Kristie J’s review of Dear Bridget, I Want You by Penelope Ward & Vi Keeland
Contemporary Romance published by Amazon Digital Services 16 Sep 17
I love this writing duo, have all their books and as soon as I see there is a new one can’t purchase it quick enough. And when I saw the preview for this book it looked delicious. I got notice it was out at 8:00, had it purchased by 8:02 and started reading it by 8:30.
But a funny thing happened on the way to the end. I didn’t particularly care for it. In fact, it was almost a chore to read.
Read the outline – I’ll wait.
Sounds good, right? But for me it doesn’t live up to its promise. Bridget isn’t up to the usual standard of a well-developed character and the character she does have just seems to have a giant stick up her ass for a good deal of the book.
Simon, who is a few years younger, comes across as rather immature, to me anyway, in his obsession with sex talk.
So here’s a brief outline: Bridget is a single mom whose husband died several years previously in an auto accident. Things aren’t too bad for her financially, because she has a good job as a nurse, but she doesn’t have much of a life outside of her son, who, by the way, I find to be the most interesting character in the story.
She meets Simon, the hero, when she gets a hook stuck in her butt. He’s a doctor at a different hospital; she doesn’t want anyone to know where she works. She’s dismayed when this hot, young English doctor comes to help. She asks for a different doctor, but he’s it. I think this is supposed to be a ‘meet cute’ introduction, but I found it not cute, but rather more eye rolling than anything else. He fixes up her butt and sends her on her way.
They meet again, though, when he unknowingly becomes her renter. She has a very small utility apartment that she rents out and it suits Simon perfectly, since he plans on returning to England when his residency ends. In the meantime, he wants to ‘play’ with Bridget, but she wants nothing to do with him – see stick-up-the-ass comment above.
But eventually she capitulates, and then they begin having those pesky things called feelings that get in the way. What are they going to do now? He’s going back to England and she doesn’t want her son to get too attached because he’s headed back to England.
I checked some out some of the grades for this one and it seems I’m in the minority, but no, sad sigh, I didn’t love it. I didn’t even really like it. The final litmus test for me is would I want to read this book again, and the answer from me on this one is, sadly, hell no.
Grade: C
Summary:
Dear Bridget,
I’m writing this letter because it’s highly doubtful I’ll ever garner the courage to say this to your face.
So, here goes.
We’re totally wrong for each other. You’re the proper single mum with a good head on your shoulders. I’m just the carefree British doctor passing through town and temporarily living in your converted garage until I head back to England.
But here’s the thing… for some bloody reason, I can’t stop thinking about you in very inappropriate ways.
I want you.
The only reason I’m even admitting all of this to you right now is because I don’t believe it’s one-sided. I notice your eyes when you look at me, too. And as crass as I appear when we’re joking around about sex, my attraction to you is not a joke.
So, what’s the purpose of this note? I guess it’s a reminder that we’re adults, that sex is healthy and natural, and that you can find me just through the door past the kitchen. More specifically, it’s to let you know that I’m leaving said door cracked open from now on in case you’d like to visit me in the middle of the night sometime.
No questions asked.
Think about it.
Or don’t.
Whatever you choose.
It’s doubtful I’ll even end up sliding this letter under your door anyway.
–Simon
No excerpt available.
