Review of ‘First Do No Harm’ by Emily Smith, audiobook narrated by Keira Grace
After binge-listening to paranormal stories in the month of Halloween, I was in the mood for a lesbian medical romance audiobook like this one. Even though this book can be read as a standalone, it picks up where ‘All of me’ left, so it might be better to read that one first, especially considering that the leads in that book, Galen and Rowan, are very important secondary characters in this one.
Physician assistant Pierce Parker moves from Atlanta to Boston to start a new life after a bad break up. There she meets Dr. Cassidy Sullivan, a new emergency medicine resident. Their attraction is undeniable but both women have past baggage that might alter their chances of a future together.
I liked the premise of the story but I thought that the execution could have been better. I’ve found two technical issues, first some inconsistencies in Pierce’s behaviour who sometimes acted out of character. The other problem was that sometimes the balance between show and tell tended to be off. Some parts of the story happened “off the page” and were told quickly afterwards.
My other issue with this novel was the author’s story choices. I know that Ms. Smith has been criticised for this in her book ‘Same time next week’ but I can’t comment as I haven’t read it. In ‘First Do No Harm’ part of the storyline wasn’t my cup of tea, especially in the “black moment”, the typical conflict around the 80% mark in romances. I wasn’t convinced by Cassidy’s decisions, they felt a bit like an overreaction and somehow contrived. That’s my perception, I’m not a fan of drama so it might feel different to other readers so I’m giving it the benefit of the doubt.
The audiobook was narrated by Keira Grace who did a very good job. I think her performance made this story much more enjoyable for me than the written words might have. Her pace was perfect, the performance of emotions spot on. As this book has four very important characters, it’s essential that their voices sound differently and Ms. Grace nailed this without problems.
Overall, an OK lesbian medical romance audiobook. 3.5 stars.
