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Heartsick
An ER physician and a paramedic must heal the most painful affliction of their lives―their own broken hearts.
A seasoned paramedic and former soldier, Angie Cullen has spent many years helping to put people back together again. But her battle-tested heart is no match for the devastation of discovering that her partner has been cheating on her with the wife of ER physician Dr. Victoria Turner. When a car crash exposes the infidelity one evening in the ER, Angie and Vic find themselves unlikely and wary allies as they attempt to pick up the broken pieces of their lives. While each holds the remedy to the other’s broken heart, can Angie and Vic trust enough to love again?
From the best-selling author of The Candidate, By Mutual Consent and Delay of Game comes an unforgettable medical romance about finding love again in the wake of a shattering betrayal.
A seasoned paramedic and former soldier, Angie Cullen has spent many years helping to put people back together again. But her battle-tested heart is no match for the devastation of discovering that her partner has been cheating on her with the wife of ER physician Dr. Victoria Turner. When a car crash exposes the infidelity one evening in the ER, Angie and Vic find themselves unlikely and wary allies as they attempt to pick up the broken pieces of their lives. While each holds the remedy to the other’s broken heart, can Angie and Vic trust enough to love again?
From the best-selling author of The Candidate, By Mutual Consent and Delay of Game comes an unforgettable medical romance about finding love again in the wake of a shattering betrayal.
254 pages, Paperback
First published December 5, 2017
40 people are currently reading
263 people want to read
About the author
Tracey Richardson
34 books263 followersI'm the author of several lesbian romance novels published by Bella Books, including the Lambda Literary Award finalists "Last Salute" and "No Rules of Engagement". I'm a voracious reader, even more so now that I've retired from a 27-year career as a daily newspaper journalist.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
December 9, 2017
3 1/2 Stars. I have always been a fan of medical romances, so I was excited to get my hands on this book. I also liked that this book had a different take then we normally see when it comes to infidelity. I found myself absolutely hooked into this book from the beginning, which I always appreciate. Things got a little bumpy towards the later parts of the books that cost this to lose a half star for me, but overall I enjoyed this read.
Dr. Victoria Turner and paramedic Angie Cullen, share at least one thing in common, heartbreak. On the same night that turns both of their world’s upside-down, they form a bond of circumstance. Can they help each other heal? And what happens if feelings start to become involved?
Infidelity as a main storyline can be hit or miss for me, pending on how the author handles it. I thought Richardson did a good job and was even very realistic at times. This book focuses on the two people that were cheated on and what they have to do to heal. Also, the bond they form going through the same shared experience. For me personally, this was an infidelity story done well.
The romance is on the slower burn side which I think makes perfect sense considering what the characters went through. It was nice to see their relationship slowly develop through stages. You could clearly feel the connection the two of the shared.
Where the book hit a snag for me, it got a little too angsty. Not in the typical way you might think, but more in the push and pull way. We should be together, we shouldn’t. We should take this to the next level, we shouldn’t. Can we make it as a couple? Yes, no, yes no. And it was happening with both characters. One would be on the right page, but the other wouldn’t. And just when that character came around, the other pulled right back. So much internal struggle, both worrying about the same sort of things over and over, that the characters inner minds almost became too similar. Angie is starting to sound just like Vic and visa versa. It got to the point I was doing a little hair pulling and yelling “just get together already!” I’m all for some drama to make a book more interesting, but Richardson could have easily taken half of this push/pull stuff out and I would have rated this solid 4 or more star book.
If you are a medical romance fan, chances are you will enjoy this. Even with the problems I mentioned above, I still liked this read. Just be prepared for some angst especially when it comes to inner turmoil. I look forward to whatever Richardson writes next.
An ARC was given to me by Bella, for a honest review.
Dr. Victoria Turner and paramedic Angie Cullen, share at least one thing in common, heartbreak. On the same night that turns both of their world’s upside-down, they form a bond of circumstance. Can they help each other heal? And what happens if feelings start to become involved?
Infidelity as a main storyline can be hit or miss for me, pending on how the author handles it. I thought Richardson did a good job and was even very realistic at times. This book focuses on the two people that were cheated on and what they have to do to heal. Also, the bond they form going through the same shared experience. For me personally, this was an infidelity story done well.
The romance is on the slower burn side which I think makes perfect sense considering what the characters went through. It was nice to see their relationship slowly develop through stages. You could clearly feel the connection the two of the shared.
Where the book hit a snag for me, it got a little too angsty. Not in the typical way you might think, but more in the push and pull way. We should be together, we shouldn’t. We should take this to the next level, we shouldn’t. Can we make it as a couple? Yes, no, yes no. And it was happening with both characters. One would be on the right page, but the other wouldn’t. And just when that character came around, the other pulled right back. So much internal struggle, both worrying about the same sort of things over and over, that the characters inner minds almost became too similar. Angie is starting to sound just like Vic and visa versa. It got to the point I was doing a little hair pulling and yelling “just get together already!” I’m all for some drama to make a book more interesting, but Richardson could have easily taken half of this push/pull stuff out and I would have rated this solid 4 or more star book.
If you are a medical romance fan, chances are you will enjoy this. Even with the problems I mentioned above, I still liked this read. Just be prepared for some angst especially when it comes to inner turmoil. I look forward to whatever Richardson writes next.
An ARC was given to me by Bella, for a honest review.
April 3, 2020
The plot was intriguing and the book delivered for the most part. The slowburn was very well done. What was unexpected was the massive angst. Vic's cheating ex wanted her back and she instantly put Angie on the back burner. I know she wanted closure or whatever but ignoring Angie was pretty selfish of her. Thankfully the angst only lasted a minute and they got their HEA.
December 9, 2017
Heartsick is a slow-burn medical romance with some of my favorite tropes on the one hand, and some I do not like that much on the other hand. The protagonists are two likable women brought together very suddenly and quite shockingly by mutual infidelity of their partners. A plot already seen in lesfic, but with big potential for a great drama. Richardson is a seasoned author, and she made an interesting story of all that. Not as good as her last offering Delay of Game, which is one of my favorites of this year, but still a very good one and above average in many regards. My biggest objection is that the plot is stretched in places because of the "will they or won't they" conduct of the main characters. I prefer a slower pace in romantic relationship building, but this was a bit too slow and too hesitant for me.
If you like Tracey Richardson's writing style, it is highly likely that you will like Heartsick too. If you have never read any of her books, this can be a good start.
3.75 stars
Dec 9, 2017
*A review copy of this book was provided by the publisher.*
If you like Tracey Richardson's writing style, it is highly likely that you will like Heartsick too. If you have never read any of her books, this can be a good start.
3.75 stars
Dec 9, 2017
*A review copy of this book was provided by the publisher.*
March 12, 2018
I always enjoy Tracey Richardson's writing, and this book is no exception. The book begins with a big emotional punch as the two main characters discover they have been betrayed by their partners. I liked the story of their healing, and the side characters were good.
April 25, 2018
I've been meaning to read this book for a while now but kept putting it off because i'm generally not a fan of anything involving cheaters. That might explain why my stomach was in knots the first few chapters as both Vic and Angie had their worlds turned upside down.
Misery loves company though and Vic and Angie soon bond over being thrown into the same heartbroken boat. What I really liked about these women was how different they chose to deal with their anger, sadness, mistrust and general view on how best to move on with their lives.
Throughout the book they both struggled with their changing feeling towards each other and the subsequent guilt that comes with that. Other topics like how long to mourn a previous relationship, forgiveness and even possible second chances are also issues that they are forced to deal with and I love that they sometimes have conflicting views on how best to face these challenges.
Though Vic and Angie have good chemistry together there is a weird case of insta love. I say weird because for me personally it didn't feel like enough time had passed for them to consider a new relationship with each other. However the way the book is written if feels like a lot more time has passed. There were several moments I caught myself thinking "wait it's only been a few days?" because it felt like a few weeks might have passed.
The book definitely has it's issues but it was an overall good read with a really mushy ending. 3,75*
Misery loves company though and Vic and Angie soon bond over being thrown into the same heartbroken boat. What I really liked about these women was how different they chose to deal with their anger, sadness, mistrust and general view on how best to move on with their lives.
Throughout the book they both struggled with their changing feeling towards each other and the subsequent guilt that comes with that. Other topics like how long to mourn a previous relationship, forgiveness and even possible second chances are also issues that they are forced to deal with and I love that they sometimes have conflicting views on how best to face these challenges.
Though Vic and Angie have good chemistry together there is a weird case of insta love. I say weird because for me personally it didn't feel like enough time had passed for them to consider a new relationship with each other. However the way the book is written if feels like a lot more time has passed. There were several moments I caught myself thinking "wait it's only been a few days?" because it felt like a few weeks might have passed.
The book definitely has it's issues but it was an overall good read with a really mushy ending. 3,75*
August 18, 2019
Edit: I read this book first, in April 2019, then listened to the audiobook a few months later, in August. The good thing about a patchy memory is that even if I’ve already read a novel, it feels new to me most times. I remembered how Angie and Vic had met but that’s about all.
Here’s what I wrote on April 20th: « Despite the way it starts (with a double infidelity), this is a real feel-good story. There’s not much I can add to the other reviews, but if you’re into medical romances, this is a good one. »
I’ll go a little further than that in this new review.
Angie, a paramedic, is called to a car accident. The passenger of the car happens to be her girlfriend, who’s not supposed to be in an unknown woman’s car. The woman is not unknown to Vic, the ER doctor waiting for the ambulance at the hospital: she’s her wife. At first Angie doesn’t want anything to do with Vic, and the feeling is mutual, each more or less consciously blaming the other for their couple’s failure. But they soon find out they get on really well, and slowly and reluctantly fall for each other. Falling for your ex’s new girlfriend’s ex is not an easy situation to navigate.
There’s a lot of angst in this story. I love angst when it’s not artificially created by the author, and in this story, it stems from the way Vic and Angie met, the double betrayal they suffered. It’s a very very slow burn romance, with great chemistry and flirtation. And C. C. Sinclair’s efficient narration makes it even better.
Tracey Richardson is usually a sure bet. Her only flaw, if you can call it that, is that sometimes you think you’re at the end of the story and find out there are at least 25 pages left. Twice. You know how some authors rush the ending? She’s the opposite. Can you really fault an author for being too generous? No, not really.
Here’s what I wrote on April 20th: « Despite the way it starts (with a double infidelity), this is a real feel-good story. There’s not much I can add to the other reviews, but if you’re into medical romances, this is a good one. »
I’ll go a little further than that in this new review.
Angie, a paramedic, is called to a car accident. The passenger of the car happens to be her girlfriend, who’s not supposed to be in an unknown woman’s car. The woman is not unknown to Vic, the ER doctor waiting for the ambulance at the hospital: she’s her wife. At first Angie doesn’t want anything to do with Vic, and the feeling is mutual, each more or less consciously blaming the other for their couple’s failure. But they soon find out they get on really well, and slowly and reluctantly fall for each other. Falling for your ex’s new girlfriend’s ex is not an easy situation to navigate.
There’s a lot of angst in this story. I love angst when it’s not artificially created by the author, and in this story, it stems from the way Vic and Angie met, the double betrayal they suffered. It’s a very very slow burn romance, with great chemistry and flirtation. And C. C. Sinclair’s efficient narration makes it even better.
Tracey Richardson is usually a sure bet. Her only flaw, if you can call it that, is that sometimes you think you’re at the end of the story and find out there are at least 25 pages left. Twice. You know how some authors rush the ending? She’s the opposite. Can you really fault an author for being too generous? No, not really.
December 24, 2017
A nicely done medical romance. I loved the double infidelity scenario and enjoyed watching Angie and Vic work their way through their anger and feelings of betrayal to a reluctant friendship. That they would eventually fall in love was a given, it just took a while for the two women involved to move past their personal demons and acknowledge their attraction.
3.5 stars
3.5 stars
February 28, 2018
Starting a romance novel off with both characters suffering a betrayal is a challenge for both the reader and the author because you have to get them through loss and damaged esteem to baseline of normal emotions before contemplating any kind of involvement. And you have to do it with a sense of realism if the HEA is to be believed. I think Richardson succeeded. Vic and Angie discover, in a brutal way, that their respective partners have been cheating on them.
Nobody really wants to be reminded of how crappy a break-up is so Heartsick is not easy reading for a lot of it. I enjoyed both characters and liked that they were given different experiences in their respective relationships and that their grieving processes were divergent.
This is a good read but not without angst.
Nobody really wants to be reminded of how crappy a break-up is so Heartsick is not easy reading for a lot of it. I enjoyed both characters and liked that they were given different experiences in their respective relationships and that their grieving processes were divergent.
This is a good read but not without angst.
September 1, 2022
3.5 ⭐️
Slow-burn romance between 2 MCs, Victoria & Angie, burned by respective partners who had affairs which went for months and only came to light when they met with an accident where both were attended by Victoria and Angie. Things got antsy with Vic & Angie as they pined for their ex-partners and wanting to know what went wrong in their relationship. Both Vic & Angie avoided each other in the beginning but eventually became friends and found love with each other. Final 3rd of the book got a bit too slow for my liking and I got bored for a minute there… which had me knocked off half a star.
Still a pleasant read though.
Slow-burn romance between 2 MCs, Victoria & Angie, burned by respective partners who had affairs which went for months and only came to light when they met with an accident where both were attended by Victoria and Angie. Things got antsy with Vic & Angie as they pined for their ex-partners and wanting to know what went wrong in their relationship. Both Vic & Angie avoided each other in the beginning but eventually became friends and found love with each other. Final 3rd of the book got a bit too slow for my liking and I got bored for a minute there… which had me knocked off half a star.
Still a pleasant read though.
May 21, 2018
Heartsick starts with a heartbreaking moment when Angie and Vic found their respective partners not only in the same car accident, also in the same car, where they shouldn’t be in. They realize in a worst case scenario, that the loved ones are cheating on them. This is a tough beginning for a romance and hard to bear. To start with that much infidelity and cheating is a challenge, but Richardson did a good job.
Slowly, after the first shock, Angie and Vic are bonding over a tentative friendship. The big question is, can they help to heal each other or are they constant reminders of their failed relationships?
The author made a good job on showing, how different the two of them deal with the loss and betrayal. I also liked how the two looked at themselves and their roles in the failed relationship, which sometimes can be really hard when you have to admit, you too had to take a part of the blame for the infidelity of the partner. They had to deal a lot with uncertainty and doubts. And then with the guilt as the feelings slowly change into something more than just friendship.
The chemistry between Angie and Vic is there and you can sense the growing feelings for each other. The romance is slow burning and that’s perfect for this story. The main characters are good people and very likable, also Angie’s family are great supporting characters. Maybe the push and pull could be a little shorter but overall it was a good book.
It is an enjoyable medical romance despite the tough beginning. I liked it very much.
My rating 4 stars
Slowly, after the first shock, Angie and Vic are bonding over a tentative friendship. The big question is, can they help to heal each other or are they constant reminders of their failed relationships?
The author made a good job on showing, how different the two of them deal with the loss and betrayal. I also liked how the two looked at themselves and their roles in the failed relationship, which sometimes can be really hard when you have to admit, you too had to take a part of the blame for the infidelity of the partner. They had to deal a lot with uncertainty and doubts. And then with the guilt as the feelings slowly change into something more than just friendship.
The chemistry between Angie and Vic is there and you can sense the growing feelings for each other. The romance is slow burning and that’s perfect for this story. The main characters are good people and very likable, also Angie’s family are great supporting characters. Maybe the push and pull could be a little shorter but overall it was a good book.
It is an enjoyable medical romance despite the tough beginning. I liked it very much.
My rating 4 stars
March 18, 2018
This was such a beautiful yet heartbreaking story.
When two women are brought together by their cheating spouses they begin to heal together. What neither of them expect is to find an attraction that is not connected to the emotional trauma. With time and support Victoria and Angie start to need and love each other in ways they hadn’t imagined.
This was such a sweet story of heartbreak turned friendship turned love. I knew I’d enjoy the story from the get go because it’s a Tracey Richardson book but I was really drawn to the characters over and above the storyline it’s self.
I liked that the book took its time and didn’t rush the feelings of the characters as it could have felt to sudden otherwise. I also enjoyed how the characters were an unlikely match... I seem to enjoy the whole opposites attract theme in my books.
At times I felt there were too many 'will they, won’t they?' moments and not enough time building on the characters relationship. In saying that it was a beautifully written story, one that I look forward to reading again very soon.
4 stars
When two women are brought together by their cheating spouses they begin to heal together. What neither of them expect is to find an attraction that is not connected to the emotional trauma. With time and support Victoria and Angie start to need and love each other in ways they hadn’t imagined.
This was such a sweet story of heartbreak turned friendship turned love. I knew I’d enjoy the story from the get go because it’s a Tracey Richardson book but I was really drawn to the characters over and above the storyline it’s self.
I liked that the book took its time and didn’t rush the feelings of the characters as it could have felt to sudden otherwise. I also enjoyed how the characters were an unlikely match... I seem to enjoy the whole opposites attract theme in my books.
At times I felt there were too many 'will they, won’t they?' moments and not enough time building on the characters relationship. In saying that it was a beautifully written story, one that I look forward to reading again very soon.
4 stars
April 22, 2022
This was a great slow burn to get lost in.
December 29, 2017
Detailed score: 3.25
I’m sorry to say this was meh. Meeeeehhhhhh. All the way through.
The characters are two dimensional— we never really get more than a superficial insight into why the character’s original relationship didn’t work or really what attracted them to each other (a big thing was made of them both liking books). Gets tell not show in quite a few places and gets bogged down by unnecessary scene descriptions. Plus two of my pet hates: preaching through the book about a topic of interest to the author (ptsd) and unrealistic therapy scenes (and there’s lots of both).
It’s always easier to capture the negatives— despite what I’ve said above, I didn’t hate this book. There’s an ok enough story buried in there.
Overall: Points for trying and ok enough but I’d wait till it’s on sale.
I’m sorry to say this was meh. Meeeeehhhhhh. All the way through.
The characters are two dimensional— we never really get more than a superficial insight into why the character’s original relationship didn’t work or really what attracted them to each other (a big thing was made of them both liking books). Gets tell not show in quite a few places and gets bogged down by unnecessary scene descriptions. Plus two of my pet hates: preaching through the book about a topic of interest to the author (ptsd) and unrealistic therapy scenes (and there’s lots of both).
It’s always easier to capture the negatives— despite what I’ve said above, I didn’t hate this book. There’s an ok enough story buried in there.
Overall: Points for trying and ok enough but I’d wait till it’s on sale.
January 15, 2018
'Heartsick' is a medical romance about a double infidelity that ends up with both betrayed women meeting and forming a friendship. Their initial bond changes eventually to something deeper that they can't deny. But in order to move on they both need to overcome their fears first.
This is a well written book by seasoned author Tracey Richardson. Its theme of infidelity is hard to tackle in a romance book but she does it well. The characters are well rounded and, most of the time, credible. However, my issue with this book is that the plot twists and turns tend to stretch a bit too far. Having said that, it's an enjoyable read.
Overall, a good romance read. 3.5 stars.
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
See all my reviews at
www.lezreviewbooks.wordpress.com
This is a well written book by seasoned author Tracey Richardson. Its theme of infidelity is hard to tackle in a romance book but she does it well. The characters are well rounded and, most of the time, credible. However, my issue with this book is that the plot twists and turns tend to stretch a bit too far. Having said that, it's an enjoyable read.
Overall, a good romance read. 3.5 stars.
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
See all my reviews at
www.lezreviewbooks.wordpress.com
March 29, 2018
I read one half yesterday and liked it just fine.
But this morning it was grueling getting back into it. The drama and interactions fed me up. I don't know if there is a quality drop at midpoint or if I had a moodswing but at the end it was a relief to reach the last page...
The story is pretty standard and the main characters had good chemistry at first.
I wish there was more depth to the cheater characters. Here they are so obviously the bad ones when they could be humans, not perfect but not criminal either.
But this morning it was grueling getting back into it. The drama and interactions fed me up. I don't know if there is a quality drop at midpoint or if I had a moodswing but at the end it was a relief to reach the last page...
The story is pretty standard and the main characters had good chemistry at first.
I wish there was more depth to the cheater characters. Here they are so obviously the bad ones when they could be humans, not perfect but not criminal either.
January 14, 2018
Very good book!
Tracey Richardson is one of my favorite writers for a reason. She never disappoints. This novel is as good as all her other novels. It hooks you from the start. The angst Vic and Angie went through from the start because of Brooke and Karen was intense. Their growth as individuals and as a couple was well done. Overall, a well written novel and looking forward for future novels from Tracey.
Tracey Richardson is one of my favorite writers for a reason. She never disappoints. This novel is as good as all her other novels. It hooks you from the start. The angst Vic and Angie went through from the start because of Brooke and Karen was intense. Their growth as individuals and as a couple was well done. Overall, a well written novel and looking forward for future novels from Tracey.
November 5, 2020
I really like Richardson's books, which are very well written and well constructed. the book starts very well, however, and that's where I'm a little disappointed, and that I remove a star, it's this 2nd part a little hard and a little long ... But hey, it remains anyway a book to read !! 😊
March 26, 2018
A great unique lovestory!
Two broken hearts. A break up process means going through a hard time and the road to recovery is very long. But what if these hearts collide? Can they put their past behind? Are they ready to put things in perspective and move on? I loved how the author described the emotions and how she created beautiful characters who captured my heart. A well-crafted story and highly recommended.
Two broken hearts. A break up process means going through a hard time and the road to recovery is very long. But what if these hearts collide? Can they put their past behind? Are they ready to put things in perspective and move on? I loved how the author described the emotions and how she created beautiful characters who captured my heart. A well-crafted story and highly recommended.
December 9, 2018
Liked the story but didn’t like the narrator.
Rating: 3.5
Rating: 3.5
February 15, 2018
I'm a sucker for lesbian romances, characters in the helping professions, and pets (specifically doggy pets). Put all three of these into one novel, and you hold me transfixed from page one. Angie, the EMT, and Vic, the ER doc, are perfect heroines for me. They meet in a quirky way (their partners are found with each other in an auto accident), they have logically correct and believable reactions to their losses and their unexpected attraction for one another; they both have baggage from the past and psychological hiccups to work through. There are exciting hospital scenes, plot twists, and some life-threatening danger--the kind of fodder to make the novel exciting. The women go back and forth--will she, won't she--and I was hanging onto every moment. There is enough detail to make the characters feel real. My only jolt was a couple of time frames that seemed a bit tight for believability. Aside from that, this is a fun ride--smooth, well written, and even offering a little epilogue to tie things up. I didn't want it to end! Thank you, Tracey, for another winner!
December 20, 2020
Second time read - and still as fresh and as moving as first time round. Really enjoyed this - surprised given the premise of two spliting up and this being the cuckholded couple. But no easy ride - so felt real and, with lots of secondary characters, was a fantastic read. Thank you.
August 11, 2018
This is such a heartwarming story about betrayal, grief and finding love again. I really enjoyed the realistic and slow build up to the romance between Victoria and Angela. This is the first book I’ve read from this author and I enjoyed every minute of reading this touching story and I definitely look forward to reading more books from this author.
books-i-ll-most-likely-never-finish
April 23, 2018Not finding a way into this at all. Weird, since usually I‘m game for any doctor/army variation.
October 19, 2019
A good romance about overcoming heartbreak and having the courage to face yourself and take a chance on what you really want.
An ER doctor and an EMT meet while treating two women in a car crash. Unfortunately those two women are their respective partners... and the two women are cheating on them with each other. Awkward to the max!
Can anything good come out of such a beginning? Closure? Friendship? Maybe something more?
An ER doctor and an EMT meet while treating two women in a car crash. Unfortunately those two women are their respective partners... and the two women are cheating on them with each other. Awkward to the max!
Can anything good come out of such a beginning? Closure? Friendship? Maybe something more?
March 4, 2018
Audio book. Good book but the dialog at the end was really annoying. Too many “darlings”. Do people really call each other darling? Maybe it’s a regional thing.
August 6, 2019
I’m slowly making my way through my TBR pile after burning out on ARCs. I’ve got a few Richardson’s in the pile, and this one wasn’t as good as I’d hoped, it had an interesting premise with the double infidelity angle, but didn’t live up to it.
MCs are Angie, a paramedic, and Vic, a doctor who both work at the same hospital. One night both of their partners are brought in from a crash, unfortunately they were together and Angie and Vic were not aware of this. This awkward situation leads to the two of them becoming friends, and this was all going pretty well, and I liked how their friendship developed, and then moved towards something more. But around the 60% mark it started to become a bit repetitive for my tastes.
Angie was the more interesting character for me, mostly just because I couldn’t fathom Vic’s to-ing and fro-ing over her ex Karen. Unfortunately, there was also some back and forth between the leads over whether they should even try for a relationship, and then whether Vic wanted Angie or Karen. Then there was an injury inflicted on one of the leads to force them together, and it all just felt too messy. It sort of overcame that at the end, but I couldn’t quite kick the feeling that these two were both still too wounded to be moving on with each other.
Anyway, it’s not a bad read, but it’s not my favourite of Richardson’s. 3 stars.
MCs are Angie, a paramedic, and Vic, a doctor who both work at the same hospital. One night both of their partners are brought in from a crash, unfortunately they were together and Angie and Vic were not aware of this. This awkward situation leads to the two of them becoming friends, and this was all going pretty well, and I liked how their friendship developed, and then moved towards something more. But around the 60% mark it started to become a bit repetitive for my tastes.
Angie was the more interesting character for me, mostly just because I couldn’t fathom Vic’s to-ing and fro-ing over her ex Karen. Unfortunately, there was also some back and forth between the leads over whether they should even try for a relationship, and then whether Vic wanted Angie or Karen. Then there was an injury inflicted on one of the leads to force them together, and it all just felt too messy. It sort of overcame that at the end, but I couldn’t quite kick the feeling that these two were both still too wounded to be moving on with each other.
Anyway, it’s not a bad read, but it’s not my favourite of Richardson’s. 3 stars.
May 21, 2020
I would have liked to have given this 4 stars because I adored the first two thirds of the book. It grabbed me from the start and I liked the slow burn. It sucked me in, but I found the last third a bit too angsty, repetitive, and the assumptions/breakdown in communication just a little too contrived. Then it got super cheesy and I found myself cringing a few times and reading hurriedly on because I was embarrassed for the characters, oddly enough. I love a good HEA, but this one was dripping treacle and puppies. Still, a mostly enjoyable read.
September 12, 2020
The blurb sounded interesting, but I was kinda disappointed while reading.
In my opinion the build up wasn´t great executed, a lot of unnecessary back and forth in the whole book and often it didn´t really make sense.
Aprupt jumps in scenes and these wierdly detailed hospital case scenes out of nowhwere.
I started to skip paragraphs at some point.
I really didn´t like Vic and her behavior in all this, again it didn´t make much sense.
I just read another hospital story before this so I have a good comparsion how the build up in character and chemistry could have been done.
In my opinion the build up wasn´t great executed, a lot of unnecessary back and forth in the whole book and often it didn´t really make sense.
Aprupt jumps in scenes and these wierdly detailed hospital case scenes out of nowhwere.
I started to skip paragraphs at some point.
I really didn´t like Vic and her behavior in all this, again it didn´t make much sense.
I just read another hospital story before this so I have a good comparsion how the build up in character and chemistry could have been done.
December 28, 2017
Heartsick is a pretty good read with a decent slow-build romance between an ER physician and a paramedic. While I do like this book and I recommend it, I would have really loved this book if it had slightly better characterization and writing.
The book switches perspectives between our two protagonists, Angie Cullen, a former soldier now paramedic and Dr. Victoria Turner, an ER physician. I do like the idea of having two different perspectives in one book. However, I really would have liked to see their voices be much more distinct because sometimes, they blend into each other.
The main characters are brought together by a car crash which reveals their partners’ infidelity. Angie’s long-time girlfriend Brooke is cheating on her with Vic’s wife Karen. Soon after the crash, Brooke and Karen move in with each other. Angie and Vic are left to pick up the pieces of their lives and try to move on. The two women become friends as they rely on each other to figure out this difficult time in their lives. Their relationship blossoms into a romance that has some cute and steamy moments but also has setbacks like the huge dilemma of getting back into a serious relationship so quickly.
I really like how realistically Richardson handles the theme of infidelity. Both Angie’s and Vic’s reactions to their cheating partners are well-written and really makes you feel their pain. Moreover, their responses are extremely plausible. While there are a few instances which could have been cliché like Karen attempting to get back together with Vic as well as Angie’s repeated near-death experiences, Richardson maturely confronts these situations which actually do contribute to the plot.
However, I really did not enjoy the prolonged “will they or won’t they” relationship drama between Angie and Vic. I do like that both women are hesitant to get back into a serious relationship so soon after such devastating heartbreak and I believe that, at first, their indecision makes complete sense. But, the unnecessary drama draws out for far too long. Furthermore, the constant changes in their attitudes are confusing. One moment, Angie will be ready to take the plunge while Vic won’t…but, only a few pages later, Vic will be ready and Angie won’t.
I really love Angie who has a heart of gold and is sweet and loyal. However, I feel like I don’t know as much about Vic as I do about Angie. Therefore, I cannot connect with Vic in the same way that I do with Angie. I would have really liked to see some more character development for Vic because she is a great character, but I wish she was a little more fleshed out.
Tracey Richardson’s Heartsick is a good and quick read. Although I wish the writing and characterization could have been a little better, this is a solid book. If you like medical romances, some angst, and happy endings, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
For more of my reviews: Rebecca Reviews
This review was originally posted at The Lesbrary.
The book switches perspectives between our two protagonists, Angie Cullen, a former soldier now paramedic and Dr. Victoria Turner, an ER physician. I do like the idea of having two different perspectives in one book. However, I really would have liked to see their voices be much more distinct because sometimes, they blend into each other.
The main characters are brought together by a car crash which reveals their partners’ infidelity. Angie’s long-time girlfriend Brooke is cheating on her with Vic’s wife Karen. Soon after the crash, Brooke and Karen move in with each other. Angie and Vic are left to pick up the pieces of their lives and try to move on. The two women become friends as they rely on each other to figure out this difficult time in their lives. Their relationship blossoms into a romance that has some cute and steamy moments but also has setbacks like the huge dilemma of getting back into a serious relationship so quickly.
I really like how realistically Richardson handles the theme of infidelity. Both Angie’s and Vic’s reactions to their cheating partners are well-written and really makes you feel their pain. Moreover, their responses are extremely plausible. While there are a few instances which could have been cliché like Karen attempting to get back together with Vic as well as Angie’s repeated near-death experiences, Richardson maturely confronts these situations which actually do contribute to the plot.
However, I really did not enjoy the prolonged “will they or won’t they” relationship drama between Angie and Vic. I do like that both women are hesitant to get back into a serious relationship so soon after such devastating heartbreak and I believe that, at first, their indecision makes complete sense. But, the unnecessary drama draws out for far too long. Furthermore, the constant changes in their attitudes are confusing. One moment, Angie will be ready to take the plunge while Vic won’t…but, only a few pages later, Vic will be ready and Angie won’t.
I really love Angie who has a heart of gold and is sweet and loyal. However, I feel like I don’t know as much about Vic as I do about Angie. Therefore, I cannot connect with Vic in the same way that I do with Angie. I would have really liked to see some more character development for Vic because she is a great character, but I wish she was a little more fleshed out.
Tracey Richardson’s Heartsick is a good and quick read. Although I wish the writing and characterization could have been a little better, this is a solid book. If you like medical romances, some angst, and happy endings, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
For more of my reviews: Rebecca Reviews
This review was originally posted at The Lesbrary.
February 5, 2018
Couldnt put it down
I loved this story. I literally read it in one sitting, not going to sleep until 4 am when I finished it. I enjoyed the fact that both characters took things slowly with each other to make sure they were sure about their feelings, so that they wouldn't hurt the other, and so that they could examine what they had done wrong in the past that they could be better about in the future. By not rushing into a physical relationship, they were able to build trust and respect for each other to open up and bond emotionally. It was beautiful to see them each overcome their heartache and discover something far better than they had before. Well written.
I loved this story. I literally read it in one sitting, not going to sleep until 4 am when I finished it. I enjoyed the fact that both characters took things slowly with each other to make sure they were sure about their feelings, so that they wouldn't hurt the other, and so that they could examine what they had done wrong in the past that they could be better about in the future. By not rushing into a physical relationship, they were able to build trust and respect for each other to open up and bond emotionally. It was beautiful to see them each overcome their heartache and discover something far better than they had before. Well written.
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