I truly enjoy catching these back list titles from Independent publisher Ylva Publishing. They remind me how there's so much put there to read, but so little time.

Major Surgery by Lola Keely is the quintessential enemies to lovers, medical drama for those who miss the hey days of Grey's Anatomy. Truly good time.

Thank you to Ylva Publishing and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

I enjoyed this book two very strong characters from different back grounds trying to make things better. I found the story good and interesting. Obviously very medically minded but highly enjoyable. Thank you for advanced copy.

I am not giving this a public review because I did not finish it. I found the writing stilted and the characters forced. I'm grateful to NetGalley for the chance to read it and look forward to more from this publish company.

Cassie & Veronica, two very strong and independent doctors, leaders in their respective fields, meet at work and try to deny their attraction. Add a dash if mystery in the form of Deputy CEO Travers who is up to no good with the Hospital’s budgets, and the lovable paramedic Alan who befriends Cassie and provides lightness to the story, and you hae a very enjoyable read.

As Cassie & Veronica grow closer professionally and personally, sparks fly and they can’t deny their attraction to each other any longer. But will they be able to stand the scrutiny of a work romance?

An enjoyable book with a coherent story. The MC’s are a little icey but that is to be expected given their chosen careers and responsibilities. I did find it hard to align with them at first, however they do melt throughout the story and show their true personalities.

If you have a medical background, you might find this book more engaging than I did. As an education major, I was constantly looking up medical terms, but eventually, I stopped because it felt like too much work.

The romance had potential at first. The author set up a good rivals-to-lovers dynamic (though it wasn’t quite enemies as advertised, definitely rivals), and their initial tension was fun to read. However, after about 25ish%, I found myself losing interest.

Once the couple got together, the relationship just fell flat. It wasn’t that they broke up—it just lost its spark, and the story shifted focus in a way that didn’t hold my attention.

There were also quite a few typos, so it could definitely use another round of proofreading.

This is definitely not my usual genre but I like a break from crime and thrillers every now and again so I went searching some other categories on @netgalley and stumbled across this title. I love Grey’s anatomy and was interested in a story about surgeons so dived in but I was a little underwhelmed with the storyline and the first 75% of the story I was waiting for something to happen- then when it did it picked up slightly but not enough to save the story! Romance lovers will enjoy this but it wasn’t for me!

I really enjoyed this book! I was honestly a little sad to let these characters go after I finished. Definitely worth a read!

Major Cassie Taylor has just traded in her military surgeon career for a civilian post as Head of Trauma at St. Sophia hospital. She instantly butts heads with Veronica Mallick, a no nonsense by-the-book surgeon with career aspirations. As the two of them try to learn to work together, sparks can't help but fly.

I really enjoyed the hospital setting, and the light political references to the NHS and bureaucracy. I genuinely liked the characters and was rooting for them from start to finish. A bit of an enemies to lovers vibe, which is handled deftly by Keeley.

Recommended if you like medical dramas and strong women!

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

the first time veronica saw cassie when she was astride a patient rushing into surgery..... and though it wasnt proper procedure she was allowed to do the life saving surgery

but cassie was up the job that veronicas protégé was up for.... and veronica wanted him to get the position

when cassie became head of surgery it was just another thing to annoy veronica

what she hadnt expected was how well the both performed in surgeries together...

not a bad storyline with plenty of intrigue to keep you reading right to the end....

So I've found my romance niche, and it's Lesbians With Interesting Jobs. I very much enjoyed the first WLW romance I tried from Lola Keeley and Ylva Publishing, Slammed, but I think Major Surgery is even better. This one stars two high-flying surgeons working in trauma and acute care in a major London hospital. Veronica is a no-nonsense, ambitious department head with a penchant for red wine. Cassie is an army major whose worked as a battlefield surgeon and is now returning to civilian medicine.* Major Surgery starts more slowly than Slammed, but the pacing builds very effectively, and its shorter length felt just right. The chemistry between Veronica and Cassie is palpable, and Keeley writes a convincing slow-burn that doesn't rely on stupid misunderstandings. Because I'm a medical/hospital bureaucracy geek, I'd actually have liked more of the financial mismanagement plot, which emerges quite abruptly in the second half of the novel. But otherwise, no notes, and you can bet I'm going to read Keeley's The Music and the Mirror, which is lesbians + ballet.

*I'm sure I wasn't the only one getting Berena vibes here. This feels like a deliberate homage to my favourite ever Holby City couple - especially when we get another sneaky reference to a terrifying female surgeon who works in cardio.

I enjoyed the story and the humor injected by the characters, but the character chemistry left a lot to be desired as well as the financial aspect of the story. 3 stars

I received an ARC from Ylva Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Another solid read from Lola Keeley
The opening scene of the story is unlike anything I've ever read; the first impression each of the main characters make is truly illuminating to say the least. There is no shortage of hospital or medical based romances on the market (even in lesfic) but this one distinguishes itself from the rest by being set in London, within the NHS (UK health care system), and using British vocabulary and medical lingo/procedures so the reader always knows this isn't an American story in any way. It's clearly written by one who lives in London and does not resort to contriving ways to insert famous landmarks into the story in order to give non-locals a frame of reference or sense of familiarity with the setting. What is familiar are the complex relationships between characters and the skill with which they've been written. Add to that an ex-military doctor, mixed race romance, shady dealings in the hospital along with the usual workplace gossip and drama, a stark depiction of harassment of people of color by the police and issues faced by illegal immigrants when it comes to health care, and the result is another solid read from author Lola Keeley.
The story is full of dry wit and sarcasm in the dialogue which had me laughing frequently out loud. Aside from the comedic moments, the romance unfolds in an interesting way and a hospital intrigue subplot rounds out the daily events for the medical staff. There is rarely a dull moment for any of the characters or the reader. Cassie and Veronica have explosive rapport but not always in the way you'd expect them to have if their relationship turns romantic; I appreciated that their differences were subtle aside from one having a military background, and that both are professional equals so there is no imbalance there. The ending is a good one that makes perfect sense and with all plot threads tied up neatly; a followup story feels possible but not a certainty. Special mention to the editor of the story for the great job done in that regard. I had been eagerly waiting for this second book from the author after loving The Music and the Mirror; it still remains my favorite by the author so far. While reading Major Surgery, I found myself stopping at the end of a chapter or series of chapters and being okay with the break from reading rather than wishing I could continue reading, but am not sure why that occurred. I still recommend Major Surgery though for the topics it covers, the humor it delivers and the entertaining story it tells in multiple plot lines, and look forward to reading more by this author in the future.
I received an advance reading copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
(Reviewed February 8, 2019)

I really enjoyed this! Nice and easy read, I enjoyed the fact there was also a plot to the story and the fact they got to deal with their jobs as well as finding each other. It was a cute read and I will be looking into this author more.