Skalpell, Tupfer, Liebe

by Lola Keeley

Ein lesbischer Liebesroman, in dem für zwei clevere Ärztinnen Rivalität zu Leidenschaft wird und sie erkennen müssen, was wirklich wichtig ist.

Die Chirurgin Veronica leitet ihre Krankenhausabteilung mit eiserner Hand. Doch ihre Welt wird durch eine neue Unfallchirurgin auf den Kopf gestellt. Cassie ist Militärchirurgin und interessiert sich wenig für Veronicas verkrampfte Bürokratie.

Als Cassie in gefährliche Geldgeschäfte verstrickt wird, bringt die gemeinsame Suche nach der Wahrheit die beiden näher und entfacht leidenschaftliche Momente. Aber kann die gemeinsame Aufdeckung des Skandals ihnen auch dabei helfen, ihre Differenzen zu überwinden? Und wie werden sie mit der unerwünschten Anziehung zueinander umgehen?

Genres: Romance, Lesbian, Enemies To Lovers, Audiobook, LGBT, Medical, Workplace

254 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 22, 2020

Reviews

[Lex Kent · Rating 4 out of 5]

Edit- I changed my finale rating from 4 stars to a 3.75 rating. I just read a new book and in comparison I think I had this rating just a tad too high.

3.75 Stars. This was one of three of my most anticipated lesfic books of 2019. Lola Keeley’s debut book, The Music and the Mirror, was my favorite book of 2018. It was just brilliant so I was beyond anxious to see how her next book would be. While I must be honest and say I didn’t love this as much as her first book, I did still enjoy this good medical romance.

This story focuses on two surgeons Veronica and Cassie. Cassie is a retired from the military and trying to get accustomed to civilian life. She runs the trauma unit fast and efficient like in the military. Veronica is very rules oriented and likes the hospital to be run a certain way. The two different personalities clash instantly. But they can’t seem to stay away from each other and as time goes by feelings start to develop. Can two women so different have a chance together?

What this book did tell me is that Keeley’s debut was not a fluke. She writes really well. This book is the perfect example of someone “showing” not “telling”. Keeley uses a lot of details to help immerse you into the book. And while there are a lot of good descriptions, it doesn’t feel overboard.

I really enjoyed all the hospital scenes. The pace was good and it kept me reading. There were some words I had to look up. This takes place in England so there are some terms especially with the hospital that I didn’t know. I’m okay with that thought. If I’m going to read a book that takes place in another country (besides the USA) I want it to be realistic. I don’t want authors to have to dumb down things for us Americans.

The romance was good, but I must admit it wasn’t as great as I was hoping. I enjoyed both mains, but I felt there just wasn’t as much chemistry between them as I wanted. I was rooting for them don’t get me wrong, I just wished for a tad more spark. I was happy that there were no quick “I love yous”. The characters are still getting to know each other and quick “I love yous” would have been unbelievable.

This was a well written, good quality, medical romance. If you are a fan of medical romance give this book a chance. I will absolutely read anything Keeley puts out in the future.

An ARC was given to me by YLVA for a honest review.

[Diane Wallace · Rating 3 out of 5]

'ARC provided by Ylva-Publishing in exchanged for a honest review'

**'I think that to write well and convincingly,one must be somewhat poisoned by emotion..As a writer,you have to vigorously separate what you actually like from everything you sorta like..'

'MAJOR SURGERY' is just an okay read. It's not necessarily a happy book, though it's filled with rich experiences and observation about all things medical. It's also an indepth account of one of it's main character's (Cassie) life,her services in the army,surgeries in the Trauma Unit and her sorrows,as well as satisfaction in getting justice for being betrayed. While in the case of the other main character (Veronica) herself a M.D., she's viewed as a meticulous observer on any activity in the halls of her AMU adding to her many years of experiences in medicine along with her vivid and vibrant knowledge of being a good doctor.
The most challenging part of this story to me is having Ms.Keeley trying to squeeze a romantic relationship and love story into what i consider to be more of a medical drama -- with 80% of it being so extensively detailed about medical stuff,hospital emergency,doctors,nurses,surgeries etc..then there were only bits and pieces of Veronica interacting with her son and ex-wife.
Honestly,I was not taken with the storyline after getting to the ending-- just had way too much expectation of another glowing book. Disappointed, Yes but i also think there are some readers who might enjoy reading it.

[Corporate Slave · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m disappointed :( I started this book with such high expectations because come on who didn’t fall in love with Lola Keeley’s previous book?
Ok so here’s what I liked: Lola Keeley can write well! She builds very nice characters that gets you fully engaged in the story.
What I didn’t like: 1) too much medical terms, I’m sorry but there’s so much I can take with the terms, I’m done with my studies I don’t need to study medicine through a novel. 2) Zero chemistry between the characters, as in ZERO. They moved from fighting at the beginning to dates then the worst, most boring sex incident that was completely out of place in the storyline. 3) the drama of the financial situation and how the guy was busted is very lame. Very predictable and nothing special. 4) very boring supporting characters that didn’t add anything to the story.
I really don’t mean to be harsh here but I had such high hopes on this one :(

[Agirlcandream · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was clear from her debut novel that Ms Keeley knows how to write an entertaining lesbian romance. The opening scenes in Major Surgery showcase her talents as Cassie and Victoria square off over a patient in the trauma unit. The enemies portion of this enemies-to-lovers romance is firmly established. Veronica comes across as a capable surgeon with her eye on a top management position, a woman who is driven to succeed. Cassie proves to be a capable trauma surgeon and shines in her role as the fish-out-of-water ex-army doc thrust into an urban hospital with enough rules and regs to swamp the most dedicated of physicians.

I like how the author allows the women to change and grow as they spend time in each others company. Cassie with her enthusiasm and sincerity softens the rigid edges Veronica has thrown up in her climb up the healthcare corporate ladder. Veronica becomes a friend to Cassie, something and someone the independent army doc has been missing since leaving her comrades behind in Kandahar. The shady dealings with hospital funding might be the excuse the women use to begin their friendship but it’s only a matter of time before their obvious attraction turns them into lovers.

What impresses me the most about this author is her skill at making her settings and her career choices for her leading ladies feel authentic. Her knowledge of the ballet world and now her understanding of the business aspects of healthcare had me believing she has worked in those worlds before. Kudos on the excellent research.

Nicely done.

ARC received with thanks from publisher for review.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a light, medical themed, enemies to lovers story.

Veronica is a general surgeon at St. Sophia hospital. She shares a son with her ex wife. Cassie, an army medic, rides a gurney into the hospital, disrupting Veronica's life.

I love books where the main characters don't get along in the beginning. The author did a good job of building tension through conflict and arguing.

I liked the military backstory and how that shaped Cassie's character and decision making.

I felt like there was too much exposition at times with long sections without dialogue.

Overall, this book was written well and had interesting characters. I recommend to those who like medical romances, enemies to lovers trope, the military, and family dynamics.

3.5 rounded up to 4 star.

I received an ARC from YLVA Publishing for an honest review.

[Joc · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m probably an outlier on this but I enjoyed this much more than I did the ballet one. I am partial to medical drama and even though the emergency incidents aren’t numerous, there are enough of them well-integrated into the story to firmly locate the story in a hospital setting. Veronica Mallik is pretty certain that the surgeon she’d mentored would be hired as the new Head of Trauma. She’s a little put out to discover that the maverick, Cassie Taylor, that she butted heads with in the Emergency department actually got the job.

Veronica is almost an ice-queen with her arrogance, high expectations, aloofness and desire to have things done her way, on time but there is also a softness about her which made her a much more appealing character than if she was simply the stereotype. Cassie was a surgeon in the army prior to being employed by St Sophia’s hospital and is no shrinking violet. I liked that they had equivalent positions and personalities as strong as each other even though their methods were poles apart.

Another thing that appealed to me was that the crux of the story was external to their developing friendship so that their interaction wasn’t fraught with pushing, pulling and miscommunication. On the whole I really enjoyed this and am fast becoming a fan of Keeley’s writing.

Book received from Ylva Publishing for an honest review.

[Tiff · Rating 4 out of 5]

It safe to say Lola Keeley will always have a bit of my heart. You see last year she wrote hands down the best book of 2018. That story took my damn breath away countless times. Fighting one hell of a reading slump, I was truly grateful to read her newest novel, Major Surgery.

Medical romances, I’m going to flat out tell you, I love them. LOVE THEM! Two hot lady doctors that square off and have tension, heat and intelligent banter, oh yeah, that is just what I am looking for. Add in that one of our docs is a total ice queen. Give me this book!

Major Cassie Taylor is a trauma surgeon who has left the service and is applying for a new position as Head of Trauma for St. Sophia’s hospital in London. As skilled as Cassie is at saving lives with quick thinking and great hands she cannot do anything right in the eyes of Veronica Mallick, the head of the Acute Medical Unit. Cassie’s not supposed to be the head of Trauma. Veronica had been grooming another colleague/friend to take that spot for years. The major’s arrival is unexpected to twist to Veronica’s world. To say this woman is a control freak would be an understatement. As much as these two clash, there is still a level of respect and professionalism in their stand-offs. That I appreciated! Veronica and Cassie challenge each other professionally as well as personally and you can see as the story progresses that they relish the banter and the friendship that develops.

This story has that slow burn that starts with dislike, eases into friendship and then develops into something more. I thought the two characters were very well written dynamic leading ladies. The story is smart and leans just a bit more of into a drama than an actual romance. It is a very good story. I really loved my time with it. Keeley is definitely one of those authors that you cannot wait to see where they take you next.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid and enjoyable medical romance. Well written with good characters. But I have to say, I loved Keeley’s debut novel «The Music and the Mirror» much more. I can’t explain exactly what captured my mind more in the first novel, I think maybe the story was more surprising. But despite this complaint, I still enjoyed it.

Veronica, a general surgeon at a Hospital in London, has her business life well in order until Major Cassie Taylor bursts into the hospital, literally riding on a gurney, to save the life of a man and bringing chaos and much more into Victoria’s life.

I very much liked the way the two MCs are working differently. Taylor with her experience to work under more than difficult circumstances in war areas is more an action-driven woman who acts before she’s thinking about rules and regulations. And this kind of working morale is disturbing the line of work of Victoria, which has her unit well organized and everything is going on like planned.

In my opinion, the romance was the part which didn’t hold up with the good medical story. I didn’t really feel the chemistry between the two of them. First, they were always clashing together and next they go house hunting together. That was a little rushed. For me, it seems like the romance hadn’t enough time develop. I love the storyline from enemy to lovers, but I would have loved more of slowly getting to know better and beginning to like each other.

Overall a nice and enjoyable medical romance.

My rating 3.75 stars (medical part 4 Stars, romance 3.5 stars).
Many thanks to Ylva Publishing for receiving an ARC for an honest review

[Alexis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well that was.. actually what the hell did I just read?

This book is a mix of romance & crime/mystery yet it didn't fully deliver on either of those subjects. To be fair I had already lowered my expectations after having read several other reviews mentioning this book was not as good as Keeley's debut The Music and the Mirror.

I really liked the beginning of the book where the reader is immediately in the middle of a face off between Cassie & Veronica. Their hostility towards each other was a lot of fun to read but along the way I started losing interest in them as a couple.

The author spent quite a bit of the book setting up Cassie & Veronica getting together but when that moment came it felt a little lackluster. I expected a lot more chemistry and definitely more passion, given the amount of animosity between them.

I also wanted the author to spend more time on their relationship once it took off but instead I was treated to a discount Scooby Doo villain who actually had his own 'bad guy monologue'. I was surprised he didn't mention he would have gotten away with it too, if it weren't for those meddling lesbians.

The final thing I wasn't expecting were the amount of errors in this book. From missing words to grammar errors and even wrong names, did no one read this more than once before it got published? Overall rating for this is 3,25*

[Luce · Rating 3 out of 5]

Major Surgery by Lola Keeley – 3 Stars for this British medical romance.

I loved, loved Keeley’s debut novel, The Music and the Mirror. It was one of my favorites of that year. This book, not so much. I could not get into the book so I stopped and restarted this book a few times before I hunkered down, determined to finish.

Individually, I liked the two mains. Recently retired army Major Cassie Taylor, a surgeon is hired to head the A&E (Accident & Emergency) department where emergency patients that need immediate treatment/surgery. Surgeon Veronica Mallick is the head of AMU (Acute Medical Unit) department which handles emergency assessments and surgeries for non-trauma patients. These two departments were a bit confusing for me. In the US, in general the two departments are all under the ER (Emergency Room) department. Maybe AMU could be thought of the US version of Urgent Care? Whatever. In this hospital they are separate departments that work hand in hand. I also needed to adjust to doctors referred to as Mr/Ms/Mrs rather than Dr.

Cassie Taylor comes off right away as the more likable of the two. She is hands-on, very caring and straight forward. Veronica Mallick is the “Ice Queen” of the two. She has her sights on eventually becoming the head of the hospital. She was counting on her friend and protégé to be hired not the interloper, Taylor. Always dressed immaculately, she is of Indian dissent and has a 12 yr son, who lives with her ex-wife. She is well respected as an administrator and surgeon.

The main problem I had with this book is that I didn’t feel any chemistry between the two MCs. Which made a slow burn feel even slower. I stopped and re-started a couple of times stalling out around the midpoint. Finally, when I did get further, the book picked up a bit. Unfortunately, even after the romance got going, I still didn’t feel that much chemistry between them. Were they even friends?

I won a copy of this book in a giveaway by the author.

[Della B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Major Surgery is a well written hospital romance/drama set in St Sophia's Hospital in London. Veronica Mallick who is the head of the AMU (Acute Medical Unit) runs her division like a well oiled machine. She is the consummate cool and collected professional who is always in charge and always has her finger on the pulse of the hospital.
Major Cassie Taylor is the new hire for head of the Trauma unit. She is fresh from her overseas surgical military service and is trying to assimilate back into civilian life. Living and working on the edge of battlefields has made Cassie an instinctual person relying on reflex rather than protocol and rules. She runs contrary to Veronica's planned by the book approach to work. The hospital is only so big and conflict ensues whenever the two must work together. A financial intrigue arises at budget time which brings Veronica to the aid of Cassie.
Romance is best served slow with mounting interest. Ms Keeley is a master at this approach. I found her writing packed deep with wonderful descriptions yet flowing easily through the minds eye. One description in particular I found outstanding. “She clings to Veronica as if she’s the pool wall after twenty lengths of butterfly, every bit as breathless as the sobs continue to rise in her throat.”
The dialogue must be mentioned as well. It is true to the characters and in fact the distinct voices for Veronica and Cassie help define their character. Both women are fully rounded characters without the heavy hands used by a number of writers to achieve this goal.
Ms Keeley creates with a delicate touch and achieves such richness and bountiful stories. It was a pleasure to read and I well recommend Major Surgery.

[Gaby LezReviewBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Veronica Mallick is the head of the Acute Medical Unit in a London hospital. She's both an accomplished surgeon and an efficient administrator. Major Cassie Taylor, a former army doctor, is the new Head of Trauma. Her preference for action rather than becoming entangled in the hospital's bureaucracy grates on Veronica's nerves. But when they both realise that there is a colleague defrauding the hospital, they join forces to prove him guilty. Will the investigation fuel their budding attraction or make their initial antagonism worse?

I have to admit that I had big expectations about this book after Ms. Keeley's debut novel 'The music and the mirror' made into my list of Best Lesfic Books of 2018. Even though I liked 'Major surgery', it didn't blow my mind as her previous one.

Having said that, Ms. Keeley, who comes from an IT background, has the impressive ability to write about dispariging worlds with insider knowledge, first in ballet and now medicine. This novel provides a good insight to UK's health system, its strengths and shortcomings.

Written in third person from the point of view of both main characters, this is an interracial, 'enemies to lovers' romance. Even though their initial antagonism and their eventual relationship is credible, I didn't feel that their chemistry was off the charts. However, it might be me comparing this couple to Victoria and Anna in 'The music and the mirror' or Eden and Simone in 'And the bells are ringing', her short story in 'Language of love'. Ms. Keeley knows how to write damn hot couples.

The story has an investigation side, with someone embezzling hospital funds and trying to frame Cassie, and a minor issue in Veronica's family. Both conflicts are solved relatively easy which agrees with the light tone of the novel.

Overall, a very good medical romance with the 'enemies to lovers' trope. 4 stars.

ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

See all my reviews at www.lezreviewbooks.com

[Les Rêveur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lola Keely wrote one of my favourite books to date so I was over the moon to see Major Surgery was coming out so soon after I read The Music and The Mirror.

As much as I didn't enjoy this book as much as I did The Music and The Mirror, it was still an excellent book especially for only being the author's second book.

Surgeon and Department head, Veronica is known for being cold but phenomenal at her job. She runs a tight ship so when she encounters rough around the edges and fresh from the army, Cassie she doesn't expect to get along with her never mind to develop feeling's for her.

This story was really fleshed out, the characters were developed well and I felt like I got to know them as friend's throughout the story. I love medical romances and this one didn't disappoint, especially in the hospital scenes which I found particularly good. 

At times I felt there could have been more of a spark/chemistry between Veronica and Cassie. I almost wanted Veronica to go all crazy for Cassie. It was definitely a slow burn but when they do get it together it was worth the wait. And I loved watching Veronica's Ice Queen crown slip off and show the person that was meant to fall for Cassie.

All in all, a lovely story I look forward to rereading soon.
4 stars

[Jo reece · Rating 3 out of 5]

Almost a 3⭐
Found the plot a bit dull and the MCs didnt seem to connect...

[Heinerway · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book. I really liked it. The love story was nice and sweet. The embezzlement part was... not so good. But in any case it was a very pleasant read.

[Kexx · Rating 5 out of 5]

Had everything I love - medic, army vet, bit of sadness, exes causing emotional angst, but true love is in there. Hey, call me a sucker, but I love this stuff.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so excited to read this book. It has two of the best things in lesbian fiction, some sort of medical setting and a woman in uniform. While she's not in uniform the entire book, it did pop in periodically, so Cassie Taylor automatically wins my favor for existing. Cassie, an army surgeon just coming back from deployment, is looking for a job in a hospital in London and interviews for head of trauma at St Sophia's. Enter Veronica Mallick, head of the AMU department opposite trauma.

The romance in this was interesting as the two mains were adversarial from the beginning but both showed compassion to one another despite it. Their friendship comes slowly but the attraction is quite instantaneous. Throw in Veronica's son, a little intrigue in the form of underhanded practices and hospital mischief, and you get a compelling read that is never boring. There are a lot of books centered on hospitals and that have the same sorts of stories within, and this was a departure from the norm. Cassie is fleshed out and has a history with her military career and it comes into play quite soon. Veronica has the added benefit of having an ex-wife and a son, and a myriad of things that happen because of those relationships and how they come into play with Cassie.

Overall, I was quite pleased with this book. It had strong characters and a good plot with an interesting setting. I would definitely recommend it to anyone that likes hospital settings, romance, real characters that have to deal with real pain, and intrigue.

A copy of this book was provided to me by YLVA for an honest review.

[Heat · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

It’s my fault really, I set my expectations too high. The Music and The Mirror was my favorite book of 2018. This wasn’t book wasn’t bad, I just thought it was a little boring at times. I like the setting...I dig medical storylines.

There were a couple dramatic issues but I felt like they were wrapped up too quickly and then it was back to the day to day activities.

I’m not totally sure how I felt about the leads. I felt the chemistry when they were at odds more than I did when they were friendly and getting along.

[Harrow · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was more of a medical drama than romance which is great because the MCs had zero chemistry.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars. To be honest, from the blurb I expected a totally different story. I enjoyed it, but it was different than I expected.

Veronica Malick isn't too keen on the new head of trauma, as she wanted to get one of her allies get this job. Plus, Major Cassie Taylor, who just returned from the army, runs her department quite different from Veronica. The story is basically about them getting to know each other as well as them dealing with hospital stuff, life and also for about 5% of the book with the fraud that is mentioned in the blurb and which is a little ridiculous.

What I really liked was the whole enemies to lovers, the hospital stuff and that both were quite adult about their relationship. I felt a distinct spark at the beginning, but I also felt that the mains and the story had a lot more potential. Veronica was really badass and focused, but Cassie's character was a lot more difficult to grasp and we have very little back story. There wasn't a lot of time spent on secondary characters such as Veronica's son, her ex wife or the staff.

What I also really liked was that racism and racist profiling was a topic (Veronica is of Color). Such an important topic!

What I didn't like was the narration by Gabrielle Baker. I didn't like Cassie's voice and also I found the very slight lisp disconcerting. It might be that this is simply a technical thing from being to near to the mic, because otherwise the narration wasn't so bad. Except for the sex scene. And the pause between chapters that's way too short for my liking. Actually I would have loved to switch to the eBook, but sadly Scribd only has the audio version.

But all in all, a very enjoyable romance. I hope I have better luck with my next Lola Keeley story though.

[Bugs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lola Keeley's "Major Surgery" gave me every single thing that I love about medicine! First and foremost, it's BRITISH!!! Finally!! Someone finally wrote a pure British medical romance with every medical term, jargon, procedure, protocol, every service department used, all called by their British terminology! I literally felt all tingly inside as I explored every page of this book, feeling this sense of, "Ah, I'm on familiar grounds now!" It was like seeing an old friend again after a long absence! So, thank you, Ms. Keeley, for making this happen! I do hope more authors would write British medical romances, though. Oh well, reckon the American medical lingo is more popular (even though most of the world use the British terms! Hey ho.). But, I, for one, am very grateful and appreciative about this book catered to the British health system. And one more thing I must mention about Keeley's quality of work. Two books in, I can now rest assured that her commitment to doing proper research for her work is tops! The ins and outs of a profession as intricate as ballet in her debut novel and now medicine! And let's not forget her exceptional writing quality! Brilliant!

Back to Keeley's story, well, the first page, alone, had my full attention and intrigue with an explosive opening scene involving Dr. Cassie Travers, one of the two main protagonists. Let's just say that Cassie entered the scene with, not to put too fine a point on it, guns blazing! Talk about a dramatic and intense intro! Almost like a bank hold-up situation with many people surrounding the action! The opening scene, I thought, was brilliantly written and totally effective! Now, THAT's what I call making a GRAND entrance that made an unforgettable impression! Most of all, that was how Cassie Travers and Veronica Mallick met! As first meetings go, I'd say theirs was one of the most thrilling introductions I've come across in a lesbian romance yet! You simply have to read it to feel that sense of shock and excitement!

Full commentary here... In Bugs' Own Words

[CLAR · Rating 4 out of 5]

People had such high expectations of this book after reading Keeley's The Music and the Mirror, and I'm one of them. I was so excited to read this, though after a while, it became hard not to notice the low reviews this book's been receiving. This got me thinking if I should still keep it on my TBR list, or remove it without bothering to read it. I'm glad I didn't do that though.

It may not be as great as TM&TM, but this is still a good read. Albeit the romance feels a little undercooked, it absolutely wasn't rushed. I've made peace with the fact that it's one of those books that has an ending which seemed more appropriate as part of the middle of the story. The conflict resolution was too close to the end that I had to do a double take to see if the story's really about to be done.

There was a part in the story where the "villain" made plans that involved killing a patient to pin it on Cassie. I then had this sick feeling in my stomach and immediately thought of Steven, whom Cassie lost. When it became clear the villain hadn't yet made good on that plan, as a reader, I thought it would've been better if the author went with that route because it would make for a more harrowing conflict, which would've made the story feel deeper. It would also certainly make the conflict more relevant in the story in its entirety. Then again, a lot more time will be needed to resolve this conflict, so that won't sit right with the placing of the conflict in the story.

I may be alone in having this opinion, but I think it's unfair how this book's getting lower than 4 stars here on Goodreads. I've read far worse books that are on the 4.0+ mark. This was well-written, even if it paled in comparison to TM&TM. I believe it's current rating has more to do with the huge success of TM&TM. If it were the other way around, if this book was Keeley's debut novel, I bet it would've gotten better reviews. One thing's for sure though, I will still be excited when a new book from Keeley pops up.

[Elle · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 stars - I have to say I'm surprised that this is written by Keeley. As most of the lesfic readers, The Music and the Mirror is one of my favourite sapphic romance novels and her third book, Slammed was pretty great. This one though, it was a major let down. It's like it wanted to be a romance and a crime/mystery at the same time without achieving either. I didn't care about or liked the two MCs. I couldn't feel the chemistry. At all. And so it was really hard to get invested in their budding relationship and root for them.

Also: I listened to this book on audio and didn't like the narrator.

[Mekeia · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

I was super excited about reading this, but unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations. I loved the music and the mirror, this though, fell flat for me.

The characters lacked chemistry, I didn't even understand how their relationship went from one level to the next, because frankly, there just didn't seem to be much between them.

Lola keeley can definitely write though, so I will definitely still be looking out for any book she writes, but this one just didn't hit the spot for me.

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you like medical romances, thawing ice queens, and protagonists that are smart asses, you’ll enjoy this book. Major Surgery may not be my favourite book from Lola Keeley, but I still found it hard to put down. It’s a fun, gentle read that’s especially great for when you’re looking for something to hide from the world.

Full review: https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/r...

[Betty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Lola Keeley’s second book Major Surgery. This is a medical drama/romance that will keep your interest all the way through the book. The story revolves around two characters; St. Sophia Hospital’s surgical department head Veronica Mallick and the new head of the Trauma Department, ex-army surgeon Cassie Taylor. The two meet under less than friendly terms, but as the tale unfolds they slowly become friends and then more. There is drama in the story, both medical as well as personal. There is some angst and a fairly slow romance. I enjoyed the pace of the story as well as the romance.
The only real problem I had with the book was something I don’t think the author could have helped since it involved the medical system in the UK. I didn’t understand the way the hospital system worked there, especially the way they divided up the departments. I also didn’t recognize some of the titles given to the staff, since many of those titles in the story were abbreviations that I didn’t know. I finally just started ignoring those things and hoped it wouldn’t cause me problems understanding the story. Thankfully, it didn’t and I thoroughly enjoyed the book.
Ms. Keeley has proven with this, her second novel, that she is an excellent author. I can recommend this book to all who love a good medical romance. I look forward to reading more of her writing in the future.
I received an ARC from Ylva Publishing for an honest review.
Rainbow Reflections:
https://rainbowreflections.home.blog/

[Laure · Rating 3 out of 5]

🏳️‍🌈👩‍❤️‍👩📚⚢👩‍🔬👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩📖👭🏳️‍🌈

That’s in exchange of an honest review that I received an ARC of « Major Surgery » from Ylva (Thank you for that) … So, here it is !!

I confess that I was a little bit surprised by the narration made at the present tense so it took some getting used … but after a while it seemed a lil bit more « natural » to me.

Since I haven’t read « The Music and the Mirror » yet, I can’t compare the books and, I had no expectation when it comes to Lola Keeley’s work … I just wanted to read a good hospital/f-f romance/mystery novel, but …

My rating : 3 ⭐️


The story focuses on Veronica Mallick, mother of a 13 years old boy and skilled surgeon who runs both her London hospital department & her surgeries with hawkish efficiency, & Cassie Taylor, former no-nonsense army surgeon who’s all action and sharp edges and runs the Trauma Unit like if she still were in a warzone while trying to find her way in civilian life. They seem to be polar opposites and clash right away … but the surgical needs bring them together all the time and some feelings start to develop …


The PROS :
° the bi-racial couple
° the good touches of subtil humor
° the sweetness hidden under both the MCs’s tough exterior
° the author’s good wording
° the hospital scenes.
° the very interesting vocabulary …. we’ve got some medical terms (thanksfully just a reasonable amount of them not to fry the reader’s brain) but also someLondoner colloquialisms and slang terms giving the desire to make some digging in a dictionary and learn a couple things in the process … At least it was like that for me and I appreciated a lot since I love learning something new everyday …


The CONS :
° the not deeply enough developed MCs ‘s background … Think it would have been interesting to know more about each lead characters. Maybe in a prologue the reader could have learnt some things about what Cassie’s life looked like when she was in the army and what Veronica’s life was during her numerous years with Angela …
° this book is supposed to be a mix of romance (enemies to lovers) & mystery (about the financial troubles) BUT, sadly, none of these themes are fully worked in the storyline from my POV=> Cassie’s troubles were announced in the plot (« Cassie becomes entangled in some shady financial dealings. ») but the intrigue is not well developed enough … we really learn about this near the too rushed end. It would have been interesting to have a longer novel and more details on how Veronica really leads her little personal investigation … and a real development about how the MCs work together to expose the scandal like they were supposed to . In the plot it’s said : « Their shared search for the truth draws them closer together ». => Yeah ??? Sadly, it’s not the impression I had while reading almost all the novel … I had the feeling they were drawned together by everything else but this …
° the lack of real suspense … A lil bit more of intrigue would have been appreciated ‘cause, with the current story, we (at least I …) have the feeling that the resolution of the mystery happens by a wave of a magic wand … Daniel’s temporary disappearance seems occupy more place in the book than the mystery itself and it’s really a shame.
° the secondary characters … there are a few of them who could be interesting (mainly : Daniel, Alan, Lea, Pauline, Peter and Elie) but they are not enough developed for my own taste. Since they know Veronica for years, it could have been interesting to have more info about their relationship (or lack of ���) and how they interact with Cassie too once they are introduced to her.
° the MCs’s 1st real intimate encounter .. it’s the very erotic on the paper but brought into real life it’d be unhygienic as hell (which makes even less sense considering that both C&V sanitize their hands all the time, it’s like a second nature for them due to their jobs … )
° the lack of an actual epilogue in which we could have had some details about what would both main and secondary characters's future be, not just the snippets of information given in the dialogue at the end (« the end » which was not even mentionned BTW).


Oh, BTW, I also caught a few suprising typos (and I wasn’t even in beta reader so I wasn’t looking for them). Since it’s an ARC I have with me, hopefully they have been corrected before the actual release of the book …


If I had to make a very short and quite different version of my review it’d be something like this :
Did I enjoy this book? => Yes and no …
Did I find the characters believable? => Aside the lack of background, yes, and very touching too
Is this book now included in my « must be re-read »-list? => Nope … unless there’s a re-worked and completed edition of the story … (I even volunteer to beta read an eventual new version …)
Will I purchase the paperback? => Nope … unless there’s a re-worked and completed edition of the story
Would I read another book by this author? => Yes …
Would I recommend this book => Yes … ‘cause it’s good nonetheless & I bet some people will love the story no matter what …

Hey guys and gals, the best thing to do for you is to grab your own copy and make your own opinion …Don’t you think ??

Enjoy (or not) your reading …

🏳️‍🌈👩‍❤️‍👩📚⚢👩‍🔬👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩📖👭🏳️‍🌈

[MJSam · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC received via YLVA in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve been reading Lola’s fanfics for years and loved Music and the Mirror in both its incarnations, so I had high hopes for this book, unfortunately, it didn’t live up to them.

The book focuses on two doctors who work in a London hospital, Veronica, who runs A&E and Cassie, a Major in the army who has just taken over the trauma department. Veronica is really bitchy and a snob. Cassie is a much better character, but I couldn’t stand Veronica, and didn’t feel that they had any chemistry as a couple, so I struggled to find their relationship interesting.

Veronica’s storyline with her son also dragged, the hospital stuff wasn’t particularly gripping, and the Travers storyline was boring. I also know nothing about London hospitals but couldn’t work out why the doctors aren’t actually called doctor, just Ms Mallick or Ms Taylor, which I found weird. Suffice to say, I didn’t enjoy this one.

It’s well-written, but not at all what I was hoping it would be. 3 stars.

[Mazzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I wasn't sure if the author would write a good sophomore novel after her brilliant debut novel. I'm happy to say she did with this great medical drama novel. I think it's a smart move to write in completely different theme because it shows she has versatility in her writing.

This medical drama lesfic story is about two chief of different departments, Veronica and Cassie. Cassie is a military veteran surgeron recently hired, while Veronica has worked at the hospital for a long time. There's romance. There's mystery. There's drama. All you need in medical lesfic! The author did a good job balancing all of the elements.

Highly recommended.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

An ok read 🙂

3.5 ⭐️