Montana Actually

Starred review from November 10, 2014
In the first Medicine River contemporary, the charismatic little town of Bear Paw, Mont., hosts delightful characters whose interactions feel deep and real. Chicago doctor Josh Stanton decides to knock off some of his huge student loan debt by working in rural Montana. His fiancée declines to relocate to the boonies with him; heartbroken, he swears off lasting relationships. Nurse Katrina McCade returns to her hometown of Bear Paw to lick her wounds after an unhappy affair. Katrina and Josh are poleaxed by mutual lust, and they decide to become lovers with no strings attached—but as they begin confiding details of their lives, feelings change. The plot twists around medical emergencies, a second romance line involving Katrina’s brother, the troubles of a local youth, relationships between parents and children, and former lovers learning to be friends. All these elements contribute to the comfortable feeling of smalltown life. The witty conversations, family drama, and accurate (but never maudlin) descriptions of loss and grief will have the reader laughing out loud, wiping away tears, and eagerly awaiting future books.