St Piran's: The Brooding Heart Surgeon. Alison Roberts

       Welcome to the world of St Piran’s Hospital—

      Next to the rugged shores of Penhally Bay lies the picturesque Cornish town of St Piran, where you’ll find a bustling hospital famed for the dedication, talent and passion of its staff—on and off the wards!

      Under the warmth of the Cornish sun, Italian doctors, heart surgeons and playboy princes discover that romance blossoms in the most unlikely of places …

      You’ll also meet the devilishly handsome Dr Josh O’Hara and the beautiful, fragile Megan Phillips … and discover the secret that tore these star-crossed lovers apart.

       Turn the page to step into St Piran’s— where every drama has a dreamy doctor … and a happy ending.

       Dear Reader

      Many years ago I was lucky enough to visit Cornwall, and I absolutely loved it.

      The contrast between the sandy coves and the coast, where the surf crashes onto wild rocks. The stretches of rugged farmland and the villages with gorgeous old cottages. The Cornish cream teas … mmm.

      I’ve always wanted to go back, and the invitation to be part of the St Piran’s Hospital series was irresistible. Not only could I revisit—at least in my imagination— the physical setting, I could get to know the people I’d already enjoyed meeting in Penhally a whole lot better.

      Best of all, I got a really tortured hero. I’ve never had one quite as dark as my Luke, but it was amazingly easy to fall in love with him. Just like Anna does.

      I hope you do, too.

      Happy reading!

      Love

       Alison

       ST PIRAN’S HOSPITAL

       Where every drama has a dreamy doctor … and a happy ending.

       In December we gave you the first two St Piran’s stories in one month!

      Nick Tremayne and Kate Althorp finally got their happy-ever-after in: ST PIRAN’S: THE WEDDING OF THE YEAR by Caroline Anderson

      Dr Izzy Bailey was swept off her feet by sexy Spaniard Diego Ramirez: ST PIRAN’S: RESCUING PREGNANT CINDERELLA by Carol Marinelli

      In January the arrival of sizzlingly hot Italian neurosurgeon Giovanni Corezzi was enough to make any woman forget the cold! ST PIRAN’S: ITALIAN SURGEON, FORBIDDEN BRIDE by Margaret McDonagh

      Last month daredevil doc William MacNeil unexpectedly discovered he was a father in: ST PIRAN’S: DAREDEVIL, DOCTOR … DAD! by Anne Fraser

      And this month the new heart surgeon has everyone’s pulses racing in: ST PIRAN’S: HER BROODING HEART SURGEON by Alison Roberts

      Fireman Tom Nicholson steals Flora Loveday’s heart in April ST PIRAN’S: THE FIREMAN AND NURSE LOVEDAY by Kate Hardy

      Newborn twins could just bring a May marriage miracle for Brianna and Connor Taylor ST PIRAN’S: TINY MIRACLE TWINS by Maggie Kingsley

      And playboy Prince Alessandro Cavalieri honours St Piran’s with a visit in June ST PIRAN’S: PRINCE ON THE CHILDREN’S WARD by Sarah Morgan

      About the Author

      ALISON ROBERTS lives in Christchurch, New Zealand. She began her working career as a primary school teacher, but now juggles available working hours between writing and active duty as an ambulance officer. Throwing in a large dose of parenting, housework, gardening and pet-minding keeps life busy, and teenage daughter Becky is responsible for an increasing number of days spent on equestrian pursuits. Finding time for everything can be a challenge, but the rewards make the effort more than worthwhile.

       Recent titles by the same author:

THE MARRY-ME WISH*

      WISHING FOR A MIRACLE*

      NURSE, NANNY … BRIDE!

      HOT-SHOT SURGEON, CINDERELLA BRIDE

      THE ITALIAN SURGEON’S CHRISTMAS MIRACLE

* Part of the Baby Gift collection

      ST PIRAN’S:

       THE BROODING HEART SURGEON

      BY

       ALISON ROBERTS

      

      

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      CHAPTER ONE

      IF LOOKS could kill, Luke Davenport would be a dead man.

      Dr Anna Bartlett had finally deigned to join him in Theatre for her assigned job of assisting him in a potentially complicated procedure, and she was clearly less than impressed that he had decided to go ahead without her.

      Sure, he’d received a message while reviewing his patient’s notes that she was caught up in the emergency department of St Piran’s hospital with a chest trauma case requiring a thoracotomy and would therefore be late, but what had she expected? That he would delay the case until she arrived? This patient had already had to wait longer than he should have for his surgery. In any case, if the patient in Emergency survived the aggressive procedure to try and stabilise him, Dr Bartlett would be the only person available to take them to another theatre and that left Luke in precisely the same place— having to find someone else to assist him in surgery. Thankfully, this wasn’t that difficult given the talented staff this hospital could boast, and paediatric cardiac surgeon James Alexander had been available and only too willing to assist the returning head of department.

      James had joined the staff in the eighteen months Luke had been away. He was not only settled in the area but married to Charlotte, a senior registrar in the cardiology department. Just one of a countless number of changes. So many it was hard for Luke to imagine he’d once been a part of all this. It was frightening how one’s world could change in a heartbeat.

      Like Luke’s had done when the news of his younger brother’s death had rocked the seemingly solid foundations of his life and prompted the radical decision to join a military medical unit. Nothing would ever be the same and yet here he was, trying to pick up the pieces of his old life.

      If it felt wrong to him, it was no wonder he was an unwelcome disturbance in Anna Bartlett’s world. She’d had enough time to become part of this medical community. To stake a claim and make this department her own. Maybe that was the real reason for the resentment he could detect. That he was in charge again.

      It would be a bit of a blow to anyone’s ego, wouldn’t it, being bumped from a position as top dog? Everybody had known that his replacement was temporary but nobody had expected him to return so abruptly. Maybe Anna had secretly thought he might never return from Iraq. To add insult to injury, it wasn’t the first time Luke had taken the position from her. He’d been the winner three years ago when he’d been chosen over her for the prestigious role of head of St Piran’s specialist heart surgery unit.

      Yes. That could well explain the death glare he’d caught from over the top of the mask as Anna had finally entered the theatre. She stood