Monday, January 16, 2012

L.A. Metro by RJ Nolan


Publisher:      L-Book

Kimberly Donovan and Jess McKenna know about betrayal.  Kim was forced to leave her last position at a hospital when false accusations were made against her and her closeted lover refused to support her.  She comes to LA Metro hoping to start over and that her past won't follow her.  Jess McKenna, the chief of LA Metro's ER, is an emotionally closed off workaholic who uses her icy reputation to cover her inability to make a relationship work with another woman.  Jess limits her personal contacts to her sister and her Great Dane Thor.  If not totally satisfying, that has kept her from being hurt again.

Kim is a unique individual though.  Her positive attitude and her willingness to volunteer to be the psychiatric resident in the ER wins over everyone, including a very reluctant Jess.  Slowly they develop a friendship, which is where they both swear they're going to keep the relationship, but it's not to be.  Secretly, each woman wants to pursue something deeper, but neither of them is sure she can open up enough for that, especially Jess.  Each one has made such poor choices in the past that she's not sure she can trust her instincts for the future.

RJ Nolan's ability to develop characters and create plots is showing improvement in each book that she produces.  L.A. Metro is her most complex novel to date.  Underneath the typical romance is a story about how damaging relationships can be and also how they can heal.  Kim shows the same patience building a bridge to Jess that she shows in building bridges between the departments in the hospital.  The struggle that Jess goes through with her intimacy issues is extremely realistic and touching.  These are mature women who deal with situations in a mature manner.  Everything isn't perfect in their world, but they deal with it.  It's nice to read a story where relationships develop gradually, plus confront and deal with real situations.

L.A. Metro is an entertaining story.  Nolan's fans of her previous books won't be disappointed.

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