I love it when I read a book and there’s a character that just really, and I mean really, speaks to me.

Somebody that I connect with, and I mean on a deeper level than just wanting to see them get through the book and find their HEA.  Know what I mean?  Yeah, we’ve all read books that we really loved, books where we rooted for the characters, where we loved the characters and when the writer gives them their HEA, you just wanna kiss her.  Well, not literally, but you get the point.

And then there are the books where we pick them up, we read them…there’s a character that just jumps out at you and there’s this instant connection.  I had that when I read SL Viehl’s (yes, I’m talking about her again) Stardoc books. 

The first thing that jumped out at me with these books was just very believable the medical aspects of it were.  I’ve read a decent amount of books featuring a hero or heroine with some sort of medical background and more often than not, the medical-related issues tend to fall a little flat. It’s like somebody either did their research by watching a lot of ER or they liberated some used medical school textbooks.  It’s either too stilted, physically impossible… you get the point.  If it’s a good story, it won’t matter if the medical aspects aren’t quite clicking.  But when a writer creates such a character and all the medical aspects fall into place, it really adds to the story for me.

Cherijo was very believable as a doctor.  She didn’t claim to love all of her patients, didn’t even appear to like of them.  But she provided the care she was duty bound to do.

She was a smart ass.  And man, do I mean a smart ass.  Being a little sarcastic myself, I really connected with her on that level.  She comes up against something that unnerves her, irritates her, pisses her off… her reaction, she gets mouthy.  I do the same thing.  😉 

She has a temper and when she gets pissed off, she tends to stay that way for a while.  Even though she’s got this sexy telepathic guy that would pretty much do anything for her, she doesn’t give in just because he gives her a look.  Believable!  I adore my DH, but when I’m mad… I am mad.  He isn’t going to be able to get rid of that mad with a simple come-hither look.

She makes mistakes.  She’s no Mary Sue, perfect on the outside and empty on the inside.  She’s flawed, she does tries to learn from her mistakes. When she screws up, she’s willing to pay the piper and she doesn’t expect others to pay for her mistakes.

Plain and simple, I adore this character.  I don’t always like what the writer does to her, and man, does she do some mean things…but I love the character. 

Other characters that I connect with for some reason or another…

• Eve Dallas from JD Robb’s In Death
• Bride from Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Night Play
• Pepper Martin from Casey Daniel’s Don of the Dead
• Keleios from LKH’s Nightseer.