This was a mixed read for me. I was rolling along enjoying G. Benson’s flair for writing, pace and brilliant sense of humour for the first third of the book but found I was questioning the actions and reactions of the main characters as the story progressed.

Frazer is charming and dedicated in her efforts to open a free clinic for at risk obstetrics patients. She is also on the rebound from a workplace romance which ended badly. The funding needed for her program is being blocked by her boss, Alec. Frazer decides to achieve her goals by bringing his wife Cora, a social worker in the hospital into the planning process. As Cora and Frazer work together they find that their budding friendship begins to develop into something more. The problem is Frazer has sworn off workplace relationships and Cora is married. What to do, what to do?

First off I have to say this relationship is one of the hottest and most entertaining pairings I have read in a while. Cora needs a friend and she finds one in wise-cracking Frazer. As they spend more and more time together they relax and begin to enjoy their times and drinks together. Too much drinking while Alec is out of town leads to a really great sex scene between Frazer and Cora. Morning after regrets by Frazer for sleeping with a co-worker and a married woman combine with morning after regrets for Cora for cheating on the husband she wants to leave and who is cruel and controlling. It doesn't feel like cheating to me when there is no love left in a relationship on both sides but maybe that’s just me.

My issues with this rollercoaster emotional ride revolve around Cora and her reactions to the events in her life. Emotional abuse is a reality and her low self esteem thanks to this relationship does cloud her judgement. What felt overblown for me was the guilt she carries around both for cheating on her husband and for cheating with a woman when she is pretty sure she is straight. It is Cora who can’t help herself from “canoodling” (love that word) with Frazer at every opportunity and it’s Frazer who she leans on when she cannot face another evening at home with Alec. She knows she needs a divorce and yet she is filled with guilt and remorse. If the author’s intent was to have me shaking my fist and shouting at Cora to leave the guy and get on with your life then she succeeded. My eye rolling responses to the actions and reactions of the two mains overshadowed the other story threads going on in this novel. I did like the scenes in the clinic and would have preferred more development in this area.

A quality author who missed the mark for this reader but still left me with the warm and fuzzy emotional responses I have come to expect when I read her work.

3.5 Stars

ARC received with thanks from Ylva Publishing via NetGalley