“Another brilliantly written winner. Do yourself a favor and
pick this one up, you will not regret it.” —Kate Stewart, USA Today bestselling
author
Perfectly Adequate, an all-new must-read romantic comedy from
Jewel E. Ann, is available now!
Dr. Elijah Hawkins needs … something.
After his wife jumps headfirst into a midlife crisis, he’s
left with his young son, Roman, and a lot of unanswered questions.
That something turns out to be a someone—Dorothy Mayhem,
nursing student, patient transporter, reckless driver, and emu owner.
Dorothy studies humans, the neurotypical kind, through books
and television. Then she emulates their behavioral patterns to fit in with her
peers.
But nothing can prepare her for Dr. Elijah Hawkins.
Single dad.
Brilliant pediatric oncologist.
And the sexiest doctor at the hospital.
When his failed attempts at asking her out turn into a
string of playdates with his son, Dorothy finds herself unexpectedly enamored
with the boy and his father.
And that’s a problem, a huge one, because Elijah’s ex-wife
is a famous plastic surgeon—and Dorothy’s idol.
Perfectly Adequate is a beautiful, hilarious, and heart-felt
journey along the “human” spectrum.
Download your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2o6sJZF
Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/PerfectlyAdequate
Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/2lZxdRm
Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2OWq81s
Johnaka's Review
“a different kind of heroine, 3 stars”
I have read many books where a main character is on the spectrum or so highly intelligent that they miss normal social ques and loved them. So, I thought I would highly enjoy Perfectly Adequate, and I did don’t get me wrong. But I didn’t love it like I thought I would. I had no problem setting the book down and was less than completely impressed. It wasn’t even the heroine’s fault. I didn’t care for the hero and his ex left a very less than pleasant taste in my mouth. I spent more time setting the book aside out of annoyance because of those two then I did actually reading. If you take a chance on Perfectly Adequate I hope you enjoy it. It’s not a bad story, just not my cup of tea.
Eli thought he had the perfect life. He’s a well-respected doctor who was married to another well respected doctor and they had the perfect son. Until she changed her mind. He’s spent the better part of a year trying to get her back when Dorothy catches his eye. There is something about her that pulls him in. But when his ex starts making waves about wanting him back will he go back to the woman he spent just shy of two decades with or will he move on with someone else?
Dorothy has Asperger’s and is working as a hospital transporter while going to nursing school. She’s one of those who keeps jumping from profession to profession because she likes to learn and doesn’t like to settle. Everyone in the hospital knows who Eli and his ex are, they were the power couple. And Eli’s ex is basically Dorothy’s idol. There’s no way someone of Eli’s caliber would be interested in her right? Will Dorothy take a chance on the good doctor and his son? Only one way to find out.
Plot-4/5 Characters-3/5 Heat-3/5 Writing style- 3/5 Overall- 3/5
Excerpt
“You can call me Eli.”
She swallows hard. “I don’t actually think I can.”
“Why not?” I force my gaze away from her mouth.
The second our eyes meet, she averts her attention to her
feet. “Because you’re half of the Hathaway-Hawkins duo.”
This is a new one to me. “I’m divorced.”
“I know. I …” She makes an attempt to look at me, but her
attention shifts to my temple then maybe my ear. “I mean you’re a brilliant
doctor, and Dr. Hathaway is too—so brilliant. God, she’s just phenomenal. Like there
are no words. But still … you change the lives of young children. You save
them. You’re what every young person entering the medical field can only dream
of becoming. You’ve earned the title. I can’t call you by your name. It’s too
personal. I don’t know … almost intimate.”
She has Julie on a really high pedestal. Me? Down a few
pegs. Sounds about right for my life at the moment. It’s not that Julie doesn’t
deserve to be on the pedestal. No matter how much I hate her, I still love her.
And her skills as a pediatric plastic surgeon are unmatched. She deserves
Dorothy’s admiration.
But I don’t want to talk about medicine, accolades, and
saving lives. I know … I know … how terrible of me. Sorry, but I need something
for myself. Something personal and maybe a little selfish.
Definitely intimate.
“I don’t need a babysitter for Roman.”
She jerks her head back, giving me her full attention, eyes
squinted, gaze locked to mine. “What?”
I trap my top lip between my teeth, drowning in coconuts as
my heart races, sending ample blood to all regions of my body. God … I just
want—need—to kiss her.
“Oh jeez …” She shakes her head, closing her eyes for a
breath. “You invited me to dinner to … flirt.” Her eyes open to their widest
point.
A tiny laugh escapes me. I can’t help it. Everything about
this woman feels like a rebirth. “I invited you to dinner because Roman really
likes you. And I just can’t thank you enough for all that you’ve done for him.
You’re so generous.”
Gah! I suck at this!
What is my problem? Yes. The answer is yes! Yes, Dorothy, I
invited you over to flirt, maybe even kiss. And other things …
“Oh.” She takes a step backward, stumbling a bit as the
front door catches her, and more embarrassment tints her cheeks. “Well, now I
feel stupid. Yes, of course you invited me here because Roman likes me. Duh.
Now I just look like an idiot for assuming you wanted to flirt with me. And
really, no need to thank me. My generosity is selfish. It makes me feel good to
do nice things. That’s all. And really, you’ve bought me coffee and made me
dinner again. It’s like I should be thanking you again. But that’s probably
weird. So … I’ll just go now.”
Really, really weird shit goes through my mind as she
fidgets. Dr. Hawkins is nowhere to be found. Neither is Roman’s dad.
Raging-puberty-hormones Eli Hawkins invades my head—both of them really. And I
just want to kiss Dorothy. That’s the PG version of my thoughts. Most of them
are R-rated. Worse than the R-rating. All I can think about are the ways
Dorothy and I can be generous with each other, leading to never-ending
thank-you’s that don't involve stationary, replacement scrubs, superhero capes,
pasta dinners, lunch boxes … or clothing.
“Should we call it even? No more thank-you’s,” I
suggest.
“Okay.” She lifts her gaze, eyes going a little cross-eyed
like her focus is centered on the bridge of my nose.
“Okay.” I release a slow breath, but it does very little to
relax all of my body. “Can I ask your age?” I’m not sure why I’ve been so
chicken about asking her age. I think it worries me that she’s too young, and
I’ll feel like a dirty old man having really inappropriate thoughts about
her.
“I’m thirty. Why?”
“You just look young.”
“I wear massive amounts of sunscreen.”
I nod slowly.
Just kiss her, you big chicken!
What if she doesn’t want to be kissed by me? Or flirt with
me? I internally laugh at the memory of her comment and at myself for being
just as awkward. Why does something so simple have to be so complicated?
“I have a forty-five-minute drive home.”
And school the next day. Where is my head?
Oh, that’s right …
“Of course. I’m sorry. I lost track of time.”
“Okay.” She smiles.
I love her okay’s. They feel like more than the average
okay.
“I’ll walk you out.”
“Have you not closed all of your rings?” She holds up her
wrist, signaling to her watch.
I chuckle. “All rings were closed hours ago.”
“We could track each other. Share our rings. Did you know
that?”
Rings. Kisses. Trips to the on-call room for sex.
For the love of God … get your shit together, Elijah!
“Never mind. That’s weird.” She shakes her head, rolling her
eyes at herself just before opening the door and scurrying ten steps ahead of
me. Her pace gains momentum with the hill of my driveway.
My long strides catch up to her at the bottom of it. She
looks both ways and bolts across the street to her car, clicks the locks, and
opens her door.
“Goodnight!”
“Dorothy Mayhem … you’re killing me.”
She turns just before ducking into the driver’s seat.
“What do you mean?”
Resting my hands on my hips, I drop my chin in defeat and
stare at my untied gray canvas shoes. “What if I did ask you to dinner tonight
to … flirt?” I glance up, digging my teeth into my bottom lip on a slight
cringe.
Her body remains stoic as her eyes shift from side to side,
like she’s been caught on a hidden camera. “Well … then I wore the wrong
outfit.” She refuses to look me in the eye.
“I think you look amazing.”
“Yes. But this is a playdate outfit. Maybe even one I’d wear
to apply for a babysitter position. It’s fun, but wholesome. Practical and
safe.”
I just want to spend one day in her head. Everything about
her fascinates the hell out of me. The curiosity gives me such a high.
“Tell me about your flirting outfit.”
“Well …” She clears her throat, keeping her focus on the big
hill leading out of my development. And of course … her cheeks are perfectly
flushed as she talks to the wind. “Since Romeo was involved, I would have
chosen my red dress with white stripes. It hits just below my knees, but it’s
strapless. And I would have worn my blue cardigan with it and matching blue
wedge sandals with straps that tie around my ankles. Flirty … but appropriate
for young eyes.”
“And if Roman wouldn’t have been here tonight?” I stare
at the side of her head, wondering if she’ll look at me again before driving
home.
She narrows her eyes. “I would have taken off the cardigan
after you invited me into your house.”
The picture she paints in my head does all kinds of wicked
things to me. Why imagining her in a striped strapless dress has such a
physical effect on me is a mystery. It’s not like she suggested showing up
wearing nothing but high heels and a trench coat. Dorothy Mayhem possesses her
own brand of seduction, and I’m completely entangled in every part of it.
“And in this scenario, would you have kissed me after I
walked you to your car?”
She turns completely red. I feel certain even her toes
hidden in those blue shoes have to be red. “You’re making fun of me.”
Her comment knocks me back a good ten steps, even if my body
remains right next to her. Why would she say that?
About Jewel
Jewel is a free-spirited romance junkie with a quirky sense
of humor.
With 10 years of flossing lectures under her belt, she took
early retirement from her dental hygiene career to stay home with her three
awesome boys and manage the family business.
After her best friend of nearly 30 years suggested a few
books from the Contemporary Romance genre, Jewel was hooked. Devouring two and
three books a week but still craving more, she decided to practice sustainable
reading, AKA writing.
When she’s not donning her cape and saving the planet one
tree at a time, she enjoys yoga with friends, good food with family, rock
climbing with her kids, watching How I Met Your Mother reruns, and of
course…heart-wrenching, tear-jerking, panty-scorching novels.
Connect with Jewel
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JewelE_Ann
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorjeweleann/
Stay up to date with Jewel by joining her mailing
list:
MY HUSBAND LEFT ME FOR NO REASON. I WAS NO LONGER MY SELF AND AT A TIME, I ATTEMPTED TO COMMIT SUICIDE. BUT THANK GOD I CAME ACROSS ROBINSON BUCKLER ONLINE. I READ GOOD REVIEWS ABOUT HIS GOOD WORK AND HOW USEFUL AND HELPFUL HE HAS BEEN TO PEOPLE. I CONTACTED HIM AND TOLD HIM MY PROBLEM. HE TOLD ME THAT MY MAN WILL COME BACK TO ME. HE TOLD ME WHAT TO DO AND I DID IT AND TO MY GREAT SURPRISE MY HUSBAND CAME BACK JUST AS HE SAID. I EVEN NOTICED THAT WHEN MY HUSBAND RETURNED, HE EVEN LOVES ME MORE. THIS IS NOT BRAIN WASHING, CONTACT HIM NOW ON HER EMAIL: ROBINSONBUCKLER@YAHOO.COM ������������WEBSITE https://robinbuckler.com/ WHATSAPP NO. +15024438691
ReplyDelete