Mills & Boon provided me with a free review copy of Nurse's One-Night Baby Surprise by Louisa George through their Mills & Boon Insiders program.
I challenged myself to read three Mills & Boon romances across the different collections over the long weekend, and I read five. So it was a challenge for me to decide which to review on here! I settled on Nurse's One-Night Baby Surprise by Louisa George because it gave me the warm fuzzies and I loved the deeper themes of family and loyalty.
Doctor Fraser is the last man nurse Briana should be attracted to – she’s kept her feelings for him under wraps for years. But when he moves to her Lake District village with his troubled teenage daughter, Bri wants desperately to help them. Yet, after her chemistry with Fraser flares out of control, Bri must tell him the most shocking news of all…
Source: Review copy | NetGalley
5 Word Review: Family, grief, trust, love, belonging.
Content warnings: Medical content, grief, bullying, cancer, death of a parent.
I absolutely raced through this book. I loved it.
Fraser's family is messy, and it always has been. His previous relationship was a hot flash of lust and although he was always a father to Lily, he had a very separate life from her mother. The backstory for the characters was deep and heart-breaking, and it lead such a touching finale.
I loved the chemistry between Briana and Fraser. The narrative is split between them so we get to see their intimate thoughts about each other. It was pretty sweet. The two of them have a twinge of guilt, but then there is an undeniable attraction. I loved how they came together, and how they dealt with what happened, even if there was a small amount of avoidance and some very understandable wariness.
The relationship between Lily and Briana was excellent - guilt and resentment changed to a grudging respect and even, I think, love. Briana got to truly become Lily's godmother and really helped her through some difficult times. Lily grows up a lot and by the end feels a little like an old soul. It was lovely to see her mature.
The way family is explored is beautiful. There is nothing conventional, but there is a great amount of love and respect, and a distinct lack of judgement. There is a running bullying storyline that I thought was dealt with with a great amount of empathy, and resolved in a wonderful way.
There is also an emphasis on consent and boundaries and safe sex, and I am here for that in all romance novels.
I'd happily read this again, and read more about Fraser and Briana's antics as medical practitioners in the rural community. I loved the warm, fuzzy feels I got from Nurse's One-Night Baby Surprise.
