Love and Other Emergencies

by Cait Carlson

250 pages, Paperback

Published April 16, 2026

About the author

Cait Carlson was raised on the east coast but now calls Minnesota home. She has a master’s degree in social work, and worked in the mental health field for twelve years before becoming a stay-at-home parent. When not writing, Cait enjoys reading, caffeinating, and spending time with her husband and three young children.

Cait enjoys writing stories with heart, laughs, and spice.

Her current book is the first in a three part series of interconnected standalone novels. Book 2 in the series will be available in Spring 2026!

Reviews

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, Cait, you knocked it out of the park with this one. If I didn’t know North River was a fake community, I’d be driving there to meet my own Dr. Dipshit. I loved the balance between navigating grief, and the stress of being a caregiver, with the witty banter, slow burn, and spice. Is the next book ready yet?!?! Don’t leave us hanging!

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charming, witty, clever, saucy, adorable, funny, my heart.
I challenge anyone to not love these characters. I absolutely adore the grumpy MMC and the kindred spirits that are Annie and Molly. Instant attraction, close proximity and super fun exchanges. I love the pacing, character growth and simmering slow burn. Not to mention this book had me cracking up.

I appreciated the continuation of Marcy and Nick’s journey also. We were not done with their story. ❤️

🥼🩺👧🏼🍪
📚Physical Book

[Diana M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Annie and Charlie

Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Tropes: Dr/nurse, single dad/nanny, coworkers, close proximity, grumpy vs sunshine, he falls first

Angst: 2/5 Annie is paying for her fathers care which is very expensive. He has Alzheimer’s so there is angst and sadness about him not recognizing his daughter and how lonely it is for Annie

Pro: Dual pov, character growth, HEA, fun look into previous main characters’ lives

Annie (nurse) needs to save money, Charlie (dr) needs a nanny. He offers Annie free room and board in exchange for her to help him with his daughter.

Charlie is a single father after his best friends die in a car accident and he was named as their daughter’s guardian. Bc he didn’t have time to deal with his grief he shut himself down from anything outside of his patients and his daughter. Annie is the sunshine of the story and encourages and inspires Charlie to let people in and make an attempt to care about more in life.

It’s a heartfelt story about grief and loss as well as evolving past who you were to become a better person.

[Samantha Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Small town goodness

This was such a cute read. Annie is smart ,flirtatious and funny. Charlie is grumpy,reclusive and hot. Put them together and its perfection.
This has everything
Spice ✅
Banter ✅
Good pacing and character development✅
Love the small town vibes and found family.

[Nancy Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books that when I had finished reading it, I missed the characters! I want to know how things are going😊

[Meghan Tuerff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love and Other Emergencies is a heartfelt read that balances grief, hope, and personal growth. I absolutely loved the characters — they felt authentic, layered, and deeply human in the way they navigated both love and loss. The small-town setting added so much warmth and charm to the story, creating the kind of comforting atmosphere that makes you want to stay in the world long after you finish the book.

What stood out most to me was the honest portrayal of being a caretaker for a sick family member. Cait Carlson captured the emotional weight, exhaustion, and complicated guilt that can come with putting someone else’s needs first, while still trying to hold onto your own identity and happiness. I really appreciated how the story explored the challenge of finding joy in your personal life during such a difficult season. It felt realistic, tender, and incredibly relatable.

This book is emotional without being overly heavy, and without feeling unrealistic. If you enjoy character-driven stories with heart, healing, and strong emotional depth, Love and Other Emergencies is definitely worth reading.