A Doctor in the House by Linda Shenton Matchett

About the Book

Book: A Doctor in the House

Author: Linda Shenton Matchett

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: October 15, 2020

MY RATING: Five of Five Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This story was previously part of The Hope of Christmas collection.

They’re supposed to be allies, but mutual distrust puts this pair on opposite sides.

Emma O’Sullivan is one of the first female doctors to enlist after President Franklin Roosevelt signs the order allowing women in the Army and Navy medical corps. Within weeks, Emma is assigned to England to set up a convalescent hospital, and she leaves behind everything that is familiar. When the handsome widower of the requisitioned property claims she’s incompetent and tries to get her transferred, she must prove to her superiors she’s more than capable. But she’s soon drawn to the good-looking, grieving owner. Will she have to choose between her job and her heart?

Archibald “Archie” Heron is the last survivor of the Heron dynasty, his two older brothers having been lost at Dunkirk and Trondheim and his parents in the Blitz. After his wife is killed in a bombing raid while visiting Brighton, he begins to feel like a modern-day Job. To add insult to injury, the British government requisitions his country estate, Heron Hall, for the U.S. Army to use as a hospital. The last straw is when the hospital administrator turns out to be a fiery, ginger-haired American woman. She’s got to go. Or does she?

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MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK

A Doctor in the House, by Linda Shenton Matchett is set in WWII, at a time in which a home was needed to care for the patients. Dr. Emma O’Sullivan finds herself setting up a convalescent home using the beautiful home of Archibald “Archie” Heron. When he finds the Dr. is a woman, he was not happy at all. There is a lot of tension and emotions between these two all throughout the story. Readers will find themselves amazed at these two characters. At first I didn’t really like Archie, but he grew on me as the story unfolds, and I ended up liking him a lot.

There’s a lot happening in this short story. I like how Dr. Emma shows that she is competent in her work as a Dr. Archie was so sure she would fail. But there was a lot if tension flying around among the two of them, and Archie couldn’t deny the fact that he was attracted to this Dr. This is a really good story and I can tell how much research went into this book by the vivid details in each scene. If WWII is your cup of tea, I strongly encourage you to check out this book. I believe it is one you are sure to enjoy reading. I’m giving this one Five Stars.

A special thanks to the author/publisher for a copy of this book. I am not required to write a positive review, the opinions here are mine alone. I am disclosing this with my review in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

About the Author

Linda Shenton Matchett writes about ordinary people who did extraordinary things in days gone by. A volunteer docent and archivist for the Wright Museum of WWII, Linda is a former trustee for her local public library. She is a native of Baltimore, Maryland and was born a stone’s throw from Fort McHenry. Linda has lived in historic places all her life, and is now located in central New Hampshire where her favorite activities include exploring historic sites and immersing herself in the imaginary worlds created by other authors.

More from Linda

Dear Reader:

As a long-time Human Resources professional, I’m fascinated by the history of women in the workforce, especially during the World War II era when many filled jobs previously held by men. A Doctor in the House came about when two bits of information collided with me on the same day.

I’m an avid fan of the BBC mystery show “Foyle’s War” about a detective chief superintendent located in Hastings, England. He’d rather be “doing his bit” for the war effort, but he continues to be assigned to regular police work. One of the episodes takes place in a huge country home that was requisitioned by the British government for use as a hospital.

Research turned up the fact that the British government took over people’s homes (whether or not the inhabitants were willing to give up the house). Later that day I was creating “this day in history” posts for my social media account and one of the events was Dr. Margaret Craighill becoming the first commissioned officer in the US Army Medical Corps. Previously, women were not afforded this opportunity.

I dug into Dr. Craighill’s story, and there were several references to difficulties she encountered by people who didn’t think women belonged in the military or in officer positions within the military. I thought the combination of a man who isn’t happy to have lost the use of his home with an American female doctor in charge of the hospital had the makings of a fun story. I hope you agree!

Blessings,

Linda Shenton Matchett