Once A Good Girl by Wendy S. Marcus


Reviewed by Maria

Victoria Forley was ONCE A GOOD GIRL. A brilliant student, she seemed destined for medical school. Until she went and fell for Madrin Falls' bad boy Kyle Karlinsky. Their one and only sexual encounter changed both their lives forever. Kyle got out of town in order to escape conviction for a trumped up rape charge. Victoria, left behind to face the music, suffered the humiliation of being a teenage single mother, disowned by her self-righteous father for refusing to abort her baby. Sacrificing her dream of medical school and pursuing a career in nursing, she faced the world alone with her son. Meanwhile, almost coming to grief in a near fatal accident, Kyle found himself among kind friends who supported him through college to get his PhD in physical therapy. That's how he ended up as Dr. Kyle Karlinsky while she was the head nurse of her unit in Madrin Falls Memorial Hospital. Intrigued? That's just the back story.

This book, however, is more than just a reunion story. It's the story of a woman who came through a difficult childhood with a rather bad case of claustrophobia. So much so that even bearing the weight of a lover in bed can set off a panic attack. For years, she's lived her love life vicariously, reading romance instead of experiencing it. An understanding partner could help her to get over her phobia. Is Kyle up to the job? Victoria is ambitious and aims to reach the top of her profession. Is her ideal match the hotshot eligible bachelor doctor who's gathering acclaim? Would a man like Kyle, who marches to the beat of his own drum with his 'rules are made to be broken' attitude cramp her style and put her dreams in jeopardy?

This book doesn't shy away from sexual issues and deals with them in a manner which is both frank and compassionate. There is none of the 'show and tell' titillation of erotica, nor the lush violin soaked language of the more coy contemporary romances. The word which struck me about the sexual description was 'clinical', but to use that word would do the book an injustice because it implies something cold and sterile, which this story most certainly is not. It is one hundred and eighty pages packed with warmth and humanity. Category romance with it's ability to take the reader out of her everyday life and give her an emotional experience with a guaranteed satisfactory ending. Yet it reads like mainstream literature.

I hope this wonderful story sells and sells. It certainly deserves to.

Return to Romance Book Haven



.........~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~...............


Reviewed by Desere

Once a good girl by Wendy Marcus is the story of prim and proper Victoria. She has worked exceptionally hard to achiever her current position and upcoming promotion, and in between all this she has cared for and looked after her 8 years old son.

The son she had at the age of 17 ! She was left alone and pregnant by the one man she believed loved her, he was gone without a trace in nothing more than a heartbeat. Now 9 years later that very man is back and he is still the only man that can really get Victoria 's heart beating faster than a racecar blazing down a racetrack. Kyle however does not understand why all those years ago did Victoria accuse him of rape causing having to leave town and never see her again,did she want to raise their child alone ?

Victoria is determined not to let Kyle get to her or her son for that matter,but she is also very determined to conceal her deepest secret of all especially from Kyle.

Kyle however is not the I just give up and run kind of guy anymore he has grown up and is ready to face his responsibilities and he will stop at nothing to make Victoria see that he is back and not planing on going anywhere ever again he wants her and their son and he will have them both !

This book was absolutely brilliant , written with passion and such a shocking twist that I did not see coming ! I loved and enjoyed ever single second of it. The author's unique and creative style of writing was truly reflected in a more than just hint manner. The book is the second in a set of three intriguing stories of three best friends and nurses by the brilliant Wendy Marcus and without a doubt I can say we all are waiting to see what she dreams up next.

5/5 stars !

Return to Romance Book Haven

Return to Reviews

...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~...


Reviewed by Nas

ONCE A GOOD GIRL by author Wendy S Marcus is a Mills & Boon Medical December 2011 release in UK and Harlequin Medical January 2011 release in NA.



Victoria Forley was a single mum and after lot of struggle was now on her way to her dream job of Director of Nursing at Madrin Memorial Hospital. She had worked hard for her promotion but will the appearance of the town’s bad boy, Kyle Karlinsky change that? After all Kyle was the father of her son Jake and he had left town the same day she lost her virginity to him!


Does he expect to walk back in her life and just take off where he left off? Isn’t he nine years too late for that? And she realized he was the Dr.K everyone was talking about!



When Kyle comes face to face with his son, he realizes the sacrifices Victoria must have made to bring up his son. How she must have stood up to her strict father at seventeen just to have the baby. Kyle realizes he never stopped loving her. But would Victoria see the man behind the previous betrayal she felt, and let the attraction she feels for him now grow? Because meeting Kyle was like coming out of deep freeze after nine years! And Kyle aims to make her crave him like he craved her. Once he accomplishes that then he’ll go for her heart!


ONCE A GOOD GIRL is a beguiling romance that tugged at my heartstring and kept me on the edge of my seat. A fabulous teenage story is depicted of illicit attraction, forbidden passion and the healing power of love in adulthood.


Wendy S Marcus’s has written this tale with such depth, sensitivity and heart that readers will not be able to resist devouring this romance amid all the medical drama in a single sitting. The witty dialogue and the mesmerizing emotions will keep the reader glued to the pages.
Buy Links