The Donnellys of Dogwood Cove: Book 2
Publication Date: April 5, 2023
Heidi Morgan is off limits. As a resident at my hospital, working with me as her attending, she is – by my rules – the definition of forbidden.
She’s also an unwelcome reminder of a ghost from my past.
That reminder makes it easy to push her away; to convince myself not to trust her, or worse, give in to the intense pull I feel whenever she’s around.
Or at least, it should.
Instead, her seductively sweet smile and perfect curves keep me up at night with dirty thoughts I really shouldn’t be having. I should hate this woman. I should hate the way she tests me, and challenges me, pushing every limit of my restraint.
Yet with every word we exchange, every touch we share, the fire she’s ignited in me is shifting from frustration into something else. Something far more dangerous.
It’s starting to feel like only a matter of time before I lose control and let her in my heart. I just have to find a way not to lose myself at the same time.
While I’ve enjoyed all of the Dogwood Cove books by author Julia Jarrett, the original series and this new spin-off, Hate to Want You, didn’t sit as well with me. I still mostly enjoyed it, but it was harder to get through.
I’ll start by saying the author has a trigger warning at the beginning of the story. This story takes place in a hospital, the children’s wing in particular, and the main characters deal with sick kids. This didn’t bother me other than tugging on the heartstrings. But if this is a sensitive topic for you, be warned.
On to the main characters in the book: Max and Heidi.
Max and Heidi have a complicated history, and Max is conflicted when Heidi returns to the hospital where Max works for her last year of residency.
Max treats her like crap, and then they talk, and suddenly, they are dating. Max is basically Heidi’s supervisor, and that’s where I had most of my issues with this book. There needed to be a lot more relationship fixing in my mind before they even came close to acting on their attraction for each other. I couldn’t wrap my head around how fast Heidi forgave Max, and for me, it colored the rest of their relationship.
Heidi and Max are okay characters, but I never really connected with either of them. I did, however, root for their happily ever after. I just wasn’t a fan of how we got there.
It was nice to be back to Dogwood Cove—or close enough—as most of the book was in a neighboring town, but Heidi and Max visited town frequently enough to get that fix. It was fun to see previous characters return and to get to know more of Max’s family, as they’re the focus of this series.
I really like Julia Jarrett’s writing style and storytelling. But Hate to Want You was more middle-of-the-road and, for me, one of her weaker books that I’ve read. I just couldn’t get past how the enemies-to-lovers and co-workers dating tropes were handled. While these tropes aren’t for me, they may work for you. For me, it was a blip in an otherwise wonderful series.
Hate to Want You is still an enjoyable read for Julia Jarrett fans, and I look forward to the next book in the series.
Julia Jarrett is a busy mother of two boys, a happy wife to her real-life book boyfriend, and the owner of two rescue dogs. She has a passion for writing sexy, sweet, contemporary romance novels that are full of relatable heroines, and the swoon worthy men who fall in love with them.
If you’re looking for Julia, she’s probably sitting in a comfy chair somewhere, drinking tea and dreaming of a sunny vacation. Find her on Instagram and Facebook by clicking the links below.
