Member Reviews
The Radclyffe world of medical romance is as ever a warm hug of a book. Full of old favourites as well as a new focus on a different pairing. Sure there’s an impossible number of lesbians, but heck it’s fiction so it works for me. The author has the usual attention to detail on all things medical which makes the story realistic. Meanwhile the two leads are rather sweet and engaging. Most enjoyable.
Medical romance with two MCs up for the same competition
Pro:
No unnecessary drama
MCs who feels real and right for each other
Finding out what really matters
Competent medical staff
Nods to previous books
Epilogue
Con:
-
This review is based on NetGalley ARC provided in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion.
Really good fast read. I liked that this is a series of books, and that the author brought in characters from those books to continue their stories. The relationship between Ren and Dani was so cute and sweet. These two were really opposites in personality, but seemed to bring out the best in each other when they got together.Ren was more career driven and intense whereas Dani was more laid back, but could be very career minded as well. I liked that instead of focusing on one story in this book there were actually two stories. I'm glad that we got to read more about Quinn and Honour and there family and friends. I would definitely recommend this book to all my friends and family and I really look forward to what comes next from this author.
As the title would suggest, with this book we’ve got something of a rivalry on our hands. Ren Dunbar is an academic prodigy and social outcast. Dani Chan also feels like an outsider, constantly disappointing her ultra-perfect family. In different bids to “fit in” and achieve a traditional pinnacle of success, both Ren and Dani take aim for the prestigious Franklin Prize in surgery. Romantic - and sexual - tension ensues.
Radclyffe writes fantastic books. They are easy to read, well-paced, with relatable and realistic characters. I find this series particularly fun to read because Radclyffe was a practicing surgeon before turning full time to writing, so the medical storyline reads so well. Her stories tend to be a slow burn with lots of flirting and tension building and a spicy, well-written, realistic payoff at the end. Normally her novels have a strong butch/femme dynamic, which I really like, but this book did not, which honestly was a bit of a bummer personally, but not enough to tank the story. I really enjoyed that the “rivalry” was more of an ambitious respect for another - so, not enemies to lovers but more cranky to inseparable.
Overall, another strong novel by Radcylffe.
Perfect Rivalry introduces us to Ren, a prodigy at PMC hospital and Dani, a hard working surgeon just enjoying life and trying to please her parents with their view of high standard professions, Dani is not living up to in their view.
If you have read past books within the PMC hospital, you will find some old friends and new ones in this story. I was hoping to see Dani more from past books I have read so I was so pleased to find this one tells her story, along with Ren. I wasn't sure if I could relate since Ren is so young (as I said a prodigy), but I just fell for her as her story unfolded. Dani has found her match in Ren, so I found their romance very believable and was enthralled with them all the way. Like many of Radclyffe's stories, you have the action of the ER and surgery environments, to move the story along, but never lose the love story that unfolds within this environment. She brings us rich, well developed characters, and as I said earlier, many old friends that I always love to check in on.
If you are looking for a heartwarming w/w love story with a bit of action thrown in, you will love the story of Ren and Dani as they navigate the world of hospital residents. I also realized something, as I have read all the PMC stories, I kind of equate this environment and the characters Radclyffe has brought us over the years to the TV show Grey's Anatomy, so think of Radclyffe as the Shonda Rhimes of medical storyline books, and I highly recommend reading other PMC stories-thank you again Radclyffe for bring us more from the hollow halls of PMC hospital.
I received an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, but would have written the same opinion if I had come across this author on my own.
To see my Amazon review, it is under CC-great new and old characters at PMC
As always, this was a very well-written addition to an established series by Radclyffe. The characters had chemistry and the way they interacted with one another was so sweet. Ren was a particularly well developed and intriguing character. I really enjoyed their dynamic. The storyline was relatively angst-free and the gaming aspect was a nice angle. I look forward to reading the next book in this series.
Radclyffe is in her element, and as written another beautiful story. This is a part of the PMC Hospital romance Series. The book is very low angst and quite enjoyable. The main characters Ren and Dani were likeable and believable, and I was obsessed with them. It also nice to see characters from the previous books make an appearance (Honor, Quinn and Arly).
4.5 stars, I recommend.
Thanks to the publisher Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley for this ARC.
What I like most with Radclyffe is the fact that she goes back through her book series to see where an update might be called for. This update is Another PMC Hospital Romance. Now we have another story and a chance to catch up with some of the characters that make an appearance throughout the series.
Dani Chan is still trying to make her highly educated family with their impressive careers proud of her. Or even to notice would be nice. Now she’s in her fifth year of training to become a surgeon and one way she thinks might get them to take notice is by winning the ‘Franklin Prize’ given to the best all round surgeon. She’s steered clear of having a relationship, relying on hook-ups when she needs a little down time. Between her studies and keeping up with her friends she just doesn’t have time. That’s until she meets Ren.
Ren Dunbar has decided she wants to be a surgeon like her older sister Sax, a surgeon working in NY city. She’s beyond smart and has finished with each step in her quest making her one of the youngest students in the PMC program. She has never dated and the very idea of having a relationship is scary. Then when Quinn wants her to spend more time in surgery instead of the lab she finds herself drawn to Dani.
Nice romance with some very likable characters. Very enjoyable read.
ARC via NetGalley/ Bold Stroke Books
Radclyffe is as reliable as ever, especially when she returns to characters we've met before, this book no 6 in the PMC series. Of the two main characters, we've met Dani before and through her we meet Ren, a gifted intelligent young woman, whose accelerated education meant that she missed key milestones and so she often feels socially inept. Her struggle to be social, whilst also being very clear what she wants in a relationship, was intriguing and sensitively portrayed. I enjoyed that this was a low angst romance and that we also got to see Honor, Quinn and Arly again. I really enjoy when Radclyffe revisits characters and settings that she has created.
With thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Perfect Rivalry by Radclyffe is a delightful addition to her “PMC Hospital Romances” series. It is exactly the book I’ve been wanting to read.
This is an easy to read, fairly low-angst, feel-good novel set in a universe many of us already know and love from reading earlier books in the series. That means that we also get to see how some of our favorite characters from those earlier stories are doing. This is one of the things I adore about Radclyffe’s series. We not only get to read and connect with a new couple, we also get to visit with other folks we’ve come to know and love. Her books build on the older tales.
In the latest novel, we meet Ren Dunbar and Dani Chan, both fifth year surgical residents at PMC and both vying for the prestigious Franklin Prize in surgery, though for different reasons. The two can’t deny the spark they seem to have together, even though they are competitors for the prize.
This is definitely a character driven novel, though the setting is equally important to the story and the author has done an amazing job with both. The medical/hospital aspect of the tale kept me enthralled. The characters, especially Ren and Dani are easy to connect with. The story will grab your interest and keep you reading until the end. I believe you could read this as a stand-alone novel, but my suggestion would be to read the entire series in order. They are all great stories and well worth your time.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.
4.5 ⭐️
Perfect Rivalry is #6 in the PMC Hospital Romance series and one of the best in this series.
We met Dani Chan as a side character in the previous book, this time she gets her own story. Pressured by her family to finally learn something honorable, like medical research, instead of «just» being a doctor, she sets her sights on winning the Benjamin Franklin Prize in surgery. Maybe then her family will accept her career choice and success. But the competition is challenging.
Ren Dunbar is highly gifted, she graduated med school at the tender age of 19, which is an accomplishment, but always made her an outsider. Some people still don’t take her seriously, because of her young age, and she felt as if she never belonged anywhere. No wonder she loves to be alone in the laboratory at night and do some research. But now she is assigned to surgery rotation and torn out of her feel-good oasis lab. As she has to work with Zoey, Dani's BFF, she inevitably gets to know Dani a little better. Not long and both realize that there is or can be a lot more between them than just rivalry.
I liked the connection Raven, aka Ren, had with her online-buddy Axe, and how they slowly opened up the relationship and became more personal and more caring. Online friendships, like Raven, has with Axe, are not uncommon any more. For many, it's even easier to confide in each other without ever having met in real life. I know what I'm talking about because I've been friends with 9 other women from almost all parts of the world for more than two years. What started as a book club is now like a family, although only some of us have met in real life. But they have become wonderful friends. In addition to my best local friends.
How the relationship between Ren and Dani changes and the rivalry fades more and more into the background to make way for attraction and the potential for more is very nicely told. I liked both women from the beginning, the easy-going yet hard-working Dani with the sunny disposition on one side. And the reserved, rather cautious, but nevertheless convinced of her abilities Ren, who is a bit uncertain in the waters of social interaction. I loved her honesty and wonder. Socializing is not her strong suit, but among other things, that's what makes her charming. It's refreshing to see how honestly and without an ulterior motive she acts with Dani, despite the rivalry. And that's exactly what Dani finds so attractive about Ren.
Although the main focus is on Ren and Dani's relationship, we again experience the hospital atmosphere and the action in the emergency in a typical and fantastic Radclyffe fashion. Always fascinating to witness.
Honor and Quinn, with whom the series began, also make an appearance in the book, and I fall in love with this couple every time I meet them. They are the common thread throughout the series. Radclyffe delivered once more a captivating medical romance with enough hospital action and a, in this case, sweet love story. A very enjoyable book.
A great read about two doctors navigating the intense world of a hospital ER, while starting a relationship.
This book is part of a series about a group of medical staff inside a hospital and their intertwining relationships. I had never read any of the previous books; although this book can definitely be read as a stand alone, I was eager to learn more about the cast of characters revolving around the two main characters as a result. I will definitely seek out the other titles in this series.
The main characters, Ren and Dani, were believable and likeable, and their ever increasing interactions were exciting to read.
Definitely recommend!
Grey's Anatomy but make it queer! (and less angsty!)
Perfect Rivalry is the #6 book in Radclyffe's A PMC Hospital Romance series, but my first one from the author. I'm delighted now to have discovered her and her independent LGBTQ publishing company, Bold Strokes Books.
This story focuses on Dani Chan and Ren Dunbar, highly accomplished doctors who set out to win the Benjamin Franklin award in surgery. Dani, to prove her family that choosing medicine over research was the right choice for her; Ren, to prove herself that she can fit in. At first, it seems as if they have little else in common. But as their instant chemistry pulls them closer, they find out they're more complementary than they thought.
The characters were interesting to follow. Ren is neurodivergent, an advanced/gifted student that makes her the youngest in her program, and inexperienced in relationships. Dani is very sociable, has had many casual relationships, and has a complicated family history. Both of them struggle in their own ways with the idea of having a stable relationship at that point in their careers, especially as they're competing for the same prize. The romance was well done: there's some slow-burn at first, some pining and light angst, but overall it's really wholesome and authentic. The smut is amazing!!
Despite starting at the end of the series, I didn't feel lost for a second. There's enough context given for the characters that it works as a stand-alone book, and characters from other books show up without distracting from the main plot. Likewise with the medical component: some procedures are described in detail, but it didn't feel overwhelming or slow.
Many thanks to Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
(LInks to external reviews to be added soon.)
Delicious medical romance
A great medical romance - tender, hot, soft, focused and a perfect medical backdrop. A delicious read. This is the sixth novel set in the PMC-hospital. With Fated Love radclyffe started out with an near impossible high bar for the perfect medical romance and Perfect Rivalry is an excellent sequel to follow in its (very big) footsteps. I totally loved that this novel is very much character driven. And the characters are very well done and likable. The romance develops organically, some conflicts, low angst. There are quite a few cameos, we get quite a few glimpses e.g. of Quinn and Honor - well done and naturally embedded. The writing is effortless and esp. the end - one of the few weaknesses in some of the last books by radclyffe - is after a baptism by fire unhurried and leasurely rounds up all the story-threats and shows the couple in blissful glory.
Ren is a gifted medical student and is trying for a prize for residents. Her life becomes complicated by Dani who is also going for the prize. Ren only thinks about medicine and surgery and becomes confused when she and Dani develop feelings for one another. The characters are quite good and they have different qualities and outlooks on life. The plot revolves around how to have a relationship. while also learning medicine.
I found the book a good romance and also a look at medicine life in a busy hospital. I recommend this book for romance readers
I received this book as an ARC from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
No one really writes medical romance like Radclyffe. Perfect Rivalry is book number 6 in the PMC Hospital Romance series and centres around Ren and Dani, two doctors who share a love of gaming and find themselves in the running for the same medical award.
The chemestry is sweet, and the dialogue authentic. Reading along as these two fall in love is a nice way to spend a few hours.
Perfect Rivalry is a low angst romance with a superb cast of supporting characters, who make appearances from the previous books, and it's really easy to imagine this as a hit TV series (ah, a girl could wish;)
Radclyffe has delivered another powerful page turner, and hopefully this isn't the end of the PMC series.
I received an ARC from the publisher, Bold Strokes Books through Netgalley for my honest review.
‘Perfect Rivalry’ by Radclyffe is a hospital drama/romance, set in the Pennsylvania medical centre. This is the seventh book in this series, and I really enjoyed this book. One thing I enjoy when reading a series. I love and get so involved in hearing about past characters, to see how they grow within the set of books. The seventh book revolves around Dani chan and Ren Dunbar. We watch how the pair go from being completely distant, work orientated, to watching a romance appear within the story. Both characters are pleasant enough, I preferred Dani more to Ren, I felt she had more character, more charm.
All in all ‘perfect Rivelary is another solid book by Radclyffe in this hospital drama /romance series.
I've given it 3.7/5
Thanks to NetGalley and Bold Stroke Books for an egalley in exchange for an honest review.
A new to me author and a new to me book publishing company. This is also my first romance novel where the story is a women loving women romance( I am wholeheartedly using the title deliberately as it was the title of a Goodreads list where I first became aware of this book). I enjoyed all of the characters and while I was reading the sixth book in the series, I didn't feel lost for one moment.
Ren and Dani were wonderful characters and I thought their romance was sweet and realistic as they try to balance their lives as doctors in a very competitive program. I also really enjoyed Quinn and Honor and their daughter Arly and I would love to read more about them. Usually when reading romance novels I cringe at the passionate scenes between the male and female characters. I didn't feel the same way in this novel. Maybe because instead of flowery language, it was pretty straightforward. I will certainly keep an eye out for future titles.
Goodreads review published 30/04/22
Expected Publication Date 10/05/22
Even though the title is Perfect Rivalry, it did not really got in the way of the romance.
If you did not read the other books of this series, you might want to read them first, so you can know about the other characters in them.
I usually like Radclyffe writings and she has a bunch of dedicated readers, one can always be entertained by her books.
Ren was a nice surprise, it is not easy not to be on the neurotypical pattern and the author brought it to her book when she gave life to Ren.
Radclyffe is a gifted author, so I was looking forward to Perfect Rivalry.
Perfect Rivalry is in the series, so perhaps you might recognize supporting characters like Quinn & Honor from the romance novel "Fated Love" (I highly recommend "Fated Love" as well).
Ren and Dani are both medical students both competing for a prestigious scientific award and to some degree, although lightly touched on, some additional surgical training opportunities.
Ren, is Sinclair's sister. You can find Sinclair and June's love story in another novel. Like Sinclair, Ren has a high IQ, but not a lot of confidence in social settings. Dani ,on the other hand, is not only a top surgical resident, but also loves interacting with people.
Ren is given the assignment to start doing more in patient care, aka, being a surgical resident interacting with medical staff and patients. Ren has to become out of her shell to face the emotional aspects of communication and interacting with others. Dani is given the assignment to guide Ren on entering a leadership role over other surgical residents. Over the course of the book Dani starts to purse Ren, and Ren has to navigate her own emotions, or lack of them, and start to open her heart. Ren is shy, but she is also so intelligent. And that high IQ is what kept her from connecting to her own emotions. Dani pursues Ren, and as Ren opens up to herself, she finds out that she is capable to feel love and be loved.
Perfect Rivalry is terrific and the book is a great read.