Don’t miss this debut novel that gave me a healthy dose of wanderlust! Without Borders is an authentic and exciting story of a group of people traveling through Nicaragua, making a difference. Check out more about this book, read Tina’s Thoughts and an excerpt from the story, and make sure to enter the giveaway to celebrate.
Without Borders
For Annie London, a month in a Central American rainforest means handing out mosquito nets, giving medical aid, and teaching children about the birds and the bees. With any luck, it will also land her application in the “accepted” pile at a top tier medical school. But as soon as she steps off the plane, Annie realizes her bug spray, feeble Spanish, and medical supplies won’t help her deal with her new feelings for Felipe—her best friend’s older brother, who’s much hotter than she remembers, and who also happens to be the doctor in charge of the trip.
Gawking “volun-tourists” may keep his family’s medical clinic afloat, but Dr. Felipe Gutierrez doesn’t have to like them. Or the way they make snap judgments about his practice and the people he cares for. But when his old crush, Annie, shows up to volunteer, her killer curves and kind smile fan the embers of a flame Felipe didn’t realize he’d been carrying. A flame that makes him question all his preconceived notions.
As ideas and cultures clash, Annie and Felipe must decide how far outside their comfort zones they are willing to go—both for their work and for one another.
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I have traveled around the world and been to some places that would make people wonder “Why would you go there?” and I love reading a book that captures the essence of leaving everything you know and embracing the unknown. Without Borders is a brilliant story that shares the ins and outs of Annie and Felipe’s adventures into the jungle of Nicaragua, caring for the sick and dealing with danger and drama along the way. This book shares the ups and downs of hard work in a foreign land and does not hold back on the hardships many face. There are good moments and bad moments, each perfectly represented in this story. I laughed at some of the things that happened, remembering how those same things had been my fate.
This book addresses so many different themes and issues. I loved how it is well balanced and shared. Annie and Felipe, along with Marisol, Juan, and Philip, journey through the jungles by boat, truck, horse, and on foot. They sacrifice their time and comfort to bring help to those who need it. As with any trip like this, emotions run rampant and there is bound to be drama. Yet the drama was not what I expected. It stays true to their experiences and leaves the reader thinking about what happened. I laughed at the pranks and antics of the characters, and could not help but giggle during Annie’s classes going amiss. Without Borders blended what many know with what is new and exciting and created an adventure that is both intriguing and real.
I will definitely be keeping my eye out for more from Amanda Heger. Her story was authentic and refreshing, something that connected me in a way I was not expecting. Her writing style was a bit different than what I am used to but once I get in the book and read a few chapters, I learned the cadence and flow, giving me the opportunity to submerge myself in what was happening. If you are looking for something new, check this one out!
The girl strained and cried out, and it took everything Annie had to keep her upright. Felipe and the midwife swapped positions with every contraction, taking turns at easing the infant into the world. But with every push, Felipe’s face darkened and the midwife’s voice grew shriller as she half cried, half encouraged her daughter.
Annie had no idea how long it had been since they’d arrived in this dim hut, but every second that passed with those arms and legs dangling outside the womb made her heart ache.
In a rare moment between contractions, Felipe and the midwife began arguing. They pointed and stomped and shook their hands as the words flew between them.
Angela sagged in Annie’s arms, pale and sweaty.
“What’s going on?” Annie asked.
For a moment, the arguing stopped and they both stared silently at Annie.
The girl’s mother pointed and nodded at her, shrieking in Spanish, but Annie didn’t understand a word of it.
Felipe held up a hand. “We are having some trouble delivering the baby’s head.”
The midwife yelled and pointed again, and before Annie could ask what she was saying, the woman stood and nudged her out of the way with her rotund mid-section. She looped her arms through Angela’s and took the girl’s weight.
Annie stumbled, her muscles too tired to change position. She squeaked to something that resembled standing, but her back refused to straighten. Felipe looked at her, eyes flashing with fear.
“We need you to deliver the baby,” he said.
Amanda Heger is a writer, attorney, and bookworm. She lives in the Midwest with three unruly rescue dogs and a husband who encourages her delusions of grandeur.
Her debut romance, Without Borders, is forthcoming from Diversion Books. The story was inspired by the summer Amanda spent in rural Nicaragua, eating gallo pinto, speaking mangled Spanish, and showing high school students how to slide condoms onto over-sized plantains.
Her stories are represented by Jessica Watterson of the Dijkstra Literary Agency.
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