Candace Calvert

Life Support is the third book in the Grace Medical series by Candace Calvert. Trauma Plan is the first book while Rescue Plan is the second. All three books are completely independent of each other as a Christian medical series. Each book is a romance which touches on some serious yet interesting topics that are relevant for today's readers.

Lauren Barclay is a nurse in ER at Houston Grace Hospital. This is her home town where her parents and sister lives. Although she has worked at Austin show more Grace Hospital for a short time, she is back and taking up where she left off--helping her folks look after her younger sister, Jess. Jess was always a little bit unstable emotionally. For the most part, she would be normal, but once in awhile she became restless, impulsive, irresponsible; one time she even ran away. Her family, including Lauren, tip-toed around her, afraid of upsetting her fragile state of mind. Lauren figured that's what family was for. Helping her sister took a lot of her time and attention, but eventually Elijah Landry began to claim some of her time as well. This did not sit well with Jess because at one time she and Eli had a history.

Elijah Landry is a Certified Physician Assistant (PA-C) in charge of the Urgent Care unit in the Houston Grace Hospital. When he and his brother Andrew were young, they enjoyed water sports with their dad. But one day Drew suffered a head injury that left him with brain damage and physical problems. Eventually he ended up in care facilities with serious health complications. Eli and his father, Judge Julien Landry, disagreed how Drew should be cared for, especially in emergencies such as the one at the opening of this book.

Eli had been friends with Jess once. But after she disappeared and returned a year ago, he had tried to help the family in a professional capacity. Jess and her parents did not appreciate his suggestions that Jess get psychological assistance. Neither did Lauren, but she did not hold it against Eli. She enjoyed his company and the company of his young daughter Emma. The question is whether all these family complications will keep Lauren and Eli from getting closer.

First off, I love how Candace Calvert writes her medical dramas. I have read several of them and in each one she creates characters that are likable, interesting, and growing. The action is usually fast-paced and gripping. She chooses topics which offer something for the reader to think about, above and beyond the medical scenes. The family dynamics she writes about are spot on, true to life and credible. Life Support is Calvert's newest book with plots and subplots that draw us close to her characters. One additional thing I enjoy about this author is that sometimes the supporting characters in one book become the main character in another one. This is true for Lauren who was a nurse in one of the other books in this series.

This book's subplot, intricately intertwined with the main plot, touches on an intriguing topic in this book: bipolar and its effects on family life. This is a subject close to my heart because I have been living with my own diagnosis of bipolar, and grew up with a mother who was never diagnosed with it, but in my opinion had the condition. The pattern of enabling and denial was a familiar scenario to me, and I recognized it when the author demonstrated it effectively throughout this story. Her descriptions, the problems that cropped up, the crisis which climaxed and the solution presented were all realistic and completely believable. The one thing I drew from this subplot is that anyone living with a mental health problem needs a team of supporters. People like me living with this condition should not have to deal with it alone. The sufferer needs support from family, friends and professionals. I saw this all fleshed out in this book. I am very impressed with the author's acumen and sensitivity when writing on this topic.

In spite of the serious nature of the subplot's thread, the writer includes a metaphor that brings out comic relief when it's needed most. Just look for the dogs, especially the shih tzu and her situation with the Barclay family. There is definitely a good dose of irony with the dog drama that runs parallel to the family drama. I can't help but appreciate that level of humor used in this book. I hope you enjoy it too.

I am reading and reviewing this book for the Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. summer reading program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." show less

Faith, Fear, Romance, and Adrenaline...

Faith, fear,romance, and adrenaline all fight for supremacy in Candace Calvert's By Your Side, book one of the Crisis Team series. Calvert shows us the gritty side of foster care through Trauma care nurse Macy Wynn. Macy has learned through foster care ,..."that was the worst part. Not knowing anything for sure. Where you'd sleep, what you'd eat, who was nice...or who might want to hurt you in ways you couldn't even understand. You were never, ever show more sure. You hung onto hope because it was all you had, but after a while, even hope packed up and moved on. You kept your favorite things in a bag you could take with you at a moment's notice. And you only trusted yourself." Macy lives by this credo, refusing God, who allowed herself and her sister to have a childhood best forgotten,except for one foster parent. Speaking of exceptions, Macy DOES trust one person, her financial advisor, who is the closest thing to family she has.

We also meet policeman Fletcher Holt. Fletcher becomes involved with the initial sniper situation where he meets Macy, and continues to try to offer her protection as uncertainty becomes the name of the game. Fletcher has his own uncertainties-the girl back home and his mother's current bout with cancer, to name a few. Fletcher's mother challenges his faith:"Now is the tough part.When you're forced to ask yourself the hard question:Do you FULLY trust God, or do you simply trust Him to keep you safe?"

With heart-pounding action, themes of faith that resonate with the reader's heart, and breath-taking word pictures of Yosemite, Calvert has produced another medical miracle!

I received this book from bookfun.org in exchange for an honest review. show less

I have read several of Candace Calvert’s novels, but I think Step by Step is her best so far. It is filled with characters I could relate to and came to care about, descriptive prose that put me right in the action — whether in the ER, on the beach, or on a nighttime motorcycle ride — and themes that touched my heart. The second book in her Crisis Team series, Step by Step can be read as a standalone. If you are a fan of medical drama, then you definitely need to check this one show more out.

Taylor Cabot and Seth Donovan have shared a lot during the past 3 years. But Taylor feels she needs to move on — new home, new job and perhaps a new love — and doesn’t need Seth or anyone else to remind her of her grief. But this ER nurse encounters trauma everyday — physical and emotional. Can a self-imposed deadline really move her into a future free from doubts and loss?

There is much to like in Step by Step. Characters, both main and secondary, are well-developed. I found myself immediately drawn to their stories — their hurts and their hopes. I could easily identify with their struggles with the past impacting their present and future. These characters are really real! Lives are messy and not all things can or will be cleaned up. As the wife of a veterinarian, I was touched by Calvert’s inclusion of some furry characters as well. (And I am happy to say the vet in this book was not a villain!) San Diego is the setting of the novel and its vibrancy came to life within its pages. There is a definite Christian message in Step by Step that is naturally woven into the narrative. Short chapters make this one a quick read as well.

Calvert is a former ER nurse and her experience and expertise make for an authentic feeling novel. She also does her research. I loved the time she spent developing the role of a Crisis Care Team in helping people move through the process of traumatic events. I wish my own community had a resource like that. The story lines with Marty the rescue cat and Taylor’s dog, Hooper, are developed with sensitivity and a great awareness of the needs of both owner and pet. Kudos for great research and writing with both of these aspects.

Step by Step proved to be a thought-provoking read. I found myself wishing this one was a book club choice, and I can’t wait to share it with members of By The Book! I loved it and am betting you will too.

Highly Recommended.

Audience: adults.

(Thanks to Tyndale for a review copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.) show less

Code Triage is a complex romance filled with real people doing things for solid reasons that tear their world apart. I chose it at random to read on my phone because I had forgotten my eReader. Once I started, though, I couldn't put it down. Nick, a former chef turned police officer, and Leigh, an ER doctor, are multilayered characters, but they're not the only ones. The pseudo villain Samantha is well drawn, as is Caroline, Leigh's sister. Even incidental characters have meaning and purpose show more within the story, down to a parrot who reminds both its family and Leigh the importance of forever.

It's highly unusual to find a romance novel with a discussion guide at the back, but this book very much warrants it. Code Triage explores actions and consequences surrounding divorce, trust, need, and a variety of other issues, but not in a "classroom" manner. They're an integral part of the characters' journeys from Nick's adultery during a separation from his wife to Samantha's desperate attempt to turn a moment of comfort after her brother's death into a lifetime commitment from Nick. And there's Leigh, a victim on the surface but whose own actions set Nick up to some degree, and until she comes to terms with that, they can never find their way back to happiness.

Yes, this is a romance novel. Yes, there is the implicit promise of a happy ending. But Code Triage is so much more, starting from a couple who have grown apart, not because they've fallen out of love but because they have let obstacles grow between them until what feels like an unscalable mountain keeps pushing them away from each other. Each major action has consequences, while the choices they make under pressure reveal just how superficial the things that keep them apart are. But both Nick and Leigh need to learn to trust, to learn that opening themselves up and risking the hurt is the only way to win back their love.

This is a powerful story filled with the dark side of marriage and commitment, the struggle to be vulnerable when all your instincts warn to hide yourself away. It's not for the faint hearted. It's not for those looking for a light and fluffy read. But if you're like me and want to meet deep characters, to learn from how they handle solid troubles often of their own making, you'll have as hard a time putting this novel down as I did.

I only had one significant hiccup in the read, a single scene where the fact that this is also an inspirational novel takes over the story with a faith message so heavy handed that it threw me out for a moment. However, that's one single scene. Faith is a key aspect of the book from page one, true faith in yourself and in God founded not on going through the motions but on accepting that life is complicated. Unless you have a real problem with faith and God making an appearance, you should be able to skim the above mentioned scene and enjoy the novel even if inspirationals are not your thing.

As proof of how the discussion guide is appropriate, I am planning a Monday post sparked by this novel, a realization about faith and religion that clarifies something I've been spinning around in my head for a while. show less