REVIEW: CODE TRIAGE ~ CANDACE CALVERT

We first meet Leigh and Nick in Disaster Status, but Code Triage can be read as a standalone. Here is their backstory:

Leigh had married a restauranteur; a man with a nice, safe job.  Nick was a chef in his own restaurant when they first met, however even then he was making plans to join the police force.  Leigh then found herself living with the pressures of being married to a cop, which put a tremendous amount of strain on their relationship.  On the other hand, unbeknownst to Nick, Leigh still carries a lot of baggage from her childhood – the kind of baggage that makes her not believe in happily ever after.  Leigh spent the first few years of their marriage waiting for the other shoe to drop; she was just waiting for their marriage to fall apart.  Sadly, Leigh was never 100% committed to forever.  When Leigh found out she was pregnant with a child she knew Nick desperately yearned for, she made the decision not to tell Nick straight away.  Instead, she asked him to move out.  She wanted time and space to make sure that she wanted to stay married to Nick for their sakes, and not just for the baby.  It is during this separation that Nick’s best friend died in the line of duty.  Nick did not have his wife to comfort him during this devastating time (and by saying this I am by no means justifying what followed – I just think it is important to realize the importance of always being the one person your space can lean on).  In the process of comforting his friend’s sister, one night of too much wine led to Nick breaking his marriage vows.  It is clear from both Nick and Samantha’s (the other woman's) later reflections that Nick was confused and absolutely devastated the next morning (it is also clear by Sam’s later actions that Nick is not the first married man she seduced, and trying to get him drunk to get him in her bed seems to be her MO).  Nick immediately came clean to Leigh about his night with Sam, and this devastating news led to Leigh losing the baby Nick never knew they had.  She never told him about the miscarriage; instead she filed for divorce. 

What Calvert did brilliantly here was highlight that a story always has two sides.  I like it when things are black and white.  Leigh and Nick’s story is not – there are a whole lot of grey areas.  Both of them made very big mistakes that shook the fragile foundation of their marriage. This book forced me out of my comfort zone and made me confront my feelings on a very, very, very sensitive topic.

I have never been personally affected by a cheating spouse, but it’s something that breaks my heart every time without fail.  Calvert managed what no other author has managed to do – she made me root for Leigh and Nick to get back together.  Usually I can’t get past the cheating and I can’t warm up to the hero.  In this book I never hated Nick – I hate what had happened, I hate what he did and I hate what it did to his wife and his marriage, but I never hated him.  In this case cheating on his wife was truly a dreadful mistake he deeply regrets and not a deliberate act.  I was truly invested in this story and I desperately wanted Leigh and Nick to get back together.  Their love for each other is very obvious and very deep.  They just had some major obstacles to overcome.

I put off reading this book for so long because I simply knew it was going to shatter me.  I started crying for Leigh and with Leigh in Disaster Status already, and this time around I started crying on Chapter 1!  I read this book in one day.  I literally could not stop once I had started; I was positively desperate to discover what happens.  I read until about 3:00am, and when I got up the next morning, Code Triage was the first thing on my mind.

Code Triage starts off with Nick’s greatest fear: Leigh and Sam finally meet.  Their jobs (police man, doctor, social worker) collide and the three of them find themselves working the same case.  Nick helplessly watches as the biggest mistake of his life breaks his wife’s heart all over again. Despite their separation, in the months since he cheated on Leigh he hasn’t touched another woman, especially Sam (despite Sam’s best efforts).  Determined to get Leigh to change her mind about the divorce and give their marriage another chance, Nick has only one week until the court date within which he must soften his wife’s broken heart.   He has his work cut out for him, but he can’t give up on Leigh; he can’t lose her for good.  Slowly but surely Nick invades Leigh’s space and makes her confront her true feelings for him.  While she can’t stand being in the same room with him, he knows that she still loves him every bit as much as he loves her and that it is her heartbreak keeping them apart – not lack of love.  

Leigh has not only given up on her husband, she has given up on God.  He took away her husband and her child, and Leigh is convinced that God doesn’t care about her.  As Leigh is forced to daily face not only her husband, but the other woman as well, she starts to think God hates her.  Little could she have guessed that God is truly working behind the scenes to save her marriage as well as her soul, and to help her to finally start believing in unconditional, unwavering, forever kind of love.

Nick blames himself, not Sam, for what happened between them and he sees Sam as a victim of his actions as well.  Driven by guilt Nick continues to be a part of Sam’s life and he continues to emotionally support Sam and her young daughter in the absence of his deceased friend.  Little could he guess the extremes Sam will go to, to drive a wedge between Nick and Leigh.  Unbeknownst to Nick, while he is working to salvage Leigh’s trust, Sam is working tirelessly to assault Leigh with taunts and insults, deliberately contradicting Nick’s promises of love and fidelity, making Leigh doubt Nick’s truthfulness and sincerity. 

I did not appreciate having to read several sections from Sam’s point of view. I could not stand the woman. Not since Julia in Francine Rivers’ The Mark of the Lion trilogy have I hated a character with such passion. I did not enjoy experiencing Sam’s thoughts and manipulations. And what a manipulator she is!  The woman even shamelessly uses her own child to manipulate Nick!  Sam continually goes out of her way to hurt Leigh time and time again.   What’s even worse than all her blatant attempts to, not only sink her claws into Nick, but to make Leigh believe there was much more going on between Sam and Nick than there ever could be, is the level of enjoyment Sam got out of deliberately destroying someone’s marriage.  She took so much pleasure from watching her words and actions cut Leigh’s heart open.   I could not bring myself to soften towards this woman at all; not even after discovering why she is so desperate for the love of a good man (being hurt by monsters does not give you an excuse to become one).  Despite Sam’s best efforts to destroy Leigh’s heart, marriage and life overall, Leigh was able to not only save Sam’s life but forgive her as well – I am not at all sure that I could do the same.  Perhaps that is something I need to reflect on and work on.

As Nick continues to pray for his wife, Leigh finally takes her dusty Bible off the shelf and starts to re-evaluate her stance in the mess that has become her life.  Leigh realizes that God never left her – she left Him.  Leigh owns her mistakes, faces her greatest fears and opens her heart to the possibility of a love that lasts forever.  As Leigh finally embraces what Nick has always believed – that their marriage should be built on a Christian foundation – Nick and Leigh might finally have a chance at happily ever after.

The best books in the world make you feel; and boy did this book make me feel.  It made me step away from my rigid black-and-white-preference and examine the grey areas I would honestly have preferred not to deal with.  This book made me re-evaluate my stance on a lot of things.  It made me ponder, it made me question, it made me consider points of view I never would have considered before.  It made me realise anew the importance of protecting your spouse and nurturing your marriage.  Considering the intensity of the affect this book had on me and the emotional upheaval it put me through, Code Triage quite simply has to be listed as one of my all-time favourites.

Product Information:

Title: Code Triage

Series:  Mercy Hospital Book 3 (Standalone, but best read after Critical Care and Disaster Status).

Author: Candace Calvert

Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers

Year: 2010

Pages: 374
ISBN-10: 1414325452

ISBN-13: 978-1414325453

ASIN: B0045I8B9A

Related Posts:

Review:Critical Care (Mercy Hospital 1) ~ Candace Calvert

Review:Disaster Status (Mercy Hospital 2) ~ Candace Calvert

Review:Trauma Plan (Grace Medical 1) ~ Candace Calvert

Review: Rescue Team (Grace Medical 2) ~ Candace Calvert 

TYNDALE BLOG NETWORK REVIEW: CRITICAL PURSUIT ~ JANICE CANTORE

Officer Brinna Caruso used to believe in God… before she was abducted, molested and left for dead at the tender age of six.  It wasn’t God who finally found and rescued her, it was a cop from the K9 unit.  At that very moment Brinna knew what she would do with her life, and with her rescuer as her mentor, Brinna succeeds in becoming a K9 cop early in life.  Her penchant for finding missing children soon sees Brinna dubbed the Kid Crusader, but those who love her fear that Brinna has an unhealthy obsession with bringing sex offenders to justice.   

Detective Jack O’Reiley used to believe in God… until a drunk driver killed his pregnant wife, Vicky.  As Jack sees it God abandoned him, and he is returning the favour.  Jack stopped living the day his wife did; he is only existing until the day of the driver’s sentencing.  After that, Jack has no desire to live – whether or not he kills Gil Bridges too depends on whether or not the Court delivers maximum sentencing.  The detective with a solid reputation is long gone, replaced by a washed out deadbeat other officers think should leave the force and be done with it.  Jack thought he didn’t care about life anymore, but he finds these opinions of others sting more than he would have expected.

External matters outside of their control force Brinna and Jack to become temporary partners, whether they like it or not – and neither of them like it.  Their new partnership is off to a rocky start, each distrustful of the other.  The only thing they have in common is that neither believes in God; as Brinna puts it, there are no fairy-tales in their squad car. 

Jack and Brinna’s uncomfortable partnership eventually turns into a tentative friendship, and their collective musings also lead to both of them questioning their stance on God.  Maybe, just maybe, Jack and Brinna can help each other find the way…

While on patrol, Jack struggles between his quest for personal justice and his responsibility to those around him, especially his partner - Could his death wish get her killed instead?  It is only once a copy-cat paedophile starts taunting Brinna that Jack starts focusing on something other than his own bitterness.  His new partner’s drive and determination slowly brings Jack back to life and makes him want to be the cop he once was; the kind of man Vicky would be proud of. 

Brinna has never denied that she is obsessed with tracking and catching paedophiles, she just never figured her obsession is unhealthy.  It is only once Brinna’s personal and professional life starts crumbling around her that Brinna is forced to re-evaluate her life.  Could her new partner be the key to finally finding a healthy balance?

Critical pursuit by Janice Cantore follows Brinna Caruso and Jack O’Reiley as they join forces to hunt down a paedophile.  While dealing with the reality of missing girls and a paedophile on the loose, Jack and Brinna are also each faced with personal problems that threaten to crush them both.  Their current circumstances force them to finally start answering the questions each of them harbours about God.  Cantore touches on relevant topics as the questions Jack and Brinna struggle with are legitimate questions many people, believers and non-believers alike, struggle with:  Why do bad things happen to good people?  If God is Almighty, why does he allow innocents to suffer?  Cantore subtly encourages the reader to contemplate these questions as well.

Cantore’s villain is everything you would expect this kind of villain to be.  I found it very hard reading the short chapters from his POV.  It made me so uncomfortable to be exposed to his train of thought.  Whenever a book makes you uncomfortable, it presents you with an opportunity to learn more – about certain subjects, about certain viewpoints and about yourself.  It is so disturbing to think that men like him truly exist; but it is a fact of life, and Cantore incorporated this truth skilfully to add to the intensity of the story.

I found it very refreshing that there is no hint of romance in this book.  I half-expected Brinna and Jack to fall in love, but that did not happen – to my delight.  Jack is still very much grieving his wife’s passing, and a relationship between them would not have worked.  Instead of a budding romance, we find a budding partnership and friendship – which was even better. 

Visible Threat, sequel to Critical Pursuit, is set to be released in April 2014.  I am glad we’ll get to spend more time with Brinna and Jack as by the end of the novel, while there is definite growth, neither of them are where they have the potential to be.  While I like that there is no hint of a relationship between them during this book, I also like the idea that a relationship between Jack and Brinna might be possible in the future.  While neither of them are ready for a romantic relationship just yet, I think they are a good fit for each other and I look forward to exploring where their relationship could go.

Tyndale House Publishers has graciously provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for review.  I was not required to write a positive review, I did not receive any monetary compensation for this review, nor did this review lead to any personal gain other than the joy of being part of the Tyndale Blog Network. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Product Information:

Title: Critical Pursuit

Author: Janice Cantore

Pages: 362

Year: 2013

Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers

ISBN: 1414375530

ISBN13: 9781414375533

About the Author

Janice Cantore is a retired Long Beach police officer who now writes suspense novels to keep readers engrossed and leave them inspired.  Her twenty-two years of experience on the force lend authenticity to her stories.  Visit Janice’s website at www.janicecantore.com.

FREE ON AMAZON: I'M NO ANGEL ~ KYLIE BISUTTI

For a limited time the Kindle edition of Kylie Bisutti's I'm No Angel is free on Amazon! You can read my review here, and download the free book here.

In December 2011, 21-year-old Victoria's Secret model Kylie Bisutti stunned the fashion industry when she chose faith over fame and fortune and made the switch from supermodel to role model.

In I'm No Angel, Kylie shares her story--from her early years struggling to make it big in the cut-throat world of modeling, her "big break" winning the Victoria's Secret Runway Angel competition, and the disillusionment and spiritual warfare that followed, to the moment she realized that she could no longer reconcile her career with her Christian beliefs, surrendered her life to God, said goodbye to the runway, and dedicated her life to preaching a message of modesty and inner beauty.

Along the way, Kylie talks about her personal struggles with inadequacy, low self-esteem, and her near-constant quest for approval in a world where you can never be thin enough, pretty enough, or sexy enough. She helps readers understand that true beauty lies within and that real fulfillment comes from knowing, loving, and serving Christ.

REVIEW: DISASTER STATUS ~ CANDACE CALVERT

Charge nurse Erin Quinn escaped personal turmoil to work on the peaceful California coast. But when a hazardous material spill places Pacific Mercy Hospital on disaster status and stresses staff, she's put to the test. And thrown into conflict with the fire department's handsome incident commander, who thinks her strategy is out of line. Fire Captain Scott McKenna has felt the toxic effects of tragedy; he's learned to go strictly by the book to advance his career, heal his family, and protect his wounded heart. When he's forced to team with the passionately determined ER charge nurse, sparks fly. As they work to save lives, can they handle the attraction kindled between them . . . without getting burned?

Disaster Status by Candace Calvert is the second book in the Mercy Hospital series.  The story follows Erin, who was a supporting character in Critical Care, and fire fighter Scott McKenna.  Scott and Erin are thrown together when they must join forces to control the repercussions of a hazardous material spill, and initially they seem as ill-suited as oil and water; they disagree on everything and hardly a conversation concludes without one of them losing their cool.  The longer they are in each other’s company, however, the better they come to understand each other and soon they develop an attraction neither wants or understands.  Both are also facing personal issues that seem more important than getting romantically involved.

Scott has lost faith in God following events that left him shattered.  The loss of his sister rests heavily on his heart as not a day goes by that he doesn’t ask himself if he could have saved her that fateful day.  Scott is also tired of living in his hero father’s shadow.  He loves his father and honours his memory, but he deeply feels that he will never live up to his father’s legacy.  What Scott fails to consider is the fact that his doubts and insecurities might take him away from the woman who could heal his battered heart.

Erin has major issues with her father.  He has done nothing but let his family down, breaking his daughter’s heart over and over again, until she finally locked him out with a refusal to ever let him back in.  This left her with a deep-seated distrust of men in general.  Now that her father and mother have reconciled, Erin finds herself in her family’s cross-hairs, everybody determined to get her to forgive her father, causing Erin to isolate herself from her family even more.  While Erin has no doubt that letting her father back in her life would be a mistake, she never considers that her issues with her father might cost her the man of her dreams.

Can two stubborn people find a way to get over their issues and find love?  Can Erin fully give her heart to a man who no longer shares her faith?  Dare she hope that Scott can find his way back to the Lord? Can Scott face his past and open his heart to the future?  Can God find a way to heal them both and give them the desires of their hearts?

Supporting characters include Erin’s grandmother who is carrying a heart-breaking secret, Scott’s nephew who is struggling with a form of survivor’s guilt and is facing a possible leg amputation, and a damaged war veteran determined to protect the boy at all costs.

From the blurb I expected the hazardous material spill to be a much larger part of the story, but it does fade into the background after Erin and Scott’s initial meeting.  Even so, this event gives the story a solid foundation and realistic repercussions kept the story interesting.  The focus on faith is, as always, handled wonderfully, coming across loud and clear while never becoming preachy. 

While I liked both Erin and Scott, for some reason I did not connect with them emotionally; not as strongly as I usually do with Calvert’s main characters.   Truthfully, I was much more connected to Leigh (who will be a main character in the next book), and I found myself more eager to read Leigh excerpts than those of Erin and Scott.  I very much look forward to reading Leigh and Nick’s story in Code Triage, the next book in the series, and am psychologically preparing myself – this one already has a tight hold on my heart strings and I just know that reading it is going to be emotionally taxing. 

Calvert’s work is, once again, top notch.

Product Information:

Title: Disaster Status

Author: Candace Calvert

Pages: 340

Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers

Year: 2010

ISBN: 1414325444

ISBN-13: 9781414325446

Related Posts:

Review: Critical Care ~ Candace Calvert

Review: Trauma Plan ~ Candace Calvert

Review: Rescue Team ~ Candace Calvert

TYNDALE BLOG NETWORK REVIEW: I'M NO ANGEL ~ KYLIE BISUTTI

I quit being a VS model to become a Proverbs 31 wife – Kylie Bisutti

LEAVING FAME FOR FAITH

I knew I couldn’t continue to pursue a career as a supermodel – let alone a Victoria’s Secret model – and still live a life that was honouring to God.  The desire for personal fame and glory would always stand in direct opposition to the kind of humility and modesty God desired.  And they would forever stand in the way of my becoming the kind of God-honoring wife Mike deserved – the kind of woman I read about in Proverbs 31 - Kylie Bisutti

In December 2011, 21-year-old Victoria’s Secret model Kylie Bisutti stunned the fashion industry when she chose faith over fame and fortune and made the switch from supermodel to role model.

In I’m No Angel, Kylie shares her story - from her early years struggling to make it big in the cut-throat world of modeling, her “big break” winning the Victoria’s Secret Angel competition, and the disillusionment and spiritual warfare that followed, to the moment she realized that she could no longer reconcile her career with her Christian beliefs, surrendered her life to God, turned in her Angel wings, and dedicated her life to preaching a message of modesty and inner beauty.

Along the way, Kylie talks about her personal struggles with inadequacy, low self-esteem, and her near-constant quest for approval in a world where you can never be thin enough, pretty enough, or sexy enough. She helps readers understand that true beauty lies within and that real fulfillment comes from knowing, loving, and serving Christ.

I’m no Angel by Kylie Bisutti  is the story of a Victoria’s Secret Angel, the most glamorous of models, leaving the fashion industry and modeling world behind to honour her husband, and God, with her body.  Becoming a VS Angel shortly after marrying the man of her dreams, Kylie and Mike were catapulted into a world neither of them expected.  Kylie adequately phrases it as “By taking on the persona of an Angel, I had unwittingly signed a deal with the devil”.

Kylie treats the reader to a front row seat of her entire modeling career with all its ups and downs; starting out modeling at the local mall, following opportunities that took her abroad, signing with agencies in New York, and finally hitting the big time by becoming a Victoria’s Secret Angel.  As to why she wrote this book, Kylie explains:

I believe God allowed me to walk through the fire and see the best and the worst the industry had to offer so I could come out on the other side stronger and wiser, with my eyes fully opened to the truth.  And now I believe He is calling me to share what I’ve learned, with the hope that other people won’t have to learn the hard way, as I did. - Kylie Bisutti

Kylie (second row, third from right) with some of the other VS Angels

In many ways, the entire [Victoria's Secret] brand exists to create an illusion of the perfect woman - one engineered to drive men toward lust and, at the same time, drive thousands of impressionable young women toward frustration, self-hatred and despair as they try in vain to achieve an impossible ideal - Kylie Bisutti 

We follow Kylie’s harrowing experiences, including being exposed to the dangers of sex-trafficking and prostitution, the drug abuse, eating disorders and extreme surgeries some models subject themselves to in order to be skinny, and the disturbing reality that a model wanting to be a part of the fashion industry needed at least one topless photo in her portfolio: "What does posing nude have to do with fashion? I wondered.  And yet the models with the R-rated comp cards seemed to be the ones getting the jobs."

 

Then there are the horrific elements that came too close to home in Kylie’s case; verbal abuse - being called a fat pig and a cow by her agent (for the "crime" of being a size 2!), physical abuse - what is to my mind assault and a near-rape by a seedy photographer exploiting a young girl new to the business, and the infidelity, the lies, the deception, the betrayal, and the pornography that seems to be par for the course in the industry.  Kylie elaborates on the excessive and often painful beauty treatments used to get models runway-ready, and even her own surreal experience of being Photoshopped to have a  significantly smaller waist, and a bust size three times her normal one!  The reader also gets a glimpse of what the lifestyle meant for her marriage and how it affected her husband.  We don't always think how hard it must be for a man to watch his wife strut her stuff in underwear, millions of other men getting to see her that way; not to mention the comments from his friends!

Kylie and her husband, Mike

Despite being happily married and very much in love with her husband, Kylie was encouraged to refrain from wearing her wedding ring in order to keep the fantasy of the VS brand alive.  She was also approached by at least one celebrity through VS, who thought Kylie was his type and he wanted to “get together” – even though the fact that Kylie is married was no secret.  By all accounts neither the celebrity nor the VS exec had a problem with propositioning a married woman.  Shocking! Kylie was expected to play down her marriage, and to be a flirty, seemingly available VS model.

Angels are put on the runway with one intention: to seduce every man in eyeshot.  It would be years before the Lord would awaken me to the twisted irony in that: Angels, depicted in the Bible to be God’s messengers, being portrayed as sex symbols. - Kylie Bisutti

I wouldn't say that I'm No Angel is an exposé on the dark side of the industry; for me it's more of a testimony - in writing this book Kylie doesn’t badmouth anyone or anything, she simply tells her story.  This book is an excellent read for all women in general, and I would especially recommend it to girls considering entering the world of modeling, as well as their parents. 

More than focusing on the industry as such, Kylie is focusing on being a woman of worth – the importance of being a Proverbs 31 woman strongly comes across, and the message of inner beauty far outshines the focus on the glamorous outer beauty.  It was a pleasure following Kylie’s journey, and her spiritual growth is a joy to experience. 

I'm No Angel contains the most accurate depiction of the modeling industry nowadays, that I've ever come across.  Kylie concurs, at some point  modeling "is not about modeling clothes anymore".

I’d known for years that a big part of the industry was selling sex – especially when it came to lingerie.  But until I heard him say the words, “That’s what we’re paying you for,” it had never really hit home before.  That’s when it finally hit me.  I was being paid to tease, tempt and tantalize men.  And it wasn’t just my job.  As a Victoria’s Secret Angel I was expected to make this my whole identity.  

I simply couldn’t live the lifestyle the brand demanded and be a strong, faithful Christian wife.

Kylie doesn't hold back any of her mistakes in writing this book.  It must have been really hard for her to relay some of the things she went through, but the lessons she learned are valuable and can save many young girls from similar hurts.  More importantly, Kylie has let go of her past thanks to Christ's forgiveness.  Kylie now lives a quiet life with Mike in Montana where she volunteers at her local church, and is working on a Christian fashion line that she describes as modest clothes for women of all shapes and sizes. 

...thanks to the Internet, there would always be dozens of images of me out there I wished didn’t exist.  While those images may never go away, I can assure you that the girl in them no longer exists.  As the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5: 17, “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person.  The old life is gone; a new life has begun! - Kylie Bisutti

Product Information:

Title: I’m No Angel

Author: Kylie Bisutti

Number of pages: 304

Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers

Year: 2013

ISBN-10: 1414383096

ISBN-13: 978-1414383095

Tyndale House Publishers has kindly provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for an honest review.  I did not receive any monetary compensation for this review, nor did this review lead to any personal gain other than the joy of being part of the Tyndale Blog Network.

REVIEW: CRITICAL CARE ~ CANDACE CALVERT

After her brother dies in her trauma room, nurse Claire Avery can no longer face the ER. Broken-hearted and unsure of her abilities in the ER, Claire leaves the hospital, moves into her brother's home, adopts his gnarly cat, and embarks on a new career in nursing education, at a new hospital.  Claire's plan to build a new life, and her vow to never again set foot in an ER, falls apart when she is called to offer stress counseling for medical staff after a heart-breaking day care center explosion.  Unforeseen circumstances force her back to the ER where  Claire immediately clashes with Logan Caldwell, the hard-as-nails doctor who resents her presence and belittles her new career, believing touchy-feely counseling is a waste of time - he has the failed marriage to prove it.  Logan demands his staff be as tough as he is... yet he finds himself drawn to this gentle nurse educator who just might teach him the true meaning of healing. 

Critical Care by Candace Calvert is the first book in the Mercy Hospital series.  I only discovered Calvert last year, but am eagerly digging into her earlier works.  I really enjoy Calvert's medical writing.  It is very obvious she used to work in hospitals herself, as her work has a level of authenticity which adds immensely to the overall feel of the story. The overall impression you get while reading, is that it may very well be based on reality - a great feat for any author.  Not once in any of the books I've read have I found myself thinking "this is unrealistic", "this is far-fetched" or "this is just too good to be true".  Having a story so grounded in reality enhances the reading experience, placing the reader in the middle of the hospital.

The characters Claire and Logan are wonderfully real, flawed, hurting characters easy to fall in love with.  I was rooting for both of them to find healing in the Lord and in each other the whole way through.  The supporting characters are charming and add to the story instead of distracting from it.  Calvert unfailingly manages to make the reader care about every character - the sign of a truly gifted author. 

Claire's struggle to heal from the loss of her brother and her subsequent self-doubt, and Logan's cynicism following his failed marriage are very real driving forces in the character development.  As they find comfort in each other Claire finally has someone she can trust with her secrets, and Logan finally has someone who just might soften his hardened heart.  The question is, can they find a way to let go of the past in order to embrace the future?  Can they get out of their own way and learn to trust in God's plan for their lives instead of their own?

Critical Care by Candace Calvert is a very enjoyable read I finished in just two days.  I highly recommend any work by Calvert; she's an author who just won't let you down!

Product Information:
Title: Critical Care
Author: Candace Calvert
Number of pages: 304
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers
Year: 2009

Related posts:
Review: Rescue Team ~ Candace Calvert
Review: Trauma Plan ~ Candace Calvert

TYNDALE BLOG NETWORK REVIEW: RESCUE TEAM ~ CANDACE CALVERT

As a teenager Kate Callison ran away – from home, from hope, from God; she never really stopped running.  Amidst a daily battle of keeping her emotions from coming to the surface and keeping her past from catching up with her, Kate faces even greater challenges at her new job where she must fill the shoes of Sunni Sprague, the missing Director of the Emergency Department at Austin Grace Hospital.  Sunni was beloved by all she came in contact with, and from the very first day Kate finds it a fairly impossible task to fill Sunny’s saintly shoes.  Taking over this position would have been a challenge for any newcomer – but for cool Kate, who keeps a firm wall between her and her staff, becoming well-liked and securing permanent employment is a battle she might not be able to win.  But then, Kate is not looking for permanence anyway… is she?

Wes Tanner loves nothing better than to rescue the lost – whether it be physically or spiritually.  He devotes most of his free time to several rescue teams, eager to tell people “You’re not lost anymore”.  When he meets Kate Callison, the prickly beauty with the sad eyes who rarely smiles and never laughs, he meets a challenge he cannot walk away from.  Whether Kate is willing to admit it or not, she needs rescuing – and he is just the man for the job.

When a tragedy in the hospital brings Kate’s past screaming back, the whole Department is under scrutiny and jobs are on the line.  The only good thing to come out of the whole mess is a tentative relationship between Kate and Wes. 

Unable to let Kate continue living in the emotionless existence she has carved out for herself to keep the pain away, Wes slowly introduces Kate to life in Texas, delicately courts her heart and gently nudges her towards reconciliations with her father and God.  Though Kate is still skittish, life is good.  Wes claims to accept Kate just as she is, but when her past unexpectedly collides with his own, can Wes overcome his own demons and forgive Kate’s biggest mistake?  Or will Kate’s haunting past also destroy her future? 

Rescue Team by Candace Calvert is the second book in the Grace Medical series.  We first met Kate in Trauma Plan and it was clear that she had a lot of emotional baggage she had to deal with.  Her tendency to ignore colleagues’ emotional distress and place the good of the Hospital first was also introduced in Trauma Plan, and it was a joy to experience Kate’s growth in Rescue Team.  Calvert pays great attention to realistic, beautiful character development – something I value in authors.  This makes Calvert one of my new favourites.

What I love most about Calvert’s work is that while her plotlines are very realistic, her characters are even more so.  I believe them, and I believe in them.  Kate and Wes are wonderful characters that complement each other perfectly.  Kate is the wounded one who thinks she’s undeserving of love, who refuses to turn to a God she is sure will reject her; but inside her is a tiny spark of hope that refuses to be extinguished.  While she generally puts on a front of a strong, independent, all-business woman, Wes glimpses the repressed Kate in unguarded moments – a vulnerable and lonely woman desperate for the love and acceptance she insists she doesn't need. 

Wes is a kind, humble gentleman of great faith, but he has a dangerous tendency to be judgmental and unforgiving regarding a certain topic.  His intense (and sometimes unreasonable) anger was disturbing to witness, but it kept him from being too perfect.  This effectively illustrated that even the most devoted Christians struggle with sin and have issues to overcome.  Nobody is perfect – we all need Christ’s guidance, forgiveness and redemption. 

Kate’s plight was especially well depicted.  My stomach was in knots whenever she experienced pain related to her past, and I cried with her when it became too much to bear.  Calvert effortlessly places the reader in the shoes of her characters, making the reading experience a very emotional affair.

Aside from Kate and Wes, Rescue Team also features wonderful supporting characters who make the story even stronger and more entertaining.  The Austin Texas landscape was wonderfully described without becoming superfluous.  The book as a whole is a combination of all the right ingredients, perfectly combined to present a wonderful journey about letting go and letting God.  Past hurts and mistakes can drag us down and keep us down.  Rescue Team reminds us of the importance of letting go of the past and entrusting our futures to an Almighty God who can make the most beautiful mosaic of the shattered pieces of our lives.

Rescue Team by Candace Calvert is the perfect read for anyone who enjoys a good love-story, medical fiction and/or stories of hope.  I enjoyed every single page, and would recommend this book to… just about anyone, truthfully.  I can’t think of anyone who would not enjoy the Grace Medical series.  Calvert has already finished the next book in the Grace Medical series, First Responder.  Sadly, publication is only expected in 2014.  Since I’m late to the Candace Calvert party (shame on me!) I can at least soothe myself by reading Calvert’s previous series in the interim.   Mercy Hospital, here I come!

Product information:

Title: Rescue Team

Author: Candace Calvert

Number of pages: 384

Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers

Year: 2013

ISBN: 978-1-4143-6112-3

Tyndale House Publishers has kindly provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for my review.  I did not receive any monetary compensation for this review, nor did this review lead to any personal gain other than the joy of being part of the Tyndale Blog Network. 

Candace Calvert

Candace Calvert is a former ER nurse who believes that love, laughter, and faith are the best medicines.  Calvert came to know God after the triple whammy that changed her life: “A painful and unexpected divorce, the Northern California floods of 1997, and an equestrian accident that left her with fractured ribs, a bleeding lung, broken back, neck fractures and a spinal cord injury". She’ll tell you that God took drastic measures to get her attention. She is a wife, mother and proud grandmother living in Northern California.