Romancing Dr. Love (Sterling University Series, Book 1)

Rebecca
Heflin
Genre: 
Contemporary

Hotshot scientist Dr. Samantha Love arrives at Sterling University in Georgia ready to prove her theories about the chemistry of compatibility.  What she doesn’t plan on is the tall, muscular, sexy literature professor, Dr. Ethan Quinn.  For his part, Ethan can’t believe such a beautiful, intelligent woman has led a life so devoid of romance.  He makes it his mission to show her that relationships begin and last because of romance, not gene compatibility and enzyme interactions. While Sam’s head tells her to keep focused on her career and ignore the charming and annoyingly persistent Dr. Quinn, her heart and her hormones won’t be denied.  But can they remain compatible amidst the small-town gossip mill and the university politics that stand in their way? Perhaps Dr. Love’s own science holds the key.

Well written with lively characters “Romancing Dr. Love” is a pleasant stroll through the halls of academia, with just enough bumps to keep it interesting.  Ms. Heflin does a fine job of bringing her readers into the sticky heat of a Georgia summer, relieved only occasionally by summer storms and hot sex.  She also has an admirable grasp of the insular academic world. If there is a flaw, it is Dr. Love’s too-immediate breathless reaction to Ethan, which seems a bit overwrought.  And his romancing seems over the top so early in a relationship. The reader craves slightly more resistance from the stiffly scientific Samantha Love. These qualms are easily forgiven, however, as the charm of the story overall wins out, leaving the reader eager for book two.

Marc Joseph