Prescription
for Love by Fiona McGier
Smashwords
& Amazon KDP, 2010
Dr.
Enrique Reyes grew up in Chicago, but he has set up his practice in
his grandfather’s small town in Mexico. Though he’s a long way
from the rest of his extended family, he feels a strong connection to
the home of his ancestors. The townspeople like and respect him, and
he’d generally happy. The only thing missing in his life is a woman
to love – someone who both fires his passion and inspires his
respect.
Research
biologist Tanora Doyle has come to Mexico for her field work,
searching the jungle for medicinal plants. Stubborn, ambitious and
bossy, Nora’s not the sort of woman to be wowed by a man, even
someone as attractive and well-spoken as Enrique. Indeed, since she
was raped at gun-point while out jogging, she has pretty much given
up on men and sex. Still, when she shows up in Enrique’s office
with a broken wrist, Enrique’s almost certain she’s the special
someone he’s been seeking. Now all he has to do is convince Tanora
of this fact.
Prescription
for Love is a lusty, enjoyable erotic romance with two
distinctive and appealing protagonists. Ms. McGier’s love scenes
really sizzle. Her characters take their time, enjoying every touch
and tease. If you’re looking for hot, mutually satisfying sex, this
book (like everything I’ve read by this author) really delivers.
From
a plot perspective, I found the novel somewhat less impressive. Boy
meets girl, they fall in love, and they have hot sex, as expected in
erotic romance. However, the primary conflict, Tanora’s scars from
her rape, seems to be resolved much too easily.
Meanwhile,
I didn’t find the attempted rape later in the book very plausible.
I mean, the scene itself was vivid and well-written, but the notion
that the local men with whom she’d already traveled into the jungle
would suddenly turn around and become rapists seemed a bit strange.
Tanora’s smart, and it seems she would never have trusted creatures
as loathsome as the would-be-rapists.
Finally,
I found Enrique’s and Tanora’s cavalier attitude toward birth
control surprising and distressing. I understand the erotic kick that
comes from bearing your soul mate’s child. I believe this is why
the author included the pregnancy element in the book. However, it
really doesn’t seem that a cautious and methodological person like
Tanora would leave contraception to chance – especially since her
own mother had serious problems with childbirth. At the same time,
the notion that a medical doctor would encourage unplanned pregnancy
struck me as slightly horrifying.
None
of these issues kept me from enjoying the book. However, I know from
experience that Fiona McGier can do better.
