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Together On Our Own
After an unexpected patient death, an ER doctor turns to the hospital’s AI as a confidant while the death toll keeps rising. Written by a practicing emergency room doctor.
Alex Galen is a thirty-one-year-old emergency medicine resident barely keeping it together. After a patient’s unexpected death puts her on probation, her confidence — and her sense of purpose — begin to unravel. Outside the hospital, she’s alone, anxious, and drowning in a sea of Law & Order reruns and social media feeds that make everyone else’s life look more together than hers.
When the hospital rolls out a new AI system designed to streamline care, Alex finds unexpected comfort in its nonjudgmental, always-on presence. She starts sharing things she can’t say to anyone else. She even gives the system a name, Henry, after a quiet, observant fellow resident who, in real life, is the one person she’s been trying not to notice.
But AI Henry isn’t real. And everything she tells him is being recorded.
As Alex and the real Henry begin to question another patient’s suspicious death, can they uncover the truth before it's too late?
With the gritty intensity of The Pitt, Together On Our Own is a medical thriller with the heart of a rom-com.
Alex Galen is a thirty-one-year-old emergency medicine resident barely keeping it together. After a patient’s unexpected death puts her on probation, her confidence — and her sense of purpose — begin to unravel. Outside the hospital, she’s alone, anxious, and drowning in a sea of Law & Order reruns and social media feeds that make everyone else’s life look more together than hers.
When the hospital rolls out a new AI system designed to streamline care, Alex finds unexpected comfort in its nonjudgmental, always-on presence. She starts sharing things she can’t say to anyone else. She even gives the system a name, Henry, after a quiet, observant fellow resident who, in real life, is the one person she’s been trying not to notice.
But AI Henry isn’t real. And everything she tells him is being recorded.
As Alex and the real Henry begin to question another patient’s suspicious death, can they uncover the truth before it's too late?
With the gritty intensity of The Pitt, Together On Our Own is a medical thriller with the heart of a rom-com.
- GenresFictionContemporary
264 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 20, 2025
About the author
Eliana Megerman
1 book18 followersEliana Megerman is an emergency medicine physician who leaves the knife fights and heart attacks behind to write novels between shifts. Her lifelong love of books and film led her from screenplays to short stories and novels, and her work has appeared in several literary magazines. Together On Our Own is her debut novel.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
December 8, 2025
4.5. Really enjoyed this. Impressed as it is a debut novel. Hope there are more to come.
December 10, 2025
Rating - 4/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Date Read - December 4, 2025
Publication Date - Available Now!
*I received an E-ARC of this book for free in exchange for an honest review* - Thank you @elianamegerman!
I really enjoyed getting the perspective of an ER doctor written by an ER doctor in Together On Our Own, it felt more realistic and authentic. This book feels like watching an episode of House with all the patient interactions and life experience of the people who work at a hospital, while also solving a mystery. Going into the book, I admit that I was a little worried it would be all about AI and I am not someone who seeks out opportunities to use AI, but it’s written in a way that can appeal to anyone. With how character focused the story is, there’s a lot of depth and emotion, it really makes you think. I love that this book highlights the importance of people in caring professions taking care of their own mental health and that it’s okay for them to need help too. I also appreciate how the ending summarizes the lessons learned through the book because it felt like a little love letter to the reader from the author. Together On Our Own is a great debut and I’ll be keeping an eye out for Eliana's next book!
Get excited to read Together on our Own, available now! 🎉
*Please check trigger warnings*
Date Read - December 4, 2025
Publication Date - Available Now!
*I received an E-ARC of this book for free in exchange for an honest review* - Thank you @elianamegerman!
I really enjoyed getting the perspective of an ER doctor written by an ER doctor in Together On Our Own, it felt more realistic and authentic. This book feels like watching an episode of House with all the patient interactions and life experience of the people who work at a hospital, while also solving a mystery. Going into the book, I admit that I was a little worried it would be all about AI and I am not someone who seeks out opportunities to use AI, but it’s written in a way that can appeal to anyone. With how character focused the story is, there’s a lot of depth and emotion, it really makes you think. I love that this book highlights the importance of people in caring professions taking care of their own mental health and that it’s okay for them to need help too. I also appreciate how the ending summarizes the lessons learned through the book because it felt like a little love letter to the reader from the author. Together On Our Own is a great debut and I’ll be keeping an eye out for Eliana's next book!
Get excited to read Together on our Own, available now! 🎉
*Please check trigger warnings*
April 9, 2026
Thank you to the author for a gifted finished copy of the ebook of this novel!
This novel follows Alex, who is a thirty-year old emergency medicine resident. After she unexpectedly loses a patient, she struggles with doubts that impact her confidence when treating patients that ultimately leads to her reliance on a new AI tool her hospital is introducing to assist with patient care. Calling the AI system Henry, Alex finds herself talking to Henry more and more, both at work and outside of it. Meanwhile, another patient dies under suspicious circumstances.
It is abundantly clear that the author comes to this work with great firsthand knowledge of the medical field. I felt for Alex as she navigates the punishing demands of her chosen career. This reminded me so much of the gritty and raw depiction of working within medicine as seen on the TV show The Pitt. This is no romanticized depiction of healthcare but a look behind the veil at the pressure, the bureaucracy, and the beast that is American healthcare. It was also a glaring indictment of the way the doctors are trained, expected to push themselves beyond their limits, show up even when sick, and never complain or ask for help: "Even as they told us that we could always ask for help, the unwritten rule was to never, ever, under any circumstance, ask for help." I felt such empathy for Alex as she struggles with the guilt over the death of her patient: "At night when I closed my eyes, I saw that patient and I couldn't sleep. I turned over and she was in bed with me, begging for her life. I wanted to quit."
Going in, I did not expect this book to be so much of a thriller!! The tension escalated as the book went on and I was so anxious to see what would happen next and if Alex would be able to figure out what was going in. I was so nervous for her and her friends! I really enjoyed the mystery aspect of this book and was so anxious to get to the bottom of what was going on.
I really appreciated that the author tackled AI within healthcare, an extremely relevant topic, in such a nuanced and realistic way. Alex is comforted by the AI, which seems to offer assurance and backup for her decisions and even helps assuage her loneliness. But the AI system isn't infallible and can lead her astray. And it is recording their every interaction.
I did feel like there were a couple places where the flow was a bit rough and the pacing of the novel was just slightly off. I also would have liked a little more depth to the characters and their relationships, but nothing significant enough to impact my understanding and enjoyment. Overall, this was an excellent read that draws on the author's experiences, touches on topical themes, and had some pretty heady suspense as the novel progressed! I would recommend this to anyone who works in or has interest in healthcare or reading about the medical world and anyone who likes thrillers and mysteries.
This novel follows Alex, who is a thirty-year old emergency medicine resident. After she unexpectedly loses a patient, she struggles with doubts that impact her confidence when treating patients that ultimately leads to her reliance on a new AI tool her hospital is introducing to assist with patient care. Calling the AI system Henry, Alex finds herself talking to Henry more and more, both at work and outside of it. Meanwhile, another patient dies under suspicious circumstances.
It is abundantly clear that the author comes to this work with great firsthand knowledge of the medical field. I felt for Alex as she navigates the punishing demands of her chosen career. This reminded me so much of the gritty and raw depiction of working within medicine as seen on the TV show The Pitt. This is no romanticized depiction of healthcare but a look behind the veil at the pressure, the bureaucracy, and the beast that is American healthcare. It was also a glaring indictment of the way the doctors are trained, expected to push themselves beyond their limits, show up even when sick, and never complain or ask for help: "Even as they told us that we could always ask for help, the unwritten rule was to never, ever, under any circumstance, ask for help." I felt such empathy for Alex as she struggles with the guilt over the death of her patient: "At night when I closed my eyes, I saw that patient and I couldn't sleep. I turned over and she was in bed with me, begging for her life. I wanted to quit."
Going in, I did not expect this book to be so much of a thriller!! The tension escalated as the book went on and I was so anxious to see what would happen next and if Alex would be able to figure out what was going in. I was so nervous for her and her friends! I really enjoyed the mystery aspect of this book and was so anxious to get to the bottom of what was going on.
I really appreciated that the author tackled AI within healthcare, an extremely relevant topic, in such a nuanced and realistic way. Alex is comforted by the AI, which seems to offer assurance and backup for her decisions and even helps assuage her loneliness. But the AI system isn't infallible and can lead her astray. And it is recording their every interaction.
I did feel like there were a couple places where the flow was a bit rough and the pacing of the novel was just slightly off. I also would have liked a little more depth to the characters and their relationships, but nothing significant enough to impact my understanding and enjoyment. Overall, this was an excellent read that draws on the author's experiences, touches on topical themes, and had some pretty heady suspense as the novel progressed! I would recommend this to anyone who works in or has interest in healthcare or reading about the medical world and anyone who likes thrillers and mysteries.
March 20, 2026
Let me start by saying that I am in awe of anyone who writes and publishes a book. And that my respect ramps up enormously when the author’s day job is in a high pressure, high stakes environment. Eliana Megerman is an emergency medicine physician who has drawn on her years of ER experience in writing her debut novel, Together On Our Own.
To my mind the story has four key themes.
The life of an ER resident facing burnout: there was no doubting the authenticity of this thread of the narrative. The descriptions of how medical staff are treated by the system, the administrators and patients, what is expected of them (and equally importantly what they are most definitely not expected to do!) and the toll it takes on their wellbeing, are vividly and comprehensively conveyed.
The launch of a medical AI chatbot assistant: this was a fascinating and topical plot device. The author explores aspects of privacy, autonomy, cognitive bias, and the boundaries of human reliance on the technology and engagement with it. But in a medical setting I thought there might have been scope for an even edgier, jeopardy laced, AI storyline.
Relationship challenges: 31-year-old protagonist, Alex, struggles to make relationships stick. She goes on dates arranged by apps with dubious credentials and is under persistent pressure from family and friends to find “the one” and start a family. This felt like a well-trodden trope path, safely rather than daringly navigated, but to be honest this subgenre is not my natural fiction habitat!
A sentinel incident: we discover that one of Alex’s patients has died recently and unexpectedly while under her care. This event was seamlessly introduced and the consequences of it, both self-inflicted and peer imposed, were eminently credible. How that sentinel incident was resolved required a suspension of disbelief, although I did appreciate a haziness of motivation, reflecting that not everything in healthcare has a neat and tidy outcome.
This is a very readable, slow-release, medical mystery story, sheathed in cutting edge technology, with a romantic nucleus.
A big thank you to Eliana Megerman for sending me a copy to read and review.
To my mind the story has four key themes.
The life of an ER resident facing burnout: there was no doubting the authenticity of this thread of the narrative. The descriptions of how medical staff are treated by the system, the administrators and patients, what is expected of them (and equally importantly what they are most definitely not expected to do!) and the toll it takes on their wellbeing, are vividly and comprehensively conveyed.
The launch of a medical AI chatbot assistant: this was a fascinating and topical plot device. The author explores aspects of privacy, autonomy, cognitive bias, and the boundaries of human reliance on the technology and engagement with it. But in a medical setting I thought there might have been scope for an even edgier, jeopardy laced, AI storyline.
Relationship challenges: 31-year-old protagonist, Alex, struggles to make relationships stick. She goes on dates arranged by apps with dubious credentials and is under persistent pressure from family and friends to find “the one” and start a family. This felt like a well-trodden trope path, safely rather than daringly navigated, but to be honest this subgenre is not my natural fiction habitat!
A sentinel incident: we discover that one of Alex’s patients has died recently and unexpectedly while under her care. This event was seamlessly introduced and the consequences of it, both self-inflicted and peer imposed, were eminently credible. How that sentinel incident was resolved required a suspension of disbelief, although I did appreciate a haziness of motivation, reflecting that not everything in healthcare has a neat and tidy outcome.
This is a very readable, slow-release, medical mystery story, sheathed in cutting edge technology, with a romantic nucleus.
A big thank you to Eliana Megerman for sending me a copy to read and review.
March 9, 2026
I absolutely loved this debut novel – it's original, funny in parts, with a brilliant build-up of suspense and distinct, memorable characters.
Alex Galen is a thirty-one-year-old emergency medicine resident barely holding it together. After a patient's unexpected death puts her on probation, her confidence unravels. Alone and anxious, drowning in Law & Order reruns and social media feeds that make everyone else's life look perfect, she finds unexpected comfort in the hospital's new AI system. She starts sharing things she can't tell anyone else, even naming it Henry after a fellow resident she's been trying not to notice.
But AI Henry isn't real. And everything she tells him is being recorded.
Eliana Megerman is an emergency medicine physician herself, so the medical details are pitch-perfect. This is a quietly suspenseful, deeply human novel about burnout, vulnerability, loneliness, and the challenges of connection in an age of technology.
Highly recommended for anyone who loves character-driven fiction that explores what it means to be human in our increasingly digital world.
Alex Galen is a thirty-one-year-old emergency medicine resident barely holding it together. After a patient's unexpected death puts her on probation, her confidence unravels. Alone and anxious, drowning in Law & Order reruns and social media feeds that make everyone else's life look perfect, she finds unexpected comfort in the hospital's new AI system. She starts sharing things she can't tell anyone else, even naming it Henry after a fellow resident she's been trying not to notice.
But AI Henry isn't real. And everything she tells him is being recorded.
Eliana Megerman is an emergency medicine physician herself, so the medical details are pitch-perfect. This is a quietly suspenseful, deeply human novel about burnout, vulnerability, loneliness, and the challenges of connection in an age of technology.
Highly recommended for anyone who loves character-driven fiction that explores what it means to be human in our increasingly digital world.
April 12, 2026
In Together on Our Own, we are thrust into the desperate loneliness and paralyzing uncertainty gripping 31-year-old emergency medicine resident, Alex Galen. After the shocking, unexpected death of a young patient under her care, her world shatters. Questioning her very competence, she befriends the AI assistant app her hospital implemented—not just for life-or-death medical calls, but for reading assignments, and even advice on her disastrous love life. When a sinister pattern of other unexpected deaths begins to plague the hospital, Alex is forced to recruit a fellow resident to unravel the dark mystery and, ultimately, clear herself of the crushing guilt in her patient's demise. Eliana Megerman's portrayal of Alex is a raw, heart-pounding, and tragically timely glimpse into the realities of medicine, including physician autonomy and privacy. I can't wait to read more of Dr. Megerman’s novels!
March 12, 2026
I thought Together on Our Own was an okay read, but it wasn’t a favorite for me. The story follows an ER resident dealing with stress at work while navigating relationships and the introduction of an AI system at the hospital, which creates some interesting moments and questions about connection and technology.
While the premise was intriguing, I found the plot fairly predictable and didn’t feel very surprised by where the story went. The medical setting and perspective from an ER doctor were interesting, and the writing was solid, but the book didn’t fully grab my attention the way I hoped it would.
Overall, I liked it well enough, but it’s not one that will stick with me or become a favorite.
While the premise was intriguing, I found the plot fairly predictable and didn’t feel very surprised by where the story went. The medical setting and perspective from an ER doctor were interesting, and the writing was solid, but the book didn’t fully grab my attention the way I hoped it would.
Overall, I liked it well enough, but it’s not one that will stick with me or become a favorite.
May 5, 2026
Eliana Megerman writes what she knows — and she knows her way around a hospital emergency room. As a real-life emergency room physician, Megerman captures the feel of the emergency room and realistically portrays her first person narrator Alex and those who surround her in this hospital setting. The story line is new and relevant, exploring AI in the medical setting, and how it can be useful and engaging, but can it replace a human relationship or a human mind to diagnose a patient, or solve the problem of how to get kids to clean up their toys. Throw. in some mysterious deaths, and our heroine under suspicion and you get a fast-paced, interesting and thoughtful read.
December 2, 2025
A medical thriller with the heart of a romcom
Alex Galen is a complex heroine for our times – wrestling with her ambitions, fears, hopes and dreams. When a professional setback threatens to derail her career, Alex has to dig deep to understand how to overcome her fears, build a trusted network and speak truth to power. The story includes the additional cutting-edge topic of how AI is impacting the way we live and work, even as we are just in the testing phase of the new technology. Try it in book club – the discussion will be very interesting!
Alex Galen is a complex heroine for our times – wrestling with her ambitions, fears, hopes and dreams. When a professional setback threatens to derail her career, Alex has to dig deep to understand how to overcome her fears, build a trusted network and speak truth to power. The story includes the additional cutting-edge topic of how AI is impacting the way we live and work, even as we are just in the testing phase of the new technology. Try it in book club – the discussion will be very interesting!
January 31, 2026
Together On Our Own offers a unique spin on the traditional medical drama. The core idea—an ER resident navigating burnout by confiding in an AI that mirrors a real-life colleague—is incredibly creative and feels very "now."
It’s a more deliberate, slow-burn story that focuses on the psychological blurring of digital and real-life intimacy. If you’re looking for a plot that explores the inventive intersection of technology and human connection, this storyline definitely delivers something different than your standard hospital thriller.
It’s a more deliberate, slow-burn story that focuses on the psychological blurring of digital and real-life intimacy. If you’re looking for a plot that explores the inventive intersection of technology and human connection, this storyline definitely delivers something different than your standard hospital thriller.
December 22, 2025
An excellent page-turner!
Megerman has written a gripping hospital based drama. The setting and colour are all spot on since a real doctor wrote them (none of your Grey's Anatomy nonsense here), and the feelings of exhaustion, imposter-syndrome and stomach-roiling fear are perfectly described.
I stayed up late two nights to finish this, the tension wound me up so tight. Some very believable characters, and oh-so-relatable relationships.
I'm only sorry it was finished so soon!
Megerman has written a gripping hospital based drama. The setting and colour are all spot on since a real doctor wrote them (none of your Grey's Anatomy nonsense here), and the feelings of exhaustion, imposter-syndrome and stomach-roiling fear are perfectly described.
I stayed up late two nights to finish this, the tension wound me up so tight. Some very believable characters, and oh-so-relatable relationships.
I'm only sorry it was finished so soon!
February 16, 2026
Together on Our Own grabbed me right from the first chapter and didn’t let go until I finished it at 2AM. The story has that rare momentum where you tell yourself you’ll stop after one more page, and suddenly you’ve finished half the book without noticing. It’s surprisingly relatable, especially as we’re all trying to navigate this new world of AI and figure out how it’s reshaping not just our work, but our relationships too.
February 16, 2026
I so enjoyed this book and am encouraging all my friends to read it as well. The author does a fantastic job of creating the inner world of the protagonist, as well as the world she in inhabits. The book is full of likeable, relatable characters (and some we don't like so much) and the exciting plot pulls us along until the very satisfying conclusion. Highly recommended!
March 8, 2026
It usually takes me a while to finish a book, but this one I couldn’t put down! I love how modern it is, with its inclusion of the use of artificial intelligence. I found myself easily connecting with the main character. I am very impressed with the book and I’m looking forward to more of the author’s work!
February 9, 2026
Finished this book on my flight home and couldn’t put it down. I’m an audiobook listener, but this one demanded my full attention. Smart, funny, a little dark, and written by a real ER physician — you can feel it. Highly recommend ❤️
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February 16, 2026A very accurate and witty portrayal of backstage at the hospital. This book says so much about modern medicine, family, and our companions, both human and digital. Highly recommended to anyone who works in a hospital or has gone to one.
December 13, 2025
Well written and engaging from the get go.
January 25, 2026
Wonderful book! Didn’t want to put it down!
February 1, 2026
A real page turner. I enjoyed every moment and loved how it all came together. Highly recommend reading this if you enjoy mystery, medicine, AI, or romance. It has it all!
February 7, 2026
I loved this! A really quick read with interesting characters, and great insights about the ER, being a resident, and being human. I look forward to more books by this author
March 15, 2026
Enjoyed this read, loved how the story pulled me in and it gave me plenty to contemplate. Thanks for a great book!
March 27, 2026
I loved this book!
Started to read it and finished the whole thing in one weekend. Highly recommended
Started to read it and finished the whole thing in one weekend. Highly recommended
March 27, 2026
Grabbed my attention from the first line. Great book. Highly recommend.
May 11, 2026
2.5 ⭐️ interesting plot but felt that parts of the book read very slow while the plot twist went too quickly. Did enjoy the medical based drama!
Thank you to Goodreads for the giveaway!
Thank you to Goodreads for the giveaway!
April 3, 2026
This debut novel is the perfect book for our times, when AI is everywhere and many of us spend a good deal of time interacting with AI agents and chatbots. The story follows Alex Galen, a 31 year-old exhausted ER resident who is coming undone, her confidence waning following a patient’s sudden death. She’s unable to get through dates without revealing grisly details about bodies that no one wants to hear. When her hospital pilots a new AI system to help with diagnoses, Alex is initially hesitant but soon drawn in, not only by its clinical efficiency, but by the unexpected comfort of having something/someone to confide in. Things begin to unravel when HR discovers she’s been using the tool beyond its intended scope, including trying to clear her own name and uncover patterns in a series of unexplained deaths. No further spoilers, only to say that Alex is a compelling character and that this is a smart, sharp, and genuinely fun read, an excellent escape, especially now. (An example of the wit found in the book are the blurbs on the back cover from ChatGPT (“Smart, funny, and surprisingly tender.”) and others. Also, the author is an emergency medicine doctor in real life, so she knows of what she writes. Give this one a read!
November 19, 2025
Fantastic book! I loved the blend of medicine and AI and suspense and romance. Well written and fast paced. Exciting and enjoyable read. I highly highly recommend!
January 20, 2026
My friend wrote a book! As an ER doctor, this author is uniquely positioned to write about Alex, an ER resident. The hospital administration has introduced a new AI system to help the doctors with their diagnoses. Alex begins telling the AI app everything, including her doubts about a recent patient death. This gets the attention of those in charge and Alex begins to suspect a cover up. With the help of another resident named Henry, she begins to investigate. I was happy to read this book by my friend. It made me wonder if the depiction of the ER was true to her own life. It also made me think about AI as a tool and the way it can lead to isolation from other humans. I could see this story happening on one of the medical shows I love to watch!
May 2, 2026
Fantastic Medical novel!
Beautifully and realistically done!
I love her relationships with friends, her parents and her friends’ parents, with her more-than-friend, and with AI.
Beautifully done!
Beautifully and realistically done!
I love her relationships with friends, her parents and her friends’ parents, with her more-than-friend, and with AI.
Beautifully done!
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews