The Doctor's Sweetheart and Other Stories

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In this remarkable collection of fourteen previously uncollected stories, L.M. Montgomery weaves her unique brand of magic as she explores the private passions of the heart. A country doctor never loses faith in the young woman who swears to return to him; a beautiful maiden, in a fit of pique, recklessly pledges to marry the very first man who asks her; an estranged wife bets her future happiness on a horse race; two maiden ladies, scared onto a roof by a dog, ponder marriage to the dog's owner as the price of rescue. These are some of the unforgettable characters whose stories—of romance and friendship, reconciliation and abiding love—live again in an anthology L.M. Montgomery readers will treasure.

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Rating(4 / 5.0, 93 votes)
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93 reviews All reviews
April 17,2025
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If you like Montgomery's style, flowery phrases, stubborn spinsters, romantic tomfooleries, surprisingly down to earth observations, and PEI atmosphere that makes it seem the Brigadoon of Canada - you'll like these stories. If you don't and can't understand why anyone would read her, you won't. Some of these stories stink of sentiment and mothballs and others make you wish you could move to a village hamlet and blink your starry eyes at some dark-haired gent who will stick to your side forever while you make daisy chains and go home to a good pot of tea, jam and scones.
April 17,2025
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I'm currently in the middle of rereading every Montgomery-piece I can get my hands on. And I'm equally surprised by the sheer volume of her writing and how impossible it is to get my hands on.

In her lifetime, Montgomery wrote more than 500 short stories. Many have been forgotten, almost all are now out of print and are mainly considered footnotes to her legacy.

But a part of me thinks that's wrong. While arguably not her most impressive work, the short stories are where it all began. Much like her heroine Emily, Montgomery celebrated and triumphed every time a story was accepted by a newspaper or household magazine. It was her first taste of success, her first glimpse of her own name in print. And it enabled her to go on and write about Anne, Emily, Pat and Marigold.

This particular collection is not necessarily awe-inspiring, but it offers a fascinating glimpse into her writing process. With stories dating back as far as 1899 you really get a sense of the young Montgomery's writing.

And there's familiarity too; characters named Emily or Jim, stern aunts, lonesome children and of course, the beautiful Canadian landscape that runs through all of Montgomery's work. The stories are overly sentimental, flawed and predictable, but they're a joy to read all the same. And I cannot wait to dive deeper, to read more and gain a better understanding of the author who created so many of our favourite characters.

Next up: Akin to Anne. I'm just waiting for the mail to arrive ...
April 17,2025
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Finished all of her novels. Had read some of her short stories b4. Loved these esp Garden of Spices
April 17,2025
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The short stories (mostly romantic) in this anthology were incredibly sweet with lots of surprises.
April 17,2025
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Love love all Montgomerys writing !! Her style was beautiful and unique!
April 17,2025
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Short stories. As usual with Montgomery’s short stories, some I loved, some I couldn’t stand. [June 2008]
April 17,2025
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I very much enjoyed this collection of short stories, there are some real gems in there! The ones that stood out to me are “The Girl and the Wild Race”, “By Grace of Julius Caesar”, “Akin to Love”, “The Garden of Spices”, and “The Bride is Waiting”.

I liked that they were in chronological order by the date they were written, you could see how much L.M. Montgomery’s writing improved and changed over the years.
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