Cassandra Bellow has been seriously injured while on search and rescue work in a war zone. Her canine partner was killed when a wall fell on him. Distressed and embittered, she reluctantly arrives for rehab at Heatherglen Clinic in Scotland for a HIGHLAND DOC’S CHRISTMAS RESCUE. The somewhat heavily laden title refers to Dr. Lyle Sinclair, who manages the clinic, and the time of year from mid-November onwards. Wintry weather has already set in and the Christmas decorations and green boughs are being hung. Cassandra’s not in the mood.

This gentle medical romance is first in a series called ‘Pups that Make Miracles’ and we see that a person’s spirit can be just as battered as their body. Heatherglen Clinic offers dog handling therapy to help give patients a sense of purpose and reconnection. But Cassandra doesn’t want another dog, ever again. She can’t even talk to Lyle and his staff about the partner she lost. A stroll in the peace and quiet of the chilly Scots countryside is relaxing for her, and maybe even too cold. Lyle is quite lonely too, though you’d never know it, he keeps so busy.

I found a great deal to like and admire about the characters, and the therapies outlined sound really positive, such as encouraging all patients to dress respectably and come to dinner, and handling friendly dogs that need training. I don’t see a doctor starting a relationship with a patient, though, because that isn’t ethical. Another item is that a stray pup is brought in, and we are not told clearly that this pup is being isolated from the other dogs; he could be carrying worms, parvovirus, distemper, kennel cough.

I enjoyed the story which contains reminders of the difficult and dangerous work that some people do to aid others. Christmas is an understated theme, perhaps because Scotland prefers to celebrate Hogmanay or New Year’s Eve. If you would like to read an unusual medical romance with a modern heroine and a handful of brave dogs, Susan Carlisle has prepared a very interesting read for you. HIGHLAND DOC’S CHRISTMAS RESCUE kept me turning the pages and certainly contains food for thought.