Dr. Zoe Angelos moves to Leytonsfield to take up the post of GP in Dr. Dan O’Connor’s medical practice. She left Manchester for a new life in the quiet Cheshire town to escape painful memories. Zoe quickly realizes that some memories are not so easy to leave behind.
Consultant Cardiologist, Dr. Riordan O’Connor, is dedicated to his work and his nine year old son, Tom. He has no time for romantic love. Until, that is, he meets his father’s new locum GP. Can Riordan and Zoe help each other to shake off the tenacious grip of the past, and give love a chance?
I really enjoyed the first book, Worth Waiting For, in this contemporary romance series set in a Northern English town, and I was eager to read this one right away. Each book can be read as a standalone, but I recommend reading them in order, as there are references and returning characters that have more impact if read in order. I love how each book revolves around a different member of the O’Connor family, and so far, both stories have been authentic-feeling second-chance romances. I’m really curious to see whether this trend continues for the rest of the series. So far I’m really invested in this family because they feel like real people rather than fictional characters, and the struggles they face are relatable!
Even though this is a romance series, there’s a major focus on family, healing, and belonging. Every member of the O’Connor family works in medicine in some capacity, whether as doctors, nurses, midwives, or other medical professionals in Leytonsfield, and there are several authentic and heartbreaking scenes involving patients arriving in A&E. After I learned that author Jax Burrows has a medical background, it totally made sense, as the hospital scenes and medical jargon feel so real.
Like book one, this is a dual POV, this time mostly following Dr. Zoe Angelos. From the start, it’s clear she’s running from something, and as the story unfolds, we learn she lost a child not long ago, a loss she’s still struggling to process. She’s determined to bury her grief and focus on her new job, but at the Medical Centre, she’s often surrounded by babies and mothers, making it difficult to escape her pain. Her inner dialogue, where her anxiety, panic, and grief suddenly become overwhelming, felt so real, and I felt emotional while reading. It becomes obvious that she’ll eventually have to confide in those around her if she wants to keep her job. Her psychiatrist, Joe Morton, becomes an important part of her healing process after her boss, Dan O’Connor, refers her for help.
I also loved how there were different threads running throughout the story that kept things interesting—even more so than book one. Early on, Zoe rescues an abandoned pregnant dog. She takes the dog (who she later names Luna) to local veterinarian Toby Dean, where she discovers Luna is pregnant. The relationship between Zoe and Toby begins with a sweet friendship and seems like it could lead to something more, but things become much more complicated as the story unfolds.
As every book in this series focuses on a different O’Connor family member, this time the spotlight is on Riordan O’Connor. His POV is a perfect contrast to Zoe’s. Seven years after losing his wife, Sally, in a tragic climbing accident, he’s closed himself off emotionally, devoting his life to medicine and raising his young son, Tom. What I enjoyed most was that his relationship with Zoe doesn’t begin as an instant romance. Instead, they build a strong friendship through meaningful conversations and outings together with Tom. Without giving too much away, both Zoe and Riordan have secrets from their pasts, and they become major obstacles as their relationship develops.
I also loved seeing familiar faces from book one. Casey, Lexi, and their daughter Jade all make cameos, and you get to see how their lives have progressed since the previous book. There are also some great medical and community storylines outside of the main romance. One that stands out involves Jack Dempsey, an older patient who had a heart attack and insists that he can look after himself after returning home. Zoe’s interactions with him really show the realities of working in healthcare while also showing the compassion she has for her patients.
The pacing throughout is excellent, and with short chapters and lots of engaging dialogue, you can easily finish this book in a day or weekend. Zoe’s trauma is more explored in the second half and is one of the strongest parts of the book. Her relationship with her family, who make brief appearances in the story along with the memories of her beloved grandmother, adds another heartfelt layer to her story.
Like most romance novels, there are scenes where you’ll need to suspend your disbelief, along with some unnecessary miscommunication between Zoe and Riordan that could have been easily avoided. Thankfully, these were minor and didn’t distract me for long. The ending includes a bit of a surprise, and although I would have loved a little more suspense leading into book three, it suited the hopeful tone of the book and series.
If you enjoy realistic, heartfelt romances with memorable characters, medical fiction, and relatable themes, I recommend this series. The audiobook is especially good. Award-winning narrator Charlie Albers returns and delivers another standout performance, bringing every character to life with distinct voices and convincing Northern English accents. It almost feels like listening to a British medical drama at times, with a side of romance! I’ll definitely be listening to more audiobooks in this series!
Narrator Performance
Healing Hearts is narrated by award-winning narrator Charlie Albers, who narrates the first four books in The O’Connors series.
Albers gives protagonist Dr. Zoe Angelos a warm, vulnerable voice when she first arrives in town, which suits a character who’s trying to start over while still carrying unresolved trauma from her past. As she begins working in A&E, there are several difficult moments when being around expectant mothers and babies affects her, and Albers does an excellent job conveying Zoe’s overwhelming anxiety and grief.
An intriguing dynamic is the one between Zoe and veterinarian Toby Dean. In their early interactions, Albers gives them enough chemistry that you can see the potential for their relationship to become something more. Once Zoe becomes better acquainted with Riordan O’Connor, though, Albers does a great job shifting the dynamic and keeping you interested in where both relationships will go.
The slow-burn connection between Zoe and Riordan is really well done. Albers makes their conversations and growing chemistry feel very natural, particularly as they slowly begin opening up to each other. Their shared conversations and outings with Riordan’s son, Tom, are narrated with lots of warmth and honesty that makes their connection feel so real.
Just like in book one, Albers does an incredible job with the wide range of character voices. She gives the different staff members at the Medical Centre and members of the O’Connor family a variety of English and Northern English accents while keeping them distinct and age-appropriate. I really enjoyed her performance as Jack Dempsey, one of Zoe’s older patients who’s determined to continue living on his own despite his serious health problems. His exchanges with Zoe are some of the more heartfelt scenes, and Albers captures his stubbornness and vulnerability perfectly.
For Riordan’s chapters, Albers gives him a more reserved and thoughtful voice, which suits a man who’s still carrying the grief of losing his wife years earlier. You can hear how much her death still affects him and how closed off he’s become, but Albers also conveys his anger toward the people he believes have wronged him. His inner monologues are particularly well delivered, with a lot of warmth and thoughtfulness that make him feel real and relatable—and you can’t help but empathize with and root for him!
Just like in book one, Albers’s distinct character voices and convincing accents made the listening experience immersive, and at times it almost felt like listening to a British medical romance TV drama! I’ll definitely be listening to Books 3 and 4, which Albers also narrates, and I really hope she continues with further books!
Narrator Performance
Healing Hearts is narrated by award-winning narrator Charlie Albers, who narrates the first four books in The O’Connors series.
Albers gives protagonist Dr. Zoe Angelos a warm, vulnerable voice when she first arrives in town, which suits a character who’s trying to start over while still carrying unresolved trauma from her past. As she begins working in A&E, there are several difficult moments when being around expectant mothers and babies affects her, and Albers does an excellent job conveying Zoe’s overwhelming anxiety and grief.
An intriguing dynamic is the one between Zoe and veterinarian Toby Dean. In their early interactions, Albers gives them enough chemistry that you can see the potential for their relationship to become something more. Once Zoe becomes better acquainted with Riordan O’Connor, though, Albers does a great job shifting the dynamic and keeping you interested in where both relationships will go.
The slow-burn connection between Zoe and Riordan is really well done. Albers makes their conversations and growing chemistry feel very natural, particularly as they slowly begin opening up to each other. Their shared conversations and outings with Riordan’s son, Tom, are narrated with lots of warmth and honesty that makes their connection feel so real.
Just like in book one, Albers does an incredible job with the wide range of character voices. She gives the different staff members at the Medical Centre and members of the O’Connor family a variety of English and Northern English accents while keeping them distinct and age-appropriate. I really enjoyed her performance as Jack Dempsey, one of Zoe’s older patients who’s determined to continue living on his own despite his serious health problems. His exchanges with Zoe are some of the more heartfelt scenes, and Albers captures his stubbornness and vulnerability perfectly.
For Riordan’s chapters, Albers gives him a more reserved and thoughtful voice, which suits a man who’s still carrying the grief of losing his wife years earlier. You can hear how much her death still affects him and how closed off he’s become, but Albers also conveys his anger toward the people he believes have wronged him. His inner monologues are particularly well delivered, with a lot of warmth and thoughtfulness that make him feel real and relatable—and you can’t help but empathize with and root for him!
Just like in book one, Albers’s distinct character voices and convincing accents made the listening experience immersive, and at times it almost felt like listening to a British medical romance TV drama! I’ll definitely be listening to Books 3 and 4, which Albers also narrates, and I really hope she continues with further books!
Healing Hearts is narrated by award-winning narrator Charlie Albers, who narrates the first four books in The O’Connors series.
Albers gives protagonist Dr. Zoe Angelos a warm, vulnerable voice when she first arrives in town, which suits a character who’s trying to start over while still carrying unresolved trauma from her past. As she begins working in A&E, there are several difficult moments when being around expectant mothers and babies affects her, and Albers does an excellent job conveying Zoe’s overwhelming anxiety and grief.
An intriguing dynamic is the one between Zoe and veterinarian Toby Dean. In their early interactions, Albers gives them enough chemistry that you can see the potential for their relationship to become something more. Once Zoe becomes better acquainted with Riordan O’Connor, though, Albers does a great job shifting the dynamic and keeping you interested in where both relationships will go.
The slow-burn connection between Zoe and Riordan is really well done. Albers makes their conversations and growing chemistry feel very natural, particularly as they slowly begin opening up to each other. Their shared conversations and outings with Riordan’s son, Tom, are narrated with lots of warmth and honesty that makes their connection feel so real.
Just like in book one, Albers does an incredible job with the wide range of character voices. She gives the different staff members at the Medical Centre and members of the O’Connor family a variety of English and Northern English accents while keeping them distinct and age-appropriate. I really enjoyed her performance as Jack Dempsey, one of Zoe’s older patients who’s determined to continue living on his own despite his serious health problems. His exchanges with Zoe are some of the more heartfelt scenes, and Albers captures his stubbornness and vulnerability perfectly.
For Riordan’s chapters, Albers gives him a more reserved and thoughtful voice, which suits a man who’s still carrying the grief of losing his wife years earlier. You can hear how much her death still affects him and how closed off he’s become, but Albers also conveys his anger toward the people he believes have wronged him. His inner monologues are particularly well delivered, with a lot of warmth and thoughtfulness that make him feel real and relatable—and you can’t help but empathize with and root for him!
Just like in book one, Albers’s distinct character voices and convincing accents made the listening experience immersive, and at times it almost felt like listening to a British medical romance TV drama! I’ll definitely be listening to Books 3 and 4, which Albers also narrates, and I really hope she continues with further books!
