The Doctor's Christmas Wish

by Renee Ryan

Her Holiday Hero

When Keely O'Toole returns home to Village Green, Colorado, she lands in a very unfamiliar role—as guardian to her cousin's seven-year-old daughter. Keely loves little Felicity, but she's in over her head. And the only person she can turn to for help is former army ranger Dr. Ethan Scott. Her best friend's brother, a man she can hardly speak to without bickering. But when Keely and Ethan bond while taking care of Felicity, everything changes. Keely wants to give Felicity the best Christmas ever, and Ethan is just the person to light up their holidays…and their lives.

Genres: Christmas, Love Inspired, Romance, Christian, Contemporary, Christian Romance

224 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published November 17, 2015

About the author

Renee Ryan grew up in a small Florida beach town. Surfing didn’t work for her, but that didn’t keep her from watching others tackle the waves. To entertain herself during those countless hours of “laying-out”, she read many of the classics. It wasn’t until the summer between her sophomore and junior years at Florida State University that she read her first romance novel. Hooked from page one, she spent hours consuming one book after another while working on the best (and last!) tan of her life.

Two years later, armed with a degree in Economics and Religion, she explored various career opportunities, including stints at a Florida theme park, a modeling agency, and a cosmetic conglomerate. She went on to teach high school Economics, American Government and Latin in between coaching award-winning cheerleading teams. Several years later, with an eclectic cast of characters swimming around in her head, she began seriously pursuing a writing career. What better excuse to avoid housework and ignore clocks?

Reviews

[Jasmine (Lady Bookmont Reads)]

Rtc!!

[Melmo2610]

Sweet Christmas romance with an adorable little girl and a couple of cute dogs. Enjoyed the read.

[Pam]

The Doctor’s Christmas Wish is by Renee Ryan It is a Village Green book.
Keely O’Toole returns home to Village Green, Colorado, she just hopes to find peace. Instead, she finds herself as foster mother to her cousin’s daughter and committee chairwoman for the Christmas Parade committee. She also runs the family restaurant. Life wasn’t what she planned; but she embraced it anyway. She was determined to do her best for her cousin’s little girl. Felicity deserved it. However, when Felicity gets sick, she doesn’t know what to do so she calls her neighbor, Ryan Scott. However, Ryan wasn’t home and she ended up talking to Ethan Scott who was also a physician. She and Ethan had been at odds for years and now she had to be nice for Felicity’s sake.
Ethan Scott was the eldest of the Scott brothers. As such, it was Ethan who was first faced with the deaths and funerals of their parents. Then he had to face the death of his fiancée in a car accident similar to his parents’ accident. To top it off, he lost Samantha, Tracy’s daughter, to her father. Suddenly, his family was gone again. Ethan put up a wall around his heart and was determined never to fall in love again because it only hurt when the love was gone. He had found himself attracted to Keeley since she returned home and he did what he could to avoid her. So, when she called for help, he reluctantly went. He would never turn away from a child in danger. He went through the back yards to her house and found Felicity almost asleep. She had indeed been sick; but he ruled out anything drastic and surmised it was just stress. For Felicity was to start school the next day, the third in three months!
Once Felicity was well, Ethan and Keely kept being brought together by circumstances and the attraction between them grew. Could Ethan forget his pain at losing Tracy and Samantha and open his heart to Keely? Could Keely forget her fiancé breaking things off because he still loved his dead wife and open her heart to Ethan who still loved Tracy? Would Felicity come to terms with her new life and start anew?
Love and faith are challenged in Village Green. The book is a good one and is easy to read. However, it lacks the challenge a five-star book should have

[Jeanette Durkin]

This is a wonderful book! It's filled with the Christmas spirit and a little bit of drama! Village Green, Colorado is a place that I'd definitely like to visit! I'd also like to enjoy a meal at Senor O'Toole's!!

All of the characters in this book touched my heart in some way. Felicity, most of all. She's so blessed to have her cousin Keely in her life! Ethan, be still my heart! Handsome, brooding, doctor!! He's suffering from many heartaches. I enjoyed him and Keely's sweet love story!

There are 2 super sweet dogs that deserve a shout-out! Baloo, man's faithful friend and Cupcake, puppy extraordinaire! Also, picturing camels pulling a Christmas sleigh 🤣🐪!!

[Valri Western]

What a tender holiday gift this book was! I enjoyed it so much! This story was about healing and hope! Ethan has had too much tragedy in his life. He doesn't want to take a chance again at letting anyone close - no more love in his live except for his family. First his parents were killed, then his fiancé was killed and after that her daughter was taken back by her biological father. Ethan's heart has been ripped to shreds. He's a doctor and he enjoys helping people that way but he wont give his heart to anyone else again. However, his backyard neighbor, Keely, he's known forever and when she gets guardianship of her cousin's daughter, Ethan helps Keely with the transition. He and Keely love to bicker - they always have - but they will put that aside for sweet Felicity during the holidays as she tries to adjust to life with her mom in prison. I adored Felicity, aka Flicka! That little girl was so brave and loveable! She had an enduring spirit about her and soon has Ethan wrapped around his finger! Keely also has a painful relationship in her past. Can the two adults put their painful pasts behind then and find joy again? I also loved the dogs in this book. They brought another level of tenderness to the book!

[Melanie]

I loved this sweet Christmas story written by one of my favorite authors. Keely is adjusting to having a child in her home. Her cousin has been sent to prison and now she is taking care of her daughter. The problem is that every time the child is sick she is ready to rush off to the ER (and this child is very sickly). Keely is either very inexperienced with kids or needs to take a Xanax and learn to relax. Of course this leads her to reconnect with Dr Ethan and the story continues to its happily ever after ending. The perfect Christmas story.

[JD Morgan]

A story about two people, both of whom returned to their childhood homes after losing love, thinking they’ll never love again, then finding love with each other.

The author does a great job of including humor, especially with Ethan’s t-shirts (all I’m saying, ya gotta read it yourself).

I don’t usually read non-Amish stories like this, but I’m trying to align my reading with the season, and this one was good & moved well after the first couple chapters (that may just be me, I prefer Amish stories).

[Janice Particka]

A wonderful story that is filled with trials. Dr. is still not over loosing his first wife. Keily is raising her niece because the mother is incarcerated. Felicity is shy and missing her mother. She is emotional and does not want to start another new school. Then Keily calls her neighbor the doctor for guidance.
He comes right over to help her. Great

[Tim Covell]

Pleasant if uneven read that drifts into melodrama or plotting coincidence several times. The religious element was mild - I almost forgot about it until a jarring scene that reminded everyone this is for the "love-inspired" line.

[Patty]

3.5 would be my rating, if it was an option.
Decent plot and nice characters, but it belabored the angst of past relationships too repetitively.

Keely, who becomes guardian of her cousin’s young daughter;
Ethan, old friend and doctor who is a next door neighbor.

[Mary Baker]

This is a cozy romance that is a light, fun, read. It was a good change from reading more challenging novels.

[Ranie]

Truly a touching and heart warming story of love, inspiration and faith...

[Rainelle]

I absolutely loved this book!!

[Daisey]

It was ok. Clean, easy read. Just fluff.

[Jean Ducommun]

Very good read.

[Jane]

Dnf - made it 25% through, to chapter 5

Ugh. Here are some of the many notes:

If this was your most favorite book on the planet or it’s going to just hurt your heart to read criticism, do not click on the spoiler.

Everything’s just a smidge too over-the-top melodramatic (that includes the basic plot and the words used to describe it). Cheesy, awkward, unnatural phrases. Feels like it's trying too hard to be cute or clever.

p.15 - the doctor (love interest) from next door comes over to check on little girl who is feeling ill (all kids get sick, by the way, this is not the life or death situation it’s made out to be – she has a stomachache for crying out loud!) -- ”A tall, broad-shouldered man, he moved toward Felicity [the little girl] at the slow, steady pace of a graceful jungle cat.” <-- Wait. What??? In all my fifty plus years I don’t think I’ve ever…. No. Just no. ----- And then our heroine joins him by the bedside of the little girl: ”With heavy, lumbering steps, Keely joined him beside Felicity’s bed.” < -- Really????? She lumbered across the room? For a kid with an everyday, garden-variety, vague, sort-of tummy ache??? ….. No. Just no.

p. 16 - I love his t-shirt slogan: “Of Course I Don’t Look Busy, I Did It Right The First Time” Hah!! I need one of those!

p. 16 - We’re only up to page 16 where doctor Ethan is examining the little girl in her bed, and for some reason the heroine is standing there thinking that he’s ”the big, bad, frustrating bane of her existence”. Huh?? That came out of virtually nowhere and made my eyeballs do a half-roll.

Details, details, details. Oh, please why can’t things fit and make sense??!!

p. 30 - Only thirty pages in and already I’m sick of the odd, tingly feelings and their ”gazes connecting”. “He was tethered to the spot by a pair of sea-green eyes. Why had he never noticed how long and full Keely’s lashes were? How had he missed the flawlessness of her complexion?” (‘Scuse me while I run get my barf bag. I love romance, probably more than the average gal, but this is all too cheesy, too soon.)

p. 35 - Details don’t make sense.

p. 39 - Again, with the details that don’t make sense! His computer died three paragraphs back, but now that the author is finished with that little plot thread his computer somehow is miraculously working again so this other little plot thread, that requires a working computer, can be thrown in. Oh, please just make all the details fit so I don’t keep getting pulled out of the story.

p. 40 - Ethan decides it’s about time for him to help out the community and offer his medical skills for some volunteer work. Great idea! But then… ”Why couldn’t he shake the notion that the need for his skills was much closer to home, literally next door.” <-- Once again, WHAT??!! He’s a family practice physician, there is no need to do exclusive “volunteer work” next door!! More contrived nonsense.

p. 47 - Oh, please!!! She had to lock her knees and gulp for air. Why, you ask? Well, it’s because…wait for it…it’s because her next door neighbor, Ethan, knocked on the back door. Oh no, I think one of my eyeballs is stuck up in my head.

p. 48 - ”'He’s so pretty.'” “'Don’t let him hear you say that. Baloo’s sensitive about his gender.'” <-- Huh? The dog is sensitive about his gender?!?!! Gender?? Sensitive?? This said by the doctor to the seven year old little girl he’d just met yesterday. Wouldn’t the typical response to a child be something like “The dog prefers to be called handsome since he’s a boy dog”? Gender??? Really?!?! Ick!!

p. 49 - Oh, please! Again!

p. 49 - Another fun t-shirt slogan: “Here I Am, What Are Your Other Two Wishes?”

p. 50 & 51 - ?? !! ??

p. 56 - Contradicts what we were told last chapter.

p. 56 & 57 - Oh, please no!
”A sob of gratitude slipped past her lips.” <--Huh?? What?
”That’s it. Let it out, sweetheart.” <-- Sweetheart?? What?!?!


p. 71 - I’ve made it to Chapter 5 and I’ve decided it’s time to just make the cheesiness stop. I officially quit. I’m almost inclined to continue just to find all the fun t-shirt slogans (wish I had this on kindle so I could word search “t-shirt”). But, no, this just isn’t my style so it’s time to stop. The story premise has potential to be good, but it’s just written in a too-melodramatic manner for me. Or maybe I’ve just temporarily overdosed on “Love Inspired” sappiness and need to take a little break. I would certainly try another book by this author and have already bought a copy of
His Most Suitable Bride and look forward to reading it.

[Brandy]

I already love Renee Ryan. She is one of my ALL-TIME top favorite Love Inspired authors. Ii cam quickly falling in love with her Village Green series, and the new generation of Mitchell's, Scott's and O'Toole's. I think The Doctor's Christmas Wish is so far, my favorite of the Village Green's. Dr. Ethan Scott? Sigh. I also loved Keely O'Toole. And little Felicity, 'Flicka' was adorable. As was Ethan's, black Lab Baloo and little Cupcake, Flicka's Christmas gift.
Etan Scott and Keely O' Toole are neighbors who have known each other since childhood. Keely being the bff of Ethan's sister. One night, Keely calls her doctor, neighbor in a panic. Her little 7 year old cousin, the daughter of her cousin, that she has been left as a guardian of, is sick. Little Flicka immediately bonds with her Dr. He's also attracted to his sister's pretty friend, but because of a painful past, struggles with getting to close. But then he get's roped into volunteering for the town's Christmas parade. Then, volunteer's himself to help Keely pick out Flicka's Christmas gift. Both Ethan and Keely have secrets. Can they move forward to make a little girl's Christmas wish of a family come true? A super sweet, Charming, Faith based Christmas romance. I can't wait for the next one in the Village Green series. If you haven't yet checked out Ms. Ryan, your missing out.

[Pam Graber]

Keely O'Toole has returned to her hometown to take charge of the family restaurant and to take on the guardianship of her cousin's daughter, Felicity. When Felicity gets sick in her care, she turns to her next-door neighbor, Ethan Scott. Keely and Ethan have known each other forever since he is her best friend's brother. He was her first crush and she was someone he protected as if she were his sister.
As Ethan cares for little Felicity, he begins to see that the antagonism he and Keely have expressed for one another in recent years is really a cover for the attraction they actually feel. Can they each get past events in their more recent pasts to see that together they are better than apart?
I loved this story and would definitely recommend to romance readers everywhere!

[Bonnie]

The Doctor's Christmas Wish a Village Green series by Renee Ryan. Keely O'Toole's cousin is in prison. She is taking care of her 7 year old daughter. Felicity is having a hard time adjusting to life without her mother. Dr. Ethan Scott lives next door to Keely and Felicity. Felicity gets attached to Ethan. Ethan has his own problems. A girl he was going to marry had an accident and died. She had an 8 year old girl. Felicity reminds him of the 8 year old girl. The girl went with her real father. A heartwarming romance book. A good read.

[Melinda M]

This is the 2nd book in The Village Green series. It does well either as a stand alone or part of the series. Village Green is a small town. Dr. Ethan Scott and his neighbor Keely O'Toole have both come home to heal. Keely has become the guardian for her cousin's daughter who steals everybody's heart. The adventures caused by Keely's cousin
s daughter and the town conspiracy to bring Keely and Ethan together. A great story to escape the crazy holiday time and remind you what is important.

[Michelle]

This was a sweet story. After reading the first book in the series, I was thrilled to find Ethan's story! I also loved that Keely's twin brother, Beau, was named after their great-great grandfather (for more info on that, read the historical series, Charity House).

At the end of this book, I figured that Keely is one of those parents who rushes her child to the ER anytime they are sick...But other than that issue, the book was great. There was plenty of romantic tension also!

[Harlequin Books]

"Keely’s fears of being a first-time “parent” are understandable, as is the reminder that it is not always easy to receive (even if that gift is God’s grace). There are some humorous scenes involving T-shirt slogans and camels in this light read" (RT Book Reviews, 4 stars).

Miniseries: Village Green

[Shelly Dabbs]

Love Renee Ryan as a writer. This is my first of hers in this genre that I have read. Loved the characters & how the story feel into place. A great story of overcoming your past can make a great future. If you read any Christmas stories this year, Make it this one. Love Village Green!!

[Harlequin Books]

received 4 stars @ RT Book Reviews
Miniseries: Village Green

[Joy Strother]

This book is a

[Teresa]

Sweet. I'm binging on Christmas themed books so this hit the mark. ☃