The Ideal Man-Julie Garwood

The Ideal Man
Julie Garwood
Dutton, Aug 9 2011, $26.95
ISBN 9780525952251

In St. Louis, trauma surgeon Dr. Ellie Sullivan works at St. Vincent’s ER while also training residents; however, she leaves the hospital in a few days though the administration would agree to anything for her to stay. She begins her run in Cambridge Park thinking about her facing the ordeal of going home to Winston Falls, South Carolina to attend her sister’s wedding to Ellie’s former fiancé and the possibility that Evan the maniac will be in town. Shots are fired and FBI Agent Sean Goodman is hit. Ellie stops the bleeding so the victim can be rushed to St. Vincent ER to finish saving his life. Agents Tom Bradley and Max Daniels thank her and question her,

Ellie and Max are attracted to one another from the moment he learned she was the trauma expert and not a high school soccer player and she when she realized he had a self-deprecating sense of humor. Cal and Erika Landry are the gun dealers who escaped the Feds; they try to kill Ellie as she saw their faces while Evan the psycho stalker is free from prison planning a return engagement with Ellie. Max arrives at the Magnolia State wedding to protect witness Ellie so she can testify against the recently captured Landry duet, known for killing or frightening away anyone who fingers them.

Although the suspense is over the top of Sassafras Mountain with two stalkings, readers will enjoy this entertaining contemporary romance due to the sassy observant Ellie. The fast-paced story line grips the audience with Ellie’s trauma life saving work while also appreciating Max’s dedication to duty and his smile. This is a wonderful tale of two delightful heroes in love.

Harriet Klausner