Review: Doctors and Friends by Kimmery Martin

Title: Doctors and Friends by Kimmery Martin
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction
Length: 384 pages
Book Rating: A

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Hannah, Compton, and Kira have been close friends since medical school, reuniting once a year for a much-needed vacation. Just as they gather to travel in Spain, an outbreak of a fast-spreading virus throws the world into chaos.

When Compton Winfield returns to her job as an ER doctor in New York City, she finds a city changed beyond recognition—and a personal loss so gutting it reshapes every aspect of her life.

Hannah Geier’s career as an ob-gyn in San Diego is fulfilling but she’s always longed for a child of her own. After years of trying, Hannah discovers she’s expecting a baby just as the disease engulfs her city.

Kira Marchand, an infectious disease doctor at the CDC in Atlanta, finds herself at the center of the American response to the terrifying new illness. Her professional battle turns personal when she must decide whether her children will receive an experimental but potentially life-saving treatment.

Written prior to Covid-19 by a former emergency medicine physician, Doctors and Friends incorporates unexpected wit, razor-edged poignancy, and a deeply relatable cast of characters who provoke both laughter and tears. Martin provides a unique insider’s perspective into the world of medical professionals working to save lives during the most difficult situations of their careers.

Review:

Doctors and Friends by Kimmery Martin is a captivating (non-Covid) pandemic novel centered around a group of doctors who are close friends.

Socially awkward Dr. Kira Marchand works for the CDC. She is a widowed mom to six-year-old Beau and fourteen-year-old Rorie.  Kira and her kids join her friends from medical school for a long-awaited vacation in Spain and Morocco. ER doctor Compton Winfield makes a shocking discovery before departing for the trip and leaving behind her husband Ellis and their three kids. OB/GYN Hannah Grier joins her friends and tries to hide her continued sorrow over her infertility.

Kira and her kids arrive in Spain first and they meet with her former boyfriend Declan who works on the vaccine side of medicine. She is notified of a new sickness in the region that bears watching. While Declan takes Beau and Rorie on to Morocco, she and her friends continue  with their plans.  Kira continues to get updates about the new artiovirus but little is still known about the disease. Unfortunately, as their vacation is drawing to a close, the artiovirus explodes onto the world stage and when they return home, nothing is the same.

During the pandemic, Kira has kept Beau and Rorie safe from the artioviurs.  But Kira eventually faces an ethical dilemma that could threaten her future.  Compton returns to New York where the emergency rooms are overwhelmed with sick and dying patients. When the worst is over, she suffers from PTSD and finally must face a loss she has yet to grieve. Hannah is stunned when she becomes pregnant but she is able to safely work from home.

Doctors and Friends is a very compelling novel that is impossible to put down. The characters are richly drawn with flaws and strengths that add to their appeal. The descriptions of the artiovirus are a little too well detailed but these descriptions add urgency to the unfolding pandemic drama. The storyline is well-developed and will resonate with readers. With a hint of suspense, Kimmery Martin brings this outstanding novel to an extremely emotional yet satisfying conclusion. I highly recommend this incredible novel.

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