Queen of Hearts (Martin) - Book Reviews

Book Reviews
Martin leverages her own background as a doctor to great effect throughout.… Martin is equally insightful about many aspects of long-term female friendships, especially the blind spots that they often contain by necessity.… Martin's portrayal of the guilt born of selfishness, of knowing that a past version of yourself was capable of truly monstrous behavior, is also sharp. It's Emma's remorse that tips the novel's final third into darker territory.… But [her] story leads us to a place considerably more painful and, ultimately, affecting.
Angelica Baker - New York Times Book Review


Fans of Grey’s Anatomy are sure to enjoy this new release, a novel about friendship, success, and secrets set amid the day-to-day drama of a hospital in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Southern Living


Martin’s extraordinary sensitivity and empathy shines through during moments of crisis, which draw out the subtle, complex shades of her characters. The novel is emotionally exhausting—partly because of its accurate depiction of the relentless 100-mile-an-hour pace of the lives of working mothers—but ultimately because it tests the furthest limits of forgiveness and understanding.… [A] thrilling read, and a fascinating look into the medical world. It’s an impressive debut, full of warmth and excitement.
Harvard Crimson


Emotional and difficult to put down, Martin’s excellent story of friendship is shrewdly plotted and contains a cast of flawed, rich, believable characters. The realistic and vivid medical angle (Martin is an ER doctor) adds to the novel’s appeal.
Publishers Weekly


Kimmery Martin’s excellent debut novel serves up an irresistible mix of romance, ER drama, friendship and betrayal. Martin, a physician herself, writes in a clear and lively way…. In her hands, dramatic hospital scenes and routine kitchen conversations are equally compelling.
BookPage


Martin’s debut novel, about pediatric cardiologist Zadie Anson and trauma surgeon Emma Colley, is a medical drama executed with just the right balance of intensity, plot twists, tragedy, and humor.… A remarkably absorbing read.
Booklist


A secret from two doctors' pasts may put what they cherish most under the knife: their friendship.… Martin distills medical jargon into digestible metaphors and sets scenes as carefully as her characters scrub for surgery.… A book about female friendships that unapologetically wears its heart on its sleeve.
Kirkus Reviews