Cheryl St. John has always been an under appreciated author, in my opinion. Her books may not be flashy but they’re well written and a joy to read. And yet, she’s still toiling away writing Harlequin Historicals. She started writing inspirationals recently, and while I think her style fits very well in the inspirational category, it’s disappointing to me. I didn’t find her first inspirational all that impressive. I hope she still keeps writing Harlequin Historicals too.
The Doctor’s Wife by Cheryl St. John
(1999, Western) 6/5/2012
Grade: 4.5
Ellie Parish is trying to make a new life for herself after a terrible childhood. When she breaks her arm and meets Dr. Caleb Chaney, a widower with a young son, she is warmed by his kindness and consideration. But when he asks her to marry him and be a mother to his son, she isn’t sure if she can continue living a lie. Would Caleb ever accept her if he knew the truth?
A warm and charming story from Cheryl St. John, set in 19th century Kansas. St. John is an expert at writing stories that deal with very difficult subjects but manage to still be sweet and heart warming. There wasn’t that much conflict between the hero and heroine (although the heroine’s past was far more than a “big misunderstanding”) but it was enjoyable to read about the heroine finding love and acceptance with a new home and family. I’d probably get bored if I read one of these books every week, but her books are always a wonderful change of pace that leave you feeling warm and fuzzy inside.
The one funny thing about this book was the quote on the cover – “The sexual tension simmers relentlessly…”. Who picks these quotes? As much as I love Cheryl St. John’s writing, someone who picked up this book looking for sexual tension would be very confused.
Karen Wheless
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