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A Rivers Community Romance #2

Prescription for Love

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Flannery Rivers is content to let her sister Harper carry on the family dynasty—at The Rivers hospital where they both work and on the home front. Now that Harper is settled and soon to be happily married, Flannery can ease back into her life of casual flirtations and find all the excitement she needs in the ER. She’s even got her next playmate all lined up, or so she thinks.
Abigail Remy is a city girl who accepts a position at the imperiled country hospital in the hope of finding a stable, safe community for her teenaged daughter who just announced she’s a he. Unfortunately, when she arrives to work, she discovers the current ER Chief is less than happy to be replaced by a fresh-out-of-residency new comer. Add unexpected attraction to the incendiary mix of city and county, fire and ice, tradition and change—and the prescription is combustible.

240 pages, Paperback

First published November 10, 2015

40 people are currently reading
357 people want to read

About the author

Radclyffe

142 books1,671 followers
Radclyffe has written over forty-five romance and romantic intrigue novels, dozens of short stories, and, writing as L.L. Raand, has authored a paranormal romance series, The Midnight Hunters. She has also edited Best Lesbian Romance 2009 through 2015 as well as multiple other anthologies. She is an eight-time Lambda Literary Award finalist in romance, mystery, and erotica—winning in both romance and erotica. A member of the Saints and Sinners Literary Hall of Fame, she is also an RWA Prism, Lories, Beanpot, Aspen Gold, and Laurel Wreath winner in multiple mainstream romance categories. In 2014, she received the Dr. James Duggins Outstanding Mid-Career Novelist award from the Lambda Literary Foundation. In 2004, she founded Bold Strokes Books, an independent LGBTQ publishing company, and in 2013, she founded the Flax Mill Creek Writers Retreat offering writing workshops to authors in all stages of their careers.

She states, “I began reading lesbian fiction at the age of twelve when I found a copy of Ann Bannon’s Beebo Brinker. That book and others like it convinced me that I was not alone, that there were other women who felt like I did. Our literature provides support and validation and very often, a lifeline, for members of our community throughout the world. I am proud and honored to be able to publish the many fine authors at Bold Strokes Books and to contribute in some small way to the words that celebrate the LGBTQ experience.”

Radclyffe lives with her partner, Lee, in New York state.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
Profile Image for Diane Wallace.
1,456 reviews170 followers
August 23, 2018
Okay series!
If this was suppose to be a love story then my expectations of it failed because the storyline lacks an abundance of chemistry between everyone and i got very frustrated with both the writing and direction of the storyline. Involved in this series:- one female (Flannery) looking to bed any female she meets -- with no recourse or feelings and has lots of anger issues -- then here is a single mother (Abby) who also has a young son to care for - who wants to be a transgender and is dealing with all these issues. What i can attest to is that this story has lots of issues and flaws plus its also too cliche with how quickly each woman felt in love with each other in less than a day-- very questionable.
Profile Image for Guerunche.
658 reviews35 followers
September 16, 2021
4 stars
This is the second installment in the Rivers Family Romance series and while I enjoyed this book, the end did seem a bit rushed. This story revolves around Flannery - the cocky, hotshot surgeon and Rivers sister who wants nothing outside of her work at their small town hospital besides a series of women to warm her bed. She has the kind of gorgeous looks and magnetism that attracts all women, regardless of orientation. Abigail Remi is a New York City transplant, newly hired to be the new ER chief. In her, Flannery sees her next conquest. She is beautiful, capable and excellent at her job and doesn't fall as easily for Flann's charms as most women. At least not immediately. She has a teenage son who is her first priority and she's not one to have meaningless encounters. 
While it's a no-brainer that these two will eventually get together, that was not the main draw of this story for me. Abigail's teenage son is trans and she wants to do everything she can to give him a happy life. I found that storyline very touching and really liked Abigail's character in general. Flan takes a bit longer to grow on you because she's so stereotypical, but eventually does.
The other highlight for me was a very excitingly written weather event. While I don't want to give more away than that, it felt very real. The Rivers family dynamics are also wonderful, as they are so close and supportive of one another. Their kid sister Margie is the most likable of all of them.
Abby Craden narrates this one and she did a great job. The challenge here is that there were three butch characters (Flan, her sister Harper who was the focus of book one, and Glenn Archer, a secondary character) and the differentiation between their voices was subtle. While this romance felt more like lust than love, I liked it because of the story as a whole. Looking forward to continuing the series.
Profile Image for Tara.
783 reviews373 followers
January 4, 2016
As you can see from my tags, there's a lot going on in this book!

If you liked Harper and Presley's book, which I did, then you'll like this too. I was hoping Flannery would get her own book and I wasn't disappointed, even if her love interest wasn't who I thought it would be. This is a small town romance more than a medical, but I still appreciated seeing the struggles of how to effectively provide rural health care in a way that is profitable and makes sense for the community (although as a Canadian, I still don't get how health care works in the US).

The romance worked fine for me even if it seemed a bit rushed to the "I love you." Abby and Flannery were both clearly drawn and I believed their attraction, although I would have liked to see them a few months down the road. I still like the Rivers family and suspect everyone could use an Ida on their side.

My favourite aspect of the book is Abby's relationship with her son Blake. Abby is navigating not only how to parent her child as he is moving towards independence and adulthood, but also the fact that Blake is trans and out. Her struggle to be supportive without smothering is portrayed sensitively and deftly as all of her worries about her son being bullied, finding friends, and fitting in are shown to be the same as any other parents', but with an extra reason to worry.

Whether or not you should read this book probably depends on how you generally feel about Radclyffe's books. I still read them and love them because there's something comfortable and familiar, especially because she was my road into lesfic. If you're not that into her any more, then this probably isn't the book for you, unless you're specifically looking for a book that involves parenting a trans teen or are really into small town romances. I'm still a big fan and am looking forward to her next book, whatever it may be.
Profile Image for A.W..
203 reviews4 followers
June 21, 2019
I thought that this was a nice sequel to the Rivers Community series but there was something that kept me from giving that last star.  Given that this is a series, I wish that Radclyffe would've paced the romance a little slower.  I felt this way especially with the relationships between Harper and Presley, Flann and Abby.  The ending also was a bit rushed.

I found myself wanting to read more about Blake and what he was going through.  Hopefully, that will be delved into in the later books.

Overall, a good story to read and if you're a Radclyffe fan, then you probably won't be disappointed with this one.

Review also posted here: https://wp.me/p4Pp9O-Mh
Profile Image for ~ * K E L L I E * ~.
144 reviews34 followers
November 7, 2015
I liked Prescription for Love but I didn't love it. Don't get me wrong, 95% of the book was pretty good, and the main and secondary characters were likable, however the last 5% of the book was rushed. It was like speeding along in a car and suddenly hitting the brakes! The End.

I would've loved to read more about Blake, Abby's son. Hopefully there will be another installment in this series.

Overall, a good read but could've been great had it not ended so abruptly. 3.5 stars.
Profile Image for Heinerway.
767 reviews98 followers
November 12, 2015
This is another typical book by Radclyffe. The writing is solid, of course, but it’s the same story again and again copy pasted. Boring. But, for me, the most annoying thing is that as always all characters are female. And lesbian. And gorgeous. And highly successful. I’m just a little fed up with this.
549 reviews12 followers
June 30, 2018
Radclyffe really knows how to write characters I can love. I'm enjoying the Rivers Community Romance series a lot. The end caught me by surprise -- I looked up and realized I was at 90%, and then it was over. *sigh* I'm glad it's a series. I'm not ready to say goodbye to these characters.
Profile Image for Agirlcandream.
755 reviews3 followers
December 5, 2015
Harper's little sister Flannery gets her turn in the spotlight in Prescription for Love.

In this continuation of the Rivers family saga, Abigail Remy has been recruited to head up the newly independent emergency department at the Rivers community hospital. She is happy to escape the city hoping to find safety and stability for herself and her son Blake.

Flann Rivers has built a reputation as a top notch surgeon and is head of the current ER department. She is free spirited and content to date the many women in town who find her irresistible. Not only does Abby rock Flann's professional life, she sets in motion feelings Flannery has buried since her youth.

After forty plus novels most readers of lesrom novels know what to expect when they pick up a book penned by Radclyffe. There will be lesbians. Lots of lesbians. There will be a macho butch lead who is handsome beyond words. Sometimes the lead will be stoic, other times playful. Their love interest will be beautiful, smart and at times vulnerable.

I enjoyed Prescription for Love in spite of the stereotypical portrayal of Flannery, Harper and Glenn. Abby Remy is a refreshing addition to the series and I appreciated the inclusion of her teenaged trans son Blake. I thought Rad did a stellar job of portraying the love, fears and protective instincts a mother has for her child. Her worry and concern that she must now let Blake find his own way in the world was well handled and very relatable for this reader.
Abby makes it clear from the beginning of her relationship with Flann that the needs of her son would always come first. I found this refreshing. Her strength of character makes Flannery's immaturity that much more apparent.

The scenes with Blake and Flann's sister Margie are endearing and memorable. I would have liked to see more conflict in the trans storyline but since Blake and Margie are secondary characters I understand why their page time is limited.

While there is minimal conflict throughout the novel there is plenty of action with resulting tension. Ida makes an appearance doling out sage advice to her daughter and Presley's rooster even gets his chance at (future) love. If you are tired of city life the author paints an idyllic country setting filled with ball games and farmers markets.

I did have issues with the book. Fiction or not, the Rivers family is too perfect, too beautiful and too gosh darn sweet. The scenes involving the family border on caricature of the country doctor and his adoring family.

It's Radclyffe. You know what you are going to get when you read her books. I think I liked this one better than Against Doctor's Orders thanks to Abby, Margie and Blake.

ARC received from publisher with thanks via NetGalley.
Profile Image for MJSam.
477 reviews40 followers
October 28, 2016
This book suffered from the same issue as Against Doctor's orders, only the couple wasn't as interesting, or at least, I didn't feel the connection. They're drawn to each other, but they didn't spend nearly enough time together discussing anything of actually import, so I'm not sure what this insta-love was supposed to be based on.

The Blake storyline was something I haven't seen in lesfic before, but there's just instant acceptance everywhere (with the exception of one cartoonishly written antagonist) so it's just kind of glossed over, and didn't have any real emotional depth to it, although I did love the Blake/Abby scenes. And the Margie character was too overwhelmingly perfect for me to be able to warm to.

Nobody else did anything of note, the book is just made up of reasons for Abby and Flann to see each other/be jealous of someone else being near the other/trying to resist each other, yeah... that's pretty much it.


This book also suffers from Rad's compulsion to fill her books with lesbians, apart from the two main pairings of the first two books, we also have Glenn (barely mentioned in the first book but given a bit more to do here) and Carrie, although they both just seemed to be there to raise jealousy in their respective leads, and two minor secondary characters, one mentioned in passing and one introduced at the end of the book who may or may not play a bigger role in the series. So, not even counting the overall town, this small town hospital now boasts a lesbian president, three doctors, one surgical PA and a few other characters mentioned in passing as showing at least some sapphic tendencies. I could buy this in her P-Town stories, (although even they stretched credulity by the end) but in a small town in the Appalachian mountains? Yeah, sure.
<\end rant>

I didn't like Flann as much as I did Harper, but I did enjoy Abby, although I didn't buy into their relationship like I did with Harper and Presley. I hope the third one is better.
Profile Image for Female Person.
66 reviews51 followers
November 7, 2015
Review for Netgalley

Is Radclyffe just replacing character names and hospital locations and calling it a new novel? I'm sure we'll be reading this exact story next year with Glenn and Carrie.

I feel a little mean writing that but this exact formula, the character's personalities, their jobs are all basically the same in every Radclyffe book. The change between Flannery and Harper from people irritated with each other to committed partners was so abrupt that I was a little bewildered. Another issue I have is that whenever Radclyffe does a series, the characters from the previous book in the series always get almost equal attention as the new characters and it's so distracting and annoying.
Profile Image for Heidi.
701 reviews32 followers
October 22, 2015
Loved the relationship between Abby and her son, Blake! I hope at some point we get more of Blake's story.. Maybe if the Rivers family story continues and there is a Margie's story we can find out more about Blake. The main characters Abby and Flann have immediate chemistry and although they don't want any involvement, there is no way they can resist each other. You know Radclyffe will deliver a good story, I was not disappointed! This story was a great romance!
Profile Image for Kexx.
2,338 reviews104 followers
January 31, 2022
Going through a tough personal period and I need sweet romance and the certainty of Radclyffe to help me though - well, it's either that or binge watch Netflix. Class writing, superb story - will read on till I start dreaming about Rivers Community...
Profile Image for Tiff.
385 reviews236 followers
November 2, 2015
3.5 stars

Prescription for Love is a signature Radclyffe romance. A Radclyffe book is always a good read, with quality characters, and it always leaves you with a smile. Prescription for Love is no exception!

Dr. Abigail Remy has left Manhattan, for a chance at a new start as the new ER chief for Argyle Community Hospital. Abby has been a single, working mom since she was 20. She has spent her young adult years alone, studying, then working, all the while raising her son Blake. She leaves New York behind and moves to the rural community to give Blake a chance at start fresh in a new community with new friends.

Dr. Flannery Rivers is the head surgeon for the local hospital. She is a ball of energy, constantly in motion. Flann is all work, with an occasional fling on the side. Flann is easy going, with a wild side. She is startled to find out that the hospital administration has hired a new ER chief, taking away one of her many responsibilities. She is not looking for Mrs. Right, but she just might have found her in Dr. Abigail Remy.

In my option the two main characters Abby & Flann are great. They are both strong, independent women with hearts of gold. There is however a lot going on in this book, the love story of course, but also a hospital being revamped, a tornado’s destruction and the stories of other sub-characters. I felt as if this book was setting up one to two more spin-offs.

I found myself reading and wishing more of the story was about Blake, Abby’s son. He was fascinatingly told by Radclyffe as a young teen in the beginning stages of a gender transition. His emotions were so compelling. I literally could not get enough. I wanted more scenes between him a Margie, Flann’s younger sister. While definitely not the heart of the book, these characters were by far the most gripping and unique.

Prescription for Love is a good read, and is totally worth your time, even though the ending felt rushed. Once again it felt as if there was a page limit that had to be adhered to. The book would have been so much better a few more chapters would have been used to solidify Abby & Flann's love.

***Fingers crossed that one day hope Radclyffe writes Blake & Margie's story.


https://theromanticreaderblog.wordpre...
Profile Image for Tory.
392 reviews11 followers
February 25, 2022
I loved this book. As good as the first one.
Profile Image for Mariah Lebron.
93 reviews8 followers
April 6, 2016
I love Radclyffe. I have every book she's written and read multiple times. She's one of my favorite authors and I've been waiting for Flannery to get her own story but to me the ending felt rushed. Now it could just be that I read this particular book very fast but there was something missing for me.
Radclyffe always has me soo elated when I'm done reading her books and her series are especially my favorite.
Don't get me wrong this story was good but it had potential to be better.

The main characters took lots of time before getting together but when they did it was rushed, to me. There should have been more, I guess.
.
Profile Image for Loek Krancher.
1,042 reviews67 followers
December 6, 2015
Another fabulous read!

Radclyffe did not lost her magic and this was again a pure pleasure to read. I enjoyed her vivid countryside descriptions. The leads, Flann and Abby, have depth, humor, are protective and so appealing. The chemistry was outstanding and I loved the interaction and encouragement of the River family. How they join together to survive everything. Blake and Margie, two great kids but I wish there was more about Blake's transition. I sincerely hope that this is not the last of the series and that we get to see more of them in the near future. This was a warm and wonderful read. Radclyffe never disappoints me.
Profile Image for Amy.
232 reviews13 followers
August 8, 2016
4-1/2 stars.
I received an ARC of this book from Inked Rainbow Reads in return for an honest review.
Truly there isn't much not to like about this book, the second volume in her Rivers Family series. Interestingly enough, this is only the second book of Radclyffe's that I've read. All the many books before the two books in this series I listened to on audio. When I read the first book in this series, I wondered if I just liked listening to her books more, but this book changed my mind about that. I found I was easily able to slip into the world created, and became very involved with the characters.
The one thing I had a problem with in this book is that both characters seem to change their minds about a relationship with no struggle or thought. And truthfully, I may not have had a problem with it if it were a different author penning the words. But it just seems right to hold Radclyffe to a higher standard. The way both characters were so adamant about not giving in to their attraction to each other. Flynn didn't want to settle down and she knew Abigail was the type of girl who wanted to settle down. Abigail knew Flynn was looking for easy, disposable fun and she had too much going on in her life to lose her heart to someone she didn't think was going to stay. But suddenly, without any real crisis of conscience or catalyst to change their minds, both are giving in to their feelings. I'm not really expecting something life shattering to change their minds, but it just seemed like it happened too easily without taking into account what each was fighting against in the first place. Flynn just decided she was in all the way, and it felt kind of abrupt. And Abigail never had any trepidation about whether or not Flynn will end up leaving her once she gave in to her feelings. I suppose one of the reasons I'm stuck on that is that Radclyffe has written many characters who are conflicted about what they want, or what they think they deserve, and done it extremely well. For some reason this one felt like she avoided it a bit.
I did love reading about Blake, and the way he was introduced into the story was well done, and very organic. I loved Margie and her relationship with him. I wish everybody could have a Margie in their life. I hope to read more about them in the future, as well as other supporting characters, like Glenn and Carrie.
Overall, though, this was a wonderful story, and a great addition to an interesting new series. I love the small town feeling of this series, and as always, remain interested in reading the medical problems that these doctors have to deal with. Definitely recommended.
Profile Image for Les Rêveur.
461 reviews149 followers
October 11, 2016
The second instalment of ‘The River Community Romance Series’

My Review

I must say I read a few of the reviews on Goodreads before starting this and wasn’t expecting much but I am glad to report I actually liked it. I did think the story was a little rushed by the end but because I knew it was a series it did not worry me too much.

Flannery Rivers is my kind of character. Cool, suave and oozing sex appeal. She see’s what she wants and goes for it. Yes this is seen as arrogant in some cases but I kind of like it on Flannery, it works. When she sets her sights on Abby you can tell straight away her normal charm isn’t going to work and I love how Radclyffe pulled back her façade and showed her emotional side. I enjoyed Abby making Flannery work for it and it made sense with having her young son Blake to think about.

I really enjoyed the sub plot of Abby’s son Blake. Blake is Trans and his story is one that made the story worth its fourth star in my mind. I don’t want to ruin it by giving too much detail but this for me was the core of the book.

Good second book. Looking forward to reading the next in the series ‘Love on Call’.

4 stars

https://lesreveur.com/2016/10/11/pres...
Profile Image for Catherine.
280 reviews18 followers
October 29, 2015
I really enjoyed this book. I loved the secondary story of the transgender son it added another layer to the story line. I did however feel like you could have taken that story line and gone a bit deeper. It would be interesting to continue the story of Blake in another book.

The characters were likable and I thought worked well together. I also enjoyed reading more about the characters from Against Doctor's Orders the first book in the Rivers Family Romance. I really enjoyed reading about country life I am a city girl but have always felt the appeal of moving to the country. I definitely wanted to move to a nice country town after finishing this book.

I would prefer if Radclyffe could have a more realist pace for the characters relationship at the end. I was trying to not give away spoilers so I’m not sure if that made sense.

As a summary I loved the read it was really enjoyable and a well-balanced book.

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review.

Profile Image for Jane Shambler.
799 reviews32 followers
February 15, 2017
Excellent sequel

But....yes there is always a but. Not really but definitely more room for a third. So yes Harper and Presley now this book about Flan and Abby. Next I loved to read about Glenn and definitely more about Blake and Margie. The book is interesting in the fact Radclyffe introduces us to transgender but honestly I'd like to know more. Blake's story is something I'd like to learn more about and more in-depth. In this book you get a taste but it only makes you wanting more. Awesome book and very well written. I loved it I'm I'm sure you will too.
Profile Image for Bib.
312 reviews
November 17, 2015
I found Prescription for Love better than its predecessor, unfortunately it ended too quickly for my liking.
Profile Image for Chelles.
672 reviews
December 31, 2025
Prescription for Love

I loved Flannery, so I was excited to jump right into her story. Never wanting to settle down, she meets Abby who seems to literally storm into town and change Flan's life. Abby and her son Blake are looking for a new start in a new town. Being immediately taken in by the Rivers family is a blessing in so many ways for them.

Slow burn with some heavy flirting. A tornado. Rooster is back with some chicks of his own. Harper and Presley are planning a wedding. So much was going on, this book went by fast!
Profile Image for Barbara Sant.
5 reviews3 followers
October 10, 2015
Hi Guys!


I got “Prescription for Love” yesterday (thank you, NetGalley and Bold Strokes!!) and I have to tell you, I could not stop reading it.
Do you guys remember that I didn't like the first book that much, right? Well, that didn't happened this time: I got caught on the first line!
This is the second book of “The Rivers Family” series and it starts with Presley making changes to save the hospital.
Abigail Remy is one of those changes. She moved there to help her son, Blake, in his transition. She wants a safe place for him, where he can be himself without judgement.
Flannery Rivers is a surgeon at the hospital and was a little surprised when Abigail introduced herself as her new boss.
But like everywhere in her life she doesn’t want any complications and takes it really easily.
What she could never know was how everything would change because of one twister.
One of the things I liked most was how Radclyffe surprised me with her characters. She writes in a way that everybody brakes stereotypes.
Like Margie, Fannery’s sister. One would take her for a frivolous teenager, with everybody being so much older than her. But she wasn’t. She is kind and sweet, and has an assertiveness on her, making her a perfect friend for Blake.
Radclyffe does the same thing with the main characters, making the romance much more real and believable. Take Flann, for example. She likes to have a good time, a heavy night of passion without strings, but is a family woman. She likes to take care of everybody, she is always looking out for those who she loves. She will deny it until the end, but is true.
Another plus on this book is Blake. He is a trans boy and just started to go through his transition. I could fell his fear when he was talking about the big decision he has to make.

She deal with it with such kindness, but at the same time showing how hard it was to him.
Without a doubt, it became one of my favourites books and I have to tell I can’t wait for the next one.
xoxo
Profile Image for Taka.
57 reviews
December 26, 2017
The author definitely knows how to keep her readers going. Expected, I preferred Harper and Presley story. This is good as well, if there was no Harper and Presley to begin with.
Profile Image for Carrie.
21 reviews
February 1, 2016
I would like to take this opportunity and lodge my complaint. It appears there are only 2 novels in the Rivers series. I find this to be a great injustice for all of humanity but mostly me. I don't care that the books were predictable. They were still sweet and compelling. I was drawn into the story, with characters you want to be, in a place you'd like to live. There's more story to tell, I am sure of it!
Profile Image for Dani.
402 reviews14 followers
November 17, 2021
Flannery is a excellent surgeon and a bit of a playgirl. Abby joins the Rivers Community Hospital, as the new ER Chief, in hopes of finding a stable, safe community for her trans son Blake. Abby is an amazing mom supporting and trying to help Blake anyway he needs. Abby and Flann are beautiful together and I loved reading about them falling in love. Plus more Harper and Presley. I love this series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Nolly  Frances Sepulveda.
383 reviews23 followers
October 31, 2015
Another wonderful Radclyffe tale. I love how this Author pulls you into her stories and makes you feel like a part of what ever little community or group of friends you're reading about. I loved the connection the Rivers family have together especially the Harper and Flann, and getting to know Margie a bit more showed great family dynamics. Radclyffe's books are always a must read. Excellent.
Profile Image for Alena.
874 reviews28 followers
October 14, 2015
Netgalley

Nice commute read, but really not more than that.

I didn't really see the spark between the two main characters, that's never good with a romance and the lightning speed with which things developed was puzzling. Too bad really, since both setting and secondary characters would have lent themselves to a slower pace.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews

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