Review: Dreaming of You by Barbara Mack

From Amazon: Kathleen Donaldson is proud, 26 years old and unmarried. She's a woman of power and strength, and some even might call her sharp-tongued and bossy. That makes her an oddity in the 1800's. No matter what others think, Kathleen has adapted to her life, and most of the time she feels fulfilled and happy. But Kathleen has a secret and keeping it hidden is becoming increasingly hard to do.

Then Dr. Duncan Murdoch arrives in town. He's attractive and exotic and Kathleen feels an immediate attraction. Before she knows it, he's discovered her secret, and tells her she needs to 'spend some time with him' if she wants him to keep quiet. Kathleen knows what that means, and she's determined to find some way out of this predicament. No matter how much her own mother throws her at the gorgeous Doctor's head...or how irresistible she finds him.

My Thoughts:

26 years old and still unmarried, Kathleen is an outcast in her time. She lives her life for herself and dances to the beat of her own drummer. A strange way for a woman to live in the 1800’s? Absolutely. What other’s don’t see, is that Kathleen has a secret that no one…not even those closest to her….would ever guess. It’s this secret that earns her a ton of one-on-one time with hottie Dr. Duncan. Duncan is new in town, single, gorgeous, and he’s a Dr….so you know he’s good with his…hands. Did I mention that he’s a hot, single, doctor? Just sayin’.

Duncan is searching desperately for the girl of his dreams. This is a man who wants to settle down, and now. But not with just anyone…oh no…he has his perfect woman all mapped out from looks to attitude. Fate has a different idea and…he finds Kathleen instead. She isn’t the one he has been dreaming about…but there is something about her that he just can’t get past. He needs to get to know her. When he discovers the secret she has been keeping…one that would get her killed if it got out…he takes advantage and trades her friendship for his silence. A little greasy of him, but an effective way to get her attention at least.

Kathleen is not the type that likes being forced to do anything, so Duncan’s blackmail of having her “spend some quality time with him” less than impresses her. Can’t really blame the girl in that way. I mean, I am all for sexy doctors wanting some attention, but if you gotta force her to be with you…not cool Dr. Hot Stuff. For the record, when Duncan says “spend time with”, that’s what he really means. No sex, no kissy, nothing like that at all. Just some old fashioned getting to know one another. What a sweet guy….good place for an “Awwww” moment I think.

I loved the storyline. Old fashioned, headstrong girl with a huge secret meets hunky newcomer doctor. Even her mother loves this guy. Match made in heaven? I think so. The characters were well done and believable. Although I wouldn’t have thought that an outcast like Kathleen would have made a good heroine, Barbara Mack makes it work.

The only thing I found about the story is that it could have been longer. This was a quick read and a novella to begin with, but I found that too much was going on in a short span. There could have been more courting going on (yes, I said courting…the book is set back in the day, so I figured…why not) and maybe a bit more conflict than there really was. A little meat added to the story would not have been minded. For a short story though, I really enjoyed it.

My Rating: 3.5 Stars

To read more about Barbara Mack's Dreaming of You, or to buy a copy yourself, visit Amazon.com