Devon’s review of With the MD…at the Altar? by Jessica Andersen
Romantic Suspense released by Harlequin Intrigue 1 Jun 08

So I seem to be in an experimental mood lately. First an inspirational, then my first ever Harlequin Intrigue. I read this one because Jessica Andersen has guested on the blog lately, and there was an interesting Gothic sound to the description. But before we get to my review of this tale of reunited lovers in a cursed Maine village, can we look at the title? Goofy. This story has nothing to do with marriage. They aren’t former spouses, or fiancées, there was no wedding in the story. I imagine it was meant to go along with other titles in the miniseries, but…goofy.

With the MD…at the Altar? was a fast paced and entertaining tale. The plot was kind of cartoon-y or soap opera-ish. Raven’s Cliff, a small fishing village is plagued by a mysterious illness. It puts some people into comas, and turns others into raving, homicidal maniacs. At her wit’s end, the village doctor, Roxanne Peters, reaches out to the CDC. Unfortunately, they send her ex, the talented and arrogant Luke Freeman. As Roxie struggles to get along with Luke, more people fall sick, someone is trying to sabotage them, and at least one mysterious lunatic is up to no good along the shore.

This book kept my interest. It had a certain Days of Our Lives quality to be sure, but it was fun. Unfortunately, it also had the most annoying hero and heroine to come down the pike in awhile. I almost felt bad for disliking Roxie so much, like I was jumping on the bandwagon, since nobody in Raven’s Cliff liked her. But she was so petty and whiny. She always seemed angry, jealous or envious. Or boring. She did something pretty stupid at the beginning that just bugged me. No wonder the townspeople didn’t like her.

Luke was no prize either. He was a weenie, plain and simple. His and Roxie’s relationship ended when he abandoned her in an African hospital, sick with fever, to take a new job. Dreamy! Then, when the chips are down, Luke decides it’s time to pack up his team and go back to DC. My hero! There’s some psychological mumbo-jumbo about why he does such things, and Luke and Roxie had been having problems anyway, but please, what a cowardly jerk!

As you can imagine, the romance between the whiner and the weenie did not interest me all that much. The chemistry was nil, and I didn’t like either of them. But the Fish Virus of Doom, and the mysterious crazy people running around kept me reading and piqued my interest for the other books in The Curse of Raven’s Cliff mini-series. If they’re as borderline silly as this one, I’ll be entertained indeed.

Grade: C+

The Summary:

It had been two years since she’d last come face-to-face with Luke Freeman—and the heartache small-town doctor Roxanne Peters vividly recalled. Bringing in the medical expert was Raven’s Cliff’s best hope of solving a mysterious illness, but keeping things professional was vital to surviving both this “reunion” and an elusive stranger’s newfound interest in her.

Still, working long hours in close quarters led to sizzling tension, making Roxanne imagine a future that no longer seemed possible. But when Luke’s smoldering gaze met hers, it was clear he, too, remembered all they’d once shared. And this time there was no backing down…

Read an excerpt here