REVIEW: Second Chance with her Army Doc by Dianne Drake

In Second Chance with her Army Doc by Dianne Drake, Sloane Manning thought she’d spend forever with Army Doc Carter Holmes. However, when Carter came home from service he was a completely different man and decided to walk away from her before he hurt her so much she’d never want anything to do with him. Yet, when Sloane discovers that Carter is in town where she’s vacationing, she knows it’s going to be difficult to stay away from him, even knowing how much he’s hurt her. Will Sloane and Carter get their second chance at happiness or will they walk away from each other for good this time?

”It shouldn’t have been such a mess. But it was too complicated, and overwhelming, going from a life that made sense to one that didn’t. And we did make sense, Carter. Even now, with all you’ve been through, and with the way our feelings have changed, you know we made sense.”
“Once upon a time,” he said, with a wistful sigh.
“Once upon a time without the happily-ever-after ending. Shouldn’t stories like ours have a happy ending?”
“I used to think so, but after what I saw when I was in the Army, and after what I went through – too many people never get their happily-ever-after ending.”

The way this story started with the prologue had me loving the hero and heroine immediately, as they’re a couple that I was so sure would be able to get through anything no matter how bad, and yet, these two prove me wrong with Sloane ending up with a broken heart. However, it was from the moment where the hero and heroine are reunited where this story really takes off, as seeing Carter again isn’t easy for Sloane. Will Sloane ever be able to forgive Carter? Will the heroine be able to help Carter heal from the wounds of his past?

As for the dialogue, it was intense and emotional at times due to the main characters back stories, especially that of the hero, as he’s been through a lot and he did the right thing by leaving Sloane. Really, he needed to take care of himself before he would ever be able to give Sloane the kind of life she deserves with a partner that is whole. Will this time around be different? Furthermore, I couldn’t help but sympathize with the hero’s situation, as he felt smothered by Sloane’s attempts to help him past what he’d been through. Luckily, he found a way to help himself through the tough time he was experiencing and I liked how he continues to work hard on his road to recovery. While the heroine, she’s resilient, courageous and I liked that she let Carter back into her life because they meant so much to each other at one time and the love she had for him is still as strong as ever. Yet, I couldn’t help but sympathize with her either because she did everything to help Carter deal with what happened to him and it wasn’t easy to accept that she couldn’t help him.

”I’m beginning to remember why I fell so hard for you, so fast,” he said, holding on to her as tight as he could, considering his condition. “Because I’m a catch. I may not always get it right, but when I do it turns out brilliantly.”
“As in…?”
“Us. You and me. Carter Holmes and Sloane Manning – meant to be.”
“Even in Forgeburn?”
“Even in Forgeburn!”

Overall, Ms. Drake has delivered a wonderful and very heartfelt read in this book where the chemistry between this couple was just as strong in the present as it was in the past; the romance was delightful and special because these two are meant to be; and the ending had me worried for one of the main characters, but had me loving what the heroine does for the hero. It’s a very selfless act for the man she loves. However, it was the epilogue that wrapped this story up perfectly because of the heroine’s surprise and how well Carter is doing after everything he’s been through. His road to recovery was rough, but everything worked out for the best. I would recommend Second Chance with her Army Doc by Dianne Drake, if you enjoy medical romances, second chance romances or books by authors Amy Ruttan, Sue Mackay, Charlotte Hawkes and Meredith Webber.
 

Book Info:

Publication: October 1st, 2018 | Harlequin Medical |

Can a chance reunion…

Rekindle an old flame?

Heart surgeon Sloane Manning and army doc Carter Holmes were the perfect couple. Until Carter walked away, leaving Sloane heartbroken. Determined to finally move on, Sloane heads off for a desert vacation, only to find Carter’s there, too! He’s still as ruggedly gorgeous and irresistibly charming as she remembers, but there’s a pain in his eyes Sloane must uncover before they can recapture what they once had…