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The Doctor and The Assassin
Nick Castile had his hands full protecting his brother's crime syndicate and working for the government as a trained assassin. However, that was before he met the gorgeous young Doctor Jordan Calloway.
305 pages, ebook
First published February 3, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
April 9, 2018
The 3* is very generous it should be more like 2* at best really.
Me and Lietha Wards books go way back. Back when I first started to get into reading again when my children were growing up. I have very fond memories of them and over the years I’ve re-read them all at some point.
This was one of my favourites.
I’ve always known the writing was not good plus there’s loads of spelling and grammatical errors. But somehow the story, the characters and my memories made up for it but not anymore.
I can honestly say if I was picking this book up for the first time now it would be a DNF. I find the older I get and the more books I read the less patience I have. And this book was a mess I found it difficult to read and Jordan annoyed me no end. I wish I’d never done this re-read and then I would have been left with my happy memories.
Now mine is an old copy and there could be a new edited version if so then ignore my comments.
I’ll leave my original review because it’s how I felt at the time but now I’m struggling to give 3*. Honestly this is a 2* read at the best but I just can’t give it such a low rating for old times sake.
Original review.
Like I've said before I have a weakness for Lietha Wards books and this is another of my favourites. Nick Castile is the assassin in the title and he protects his brother Frank, it's through Frank that he meets Jordan.
Jordan is a doctor, the doctor from the title obviously, as their story evolves we discover more about these two, their families and backgrounds. Nick tries his best to stay away from Jordan knowing that he's not in a position to give her the kind of relationship she deserves but fate and a very determined Jordan make this impossible. Again as with all Leitha's books there's a great story, great characters and a little humour thrown in, there's also terrible grammar and punctuation (unless it's been edited recently) but for me personally if it's a book I really enjoy and I'm going to read it anyway.
Using my rating system this is a 3* read but I have such fond memories of all her books so I'm giving 4*.
Me and Lietha Wards books go way back. Back when I first started to get into reading again when my children were growing up. I have very fond memories of them and over the years I’ve re-read them all at some point.
This was one of my favourites.
I’ve always known the writing was not good plus there’s loads of spelling and grammatical errors. But somehow the story, the characters and my memories made up for it but not anymore.
I can honestly say if I was picking this book up for the first time now it would be a DNF. I find the older I get and the more books I read the less patience I have. And this book was a mess I found it difficult to read and Jordan annoyed me no end. I wish I’d never done this re-read and then I would have been left with my happy memories.
Now mine is an old copy and there could be a new edited version if so then ignore my comments.
I’ll leave my original review because it’s how I felt at the time but now I’m struggling to give 3*. Honestly this is a 2* read at the best but I just can’t give it such a low rating for old times sake.
Original review.
Like I've said before I have a weakness for Lietha Wards books and this is another of my favourites. Nick Castile is the assassin in the title and he protects his brother Frank, it's through Frank that he meets Jordan.
Jordan is a doctor, the doctor from the title obviously, as their story evolves we discover more about these two, their families and backgrounds. Nick tries his best to stay away from Jordan knowing that he's not in a position to give her the kind of relationship she deserves but fate and a very determined Jordan make this impossible. Again as with all Leitha's books there's a great story, great characters and a little humour thrown in, there's also terrible grammar and punctuation (unless it's been edited recently) but for me personally if it's a book I really enjoy and I'm going to read it anyway.
Using my rating system this is a 3* read but I have such fond memories of all her books so I'm giving 4*.
May 8, 2020
Not the usual fare from LW. Despite the still pernicious editing errors, I was impressed with the much more sophisticated story and style.
The Doctor and The Assassin
We cannot get a more morally and ethically complex combination than this. But don’t fear the author doesn’t put you (or the h) in too much of a moral quandary. The flow and the outcome of the story are never in question.
*Spoilers* I enjoyed it after I got over my queasiness about certain things.
Like the fact that the H is an assassin, an actual assassin who goes about openly and calmly bumping off people who displease him or threaten his brother.
The brother is another contentious issue. The love and connection between the brothers is obvious but the brother is an out and out Mafioso who runs drug and prostitution operations and the H is not only okay with that, but also a silent partner!
Drugs are bad enough but living off prostitution is a trigger level thing. And the women around the brother are very casually objectified as sexual commodities.
And plenty of cheesy clichéd stuff!
The H as ex-special-ops cum not-so-ex-Govt.-assassin cum mafia-hit-guy is surely overkill (but maybe the alluded govt. thing is essential to normalise him.)
The h as an extraordinarily beautiful doctor with a horde of wannabe suitors/om is another.
But the secondary characters/family on both sides were complexly drawn up making for interesting subplots.
But yeah, as I said I loved it! The H is uber alpha, smoking hot and remote; and the h takes one look and gets in serious pursuit mode. It's novel to get an openly smitten h. The chemistry and sex are hot as hell – a par for LW book and something I expect and enjoy.
4.25* for all this.
The Doctor and The Assassin
We cannot get a more morally and ethically complex combination than this. But don’t fear the author doesn’t put you (or the h) in too much of a moral quandary. The flow and the outcome of the story are never in question.
*Spoilers* I enjoyed it after I got over my queasiness about certain things.
Like the fact that the H is an assassin, an actual assassin who goes about openly and calmly bumping off people who displease him or threaten his brother.
The brother is another contentious issue. The love and connection between the brothers is obvious but the brother is an out and out Mafioso who runs drug and prostitution operations and the H is not only okay with that, but also a silent partner!
Drugs are bad enough but living off prostitution is a trigger level thing. And the women around the brother are very casually objectified as sexual commodities.
And plenty of cheesy clichéd stuff!
The H as ex-special-ops cum not-so-ex-Govt.-assassin cum mafia-hit-guy is surely overkill (but maybe the alluded govt. thing is essential to normalise him.)
The h as an extraordinarily beautiful doctor with a horde of wannabe suitors/om is another.
But the secondary characters/family on both sides were complexly drawn up making for interesting subplots.
But yeah, as I said I loved it! The H is uber alpha, smoking hot and remote; and the h takes one look and gets in serious pursuit mode. It's novel to get an openly smitten h. The chemistry and sex are hot as hell – a par for LW book and something I expect and enjoy.
4.25* for all this.
February 2, 2020
I never read this author’s books before but the title is intriguing.
It was a good read.
With all those supporting characters, I will say this is a story more about families than just a romance between H and h. I love the relationship between the brothers as much as between Nick and Jordan.
And yes, I really like it:)
❤️
It was a good read.
With all those supporting characters, I will say this is a story more about families than just a romance between H and h. I love the relationship between the brothers as much as between Nick and Jordan.
And yes, I really like it:)
❤️
February 9, 2013
2.5 stars
Enough editing issues to pull me out of the story. I struggled to finish it.
Interesting premise, but I never did feel a connection with the heroine. The hero, Nick, was a much more interesting character, but everything about the book just felt underdeveloped, despite it's length.
Enough editing issues to pull me out of the story. I struggled to finish it.
Interesting premise, but I never did feel a connection with the heroine. The hero, Nick, was a much more interesting character, but everything about the book just felt underdeveloped, despite it's length.
January 7, 2017
Nick the assassin and Jordan the Doctor.
I have read several books by this author, and none of them were similar to this one. Usually her work is comfortably predictable harlequinesque and rather like Diana Palmer's. This book was like a chess game. A board littered with players of differing threat levels. The reader is never sure which of the threats will play out and in which way. Not that it's a nail biter. There is suspense but it's muted and the relationship between Jordan and Nick takes centre stage. There is also a definite arc in the development of Nick's character. Jordan changes too as she learns more about this mysterious man she is falling in love with.
Nick is an enigmatic man with a mysterious past. He acts as a bodyguard for his brother Frank who is head of a criminal organization. But he also disappears for days at a time. He is a beautiful man who never smiles.
Jordan is a genius who graduated and became a doctor at a young age. There's probably a 10 year gap or so between them.
I was so surprised how much I enjoyed this story!
I have read several books by this author, and none of them were similar to this one. Usually her work is comfortably predictable harlequinesque and rather like Diana Palmer's. This book was like a chess game. A board littered with players of differing threat levels. The reader is never sure which of the threats will play out and in which way. Not that it's a nail biter. There is suspense but it's muted and the relationship between Jordan and Nick takes centre stage. There is also a definite arc in the development of Nick's character. Jordan changes too as she learns more about this mysterious man she is falling in love with.
Nick is an enigmatic man with a mysterious past. He acts as a bodyguard for his brother Frank who is head of a criminal organization. But he also disappears for days at a time. He is a beautiful man who never smiles.
Jordan is a genius who graduated and became a doctor at a young age. There's probably a 10 year gap or so between them.
I was so surprised how much I enjoyed this story!
February 1, 2013
A Stone-Cold Assassin in love?!!
This is all about Nick. All about the life of an Assassin. Obsessively protective and will-kill-anyone who touches his love, literally. Sure, there's also Jordan, whose smart, beautiful, sweet and innocent, blah, blah, blah... (Another Too perfect heroine) *eye-roll*
I was even able to overlook the glaring grammatical errors just for glimpses of Nick..he is that irresistible..sigh..
December 19, 2014
Please, somebody tell me that this kind of crap was self-published! Please tell me that only the writer was involved in the publication of this pile of pig shite! It does feel like a self-pub, since it's full of spelling mistakes, terrible syntax, and no awareness that writing involves a bit more than throwing sentences badly stitched together. As for narrative continuity, don't get me started! It has gone AWOL (e.g., heroine, who's supposedly a doctor, gets a 'few months leave' to be with her bereaved sister - I won't dwell on the fact that getting such a long leave for such a reason is entirely impossible, especially for a doctor. My mother is a doctor, and she could only get a couple of days off when her mother was seriously ill- yet, a few weeks later the heroine feels very tired because she's been working (at the hospital) since six o'clock in the morning! We never never see her lending her sister emotional support either -the 'leave seeking/sister supporting' ploy completely forgotten. Just as well, I say, since the only support the brittle character of the heroine would know is that of her wired bra. Yet, all these defects are not the worst offences in this pile of tosh.
The worst is the fact that there are neither any characters nor any story in this story! What there is is abstract nonsensical statements about people that you will not see in this book. Statements like 'hero is x' and 'heroine is y' have no referents in this book's cosmos. Nothing of what is stated corresponds to what is shown!!! There's no story either, just stuff that happens to stuff and then other stuff happens, mafia contracts, politicians, the mafia-going-legit,traumatic childhood,brothers, abused sisters, PD detective sisters, stalkers, the kitchen sink thrown in or I-have-no-idea-how-to-develop-a plot-zzzzzzzzzzzzz. There's no attempt to develop any of the haphazardly thrown together themes into something that is part of a story, and which they could help move along. This writer's idea of plotting is to put together whatever her mind churned out (relevant or irrelevant) and hope it'll magically come together.
There's no love story either, all there is is a tedious repetition of how good looking H and h are, and how much they admire each other's good looks (lucky them! At last, a relationship made in heaven!). In fact, they are sooooo good-looking the streets rise to wolf-whistle at them. That's all there is between them, a permanent and woeful narcissistic projection on the other (on second thought, that would have endowed them with a depth they don't have), close ups of the constant parade the life of trophy-woman and trophy-man is, as they engage in the fascinating and life fulfilling task of going in and out of rooms.
When we are not told how 'gorgeous' these cardboard bozos are the writer (whose voice is as annoying as a broken down fridge humming through the night) has them telling each other how gorgeous they are. Their main topic of discussion. In case any hapless reader missed the fact of their aggressively pushed pulchritude. Needless to say that what mistakes itself for dialogue is a very painful affair to anyone with an IQ above that of the amoeba. I was so bored with the whole affair that I started counting how many times the heroine said 'wow!'. That woman never talks, she exclaims. She does not seem to have a language at all, but, after all, what does she need a language for, she's got what she needs, curly auburn hair and a 'wow!' figure. After all, personality and vocabulary are optional and so passé.
Yet, while Wards spends her time removing from her heroine anything that could point to a merely passable character, she also (mocking the reader's IQ) hysterically asserts that the heroine is not the unmitigated idiot we are reading about but truly a genius!!! I kid you not, where we see a complete and utter dunce, Wards sees a child prodigy, a woman who got into med school at 16-17 (we are told that in a statement of fact that is quickly forgotten). You could have fooled me, for she definitely sounds and feels like someone who never finished school(just like her writer, perhaps?).
This non-book is so stupid it is a blemish on the reputation of stupid. My advice is, if you're over 14 (if you are below, you must be reading it for the sex scenes, which, btw, are yawningly boring) save your time and give this a wide berth.
The worst is the fact that there are neither any characters nor any story in this story! What there is is abstract nonsensical statements about people that you will not see in this book. Statements like 'hero is x' and 'heroine is y' have no referents in this book's cosmos. Nothing of what is stated corresponds to what is shown!!! There's no story either, just stuff that happens to stuff and then other stuff happens, mafia contracts, politicians, the mafia-going-legit,traumatic childhood,brothers, abused sisters, PD detective sisters, stalkers, the kitchen sink thrown in or I-have-no-idea-how-to-develop-a plot-zzzzzzzzzzzzz. There's no attempt to develop any of the haphazardly thrown together themes into something that is part of a story, and which they could help move along. This writer's idea of plotting is to put together whatever her mind churned out (relevant or irrelevant) and hope it'll magically come together.
There's no love story either, all there is is a tedious repetition of how good looking H and h are, and how much they admire each other's good looks (lucky them! At last, a relationship made in heaven!). In fact, they are sooooo good-looking the streets rise to wolf-whistle at them. That's all there is between them, a permanent and woeful narcissistic projection on the other (on second thought, that would have endowed them with a depth they don't have), close ups of the constant parade the life of trophy-woman and trophy-man is, as they engage in the fascinating and life fulfilling task of going in and out of rooms.
When we are not told how 'gorgeous' these cardboard bozos are the writer (whose voice is as annoying as a broken down fridge humming through the night) has them telling each other how gorgeous they are. Their main topic of discussion. In case any hapless reader missed the fact of their aggressively pushed pulchritude. Needless to say that what mistakes itself for dialogue is a very painful affair to anyone with an IQ above that of the amoeba. I was so bored with the whole affair that I started counting how many times the heroine said 'wow!'. That woman never talks, she exclaims. She does not seem to have a language at all, but, after all, what does she need a language for, she's got what she needs, curly auburn hair and a 'wow!' figure. After all, personality and vocabulary are optional and so passé.
Yet, while Wards spends her time removing from her heroine anything that could point to a merely passable character, she also (mocking the reader's IQ) hysterically asserts that the heroine is not the unmitigated idiot we are reading about but truly a genius!!! I kid you not, where we see a complete and utter dunce, Wards sees a child prodigy, a woman who got into med school at 16-17 (we are told that in a statement of fact that is quickly forgotten). You could have fooled me, for she definitely sounds and feels like someone who never finished school(just like her writer, perhaps?).
This non-book is so stupid it is a blemish on the reputation of stupid. My advice is, if you're over 14 (if you are below, you must be reading it for the sex scenes, which, btw, are yawningly boring) save your time and give this a wide berth.
February 5, 2013
When Nick see's Jordan he is instantly attracted to her and she him the problem, Nick was asked by her father to kill her brother in law who has been abusing her twin sister. Nick is an assassin protected by the US government. But Jordan won't take no for an answer since seeing Nick she hasn't been able to think of anything else. So Nick and Jordan start seeing each other but soon run into problem because Nick has a lot of secrets and Nick just found out Jordan has a stalker. This was a great book Nick is crazy possessive, jealous, and crazy in love with Jordan and he will do anything to protect her and keep her with him. Though the story starts out a little slow once it picks up theres no stopping this book. The Doctor and The Assassin is filled with action death, deception,and love. I don't know anyone who after reading this book would not be in love with Nick. I also like that the author took time to really develop not only the main characters but the side characters as well. This story is very rich in character development and I can't wait for the next Lietha Wards book!
May 1, 2014
Nick was the perfect hot male assassin. Jordan was cool up until she found out what Nick does for a living. she then became a whinnig issuse. One day I want to read a book where the female lead isn't so weak andcan accept the male with out changing him. I mean Nick as a lawyer really??? where did that come from? Ms. Wards spend the whole book making us as the reader fall in love with Nick the assassin, Mario the side kick and Frank the hot older mob brother. Then boom Jordan resides hey Nick I don't like u killing people please just be a lawyer cause u love me. Nicks like okay Jordan whatever u want. The grammer issues everyone is talking about I don't care about. The fact that everyone in the story has to point out how perfect Jordan is compared to the universe I don't care about. The way Mario and Ben has to describe Nicks six pack that it makes them sound gay. I can overlook. Jordan constant need to change Nick and not accept him as we the reader have fallen in love with him as and keep asking dumb questions that once she get the answer to she just cant believe her loveable man is capable of doing. This I cannot let go it ruined how smart she's suppose to be just made her another weak female lead when she started off so strong. it destroyed the book for me.
At the end of my grammer error full rant I do recommend this book to other readers. I actually loved Nick, Mario, and Frank. u will two they along are 5* worth the read. I wish the author would write a book on both frand and Mario falling head over heels in love with a woman.
At the end of my grammer error full rant I do recommend this book to other readers. I actually loved Nick, Mario, and Frank. u will two they along are 5* worth the read. I wish the author would write a book on both frand and Mario falling head over heels in love with a woman.
October 28, 2015
Read the original review at http://www.chantolaspinall.com.
Who knew a doctor and trained assassin would create the perfect pair? I sure didn’t. But, thanks Ms. Wards for showing us that anything is possible when it comes to the world of fiction. This story breaks every commandment ever created under the sun. Well, at least I think it does, but don’t take my word for it, count the sins when you read and we’ll compare notes.
The story focuses on a doctor, intelligent, beautiful and persistent to boot. I kid you not, if you searched for a tenacious doctor, Dr. Jordan would pop up like a virus. Any other guy would look at some of her actions as stalkerish, but not Nick. Oh no! Which makes sense, the boy has seen a lot of crazies. I mean A LOT. He tries to play the “good guy” and keep Jordan at arm’s length for her own darn safety. But would she quit? Did I mention her stubbornness? So to answer my initial question, the answer is a big ol’ Hell no. She wants to get to know him but he fights the feeling to love her, crashing and burning in the process. Maybe she’s just too adorable for her own good.
Sorry to break it to ya Nick but you’ve landed into a romance novel. Deal with it. There is no escaping the disease called LOVE.
Okay so they get involved, yet he keeps his pass tucked away like his gun. Away from Jordan in an effort to ease her into his lifestyle without scaring her. To keep her he must reveal who he is, the real him. The ruthless side of him will be brought to the light. Surprisingly, well it surprised the heck outta me, she hops into the lifestyle real well. As if she was made to be the lover of an assassin.
Oh did I mention Ms. Jordan has a secret admirer? Well she does and I would rethink cheering if I were you. Now I thought this would lead to some type of crazy, I can’t decide who I love, love triangle. But what did Ms. Wards do? She swerved on me, bringing me down another road. I thought I had this story all figured out. High off curiosity I had to continue the read.
Mind you, I squirmed a bit during the butt kicking, assassin type, you got served stuff. I’m just that type of girl.
No shade and definitely no tea (I’m all out of tea bags), I still enjoyed reading this story. Talk about odd couple but sweet romance nonetheless.
-Chantol Aspinall
Who knew a doctor and trained assassin would create the perfect pair? I sure didn’t. But, thanks Ms. Wards for showing us that anything is possible when it comes to the world of fiction. This story breaks every commandment ever created under the sun. Well, at least I think it does, but don’t take my word for it, count the sins when you read and we’ll compare notes.
The story focuses on a doctor, intelligent, beautiful and persistent to boot. I kid you not, if you searched for a tenacious doctor, Dr. Jordan would pop up like a virus. Any other guy would look at some of her actions as stalkerish, but not Nick. Oh no! Which makes sense, the boy has seen a lot of crazies. I mean A LOT. He tries to play the “good guy” and keep Jordan at arm’s length for her own darn safety. But would she quit? Did I mention her stubbornness? So to answer my initial question, the answer is a big ol’ Hell no. She wants to get to know him but he fights the feeling to love her, crashing and burning in the process. Maybe she’s just too adorable for her own good.
Sorry to break it to ya Nick but you’ve landed into a romance novel. Deal with it. There is no escaping the disease called LOVE.
Okay so they get involved, yet he keeps his pass tucked away like his gun. Away from Jordan in an effort to ease her into his lifestyle without scaring her. To keep her he must reveal who he is, the real him. The ruthless side of him will be brought to the light. Surprisingly, well it surprised the heck outta me, she hops into the lifestyle real well. As if she was made to be the lover of an assassin.
Oh did I mention Ms. Jordan has a secret admirer? Well she does and I would rethink cheering if I were you. Now I thought this would lead to some type of crazy, I can’t decide who I love, love triangle. But what did Ms. Wards do? She swerved on me, bringing me down another road. I thought I had this story all figured out. High off curiosity I had to continue the read.
Mind you, I squirmed a bit during the butt kicking, assassin type, you got served stuff. I’m just that type of girl.
No shade and definitely no tea (I’m all out of tea bags), I still enjoyed reading this story. Talk about odd couple but sweet romance nonetheless.
-Chantol Aspinall
May 23, 2013
Actual rating 4.5 stars
Love the story and the characters! Jordan was just a refreshing character, a) she's not a whiner b) she's determined c) she do and fight for something that she wants d) and takes no for an answer!
Well for Nick..
“I don't know what love is, Jordan. I can tell you some things that you may see it as, but with me, and the feelings I have for you are a first. I can't say if it is or isn't. I can tell you that I'd kill another man without blinking if he touched you. I'd travel to the ends of the earth to find you if you were lost. I can not bear thinking of another man being intimate with you without wanting to tear his arms off and maybe his…”
Yes, there were spelling and grammar errors but that didn't deter me in immensely enjoying this book! I'll definitely be reading more from this author :)
Love the story and the characters! Jordan was just a refreshing character, a) she's not a whiner b) she's determined c) she do and fight for something that she wants d) and takes no for an answer!
Well for Nick..
“I don't know what love is, Jordan. I can tell you some things that you may see it as, but with me, and the feelings I have for you are a first. I can't say if it is or isn't. I can tell you that I'd kill another man without blinking if he touched you. I'd travel to the ends of the earth to find you if you were lost. I can not bear thinking of another man being intimate with you without wanting to tear his arms off and maybe his…”
Yes, there were spelling and grammar errors but that didn't deter me in immensely enjoying this book! I'll definitely be reading more from this author :)
January 5, 2014
In a certain type of romance, that of cowboy/ billionaire meets beautiful -shy-virginal girl L.Wards is simply amazing. If those books had better editing (or any type of editing for that matter) I would compare her to Diana Palmer. In this book, she tried something else, that really did not come out right for me. This book simply has way too many inconcistencies and "holes" in the story. The psychology of every hero and heroine is either unbelievable or non existent. It's like L.Wards was abducted by aliens...
July 28, 2015
Hikayede o kadar çok potansiyel vardı ki, POV karmaşası, gramer faciası içinde harcanmıştı. Ona rağmen yine keyifle okudum. Sadece beklentilerim daha fazlaydı.
Also want to thank to my friend Ravi for recommending this book to me. It was unexpected thing from him. I appreciated the gesture nonetheless. Love ya man!
Also want to thank to my friend Ravi for recommending this book to me. It was unexpected thing from him. I appreciated the gesture nonetheless. Love ya man!
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June 1, 2011koko
December 22, 2013
The best by far of all her work!
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews