Bachelorette Number Twelve

Private, standoffish doctor Regina Novak is convinced to join her hospital’s date auction when another participant drops out. Friendly, warmhearted nurse Ellie Fisher bids on her by accident while swatting a very large fly. Over the course of their obligatory dates, they discover real feelings for each other, but past heartbreaks and their shared workplace make a relationship difficult. The premise is an implausible classic, and the characters are variations on a popular dynamic: Regina is the ice queen with a tragic past (and a passion for disc golf), and Ellie is the romantic local girl with a loving family. As they get to know each other outside of work, though, readers get a chance to see both women beyond their tropes, and both experience genuine growth and change through their relationship. One particularly strong through line emphasizes the distinctive work that nurses do; the dynamic between Regina and Ellie is that of coworkers, not a superior and their lackey. While this book is set in Kansas City, Regina and Ellie briefly go to Fair Oaks and meet characters from Jae’s (Not the Marrying Kind) previous series.