Perfectly Patient

by Laurelyn Estes

THE DOCTOR

The line between life and death is paper thin. Ending lives is no more or less exciting than saving them. We like to pretend we're evolved, but outside of clothes and the restraint of societal law--people are predators. We're creatures controlled by the chemicals in our brains.

When chance puts a mildly wounded doe-eyed woman on my path, the chemicals in my head shift. Patching her up and releasing her back out into the world is not enough; I want to keep her. The world is a dangerous place full of dangerous people, but I can keep her safe. I can take care of her. I can make her love me.

THE DOE

I've never been a runner or a fighter. I move through life walking the path of least resistance and trust that it'll eventually put me where I need to be. Every person is supposed to have a place in the world; I just don't know where mine is yet.

I never thought I would get kidnapped in my thirties. The man who holds me captive is as cold as death itself. He cuts away the trappings of my old life and my instincts demand I do whatever I can to survive, even if that means obeying The Doctor's orders.

Perfectly Patient is a Stockholm "romance." There is dark and disturbing content. Please check author's page for details. Content not suitable for those under 18.

Genres: Dark Romance, Kidnapping, Stalker, Dark, Smut, BDSM, Romance

442 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 20, 2026

Reviews

[LiftsandLiterature · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The Florence Nightingale Effect or Nightingale Syndrome is when a caregiver falls in love with their patient. A patient developing romantic feelings for their caretaker is a phenomenon referred to as transference.”

This one took me by surprise!
It was truly unique in the writing style. Especially from the POV of “The Doctor.”
This man had a brutal upbringing and training that makes his inner dialogue as if he is filling out a patients file at all times. So you never truly know his motives and depth of emotion until the very end of the book. And although you have to work for it, it’s so worth it in the end. Some of the things he says and does! 😮‍💨
And the reason he takes her?!!
This was very different in that you go in thinking this will be a quick little dark Stockholm Syndrome romance but quickly realize it’s SO much more than it seems.
Never thought a kidnapping book would make me cry!!! I Love when an author can surprise you like this and truly put a unique spin on something that’s been done so many times. I’ll definitely be reading anything else Laurelyn writes.

“Who would’ve thought that being kidnapped could be good for your stress?”

[Paracosm · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been scouring the internet for "medical dark romance" forever, and most of them just don’t get the vibe right. But this book? It hit the absolute sweet spot.
The medical play scenes aren’t just "there" - they are intense, incredibly well-written, and genuinely just hot.

Verdict: If your search history looks as questionable as mine, stop scrolling. This is the one. Just... maybe don’t read it in a waiting room. 🩺🖤

[ashlee · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨BOOK REVIEW✨

Title: Perfectly Patient
Author: Laurelyn Estes
Genre: Dark Caretaker Romance
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Book Type: Standalone

This book scratched an itch I had no idea I had. I tore it up quickly and absolutely loved every single bit of it.

If you’re in to captivity with a side of stockholm, caretaking and doctor/patient, don’t bother adding this to your TBR, just go ahead and read it immediately.

For me, this is a 6 star read. It’s so well written and honestly, I may not ever read another to top it.

✨Tropes | Triggers✨
Doctor/Patient
Captor/Captive
Drugging
Self Harm
Period Sex
Non-Con
Praise
Stockholm Syndrome
Caretaker MMC

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was disturbing. Yet I loved it. There may be something a little wrong with me, but I don't care. This is a book I would recommend for people who already know they like dark romance and don't mind morally black characters. This takes the caretaking kink to the extreme.

[Rachel Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow

This was disturbing and strange. It made me think, “How can I read this? What is wrong with me?” Turns out I just needed a Dr. Pepper and chips to finish it. I loved it.

[Colleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Seen this on TikTok and they were like beware this book is extremely dark so idk if my expectations were then really high or something but I just found this boring as fuck!

Dark caretaker, captive romance but girl literally got Stockholm syndrome on day one and never even raised her voice at him. She was just scared and accepted it all so quickly. The ‘treatments’ were so repetitive to read, and the timeline was all supposed to have happened over 2 months? It just seemed too easy for the mmc idk.

Real life is kicking my ass atm so i wanted something dark and different to my usual reads to escape into but i don’t think I’d recommend this tbh

-Dual pov
-h is 33, no info on H
-Doctor/ captive forced patient
-Kidnapping, Non con, forced medical procedures and kinky medical shit too
-no OWD/OMD
-brief third act separation where he ‘lets her go’ knowing she’ll return to him
-HFN
-no epilogue

[Micasareads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty dark one, though not a pitch black read. More of an: ok this situation defs makes me a bit uncomfortable but I’m also kinda diggin it 😅

Ok so basically this whole thing was smut 😂 and that’s only because the Doctor focuses his treatments around conditioning her sexually. So basically non con af, and use of various medical tools as well as toys. Many scenes throughout with various things used. There’s a heavy psychological aspect to it, and conditioning, as well as some humiliation and degradation.

I can see those who aren’t a fan of an FMC who’s more docile not loving this book, but idk, I kind of vibed with it. I am a fan of strong FMCs who can find their way out of any situation, or turn the tables, but I also really like this approach to the situation. While she wasn’t outwardly a strong/badass FMC, she is very mentally strong I think. Though there is a lot of internal thoughts/monologue where she goes in circles and what not, overall it’s kinda to be expected. There is also use of drugs and basically no privacy for her whatsoever.

So the spice! Fast burn obvi, with use of toys and some were for pain and some weren’t. There is body betrayal and forced o’s, as well as stretching and fisting.

❤️❤️❤️❤️
🖤🖤🖤
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

[Amaal Khiri · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an okay read, but it wasn’t nearly as dark as I expected it to be.

I’m not going to lie I thought it was going to be much more brutal, with
psychological torture and real emotional torment. Instead, the FMC felt far too submissive. She had almost no fight in her, which made it hard for me to connect with her or root for her.

We also barely learned anything about the doctor. He had so much potential to be an intriguing character, but he never felt fully developed.

This book had a fantastic concept and so much potential, but unfortunately, it didn’t quite deliver.
I originally wanted to give it 2 stars, but I loved the premise enough to bump it up to 3 stars.

[Nat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book came up recommended. While a doctor/patient trope is not typically one I go after, I decided to give this a read. I couldn’t put it down. From the first page, it had sunk its hooks into me. The author does a phenomenal job describing what ‘Katy’ feels, emotionally and physically. This book definitely falls under ‘captor/captive’ than anything else, with a major ‘caregiver kink’, and I am obsessed. I can’t wait to see more of the authors work. Definitely give it a read.

[Christina Wighton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of the most fucked up reads, in a page turning entertaining way, I had no idea what was going to happen until the end

[★BabyDollG★ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven't finished this book, but along the way, it was fantastic so far. I would've given this a five-star rating for its plot and being a well written storyline. It was detailed, which i liked. I had never read anything like this before, and i mean it in a good way. All the others have just let me down, but this one is an exception. The author has done a very good job writing this. I just only had an issue with the consent thing. That's all. I liked the idea of this book. The caretaker and doctor type.I love tropes like these, but not exactly like this, I will explain later in this review. Don't mind my rating. This is just my opinion of how i feel about this novel. Don't let it stop you from reading this just because of my review

The only issue i had was the ongoing SAs. i just hated when the doctor who just kept on violating her throughout the book. This poor girl is kidnapped, bound, drugged, stripped, shaving her woo ha (just because he wanted her to be sensitive to his touch😃). He gets off on her fear. He also did inspections on her so-called well-being, taking tests, ect, and even alongside unwanted pleasures out of her despite her refusal and her cries of fear. He used sex toys on her while doing his checkups! Without consent, everything in this book was filled with non-consensual stuff. It wasn't just about the SAs because obviously it would've been unrealistic if she didn’t go through these traumatic situations she unluckily was found in. It would've been unrealistic if the captor was all caring and nice, even if it is fictional, and I'm not saying i have a problem with that. I read plenty of books that had Mls with morals and who are civil in dark romances, but what did annoy me was making her end up falling in love with him 😨🤨👀

it wasn't just about the Violations it was the way when he just kept saying that I'll make her love me, excuse me, sir, what!?. I swear this man was out of his this mind. He committed unforgivable and inexcusable acts. He literally damaged her mental state. She was literally scared the whole time while she was in captivity by him. No matter how much the author added in doing self care crap after all the violations he inflicted on her, trying to be gentle with her as it would magically excuse his actions but it doesn't, he still full of shit. Then again, i forget he is a manipulative psycho.

I guess the apple doesn’t fall from the tree. It's funny how he did not like his abusive dad yet is acting like him in a way trying to make Katy depend on him while isolating her from the world. That's not love. That's obsession and wanting control. It was also funny when the doctor was the one who killed his dad for the same reason, and now what happened to his mom he is doing it to Katy but not exactly the same less worse than what that old man did but still wrong. The hypocrisy is just too much 😅

[Nalina IB · Rating 2 out of 5]

Now that I’ve finished reading it, I can say I mostly enjoyed it, though I was definitely confused at times.
Yes, it was weird, but it was also incredibly dark. To be honest, the plot was good, yet so many angles remained vague to me. For example, the FMC asked so many questions that never got answers: Why did the MMC give her access to the security camera footage? Why did he let her stay upstairs after he left? And after she was released, why did she repeatedly question the meaning behind the 32 flowers?
Most of those questions were just completely dropped—she apparently got wet enough to forget about everything the second she saw him again. But the 32 flowers? I swear I read a scene where she literally figured it out in the moment! It wasn't in the dialogue because she got interrupted by him eating dessert, but I thought she knew! Girl, I figured it out immediately, so I was so confused when she started wondering about it all over again. We should have passed that stage! It got to the point where I started wondering if he was just celebrating his birthday, lol. That type of writing is just so conflicting.
Also, I don't know if the author was trying to force some chemistry between the main characters at the end, but it was definitely not chemistrying. The characters were seriously lacking in the emotional department. He’s supposed to be cold but caring? And she was repeatedly assaulted, yet she loved him? Look, I wanted to read a Stockholm Syndrome trope, but girl... the first thing I would do after being kidnapped is cry my eyes out, hug my mom, and go straight to therapy. Meanwhile, this FMC just goes right back to doing groceries, eating, and getting turned on by a freezer. LMAO. I’m not hating, but seriously, where are the normal female emotions?! One minute she’s calling herself a coward, and the next she’s acting totally normal. HWAT?! I was confused for most of the book.
On a positive note, I liked the motorcycle club members. I actually thought the Doc was a member because of his motorbike, but apparently not. 💁🏻‍♀️
Ultimately, the MMC was perfectly dark but got confusing, and the FMC suffered from major emotional detachment. I’d give it 2 stars. It was a fine read, but in my opinion, it really needs some serious polishing and editing.

[a-coffee-book · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this as a horror romance.

This jumps right into the abduction of Katy by the "Doctor."

The first half of the book was incredibly suspenseful and engaging from Katy's perspective. However, the section covering the next 20%, which focused on Katie's internal conflict regarding her medical treatment, became somewhat tedious, leading me to skim through most of it.

Although she had numerous opportunities to attempt an (successful?) escape, she consistently talked herself out of it. She only ever planned her escape in her mind and would usually freeze before taking action. Reading this was emotionally difficult.

Even though I have never been in her situation, I like to believe I would not simply freeze without trying to escape. Her only serious attempt occurred when she reached the gate of his house, but finding it too tall, she simply walked back inside.

I wished there had been more dialogue exchanged between the two characters, as most of the book consisted of Katie's internal monologue and some of the doctor's. Consequently, I never truly felt I understood their perspectives.

The ending felt conflicting, particularly regarding the severe Stockholm syndrome Katie developed; perhaps the doctor did find the perfect victim given her history of neglect and abandonment. Ultimately, everything fell into place, resulting in a happy ending for both, more so for the Doctor than Katy.

I still gave this five stars because it presented a premise I had never read before, making it impossible to compare to other works.

[Rebecca_Karla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven’t read anything like this before and I have to say i absolutely loved every second of this! 🖤
Although I also question my sanity because I like it so much. 🤷🏼‍♀️ But even if I consider myself free of any triggers/haven’t found anything yet that would repel me from a read i had to take a second and take a breath on specific scenes including gynecologist equipment.. 🫣😅

I absolutely loved the depiction and description of the shifting dynamic between The Doctor and The Patient. How Katy slowly but steady submits under the Doctors “care” - which in the end is Stockholm Syndrom at its finest. 🖤

This book pulls you in at Chapter One and will remain intense til the end - THE END!? 😳

So you search for an unhinged/maybe disturbing book that is spicy/smutty in the best way this clinical setting will allow 🔥 but has also a good plot, has a morally black MMC, Captor x Captive as a main trope? Please, PLEASE pick this up!

It deserves more love in my humble opinion!
For me it’s a 6⭐️ read for sure!

[DemetraP · Rating 3 out of 5]

Take the trigger warnings seriously. A guy known as the Doctor basically falls in love at first sight. He kidnaps her a few weeks later. He only allows her to call him Doctor. She doesn't know his name.

He forces her to only wear hospital gowns and gripper socks. He makes her take vitamins and cooks her healthy food to eat.

Spoilers. Big spoilers, I spoil the ending
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Every day he tells her she has an appointment, ties her up on his exam table, then makes her orgasm with toys or with him.

. He rapes her repeatedly. But he always gives her an orgasm. Sometimes multiple orgasms.

She wants to escape but he keeps her locked in his basement.

Eventually he wants more. He wants her to be with him willingly. So he allows her to be rescued by a biker gang he works with, and she goes home.

But she missed him and comes back a few days later. He finally tells her his name.

[Shannon H · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Oh my gawd, this was sooo disturbing, sooo wrong, sooo twisted...
And I absolutely devoured it 😭
I don't know how the author managed to do it, but I was manipulated just like the FMC...
This is easily one of the most twisted books I've ever read, yet I couldn't stop turning the pages.

Everything felt intentional!! Every chapter, every interaction, every detail.
The book was as meticulous as the MMC himself, and honestly, that's what made it so brilliant.
I spent the entire book somewhere between: 😳🥴😭

I was flabbergasted by the story and somehow even more flabbergasted by the ending.

If you like your books dark, disturbing, unsettling, and impossible to explain to other people, this one's for you. 🖤

[Emmy Wong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness this book was so dark, spicy and unhinged, and I loved every second of it. The Doctor does things that absolutely cannot be justified in any way so please read the trigger warnings. But if you’re a fan of medical play and love a terribly unhinged caretaker then this book is for you. There’s just something about a Stockholm syndrome romance that gets me every time, especially how she goes from hating him to loving him, as predictable and horrifying as it is, I love the part where she realised she can’t live without him anymore. In my opinion the end was pretty light and I totally think he could have been darker, but everything apart from that was pure erotic horror perfection.

[TylerMarie Jenkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

The beginning was difficult to get through. A lot of the sudden breaks to explain medical aspects took me out of the story, and seemed ill-timed, although I understand the intent behind them. Around 100 pages or so, the meat of the story became engaging. I feel the story would have benefitted from a longer stretch of time in-story(I. E 6 months rather than 2) and the transition from unwilling victim to willful participant could have been drawn out, and showed signs of sooner. The quickness of the switch makes it feel unearned. Decently enjoyable, I did finish it, though it's not my typical genre, so I may be biased. About 90% in I felt was the best writing. The author seemed to really find her voice there, and the writing became excellent.

[Věra Škodová · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was... disturbing.

Absolutely.

Disturbing.

But I knew what I was getting into, so can't exactly complain that all of the *spicy*scenes nearly made me puke, eh?

What I really hated, was the lack of communication. I know absolutely nothing - like nothing NOTHING about these characters besides the mmc having a maniac father and fmc having a witch of a mother. Is all. I swear, no other background, the whole plot was just... No, I can't even describe the sex scenes, sorry - as far as this made me stick around to find out how it ends, I am not gonna describe the mechanics.

Bye & never again.

[Lollysb00ks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was medical dark romance done to perfection. THE DOCTOR!!!!! Oh wow, I think I’m due for a check up 🤣🤣

I also found a lot of the scenes to be creative and fun. I’m laughing at myself saying “fun” because I’m insane 😂😂😂😭 this was perfectly fucked up and I loved every second of it.

I loveddddd how cold and clinical he was (literally). This was such a good read and had me craving some more doctors 👀 😂

[Rea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I literally read this in one sitting, fast passed you don’t have to “get into “ the story the writer throws you into it! there are no slow parts whatsoever very dark and twisted, obv NOT for sensitive readers BUT if you love the dark and twisted and need a fast hitting dose of wtf is wrong with me highly recommend 👍

[Athena, the goddess of books · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading Miranda Grant’s Keeping Her Under, I realized that a new trope made it into my list of favorites: doctor/patient. This story is very different from Miranda’s, but almost just as good. The only downside for me is that it felt a bit too long, and at times, somewhat repetitive. Still, I liked the premise, their unusual journey together, and I loved the twist at the end.

[Ina · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot is decent but for a while it felt like there was no actual development, just felt like the same thing being repeated. Then the ending felt a little rushed, but apart from that, I enjoyed the details given. Katy, the MFC was a little bland and the doctor, the MMC just didn’t have enough actual interaction with Katy for me personally but it works for the plot of this book.

[Catastrophe Queen · Rating 4 out of 5]

*sigh* I know, I know. The idea of kidnapping, grooming, and SA-ing someone is evil. IRL I do not condone it at all. But in fiction... weeeell 🫣. I honestly liked how the doc treated her. He was protective and caring. And honestly, she didn't have anyone who cared about her so they were good together.

[Mystisith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good beginning & good ending. The middle was repetitive and a bit boring & it could have been shortened without hurting the story. Would I qualify this as a romance? Hard to say. It absolutely starts as 100% noncon but then it morphs. In the end the HFN is probably the best & happiest "couple relationship" those 2 could manage given their awfully traumatic past.

[Colleen Talpa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was dark and unhinged, but so well written! The FMC is kidnapped and held captive by the MMC, “The Doctor”. She is forced to receive daily “treatments” and follow his orders to keep her healthy and safe. This is Stockholm Syndrome dark romance.

[Sabrina NFA · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not Bad

It’s was ok, I like the dr kink.. but it was very slow moving so I pushed through thinking it might pick up speed but everything just felt slow! Not a bad book or you like dark, felt like the air Thor definitely could have delved deeper into the MMC..

[Heidi McEachern · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had the bones to be so good but the “treatment” was repetitive. While slight mentions made you expect more to happen, it never did. Certain lines in the book were repeated throughout and there was a lot of “thoughts” with no verbal outcome.

[whitneysbookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my 1st doctor, patient story and man was it a good one. It was dark, sexy, and down right delicious. If you love captive/Captor and an obsessive mmc that just wants to car for his fmc then this is the book for you.

[Cache · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is filthy...give it to me!

It's a bit of a weird thing when you've been having a specific dark fantasy for years, and then you are able to find a book that's pretty close. I could've easily read another 300 pages of these two. My second favourite dark romance that I've read this year.