Josie O’Connor is through being the midwife and never the mother. Except the thirty-year-old’s exacting requirements of looks, intellect, and personality means she’s busy delivering delight to other families while only loneliness awaits her at home. And any chance of Christmas cheer seems all but lost when she’s rescued from a blizzard by a grumpy doctor.
Charles Atkins never dreamed he’d lose his family to a monied businessman. Armed with a bottle of whiskey to drown his sorrows, he heads north to his cottage only to stumble across a marooned woman in dire need of shelter. Now forced to put his painful introspection on hold, he’s surprised when his broken heart unexpectedly warms to his capable guest.
As Josie returns to work, she’s amazed to discover the dashing OB has joined her maternity unit and wonders if there’s more to their attraction than a holiday fling. And Charles’s ongoing struggle to reconnect with his estranged daughter makes him wary of risking a complicated new commitment.
Can they leave their doubts behind them and agree they’re a perfect match?
Having read the first 3 books in this series (I know you’ve seen the gorgeous covers on my feed), with each focusing on a different O’Connor sibling, I had to read this focusing on the final sibling, Josie O’Connor. The whole family is connected to the Leytonsfield Medical Centre in some way, and Josie’s a midwife. The story begins as she’s driving in a blizzard and comes across a couple whose baby is being born in their car. After helping them, she gets stranded and is forced to take shelter at a cottage with Dr. Charles Atkins, an obstetrician who’s spending Christmas there alone. It almost seemed like the setup for a thriller (I kid you not), but this is a romance series, so of course things get cozy instead. What I love about this series is that each book explores different themes and romance tropes—here we get an age gap and a grumpy/sunshine dynamic. I loved seeing the O’Connor siblings (from books 1-3) and other familiar characters make cameos.
Like the other books, this is told in dual POV, mostly following Josie, with a few sections from Charles. I enjoyed how the forced proximity during the blizzard gave them an opportunity to get acquainted unexpectedly. Charles initially comes across as grumpy and miserable—he’s spending Christmas alone after his marriage has fallen apart, but we quickly find out there’s much more to him. He’s warm and considerate toward Josie, making sure she’s comfortable, cooking for her, and even making sure her car is being fixed by the mechanic. Their time at the cottage has some lovely moments, from playing Scrabble and sharing Christmas dinner to going tobogganing and watching Love Actually together. I felt like I was right there with them! After drinking too much, they get intimate, both assuming it’s a one-time fling and they’ll never see each other again. But Josie is in for an awkward surprise when he turns up at her workplace as a new employee. And the story takes off from there!
Two of the three previous books involved pregnancy threads, and I honestly wasn’t expecting another pregnancy to come into play here. And I have to admit, I was skeptical when it happened, but I got more invested as the story progressed. The pregnancy brings a different dimension to their relationship, especially as Josie tries to figure out what kind of partner she needs—it felt quite realistic.
There are also lots of scenes at the medical center involving patients, in particular a compelling thread involving Mandy, a troubled pregnant teen who arrives needing help after being threatened by her boyfriend. Josie becomes very invested in making sure Mandy’s safe, and this thread reconnects readers with characters from the earlier books at the local women’s shelter.
At the same time, Charles has his own family situation to deal with when his teen daughter Megan visits him with some unexpected news of her own. His complicated relationship with Megan, along with the tensions with his ex-wife Clarissa and her new partner Todd, adds layers to the story outside the main romance.
Like the other books, the chapters are short, and there’s immersive, realistic dialogue and plot points that keep the story moving. There are also so many heartwarming characters in this series, and I loved seeing members of the O’Connor family pop up again, especially when Josie needs their support.
My only minor complaint was that some of the relationship development between Josie and Charles happened a little too quickly. In particular, from Josie’s perspective, I would have preferred to see them have more intimate conversations and spend more time together outside of work before they moved so quickly into a relationship because of the circumstances. Charles professing his love for her so quickly felt implausible to me, especially considering how little time they had spent together after Christmas. Having said that, their chemistry was evident from the start, and by the end, their connection felt convincing. I also had a minor issue with the secondary pregnancy storyline, as I found some of the reactions not quite as realistic as I would have expected. I expected the characters to ask more questions or react more strongly. Again, these are very minor issues and didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment.
Now that we’ve had four books, one each focusing on the four O’Connor siblings, I’m curious about where Jax Burrows will take the series and who will be the focus—the parents?? Will we have a time jump like in soap operas and focus on the children who are suddenly older? In any case, I’ll be reading more of this series as I’ve grown to really love these characters, and it feels like a TV series that I need more episodes of!
If this series sounds like something you’d enjoy, or you love small-town medical fiction, second-chance romances, and family-centered, realistic stories, I highly recommend this one, and it’s a perfect time to jump in, as all four books are available in print and on audio now! Charlie Albers narrates all four books in the series and does an incredible job with the character voices and pacing, bringing everything vividly to life and making for a perfect back-to-back binge listen!
Narrator Performance
Born to Love is narrated by award-winning narrator Charlie Albers, who also narrated the first 3 books in this series.
Early on, Albers gives Josie a voice that captures how anxious and frustrated she is as she’s caught driving in a blizzard and wants to get home in time for Christmas. Albers’ delivery makes it clear how she’s determined to handle everything herself, especially when Charles first offers her help. Once she accepts that the impossible situation means she has to take refuge in Charles’s cottage, Albers subtly shifts her performance. Josie sounds more relaxed and even a bit playful as she settles in, and the chemistry between Josie and Charles is evident right away. Albers emphasizes their grumpy/sunshine dynamic—you can hear a big contrast between Josie’s upbeat personality and Charles’s more somber attitude. Their scenes of making dinner together, playing Scrabble, and going tobogganing are some of my favorites, as Albers captures their awkwardness and growing connection convincingly.
The hospital scenes are a highlight. When Josie returns to work and discovers that Charles is now working at the same medical center, Albers brings a lot of emotion and awkwardness to their exchanges, and I really felt the tension between them. And one of the most emotional moments comes when Josie is admitted to the hospital because of pregnancy complications. I knew nothing about the condition she was experiencing before listening to this book, but the narration made those scenes feel very authentic and emotional. When her symptoms become serious, Albers captures all of Josie’s fear, exhaustion, and uncertainty perfectly.
The relationship between Charles and his daughter, Megan, is another standout. There are heartfelt conversations between them despite everything happening within their family, and Albers does a wonderful job conveying how much Charles listens to Megan and tries to understand what she’s going through.
Like in the other books in the series, Albers does a great job giving distinct voices to the large cast of characters. One standout is Charles’s ex-wife, Clarissa, who’s given a cold, condescending voice, which is really pronounced during her phone conversations with Charles and Megan. Another is Mandy, the troubled pregnant teenager Josie tries to help—she’s portrayed with an anxious, desperate voice, which really captures everything she’s dealing with. I also really enjoyed the segments involving Josie hearing her late grandmother’s voice. Albers’ delivery of these scenes added magical realism and heartwarming vibes, especially at the end.
Now that we’ve gotten to know all four O’Connor siblings in four books, I’m curious to see how this series continues and who the author will focus on next. I really hope Charlie Albers continues narrating the series because she’s done a fantastic job with all four audiobooks and all the character voices—and having continuity is such a benefit for listeners!
If these books sound like something you’d enjoy, I highly recommend listening to them on audio. They really feel like listening to a medical romance drama playing out as a TV series. So entertaining and immersive, and you’ll be craving more after each audiobook!
Narrator Performance
Born to Love is narrated by award-winning narrator Charlie Albers, who also narrated the first 3 books in this series.
Early on, Albers gives Josie a voice that captures how anxious and frustrated she is as she’s caught driving in a blizzard and wants to get home in time for Christmas. Albers’ delivery makes it clear how she’s determined to handle everything herself, especially when Charles first offers her help. Once she accepts that the impossible situation means she has to take refuge in Charles’s cottage, Albers subtly shifts her performance. Josie sounds more relaxed and even a bit playful as she settles in, and the chemistry between Josie and Charles is evident right away. Albers emphasizes their grumpy/sunshine dynamic—you can hear a big contrast between Josie’s upbeat personality and Charles’s more somber attitude. Their scenes of making dinner together, playing Scrabble, and going tobogganing are some of my favorites, as Albers captures their awkwardness and growing connection convincingly.
The hospital scenes are a highlight. When Josie returns to work and discovers that Charles is now working at the same medical center, Albers brings a lot of emotion and awkwardness to their exchanges, and I really felt the tension between them. And one of the most emotional moments comes when Josie is admitted to the hospital because of pregnancy complications. I knew nothing about the condition she was experiencing before listening to this book, but the narration made those scenes feel very authentic and emotional. When her symptoms become serious, Albers captures all of Josie’s fear, exhaustion, and uncertainty perfectly.
The relationship between Charles and his daughter, Megan, is another standout. There are heartfelt conversations between them despite everything happening within their family, and Albers does a wonderful job conveying how much Charles listens to Megan and tries to understand what she’s going through.
Like in the other books in the series, Albers does a great job giving distinct voices to the large cast of characters. One standout is Charles’s ex-wife, Clarissa, who’s given a cold, condescending voice, which is really pronounced during her phone conversations with Charles and Megan. Another is Mandy, the troubled pregnant teenager Josie tries to help—she’s portrayed with an anxious, desperate voice, which really captures everything she’s dealing with. I also really enjoyed the segments involving Josie hearing her late grandmother’s voice. Albers’ delivery of these scenes added magical realism and heartwarming vibes, especially at the end.
Now that we’ve gotten to know all four O’Connor siblings in four books, I’m curious to see how this series continues and who the author will focus on next. I really hope Charlie Albers continues narrating the series because she’s done a fantastic job with all four audiobooks and all the character voices—and having continuity is such a benefit for listeners!
If these books sound like something you’d enjoy, I highly recommend listening to them on audio. They really feel like listening to a medical romance drama playing out as a TV series. So entertaining and immersive, and you’ll be craving more after each audiobook!
Born to Love is narrated by award-winning narrator Charlie Albers, who also narrated the first 3 books in this series.
Early on, Albers gives Josie a voice that captures how anxious and frustrated she is as she’s caught driving in a blizzard and wants to get home in time for Christmas. Albers’ delivery makes it clear how she’s determined to handle everything herself, especially when Charles first offers her help. Once she accepts that the impossible situation means she has to take refuge in Charles’s cottage, Albers subtly shifts her performance. Josie sounds more relaxed and even a bit playful as she settles in, and the chemistry between Josie and Charles is evident right away. Albers emphasizes their grumpy/sunshine dynamic—you can hear a big contrast between Josie’s upbeat personality and Charles’s more somber attitude. Their scenes of making dinner together, playing Scrabble, and going tobogganing are some of my favorites, as Albers captures their awkwardness and growing connection convincingly.
The hospital scenes are a highlight. When Josie returns to work and discovers that Charles is now working at the same medical center, Albers brings a lot of emotion and awkwardness to their exchanges, and I really felt the tension between them. And one of the most emotional moments comes when Josie is admitted to the hospital because of pregnancy complications. I knew nothing about the condition she was experiencing before listening to this book, but the narration made those scenes feel very authentic and emotional. When her symptoms become serious, Albers captures all of Josie’s fear, exhaustion, and uncertainty perfectly.
The relationship between Charles and his daughter, Megan, is another standout. There are heartfelt conversations between them despite everything happening within their family, and Albers does a wonderful job conveying how much Charles listens to Megan and tries to understand what she’s going through.
Like in the other books in the series, Albers does a great job giving distinct voices to the large cast of characters. One standout is Charles’s ex-wife, Clarissa, who’s given a cold, condescending voice, which is really pronounced during her phone conversations with Charles and Megan. Another is Mandy, the troubled pregnant teenager Josie tries to help—she’s portrayed with an anxious, desperate voice, which really captures everything she’s dealing with. I also really enjoyed the segments involving Josie hearing her late grandmother’s voice. Albers’ delivery of these scenes added magical realism and heartwarming vibes, especially at the end.
Now that we’ve gotten to know all four O’Connor siblings in four books, I’m curious to see how this series continues and who the author will focus on next. I really hope Charlie Albers continues narrating the series because she’s done a fantastic job with all four audiobooks and all the character voices—and having continuity is such a benefit for listeners!
If these books sound like something you’d enjoy, I highly recommend listening to them on audio. They really feel like listening to a medical romance drama playing out as a TV series. So entertaining and immersive, and you’ll be craving more after each audiobook!
