today.



I lourved the secondary characters almost as much as the main ones. They brought more to the table than just being there. They gave the book more substance than it just being about Scott and Lauren. But they also didn't deter from the main characters where they shined more than the main ones.

I laughed at a lot and the anticipation leading up to the first fuck scene had my poor little waffle turning blue. I was screaming at the characters to just fuck already but of course they didn't listen to me. But the anticipation was fun because the real thing was worth the wait...



The book was a little predictable but the ending was different in how it unfolded and the very end was hilarious and came full circle, which made it epically cheesey, in a good way. My black heart smiled a little...

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was pretty fast paced and even when it lagged a little I was still invested and wanting to read more.

I give this a 4 "My poor Blue waffle" Stars...
Profile Image for 1-Click Addict Support Group.
3,749 reviews490 followers
May 31, 2015
This was my first book by this hilarious writing duo and it will not be my last. The Best Medicine was fantastic! It was the perfect blend of funny, sexy, emotional, and hot!

“Let’s see how wet you are for me.” He plunged a finger inside, then two. “Goddamn, you’re soaked. I’m dying to fuck you.” “Then fuck me,” Lauren countered.

Lauren is a graduate student who ends up working at Dr. Scott’s practice thanks to a misunderstanding. Her mom pulled some strings and got her the job but what Lauren didn’t expect the attraction between her and Scott.

“Lauren, I swear to God, if you don’t jump on that like a trampoline, I’m going to have to rethink our friendship,” Simone threatened.”

Dr. Scott Jacobs is many things; a genius, a dirty-talker, possessive. But he hides scars from his childhood that make him live by a certain set of rules. He’s never broken any of his rules, until Lauren entered his life. Suddenly, he doesn’t know who he is anymore.

“He was again overwhelmed by how deeply she seemed to see him. When she looked at him, she seemed to be dissecting him—as if she were trying to fit pieces of a puzzle together. It surprised him how badly he wanted her to figure him out.”

The two enter a physical-only relationship, but a friendship quickly forms as well. When things start to get messy, will they run or stick it out? You will have to read to find out and believe me you won’t be disappointed.

I couldn’t put this book down! It made me laugh, cry and need to change my panties. I loved everything about it, especially all of the secondary characters. I can’t wait to find out who the next book is about, hopefully Alex and Cass. ~ Tiffany, 5 stars
Profile Image for Becky Fenner anderson.
94 reviews13 followers
April 27, 2015
E&H have done it again!

Lauren is a sweet girl but somehow trouble always manages to find her. When this last bit of trouble occurs she finds herself in financial trouble to pay back the owner of the bar. Her mom gets her a job at a Dr's office and Lauren can think of a thousand other things she'd rather be doing than working for a stuffy Dr.

Enter Dr. Scott. Not stuffy at all. The young, handsome Dr. immediately feels the connection with Lauren BUT, can they do anything about it? Dr. Scott doesn't "do" relationships and when he can no longer stay away from Lauren he lays it all out on the table. He can only offer so much and if she can live with that then it's game on!

Much like most of Elizabeth Hayley's books this one will have you laughing at and loving the characters! Not to mention some seriously HOT intimate moments.

The Best Medicine has it all and I highly recommend it. Enjoy! I sure did. :)
Profile Image for Sidney Halston.
Author 23 books1,141 followers
May 13, 2015
Loved this book! Who doesn't love a strong heroine, a doctor and witty banter? Can't wait for more from this hilarious writing duo!
Profile Image for OpenBookSociety.com .
4,106 reviews135 followers
June 6, 2015
http://openbooksociety.com/article/th...

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra

Overall, I enjoyed The Best Medicine, finding that I liked the story the further I got in the book. However, I must say one of the most annoying things about this book is that for approximately the first half of the book I found Lauren’s actions and attitude “young” for her actual age. She seemed to act like a teenager/child, yet she is in her late twenties…..and has almost earned her master’s degree! As an example:

Lauren states to her friends: “My mom works for a doctor who’s a total dipshit, and I plan on spending my time there driving him insane. End of story.”

Really??? A grown woman talking like this about her new boss? And, the new boss is giving her a chance after she was arrested and this is part of her way of earning money for restitution. I was even annoyed (both at Lauren’s mom and at Lauren herself) at the part where her mom had filled out Lauren’s employment paperwork and Lauren is fine with just signing where her mother has put post-it notes. All I had to say was…time to grow up Lauren.

Luckily for her and for my reading enjoyment, she did seem to move on from this infantile type of behaviour and mature….thus allowing me to finish the book instead of quitting part way through. Especially, since I thoroughly appreciated the hot, steam, sexy scenes. Boy can this author write!

While the beginning was disappointing, I did find the evolvement and maturation of both Lauren and Scott interesting and engaging. Though of course, they were both in constant denial. Take for example the scene where Lauren is out with her gal pals and she indicates that she will not want any strings to any relationship she is creating with Scott. So she invites Scott and his guy pals out to the bar she went to with the gals in an effort to prove that it is just a friend with benefits relationship they are developing. Though of course, her friend Simone can see right through this (as did this reader)….feelings are starting to develop. It was interesting to see that both needed to work through personal issues (and serious ones at that) before they were able to move in to more adult, healthy relationship. The issues were brought up with the appropriate amount of reverence and sensitivity. I thought they were well written and appropriately explored within the context of the story.

I did enjoy Lauren’s joie de vivre (a French phrase to express a cheerful enjoyment of life). The way she kicked Josh’s butt for physically and verbally assaulting her in the bar was totally awesome. It is never okay for a man to act the way Josh did. Even though it did get Lauren kicked out of the pub and arrested and she would not even press charges against Josh. This act alone showed her depth of character. Lauren’s appeal on the pediatric ward or her ease of talking with just about anyone (Scott’s mother for example) allowed for her charismatic personality to shine through.

The chapter titles were very witty….and added a certain something to the flavor of each chapter.

Given that the gal pack is of four women and this is the first of the series, I shall go out on a limb and guess that the other stories in the series are about Lauren’s other gal pals. I enjoyed the writing style of the author; I was engaged and interested in the story so…. I will wait patiently for the next installment of this series to see if the next story has the woman begin with a maturity more in keeping with her age? If you like a well-crafted story, with hot guys and sexy gals, well written (aka HOT) love scenes then pick up The Best Medicine, you won’t be disappointed.

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*
Profile Image for Kim.
2,443 reviews
June 20, 2015
Find this review and more at kimberlyfaye reads .

I love it when a book takes me completely and utterly by surprise and that’s exactly what happened with The Best Medicine. Looking at the cover I expected a fluffy romance that I would enjoy, but not much beyond that. In reality, I got a scorchingly hot book (dirty talker FTW) and a couple important life lessons.

I’ve seen several reviews from others who said Lauren bothered them in the beginning. I can honestly say I liked her from the start. Sure, she was a little abrasive, but I rolled with it. If anything, it took Scott longer to grow on me than it did Lauren. I was lukewarm to him for quite awhile – even with his dirty, dirty mouth (*rawr*) – yet I was hooked on the story and the dynamic between these characters. Lauren was a tough cookie, but he handled her really well. I loved their banter and the sexual tension was through the roof. The fact is, I enjoy a well-written antagonistic attraction nearly as much as I do stories of short-term arrangements that grow into more. All the boxes were ticked on this one.

At the risk of giving away an important part of Lauren’s backstory, I have to comment on one of the parts of the book that took me so by surprise. Midway through the book, Scott drops a gay slur in what is meant to be a humorous way. Few things raise my own personal hackles more quickly than when this happens – in real life or in a book. It was like a knife in the Lauren’s gut and she let him have it. I wanted to stand up and cheer as she stood up to him on this. Then I wanted to (um, did) cry as she told him why this was such a big deal to her personally. It was a most unexpected moment and one that will stand out to me for a long time to come.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I dove right in and couldn’t even think about stopping until I finished it. I connected with the characters and couldn’t get enough of their stories. I think The Best Medicine was a great start to a new series. I know I’m already anxiously awaiting the second book, Just Say Yes, which releases in December. It’s also worth mentioning I really, really hope Lauren’s friend Sam gets his own book as well. I think his story deserves to be told, even if it starts out as a bit of a heartbreaker. I’m looking forward to all of these!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Eboné.
92 reviews
June 2, 2015
****ARC RECEIVED IN EXCHANGE FOR A HONEST REVIEW***

The Best Medicine is an addictive read; you won’t want to put it down and when it ends you’ll curse Elizabeth Hayley for not writing more. Elizabeth and Hayley wrote a seamless, intense, lustful, quirky, and passionate love story so well that you cannot tell who wrote what to the point where I think these two women share one brain.

Lauren Hastings is slightly behind on life compared to her best friends Quinn, Cass, and Simone. After some unfortunate personal family issues, Lauren is continuing her graduate degree while her friends have moved on to successful careers. Insert a night of partying, a douche bag, and causing a commotion that lands Lauren in the drunk tank for the night, court dates, restitution, and there you have one-half of the beginning of a messy yet enjoyable passionate…I mean sarcastic love story. ;-)

The other half of this sarcasm fueled love story, yes there’s love is doctor…yes Doctor Scott Jacobs; the doctor that employs Lauren to aid in fixing her mess. Dr. Jacobs is a closed off man, he keeps everyone at arm’s length…everyone. And Lauren unknowingly finds his weak spot. Boy did that weak spot end up finding her hot spot and those hot spots are enticing, seductive, and sexy. Seriously, you have to read this book! Anyway, Scott and Lauren both manage to breakdown walls that the other has up and that is where this love story begins albeit in a highly precariously way.

The Best Medicine is certainly an excellent dose of writing to feed your book lovers addiction. And you will become addicted to this story. Bravo ladies, bravo.
Profile Image for Autumn.
908 reviews10 followers
June 29, 2015
Guest Post on Agents of Romance -

Lauren Hastings never intentionally went looking for trouble, but somehow it always found her. To pay her debt to society, she’s stuck working in a doctor’s office with her mother.

She plans on keeping her head down and her focus on returning to university finish her master’s degree. But working in close proximity to Dr. Scott Jacobs is turning out to be more difficult than she ever imagined.

Dr. Scott was a medical prodigy who pushed himself to succeed from a very young age. At only twenty-nine, he’s heading up his father’s practice and has a sterling reputation with his patients. The one thing that he isn’t an expert at – is relationships.

He knows that he’s whole package – accomplished, driven and more than just a little gorgeous – but he keeps everyone at arm’s length. But when he meets the beautiful and vivacious Lauren who can give him as good as she gets – he thinks that they can have a no-strings attached affair that will eventually burn itself out. He had never been more wrong.

The Best Medicine was so much more than I expected. I anticipated it would be just a romantic comedy but instead found a book with equal amounts of both humor and emotion.

Don’t get me wrong. The banter is epic – but Elizabeth Hayley used it to show the many layers of each of their characters. It’s how they confronted their pain and loss. It’s also how they strengthened their friendships and their devotion for each other.

The next installment in the series, Just Say Yes is set for release in December and I have to say that I’m so in…
Profile Image for Red Cheeks Reads.
2,279 reviews373 followers
December 1, 2015
Elizabeth Hayley is a duo that I can count on to make me laugh and anxious all at the same time but no matter what happens I am always left with a smile on my face and desperate for more from them. A fan of their work since they first started publishing I was extremely excited to see what they would produce with their first foray into traditional publishing, I was not disappointed!

Graduate student Lauren has a knack for trouble and her most recent problem landed her briefly in jail and needing a job to pay for damage to a bar. Her mom arranges her to have a job at the doctor office where she works but never did she expect the man in charge, Dr. Scott, to be a sexy and intimating man who gets her blood boiling. Only 29 years old Scott is much younger than she expected a man running his own practice to be and while he can infuriate her like no other she also desperately wants to see what he looks like naked.

‘His desire for her made him feel vulnerable and self-conscious. And he fucking hated it.’

Lauren and Scott hooked me with their banter and quick wit and excited me with the fact that they could sets the sheets afire. The first book in the series I am instantly hooked and eager to read more of these interconnected standalones!

~miranda
Profile Image for Cocktails and Books.
4,144 reviews323 followers
April 26, 2015
Rina's Thoughts
This was an easy read with enjoyable characters. Lo is open and inviting and Scott is closed off because his mother has shown her how much he shouldn't trust women. An easy companionable sexual relationship becomes more than they bargained for and Scott runs off, refusing to become his father. I love that Lo doesn't beg and let him go to her once he'd decided not to let his mother's transgrations scar him anymore.

I'm looking forward to Tim's story
This review was originally posted on Cocktails and Books.
Profile Image for Anne Holly.
Author 11 books29 followers
August 24, 2016
Hero is a jerk; heroine is beyond immature and grating. I had to bail on this one fairly quickly, as I couldn't handle spending time with these people.

Also, as a side note: "she's about to get her master's in psychology... something she thought she'd never have to deal with again: a part-time job". What's that sound? It's hundreds of academics and post-grads laughing.

ETA: The trans-phobic joke on the very first page was not a great way to win my good will towards this book.
15 reviews2 followers
April 26, 2015
Loved this book! it's always great when the female lead is a strong character with sass! just the right amount of comedy and sexiness in the book! 5 stars!
Profile Image for Jules Batemen.
Author 1 book9 followers
June 2, 2015
I really enjoyed this book. The setup wasn't like others I've read before. I thoroughly enjoyed it and can't wait for the rest in the series.
Profile Image for Megan ~The Never Ending Book Basket.
2,365 reviews92 followers
May 4, 2015
When I sat down to read The Best Medicine by Elizabeth Hayley I knew that I should probably expect some hysterical laugh out loud moments and lines, some searing hot moments filled to the brim with some serious heat, and characters that would engage the heck out of me because of how phenomenally these authors write.

Well, The Best Medicine gave me all of that, and more.

It gave me more humor and wit that had one seriously big smile on my face. (My jaw actually kind of hurt after reading this book because of how much I was laughing and smiling while reading. Seriously.) It gave me more heat and fire and connection between these two characters than I knew what to do with, and that just amplified every single thing they shared in this outstanding book. It also gave me two dynamic, headstrong, and enrapturing characters that I immensely enjoyed getting to know over the course of this book.

Basically, The Best Medicine gave me a whole lot of incredible things, and it is most assuredly one of my top reads for the year.

I loved this book. Every wonderful aspect of it was amazing, and outstandingly written, and just fanfreakingtastic. What can I say? I really, really loved this book.

I LOVED, and I mean loved Scott and Lauren’s story. I felt connected to it while reading. I loved getting to experience this story with them, through both of their eyes, as it allowed me to feel so connected to them and what was happening.

I felt what they felt. I thought what they thought. I experienced the same things they experienced. I laughed at the same things they did, blushed probably a tad more than they actually did, and I sure as hell felt the insanely hot connection between these two. I so totally understood them too. I got their hesitations, their wonderings, their anger, their passion, their connection, their longing, their insecurities. I got it all. Every single wondrous and unforgettable little bit.

Experiencing all of that with these two remarkable characters was possible because of the extraordinary writing of Elizabeth Hayley. Their writing is seamless and fresh and witty, and just allows you to get right into the thick of this story with these characters. Their writing gives you the chance to get to know these characters, layer by thoughtfully crafted layer, and you get the phenomenal opportunity to understand and love them more the deeper you get into their story.

Elizabeth Hayley’s writing gives you the opportunity to fully experience what you’re reading, and there is truly nothing better than that. It probably also helps that this book, like their others is brimming with more charm, humor, sarcasm, and the best kind of ridiculousness than you can shake a stick at.

One thing that Elizabeth Hayley most certainly knows how to do, is create unique and vibrant characters that I love and am practically chomping at the bit to get to know. Case in point: Scott and Lauren. (And ALL OF THEIR FRIENDS!)

Lauren’s character was spirited and vibrant in the most fantastic ways. That girl is real, and honest, and tells it like it is. I had mad respect for her because of that. She’s fiercely determined and sharp as a tack too. She’s also someone who can appreciate being completely ridiculous, and is spontaneous in the best possible ways. I especially loved how thoughtful she was, and how that was exemplified so fantastically throughout this book. Let me tell you, that girl is with it. The more I got to know her character, the more I loved her and wanted to be friends with her. And all of her friends for that matter.

I loved that as the story progressed and I got to know Lauren’s character more, I got to understand more of her past and her personality. Like all of the characters in this book, Lauren has many thoughtfully written layers to her, and it was nothing short of phenomenal to learn more about her, her past, and her choices and the vulnerabilities that came with them. Getting to know her on that level had my heart going to her repeatedly, and just reiterated over and over again how exceptional of a character she was.

Did I mention she’s hysterical, and witty, and kind of the best? Because she’s all that and more. I truly heart that girl something fierce.

Now Scott’s character was one that I was instantly pulled into. There’s definitely a level of cockiness to him and that man is certainly very stubborn, but oh is he charming. He’s also insanely good to imagine in a lab coat. Hot doctor. Need I say more? He is a man who gets what he wants, and he’s definitely got a strong determined side to him. Underneath all of that though is a man with a truly good heart who isn’t looking for any kind of commitment. He likes to keep people at a distant, especially those of the female persuasion, but Lauren gets to him in such a way that brings out so many things about Scott’s dynamic character.

What I think I liked most about Scott was that there was much more to him than initially meets the eye. Scott hides behind a lot of things, and it was simply outstanding to see, learn, and experience the reasoning behind why he made the choices he did. You really get to know a lot more about his past, and why things are the way they are with him. As much as I sometimes wish I could’ve reached in and shook his character for the nonsense he thought and did, because of how his past and feelings are so superbly written, I just got it and him. I knew and understood his character, and exploring those layers of him was just fantastic because it allowed him to feel so immensely real.

Did I mention he’s a really good looking doctor who is bound and determined to melt your heart? And something else for that matter… That man has full on McDreamy status with me.

Lauren and Scott’s relationship, or non-relationship if you ask them, was superb. It had the perfect amount of heat and passion and sexiness to it. These two characters are practically firecrackers together, and when they come together things get sparkly, insanely hot, and explosive within a matter of seconds. All of that chemistry and pull towards one another just heightened everything they shared, and pulled me more into their story.

Reading these two try and figure out what in the world they had going and where it was all possibly headed or not headed was fantastic. Elizabeth Hayley truly captures every single aspect and feeling that goes along with these two trying to figure all of that out. Those two also know their way around some good banter, and they can really go at it with one another, but that’s what just makes them so spectacular.

The Best Medicine is a book that not only gave me Lauren and Scott, but it also gave me the fabulous distinctive people that came with them, aka their friends and family members. Each of those little gems were engaging, and fun, and had me loving their unique personalities. They had me laughing out loud, feeling like I was part of a really cool group of authentic and seriously entertaining people, and they just helped glue every fabulous part of this story together. I for one cannot wait to spend more time getting to know all of them better as this series continues.

Lauren and Scott’s story in The Best Medicine is a lot of things. It’s funny and charming with the right amount of heat that is balanced superbly with a thoughtfully crafted story that just doesn’t quit. In this book Elizabeth Hayley gives you a story with so many incredible aspects to it. The way all of the tremendously well written pieces of these remarkable characters and their outstanding story comes together will just leave you in complete elation because of what it gives you and allows you to experience.

All those feelings. All those heated and passion filled moments. All that realness. All that fun. All those exceptionally written layers.

You get to experience it all, and that’s just part of what makes this book an exceptional read.

The writing duo that is Elizabeth Hayley are two of my favorite authors for a reason. They give you everything in one amazing package. Exceptional writing and storytelling, characters that are just about every positive adjective under the sun, and a reading experience that allows you to escape and fall hopelessly in love with the world and people they’ve so wonderfully created.

The Best Medicine is guaranteed to give you so many magnificent things, but most of all, it will give you a book that will give you one helluva reading experience that you truly won’t want to have end.

And did I also happen to mention that there’s a hot doctor in this book?...
Profile Image for CherryRed’s Reads.
977 reviews8 followers
June 2, 2015










I really enjoyed this book!











This book had a great mix of humor, sexiness, emotions that flooded the pages.  I could not put this book down.  Once I started I could not wait to finish it.  I was laughing soo much and also needing a fan to cool myself off while reading.






Lauren & Scott are a great duo!  Especially sexually.  Their chemistry heated the pages.  Once they started, it was a never ending fun fest for both of them.



But....of course what happens when things start to get a bit complicated?  Scott has issues that he can't seem to incorporate into his feelings for Lauren.



You will have to read to find out what happens and if Scott let's it go or not.



We also get introduced to some other characters that will be in this series which I am looking forward to read about.



Elizabeth Haley are a great duo of ladies who I have had the pleasure of meeting.  They are hilarious in person as they are in their books!  Make sure to meet up with them at upcoming events!



Pick up this read to get your summer started out right with a bang!











**ARC kindly provided by Publisher in exchange for an honest review**










5 Cherries Popped




    



404 reviews
March 31, 2022
Beginning and ending with a dust-up in a local bar where the police are called the story has a true circular feel. When Lauren gets into some legal trouble after a ruckus at a local dive bar, her mother gets her a job in her Doctor's practice to be able to pay off her debts. The head doctor of the practice is Dr. Scott Jacobs and he cannot believe he allowed himself to be talked into having some ruffian working in his office. Assumptions and preconceived prejudices on both sides get shaken when Dr. Scott and Lauren develop an unlikely friendship. Each attracted to the other an agreement is reached for more. However, agreements are meant to be broken, right? The addition of Lauren's life paralleling her psychology studies in graduate school only add an authenticity and verisimilitude to the story.

What grabbed me most were the chapter titles as they were hysterical and yet somehow fitting every time, the amazing verbal repartee between our two lead characters Dr. Scott and Lauren, and the dry somewhat snarky sense of humor displayed. It really made the book a page-turner for me.
Profile Image for Rupa.
95 reviews1 follower
September 5, 2021
This is book for lovers of Christina Lauren! I can't believe its so underrated. I loved the flow of this book, loved the laugh out loud moments, the witty banter between the MC's and their flaws. Can't wait to read the rest of the series. My new favorite author!
Profile Image for Emma.
4,964 reviews12 followers
January 4, 2018
Five seconds into the book and I'm already falling in love with Lauren's character. She is such a hoot.
944 reviews
March 8, 2018
Three stars is generous but she did a good job keeping the characters from being flat. My lower rating because it’s not my style of romance.
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