That Certain Spark

That Certain Spark
By Cathy Marie Hake
Bethany House, 2009. 348 pgs. Romance

Karl Van der Vort is a strapping blacksmith who has absolutely no use for a female doctor. However, when Taylor Bestman accepts a position as the town doctor in Gooding, Texas, just after Karl has seriously injured himself at work, he reluctantly becomes her first patient. Even after she has successfully treated him, Karl still has his reservations, but when other men oppose Taylor's work and Taylor finds herself threatened, Karl becomes protective of the new doctor. Meanwhile, Taylor has committed herself to life as a doctor, never intending to have a husband and children, but as she comes to know Karl better, her dreams just might change.

I didn't enjoy this book as much as Hake's other books; it seemed like the majority of the book was dialogue about why it's okay for a woman to be a doctor. While it's certainly a valid argument, and the context of the 19th century makes it a particularly difficult profession for a woman to pursue, it didn't really make for a very interesting historical romance. Although the premise is that the sparring between Karl and Taylor is what leads to their affection for each other, it wasn't very engaging for the reader.

AE