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The Doctor Calling
What Laura was about to do wasn't easy. To become embroiled in a family's grief, their anger, their secrets, wasn't safe, or clever.
Rebuilding her life again after unexpected tragedy, GP Laura O'Connor flees Adelaide, and her medical career, for a quiet life in rural Potters Junction. She's looking to escape her own family dramas. The last thing she expects is to become caught up in another's.
Jake Finlay is a man with a troubled past and a passion for risk-taking. After years away from his small home town, he's hell-bent on keeping his distance. But his father is dying and this could be the last chance they have to make amends.
As Laura and Jake come together over the care for the frail man, they experience an irresistible attraction. Will facing death help them both to grab hold of life? And might love be just what the doctor ordered?
Rebuilding her life again after unexpected tragedy, GP Laura O'Connor flees Adelaide, and her medical career, for a quiet life in rural Potters Junction. She's looking to escape her own family dramas. The last thing she expects is to become caught up in another's.
Jake Finlay is a man with a troubled past and a passion for risk-taking. After years away from his small home town, he's hell-bent on keeping his distance. But his father is dying and this could be the last chance they have to make amends.
As Laura and Jake come together over the care for the frail man, they experience an irresistible attraction. Will facing death help them both to grab hold of life? And might love be just what the doctor ordered?
384 pages, Paperback
Published March 1, 2016
About the author
Meredith Appleyard
10 books125 followersMeredith Appleyard lives in the Clare Valley wine-growing region of South Australia, two hours north of Adelaide. As a registered nurse and midwife, she has worked in a wide range of country health practice settings, including the Royal Flying Doctor Service. She has done agency nursing in London and volunteer work in Vietnam. After her first manuscript was rejected, she joined a writers' group, attended workshops and successfully completed an Advanced Diploma of Arts in Professional Writing with the Adelaide College of the Arts. And she kept working. When she isn't writing, Meredith is reading, helping organise the annual Clare Writers' Festival, or at home with her husband and her border collie, Daisy. The Country Practice is her first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
April 21, 2017
The Doctor Calling is about healing, forgiveness and learning to fall in love. Dr Laura O'Connor gave up practising medicine in Adelaide and move to a South Australia country town called Potters Junction after breaking down after the death of her husband and mother. Jake Finley came back to Potters Junction to visit his father. Laura O'Connor got involve with her neighbour Neill Finley who leads her to a collision cause with Neill's son Jake Finley.
The Doctor Calling takes the reader on a rollercoaster ride with the going on with Laura and the Finley family. The Doctor Calling will make the readers have moments they will laugh and others they will cry.
I read Meredith Appleyard books before, and I always enjoy the way her characters intertwine with each other. Also, I like Meredith Appleyard writing style that keeps you glue to book until the last page.
The Doctor Calling also highlights the importance of overlook the person's bad behaviour to find out what is worrying the person. Readers of The Doctor Calling will learn about the importance of grieving after someone dies that was close to you. Also, never to keep secrets and ensure good communicate with your loved ones.
I recommend this book.
The Doctor Calling takes the reader on a rollercoaster ride with the going on with Laura and the Finley family. The Doctor Calling will make the readers have moments they will laugh and others they will cry.
I read Meredith Appleyard books before, and I always enjoy the way her characters intertwine with each other. Also, I like Meredith Appleyard writing style that keeps you glue to book until the last page.
The Doctor Calling also highlights the importance of overlook the person's bad behaviour to find out what is worrying the person. Readers of The Doctor Calling will learn about the importance of grieving after someone dies that was close to you. Also, never to keep secrets and ensure good communicate with your loved ones.
I recommend this book.
February 23, 2016
4.5 stars
Laura O’Connor had taken twelve months leave after tragedy rocked her life; she was a GP but all she wanted to do was hide and come to terms with her grief. Potters Junction and the old house her aunt had left her and her sister Alice was the perfect place to contemplate her future. Day in and day out she exhausted herself with the renovations to the old home that she had taken on – but her affection for her elderly, but sick and dying neighbour Neill Finlay kept her centred to a degree.
When Neill’s estranged son Jake arrived home for a few days at the insistence of his sister Jess, the bitterness and anger radiated off him. When Laura met him for the first time she felt a tingle of attraction – but nothing could be further from her mind. Jess lived on the Finlay farm with her husband Darren and two sons Mikey and Sam while Neill lived in town – but Neill was getting to the stage of being unable to live alone; the family stress was high. And Laura knew she shouldn’t become involved with them, but her kind and compassionate nature wouldn’t let her stay away.
Life suddenly stepped in and Laura had to make some hard decisions. But was she ready? Her career was one she loved – it was all she had ever wanted to do; but could she step up to the plate and start practicing again? And what would happen with the Finlay family, especially Jake? She couldn’t have her heart broken again…
The Doctor Calling by Aussie author Meredith Appleyard is the second by this author, (The Country Practice her first) and I’ve loved them both. Strong and well written characters are portrayed in The Doctor Calling, with Laura, Jess and Meghan exceptional. But I loved Neill’s character; his strength, his obvious love for his two children and affection for Laura. I have no hesitation in highly recommending The Doctor Calling – Ms Appleyard is definitely an author to watch!
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy to read in exchange for my honest review.
Laura O’Connor had taken twelve months leave after tragedy rocked her life; she was a GP but all she wanted to do was hide and come to terms with her grief. Potters Junction and the old house her aunt had left her and her sister Alice was the perfect place to contemplate her future. Day in and day out she exhausted herself with the renovations to the old home that she had taken on – but her affection for her elderly, but sick and dying neighbour Neill Finlay kept her centred to a degree.
When Neill’s estranged son Jake arrived home for a few days at the insistence of his sister Jess, the bitterness and anger radiated off him. When Laura met him for the first time she felt a tingle of attraction – but nothing could be further from her mind. Jess lived on the Finlay farm with her husband Darren and two sons Mikey and Sam while Neill lived in town – but Neill was getting to the stage of being unable to live alone; the family stress was high. And Laura knew she shouldn’t become involved with them, but her kind and compassionate nature wouldn’t let her stay away.
Life suddenly stepped in and Laura had to make some hard decisions. But was she ready? Her career was one she loved – it was all she had ever wanted to do; but could she step up to the plate and start practicing again? And what would happen with the Finlay family, especially Jake? She couldn’t have her heart broken again…
The Doctor Calling by Aussie author Meredith Appleyard is the second by this author, (The Country Practice her first) and I’ve loved them both. Strong and well written characters are portrayed in The Doctor Calling, with Laura, Jess and Meghan exceptional. But I loved Neill’s character; his strength, his obvious love for his two children and affection for Laura. I have no hesitation in highly recommending The Doctor Calling – Ms Appleyard is definitely an author to watch!
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy to read in exchange for my honest review.
February 22, 2016
Laura O’Connell, recovering from a horror year of family and personal tragedies decides to take a year off from the busy Adelaide GP practice where she works. To get away from it all she moves into the house left to her and her sister by her elderly aunt in the outback town of Potter’s Junction where she can be anonymous and start to rebuild her confidence and her life. At first she is able to spend her days quietly renovating the house and rebuilding the garden with only her neighbour, Neill Finlay for company. Neill, retired from his farm is slowly dying of cancer so Laura can’t help but get involved in his life, especially when the only town GP, 70 year old Milt Burns is so busy. However after Neill’s son, news photographer Jake arrives back from an overseas assignment and the town eventually finds out that she is a doctor, life starts to get complicated for Laura again.
This was a very enjoyable rural romance with the story taking precedence over the slow burning love story. Ms Appleyard has really conveyed what it is like to live in a country town with its rhythms of birth, life and death. With her first hand knowledge of what it’s like to work in country health practices she knows how difficult it is for country towns to recruit young GPs to replace those retiring. She also knows the problems faced by country patients who can’t afford to get sick because times are tough and there is no one to replace them.
I enjoyed the way the author slowly built up her characters until they not only felt real but also people you have met and got to know. I especially loved watching Laura grow from the anxious mess she was at the start of the story to become really comfortable with who she is by the end. She develops a lovely, caring relationship with Neill, her sick elderly neighbour as well as with his handsome, slightly broody son Jake, who needs to sort out his relationship with his father and decide what is important to him. Neill’s daughter Jess trying to keep the family farm going gives us a glimpse of how tough it can get for farmers struggling through yet another drought. Definitely recommended if you want to read an interesting medical, rural romance set against a backdrop of real people leading real lives.
With thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Australia for an advance copy to read and review
This was a very enjoyable rural romance with the story taking precedence over the slow burning love story. Ms Appleyard has really conveyed what it is like to live in a country town with its rhythms of birth, life and death. With her first hand knowledge of what it’s like to work in country health practices she knows how difficult it is for country towns to recruit young GPs to replace those retiring. She also knows the problems faced by country patients who can’t afford to get sick because times are tough and there is no one to replace them.
I enjoyed the way the author slowly built up her characters until they not only felt real but also people you have met and got to know. I especially loved watching Laura grow from the anxious mess she was at the start of the story to become really comfortable with who she is by the end. She develops a lovely, caring relationship with Neill, her sick elderly neighbour as well as with his handsome, slightly broody son Jake, who needs to sort out his relationship with his father and decide what is important to him. Neill’s daughter Jess trying to keep the family farm going gives us a glimpse of how tough it can get for farmers struggling through yet another drought. Definitely recommended if you want to read an interesting medical, rural romance set against a backdrop of real people leading real lives.
With thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Australia for an advance copy to read and review
March 8, 2016
Women's fiction at its best.
My View:
A most enjoyable work of women's fiction - where the emphasis is on the narrative with its themes of the rhythms of life, family, friendships, end of life choices, unexpected deaths, and the difficulties of living in a small rural town in contemporary society especially from the view point of the services available and the issues relating to running a medical practice where the doctor is known and is part of the community.
But this is not a morbid or depressing book. It is one of hope and strength and acceptance. A beautiful story with realistic characters, settings that are uniquely Australian, with an engaging narrative that touches so many interpersonal /relationship issues without the reader feeling like they are sitting in a classroom being lectured. A memorable and enjoyable read, guaranteed to leave you feeling optimistic and smiling.
My View:
A most enjoyable work of women's fiction - where the emphasis is on the narrative with its themes of the rhythms of life, family, friendships, end of life choices, unexpected deaths, and the difficulties of living in a small rural town in contemporary society especially from the view point of the services available and the issues relating to running a medical practice where the doctor is known and is part of the community.
But this is not a morbid or depressing book. It is one of hope and strength and acceptance. A beautiful story with realistic characters, settings that are uniquely Australian, with an engaging narrative that touches so many interpersonal /relationship issues without the reader feeling like they are sitting in a classroom being lectured. A memorable and enjoyable read, guaranteed to leave you feeling optimistic and smiling.
June 5, 2016
The Doctor Calling by Meredith Appleyard is a lovely moving story set in Potters Junction, a small rural town, in South Australia. The location is delightful. The harsh countryside and the trials of living and working in a small town are incorporated with the story of Laura who has taken twelve months off to escape her own troubles, moving from Adelaide into the house her aunt left her and her sister. Laura spends her time focusing on renovating and being a good neighbour to Neill Finlay who is ill and dying. The story becomes complicated when Neill’s son Jake turns up and Laura’s world is in a bit of a spin!
The publisher’s blurb is an excellent introduction to the story.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Doctor Calling. Easy to read with well developed and interesting characters with intriguing twists.
Thank you to Netgalley and publisher Penguin Books Random House Press for an ebook copy to read and review.
The publisher’s blurb is an excellent introduction to the story.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Doctor Calling. Easy to read with well developed and interesting characters with intriguing twists.
Thank you to Netgalley and publisher Penguin Books Random House Press for an ebook copy to read and review.
May 4, 2016
'THE DOCTOR CALLING': Will a Death Prompt Laura to Choose Life?
The Doctor Calling, novel number two from new Australian author Meredith Appleyard, is a gentle read with many instances where your heart breaks for the sadness of the central characters – each one of them dealing with heartache, loss, broken dreams or just pure disappointment at the way life has turned out.
A caring old great-aunt has willed an historical cottage to two sisters. The author paints a wonderful word picture of life in a South Australian rural township as its newest resident finds solace in the anonymity of this isolated community far from her usual residence in Adelaide, the state’s capital city.
Laura’s life had been shattered by the loss of the three closest people in her life over a period of only a few short weeks. When the reality of her new situation becomes all too much, she hides away from everything and everyone in the little town of Potters Junction – including her vocation as a successful big city GP – until she finds herself being drawn to Neill, the elderly gentleman next door.
To her dismay, she learns he is in the final throes of a terrible disease. His children are already struggling with their own hardships and demons and now they have to cope with seeing their father’s body becoming withered and ravaged as time ticks away far too quickly.
A gentle awakening of emotions occurs when Laura meets Jake, Neill’s adopted son. He is torn between fulfilling his dreams of working on another documentary in Afghanistan or making peace with his father after a lifetime filled with hurt and bitterness from when his mother left them for another man many years earlier.
Struggling with a husband who has lost the desire to care for his family and with absolutely no knowledge of how to run a sheep station, Jess, Neill’s only daughter, endeavours to hold the family farm together for the sake of her two young children as well as her father after the years he put in to make it successful.
Add into the mix a local GP with a crabby nature and a long-held secret who is about to retire, along with a simmering attraction that neither Laura nor Jake knows whether they dare share their true feelings for one another, and you have a tender love story that keeps a reader turning the pages right to the very end.
Well done, Meredith Appleyard, for penning a poignant tale set in the harshness of life in rural Australia.
The Doctor Calling, novel number two from new Australian author Meredith Appleyard, is a gentle read with many instances where your heart breaks for the sadness of the central characters – each one of them dealing with heartache, loss, broken dreams or just pure disappointment at the way life has turned out.
A caring old great-aunt has willed an historical cottage to two sisters. The author paints a wonderful word picture of life in a South Australian rural township as its newest resident finds solace in the anonymity of this isolated community far from her usual residence in Adelaide, the state’s capital city.
Laura’s life had been shattered by the loss of the three closest people in her life over a period of only a few short weeks. When the reality of her new situation becomes all too much, she hides away from everything and everyone in the little town of Potters Junction – including her vocation as a successful big city GP – until she finds herself being drawn to Neill, the elderly gentleman next door.
To her dismay, she learns he is in the final throes of a terrible disease. His children are already struggling with their own hardships and demons and now they have to cope with seeing their father’s body becoming withered and ravaged as time ticks away far too quickly.
A gentle awakening of emotions occurs when Laura meets Jake, Neill’s adopted son. He is torn between fulfilling his dreams of working on another documentary in Afghanistan or making peace with his father after a lifetime filled with hurt and bitterness from when his mother left them for another man many years earlier.
Struggling with a husband who has lost the desire to care for his family and with absolutely no knowledge of how to run a sheep station, Jess, Neill’s only daughter, endeavours to hold the family farm together for the sake of her two young children as well as her father after the years he put in to make it successful.
Add into the mix a local GP with a crabby nature and a long-held secret who is about to retire, along with a simmering attraction that neither Laura nor Jake knows whether they dare share their true feelings for one another, and you have a tender love story that keeps a reader turning the pages right to the very end.
Well done, Meredith Appleyard, for penning a poignant tale set in the harshness of life in rural Australia.
October 15, 2017
(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)
Rebuilding her life again after unexpected tragedy, GP Laura O'Connor flees Adelaide, and her medical career, for a quiet life in rural Potters Junction. She's looking to escape her own family dramas. The last thing she expects is to become caught up in another's.
Jake Finlay is a man with a troubled past and a passion for risk-taking. After years away from his small home town, he's hell-bent on keeping his distance. But his father is dying and this could be the last chance they have to make amends.
As Laura and Jake come together over the care for the frail man, they experience an irresistible attraction. Will facing death help them both to grab hold of life? And might love be just what the doctor ordered?
A fantastic Australian rural romance - but a novel where the story takes precedence of the romance. And that is a good thing...
The beauty of this story, for me, was that you can pick up all of those characters, drop them into any location, and they would still resonate with the reader. Sure, the rural location presents its own challenges but, for the most part, the problems faced by the characters in this novel are universal - coming of age; parental issues; sick neighbours...these things are relevant to us all.
Also, the slow burning romance worked really well for me. It showed that, while all of these other things are going on, we still need connections, we still need love. And that doesn't happen overnight (for 99% of us, anyway.)
And, finally, the author does a brilliant job of conveying the Australian landscape. It is a unique challenge and it is presented in such a way that you can taste the dust and smell your skin burning...great job!
Paul
ARH
Rebuilding her life again after unexpected tragedy, GP Laura O'Connor flees Adelaide, and her medical career, for a quiet life in rural Potters Junction. She's looking to escape her own family dramas. The last thing she expects is to become caught up in another's.
Jake Finlay is a man with a troubled past and a passion for risk-taking. After years away from his small home town, he's hell-bent on keeping his distance. But his father is dying and this could be the last chance they have to make amends.
As Laura and Jake come together over the care for the frail man, they experience an irresistible attraction. Will facing death help them both to grab hold of life? And might love be just what the doctor ordered?
A fantastic Australian rural romance - but a novel where the story takes precedence of the romance. And that is a good thing...
The beauty of this story, for me, was that you can pick up all of those characters, drop them into any location, and they would still resonate with the reader. Sure, the rural location presents its own challenges but, for the most part, the problems faced by the characters in this novel are universal - coming of age; parental issues; sick neighbours...these things are relevant to us all.
Also, the slow burning romance worked really well for me. It showed that, while all of these other things are going on, we still need connections, we still need love. And that doesn't happen overnight (for 99% of us, anyway.)
And, finally, the author does a brilliant job of conveying the Australian landscape. It is a unique challenge and it is presented in such a way that you can taste the dust and smell your skin burning...great job!
Paul
ARH
February 25, 2016
Laura O'Connor has made Potters Junction her bolt hole while she recovers from traumatic events in her life. Losing her beloved Mum and husband with in months of each other and then losing her confidence and falling apart while working as a GP in Adelaide, she escapes to her Aunt Dorrie's old house to recover. While doing up the house she becomes friendly with old Neill Finlay who lives next door. Neill has cancer and is slowly getting more frail. It's his son Jake, who turns up after 20 years absence to make amends with his dying father who sends her into another spin.
Once again I loved Meredith Appleyard's new rural/medical romance. Potters Junction is just a short distance from Magpie Creek, the town where the authors first novel 'The Doctor Calling' is set. We catch up with Dr Meghan Kimble and her now expanding family which is an aspect I really enjoyed.
There is something about the authors writing that I just connect with. I believe she captures the essence of small mid north towns of South Australia so well. And working with in the medical field I relate to all the issues these small towns have to receive primary and allied medical care, that the city dwellers take for granted. But really this book is about families reconnecting, forgiveness, moving on and finding yourself and love. Of course the road to love is never easy but I really appreciated that there was no great angst moment of misunderstanding.
A thoroughly enjoyable novel, thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for a copy to read and review.
Once again I loved Meredith Appleyard's new rural/medical romance. Potters Junction is just a short distance from Magpie Creek, the town where the authors first novel 'The Doctor Calling' is set. We catch up with Dr Meghan Kimble and her now expanding family which is an aspect I really enjoyed.
There is something about the authors writing that I just connect with. I believe she captures the essence of small mid north towns of South Australia so well. And working with in the medical field I relate to all the issues these small towns have to receive primary and allied medical care, that the city dwellers take for granted. But really this book is about families reconnecting, forgiveness, moving on and finding yourself and love. Of course the road to love is never easy but I really appreciated that there was no great angst moment of misunderstanding.
A thoroughly enjoyable novel, thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for a copy to read and review.
July 12, 2016
An engaging and heart-warming rural-medical romance is in store for readers of The Doctor Calling. Laura and Jake, the two romantic leads, are both running away from family drama and deep-seated hurt and pain, but the circumstances under which they meet forces them to re-think their lives in more ways than one. There’s plenty of chemistry between the leads, as well as ongoing interest from secondary characters who are fighting battles that involve Jake and Laura whether they want it that way or not.
What I liked particularly was the reminder about life in rural areas, with issues such as the lack of medical facilities, isolation, and the everyday challenges of working on land that’s at mercy of whatever the season brings. It’s these issues that take romantic fiction to a deeper level and offer, not only insight to city dwellers like me, but comfort that someone gets it for those who live that life every day.
My only complaint would be the cover – the young woman looks a lot younger than her mid-thirties. Why? It’s frustrating.
What I liked particularly was the reminder about life in rural areas, with issues such as the lack of medical facilities, isolation, and the everyday challenges of working on land that’s at mercy of whatever the season brings. It’s these issues that take romantic fiction to a deeper level and offer, not only insight to city dwellers like me, but comfort that someone gets it for those who live that life every day.
My only complaint would be the cover – the young woman looks a lot younger than her mid-thirties. Why? It’s frustrating.
February 29, 2016
This story hit quite close to home. Last month, my motorcycle loving husband went to visit his parents to help clear out all the accumulated junk in their carport, just after his father had been diagnosed with cancer. Thank goodness they live in a retirement village and he didn't fall in love with the next door neighbour!
I loved going on the journey of healing and personal growth with Laura and Jake. I really liked Laura and wanted to slap some sense into Jake. The writing was engaging and the characters well developed. Meridith portrayed life in a small country town well, highlighting the importance of services being available locally.
This is the first book I've read by the author and I plan to read more of Meredith's work. I received this book free from netGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I loved going on the journey of healing and personal growth with Laura and Jake. I really liked Laura and wanted to slap some sense into Jake. The writing was engaging and the characters well developed. Meridith portrayed life in a small country town well, highlighting the importance of services being available locally.
This is the first book I've read by the author and I plan to read more of Meredith's work. I received this book free from netGalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 14, 2016
*This review also appears on my blog https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com...
After I read The Country Practice, the debut novel by Meredith Appleyard last year, I immediately knew that this author would be on my list of favourite Australian authors. The Doctor Calling is Meredith Appleyard’s second novel and it is just as good as her first novel.
Medical based rural romance is the flavour of Meredith Appleyard appealing novels. I was overjoyed to discover that once I opened The Doctor Calling, I found that it was set in the same area, the South Australian country town of Potters Junction, as Appleyard’s first novel. I was even given a further treat, when the main character of The Country Practice, Meghan Kimble, appeared briefly in this novel too. It was like catching up with an old friend, a tone that I love and thank Meredith Appleyard for including in her second novel. The Doctor Calling is a novel that is again centred on a female doctor, this time it is a woman named Laura O’Connor. Laura turns to the town of Potters Junction as a source of solace, hoping to remain incognito as she takes leave for a bout of anxiety she suffered from during her work in a busy city based general practice. After inheriting her great aunt’s quaint cottage in country based Potters Junction, Laura decides it is time to rest, recuperate and slowly renovate the cottage. Laura quickly realises it is hard to remain anonymous in Potter’s Junction, she soon befriends her elderly neighbour Neill and his wayward son Jake. When Neill discloses to Laura he is dying from cancer, Laura steps in to lend a hand. While tending to Neill, Laura also provides assistance to the town of Potter’s Junction, who are in desperate need of a locum doctor, while their long standing doctor Milt Burns takes an urgent leave of absence. Laura soon becomes a part of the fabric of Potters Junction, but her ties to the city and the heartbreak she holds may tear her away from her new home.
I tend to turn to the comforting arms of Australian rural romance when I have had a heavy week and The Doctor Calling did just that. One of the side storylines of the novel, involving the palliative care of a cancer patient struck a chord with me emotionally. Recently, a family member passed away after a battle with cancer and The Doctor Calling provided me with some solace, as the parallels drawn from the book’s storyline often mirrored our personal lives in recent times. Personal feelings aside, The Doctor Calling is a heart-warming and appealing rural romance novel, that has an emphasis on medical themes. Main protagonist Laura is a woman whom my heart just broke for, she is surrounded by sadness, grief and personal anxiety but her journey to recovery is admirable. Laura shares a gentle romance with Jake, her neighbour’s son. This is a romance that is fraught with complications and baggage on both sides, so it is a slow burn rather than hot and heavy romance, which suited the tone of the book. Appleyard writes with a warm, engaging manner, she also manages to get to the very heart and minds of the characters that feature in her books. It was nice to be reminded of how much I love her prose, after reading her first book last year. There are some hard hitting themes in this novel, from grief, loss, terminal illness/care, separation and single parenting, all of which are treated with a great deal of sensitivity by Appleyard. Medical issues are also the forefront of this novel and Appleyard makes her reader aware of the complexities of receiving medical care in rural areas. Finally, I must mention the setting in this novel, which was painted with tender love and care, showing the reader the quaint country lifestyle that exists in rural South Australia.
A combination of heartbreaking and feel good, The Doctor Calling is another engrossing medical crossed with rural romance read from an author I have come to enjoy very much.
After I read The Country Practice, the debut novel by Meredith Appleyard last year, I immediately knew that this author would be on my list of favourite Australian authors. The Doctor Calling is Meredith Appleyard’s second novel and it is just as good as her first novel.
Medical based rural romance is the flavour of Meredith Appleyard appealing novels. I was overjoyed to discover that once I opened The Doctor Calling, I found that it was set in the same area, the South Australian country town of Potters Junction, as Appleyard’s first novel. I was even given a further treat, when the main character of The Country Practice, Meghan Kimble, appeared briefly in this novel too. It was like catching up with an old friend, a tone that I love and thank Meredith Appleyard for including in her second novel. The Doctor Calling is a novel that is again centred on a female doctor, this time it is a woman named Laura O’Connor. Laura turns to the town of Potters Junction as a source of solace, hoping to remain incognito as she takes leave for a bout of anxiety she suffered from during her work in a busy city based general practice. After inheriting her great aunt’s quaint cottage in country based Potters Junction, Laura decides it is time to rest, recuperate and slowly renovate the cottage. Laura quickly realises it is hard to remain anonymous in Potter’s Junction, she soon befriends her elderly neighbour Neill and his wayward son Jake. When Neill discloses to Laura he is dying from cancer, Laura steps in to lend a hand. While tending to Neill, Laura also provides assistance to the town of Potter’s Junction, who are in desperate need of a locum doctor, while their long standing doctor Milt Burns takes an urgent leave of absence. Laura soon becomes a part of the fabric of Potters Junction, but her ties to the city and the heartbreak she holds may tear her away from her new home.
I tend to turn to the comforting arms of Australian rural romance when I have had a heavy week and The Doctor Calling did just that. One of the side storylines of the novel, involving the palliative care of a cancer patient struck a chord with me emotionally. Recently, a family member passed away after a battle with cancer and The Doctor Calling provided me with some solace, as the parallels drawn from the book’s storyline often mirrored our personal lives in recent times. Personal feelings aside, The Doctor Calling is a heart-warming and appealing rural romance novel, that has an emphasis on medical themes. Main protagonist Laura is a woman whom my heart just broke for, she is surrounded by sadness, grief and personal anxiety but her journey to recovery is admirable. Laura shares a gentle romance with Jake, her neighbour’s son. This is a romance that is fraught with complications and baggage on both sides, so it is a slow burn rather than hot and heavy romance, which suited the tone of the book. Appleyard writes with a warm, engaging manner, she also manages to get to the very heart and minds of the characters that feature in her books. It was nice to be reminded of how much I love her prose, after reading her first book last year. There are some hard hitting themes in this novel, from grief, loss, terminal illness/care, separation and single parenting, all of which are treated with a great deal of sensitivity by Appleyard. Medical issues are also the forefront of this novel and Appleyard makes her reader aware of the complexities of receiving medical care in rural areas. Finally, I must mention the setting in this novel, which was painted with tender love and care, showing the reader the quaint country lifestyle that exists in rural South Australia.
A combination of heartbreaking and feel good, The Doctor Calling is another engrossing medical crossed with rural romance read from an author I have come to enjoy very much.
April 25, 2016
I’m still mentally kicking myself as I write this review for not reading Meredith Appleyard sooner. If you don’t get anything else out of this review, remember this: go and read The Doctor Calling. It’s a wonderful story that ticks off the right boxes for a great read for me: personal growth of the heroine, friendship, a dash of romance, secrets, some medicine and a happy ending. I adored this story. If it were a person, I’d buy it dinner in gratitude and we’d probably become best friends. There’s just something intangible about the story that I just ‘got’ and the book ‘got’ me.
On the surface, there’s nothing earthshattering about the content of The Doctor Calling, but it is written with such tenderness and understanding that the book can’t help but find its way into your heart. The protagonist is Laura, who has retreated to the cottage she inherited from her great aunt after a number of devastating losses. Laura feels like she’s lost everything from family to career and renovating the cottage is her way of trying to heal. Her main contact is with her neighbour Neill, who is terminally ill with metastatic cancer but she hides a secret even from him – she’s a GP from the city. Then Neill’s son Jake appears on the scene –he’s come to see Neill one last time, tie up some loose ends. Sparks fly between Laura and Jake, but it’s a slow burning relationship. The main focus of the story is Laura’s healing, returning to work, making friends and opening her heart to love.
It was heart-warming to see Laura grow and Meredith Appleyard handles each step of Laura’s return to society tenderly and with skill. The reader is there as she makes her first consult as a GP (once Laura’s profession is revealed, the local doctors are like a moth to a flame because of the dire shortage of rural GPs) and as she struggles with her feelings for Jake. Running parallel to this is the secrets of the Finlay family as Neill and Jake skirt around a decades-old issue and Jess (Jake’s sister) faces devastation as her own world collapses around her. It sounds callous, but another aspect of the book I really enjoyed was that there were no easy fixes for any of the characters. They all had to work through their problems and that look time, with stumbles along the way.
If you are looking for a story where romance is the primary focus, you may be disappointed with The Doctor Calling. I’d say the story is more rural fiction than rural romance. Sure, there’s some hot scenes between Laura and Jake but this story is about Laura. Deep down, she’s strong but she has suffered some horrible events that she needs to recover from. Looking after Neill (who is an absolute sweetheart) helps her to do so, as does working (and standing up to local GP Milt) and friendship with Jess. The story shows the many sources in our lives that we can draw strength on.
Meredith Appleyard also does brilliantly with the aspects of medicine in the story. I love reading medical stories, but I’m a harsh critic when it comes to getting it right. I couldn’t fault any of this – the language used when talking to Neill about palliative care was perfect, as was Laura’s diagnostic suspicions and discussions with her patients. Neill’s deterioration was also handled sensitively and realistically – so much so that his passing brought a tear (or three) to my eye.
The Doctor Calling is a perfect rural story, and if you’re after more of Meghan (the GP of Magpie Ridge), her story can be found in The Country Practice.
Thank you to Penguin Australia for the eARC. My review is honest.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
On the surface, there’s nothing earthshattering about the content of The Doctor Calling, but it is written with such tenderness and understanding that the book can’t help but find its way into your heart. The protagonist is Laura, who has retreated to the cottage she inherited from her great aunt after a number of devastating losses. Laura feels like she’s lost everything from family to career and renovating the cottage is her way of trying to heal. Her main contact is with her neighbour Neill, who is terminally ill with metastatic cancer but she hides a secret even from him – she’s a GP from the city. Then Neill’s son Jake appears on the scene –he’s come to see Neill one last time, tie up some loose ends. Sparks fly between Laura and Jake, but it’s a slow burning relationship. The main focus of the story is Laura’s healing, returning to work, making friends and opening her heart to love.
It was heart-warming to see Laura grow and Meredith Appleyard handles each step of Laura’s return to society tenderly and with skill. The reader is there as she makes her first consult as a GP (once Laura’s profession is revealed, the local doctors are like a moth to a flame because of the dire shortage of rural GPs) and as she struggles with her feelings for Jake. Running parallel to this is the secrets of the Finlay family as Neill and Jake skirt around a decades-old issue and Jess (Jake’s sister) faces devastation as her own world collapses around her. It sounds callous, but another aspect of the book I really enjoyed was that there were no easy fixes for any of the characters. They all had to work through their problems and that look time, with stumbles along the way.
If you are looking for a story where romance is the primary focus, you may be disappointed with The Doctor Calling. I’d say the story is more rural fiction than rural romance. Sure, there’s some hot scenes between Laura and Jake but this story is about Laura. Deep down, she’s strong but she has suffered some horrible events that she needs to recover from. Looking after Neill (who is an absolute sweetheart) helps her to do so, as does working (and standing up to local GP Milt) and friendship with Jess. The story shows the many sources in our lives that we can draw strength on.
Meredith Appleyard also does brilliantly with the aspects of medicine in the story. I love reading medical stories, but I’m a harsh critic when it comes to getting it right. I couldn’t fault any of this – the language used when talking to Neill about palliative care was perfect, as was Laura’s diagnostic suspicions and discussions with her patients. Neill’s deterioration was also handled sensitively and realistically – so much so that his passing brought a tear (or three) to my eye.
The Doctor Calling is a perfect rural story, and if you’re after more of Meghan (the GP of Magpie Ridge), her story can be found in The Country Practice.
Thank you to Penguin Australia for the eARC. My review is honest.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
February 25, 2016
A moving tale of rural doctoring and love in the aftermath of tragedy.
After more tragedy than one person should suffer Laura O’Connor has retreated from life and her busy city practice and returned to her great-aunt’s home in rural Potters Junction. Then Jake Finlay roars into the neighbouring property and unsettles her fragile peace. Though Laura just wants to hide from the world, it doesn’t take long before the locals suss she is a doctor, and with the town and nearby hospital in dire need, Laura is forced to decide if she is capable of returning to the career she loved. The decision isn’t made any easier by her growing attraction to the tormented Jake, who is about to confront his own demons. Is Laura strong enough to handle the rigours she will face as a country doctor, and should she and Jake walk away from their attraction before it undoes them both?
The Doctor Calling is a strong tale of splintered families, new grief and old secrets, and explores the pressures of country medical care in a vibrant and informed way. Both Laura and Jake are great characters, each damaged and still struggling to find their way but forging on regardless. There is a maturity to their relationship that goes much deeper than the usual romantic play. The secondary characters are just as vibrant: Neill, Jake’s dying father and Laura’s first and deepest connection in Potters Junction, is as well rounded and complicated as his son; Jake’s sister and her troubled marriage give insight into farming and the dysfunction of families; Doctor Milt Burns is as richly drawn (and irritating) as any town patriarch unwilling to give up his role.
Appleyard gives great insight into the pressures of rural doctors, farming and family expectations. Be warned, this novel contains a lot of grief. There were times when I was reduced to tears. And there were times when I wanted to step in and help Laura with her troubles. If you are looking for escapist romance, you may find this novel a little frustrating in that regard—Laura and Jake are both so wary it takes a while for the attraction to be acknowledged by either and I found the will-they-won’t-they theme became a little frustrating. If you are looking for a heartfelt, well-written escape into the world of rural doctoring with the promise of romance between two utterly realistic characters, you’ll love this novel.
Set aside an afternoon and get cosy because this is the kind of story that pulls you in and doesn’t let go easily.
Highly recommended.
*Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Australia for an ARC.
After more tragedy than one person should suffer Laura O’Connor has retreated from life and her busy city practice and returned to her great-aunt’s home in rural Potters Junction. Then Jake Finlay roars into the neighbouring property and unsettles her fragile peace. Though Laura just wants to hide from the world, it doesn’t take long before the locals suss she is a doctor, and with the town and nearby hospital in dire need, Laura is forced to decide if she is capable of returning to the career she loved. The decision isn’t made any easier by her growing attraction to the tormented Jake, who is about to confront his own demons. Is Laura strong enough to handle the rigours she will face as a country doctor, and should she and Jake walk away from their attraction before it undoes them both?
The Doctor Calling is a strong tale of splintered families, new grief and old secrets, and explores the pressures of country medical care in a vibrant and informed way. Both Laura and Jake are great characters, each damaged and still struggling to find their way but forging on regardless. There is a maturity to their relationship that goes much deeper than the usual romantic play. The secondary characters are just as vibrant: Neill, Jake’s dying father and Laura’s first and deepest connection in Potters Junction, is as well rounded and complicated as his son; Jake’s sister and her troubled marriage give insight into farming and the dysfunction of families; Doctor Milt Burns is as richly drawn (and irritating) as any town patriarch unwilling to give up his role.
Appleyard gives great insight into the pressures of rural doctors, farming and family expectations. Be warned, this novel contains a lot of grief. There were times when I was reduced to tears. And there were times when I wanted to step in and help Laura with her troubles. If you are looking for escapist romance, you may find this novel a little frustrating in that regard—Laura and Jake are both so wary it takes a while for the attraction to be acknowledged by either and I found the will-they-won’t-they theme became a little frustrating. If you are looking for a heartfelt, well-written escape into the world of rural doctoring with the promise of romance between two utterly realistic characters, you’ll love this novel.
Set aside an afternoon and get cosy because this is the kind of story that pulls you in and doesn’t let go easily.
Highly recommended.
*Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Australia for an ARC.
September 3, 2016
Laura O'Connel is GP worked in Adelaide and is on a 12-month leave of absence after the death of her mother due to cancer, and husband Brett in a work accident 2 years before so she moves to the house her Aunty left her and her sister in Potters Junction. There she meets her neighbour Neil Finlay who dying of Cancer. Laura helps her neighbour by taking his dog for a run every morning. One on run Laura is knocked over by a man on a motorbike who turns out to be Jake Finlay, Neil's son who left 20 years ago after finding out Neil is not his real father. Jake has returned after been told by his sister Jess their dad is ill.
Jake stays for a few days helps his father to clear the shed and other things like helping his sister Jess after husband left her. Jake leaves Jess tries to get him back home but he comes back four weeks later after Laura has begun working at the medical centre after meeting up with a friend from college. Laura is settled in working as GP in Potters Junction as well as looking after Neil her neighbour when Jake returns to help care for his father until his death and support his sister on the family farm.
Laura and Jake over time become more than just friends. Jake makes a dying wish to Neil that he will stay for 12 months and help his sister with the farm. His father dies he leaves after funeral leaving behind a broken-hearted Laura and sister Jess.
In the meantime Laura gets on with her life at Potters Junction and realises this is home she loves the place even though Jake is gone.
Jake returns and tells Jesss on the death bed wish he made to their father and then Goes to see Laura and ask for her foregiveness and to give their relationship a try and see where it leads them in the next year.
A nice read enjoyed it.
Jake stays for a few days helps his father to clear the shed and other things like helping his sister Jess after husband left her. Jake leaves Jess tries to get him back home but he comes back four weeks later after Laura has begun working at the medical centre after meeting up with a friend from college. Laura is settled in working as GP in Potters Junction as well as looking after Neil her neighbour when Jake returns to help care for his father until his death and support his sister on the family farm.
Laura and Jake over time become more than just friends. Jake makes a dying wish to Neil that he will stay for 12 months and help his sister with the farm. His father dies he leaves after funeral leaving behind a broken-hearted Laura and sister Jess.
In the meantime Laura gets on with her life at Potters Junction and realises this is home she loves the place even though Jake is gone.
Jake returns and tells Jesss on the death bed wish he made to their father and then Goes to see Laura and ask for her foregiveness and to give their relationship a try and see where it leads them in the next year.
A nice read enjoyed it.
Read
March 4, 2016Well the cover is totally Mills and Boon 80's which is completely unappealing but the premise was good so I got the sample.
It sounded like it could be worth reading except that the story line would be absolutely predictable and unless the writing is outstanding then it is just another 3-4 star read.
I really, really just want more from my romances at the moment. I want to BE a part of the characters and I want to feel the depth of their connection! That just doesn't happen enough anymore. Maybe I am too old, too jaded and have read too many and become numb and need a bigger shot to reach that romance high!!??
Leaving this on the "not gonna read" shelf.
It sounded like it could be worth reading except that the story line would be absolutely predictable and unless the writing is outstanding then it is just another 3-4 star read.
I really, really just want more from my romances at the moment. I want to BE a part of the characters and I want to feel the depth of their connection! That just doesn't happen enough anymore. Maybe I am too old, too jaded and have read too many and become numb and need a bigger shot to reach that romance high!!??
Leaving this on the "not gonna read" shelf.
October 20, 2019
I picked this book up on a whim at a secondhand book sale, and figured since I've enjoyed the rural romance genre in the past it would be worth giving a go.
The Doctor Calling is the story of GP Laura O'Connor, who is taking time out from her career to refurbish her great Aunt's old house. Jake Finley comes home to visit his terminally ill father, who happens to live next door to Laura.
It was a completely enjoyable story. Light, entertaining, easy to read. Laura and Jake are both likeable characters, as are the side characters of Jess and Neill.
This book was a pleasant surprise, and I'll definitely be looking for for more by Meredith Appleyard.
The Doctor Calling is the story of GP Laura O'Connor, who is taking time out from her career to refurbish her great Aunt's old house. Jake Finley comes home to visit his terminally ill father, who happens to live next door to Laura.
It was a completely enjoyable story. Light, entertaining, easy to read. Laura and Jake are both likeable characters, as are the side characters of Jess and Neill.
This book was a pleasant surprise, and I'll definitely be looking for for more by Meredith Appleyard.
April 21, 2016
This book is very light reading but thoroughly enjoyable. It is set in a small country town and has all the foibles of a country town. Laura soon finds this out when she goes there for a break from the troubles she has been having. She becomes involved with the family of her neighbour, Neill, and his fight with cancer. His son Jake, who doesn't want to come home and see his Father, and his daughter, Jess, who is on the family farm with her husband. Her husband leaves her and the farm is in dire straights.
August 21, 2016
Loved it. Being a nurse myself, I enjoyed reading about rural health care. It was nice to see Meghan, Sean and Julia (even Milt) make a reappearance in this book. And to see Meghan and Sean married with kids now too! I loved Jake's character even though I just wanted to knock some sense into him most of the time.
Also, this book demonstrated how hard and harsh a farmers life can be. Growing up on a dairy farm as a kid, I've experienced this first hand!
Can't wait to read more books by this author.
Also, this book demonstrated how hard and harsh a farmers life can be. Growing up on a dairy farm as a kid, I've experienced this first hand!
Can't wait to read more books by this author.
Read
June 4, 2018The pacing of this one was so slow, particularly because of the heavy exposition. I also wasn't a huge fan of the heroine and some of the storytelling elements just frustrated me. An example of this was the heroine suspecting she knew what was wrong with a patient (a very secondary character), but despite mentioning it half a dozen times, the author keeps what the diagnosis might be from the reader. I didn't care what was wrong with the patient really, and that it was dangled like an interesting plot thread (when it wasn't) was just annoying. This was a DNF for me.
March 24, 2016
Appleyard creates troubled yet warm characters that we cannot help but fall in love with. Her characters are real and sincere. She creates electric attraction between them but keeps the love interests apart for the majority of the book whilst never letting the reader get bored. It's a bonus to read a romantic love story with serious issues thrown at the characters and not loaded up with frenetic sex at every opportunity.
Thank you to Penguin Random House for a copy of this book to review.
Thank you to Penguin Random House for a copy of this book to review.
June 19, 2016
After working hard to rebuild her life, Laura hadn't planned on becoming embroiled in her neighbour's grief. Their family secrets are pulling them apart at a time they need to work together and it's breaking Laura's heart.
This is a tragic tale, but the characters engaged me and kept me turning the pages. Maybe facing death will help them all to grab a hold of life.
This is a tragic tale, but the characters engaged me and kept me turning the pages. Maybe facing death will help them all to grab a hold of life.
January 21, 2024
This was first book I read from this author and really enjoyed it. The story of nurse Laura and her extended family of next door neighbour Neill and beau Jake and family was touching. The life Laura made for herself in Potters Junction after her sorrow in Adelaide was very touching. Loved the book from cover to cover. Great read.❤️❤️❤️
July 12, 2016
A great Australian outback story. The characters are engaging and the author makes you care about them.
The feel of the house Laura inherited is strong and you can picture it in your mind. Very realistic portrayal of country life.
My first book by Meredith but it won't be my last.
The feel of the house Laura inherited is strong and you can picture it in your mind. Very realistic portrayal of country life.
My first book by Meredith but it won't be my last.
May 15, 2016
Very enjoyable read - from beginning to end it kept me interested.
June 22, 2016
An enjoyable easy read, well-written but predictable.
July 31, 2016
Good easy read. Typical of the rural romance genre but enjoyable.
May 31, 2017
I totally love Meredith's novels.
She knows how to drag the reader right into the novel so they feel apart of the story as it unfolds.
Love love love
She knows how to drag the reader right into the novel so they feel apart of the story as it unfolds.
Love love love
April 5, 2018
Here's another fabulous Australian author we are so lucky to have with so many dimensions to the characters involved. Great storyline!
January 23, 2020
Again, nope.
August 5, 2020
A most enjoyable, mixed emotional, and wonderful read. I loved the common characters from the previous book. Quite simply, I could not put it down until I had finished it!
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