I'm happy to join Book Enthusiast Promotions in celebrating the audiobook release of Renea Mason's CURING DOCTOR VINCENT. Check out my review and enter the giveaway for a three-month subscription to Audible!
Curing Doctor Vincent (The Good Doctor Trilogy #1), by Renea Mason
Publish Date: January 5, 2015
Publisher: Secret Hungers Publishing
Format: audiobook, obtained from the author
Genre: adult erotic romance
To Buy: Amazon * Audible
Rating: 4 STARS
(From Goodreads) One kinky doctor + one indecent proposal = one life-changing week in Paris
Elaine Watkins, Public Relations Advisor, is surprised when she receives a summons from the very attractive and enigmatic Dr. Xavier Vincent. She worships the talented physician and company icon responsible for developing the cure that saved her sister’s life and isn’t immune to his charm. Even though puzzled by his request, she is excited and eager to get started on his latest project.
But Dr. Vincent has other ideas. Instead of discussing cures, drugs and marketing strategies, he asks Elaine to join him in Paris to indulge his unique sexual appetites.
Torn between gratitude for saving her sister, her attraction for the powerful man and compromising her pre-conceived notions of sexuality, she must decide if it's easier to feed his desires or walk away. Until she devises a plan of her own.
“Make no mistake, Elaine, I am a king. Kings command and conquer. They are brutal and uncompromising. You don’t want a king. Face it, you came here expecting a saint.” - Dr. Xavier Vincent
Curing Doctor Vincent was one of those books that you start to read knowing you'll probably like it, but when you get to the end, you take a second to process it all and realize you REALLY liked it. And, for me, the reasons why I loved this book include the entire package - the story, the characters and the audio narration.
The Book
In Curing Doctor Vincent, Elaine is approached by her personal hero - the doctor responsible for inventing the cure for her sister's type of cancer - to come to Paris and spend an unconventional week with him. She knows his indecent proposal should appall her, but instead it fascinates her. Xavier claims he isn't capable of a conventional relationship, but after seeing him in action, Elaine just knows she can help him. As she delves into his past to find a way to do so, she uncovers far more than she ever imagined.
At first you think Curing Doctor Vincent is going to be a typical erotic romance book. And, at first, it is. Xavier shows up at a speech Elaine gives and invites her and her co-workers to dinner. He asks her boss to send her to Paris on a supposed assignment. Turns out that "assignment" involves her getting it on with two crazy hot guys while he watches. Xavier has a condition which doesn't allow him to experience a woman like most men, so this is his answer. He directs the men as they interact with his woman.
So, you see that, although it starts out as a standard trope, it becomes apparent about halfway through that it's a lot more than that. As Elaine draws closer to Xavier, her desire to learn more about his past and his condition in an effort to help him grows stronger. As secrets are uncovered, we realize that there was so much more going on behind the scenes - really crazy things. Unexpected things. It kind of turned this standard erotic romance story into more of a suspensy, mysteryish erotic romance. And, how cool is that?
As far as the romance part goes, although it was a bit instalovey for my tastes, that didn't bother me as much as it usually does. I was more focused on what was really going on in Xavier's prior relationship than how fast his current one was developing. Xavier was cagey and enigmatic and sweet. He was protective of Elaine and it was clear that he very much wanted a normal relationship with her. Elaine was strong and curious. She has her own tragic skeletons in her closet that have completely changed her life and how she looks at things, including Xavier and her relationship with him. She makes it clear that one singular event can change absolutely everything in both your past, present and future. It's interesting to note that, in my opinion, had that one event not happened, I don't believe she would have ever agreed to Xavier's arrangement in Paris for the week.
The two men with which Elaine is involved are not just faceless side characters. They have their own stories and personalities. I loved everything about Marco. He was funny and trustworthy and so nice to Elaine. He's also a very loyal friend to Xavier. Sebastian has his own cross to bear, which is what drove him to agree to Xavier's proposal. Their times with Elaine, as directed by Xavier, are ridiculously hot and sexy.
I liked where the book left off, with Xavier and Elaine looking for more answers. I have a lot of questions that I hope will be answered in book 2, Surviving Doctor Vincent. This is definitely one I plan to pre-order, because I can't wait to see how things will work out for them.
The Audio Narration
I usually add in a few sentences about the audio narration when I review an audio book, because many times the narration colors my review. If the narration is bad, then it makes the entire book just a bit worse for me. I felt like this book deserved more than just a few sentences about the audio performance. Because it was just. That. Good.
Curing Doctor Vincent is narrated by Noah Michael Levine and Erin Deward. Usually when a book uses both a male and a female narrator, the book is written in dual POV and the female narrator reads the chapters from the heroine's POV, and the male narrator reads the chapters from the hero's POV.
Except, Curing Doctor Vincent is told solely from Elaine's POV.
I've heard of books like this - ones where the female narrator reads all female dialog (plus, in this case, all the internal monologue, since the story is told from a female's POV) and the male narrator reads all the male dialog - but hadn't experienced one until now. So, if Elaine interrupted Xavier in the book, she REALLY did it in the audiobook. It made for a much more colorful and dynamic overall performance. I absolutely loved it.
On top of that, the narrators themselves were fantastic. They weren't too dramatic or too sleepy. They read their characters' parts perfectly. And the sex scenes... holy crap. Seriously - "wow" doesn't cut it. They really got into character. :)
Curing Doctor Vincent has been out since January 2015, but this release blitz is celebrating the release of the audio version. I sincerely hope that book 2 releases both the print and the audio versions on the same day. But, even if they don't, I'm still planning on waiting for the audio version. I loved it so much - I can't wait to hear these narrators again.
Want to listen to an excerpt? It's a good one!
When she isn't putting pen to paper crafting sensual stories filled with larger-than-life and supernatural lovers, she spends time with her beyond-supportive husband, two wonderful sons and two loving but needy cats.
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