The Doctor's Secret

Copper Point Medical #1

by Heidi Cullinan

The brilliant but brooding new doctor encounters Copper Point's sunny nurse-next-door... and nothing can stand in the way of this romance.

Dr. Hong-Wei Wu has come to Copper Point, Wisconsin, after the pressures of a high-powered residency burned him out of his career before he started. Ashamed of letting his family down after all they’ve done for him, he plans to live a quiet life as a simple surgeon in this tiny northern town. His plans, however, don’t include his outgoing, kind, and attractive surgical nurse, Simon Lane.

Simon wasn’t ready for the new surgeon to be a handsome charmer who keeps asking him for help getting settled and who woos him with amazing Taiwanese dishes. There’s no question—Dr. Wu is flirting with him, and Simon is flirting back. The problem is, St. Ann’s has a strict no-dating policy between staff, which means their romance is off the table… unless they bend the rules. 

But a romance that keeps them—literally—in the closet can’t lead to happy ever after. Simon doesn’t want to stay a secret, and Hong-Wei doesn’t want to keep himself removed from life, not anymore. To secure their happiness, they’ll have to change the administration’s mind. But what other secrets will they uncover along the way, about Copper Point… and about each other?

Genres: Romance, M M Romance, Contemporary, LGBT, Audiobook, Medical, Fiction

337 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published April 23, 2019

About the author

Author of over thirty novels, Midwest-native Heidi Cullinan writes positive-outcome romances for LGBT characters struggling against insurmountable odds because they believe there’s no such thing as too much happy ever after. Heidi’s books have been recommended by Library Journal, USA Today, RT Magazine, and Publishers Weekly. When Heidi isn’t writing, they enjoy gaming, reading manga, manhua, and danmei, playing with cats, and watching too much anime.

Heidi goes by Jun when being spoken to in person or online, and Jun’s pronouns are they/them.

Reviews

[~✡~Dαni(ela) ♥ ♂♂ love & semi-colons~✡~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

~4.5~

Let's begin with Aaron Yan, who, according to Simon, looks a lot like Hong-Wei:



Can we just agree that Aaron Yan is ridiculously gorgeous?

Also, rumor has it that he's very gay. So is Dr. Wu: gorgeous AND gay.

Hong-Wei Wu goes by Jack, but Simon calls him Hong-Wei. Simon is obsessed with Asian pop culture: K-pop, Asian dramas, handsome Taiwanese actors.

Hong-Wei being Taiwanese is just the icing on an already decadent cake for Simon, although he is mildly disappointed to find out Hong-Wei isn't one for K-pop.

One of my favorite things about Heidi's work is that she seeps her books in pop culture and music. I still remember the songs Mitch & Sam (from Special Delivery) danced to in Vegas and cannot listen to RuPaul's Sissy That Walk without thinking of Baz & Elijah. While reading The Doctor's Secret, I had an overwhelming urge to crank up some K-pop.

I loved many things about this story:

- lack of relationship drama (it's pretty much love at first sight for the MCs, although they don't rush into a relationship);
- tight-knit friendship between Simon and his two besties, Owen and Jared, whose stories are coming up in books 2 and 3 of the series;
- heart-melting HEA (Hong-Wei's performance is everything!);
- focus on family (the one you're born into and the one you make);
- small-town setting with secondary characters that came alive on page (shout-out to the staff of the China Garden, Hong-Wei's supportive sister, Simon's mom, and pretty much everyone who worked at the hospital). There were so many fantastic supporting characters here, yet they never detracted from the story;
- medical drama worthy of ER (Hong-Wei performs an intense surgery, saving a man's life);
- and, of course, an Asian MC.

Let's talk about that last item for a second: Hong-Wei is Taiwanese. He immigrated to the States as a 10-year-old and is a brilliant surgeon. He is bilingual and proud of his heritage. The best part? He doesn't have "exotic" green eyes. His mom isn't Irish or whatever. He doesn't need to have white mixed in to be amazing!

I was the same age as Hong-Wei when I arrived in America, so I could relate to much of his experience, particularly the desire to be the best, to show your parents that leaving their life behind was worth it because their kids will live the American dream. (Let's face it: this is mostly a myth, but it's one immigrants still cling to.)

As I mentioned earlier, the relationship angst is pretty much MIA. Simon resists Hong-Wei's romantic gestures because he worries about being fired. The hospital where he and Hong-Wei work (Simon as a surgical nurse, Hong-Wei as a hotshot new surgeon) has a strict no-dating policy. Everyone is up in arms about this policy, although, honestly, I didn't find it that unusual; many workplaces stipulate that you can't date your supervisor.

All the tension in this story stems from this no-dating-colleagues rule. We are privy to hospital politics, especially as they relate to the board of directors, a bunch of old cronies who are completely out of touch with reality. This issue is resolved at the end, somewhat abruptly, I'd say.

Another thing I must mention is that the steam in this book is subdued. There's but one on-page sex scene about halfway through the story, and that's all she wrote. Granted, the romance is out in full force. Hong-Wei and Simon positively dote on each other, but I still would have appreciated more carnal pleasures.



Even so, The Doctor's Secret didn't disappoint. I loved the hospital setting and am dying (DYING!) to read the next book in the series.

New series by Heidi Cullinan, one of my favorite authors in the genre who single-handedly slayed me with Nowhere Ranch, because public sex and getty-up, horsey?



With a medical theme!? (I may not be a doctor, but I play one on TV!)



And the first book features an Asian MC??? (YES YES YES to diverse representation always!)



Please let it be dirty! 🙌🏽

[Heather K (dentist in my spare time) · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5 stars*

I love, love, love Heidi Cullinan, and I enjoyed The Doctor's Secret a lot, but it didn't quite hook me like some of her other books have in the past.

I had to read The Doctor's Secret for many reasons. First of all, I was extremely excited about a hot Asian doctor MC. Plus, I haven't read many hospital romances (because I get super irritated when authors get medical facts wrong), and I knew Heidi would be able to nail the details. I was totally right on that front.

I really, really enjoyed Simon's character. He was goofy and an open book, and I loved his obsession with Asian dramas and K-Pop. He was adorable. I liked Hong-Wei as well, but I thought he was a tough nut to crack. He felt aloof to me, even when we were in his head, and he spoke very formally, even to his friends, which I found to be strange.

I also loved the medical details. Heidi clearly leaned on her husband, Dan, for a lot of the details (and don't think I missed that shout out to him in the story as the pharmacist!), and it felt extremely accurate, though I'm not a medical expert in that field. I liked the feeling of the hospital, and I could have used even more surgery and action details.

What I struggled with was the pace of their relationship. I felt like it went from elbow touches to "totally in love" super fast. I felt like I was missing something in their relationship, something that added the depth that I usually look for in a romance. The actual trajectory of their relationship was very sweet, but I didn't feel like I got there organically, as a reader. Also, this book is very low steam for an adult romance from Heidi Cullinan, just a FYI for readers.

I think Heidi produced a polished, well-written romance that just missed the mark for me. Still, a very solid effort and a joy to read.

*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*

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[Wendys Wycked Words · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I saw that Heidi Cullinan was releasing a brand spanking new series I jumped on it. She is after all the author of my "all-time favorite"  Carry The Ocean , and let's not forget "hot as balls"  Dirty Laundry . All the reasons for me to give this one a go ;)



Now as much as I enjoyed reading this story, it didn't blow me away like "Carry the Ocean" did. I don't think anything ever will, so I am just gonna accept this fact. What I did love about this book was the "hospital setting". I devour hospital series like crazy and so this was right up my alley.



Hong-Wei is a new surgeon (read wonder doctor) at the hospital where Simon works as a nurse. It is pretty much love at first sight. I am not a huge fan of "insta-love" but I tried not to let it bother me too much.

The problem with falling in love with a co-worker/superior is the fact that it's against hospital policy. I myself am all for breaking the rules...but I can understand that your job is somewhat important



It was sweet and intriguing, though I could have done with a bit more steam, but that's probably just me

I am very curious about the next book and I will definitely read it !!

ARC kindly provided to 


An ARC was provided to

in exchange for an honest review

 

[Ky · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I read the blurb for this book it sounded like a story I would enjoy. Once I started reading though it became apparent that I was wrong about this one.

There was nothing specific that bothered me, I think it had more to do with the way the story was told than anything else. Me and this book didn't fit well together. It's as simple as than.

The main characters are both employees at a hospital in a small city. Simon has lived his whole life in Copper Point, leaving only to study but always with the plan to come back and build a life in his hometown. He's a surgical nurse and a very good one that had always dreamed of working with an amazing surgeon and doing the best he could to help his community.

Hong-Wei is something of a wonder-surgeon. He burned out under the pressure of big hospitals and decided to change the course of his life and try his luck at a smaller city, lower his stress levels and attempt to find happiness in a less prestigious but equally important position.

At first we don't know the extent of his capabilities but during a crisis it is revealed that he was trained to operate under stress, make fast decisions and giving results in situations where other surgeons would have folded.

I never bought the romance between those two. It happened very fast and from the moment they met there was no question about where they were headed but there was also no reason for that other than we were told so. I didn't see their connection or why they were so good together. Both of them could have easily been paired off with any of the other gay men that appeared in the story. That made for an uninspired read for me.

The whole mess with the no-dating policy and the board was over the top as was the scene where everything came to a head. I get that there had to be some sort of complication to make the story more interesting but this particular one wasn't executed the best way it could.

The story was sugary sweet especially as it got closer to the end, with the winner being the scene at the park. I never get why these scenes are considered romantic and a must for romances. I won't tell you what happened but it's not difficult to guess. Anyway, I hate them and no matter how many times I read them in books or watch them in movies my opinion on them doesn't change.

Simon is a fan of Asian drama movies, Asian music, Asian food.... Well, Asian cultures in general. He is kind of obsessed with those movies and he makes his friends watch them with him. That was actually an adorable part of his personality and it showed how deep his friendship with Jared and Owen was. That I liked. What I didn't like was the lesson I got in Asian dramas as part of a discussion between Simon and Hong-Wei (who by the way had nothing to do with them and only watched them because of Simon). I ended up actually skipping that scene.

The Doctor's Secret wasn't a big hit for me but there were parts that I appreciated and read with interest. I can't recommend you the book since as a whole I didn't enjoy it very much but I'm sure there are a lot of readers who are going to find it great. There are at least two more books in the series where Jared and Owen find their own HEAs, with different people, and even though I'm intrigued by them - especially Owen - I don't think I'll keep up with the series. I'll try this author again in the future but in another series or even a standalone as opposed to a story set in Copper Point again.




*An ARC of this book was kindly provided to me in exchange for an honest review. *

[Cadiva · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many positive things to say about this new series from Heidi Cullinan, it's ridiculously romantic, totally sweet, has a wonderfully detailed setting and fabulous secondary characters as well as multi-cultural representation.

My only 'negative' and its a minor one at that, is that on occasion it felt like the political awareness elements which Heidi is so good at incorporating into her stories were just dropped in like being hit over the head with a frying pan.

Her stories usually gently educate and inform but one particular passage in this one made me feel like I was being given a history lesson and a lecture on fair behaviour at the same time.

Now, it's not necessarily a bad thing, it just felt a touch more heavy-handed than I'm used to from this author.

That said, in the whole this book is absolutely adorable, with two compelling and perfectly judged characters who are wonderful together. I loved Hong-Wei and I loved Simon.

The home town man and the Taiwanese doctor brought out the best in each other and the whole premise of personal liabilities and responsibilities married well into the wider plot about integration and the fight with an old-fashioned and controlling hospital board.

I'm not sure if it was because it's a Dreamspinner publication or not, but this was way less steamy than I'd usually expect from Heidi, with only one on page encounter and then everything else off page or fade to black.

It was a slight disappointment only because of the very visceral feeling of love and emotion between the two men. I missed seeing more of it expressed physically on page.

Still, overall this delivers big time on great plot, wonderful characters and plenty of lead in for the next two in the trilogy. I'm dying to find out more about Owen and Erin (don't worry, he's a man even though his name is one I'd almost always associate with a woman) and their definite frenemies vibe.

#ARC kindly received from the publishers Dreamspinner Press in return for an honest and unbiased review.

[Dia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

This is the first book in the Copper Point Medical series by Heidi Cullinan.

I haven't read many books by this author, but Carry the Ocean won my heart!
When I found out we're going to get a new series by this author I was over the moon. I am a big fan of doctors TV series, Grey's Anatomy, House M.D. to name my favorites. So imagine my excitement when I saw this amazing cover and knowing we're going to get a Taiwanese doctor, Hong-Wei Wu falling for an "outgoing, kind, and attractive surgical nurse, Simon Lane".

I enjoyed Copper Point's descriptions, Simon and his friends, his family, the hospital's atmosphere, but to be honest, St. Ann’s no-dating policy between staff was really annoying and somehow it took too much from this story.

I understood Simon was afraid to lose his job, I understood he was not ready to give up his whole life, and that it wasn't easy to lie to your family and all that small town where everyone knew everyone, but it still made me angry and made me want to strangle the hospital's board members.

I must admit I had NO idea who Aaron Yan is. And I never ever heard of K-pop before. This being said, I think this story was pretty light, we don't get relationship angst and the ending is extremely sweet!

Next books in the series will feature Simon's close friends: Owen and Jared, each getting their own stories.

This review is posted on DirtyBooksObsession

[Christelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always think about Heidi Cullinan as a “versatile” author of MM romance : I’ve already read several of her books, and each time, they have a different flavour and trope, but with the commonality of a writing style to my liking.

As the blurb says, it’s a contemporary romance set up in a small city in Wisconcin where Hong-Wei , of Taiwanese origin, a burned-out but nonetheless brilliant doctor encounters Simon, a sunny male nurse, fan of K-pop music and Asian shows. As the saying goes, opposites attract each other and they mesh well, very well, if it were not for this “no-dating” policy running into the hospital and messing up with their relationship.

It’s low in the angst, low on the steam but full of nice feels. I’m going to be honest, I didn’t really get into this romance : nothing that irked me, but nothing either that brought me into escapism’s mode, despite endearing characters, whether the MCs or the secondary ones, despite the interesting perspective of life from a man who immigrated as a kid and a man deeply rooted into his home-town, and despite a foregone HEA. I liked it, that's all.

It seems it’s the beginning of a series. As the setting is nice and Simon’s friends make for an interesting cast, I will look out for the next instalments.

ARC of “The Doctor’s Secret” was generously provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Linda ~ they got the mustard out! ~]

DNF @ 25%

Even Iggy Toma sounded bored.

No chemistry, nothing new here, more political preaching, more weird fetishization of Asian culture. And music in ORs is totally normal. Plus, it's just creepy to get jealous over a guy's friends - FRIENDS - when you've only known said guy a week and you're not even dating. And the "no dating between co-workers" thing to desperately try to drum up some drama in this no-pulse DOA story is pretty thin as far as plot devices go.

[Lost in a Book · Rating 3 out of 5]

BR with Adam


2.5 Stars

Ermm… *checks author name*

Heidi Cullinan wrote this?

I was all ready to play doctor when I cracked this open but the sugary fluff was wafting off the page very early on.



My past reads with Cullinan have raked my emotions over the coals while chasing it down with tissues and a bottle of wine. This wasn’t that experience at all. I’m all about branching out but The Doctor’s Secret left me wanting more substance while trying to come down from a sugar high.

Dr. Hong-Wei Wu moves to Copper Point to live a slower paced lifestyle and just be a general surgeon. He ran away from Texas to a small town and is greeted at the airport by his new surgical nurse, Simon.

Simon is a very positive and competent surgical nurse that has lived in Copper Point all his life. He’s very involved in the community and has a thing for K-Pop, Asian TV, and apparently hot AF Taiwanese doctors. Unfortunately for both of them, the hospital policy prohibits getting together with other employees.

I didn’t get Simon and Dr. Wu together. They had insta-love with no real depth. They wen’t from we can’t date to I love you way too fast. Dr. Wu remains closed off throughout (which might be more his culture than poor character development) and the way his “secret” was hyped, I was ready for something huge. Like it has to be a BFD. *sigh*



Everything seems so fantastical and the lack of strong characters was off putting. I hate to say this but I was bored reading the story.

I did enjoy the town, the endearing secondary characters, and the antics of Simon’s surgeon friends- My favorite parts didn't involve the MCs.  I’m still a big fan of Heidi’s other works but this just wan't for me. Not recommended but YMMV.

Copy provided for honest review.

 

[Alice · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hello, I’m here to remind everyone to please stop taking books about POC by white authors as accurate when it comes to POC experiences, oh my God.

There’s a reason I don’t trust white authors in the queer romance genre to write about QPOC at all, and it’s an opinion formed from years of reading in this genre and growing progressively wearier.

The more white authors brag about how much “research” they do, the more readers of color feel like our lives, our experiences, and our deeply personal conflicts are nothing except material for white authors to mine for profit.

And that’s the fundamental problem, even without getting into the exoticization. (Which you’d think, since this author has talked so extensively about how much research she did, she would’ve avoided...but nope. Noooope.)

Hong-Wei is Simon’s Asian fantasy love interest

Literally. Several times, Simon mentions his romance with Hong-Wei is like something out of an Asian drama. Simon’s main conflict is that he’s resigned himself to a boring life in Copper Point, but then Hong-Wei—a Taiwanese man—arrives and fulfills all of Simon’s romantic fantasies.

Jesus effing Christ, people.

I can’t even. Asian people do not exist to bring excitement to the lives of white people. We do not exist to cater to a white person’s romantic fantasies.

Holy swerving out of your lane, Batman

“Doing research” does not mean you’ve received the automatic seal of approval to write about POC experiences as a white person.

1. Hey, white authors who think racism is Really Bad? Readers of color are generally NOT interested in your thoughts on How Terrible the racism we experience is.

2. Oh boy, Hong-Wei/Jack wanted to be an artist and his Taiwanese parents didn’t allow him to. That’s not stereotypical at all (/sarcasm).

I don’t know how to react with this other than with exhausted flippancy at this point. White authors need to learn there is a difference between an experience that is technically true versus a topic that’s not in their lane to talk about. And I’m really goddamn tired of white authors' shallow takes on the struggles first/second-gen Asians face in terms of career and family expectations, speaking as an Asian who went through that struggle myself.

Whatever you think you know about Chinese names, you don't

Some people want to go by their Mandarin name. Some people want to go by an English name. What name to use is a deeply personal decision for Chinese/Taiwanese Americans, and to question our decisions can actually be offensive.

Not every person enjoys hearing their Mandarin name constantly butchered by only-English-speakers. And yes, only-English-speakers WILL butcher many Mandarin names, because Mandarin is a tonal language and has some sounds that are difficult for non-Mandarin speakers.

Furthermore, colonization and/or diaspora mean some people of Chinese descent don’t have a Chinese name, or their English name really is their legal name.

Having or using an English name doesn’t make us “less authentic” as Chinese, and hearing white people believe this is an absolute insult.

Technical inaccuracies

- I don’t know who is the older sibling: Hong-Wei or his sister, Hong-Su. Shockingly, despite all of the author’s alleged research, the author missed that in Chinese culture, you call your older sibling “Older Brother/Sister” (gēgē 哥哥 / jiějiě 姐姐), NOT by their name. (Chinese people born and raised outside of Asia may not do so, but if Hong-Wei immigrated when he was ten, it’s more likely he and his sister had kept this tradition.)

- An adult Asian American is not going to complain about fake “Asian noodles” because we’re so used to the Americanization of Asian food that we wouldn’t bat an eye.

- NO, Asian Americans don’t automatically know every pressure point in the body and can use them to incapacitate people! This is right up there with “every Asian American is a martial arts master” BS.

- Why is Hong-Wei/Jack a walking font of knowledge on Chinese restaurant history and employment practices? Non-POC may not realize this, but expecting POC to have encyclopedic knowledge about every part of our culture and history and educating white people is problematic.

- Also, way to reinforce the idea that all Chinese people ignore laws and engage in human trafficking to get employees?

- JFC, Chinese people f**king use and believe in Western medicine. Chinese medicine is practiced IN ADDITION to Western medicine, NOT instead of it. I feel confident enough to say that no living Chinese person would not go to the doctor for stitches and antiseptics if they got a cut.

- Whatever you think you know about bowing in Japanese and Korean culture, throw that out the window when it comes to Chinese culture. We do NOT bow to each other in normal daily situations, EVEN when asking for favors or trying to show respect or persuade someone. No one will goddamn expect you to show the “submissive pose” or whatever the f**k.

[Sahitya · Rating 3 out of 5]

More of a 3.5.

Has a little instalove but I loved the two main characters and their chemistry. The friendships and family dynamics are also very realistically portrayed. And the hospital work environment and the drama gave me total Grey’s Anatomy vibes 😂😂😂

It’s so rare seeing an Asian immigrant main character that I was pleasantly surprised when I realized it and I loved the way the author managed to write sensitively about his heritage, his relationship with his parents and his birth country and culture, and how he manages to navigate the microaggressions of living and working in a small town.

There’s a bit of OTT drama which is probably why I’m not giving this book 4 stars but it was fun to read and made me emotional at parts too. I’m always happy when a book makes me cry 😜😜

[Erth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A okay book and a first narration for me for Iggy. A full of feelings "at times" as Hong-wai's secrets start unravelling. The forbidden feeling vs hospital policies their love would be true or die in the closet. As I listened to this I found myself skimming with the long bits drawn out storyline. This started out okay and I had a high expectations from the blurb but sadly didn't meet them, I love the author other works but a pass on this hmm. The narrator does an okay job with voices.
Dr Hong-wai was wondering if he'd made the right decision to move to another location. Running from something and maybe family he makes a elderly friend on the plane.
Met at the airport by Simon the hospitals surgeon nurse. Forbidden relations where not allowed between staff.

[Sushi (寿司) · Rating 5 out of 5]

La mia prima volta con Heidi Cullinan. Intanto ho apprezzato che l'autrice dichiari subito che è una trilogia così so cosa aspettarmi e perchè sul Kobo sono diventata maniaca dell'ordine facendo cartelline. Poi speriamo la Dreamspinner Italia sia veloce a tradurre. Questo primo è uscito in contemporanea. Il secondo che esce il 18 Giugno e il terzo che esce il 20 Agosto invece no. Potrei velocizzare leggendoli in inglese ma i termini medici, non sempre trovabili in traduzione, potrebbero rendermela ostica.

Sono felice che dal punto di vista di Simon il Doctor Wu (che con la mia scarsa pronuncia del Cinese/Taiwanese lo leggo come Doctor Who e magari è pure voluto ... ) assomigli a questo Aaron Yan così per una volta non mi devo ricordare tutto a memoria. Basterà cercare questo attore, di cui ignoravo l'esistenza fino ad oggi, e il gioco è fatto.
E comunque finzione a parte la Cullinan ha ottimi gusti.
Scusate ma se non fosse un personaggio di finzione e non fosse gay mi innamorerei pure io del Dottore.



O dell'attore? Credo sia gay anche lui vedendo le foto di Google ma come ho detto non lo conosco.



Dal Capitolo 2 (Naturalmente noi sappiamo che è gay sono gli altri a non saperlo):
"Simon... il tuo amico è stato qui!" L'uomo agitò le mani con eccitazione in direzione della postazione degli infermieri. "Sembrava che fosse arrivata una rock star da come si comportavano tutti. Tutte le donne avevano i cuoricini al posto degli occhi e ridacchiavano come scolarette! Quando se n'è andato non facevano altro che ripetere quanto fosse sexy. Voglio dire, persino io devo ammettere che è stupendo. Se fossi gay ci proverei."



Piccolo errore della traduttrice al capitolo 4. Ox dall'inglese, water ox, significa buffalo d'acqua ma per i segni zodiacali purtroppo è bue. Non è un grande errore e poi uno se ne accorge solo se sa le cose. Siccome sono anch'io dell'85 come Owen e il Doc Wu l'ho visto subito. Per sicurezza ho anche fatto una ricerca, i nomi cambiano negli anni, prima con i segni cinesi in italiano poi in inglese e ho cercato ox anche su wordreference.



Voglio quotare anche questa parte perchè in quel momento stavo ascoltando io K-pop mentre leggevo. Viene dal capitolo 5:
Jared rise. "Okay, fagli capire di essere aperto a delle avances. E magari non farlo al lavoro. Vai a casa sua. Metti su un po' di K-pop o uno dei tuoi drama e sbatti le ciglia. Il resto verrà da sè."
"Non ho nessuna intenzione di far ascoltare K-pop o far vedere un drama asiatico a Hong-Wei."....

Altro quote dal capitolo 9:
Hong-Wei doveva essere una sorta di Dio del sesso sceso in terra, specializzato nella soddisfazione del partner. ...



Dal capitolo 11:
La porta si era a malapena chiusa che Hong-Wei gli fu addosso, con le labbra premute contro le sue mentre sbottonava i pantaloni e lo spogliava dei vestiti. Interruppe il bacio solo per sfilargli la maglietta e liberarsi della propria. Simon gemette non appena i loro petti si sfiorarono e le mani dell'uomo scivolarono lungo i suoi fianchi per spogliarlo dei jeans, dei boxer e dei calzini.

Al capitolo 12 finalmente sappiamo che a Simon piacciono gli SHINee. Oddio sei grande Simon. Anche a me piacciono. Spero che l'autrice abbia scelto il gruppo perchè lo ascolta pure lei. Tra l'altro può averlo cercato online ma sapere e quindi scrivere che Jonghyun (prima voce nel libro) si è suicidato vuol dire almeno essersi impegnati al massimo nella ricerca e aver letto la bio. Penso che aggiungerò Heidi Cullinan tra i miei autori preferiti.🎵

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tag team review with Lost in a Book!


Dr. Hong-Wei Wu, or Jack, moves to a small-town Wisconsin hospital to escape the pressures of a demanding family and an exhausting city hospital residency. He questions his decision to move, but the one-man welcoming party goes a long way in making Hong-Wei feel better.

Surgical nurse Simon Lane wasn’t expecting the new doctor to be his living wet dream. Simon’s immediately smitten.

But the hospital’s policy against inter-staff relationships throws cold water on anything happening between the two.

However, it’s impossible for the two men to deny what’s building between them. They begin as friends, with Simon going out of his way to make sure Hong-Wei feels welcomed to Copper Point, Wisconsin, all the while trying to hide what he really feels for the handsome doctor.

And as Hong-Wei begins to build a life in the community, he falls head-over-heels for Simon.

While Simon toes the line, Hong-Wei refuses to let a silly rule get in the way of something that could be special. So Hong-Wei sets out to woo his slightly gun-shy nurse.

Despite the forbidden-love angle, the romance in this book is fairly low-drama. Simon and Hong-Wei’s relationship grows slowly, as the two become comfortable with each other.

Though low on the heat, Simon and Hong-Wei bring lots of soft touches and sweet words.

Slowly, Hong-Wei and Simon begin building a life around the no-dating work policy.

I have to admit - I found myself bored for most of the middle section, because nothing really happens. Plus, Simon’s damsel-in-distress routine got a bit old.

Most of the slight angst/drama comes in the latter half of the book as the two MCs fight against the no-dating policy. It’s resolved pretty quickly.

I was happy to see Simon and Hong-Wei get their perfect HEA, though I wasn’t as invested in their romance by the end as I was before the story dragged a bit around the halfway point.

Even so, this was a very sweet romance, and I’m looking forward to seeing where the series goes next!

[Claude · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know if it's because it's my first book since many months (really busy working hard to be able to have the specialty of my choice 😅) but this book was not for me I think.

The beginning was really good. Hong-Wei (Jack) is my favorite character of this. I really liked him! He's a surgeon who just left a big career in a big city for a new start in a really really small city. He left everything behind, especially his family. He wants to find his "true" self. Adorable.

Simon is the surgical nurse in the new hospital. He's totally lovable! Kind, funny and really cute.

These two together were great. Practically love at first sight. The only thing that has slowed them down is the law prohibiting inter-employee relationship.

Things I didn't like in this:

-> First: the Asian culture in all the pages. Hong-Wei is Taiwanese. I loved having an Asian main character. My problem was Simon. He's obsessed with Asian culture. Obsessed. It may be cute at the beginning, but after a few pages, it becomes downright disturbing. Heavy.
I mean, I have two cultures too. Arrived in France at the age of 10, I found myself in many memories of Hong-Wei's childhood. It's really hard to find a place, an identity when you're so young.
Like him, I fought hard to integrate in my new culture but I can not say that I totally succeeded. I think that I would never be because there will always be that other part of me that will always belong to my birthplace. I cherish this chance that I have in life. In addition I can support two teams during sporting events!💃💃
So to come back to these two, I found that Simon's obsession was just too much at certain times.

-> Hot sex scenes? I am still looking for them. And yet I did not ask for that much ...

-> This feels loooooong, very long till the end.

But I don't know I really liked the characters, the atmosphere, the friendship! So I'm gonna read Owen and Jared's stories that's for sure!

[Jewel · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Doctor's Secret is sweet and romantic -- maybe a touch too sweet for my current personal tastes, but I was rooting for our MC's the whole way, anyway.

Hong-Wei's family moved to the US from Taiwan when he was 10 and his parents and grandparents worked so hard to make sure Hong Wei and his sister had the best opportunities. Hong Wei feels a tremendous amount of pressure to succeed, he was at the top of his class in medical school and the best in his residency program, but he feels like he has failed his family for not wanting to take a job at a prestigious hospital where he'd get money thrown at him, but also would feel "stuck". Instead, after finishing his residency, he decided to find a smaller hospital where he can hopefully focus more on patients than politics.

Simon Lane has lived in Copper Point his whole life. In fact, he can trace his family all they way back to the town's founding. Simon never really wanted to live anywhere else, so after nursing school and residency, he moved back to Copper Point to work at St. Ann. Simon loves the small town feel and even though he's always dreamed of travelling, in reality it's too daunting so he's content to stay the home town boy he always was.

Hong-Wei and Simon are not all about work, though. Hong-Wei is passionate about music, and an amazing violinist and Simon is obsessed with romantic Asian dramas and K-pop. And in each other they find the missing pieces of their lives.

Of course, right before hiring Dr. Wu, the hospital board decided to enact a "no dating" policy between staff, so when Hong-Wei and Simon find their attraction is mutual, things become sticky, causing them to play a game of cat and mouse with the hospital board, in an effort to not get caught while they work out how to get them to rescind the policy.

I enjoyed the story, but wasn't as gripped by it as I had hoped I would be. I can't speak to the accuracy of the medical parts of the story, but others have said it was well researched and I can easily believe that. I would have loved some relationship angst and more steam, instead of smooth and sweet, but all and all it was an enjoyable story and I'll continue with the series. I loved Simon's roommates and I find myself looking forward to their stories.

--------------------------
ARC of The Doctor's Secret was generously provided by the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.

[BWT · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this!

The dual third-person POV works so well here. I liked the relationship progression, thought the main plot worked well and flowed easily, and the supporting characters are absolutely terrific. I would have loved to have seen Simon meet Hong-Wei's family on page, but maybe we'll get a little freebie later? (*hint, hint*)

I had only a few really small niggles...for example, one thing I was waiting for, but didn't ultimately happen, was for Hong-Wei to correct Simon's mispronunciation of his name, or someone to pronounce it correctly in front of him. He thinks at one point about how Simon is mispronouncing but decides not to correct him because he's trying really hard, but that left me wondering how Hong-Wei's family or the staff at the restaurant react to hearing Simon mangle his lover's name...but, I digress. Ultimately, nothing that impacted my enjoyment, I just wanted more. I'm greedy for the next book!

I sped through The Doctor's Secret, would easily recommend, will probably be re-reading it again soon, will definitely pick it up on audio, and I'm really looking forward to the series to come.

Advanced Review Galley copy of The Doctor's Secret provided by Dreamspinner Press in exchange of an honest review.

This review has been cross-posted at Gay Book Reviews.

[Georgie-who-is-Sarah-Drew · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing.

Both the book title and the MCs have come straight out of a 1970s Mills and Boon Medical Romance: it's never a good sign when one of the MCs - a nurse - is described in such stereotypical M&B terms as "cute", "demure", "nervous", "sweet". And it's not helped by the hot-shot doctor's reaction:
"You don’t have to be strong, Simon. Let me be strong for you. Let me protect you. Let me take care of you and cherish you."
I want both my MCs to have some agency, not to remind me of out-dated inequalities.

The plot is insta-love followed by manufactured external conflict, so it's hard to get invested in the outcome.

On the plus side, Hong-Wei's Taiwanese heritage was a significant part of his make-up and well-explored. Also a realistic-feeling hospital setting.

[yaishin · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was some incredible chemistry. Got too fluffy at the end for me but I'm looking forward to some hate-sex from Owen's book.

I loved Jack, especially his growly possessive self that I think he reseved for Simon (awww). I also loved how he got along with Owen and Jared.

And the bomb he dropped in the ER that one time is one of my favorite scenes.

[Aki | nose buried in books | ❤️ | · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 big stars 🌟
I loved everything about this book!
I read it in one shot, I couldn't put it down.
It's really amazing, and I can't wait for the next one in the series!
Super recommend.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

There isn't anything really wrong with this story, and ordinarily I would have kept listening to this, but I have so many books to read and I fell way behind when I was sick last month that I just can't keep listening to this story that is just average. Overall it's an enjoyable story and the narration TOTALLY worked for me. And yet...the connection between the MCs is very quick, their decision to be together despite it being against the rules was weird. Also, the hospital and how it is managed is off to me. I didn't understand why the hospital seemed to be fighting Dr. Hong-Wei Wu on what he wanted to do to improve the hospital.

There was a lot of drama here that seemed over the top and unrealistic. I don't know - I just wasn't feeling this one. I think I will try the next book in the series though. 3 stars even though I DNF'd it.

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

3.5 stars

Heidi Cullinan’s new novel, The Doctor’s Secret, marks the beginning of a new series as well. Set in a small town, the author not only unpacks a host of interesting and dynamic side characters, but gives us a wealth of information on both the town where Simon grew up and the country from which Hong-Wei immigrated at the age of ten. In many ways, the story was well-rounded, giving us a realistic setting with a plethora of people who played a role in keeping the hospital afloat. With the arrival of Hong-Wei, a gifted surgeon who could have had his pick of jobs at more prestigious medical centers, the uneasy truce the hospital staff has had with the new head of HR and the strict no dating policy moves into the limelight. Hong-Wei intended to keep his head down and simply do his job—until he met Simon and then all bets were off. There was an instant attraction between these two polar opposites who found their common ground in their mutual love for their work.

Read Sammy’s review in its entirety here.

[namericanwordcat · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars. I am looking forward to the next book in the series but this one was uneven.

As always Heidi Cullinan has created great characters-Hong-Wei and Simon are well drawn, complex, and lovely to watch fall in love.

However, while Hong-Wei's coming into his role in the hospital is engaging, the drama around keeping their dating on the down low and the hospital policy makes little confused and muddled. It doesn't really ever make sense and a more relationship based plot.

Their connections with others are also strangely put together.

So, I enjoyed these heros but not the plot.

[Barb ~rede-2-read~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC provided by the publisher through Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words in exchange for an impartial review.

When I saw that Heidi Cullinan was writing a new series I had high hopes and jumped on the chance to read the first book. And I was not disappointed at all. This story had engaging characters, substance, depth, an appreciation for K-pop music and Asian drama. In fact, I was so intrigued by the description of actor Aaron Yan I had to spend some time cruising Google. There was also a wonderfully complex cast of hospital-based characters and all the medical terms and info one would expect when one MC is a surgeon and the other a surgical nurse with two besties who are also doctors.

I have a Korean friend IRL whose personality is remarkably like that of Hong-Wei, the Taiwanese doctor who takes a position in a small hospital on Wisconsin’s northern peninsula. My friend comes across as somewhat aloof due to his upbringing—expected to overachieve from the time he was a child so he looks around in wonder when he sees others aren’t behaving the same way. Hong-Wei could have been my friend’s twin. Self-confident in his medical decisions, smart, honorable, respectful of elders, he has all the behaviors I have seen in my Asian friends.

Hong-Wei, also known as Jack, had his choice of hospitals after residency as he’s a highly sought after surgeon, however, he wanted to find peace and quiet so he could lick his wounds and recover from a traumatic hospital experience. It’s a total bonus that here at Copper Point he finds Simon, a handsome surgical nurse who’s smart and fun and totally into Asian drama and K-pop music.

It’s a match made in heaven—or at the keyboard of a highly creative author—and it worked well for me. Hong-Wei is brilliant and somewhat socially inept. Simon is intelligent and most definitely social as he’s known throughout the hospital and the town as a reliable, friendly guy. Their attraction is immediate—maybe a bit too instant, but considering I was engaged within a month, it’s certainly possible.

There’s plenty of action to keep readers interested with an underlying menace from the hospital board of directors who seem to have hogtied the hospital director and the HR director, who want to bring innovative change (and are likely future MCs). The most obvious issue that causes problems from the beginning is the rule prohibiting two staff members from dating. But there’s more and much of it involves the daily hospital operation and the reveals about Hong-Wei’s surgery specialty and reason for leaving Houston.

I totally enjoyed this story from Heidi Cullinan and I’m looking forward to more in this series. There’s a rich sense of culture and family and definitely an appreciation of Asian culture. I’m hoping secondary characters Owen and Erin take their hostility behind closed doors and that Jared and Nick quit their cold war. Tasty little teasing nuggets were dropped throughout the second half of this story. Now let’s hope we get the gourmet meal in future installments. This series promises to be yummy.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded down because still no 1/2 stars here on GR and this was an enjoyable start to the series...full review to follow.

But does he make house calls?

When Copper Point's one and only surgical nurse Simon gets talked into picking up Dr. (Jack) Hong-Wei Wu the newest addition to the hospital's staff, the last thing he's expecting is that he's also picking up the newest complication in his life.

Simon's lived in Copper Point all his life only leaving to complete his education and then returning to work in the local hospital alongside Owen and Jared, his current roommates and best friends.

While this didn't turn out to be one of my favorite Heidi Cullinan stories it was still a really enjoyable listening experience and not just because of the solid narration provided by Iggy Toma.

This is only my fourth time listening to an audio book narrated by Iggy Toma and while I'm not sure that I'd say I've warmed up to this narrator quite as much as some others I can also say I've not been disappointed by him and listening to books that he's narrated is by no means a hardship.

I liked Simon with his sweet helpful ways. He was for me the kind of person who should be a nurse being caring and kind was a natural instinct for him and not something that he needed to think about and his passion for Asian pop culture was simply adorable.

Dr. Wu was attracted to Simon the minute he laid eyes on him and every time Simon opened his mouth to speak he fell under Simon's spell a little bit more and yet in spit of this their's was not a case of insta-love and these two men took time to get to know each other and develop a friendship that just naturally progressed into love.

While Simon wants to stay in the closet in order to keep his job. Dr. Wu is determined to see where things go with him and Simon and without having it cost Simon his job. The biggest drama in Simon and Jack's relationship is the hospital's 'no fraternizing' policy that sees employee's fired as soon as a transgression occurs...which, really? In a small town, and this is a small town, it's like asking for a staffing shortage. Sadly the stringent enforcement of this rule was a very real fear for Simon to have. But what Simon doesn't realize is that when you live in a small town like this and you work in an environment such as a hospital people become a very close knit group...almost like family and when things get tough...well, family true family always has your back.

I enjoyed Simon and Jack's story and I'm looking forward to seeing more of them as the series continues and we get Owen and Jared's stories...what can I say this is the beauty of audio books they come out after a book is written and the reader/listener gets to know what's coming next.

*************************

An audio book of "The Doctor's Secret" was graciously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[BWT · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED listening to this!

The dual third-person POV works so well, the themes of found family, Asian culture, and the progression of Simon and Hong-Wei's relationship is on point...everything just works so well and flows so easily, and is so beautifully performed by Iggy Toma, that I just absolutely loved this. Strong character voices, a great pace, his timing on fire, Toma infuses his performance with humor and passion.

I loved it, would absolutely recommend listening to it, and will definitely be adding it to my re-listen list.

I'm even more excited for the rest of the series now!

Audio copy of The Doctor's Secret provided by Dreamspinner Press in exchange of an honest review.

This review has been cross-posted at Gay Book Reviews.

[Trio · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it, but I didn't love it... A rare miss for me with Heidi Cullinan.

I'm going to be brutally honest here, but I didn't buy the chemistry between the MCs. It felt like it was convenient for them to be together, and between all the sneaking around and the insta-love, it was just too much for me. And the ending wrapped up too fast.

I did enjoy the audio performance by Iggy Toma though, very nice.

[Amarilli 73 · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5 - Oddeo: sebbene io sia un'anima ruvida che rifugge l'eccessivo sdolcinamento letterario, devo ammettere d'aver iniziato questa lettura con un sorriso stampato in faccia e d'averla conclusa nella stessa posizione, con indolenzimento della mascella come non mi accadeva da un po'.
Sapete quando di un libro o di un film ti viene da dire "ma è troppo carinoooooo???".
Lo so, inorridisco persino io al pensiero che sia capitato anche a me.
Ma questa è la verità.
Questo romanzo è terribilmente dolce, con personaggi sempre sopra le righe (oppure sono io che ho conosciuto e frequento infermieri e medici molto più tranquilli e posati...) e ridicolmente romantici, e con un sottile filo d'ironia che traspare anche nei momenti "seri".
Insomma, ogni tanto anche la scorza indurita si piega al sweet più clamoroso e apprezza...

Devo dire però che il libro è davvero scritto (e tradotto) bene, con una narrazione fluida, lieve, sempre ricca di scene amabili o comunque avvincenti.
Ben tratteggiati anche i due protagonisti.
Ho adorato Jack, come ho adorato Si: riguardo al primo, peraltro, è stato piuttosto facile perchè appena si è nominato Aaron Yan, io già ero partita in quarta a collocare lui in tutte le scene del dottore (beh, un dottore un filo più maturo, ma sempre terribilmente sexy/imbronciato!).
Ho pure amato i due compagnoni d'appartamento e l'intero ospedale, più il personale del ristorante e tutti coloro che hanno la fortuna di abitare a Copper Point.
Inutile dire che consiglio la lettura di questo primo volume e sono già in attesa del prossimo (anche perchè ho sbirciato la sinossi e sono già chi ci sarà...).

[Elithanathile · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ooooooooooo an Asian doctor and a male nurse *waggles eyebrows and grins* :-D ... YUMMMY!!! My ONLY issue is: WHAT DO YOU MEAN APRIL 2019?!!? Ummm you realize that's 5 months from now, right?!!? *Huffs and pouts* :-/!! Me wants!!!

Also, HOLY BATMAN, the model who portrays Dr. Hong-Wei Wu on the cover is friggin' STUNNING!! And I mean STUNNING <333!!! I'm going to have to DM Heidi and ask her who the guy is, because PERFECT choice :-D!!!

I HAVE to have this book and also, I ALREADY [yup, ALREADY; if a blurb sounds great, I can get M/M book greedy pretty quickly - HA!!] anticipate there being MANY full-length books in this series :-D!!

[Fabi NEEDS Email Notifications · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am shocked at how much I loved this story. I especially loved Jack (no, I could never correctly pronounce his Taiwanese name). He is such an inspiring character.

I did not, however, love Simon. What a whiny baby. Ugh!

I'd originally passed on this book. Then it showed up on Audible Escapes and I gave it a try. I'm happy to say it has great narration. I almost missed out on a terrific story. I even liked the supporting characters enough to want to continue the series.

4.5 stars!