The Doctor’s Convenient Marriage

Keller resumes her Second Chances in Harmony Springs series (after The Reverend’s Second Chance) with this sweet historical romance. The story opens in late-19th-century Boston, when Tori Mountbatten’s father threatens to kick her out of the house unless she stops practicing medicine and gets engaged within three months. Luckily, her friend Dr. Harrison Blake needs to find a wife by his 30th birthday to claim his inheritance, so the pair enter into a marriage of convenience that solves both their problems. After the wedding, they leave for Harmony Springs, Mont., where they begin treating patients and make plans to start a local hospital. Harrison quickly falls for the talented and feisty Tori, whose rocky relationship with her father has convinced her that she’s stubborn and unlovable. When several unanticipated crises endanger the hospital and their relationship, Tori and Harrison must weigh how much faith they’re willing to place in one another to make their marriage—and their mission—work. The marriage of convenience plot is enlivened by historical details about the challenges female doctors faced in the 19th century, while a charming cast of returning characters adds texture. The result is a satisfying tale of unexpected love. (Jan.)