"Heart warming story of love in a small town"

When a pregnant woman in labor and her two small children show up at his door, Dr. Ryan Logan takes charge of the situation with his usual calm and competent manner. When he delivers the skinny, scrappy young woman's new daughter, a premonition tells him that his life has just changed. The woman, Maddie Kincaid, reluctantly tells him she is a widow and she and the kids are homeless and destitute. Ryan feels responsible for them in some way, so he offers them a temporary place to stay until Maddie can get back on her feet. He lives alone in a large old house, and is always on call to his patients in his small rural town of Haven, Oklahoma, so he is away more often than he is at home. He fights his attraction to Maddie- he knows from experience that he can't offer a woman what she needs because he is already married to his work.

Maddie accepts his offer of help, but immediately sets out to find ways to repay him for his kindness. Soon she has taken over the cooking and begins to help out in his office. Meanwhile, it seems as if the whole town has adopted her and her brood, making Maddie feel accepted and welcome, and causing her to realize how alone Dr. Ryan really is. She begins to look for a way to reunite him with his two estranged brothers, and maybe even to find him a woman to share his life with. She is coming to love him and wants his happiness, even if the woman in his life won't be her.

SAVING DR. RYAN was a sweet story about a community coming together to help its new members. Ms. Templeton's town of Haven and its inhabitants cause the reader to long for a simpler life in which neighbors know one another and are willing to help a friend in need. I enjoyed this feel-good story and will definitely be reading more of this miniseries called The Men of Mayes County.

Reviewed by Janice Bennett
Posted March 7, 2003