ER nurse Macy Wynn learned essential, gritty lessons in the California foster care system: land on your feet and trust no one. She’s finally located the fellow foster child she loves like a sister, but the girl’s in deep trouble. Macy’s determined to help, no matter what it takes. Her motto is to “make it happen” in any situation life throws at her—even when she butts heads with an idealistic cop.
Deputy Fletcher Holt believes in a higher plan, the fair outcome—and his ability to handle that by himself if necessary. Now he’s been yanked from Houston, his mother is battling cancer, and he’s attracted to a strong-willed nurse who could be the target of a brutal sniper.
When everything goes wrong, where do they put their trust?
Former ER nurse, wife, mom and proud grandmother, Candace Calvert believes that love, laughter, and faith are the best medicines. Her popular medical fiction offers charismatic characters, pulse-pounding drama, romance, humor, suspense–and a prescription for hope. Think, “Grey’s Anatomy finds its soul.” She is . . .
A Northern California native who spent several years in Hill Country Texas — where she learned to check her shoes for scorpions and plucked an armadillo from her swimming pool. Thinks cruising is the best way to travel: honeymooned in Venice, swam with stingrays, rode a camel at the pyramids, and sang (badly) with a Newfoundland country band. She’s passionate about cooking, loves bird watching, gardening, and gets goose bumps when her handsome husband hits the low notes at karaoke. She writes inspirational fiction because . . .
God blessed her with a quirky wit, buoyant optimism, and a contagious sense of fun — but she didn’t come to know him until after the Triple Whammy that turned her life into a bad country song. A painful and unexpected divorce, the Northern California floods of 1997, and (just when she was coping like a champ, no problem) 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.
In the months of rehabilitation, Candace healed in body and spirit. And came to fully understand the difference between being a strong woman and a woman of strength. The difference is faith, and that lesson has been her biggest blessing. Her story, By Accident, appears in Chicken Soup for the Nurse’s Soul, and launched her writing career. Now . . .
She is honored to bring readers medical fiction that offers exciting entertainment and a healthy dose of hope.
My Impressions:
Candace Calvert writes romances with a big dash of adrenaline. Set amid the drama of a busy ER and first responders, By Your Side has just the right balance of romance, suspense, and faith. If you are a fan of medical TV shows, then you need to check this one out.
Macy Wynn has a past that she needs to overcome, and she will do it her own way. Capable and competent, Macy is determined to make a difference in the lives of her patients, friends and sister. Even when she meets Deputy Fletcher Holt, Macy resolves to stick to her own plans. But her heart tells her otherwise. Fletcher is a take charge kind of guy too. He believes in God, but he often puts more faith in his own abilities. Macy and Fletcher are drawn to each other, but trust is something that is hard to find on both their parts.
By Your Side is full of action — with snipers, medical emergencies and unpredictable people. The characters are easy to relate to. They exhibit doubts and fears found in real life, and some exhibit a deep faith that is inspiring. This is the first book in Calvert’s new Crisis Team series, so there are lots of minor characters that hopefully will get starring roles in future novels. If you are a fan of Calvert’s you may recognize a few characters from her last series too. The theme of trust runs throughout the novel — especially the question of who you can trust in a chaotic world. And I really liked the chaplaincy program that forms the framework for this novel. It really adds a depth to the story lines introduced.
Good writing, interesting and complex characters and a faith message that rings true, not preachy — all this and more can be found in By Your Side.
Recommended.
Audience: adults.
(Thanks to Tyndale for a review copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
To purchase this book, click HERE.
Recent Comments