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Aussie Outback Medical #12
Midwife On The Orient Express: A Christmas Miracle
A Christmas Miracle
Midwife Kelsie Summers dreamed of her holiday on Europe's most luxurious train. On departure she can't believe her ill-timing when she sees Dr Lucas Black on that platform in Venice.
Lucas hates surprises. Offering his seat to the woman who jilted him fifteen years before was bad, but leaving her with his meddling grandmother was a hundred times worse.
Transport yourself into the glamorous night and through the next thirty-six hours as emotion, an unexpected medical drama and grandmotherly interference help this midwife and doctor find their miracle for Christmas.
Midwife Kelsie Summers dreamed of her holiday on Europe's most luxurious train. On departure she can't believe her ill-timing when she sees Dr Lucas Black on that platform in Venice.
Lucas hates surprises. Offering his seat to the woman who jilted him fifteen years before was bad, but leaving her with his meddling grandmother was a hundred times worse.
Transport yourself into the glamorous night and through the next thirty-six hours as emotion, an unexpected medical drama and grandmotherly interference help this midwife and doctor find their miracle for Christmas.
177 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 29, 2019
39 people are currently reading
98 people want to read
About the author
Fiona McArthur
359 books193 followersFiona McArthur has worked as a midwife for thirty years. She is the clinical midwifery educator inner rural maternity unit and teaches emergency obstetric strategies while working with midwives and doctors from remote and isolated areas.
Fiona has written more than thirty romances, which have sold over two million copies in twelve languages. She has been a midwifery expert for Mother and Baby magazine and is the author of Aussie Midwives. She has also written the novels Red Sand Sunrise, The Homestead Girls and Heart of the Sky. She lives on a farm in northern New South Wales.
Fiona has written more than thirty romances, which have sold over two million copies in twelve languages. She has been a midwifery expert for Mother and Baby magazine and is the author of Aussie Midwives. She has also written the novels Red Sand Sunrise, The Homestead Girls and Heart of the Sky. She lives on a farm in northern New South Wales.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
February 19, 2020
Kelsie Summers was more than excited – her dream of travelling on the Orient Express was about to come true. But when she was at the station in Venice awaiting the famous train, she saw someone from her long ago past. Lucas Black, the man she’d hurt so badly fifteen years prior, the man she’d left at the registry office was also waiting for the Orient Express and it looked like he was accompanying his elderly grandmother.
When Lucas saw Kelsie, he was shocked, horrified and angry. He certainly wouldn’t be giving her the time of day. But his grandmother, Winsome, saw something in his expression; something in the young woman’s expression, that had her eyes sparkling and her mischievous smile hovering. Kelsey liked Winsome; she was an absolute delight – but was she being devious as well?
Kelsey was a highly respected midwife from Australia, while Lucas was a doctor who was looked up to by his peers and based in London. The distance separating them in their everyday lives was insurmountable – wasn’t it? The wonder of the Orient Express; the glamour and opulence of the surroundings captivated Kelsey – she knew this would be a trip to remember forever. In more ways than one…
Midwife on the Orient Express by Aussie author Fiona McArthur was a charming read. The magic of travelling on the Orient Express is something I’ve never experienced but would dearly love to. Kelsey was a strong, independent young woman who had worked her way to the top of her profession while the same thing could be said for Lucas. And I loved Winsome’s character. Highly recommended.
When Lucas saw Kelsie, he was shocked, horrified and angry. He certainly wouldn’t be giving her the time of day. But his grandmother, Winsome, saw something in his expression; something in the young woman’s expression, that had her eyes sparkling and her mischievous smile hovering. Kelsey liked Winsome; she was an absolute delight – but was she being devious as well?
Kelsey was a highly respected midwife from Australia, while Lucas was a doctor who was looked up to by his peers and based in London. The distance separating them in their everyday lives was insurmountable – wasn’t it? The wonder of the Orient Express; the glamour and opulence of the surroundings captivated Kelsey – she knew this would be a trip to remember forever. In more ways than one…
Midwife on the Orient Express by Aussie author Fiona McArthur was a charming read. The magic of travelling on the Orient Express is something I’ve never experienced but would dearly love to. Kelsey was a strong, independent young woman who had worked her way to the top of her profession while the same thing could be said for Lucas. And I loved Winsome’s character. Highly recommended.
June 27, 2020
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POPSUGAR READING CHALLENGE 2020 #23: A book with a pun in the title
We travel first class on the world famous Orient Express, thanks to Australian author Fiona McArthur’s self published title Midwife on the Orient Express. With a midwife, a doctor, pregnant passenger and plenty of other interesting travel companions, this story promises to deliver plenty of excitement, romance and medical emergencies!
Midwife on the Orient Express is a short form novel by much loved Australian author Fiona McArthur. The story follows midwife Kelsie Summers, who embarks on the journey of a lifetime when she boards the famous Orient Express. Everything seems to be absolutely perfect to Kelsie, who has had dreams of travelling on board this opulent form of transportation. But Kelsie’s dream journey is shattered when she realises she is sharing the journey with the man who she jilted many years before. Lucas has harboured a broken heart since Kelsie left over a decade ago and when he encounters his old love on a European train journey he cannot believe his bad luck. Things get worse for Lucas when his travel companion, his grandmother, is left to contend with his ex. However, when Lucas and Kelsie are forced to band together to attend to a medical drama on board the train, they find a new sense of respect and admiration for one another. Can this train journey bring Lucas and Kelsie back together again?
While on the hunt for a book with a pun in the title, I came across a novel penned by one of my favourite Australian medical fiction novelists, Fiona McArthur. Midwife on the Orient Express takes inspiration from the famous Agatha Christie novel, Murder on the Orient Express. I loved this novel and film, so the opportunity to read a book featuring the famous Orient Express train expedition appealed to me. Overall, I found Midwife on the Orient Express to be a quick, fun and delightful read.
Midwife on the Orient Express represents a solid second chance romance, with the focus being on two very likeable protagonists, Lucas the doctor and Kelsie the midwife. This style of romance allows McArthur to consider themes of trust, hurt, past heartbreak and personal goals. I really enjoyed the journey these two leads take to happy ever after. McArthur indulges in plenty of banter, awkward moments, stark realisations, bonding situations and rekindled love.
Supporting leads Kelsie and Lucas are a fabulous cast of secondary protagonists. A shout out to Winsome, Lucas’ grandmother and Anna, the young lady who finds herself giving birth on the Orient. I really enjoyed getting to know all the passengers on this journey, it was a pleasure, thanks to McArthur’s characterisation. McArthur always ensures that her protagonists are both realistic and personable, which was very clear to me as I read Midwife on the Orient Express.
An area that I felt Fiona McArthur really excelled in this story was the focus on the medical emergency on board the train. This is where McArthur draws on her expertise as a midwife, to present a birth miracle on the train. I applaud McArthur for her work in these segments on the novel, they proved to be exciting, tense and authentic.
My final word on this lovely novel is the setting. I would dearly love to take a journey on the spectacular Orient Express, but in the meantime, I’m happy to settle for Fiona McArthur’s descriptions of this stunning European rail based sojourn. It really is a treat for all readers who have a passion for Europe and travel.
Midwife on the Orient Express represents a glamorous and magical journey. Fiona McArthur’s novel would make a great Christmas in July read, due to the heart-warming medical miracle and the sweet second chance love story that takes place on this train tour.
Midwife on the Orient Express is book #72 of the 2020 Australian Women Writers Challenge
POPSUGAR READING CHALLENGE 2020 #23: A book with a pun in the title
We travel first class on the world famous Orient Express, thanks to Australian author Fiona McArthur’s self published title Midwife on the Orient Express. With a midwife, a doctor, pregnant passenger and plenty of other interesting travel companions, this story promises to deliver plenty of excitement, romance and medical emergencies!
Midwife on the Orient Express is a short form novel by much loved Australian author Fiona McArthur. The story follows midwife Kelsie Summers, who embarks on the journey of a lifetime when she boards the famous Orient Express. Everything seems to be absolutely perfect to Kelsie, who has had dreams of travelling on board this opulent form of transportation. But Kelsie’s dream journey is shattered when she realises she is sharing the journey with the man who she jilted many years before. Lucas has harboured a broken heart since Kelsie left over a decade ago and when he encounters his old love on a European train journey he cannot believe his bad luck. Things get worse for Lucas when his travel companion, his grandmother, is left to contend with his ex. However, when Lucas and Kelsie are forced to band together to attend to a medical drama on board the train, they find a new sense of respect and admiration for one another. Can this train journey bring Lucas and Kelsie back together again?
While on the hunt for a book with a pun in the title, I came across a novel penned by one of my favourite Australian medical fiction novelists, Fiona McArthur. Midwife on the Orient Express takes inspiration from the famous Agatha Christie novel, Murder on the Orient Express. I loved this novel and film, so the opportunity to read a book featuring the famous Orient Express train expedition appealed to me. Overall, I found Midwife on the Orient Express to be a quick, fun and delightful read.
Midwife on the Orient Express represents a solid second chance romance, with the focus being on two very likeable protagonists, Lucas the doctor and Kelsie the midwife. This style of romance allows McArthur to consider themes of trust, hurt, past heartbreak and personal goals. I really enjoyed the journey these two leads take to happy ever after. McArthur indulges in plenty of banter, awkward moments, stark realisations, bonding situations and rekindled love.
Supporting leads Kelsie and Lucas are a fabulous cast of secondary protagonists. A shout out to Winsome, Lucas’ grandmother and Anna, the young lady who finds herself giving birth on the Orient. I really enjoyed getting to know all the passengers on this journey, it was a pleasure, thanks to McArthur’s characterisation. McArthur always ensures that her protagonists are both realistic and personable, which was very clear to me as I read Midwife on the Orient Express.
An area that I felt Fiona McArthur really excelled in this story was the focus on the medical emergency on board the train. This is where McArthur draws on her expertise as a midwife, to present a birth miracle on the train. I applaud McArthur for her work in these segments on the novel, they proved to be exciting, tense and authentic.
My final word on this lovely novel is the setting. I would dearly love to take a journey on the spectacular Orient Express, but in the meantime, I’m happy to settle for Fiona McArthur’s descriptions of this stunning European rail based sojourn. It really is a treat for all readers who have a passion for Europe and travel.
Midwife on the Orient Express represents a glamorous and magical journey. Fiona McArthur’s novel would make a great Christmas in July read, due to the heart-warming medical miracle and the sweet second chance love story that takes place on this train tour.
Midwife on the Orient Express is book #72 of the 2020 Australian Women Writers Challenge
December 26, 2019
I do love a good Christmas story, throw in a second chance at love and a journey on the famous Orient Express and this one had me at page one, MS McArthur has taken me on trip with two people who are so meant to fall in love and find their HEA, but of course there are a few hurdles to jump first, I do hope you will hop on the Orient Express and get to know Kelsie and Lucas.
Kelsie Summers is a midwife, who loves her job but there is a dream she has had for so long and that is just about to come true a trip on the famous luxurious train one thing she never expects to find is her first love waiting on the platform. It is fifteen years since she has seen Lucas, will this journey open up old wounds or is it time to try and make Lucas understand why she walked all those years ago, will she be able to keep her emotions under control.
Lucas Larimar is a doctor now working on infertility he is caring and his patients rely on him a lot, he has promised his dear grandmother that he will finally take this trip with her for her eightieth birthday, but the woman who jilted him is the last person he imagines seeing, with a little push from his grandmother Lucas is soon spending time with Kelsie, and he is getting to know her all over again in a good way.
Kelsie and Lucas were so young the first time around and Kelsie had issues with controlling men after her childhood and Lucas always caring after what had happened to him, but did Kelsie take that the wrong way? but this time round both have grown and although neither were looking for love, love found them again, this really is a beautiful story, the train trip is awesome and romantic, there are babies being born and I felt like I was on this train trip with them the descriptions were fabulous and I loved Winsome Lucas’s grandmother she is adorable, there were lots of happy smiles reading this one as Lucas and Kelsie found their wonderful HEA. Thank you MS McArthur for another keeper this is one that I highly recommend.
Kelsie Summers is a midwife, who loves her job but there is a dream she has had for so long and that is just about to come true a trip on the famous luxurious train one thing she never expects to find is her first love waiting on the platform. It is fifteen years since she has seen Lucas, will this journey open up old wounds or is it time to try and make Lucas understand why she walked all those years ago, will she be able to keep her emotions under control.
Lucas Larimar is a doctor now working on infertility he is caring and his patients rely on him a lot, he has promised his dear grandmother that he will finally take this trip with her for her eightieth birthday, but the woman who jilted him is the last person he imagines seeing, with a little push from his grandmother Lucas is soon spending time with Kelsie, and he is getting to know her all over again in a good way.
Kelsie and Lucas were so young the first time around and Kelsie had issues with controlling men after her childhood and Lucas always caring after what had happened to him, but did Kelsie take that the wrong way? but this time round both have grown and although neither were looking for love, love found them again, this really is a beautiful story, the train trip is awesome and romantic, there are babies being born and I felt like I was on this train trip with them the descriptions were fabulous and I loved Winsome Lucas’s grandmother she is adorable, there were lots of happy smiles reading this one as Lucas and Kelsie found their wonderful HEA. Thank you MS McArthur for another keeper this is one that I highly recommend.
November 11, 2021
I needed a mystery or thriller set during Christmas for a challenge so I picked up this book. And… It’s not a thriller or mystery. I’m not sure where I even got that idea, apart from the Agatha Christie inspired title.
So, the book is purely a romance. No thrills or mystery. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Kelsie takes her dream holiday - a trip on the Orient Express from Venice to London. Upon boarding, she discovers her first love and ex-fiance, Lucas, is also on the train, travelling with his grandmother. The story explains how Lucas and Kelsie got together when they were younger as well as why they parted ways.
Obviously, as these things go, Lucas and Kelsie are still quite attracted to each other and this is the classic second chance romance.
The midwife part of the title refers to Kelsie’s profession. Coincidentally (or conveniently) Lucas is an obstetrician and one of their fellow passengers is pregnant.
The book is, obviously, set during Christmas but the Orient Express trip is probably more of the focus. McArthur gives us many details of the opulence of the carriages and the food and drink served etc. I would have maybe liked a little more about the towns they passed along the way.
Goodreads is telling me the book was only 177 pages. I’m surprised. It felt much longer and the characters were pretty well developed for something so short. Recommend for a nice piece of Christmas romance 3 ½ out of 5
So, the book is purely a romance. No thrills or mystery. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Kelsie takes her dream holiday - a trip on the Orient Express from Venice to London. Upon boarding, she discovers her first love and ex-fiance, Lucas, is also on the train, travelling with his grandmother. The story explains how Lucas and Kelsie got together when they were younger as well as why they parted ways.
Obviously, as these things go, Lucas and Kelsie are still quite attracted to each other and this is the classic second chance romance.
The midwife part of the title refers to Kelsie’s profession. Coincidentally (or conveniently) Lucas is an obstetrician and one of their fellow passengers is pregnant.
The book is, obviously, set during Christmas but the Orient Express trip is probably more of the focus. McArthur gives us many details of the opulence of the carriages and the food and drink served etc. I would have maybe liked a little more about the towns they passed along the way.
Goodreads is telling me the book was only 177 pages. I’m surprised. It felt much longer and the characters were pretty well developed for something so short. Recommend for a nice piece of Christmas romance 3 ½ out of 5
June 15, 2021
I loved the cover, and the title, but unfortunately, they were the best bits. It was a bit too eye-rollingly soppy for my taste!
September 22, 2021
Midwife On The Orient Express: A Christmas Miracle by Fiona McArthur. Midwife Kelsie Summers always had a dream to travel on the Orient Express. Kelsie Summers is finally able to travel on The Orient Express. However, before Kelsie departure on her adventure, she saw Dr Lucas Black on the platform in Venice. Dr Lucas Black was not happy to see Kelsie, the woman who jilted him. However, unexpected medical drama forces them together during the trip. Midwife On the Orient Express readers will continue to follow Midwife Kelsie Summers and Dr Lucas Black to discover what happens.
I always enjoy reading books by Fiona McArthur. Midwife On The Orient Express did not disappoint. Midwife On The Orient Express enjoyable romance book to read. I had no trouble engaging with this book from the first page. I love Fiona McArthur's portrayal of her characters and how they intertwine throughout this book. Midwife On The Orient Express is well written and researched by Fiona McArthur. I like the way Fiona McArthur describes the settings of Midwife On The Orient Express that make feel part of the story.
The readers of Midwife On the Orient Express will learn about the role of midwives and obstetricians. Midwife On the Orient Express readers will also learn about gastro-oesophageal reflux and how it can affect suffers.
I recommend this book.
I always enjoy reading books by Fiona McArthur. Midwife On The Orient Express did not disappoint. Midwife On The Orient Express enjoyable romance book to read. I had no trouble engaging with this book from the first page. I love Fiona McArthur's portrayal of her characters and how they intertwine throughout this book. Midwife On The Orient Express is well written and researched by Fiona McArthur. I like the way Fiona McArthur describes the settings of Midwife On The Orient Express that make feel part of the story.
The readers of Midwife On the Orient Express will learn about the role of midwives and obstetricians. Midwife On the Orient Express readers will also learn about gastro-oesophageal reflux and how it can affect suffers.
I recommend this book.
March 27, 2022
An entertaining audio book which passed away the trip between Ballarat and Adelaide today.
January 7, 2020
Loved this read it in one day
December 7, 2020
Lovely Christmas story in which our Heroine Kelsie takes a vacation onboard the Orient Express and is reunited with Lucas, the man she left at the altar. She realises that perhaps she doesn't have to sacrifice all she's achieved for a second chance at love.
March 29, 2024
3 stars.
The title is clearly a play on Agatha Christie's more famous (and more sinister) version, but the genre and vibe is nothing like. Australian midwife Kelsie Summers is on her dream vacation on the Orient Express, until the dream is very quickly cut short when she runs into her former fiance Lucas and his grandmother before they have even set off. The story then alternates between telling what is happening on the train (where Lucas' grandmother Winsome is absolutely amazing!) and how Kelsie and Lucas came to feel how they do about each other.
Some of it was good, I particularly liked , also hearing all about their very fancy and scenic journey. Though, these scenes oscillated with others which were either unbelievably soppy (I was listening to it so all the emotion really came through, kudos to the narrator for that) or simply frustrating. Honestly both Lucas and Kelsie were behaving like such children in parts, .
The title is clearly a play on Agatha Christie's more famous (and more sinister) version, but the genre and vibe is nothing like. Australian midwife Kelsie Summers is on her dream vacation on the Orient Express, until the dream is very quickly cut short when she runs into her former fiance Lucas and his grandmother before they have even set off. The story then alternates between telling what is happening on the train (where Lucas' grandmother Winsome is absolutely amazing!) and how Kelsie and Lucas came to feel how they do about each other.
Some of it was good, I particularly liked , also hearing all about their very fancy and scenic journey. Though, these scenes oscillated with others which were either unbelievably soppy (I was listening to it so all the emotion really came through, kudos to the narrator for that) or simply frustrating. Honestly both Lucas and Kelsie were behaving like such children in parts, .
December 12, 2019
Sweet little Christmas novella about childhood friends who were going to get married until one of them got cold feet. Fast forward 15 years and Kelsey and Lucas meet again on the Orient Express train! Kelsey is a midwife and has saved long and hard for this once in a lifetime trip. Lucas is a doctor and is accompanying his Grandmother on her final yearly trip on the famous train. Add to that a baby being born, plus romance and it’s a lovely story. I was fascinated by the descriptions of the experience of riding the train, it sounds fantastic!
October 19, 2021
Too much information
I nearly stopped reading this in the middle because I really don’t enjoy long boring descriptions of other peoples lovemaking. I was hoping for a train journey and the complication of a birth aboard the train, with a little romance on the side.
The last part of the book was a bit better, thank goodness, but for me, the emphasis was all wrong.
I nearly stopped reading this in the middle because I really don’t enjoy long boring descriptions of other peoples lovemaking. I was hoping for a train journey and the complication of a birth aboard the train, with a little romance on the side.
The last part of the book was a bit better, thank goodness, but for me, the emphasis was all wrong.
July 7, 2020
This is the second book in McArthur's "Midwife" series that I've read and I have to say that I'm a huge fan of both this series and this book. I love the way her characters aren't perfect and yet have the strength to address and confront their issues (even if it takes them a while to do it!) and allow themselves to reach for the "happily ever after" that they've maybe been afraid to try for before. I particularly enjoyed the setting of the Orient Express, almost another character in the book, since I've been fascinated by is after reading Agatha Christie's book--like almost everyone else!
This is a real feel-good book and left me content and happy at its conclusion.
This is a real feel-good book and left me content and happy at its conclusion.
January 11, 2024
Listened to the Audiobook, and kept listening waiting for something to happen. It didn’t! The two main characters are awful and should never be a couple, meaning you aren’t even rooting for them. A big deal is started around the romance for winsom and then forgotten about and the atmosphere is missing from the train. Don’t bother!
April 16, 2020
An enjoyable romance with some "aha!" moments in the characters' lives. Needed a lot of proofreading, eg, the Venice Simplon Orient Express was spelt Simplin sometimes and Simplon at other times. Lots of sentences that weren't complete as well.
May 7, 2020
A sweet Christmas story of second chances and love rekindled aboard the Orient Express.
July 13, 2020
Enjoyable but a little too ‘sweet’ for me.
December 14, 2020
Just what i needed, a nice Christmas story with a happily ever after. Sometimes the one you let go is meant to come back😊
April 28, 2022
Cute and feel good story even though it was predictable. Just what I needed while recovering from Covid.
October 5, 2022
An atmospheric book describing the beauty of the Orient express with a love story and an unexpected baby
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 24, 2022
Audiobook. Easy listening. Very light. Entertaining
December 11, 2023
Mills and Boon is alive and well
December 13, 2023
Beautiful romantic Christmas read.
December 17, 2023
Awful, awful, awful. Predictable. Poorly written. Excuses coercive control. Creepy. And no Australian woman would use the revolting word ‘panties’.
December 18, 2023
Loved the love story set at Christmas on the Orient Express with two very independent people
January 1, 2024
Listened as unabridged library borrow
Didn’t finish. Not to my liking
Didn’t finish. Not to my liking
January 25, 2024
No been m
January 27, 2024
This was okay but I wouldn't rave about it.
February 3, 2024
Lovely listen - not the best story but loved hearing about the Orient Express!
February 3, 2024
A soft easy read!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews