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Courting Doctor Clark
Dr. Joshua McClain is heading west but first stops in Hillsdale, Michigan, to break the marriage contract his late mother arranged between him and Katie Clark. Years ago, Katie left him behind in Charleston after the tragic death of her mother. But after a train crash, he comes face-to-face with Dr. Kathleen Clark, his childhood friend all grown up. When Josh shows up in town, claiming they're betrothed, Katie refuses to consider an arranged marriage. She'll marry for love or not at all. Besides, he's headed for Kansas Territory; her practice is here in Hillsdale. Then why are they both finding it hard to break their betrothal and say goodbye?
- GenresHistorical
214 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 25, 2017
10 people are currently reading
12 people want to read
About the author
Patty Smith Hall
59 books169 followersThe author of over 30 books and novellas, Patty lives near the North Georgia Mountains with her husband, Danny. When she's not writing, she's spending time with her family or playing with her two grandsons. Connecting with people who love to read as much as she does is one of her favorite things!.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 23, 2021
Good story but it needs quite a bit of editing for grammar and wrong wording and tenses. And a dress changed from green to pink. There was a misplacing of an event and a relationship with a friend could have been expanded on.
The story was a good one and has possibilities if the editing could be gixed.
*I purchased this ebook from Amazon. All opinions are my own.*
The story was a good one and has possibilities if the editing could be gixed.
*I purchased this ebook from Amazon. All opinions are my own.*
February 11, 2020
Story Fine, Medicine Wrong
I enjoy a good historical romance, and I found the romance aspect of this book to be thoroughly enjoyable. The author pulled you right into the story with a dramatic train crash, which is how the hero and heroine meet again after having known each other as children. They're both from the south, but she now lives in Michigan. This is an important way-stop for him before he heads out to Kansas where he has a position as a physician. There's just the nasty little business to clear up about a betrothal set up between their fathers before the hero can move on to his new post. Unfortunately, the heroine has no clue about this marriage contract, and some of their first interactions are quite funny because of this. There was also some good humor at the beginning because the hero, as a victim of the train wreck, makes a very bad patient, as most doctors and nurses do! I can say that because I am an RN.
I like the way that the hero was very supportive of the heroine. She is unique in that she is a doctor in the 1850s Michigan. As such, she is not universally respected or even viewed as a knowledgeable person. When he sees her in action dealing with the train wreck, he sees her as the consummate professional that she is and respects that. But no matter what, in the beginning, he wants nothing more than to break the betrothal and has in fact come to Michigan to help get her on his side about this. As you might imagine, it doesn't quite turn out that way.
The only true issue I had with this book is that the medical aspect was just wrong in many places, especially everything having to do with infection. At the time that book is supposed to have taken place, germ theory as we know it did not exist (Pasteur didn’t begin modern experimentation on it until the 1860s); the “miasma” theory of transmission of disease was still in play (disease caused by bad air), as it was until the 1880s (when Koch extended Pasteur’s work and that became more accepted). As a nurse, having this kind of historical inaccuracy drives me crazy. As I often see with historical books that contain social and scientific topics, historical medicine is shown inaccurately in this book; I don’t know why authors do this—give modern sensibilities and insights to people who would not have had them. Perhaps they think it makes their characters smarter to know of things a decade or more before anyone else did. For instance, the author frequently mentions the use of carbolic acid as a way to prevent infection, especially in surgeries. This book takes place in the late 1850s, and the use of the then sewer cleaner carbolic acid was not suggested even empirically for surgeries until 1863. It wasn't scientifically tested until 1865 by Joseph Lister, and he didn't publish his studies until 1867. (Even then, there was not universal acceptance of his practice by surgeons; America at the time was particularly resistant to the idea.) This information is freely available on the internet (not just my nursing texts), so I don't know why authors don't take advantage of finding out historical truth for their historical novels. I also know for certain that hand washing and the use of towels as portrayed in this book would not have happened either in the late 1850s. At least the author got the fact right that the heroine could have studied at the women’s Pennsylvania medical school mentioned in the book (as it was established in 1850), even if she didn't get the name of the college correct (what it was called back then).
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
My book blog: https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com
I enjoy a good historical romance, and I found the romance aspect of this book to be thoroughly enjoyable. The author pulled you right into the story with a dramatic train crash, which is how the hero and heroine meet again after having known each other as children. They're both from the south, but she now lives in Michigan. This is an important way-stop for him before he heads out to Kansas where he has a position as a physician. There's just the nasty little business to clear up about a betrothal set up between their fathers before the hero can move on to his new post. Unfortunately, the heroine has no clue about this marriage contract, and some of their first interactions are quite funny because of this. There was also some good humor at the beginning because the hero, as a victim of the train wreck, makes a very bad patient, as most doctors and nurses do! I can say that because I am an RN.
I like the way that the hero was very supportive of the heroine. She is unique in that she is a doctor in the 1850s Michigan. As such, she is not universally respected or even viewed as a knowledgeable person. When he sees her in action dealing with the train wreck, he sees her as the consummate professional that she is and respects that. But no matter what, in the beginning, he wants nothing more than to break the betrothal and has in fact come to Michigan to help get her on his side about this. As you might imagine, it doesn't quite turn out that way.
The only true issue I had with this book is that the medical aspect was just wrong in many places, especially everything having to do with infection. At the time that book is supposed to have taken place, germ theory as we know it did not exist (Pasteur didn’t begin modern experimentation on it until the 1860s); the “miasma” theory of transmission of disease was still in play (disease caused by bad air), as it was until the 1880s (when Koch extended Pasteur’s work and that became more accepted). As a nurse, having this kind of historical inaccuracy drives me crazy. As I often see with historical books that contain social and scientific topics, historical medicine is shown inaccurately in this book; I don’t know why authors do this—give modern sensibilities and insights to people who would not have had them. Perhaps they think it makes their characters smarter to know of things a decade or more before anyone else did. For instance, the author frequently mentions the use of carbolic acid as a way to prevent infection, especially in surgeries. This book takes place in the late 1850s, and the use of the then sewer cleaner carbolic acid was not suggested even empirically for surgeries until 1863. It wasn't scientifically tested until 1865 by Joseph Lister, and he didn't publish his studies until 1867. (Even then, there was not universal acceptance of his practice by surgeons; America at the time was particularly resistant to the idea.) This information is freely available on the internet (not just my nursing texts), so I don't know why authors don't take advantage of finding out historical truth for their historical novels. I also know for certain that hand washing and the use of towels as portrayed in this book would not have happened either in the late 1850s. At least the author got the fact right that the heroine could have studied at the women’s Pennsylvania medical school mentioned in the book (as it was established in 1850), even if she didn't get the name of the college correct (what it was called back then).
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
My book blog: https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com
February 14, 2023
Courting Doctor Clark
By: Patty Smith Hall
Narrated by: Cindy Piller
If you are looking for a feel good romance, look no further. This historical story puts us back in history. Joshua is returning to his home town to break the ridiculous marriage contract their parents made. When the train crashes on the way, he gets to see his betrothed in action as she helps those who are hurt. Katie wants to be taken seriously, but as a woman in a man's field, most don't see her as capable of treating a patient. She was on her way to a place that needs doctors, but now she is back home and she and Josh are becoming reacquainted. But are there real feelings between them? Could there ever be a spark of love? This book has a little bit of everything. It shows us how things used to be and the difficulty of breaking out for a woman. It shows how feelings stand the test of time, and how mom always knows best(I had to throw that in there, but you will have to listen to understand it!). It's a great love story, and one that will make you smile.
Cindy Piller has a wonderfully, warm voice and is perfect for the historical setting of this romance. She is new to me, and I enjoyed her variety of voices and ability to switch from male to female with ease. She made the time fly by and the story very enjoyable.
By: Patty Smith Hall
Narrated by: Cindy Piller
If you are looking for a feel good romance, look no further. This historical story puts us back in history. Joshua is returning to his home town to break the ridiculous marriage contract their parents made. When the train crashes on the way, he gets to see his betrothed in action as she helps those who are hurt. Katie wants to be taken seriously, but as a woman in a man's field, most don't see her as capable of treating a patient. She was on her way to a place that needs doctors, but now she is back home and she and Josh are becoming reacquainted. But are there real feelings between them? Could there ever be a spark of love? This book has a little bit of everything. It shows us how things used to be and the difficulty of breaking out for a woman. It shows how feelings stand the test of time, and how mom always knows best(I had to throw that in there, but you will have to listen to understand it!). It's a great love story, and one that will make you smile.
Cindy Piller has a wonderfully, warm voice and is perfect for the historical setting of this romance. She is new to me, and I enjoyed her variety of voices and ability to switch from male to female with ease. She made the time fly by and the story very enjoyable.
September 16, 2017
This is a sweet book in desperate need of a good copyeditor.
The author grabbed me from the outset with charming characters and an unusual set of predicaments. And a nineteenth-century story about a woman pursuing a profession will get me every time. I cared enough about these characters to finish the book, even though the number of grammatical, usage, continuity, and punctuation errors was staggering. I understand that people are human, and a certain number of errors in a book is inevitable, but many of these were so obvious that even an inexperienced editor would have caught most of them.
The other problem I have with this book is that it is predicated on the main characters being deeply in love with one another yet each remaining unsure of the other's affection despite all evidence of it. When intelligent characters behave this foolishly, it strains credibility.
The conflicts are interesting and the ending is satisfying. Best of all, the characters, including the secondary characters, are delightful.
The author grabbed me from the outset with charming characters and an unusual set of predicaments. And a nineteenth-century story about a woman pursuing a profession will get me every time. I cared enough about these characters to finish the book, even though the number of grammatical, usage, continuity, and punctuation errors was staggering. I understand that people are human, and a certain number of errors in a book is inevitable, but many of these were so obvious that even an inexperienced editor would have caught most of them.
The other problem I have with this book is that it is predicated on the main characters being deeply in love with one another yet each remaining unsure of the other's affection despite all evidence of it. When intelligent characters behave this foolishly, it strains credibility.
The conflicts are interesting and the ending is satisfying. Best of all, the characters, including the secondary characters, are delightful.
February 5, 2020
The challenges were interesting.
This book was a bit hard to read based on how the author has it formatted and I am hoping this was not the final copy it needs some work. The story itself was good it is a faith-based story about two doctors Joshua and Kathleen who had been friends when younger. Now they are meeting up again when Joshua comes to town claiming that Kathleen is his betrothed. Decisions had to be made was she going west with Joshua? Can an arranged work when Kathleen wants to marry only for love? The challenges were interesting, the characters were a delight, and it was an entertaining read. I did receive a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.
This book was a bit hard to read based on how the author has it formatted and I am hoping this was not the final copy it needs some work. The story itself was good it is a faith-based story about two doctors Joshua and Kathleen who had been friends when younger. Now they are meeting up again when Joshua comes to town claiming that Kathleen is his betrothed. Decisions had to be made was she going west with Joshua? Can an arranged work when Kathleen wants to marry only for love? The challenges were interesting, the characters were a delight, and it was an entertaining read. I did receive a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.
January 29, 2023
This was a fresh approach to romance and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Stayed up late to finish it. Once started I couldn't get myself to pause it. I enjoyed the romance, the bit of adventure with the train wreck, add a touch of mystery to the mix and you have a great story. And, of course, I always like a happy ending. This author keeps it clean with no inapporpriate language or content. I always am comfortable recommending her books to friends and family.
The narration was quite good making the characters easy to picture in my mind. Added to the enjoyment of listening to the book.
I requested this audiobook from the author and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.
The narration was quite good making the characters easy to picture in my mind. Added to the enjoyment of listening to the book.
I requested this audiobook from the author and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.
January 30, 2023
I really enjoyed this book, especially because I am from MI and know exactly where Hillsdale is. I think this story moves along well, has a little suspense to keep you guessing. I love how the friendship Joshua and Katie had helps them rediscover each other later in life. It is nice to see the respect Josh has for Katie as a doctor even though most of the town doesn't want to accept her as such.
I listened to the audiobook of this, I thought the narration was done well.
I listened to the audiobook of this, I thought the narration was done well.
October 10, 2017
Strong Start
This Christian Romance started with an exciting scene that introduced the main characters and gave the plot a solid start. It also dealt with the prejudice women faced if they chose to go into medical practice. Good characters, and a story I enjoyed to the end.
This Christian Romance started with an exciting scene that introduced the main characters and gave the plot a solid start. It also dealt with the prejudice women faced if they chose to go into medical practice. Good characters, and a story I enjoyed to the end.
October 5, 2017
Great Book
What a wonderful book .Katie a d her childhood friend finally together again.A family tragedy and a family contract will it keep them apart??
What a wonderful book .Katie a d her childhood friend finally together again.A family tragedy and a family contract will it keep them apart??
February 16, 2021
I enjoyed the story and I’m glad I haven’t read other reviews before I read it.
I found it relaxing with an interesting plot. The dialogues between the characters are entertaining.
I found it relaxing with an interesting plot. The dialogues between the characters are entertaining.
June 12, 2021
Sweet story
This was such a good book. I really enjoyed how the two main characters connected and how Josh showed Katie respect in their field.
This was such a good book. I really enjoyed how the two main characters connected and how Josh showed Katie respect in their field.
March 6, 2023
I listened to this one on audio. I thought this was a great book. I liked how this author wrote her characters. The story was great.
March 30, 2023
Christian Historical Romance
I loved the premise of this story, and how they rekindled and grew their childhood adoration and friendship! its fascinating to see the drastic changes the world has gone through since that time. Women doctors back then were such an oddity, but it takes a man like him to let her shine and then the rest of the world can see how amazing she truly is!
Great narration!
I loved the premise of this story, and how they rekindled and grew their childhood adoration and friendship! its fascinating to see the drastic changes the world has gone through since that time. Women doctors back then were such an oddity, but it takes a man like him to let her shine and then the rest of the world can see how amazing she truly is!
Great narration!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews