Catherine Anderson - Huckleberry Lake

Erin De Laney came to Mystic Creek hoping that the slower pace might rekindle her enthusiasm for law enforcement. Instead she feels as frustrated as she did in the city and when her disillusionment with the job increases, she takes a position on her uncle's ranch.
Her life has enough complications without her attraction to handsome, deaf cowboy, Wyatt Fitzgerald, the foreman on the ranch. Wyatt has sworn off dating, and Erin fears that nothing she does will ever change his mind. Yet while working with an abused horse under Wyatt's guidance, Erin comes to better understand herself. She also learns that love can heal almost anything.
Wyatt yearns to take Erin into his arms, but he's hesitant to pursue a romantic relationship. When their work sends them out alone together into a wilderness area, Wyatt is even more determined to hold Erin at arm's length.
But out of their time alone together on the mountain blossoms a chance for a once-in-a-lifetime love if only he's willing to give her his heart and make her his.

Comment: This is the most recent book published by author Catherine Anderson, the 6th installment in her Mystic Creek series.

Having read them all, and knowing what to expect in terms of style, I still can't help feeling a little disappointed the books have not been mixing the drama and the sweetness in such a balanced meaner I feel older books did.

In this book we have the (sort of) follow-up to the previous one, Strawberry Hill, which was a let down because I thought it would feature more prominently a certain couple and it was not so.

Therefore, here we have the story of Erin and Wyatt, as I thought the previous one would be about.

Erin and Wyatt feel attracted to one another but things don't seem to go very well between them because Erin is insecure an unsure of Wyatt's take on her but she still tries to find ways to talk to him and find if he might be interested, which he is, but he makes her realize her advances won't be welcomed.

This means there's a bad kind of tension between them, which is especially bad for Erin because she also doesn't feel happy with her job nor with the way her life is going.

Will they finally be able to talk and establish what they have could be great if they take a chance on each other?

Overall, this isn't a bad book and there were many situations I was interested in reading and to discover what would happen next.

It's still difficult, though, to not compare with how much I appreciated previous stories by the author. Some older titles (like my absolute favorite My Sunshine) combined very well this apparent sweetness we find in her stories featuring people who aren't perfect in other people's eyes but had hearts of gold with a cute and often dramatic romance.

When I think about the most recent work by the author, her style and "voice" are still there but the stories don't feel as heartwarming as I remember others of being. Perhaps it's me, but it feels as if the most recent ones try too hard to convey those feelings of older books, where the romance mattered more than other things. 

Besides, these new stories obviously include contemporary views on many things and in dramatic romances, some just aren't as cute looking as they used to be (an exaggerated example: in older books, the heroine was often wary of intimacy and that was inserted into the romance but these days the focus seems to be more on the politically correct rather than personality traits so it doesn't as important for the character's development in a specific story). It's just my POV, of course.

Regarding this book, probably what interested me the most would be how Wyatt, who is deaf, grew up to exploit all the other ways he could do the everyday things people who hear take for granted. I think the author incorporates difference quite well into her stories and I was interested in seeing this but part of me feels numb because Wyatt takes it as a normal thing while at the same time it just feels natural precisely because of that and Wyatt is a normal guy in everything, although his deafness caused him to go through a very traumatic situation.

This lead him to feel he couldn't really be in a lasting relationship but, of course, the reader knows better.

Part of the plot, then, had to be about heroine Erin helping him see he could be in love and be happy but Erin herself was going through some doubts that came from her childhood.

Their romance was a little more focused on the things they had to overcome and not as much on what they had in common so when their HEA is achieved,  I must confess it wasn't as intrinsically romantic as I wanted; the romance reached a point because it had to, not because the chemistry was so evident between Wyatt and Erin they couldn't not be together.

The story also gives us two other major POVs, from Wyatt's brother Kennedy and Erin's friend Julie. Both have their secondary sub plots that take quite enough plot time. Nothing wrong with it and I don't mind multiple POVs and complex family ties but yes, it was a bit distracting, especially since Wyatt and Erin only synced romantically very close to the end.

There are many cute scenes, interesting drama situations I could imagine people struggling with in real life and enough background on the main and secondary characters (a positive from the previous books) to make me feel I knew those people and was invested in what happened to them.

However, it wasn't as wonderful nor addictive as my favorites by the author made me feel.

Grade: 7/10

Catherine Anderson - Strawberry Hill

As a camp cook, Vickie Brown loves feeding any size crowd in the great outdoors--with one notable exception. She never would have predicted she'd join the crew led by gruff cowboy Slade Wilder, the man who broke her heart just days before their wedding.
Life has gone on since Vickie left him, but Slade can admit his attraction to the one woman he's ever loved remains stronger than ever. If he wasn't in such desperate need of an experienced cook for his paying guests, he would send Vickie packing. He knows better than to seek out the company of the woman who broke off their engagement so many years ago.
Except there's no escaping each other in the confines of the wilderness area, especially once their anger begins to soften in the shared close quarters. But after Vickie finds the courage to confront Slade, it will take a leap of faith for them to put their past behind him, even if it's the only way to recapture their once-in-a-lifetime love.

Comment: I've liked this author's book for a while and this is the most recent installment in her current Mystic Creek series so, of course I'd be interested in reading it too. However, I feel this book or the content of it wasn't well thought in general.

In this book the protagonist is Slade, a man who has his ranch and his friends but who didn't have a big support from his family and who also lost the love of his life after a bad break up around 40 years ago.

Vicky had what she thought great reasons to break up with Slade but after all this time and with a son she never told Slade about, she decides it's time to get some things straight, and for that she applies to a position Slade put on craigslist to find a cook for the camps his ranch organizes for clients who want to spend some time around real nature.

Can these two overcome a mistake such a long time ago and still find common ground to grasp the happiness once denied to them?

My favorite book by this author is My Sunshine, from 2005. I started liking the author's books much later than that and the trend I saw in her books is that all her heroines had suffered some kind of trauma or had some disability. The "fun" part was to see them overcome that and be happy with an understandable hero.

However, I've also noticed that from around 2010, her books still have a sweet romance developing but they aren't as romantically done and the surrounding plot/secondary action/etc isn't as compelling. It just seems what made her books so amazing for me is slowly disappearing. I can't explain why but it's a feeling I can't avoid and that reflects on my enjoyment of her stories.

I also think that happened here. There is the inclusion of some situations that can be quite reliable for those who live in the Oregon area (where most of her stories are set in) but they are often weird somehow too.

In this book's case, I failed to be impressed by why Slade and Vicky were separated for more than 40 years due to pride and miscommunication. If this book had been intended to be an angsty ridden plot, then the feelings exploited could have been more understandable... but because this is a romance, it just feels so pointless to let so long happen. Then, if we were talking about 14 years, there would still be time to fix things but it's 40, which means the main characters are in their 60s and although I have nothing against love rekindled in such an age group, it's not what I like to read the most about.

I won't include spoilers but let's just say there are many secrets to uncover between these two namely the fact Vicky had a son and Slade was not made aware. This is something we find in chapter 2 and despite understandable why some information got lost I just an't accept the fact Vicky wouldn't have found another way to tell him if she really wanted. Apart from this vital information, there are other stuff going on but the thing is: the whole book is for them to get used to each other again, the pace is very slow, and I meant it, but the resolution of the 40 years of separation and doubts is solved only in the epilogue. A resolution we are made aware of but don't see happening!!!!

This means thew more than 400 pages were spent on vague and random things which could have fit a novella instead! Very pointless, I felt.

Let it be said as well that part of those 462 pages (according to my edition) were also dedicated to a secondary character, Wyatt (Slade's foreman at the ranch) and Erin (Slade's cop niece). Again, I would say it's sweet to see them interact but it's all on the friendship base so apart from having the first scenes with them, nothing really happens. I assume their story will be further developed but in this book it wouldn't have been necessary of the author really wanted to stay focused on the main couple.

I think it was really a pity this story went the way it did. It had so many interesting elements (namely about ranch life, the wildlife protection, mainly regarding wild bears and how to deal with them) but all the stalling lost on the main couple's reunion and the promising but unsolved secondary romance just made this book feel like a division between two different stories and my interest wasn't always very high. 

Back to what I said at first, it doesn't give me the same "vibe" of her older stories which seemed to be more romance oriented and even the character's pasts/obstacles were deal with in a much more definitive manner. I still like her overall style and I really hope the next one can be much better.

Grade: 5/10

Catherine Anderson - Spring Forward

When a favorite customer on his delivery route needs a favor, Tanner Richards agrees to help without a second thought. The last thing he expects is to face off against the man's spitfire granddaughter.
Crystal Malloy is near her breaking point. Her beloved grandfather constantly skirts the rules at the retirement center where he's recovering from surgery. She's caring for his escape artist dog, even if it means abandoning her salon customers, and she has no time for a romantic attraction to the handsome new stranger.
After Tanner's reassigned to Mystic Creek, Crystal can no longer ignore how much she misjudged the man's good intentions. She has known too much sorrow to easily open her heart, but she can't deny that Tanner and his children could gift her with a happiness beyond compare--if only she can forgive herself for the past and accept that she's deserving of such a love.

Comment: Although the previous three books in this Mystic Creek series by Catherine Anderson haven't been as spectacular as I imagined, I feel curious still about the characters and I pre ordered this installment as well. This month, I decided to finally get to it.

In this most recent story, we meet Crystal Malloy, a 32 year old woman who works in a salon and whose life is quite busy now that her grandfather, the man who took her when she was a child, has gone to a care room to rest while he recovers from a fall. The problem is that the facility rules are too much to a man used to living independently and when he asks a friend to help him, both are in trouble. 

However, this propels Crystal to get to know Tanner Richards more and they seem to hit it off quite well. But Crystal has also her grandfather's dog to take care of, she has her past as a huge deterrent to avoid relationships... will Crustal be able to feel she is worthy of love after all?

I must say I enjoyed reading this book  much more than the previous installments in the series. I've gotten the feeling, with every new book by the author, that what made me appreciate her voice and writing style when I "discovered" her, no longer seems to captive me.

I used to love how her characters were wary of being too close to someone - namely the heroines - because of some issue about their bodies or their emotional state but with time, caring and love, the heroes would help the heroines see they were as beautiful as they deserved. But as the books have gone by, the stories became more and more sugary and the interactions too silly and almost childish to bear.

I feared this book would follow along the same lines but thankfully, my final impression wasn't so.

What I liked best about this story was how the relationship between Crystal and Tanner developed. Although there didn't seem to be much (convincing) passion between then, the emotional bonding felt realistic and I was very happy for them.

Both their personalities seemed to mesh quite well. I admit I focused more on Crystal, she has had a terrible experience in her past and it's a wonder her attitude wasn't even more fragile and that her mind state wasn't more affected.

Tanner is a widow but it seems time has helped see the good things and not being too concentrated on the loss. His children were cute as well.

There's also a secondary love story with Crystal's grandfather Tuck and a woman from the facility he's recovering in. Kudos for the romance with people above their 70s but  it was a bit too obvious... or maybe I'm just being picky because the dialogues seemed so...unlikely. Lol, perhaps I'm just not around couples that age who share intimate conversations like theirs.

The author has also introduced some themes to enrich the story. Some I liked reading about, they made me think about issues not usually people even remember (like the older couple's relationships and so on) but others I felt the way they were presented are too biased. Do people really think like that?

I'm thinking about people being ok with giving alcohol drinks to dogs. This made me think that in Oregon there are people who find it cute dogs can drink beer at will? Ok, that was fiction but the impression wasn't very positive. 

I also found some character's opinions or ways of talking about something very condescending and sometimes it felt they didn't understand the severity of the situation or the things they discussed.

I feel the HEA wasn't as amazing as it could be. Or maybe the path towards it wasn't as romantic (despite the exchanging of letters and the sharing special moments) as it could which influenced the way things happened. Nevertheless, I had a great time with this book and that counts a lot.

Grade: 7/10

Mini Comments

Seeing I'm reading at full speed these days, to keep up the pace here I'll try to add some shorter commentary on some reads.
The ones I've put together here weren't the best overall, but I'm happy to think it's two more books out of the pile!

RULES FOR THE (VERY) RELUCTANT GUARDIAN OF THE SCROLL
1. Don't lose the above artifact you've inherited from your ancestors-no matter how much it starts messing up your life.
2. Do learn how to control its powers. (And, yes, that means putting up with über-complicated guardian lessons from your father's meddling ghost.)
3. Don't trust anyone. Especially Rhys, the mysterious bad boy who's always one step ahead of you . . . and as irresistible as sin.
4. Do anything to keep the scroll from landing in the wrong hands. Even if that brings on a heartbreaking betrayal, an evil you never saw coming, and a choice you may not live to regret. 

Comment: I've had this book in the pile for ten years. Ten years and after such a long time two things can happen: the book is a hidden gem and we are left wondering what took us so long or the book isn't great and that's why, subconsciously, it was almost wearing out at the bottom of the pile.

This is the first book in a trilogy by Kate Perry but I was not impressed. Many readers comment on the lack of empathy towards the heroine, for she acts rather selfish and whiny and I agree. The romance that should help us see her through a different perspective, didn't help and that's even worse when we think this is a first person narrator. The plot is very simple, the concept original even for PNR, but too many loose ends and little details that didn't really matter, so the end also felt weak. I don't feel like trying the remaining stories even if apparently they are better.

Grade: 4/10

  *   *   *

After a career on the rodeo circuit, Ben Sterling longs to settle down on his farm and start a family like his brothers. He’s searched all over for the woman of his dreams. Yet the only one to spark his interest is the new owner of the local café. Getting her attention, however, won’t be easy.
Sissy Sue Bentley has worked hard to make it on her own, and she doesn’t need another man in her life. From her alcoholic father to the men she’s dated, who were after only one thing, they are nothing but trouble. Except Ben keeps showing up whenever she really needs help. Sissy struggles to deny her growing feelings for him—but soon Ben’s tender concern has her hoping for a happier future. Then her past comes barreling back into her life, and it will take more than the love in Ben’s heart to hold them together. 

Comment: This is the third installment in the Mystic Creek series/trilogy by author Catherine Anderson. I've been a fan of this author for years but I've come to notice her most recent works are all very.... bland. I miss the vibrant stories featuring less than perfect heroes and heroines, yes, but always with something amazing and romantic. The books continue like this, but it's difficult to see the best things. In this case, both main characters were great as were the secondary ones but they are were too perfect, not in their personalities but in their actions. The romance was sweet, as always, but it took so long for them to connect at a more intimate level that it just lost momentum. The heroine, Sissy, was also too innocent when it came to her dealing with things, even more so after her past and how hard it was for her to overcome so many issues and be a hardworking woman now. Yes you can be innocent in many things but there's a naiveté about her that just sounded childish.

Grade: 6/10

Catherine Anderson - Annie's Song

Annie Trimble lives in a solitary world that no one enters or understands. As delicate and beautiful as the tender blossoms of the Oregon spring, she is shunned by a town that misinterprets her affliction. But cruelty cannot destroy the love Annie holds in her heart.
Alex Montgomery is horrified to learn his wild younger brother forced himself on a helpless "idiot girl." Tormented by guilt, Alex agrees to marry her and raise the baby she carries as his own. 
But he never dreams he will grow to cherish his lovely, mute, and misjudged Annie; her childlike innocence, her womanly charms and the wondrous way she views her world. He becomes determined to break through the wall of silence surrounding her; to heal... and to be healed by Annie's sweet song of love.

Comment: I've had this book to read for years. I'm slowly trying to go through the books that have been the longest in the pile along with things that catch my eye now but it's a morose battle, let me tell you...

This is the story of Annie Trimble, the town's idiot, or so people say, and how she learns that all she needed was someone to pay attention and help her.

One day Annie is attacked and raped and ends up pregnant. Her parents don't always seem perfect but they do get concerned and they try to do something, even if it means to let Annie have her baby and then giving him up.

Eventually, Alex, the brother of the man who raped Annie offers to marry Annie so he could keep his nephew, this after sending his brother away to fend for himself after all the despicable things he did.

At first, Alex thought Annie was indeed slower than most and he only wanted her near so he could help her and the baby but after knowing her better, he realizes how Annie has been misdiagnosed by everyone and his feelings start to change...

This ended up being a good story, one I felt interested in reading but it wasn't as perfect as some readers seem to think. I wonder if my vision of things hasn't been colored by my impression of other books by the author.

It almost seems as if her voice here has a tone and her voice in more recent books has another. I understand why, religion has played an important role in the author's recent years and that shows in her work. In a way I prefer her older work simply because if feels more open to interpretation rather than having an idea being told to you.

Maybe I'm being picky...

The plot of this story was interesting, the author does put her efforts into portraying or putting disabled characters as the protagonists and here we have a deaf woman who has been considered everything but that. This is an historical, so it's not so unbelievable but it can get to a unreasonable point if we think how old Annie is.

Nevertheless, part of the interest is to see how much improvement Annie can get by staying with people who will treat her well and by being challenged and heard despite her difficulties. Considering the lack of contemporary means to help her, I think Annie was quite lucky she had someone like Alex who would help her and be interested in what she was being able to do and understand.

Part of the help were their feelings for one another. Apparently this is very romantic for some, but I honestly think it wasn't as romantic, but more in the lines of sweet. This is obvious but Ale and Annie's relationship didn't feel as powerful as it can be and the last scenes when a certain conflict arises only to prove a point that I feel didn't have to be proved as too much and ruined part of the story for me. I guess I'd have liked to see better scenes between them at a point where they were still suspicious of one another and not unrealistic sugary moments following their confessing their feelings.

I think Annie's disability wasn't such an issue as we are led to see by others reactions to her. Ok, again, the setting has an important role to play here but I guess I'd want to see Annie try more on her own to be understood rather than being settled in her notion others wouldn't always understand her. This is not the purpose but it was the idea I got up to the point where she finally communicated with someone. I know I might not be fair and I wouldn't know how difficulty such a thing can be, but for fictional and romance purposes, it made things look too slow and lacking impact. To me, at least.

After considering everything, of course this is a good book. But I wasn't blown away by it or its content. I don't consider this a tearjerker, something in the interactions between the characters didn't move me that much. Yes, it's emotional and sad at times and beautiful at others but overall, it's not as strong as I imagined. It just lacks something for me. I don't know if it's the writing, the characters themselves, something in the plot, but although I liked it, I don't feel the need to re-read or the notion I'd do it in the future.

Grade: 7/10

Catherine Anderson - New Leaf

When Taffeta Brown was viciously betrayed by her wealthy husband, she lost everything—including custody of their daughter, Sarah. Now that Taffy has moved to Mystic Creek, Oregon, to start over, she unexpectedly meets the one man who might help her get Sarah back.
 Barney Sterling, a local lawman, finds himself drawn to the lovely, guarded Taffy, but he’s stunned by her proposition—that they marry immediately to improve her chances of regaining custody of her daughter. Barney takes marriage too seriously to commit himself to a woman he hardly knows. Yet soon his sympathies fall with the desperate Taffy, and pretending to be in love becomes the easiest part of the plan. But they have no idea what they’re up against, or what they’re willing to risk to make a miracle come true in Mystic Creek. 

Comment: This is the most recent installment in the Mystic Creek series by Catherine Anderson, in fact it's only the second. This is a book that happened to not spend too long in the pile and I picked it mostly because I was waiting for another one and it was the first I saw when I decided I had to fill my reading tie with something until the other arrived...

This is the story of Taffeta Brown, a women who lost the guard of her 5 year old child because of a bad representation in court. Now she's living a quiet, normal life trying to have a reputation that will allow her to have her daughter back. In the meantime, the child has been with her reckless father who hasn't kept the best company and Taffeta despairs over her child, so she thinks if she can be married to a respected man, she will have better chances to win in court eventually. Rushed because her daughter might be in danger, she asks Barney Sterling, a deputy, to help her. At first he refuses, but eventually finds out she was innocent when she lost the guard of her daughter and decides to help. But if things were meant to be simple at first...apparently their feelings develop quite fast between them.

This book isn't bad. But it's not amazing or special enough either.

I still remember the older romances by this author, so amazing, featuring damaged heroines somehow but always ended with the notion everyone is worthy of love and respect, especially if the heroine had been through terrible experiences...I felt the author's words were magical, the settings so adorable and the romances perfect but not silly and the overall experience of reading a book by her was knowing we would have a wonderfully written romance story.

Now, it seems the characters are one dimensional: all perfect despite the situations in which they are or their pasts and the romance feels formulaic and meaningless.

This is my biggest issue with the book, despite the seriousness of Taffeta's problems, despite the fact we know she's a good person who was misjudged and undermined by the court, there's nothing about her I want to know better, she's not someone I wish I could meet in real life and her whole character, regardless of her inner beauty and such, is just not that interesting.

This means that most of the book is rather boring because it obviously centers a lot in her and what she wants.

Barney is a cute character, one of those not perfect heroes but with a inner sense of duty and respect for others, it's impossible not to like him. But the relationship with Taffeta, the way things develop between them isn't as romantic or magical as I wished.

So, basically, the biggest problem is the writing itself. Because all situations, descriptions and such could have looked better, more intriguing, more amazing, if the author had done things like she used to, but the reality is none of the characters made me eager to root for them nor did I feel anticipation to see them kiss for the first time, or say I love you or simply realize they were in love. Before all this would have been building up with such anticipation and chemistry that it was marvelous to finally see them accept their feelings (like in Baby Love or My Sunshine, two of my favorite books by the author in other series). Instead, things were boring, predictable and nor thrilling enough.

Of course I was glad Taffeta and Barney fell in love, the marriage by convenience trope is one of those I like seeing develop and the beginning was sort of ok, but the couple just didn't strike me as alive, special, their relationship was always too careful, too logic, it didn't have that "oh when will they realize their feelings" anticipation...

Then, the daughter, Sarah, was such a let down. Actively present children in romances can be a difficult element to portray and in this case, despite the circumstances that play a part in it, I still couldn't like Taffeta's daughter.

The dialogues between grown ups wasn't always smooth as it could, and the conversations they all had with the kid weren't too hard to believe in, I mean, maybe it could happen someone speak like that and act like that being a 5 year old but... still not buying it.

So, all in all, the mostly boring couple, not very engaging plot and writing issues which have become more and more obvious as time goes by in this author's work have led me to not consider this more than average. It's not lower because I still cherish the worlds the author creates, the communities, the family relationships and bonds and the idea of the stories. The delivery is just not up to what it used to be, I don't know why, but is a pity...

Grade: 6/10

Catherine Anderson - Silver Thaw

After years of living in fear of her husband, Amanda Banning has left him and moved to Mystic Creek, Oregon, for a fresh start. But she’s having a tough time providing for herself and her six-year-old daughter. Writing her secret yearnings on slips of paper and sending them into the wind helps her cling to the hope that things will get better…and that she can find happiness again.
Jeb Sterling has no idea that the handwritten messages he finds scattered across his land are the first hints that his life is about to change. Nor does he understand why he feels so compelled to help Amanda Banning and her daughter when a cold snap leaves them temporarily homeless. Maybe he’s inspired by Amanda’s courage or perhaps by her beautiful brown eyes. Either way, the man who once renounced love suddenly finds himself willing to do anything for the pair. Amanda seems to have given up on her dreams, but Jeb refuses to quit until he makes her every wish come true…  

Comment: This is the most recent book by ms Anderson. Since I found out one of her books once in a shop and after reading it becoming so marveled with it, I went on a attempt to get more of her books. I've read many of them and loved most of those. However, I've came to realize that ms Anderson, like so many other authors, seems to be going on a path I think is on its way to lose me...

 

This is the story of Amanda Banning, a woman running from a abusive husband. She has her young child with her and they are living in Oregon. Unfortunately, the house she's renting isn't good or safe enough to stand against the cold weather and snow piling on the roof.

In comes Jeb Sterling, a wonderful man that keeps finding pink pieces of paper all over his property. The messages are clearly feminine and from someone with personal issues and problems in her life.

Jeb meets Amanda and her daughter when he's traveling through the are to rescue or help people that have been caught up in a storm and who may be in danger. Jeb rescues Amanda to his own house and with time they start to become closer and Amanda gains the courage to fight her husband once and for all.

 

This plot had everything to be successful, all the characters were well picked to better put in evidence the idea of a situation we might be interested in seeing getting solved.

Amanda is someone afraid but brave to save her child and we see through the book why the situation was dangerous and hard to let go of. I think this is one of the details that was better chosen but at the same time it feels like some things weren't as precise as I'd have liked, mostly because the way things progressed wasn't very appealing to me all the time.

 

The story has very good moments. Again, the author has this character, Jeb, that grew up in a loving family and that same family is an important part of the story and in how Amanda gets a purpose to fight, because she sees not only how things could be for her daughter, but she also knows that family could be theirs.

Of course, in terms of romance, this works out really well.

Also amazing is Jeb and everything he does to make Amanda's life better, more positive, free of her abusive husband.

 

This actually brings me to my biggest issue with this novel. Jeb is too perfect. Usually all ms Anderson heroes are perfect or very close to it in their own way and while part of me cherishes the dream of someone like this, the more practical side of me also wrinkles the nose at such lengths to show a man anyone would love to be in love with. Jeb's faults and less than good qualities are never really evidenced and we are almost led to believe his character is flawless and immaculate. I wish I could have seen some of his faults, to see he wasn't perfect and that being stubborn here and there wasn't his biggest problem.

 

Amanda is a sweet woman battling someone who abused her and her confidence, her parents...I understand her situation and the need to get away. I just think all the situation after going to Jeb's house became almost "staged" you know, and it didn't make me feel like this was a romance I couldn't not like.

In fact, the romance between Amanda and Jeb is slow and sweet but at a certain point it no longer felt like something I was interested in because the way it happened just seemed bland and predictable. It wasn't even passionate which in a way I get, after all Amanda came from a very bad situation, but if they are in love...I don't know..

 

There many secondary characters, Jeb's family and Chloe, Amanda's daughter provided interesting glimpses of secondary relationships. Still, after everything considered, I think this novel wasn't the most amazing or fascinating like some others by her I've read and loved.

Anyway, it seems this is the first of a possible series that might feature Jeb's brothers and sisters. Who knows if those might be better?

Grade: 6/10

Catherine Anderson - Forever After

From the moment Heath Masters lays eyes on Meredith Kenyon, he knows there's something mysterious in this pretty woman's past. True, she seems like a good mother to her little daughter, but as local sheriff Heath has seen his share of liars ... and Meredith is certainly hiding something. But though his romantic gestures are met with suspicion, Heath can't help but be drawn to his vulnerable new neighbor. He doesn't entirely trust her, but he sure does want to kiss her.
About to lose her child in a devastating child custody case, Meredith transformed herself from urban widow to small town mom, escaping the clutches of her abusive late husband's manipulative father. Fleeing across America, she ran straight into the arms of the lonely lawman. Heath's persistence melts her misgivings, making her wonder if she could overcome her traumatic former life. But could his love protect her from her past - now and forever.

Comment: I got this book to offer a friend for her birthday but decided to try it first, although usually this author's books are a success with me.I know my friend has read and liked books by the author so I felt confident she might like this one as well. As for myself, I don't think this is her best but it wasn't a bad story, just could have been slightly better.

This is the story of Heath Masters, the sheriff of his hometown, and how he starts to feel attracted to his new neighbor, Meredith Knox. Heath has a lot to deal with but his dog seems to think the neighbor's daughter will want a friend and as the child becomes afraid at first, allowing Heath to meet the neighbors.
Meredith is on the run with her daughter to avoid losing her in a custody battle. She doesn't trust easily and fears both the sheriff and his dog. But her daughter slowly starts to love the dog and even the sheriff's company. Will Meredith start to trust as well or will the past get her first?

This book is a sweet story for the most part but I think it has a bit too much elements. The issue with too much at a time is that sometimes the resolution of certain things doesn't seem to be accomplished in the best way.
There are three main issues, in my opinion, being dealt with here. There's Heath's life, Meredith's life and their relationship. Although all these things can be achieved well I don't think the balance between all the elements was as successful as it could.

Heath is the central character and he has a tragedy in his past related to his sister's death that he prefers to not think about. But a reporter brings it up again because of some young boys' accident and death due to drinking before driving. This theme can be the moral lesson in this book and is serious and in the book Heath has a lot to deal with in his on head and about the way he lives his life, his work as sheriff because of his sister's death. That shaped him and his path in life and I thought it to be an intense and serious theme to mention.
But apart from this, we have touches of custaody battles, mafia dealings, running from justice, parental distance, youth depression, laziness at work, etc. Many things used to build up this story. Usually authors can insert their themes into the stories in a way that aims to deliver a message but not in such a way it is all in your face. I felt ms Anderson went a bit too far with the amount of things to address, instead of focusing on two or three in a way that we could see as necessary. This way it turned out to be excessive, in my opinion.

Meredith has her own issues, not only about her child and why she ran they way she did, but she doesn't seem to trust men. Nothing wrong with this if the theme were to be developed with time and a bit more focus. The way things ended, I think her change of heart from afraid of intimacy to desperate need to be with Heath at a point where their fates seemed to be destined to be apart...well....not buying it completely.

The relationship between Heath and Meredith wasn't the most romantic one ever and it didn't seem the pace was the best one, at least not with so much going on. The way things ended was cute but seriously unbelievable...because of the plot's advance and conclusion but whatever.

Just a note to say I didn't like the way a trouble was solved, at the beginning someone working with Heath (because of powerful influences) does something bad and isn't punished for lack of conclusive proof and we are led to believe the character won't be redeemed, but in the end the same character has a turnabout. I wouldn't mind it, but the way things happened didn't convince me.

The end of this book was cute like I said, because the good guys win and there's a HEA, dog included. But the way things work for the couple to be happy seemed unbelievable and forced. I think I'd have preferred something simpler...
All in all, strong elements characteristic of the author's style but not the best execution she could do. Still, an author to cherish for the most part.
Grade: 6/10

Catherine Anderson - Walking on Air

Random, Colorado, is just another stop on the road for solitary gunslinger Gabriel Valance. Known for his drinking, gambling, and womanizing, he prefers to remain a stranger to anyone who crosses his path. But when an upstart gunslinger catches Gabe off guard and shoots him down, he regrets his empty, lonely life with his dying breath....
Golden-haired beauty Nancy Hoffman settled in Random after fleeing an abusive past. Caring for her younger sister and working in a hat shop help her to forge ahead, though she remains fearful and mistrustful of men—and marriage....
Their paths will cross when Gabe gets a second chance at life and a divine mission: to sweep Nancy off her feet, gain her trust, and convince her to believe in his love. And in doing so, the once-hardened cowboy may save himself....   

Comment: This is the most recent book by ms Anderson, released in the beginning of the year. Usually a book by this author is certified to be enjoyable and that it was why I pre ordered but only this month I was able to get to it. How that happens is always a mystery to me...

This story features new characters, apparently the start of a new series. Gabriel Valance is a gunslinger and gets killed but two angels tell them how his soul can be saved if only he accomplishes a certain task by helping another person.
Nancy Hoffman run away from a past she feels guilty about and that drives her away from what she knew as a home, along with her younger sister, who she looks after. But despite Nancy's success with her hat shop, she is still a shy and reserved person, afraid of taking a chance on life. Gabriel Valance doesn't seem the kind of man she should trust but some things are a better surprise than anyone can imagine and Nancy will see it for herself.

Well, so far I've enjoyed a lot of the books I've read so far by the author. Only one or two seemed a bit weaker than those I like the most. Therefore, I was very curious over a new series but I have to say I ended up feeling this was only a meh story for me. I saw many readers loved it and gave it 5 starts and in a way I can understand why, but the thing I love the most in the author's writing wasn't here, at least not in a way that made me feel amazed by how good it was.

My favorite thing in ms Anderson's novels is how she deals with intimacy between the main characters. Her heroes and heroines usually have gone through very difficult experiences and they have some trouble dealing with their intimacy, mostly the women. I think it's already a trademark of this author how the heroines have to trust and accept the love of the man they fall for before intimacy - and sex - start to become more than a duty or a expectation. I love how usually romantic things happen until the couple's more in sync with each other.

In this book this wasn't so. Or, should I say, it wasn't as romantic and amazing as I imagined it would and despite Nancy having to trust Gabriel and he did wait for her and the relationship was slow and step by step, I still think this felt more like an automatic stage before the end. I didn't think this was as romantic as it could be, considering the details and the way the story took shape. It felt like something that had to happen, the path towards intimacy, not the sex itself which as bland, by the way, and it made the book feel a bit like a task done and not a romantic story developing.

Of course this is all me, obviously everyone things differently...
As for the rest of the elements in the book, everything seemed rather so so, from the characters which weren't as interesting as they looked in the beginning, going a bit plain and usual to the end. Even the secondary ones filled their roles well but weren't surprising as that.

Then there's the slightly tones paranormal element with the angels playing a part. I think their role could be achieved with a simple dream, sort of, or the story could have had a different take from the start because I wasn't convinced about the angels and the mission they had for Gabriel. The lesson is cute to learn, we should do our best in everything because our time is short in life, but the overall impression wasn't as special as that to me.

In the end, it was relatively good story, good elements not explored in their best outcome, in my opinion. Still, an average mark for an average story, with possibilities to be better but apparently the goal is as it was.
Grade: 6/10

Catherine Anderson - Perfect Timing

Tragedy has struck the Harrigans -- Quincy’s beloved sister-in-law Loni is gravely ill and nearing

death. Quincy, like his brothers, feels helpless to save her, and the clock is ticking. Then, with perfect timing, a winsome red-haired woman named Ceara O’Ceallaigh mysteriously appears on Quincy’s property and insists that Loni can be cured. Only Quincy, she says, as the sole remaining Harrigan bachelor, can make it happen -- by marrying Ceara.
To Quincy, Ceara is a charming and quite likely deranged spinner of dreams who can’t prove she’s telling the truth. But how can he pass up any attempt to restore Loni to health? Against all better judgment, he decides to marry Ceara. Maybe he’s making the worst mistake of his life. Or maybe he’s opening himself up to possibilities that defy explanation...and will send him on a miraculous journey toward enough love to last forever.

Comment: This book is the last in the Harrigan Family, which started as part of the Coulter Family series...apparently this one is really the last of the general series the author has been working on in the past several years. I'm curious to see what she might write now, apart from the re-releases she's been publishing too.

This is finally the story of Quincy, the last of the Harrigan brothers. He is a vegetarian and has been the talk of the family for his taste (or lack of) but always in a easy way, as the family is very united and happy.

The said family is now living a harsh moment, as Loni, one of Quincy's sister's-in-law is sick and might die. Then one woman shows up in Quincy's ranch, in particular in a horse stall. She claims she's from several centuries past, she's a druid and she's here to marry Quincy and save Loni from death and the Harrigan men from a curse.

Feel like laughing?

I did, I admit it. So not what I expected for this book.

I've been a fan of this series since Baby Love, where the links and family ties started. All the books have had a rather serious tone, and dealt with dramatic situations, not over the top, but string enough to keep a more serious tone to the whole series, even with lighter moments here and there. Then comes this book so totally different from what the readers were used to and although  can see its better characteristics, it's still so opposite the others I can't help but feeling a bit more disappointed than glad to have read it.

What I mean is, the book isn't bad, just not what I thought it might be.

Ceara comes from the past so she doesn't know a lot of things and the way she deals with it, how her trials become tasks is funny and I laughed a lot while reading. I think it has a certain extra comic tone too.

There were two peaks of drama, one in the beginning and another in the end, but overall I'd say this is a funny book. I did read the book very fast because it was interesting and funny and easy to read. Many great scenes that the reader wants to read and always that feeling of "just one more page and I'll stop" that, of course, wasn't that easy to do as that.

The romance was OK, considering the plot line. Again, very funny.

I thought Quincy's diet, which was a set subject in previous books was so dismissed here, like it wasn't that important...this was  a bit of a let down, such an important part of his personality before and here it seemed it wasn't that important.

But the thing that really left me a bit disappointed was the way the plot developed. These books were great, were focused on the real problems of contemporary life and now here comes time travel, magic and lightness of tone that never seemed this strong before...I wonder why the change, right now? These were great ideas and I wouldn't mind reading them in another book, perhaps something new, but in a series with an already established tone? It felt so out of place...

So, I liked it, but didn't love it, not even close. It was fun and great to see the beloved characters together and happy, but I wanted and expected more.

Catherine Anderson - Comanche Magic

Handsome and powerful, with enough Comanche blood coursing through his veins to make him a little bit dangerous, Chase Wolf was used to getting what he wanted. So when Chase saw Franny--a golden-haired angel with deep green eyes, delicate features, and the sweetest smile--he set out to make her his.
As tempted as Franny was, she had too many secrets to let someone enter her world--secrets that would send any reasonable man packing. But Chase was far from reasonable, and despite her desperate attempts to push him away, he would not let her past destroy their future. For his Comanche heart knew that no price was too great to pay for love, happiness, and most of all, magic.

Comment: The last book in the Comanche series.
I liked this one a lot and I think the author has treated the subject with finesse.
Frannie is a prostitute and Chase, after a while, decided to win her because he sees in her eyes she isn't a prostitute like the others, he sees her and believes she deserves to be happy...with him.
I think the book was a very romantic story, I liked how Chase wouldn't trust Frannie at first but after knowing her better, he realized she isn't what he expected and he starts to court her. Frannie doesn't think she is worthy of love, she must make penance for something in her past and has to help her family, so prostitution it is. Chase makes her want things different and that is the beginning of her change into happiness.
I loved the fact things aren't perfect in the protagonist's life but with some love and understanding things can be solved. I loved how romantic the story was. I was also a bit shocked to see how Frannie ended up at prostitution but I believe forgiveness is also a strong motivator to joy and true happiness.

The author has done a great job in the protagonists' characterization, I think. I believed their reasons and their changes into people who loved and who wanted to protect others. I liked this a lot.

After having read the 4 books, I have to say I prefer the last two and will probably re-read some favourite scenes. The first two, however, are too sad, too filled up with good characters dying or being forgotten and I can't stand the emotional depression it beings to my mind while I was reading them. I like knowing the protagonists ended up happy, but it's still not the way I wanted things to happen. So, all in all it is a good series, but for me, it's worth mostly because of the two last more romantic and sweeter stories.

Catherine Anderson - Indigo Blue

Born of two worlds, Indigo Wolf was as free and proud as the noble Comanche blood flowing through her veins. No man has ever possessed her elusive spirit--until a magnificent stranger came to work in her family's mine. Jake Rand's bold caress ignited the flames of a searing desire that bound her to him. Yet, he was a man she dared not trust.

Comment: The third book in the Comanche series by Catherine Anderson. I must say this is currently my favourite. I have hopes for the last one, but this one I liked a lot.
This is the story of Indigo, the daughter of Hunter and Loretta, from the first book. Indigo decided to live and dress like a comanche and despite being in th white world, she doesn't compromise her ideals and takes care of wild animals and has the company of a wolf.
Jake Rand is a wealthy man, who had a miserable youth dur tho his mother's death. Now, together with his brother, they have the suspition their father is guilty of provoking accidents in order to force miners to sell. Hunter's mine is next on their father's plans so Jake goes there, undercover, to check things out. He and Indigo start working together in the mine and because of gossip he proposes to her, to avoid ruining her reputation...
I think this was the best because we have a staright story without all the drama and desillusion that we got from the first two books. I say this because in those we are foced to see the huge difference between the two worlds and how it makes the protagonists to fight each other and see their lives going through so many changes. In this one things are settled, we know what to expect so it's not so hard in terms of understanding the plot and facing their feelings on the world they live in.
Jake and Indigo don't click right away and he takes care of her fears before she admits she is falling for him. I found the story both sweet and tender and I wanted to see them together. As the tone of the book seemed softer too, the story got much more appealing to me.
It was a journey I enjoyed watching and in the end I believed they were really in love.
I'll wait for the next book and hope it's the perfect end for the series.

Catherine Anderson - Comanche Heart

Forced to flee her home on the windswept Texas plains, Amy Masters sought sanctuary in the golden hills of Oregon. There she began a new life, but could never forget her pledge to Swift Antelope, the magnificent Comanche warrior who had captured her heart.
Then Swift, now a notorious gunslinger whose murderous reputation was known throughout the West, found her. He vowed never again to lose the proud, sun-kissed beauty who haunted his dreams, and he swore to make her honor her sacred promise. But could he make her believe in his love and yearn for his caresses?

Comment: This is the second book in the author's Comanche series. It's the story of Amy and Swift, two characters from the previous novel. In that one, they were young and Amy had just gone through an horrible situation and Swift was there to help her and be her friend.
In this story both of them are older and lived apart from each other for 15 ears, which is a long time so it's understandable why Amy fears what might happen if Swift wants to revive their commitment promises from before.
I have to say this story is weaker than the first one, and I feel that happens because the differences between them don't seem to be as important as they were to the first couple in the previous book. I think the most important issue here was Amy's past and how she wold have to overcome that to be happy and to achieve happiness she has to accept Swift.
I think these books have too much drama. I mean, I know things aren't meant to be pretty and easy for them, but I don't know, there's a whole sense of doom in the horizon, even when things are well, it's a strange feeling. I can't help to compare it to her contemporaries, which I love, I guess it's the time that doesn't work, or she's just better in portraying women from this century.
The same thing that made me sadder in the previous book happens int his one: I wish the action would be set in the Comanche nation, that they would live with the Comanches instead of white people. It's obvious the dynamics of the story would have to be different, but I think it would work out better.
This doesn't mean I didn't like the book, I did enjoy reading it, but in the end I felt a bit sad, not because of how it ended but because of some things that happened.
Anyway, I'm looking for to read the 3rd one next month.

Catherine Anderson - Comanche Moon

They called him Hunter, the fierce Comanche warrior chosen by his people to journey across the western wilderness in search of the elusive maiden who would fulfill their sacred prophecy:
For the sake of the Comanche, find the honey-haired woman; bring her among us, and honor her as you never will another.

Loretta Simpson came to him as in a vision, a proud, golden-haired beauty. Loretta had lived in terror of the Comanche since the brutal murder of her parents at their hands. Now she was a Comanche prisoner and nothing could ease the fear and hate she felt. What she did not know was that she and Hunter were bound by more than the bonds that held her--they were bound by destiny. She swore to defy her captor, but could she defy her heart?

Comment: I love the author's books, they're full of emotions and there's always a good HEA to make us believe in forever love, so it's garanteed a good time and a even better romance. In this case, the book was also very good, I loved it but yes, there's also a heavier sense of sorrow.
The two main characters hate waht the other represents. The story isn't only about seeing someone you might hate through loving eyes, it's about accepting a whole different culture in your life. the thing is, both of them had plenty reasons not to trust the other and to avoid atatchment because they feared it might see what really was behind the culture. I think it was an intelligent tactic of the author to portray the differences between the cultures and the fight between them. This way we believe it more when both Hunter and Loretta finally accept the love they feel for the other as true, because there's nothing else in their way to each other. I loved that.
What was difficult to read were the losses throughout the story, the things they lost and can't get back. I've cried a lot of times. I think this book was heavier than some of the others I've read by her because there's so many things I wish could have gone better...so many hard feelings to overcome and deaths to process. I didn't like seeing some things happen the way it was.
The romance was good, I was convinced and I liked the slow pace, the slow conquering of both their feelings. It was magical to see.
The book focuses a lot on the two cultures and the differences between them but it's not pro anything..both sides are well portrayed and both have good and bad things about them. I liked the fact I could choose to accept whatever from both sides.
This was a smart book, with a good romance but the HEA..although happy and promising..it's not a perfect one. Too much stuff happened before for it to be perfect, but...I hope the second book is easier to read and more obvious on the happiness.

Catherine Anderson - Here to Stay

Mandy Pajeck had a tough childhood. Now 28, she feels responsible for the accident that took her younger brother’s sight. But his complete reliance on her care is making them both miserable. When she meets handsome Zach Harrigan and his mini guide horse, she thinks she’s found the ticket to her brother’s happiness—and maybe her own.

Comment: This author is an auto-buy for me. Her books always deliver because I know what to expect. Some things are too good to be true, but if we can't find hapiness and happy stuff in books when our RL lives have so much problems, then what's the point?

Sometimes one just wants to relax and enjoy a story without drama and stress.

Catherine Anderson does it for me. Even the charcter's issues don't seem to close to me because everything else falls into place in such a perfect way that I can read the book and not br overwhelmed by the problems mentioned there.

I love it thet there's always a HEA, a good one.

Of course when an author has a series it is to be expected that some books aren't as good as others, or they won't impact the reader the same way. My favourite by her, so far, is My Sunshine. This Here to Stay doesn't come close, but still it's a great story and I liked how things (Mandy's fears and hopes) were dealt with. Zach grew up a lot since we heard about him in the first book where he appears. Plus the world of horses and Oregon ranches is so far away from my own reality that that is an extra plus for me in her books.

Can't wait for the next one already!!