Bachelorette Number Twelve by Jae is a sweet, medical rom-com that will admit you to its pages and not discharge you until the end.
Dr Regina Novak is not interested in relationships of any kind in or out of her hospital workplace. She doesn’t get involved in gossip and certainly will not get coerced into any silly shenanigans. So why is she volunteering for the singles auction again? oh right, the children that’s why- all proceeds go to the pediatric cardiac program, she can do that.
Ellie is the heart of the hospital; everyone likes her, and she likes everyone. Well, almost everyone. Dr Regina Novak is the one exception. With her arrogant god complex Ellie just can’t seem to like her. Sure, she’s hot, objectively speaking, but she’s also icy, standoffish, and well, arrogant (Ellie wishes her libido would get the message).
When Ellie attends the singles auction to support the hospital, firstly she’s more than surprised to see Dr McIcy on the stage. Then she’s in shock to find out she’s the winning bidder of the McIcy package- she wasn’t meant to bid, and did she even have her paddle in her hand?
The mutual dislike is evident, but they decide to go through with the dates in the name of charity. As each date unfolds, defenses are lowered, fun is had, and just maybe that mutual dislike is not at all as it seems.
Writing
Rachel: What more can be said about Jae’s writing that hasn’t already been said? She is brilliant, and the writing in this book is some of her best work. Her ability to seamlessly weave witty dialogue, heartfelt emotions, and descriptive scenes together is magical. Bachelorette Number Twelve is a rom-com and Jae has displayed her talent for writing about subjects that could be hard going by throwing in a lot of funny moments and giving us a sweet, swoony romance to cherish.
Jenna: I completely agree, Rach. As I was reading, I vacillated between reading as fast as I could (because I needed to know how it was going to shake out) and slowing down because I wanted to savor every moment. The witty banter and heartfelt conversations make the dialogue some of the best I’ve read in a long time. The tough subjects that could have bogged the story down with added drama and angst were indeed handled perfectly with the sweet and swoony paired with funny moments.
Pros And My Favourite Parts
Rachel: Bachelorette Number Twelve is EVERYTHING you want from a rom-com. From start to finish, I snorted, giggled, and laughed out loud. I picked it up to start reading and got so hooked that I canceled my plans for the evening and stayed home to read. It is just that good and addictive, we might need to start a help group! The romance is gorgeous and deliciously slow to build, and the characters will take up residence in your heart and refuse to leave.
Jenna: I vaguely remember you staying up until all hours of the night to finish this book, right Rach? I was captivated from the first moment when Regina gave Ellie grief for standing on a chair in the Emergency Department to hang a strand of paper hearts. Normally when a book is this slow burn, I tend to get annoyed with the glacial pace. But here, Jae has taken the time to develop the characters and their story in such a perfect way that I was hanging on her every word. The growth of the characters is something that will stick with me for a long time. Rach, I have a question for you. You are our resident ice queen expert, does Regina qualify as an ice queen in your opinion?
Rachel: “I vaguely remember you staying up until all hours of the night to finish this book, right Rach?” that would be correct, I couldn’t put it down no matter how much my eyes burned.
“You are our resident ice queen expert, does Regina qualify as an ice queen in your opinion?” this seems to be my reputation. Does reading all the ice queen books qualify me, if yes Then I’ll take it!
The answer to this question is yes. She is an ice queen, however, she’s a different sort. Most ice queens are highly femme and tend to hide behind their designer suits, dresses, heels, and makeup as if they were armor. Not Regina she is so confident about her ability and about the person she is that she doesn’t need it. Having said that she is always impeccably dressed, even in her scrubs. She has high impenetrable walls, a sense that she needs no one to validate who she is, she’s standoffish and aloof, plus she has enough glares and cutting remarks to (and I quote) ‘save all the glaciers in Antarctica’. She is possibly the most arrogant ice queen to date. It is no surprise that I adore her, she had my eyes misty on more than one occasion, I’m a sucker for an ice queen who is hurting. She’s a brilliant character who melts slowly, and when those walls finally come crashing down, my god is it a sight to see. I love that Jae has given us a new type of ice queen to worship. Her backstory is amazing and sad, I just wanted to hug her, although I’m pretty sure that would result in me getting frostbite.
Jenna: Thanks, Rach! I, too, appreciate Jae gifting us with this new type of ice queen. As I mentally scroll through everything I know about Regina, I have to say, that despite her abrasiveness, inflexibility, and arrogance, I was drawn to her from the first moment. That arrogance and swagger with those impenetrable walls, while off-putting, hints at the depth of her character. And her character arc is something special. She is something special and I enjoyed being front and center for her growth and development. Now, Rach, let’s talk about Ellie.
Rachel: Ellie is Divine. All that fire and compassion make her a character for readers to instantly like. She is the girl next door character yet not overly sweet. She stands up for herself and others and will speak up if needed. She is not afraid to tell Regina what she thinks and doesn’t shy away from hard topics or situations. She is respectful, thoughtful, and kind. I really like her and think she is the perfect counterpart for Dr McIcy. How about you Jenna, why do you think of all people, Ellie was the one to ‘melt’ the elusive Dr Regina Novak?
Jenna: I think Ellie was the perfect person to “melt” McIcy! Ellie is thoughtful, patient, and compassionate. She’s also not afraid to go toe-to-toe with Regina. On multiple occasions, she stood up for herself when Regina did or said something hurtful. She didn’t shy away from asking the hard questions and helping to hold the proverbial mirror in front of Regina’s face. Her feelings of inadequacy surrounding dropping out of med school despite her being an incredible nurse played a major part in her willingness to not back down from the difficult times with Regina. I think Ellie’s just a fantastic human and all who come into her orbit are made better by their (sometimes brief) connection with her.
Jenna: The relationship Ellie has with her sister, Vickie is not only entertaining but is an essential piece of Ellie. Vickie’s support and protectiveness and their interactions because of that are funny, infuriating, and heartwarming. Their dog Wally is the sweetest little guy who has a paw in helping to melt some of Regina’s ice.
Rachel: Yes. I loved the cast of extras. As well as those you have mentioned, there is a cast of colleagues who work in the hospital that contributed to the wit and fun that this story gives in spades. Also am I the only one that would love to know more about Caitlin and Mica?
Jenna: Yes! I definitely would love to hear more about Caitlin, Mica, and Riley!
Heads Up
Undealt with trauma from a family member who suffered from drug addiction and died. However, as this story is a rom-com it is not heavy and it is explored with respect.
The Conclusion
Rachel: Bachelorette Number Twelve is a fun, sweet, rom-com. It has two beautiful main characters who have depth and lovely character arcs. Both Regina and Ellie are living under a misconception that past decisions mean they must prove themselves. Regina does it by building her already high icy walls even higher, not letting people get close, and ensuring that she never does anything that will make anyone question her. Ellie can be defensive, she needs people to see that she is good enough, never less than. She is out to prove that she is the best nurse she can be (and she is) while she is warm and friendly, she is not prepared to have anyone make her feel unworthy.
Jenna: I’m blown away by how much I thoroughly enjoyed Bachelorette Number Twelve. To me, Jae took incredible care when creating Regina, and Ellie, their pasts, and their present as every detail (even seemingly minuscule) seems to be specifically chosen for a purpose. Both Ellie and Regina experience growth as their past misconceptions are cleared to allow light and positivity into their lives. The dialogue is engaging and humor is seamlessly woven with the serious to make an unforgettable journey. The romance between Ellie and Regina is a perfectly paced slow burn and oh-so-lovely! It’s been a while since I’ve read a book where accidental touches cause such sizzles to run through the mains at multiple times throughout the book. It’s on my re-read pile and I can already tell that this will be one of the best books I read in 2024!
Rachel: Same Jenna, it has gone straight to my best of 2024 list. This is a must-read for me. It’s lovely, light, and fluffy, with a deep story running through it for both characters. I laughed, giggled, snorted, and had misty eyes more than once. Once I started reading, I couldn’t stop. I savored every page. The romance is swoony and filled with sexual tension. It really does have everything you need to escape reality and immerse yourself in the fictional world.
Excerpt from Bachelorette Number Twelve by Jae
Ellie stood on her tiptoes on top of the ugliest orange plastic chair she’d ever laid eyes on, stretching to the right as far as she could, when a pair of sneakers squeaked to an abrupt stop behind her.
“That better be a workplace safety demonstration on what not to do,” a cool voice cut through the background noise in the emergency department. It drowned out the steady beep of cardiac monitors, a ringing phone, and loud coughing from one of the treatment cubicles.
Ellie dropped to her heels and glanced over her shoulder.
Dr. Regina Novak loomed in front of her, athletic arms folded across her blue scrub top and her full lips compressed into a disapproving line. “This”—she jerked her chin in the direction of Ellie’s feet on the chair—“is exactly how many of our patients end up in the ED.”
She was right. Of course Ellie knew that. But the doctor’s superior tone grated on her nerves. One of the reasons she enjoyed being an ED nurse was that emergency physicians tended to be more laid-back, not as abrasive and arrogant as some of the surgeons.
Clearly, Dr. Regina Novak was the exception. She was all the stereotypes about doctors with God complexes rolled into one five-foot-ten package—an admittedly gorgeous package, but that was beside the point. She had rubbed Ellie the wrong way ever since Dr. Novak’s first day as a new attending at Campbell Medical Center, and every interaction in the seven months since had only cemented that first impression.
“I’ll be right down. I just need to…” Ellie stretched to her right again and pinned the end of the string to the wall. “There. All done.”
Dr. Novak squinted at the string of paper hearts as if Ellie had fixed alien artifacts to the wall. “What is that?”
Ellie gazed down at her from on top of the chair. Was it childish that she enjoyed being able to look down at the tall doctor for once? Reluctantly, she jumped down. “Paper hearts,” she said with what she hoped to be a disarming smile.
“I can see that.” Dr. Novak gripped the lanyard that held her hospital ID as if she wanted to strangle Ellie with it. “I mean, why are you putting that up here?”
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Series: Heart-to-Heart Medical Series
Bachelorette Number Twelve
Bits and Bobs
ISBN number: There isn’t a paperback listed on Amazon yet.
Publisher: Ylva Publishing
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