Book Description:
Deputy Fletcher Holt believes in a higher plan, the fair outcome—and his ability to handle that by himself if necessary. Now he’s been yanked from Houston, his mother is battling cancer, and he’s attracted to a strong-willed nurse who could be the target of a brutal sniper.
When everything goes wrong, where do they put their trust?
Author: Candace Calvert
A Northern California native who began her nursing career in rural Oregon, and later moved to Hill Country Texas–where she learned to check her shoes for scorpions and plucked an armadillo from her swimming pool. Thinks cruising is the best way to travel: honeymooned in Venice, swam with stingrays, rode a camel at the pyramids, and sang (badly) with a Newfoundland country band. She loves cooking, dancing the Two Step, bird watching, and gets goose bumps when her handsome husband hits the low notes at karaoke. She’s wild about Beth Moore Bible studies, and recently graduated from The Community of Hope training for lay chaplains. Candace published a series of madcap cruise mysteries in the mainstream market, and now writes inspirational fiction because . . .
God blessed her with a quirky wit, buoyant optimism, and a contagious sense of fun–but she didn’t come to know him until after the Triple Whammy that turned her life into bad country song. A painful and unexpected divorce, the merciless Northern California floods of 1997, and (just when she was coping like a champ, no problem) an equestrian accident that left her with fractured ribs, a bleeding lung, broken back, neck fractures and a spinal cord injury. She’ll tell you that God took drastic measures to get her attention.
In the months of rehabilitation, Candace healed in body and spirit. And came to fully understand the difference between being a strong woman and a woman of strength. The difference is faith, and that lesson has been her biggest blessing. Her story, “By Accident,” appears in Chicken Soup for the Nurse’s Soul, and launched her writing career. Now . . .
She is honored to bring readers a new medical drama series offering exciting entertainment and a healthy dose of hope. In these challenging times, she thinks it’s exactly what the doctor ordered!
My review:
By your side is the first novel by Candace Calvert in the Crisis Team medical series. As I stated before she is the first author I was willing to read who wrote medical drama. I am now hooked and watch for each of her books to be released.
By Your Side captures your attention with the first two words: Help me! In Candace’s books you’re not going to get a fairytale. She writes about real people with real issues. In By Your Side, Fletcher’s mom is battling cancer and you see the struggles that they go through. Macy is dealing with her father and her foster sister and how hard it is to want to help somebody when they may not be willing to except the help. Fletcher is a cop who has moved from Houston to support his family. Macy is a tough ER nurse who survived the foster care system. In addition to the personal issues of Macy and Fletcher; they are dealing with a serial killer/sniper in their town. Macy and Fletcher meet in the opening scene of a medical crisis. Macy also happens to be at the second shooting; is it a coincidence? I found both Fletcher and Macy to be likeable characters.
Candace also creates fascinating secondary characters with Taylor and Seth. She gives us enough of their storyline that we are already marking our calendar for when their book is released.