From the moment we met, obstetrician Clay Reynolds scorned my profession as a birthing coach. His scathing remarks left me crying on the shoulder of my potbellied pig, Gertie! It seems only the handsome doc's eight-year-old son, who thinks I hung the moon, can make Clay be civil to me. Clay is a great doctor and loving father. And we're finding a lot in common as we volunteer together at a free clinic. But he's still frowning at me in the delivery room.
So how can I convince him God gave me skills that complement his own? Maybe with a little help from above I can change Clay's attitude toward doula's in general... and me in particular.
Judy Baer was born and grew up on a farm on the prairies of North Dakota, USA. An only child, she spent most of her days with imaginary people-either those she read about or those she made up in her head. Her most ambitious conjuring did not succeed, however. She kept a clean stall with hay and oats for the horse she imagined would come but unfortunately, it never did. As an adult, however, she managed to make that dream come true and raised foundation quarter horses and buffalo for some years. A voracious reader, Judy learned to read with comic books, anything from Little Lulu and Superman to the Rawhide Kid. She sold her first story for $10.00 to a farm magazine. She still has the $10.00.
She graduated from Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota with a major in English and education and a minor in religion. At the time, she was simply studying what interested her, but now realizes that she was educating herself for her future career as an inspirational christian romance writer.
Judy wanted to write for Harlequin even in high school but it wasn't until her youngest child learned to say "No" that she realized that she'd better consider a second career to fall back on when mothering was done. Her first book was written with her little girl on her lap. Judy would type a few words, say "Now, Jennifer," at which time her daughter would hit the space bar before Judy continued typing. It wasn't the fastest way to work, but it offered a lot of mother-daughter time together. An over-achiever, she's written 71 books for various publishers. The mother of two and step-mother of three, she now has lots of family to enjoy.
In 2001, she went back to school and became a certified professional life coach. Currently she is working on her Master's in Human Development in the areas of writing, coaching and spirituality and writing inspirational Chick Lit which, she says, is the most fun she's ever had writing.
This was a quick (and somewhat educational) read about a doula and her life and work at a hospital. The main problem I had was with the love interest. For a character that was portrayed as so logical, his reason for disliking the main character was completely illogical. For me, this was a major flaw in the plot.
It felt a bit too preachy for my taste, both on the Christian and the Doula theme. I didn't connect with either of the main characters. His reason for not liking or respecting her profession is really lame, and has nothing to do at all with being a doula. By his reasoning, he should have hated all doctors as well. I had to force myself to finish the book.
There was quite a bit to like about this book. The heroine's relationship with her friends, her job as a Doula, the differing personalities of the pregnant women... Unfortunately the attraction between the two MCs never made any sense to me. He hates her job, which is her passion, and has no respect for her profession AT ALL. They're opposites in every way, he's completely shut down emotionally with everyone in his life, yet they somehow fall in love? Didn't work at all for me, sadly.
I liked learning what a doula did to make the delivery of a baby more comfortable for women. I liked Molly's strength and devotion to her patients. I felt that a lot of the problems she and Clay had could have been resolved if he had told her why he was so strict when he was delivering a baby when they first started getting involved with each other.
Usually, I like Judy Baer's books, but I am truly sick and tired of the plot device that states that the staid, uptight, logical person (in this book, Dr. Clay Reynolds, an OB-GYN) must shed that part of his persona and adopt the free-spirited ways of his love (here, doula Molly Cassidy, rescuer of pets).
Thinking and acting in a logical manner should not be a crime. It should be required of all individuals throughout their lives. Here, though, Clay has seemingly forgotten how to laugh and love. Never mind that he's lost his beloved wife in childbirth and may still be in mourning.
The book does have its funny moments, but overall I've read better.
It was a very cute book! But, Clay didn't make any sense to me! Molly was crazy to fall for him! I only liked him in the very beginning(when he see's the baby girl), and at the very VERY end (when he finally tells Molly why he has been such a jerk!). Ugh. There were a few typos, too. It was a very cute story line and I did like the main character. I just wanted her to stick up for herself.
Still, I am glad I read the book, and I will read more from this author. She puts her faith into her characters, and I LOVE IT!
Well... I didn't know this was Christian Fiction when I checked it out but I sure found out the hard way. I don't mind Christian Fiction, I actually enjoy the genre when it's not preachy. This... is very very very preachy. Almost too preachy but the love story was interesting so I finished it. I really didn't like Molly, the MC. She would tell someone not to be judgmental on page and then, on the very next page, she would be judgmental herself. I don't know... I will pass on this author from now on, just not my style.
From the first book I read, I've been a huge fan of Judy Baer. I find Baer's books to be a bit on the predictable side when it comes to the endings. You'll always find a happy ending with the main characters finally realizing that eventhough they have butted heads they're in love and end up getting married (sorry for the spoiler). But Baer's books are fun and light reads. I usually fly through them quickly and wish for another one to read.
A great fiction book on doulas… Slightly cheesy and a little unrealistic, it does actually have some of the main facts correct when it comes to a doula/patient relationship. In this funny, chick lit book, romance between an unlikely doctor and doula is fun!
I read a LOT of Baer's fiction in middle school and high school, and this brought back the memories: not super well-written or anything special, but an entertaining, quick read nonetheless.
Judy Baer is known for her fun and flirty inspirational romances. You may want to start with Oh, Baby!, which tells the story of a birthing coach and the single father she’d like to know better.
This was just a cute, quick read. Christian chic-lit, didn't require a lot of focus, which was perfect for middle-of-the-night feelings with my newborn. I liked it!