Really? At Your Age?: A Better Late Romance
At 52, the doctor dares set her sights on love and motherhood!
Survivor
of a painful divorce, Dr. Cody Matchett has a fulfilling medical career
but no children. After a quake rattles her small town, she’s jolted
into considering the fate of her frozen embryos—along with her
long-simmering attraction to hospital attorney Ben Wright.
But
as Cody seeks a lasting love and family, she and Ben uncover shocking
secrets. Then there’s the tricky task of choosing a surrogate... a role
for which Ben’s grown daughter volunteers!
My Take:
Dr. Cody Matchett appears to have it all together - a solid career in medicine at a local hospital in her small childhood California town. But appearances can be deceiving. She's managed to keep the attraction she has for the hospital attorney Ben Wright under control, since he's still loyal to his toxic wife murdered in a robbery. As if that weren't enough, Cody is 52 and can't have children, children she desperately longs for. A minor earthquake rattles Cody into considering the prospect of taking action on the six precious fragile frozen embryos she has in the vault. And it involves Ben too, as not only is his daughter being considered as surrogate mother to carry those embryos to term, he's the donor father for them as well!
As Cody tries to open dialogue with Ben about the embryos, Ben struggles with the attraction he feels for Cody, knowing that a relationship with her will prove difficult, as he's signed away any rights to the children they may have. And shocking secrets are about to hit the media that will upset both their lives.
Content:
PG – There's some drinking in this, bottles of alcohol in the fridge, casual drinking. A minor character has a drug addiction and makes bad choices that lead to disaster.
Violence:
G – A murder occurred in the past, other than that, there's nothing at all.
Language:
PG – There are a few mild swear words.
Adult Content:
PG – There's adultery, pregnancy out of wedlock, discussion of fertility technology and sterilization surgery. There's a kiss or two but nothing further on screen.
Christian content:
Not much. There's some discussion of God, and a few characters pray. Still, there are positive character traits on display, such as loyalty, fidelity, diligence, and self-sacrifice. There are negative character traits as well, infidelity, murder, lying, and the like. Plenty of life as we know it.
Final Analysis:
I'm not usually a fan of lighthearted romances, but this one had me spellbound throughout. I can see why Jacqueline Diamond is a bestselling author. This book was well-written. The dialogue was on point, the settings were immersive, and the emotion raw and tangible. The characters were believable and the stakes were high. I found myself fully invested in the main characters and their struggles, unable to put the book down until the last page. I look forward to reading more by this author. Five Stars!
She is currently writing a series of romances about three sisters, all over 50, finding or rediscovering love. They are part of the Better Late collection of romantic comedies by Jackie and several other authors. Jackie's first romance in the series is Really? At Your Age?
Jackie has been honored with a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award. She and her husband, who have two grown sons, live in Southern California. You can learn more about her books at www.jacquelinediamond.net, where you can sign up for her free monthly newsletter. You can contact Jackie at JacquelineDiamondAuthor on Facebook or as @jacquediamond on Twitter.
