The Mechanic MD (1)

About the Book

Book: The Mechanic & the MD

Author: Linda Shenton Matchett

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: May 15, 2020

MechanicandMD ebook jpg All’s fair in love and war. Or so they say.

High school and college were a nightmare for Doris Strealer and being an adult isn’t much better. Men won’t date a woman of her height, and they don’t understand her desire to repair car engines rather than work as a nurse or a teacher. When her father’s garage closes, and no one will hire a female mechanic, she joins the Red Cross Motor Corps, finally feeling at home. Until she comes face to face with her past in the form of Ronald McCann, the most popular boy in school.

On the brink of a successful career as a surgeon, Ron’s plans crumble when he’s drafted and assigned to an evacuation hospital in England, the last place he expects to run into a former schoolmate. The gangly tomboy who was four years behind him in high school has transformed into a statuesque beauty, but a broken engagement in college leaves him with no desire to risk his heart ever again.

Will the hazards of war make or break a romance between this unlikely couple?

My Thoughts:

This was a really well written WWII romance. I enjoyed the authors writing style and how she shows women’s actions in the war. The romance was good and clean. I loved Doris, her attitude was great and I just related with her as a character.

I loved Doris' and Ronald's interactions. Their chemistry is good. I truly just love this look at women in war. I hadn't considered it a lot until recently. It was an engrossing book that I enjoyed and actually learned some from.

4/5

Thank you to the author/publisher for the review copy of this book via Celebrate Lit. I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Linda Matchett Head Shot (1) Linda Shenton Matchettwrites about ordinary people who did extraordinary things in days gone by. A volunteer docent and archivist for the Wright Museum of WWII, Linda is a former trustee for her local public library. She is a native of Baltimore, Maryland and was born a stone’s throw from Fort McHenry. Linda has lived in historic places all her life, and is now located in central New Hampshire where her favorite activities include exploring historic sites and immersing herself in the imaginary worlds created by other authors.

More from Linda

As a former human resources professional I am fascinated by the history of women in the workplace. The WWII is especially intriguing because not only did women enter the workforce, but they took jobs previously only held by men. And they proved themselves up to the task.

Because of my background, one of the first things I do when devising a story is to determine the protagonist’s job, and I love putting her into an unusual situation. My heroines have been mercantile owners, gold prospectors, spies, war correspondents, photographers, and pilots. In The Mechanic & The MD, Doris Strealer is…you guessed it…a mechanic.

I learned early on that I am NOT mechanically inclined. Newly married with not a lot of extra cash, my husband and I decided we would perform our own car maintenance. My husband grew up helping his dad, so he had lots of experience. How hard could it be?

For me, apparently very difficult. My first (and only) attempt to change the oil ended with my face and hands covered in black muck and a hole in the filter (don’t ask!). I determined I’m better at holding the flashlight or performing other assistant-type duties.

As it turns out, that wasn’t the case for Britain’s future Queen Elizabeth who became the first female member of the British royal family to become an active duty member of the Armed Forces when she joined the Auxiliary Territory Service. She underwent a six-week auto mechanic training course and learned how to deconstruct, repair, and rebuild engines, change tires, and drive every type of vehicle she worked on including jeeps, trucks, and ambulances.

When I learned of her service, I was intrigued, and the idea for The Mechanic & The MD was born.

I hope you enjoy Doris’s story, my effort to honor the men and women who served during this difficult period in history.