THE CHRISTMAS ROOM by Catherine Anderson

Berkley

September 26^th, 2017

978-0-399-58631-6

Contemporary Romance, Women’s Fiction

Hardcover

Reviewed by Dawn (love2read28@gmail.com)

Obtained by Publisher

4 Hearts

For widow Maddie McLendon, life in Rustlers’ Gulch, Montana is so very different than California, but she can’t help but fall in love with the majestic scenery every time she opens her door. But when construction delays force her, her son and grandchild to find an alternative living arrangement, well things go bad to worse. For their new neighbor, Sam Conacher doesn’t like his new neighbors, thinks they are white trash is determined to run them out of town. Unfortunately for Sam, his daughter and Maddie’s Son are falling for one another and it will take a tragedy to get these two hard headed people to see eye to eye. As the holidays approach, Maddie and Sam will have to figure out how to navigate their new normal even as the biggest gift they can give to one another is an open heart.

THE CHRISTMAS ROOM is a sweet and my god, entertaining story about new adventures, romance and more all within the majestic land of Montana. Ms. Anderson delivers a story that had me at times giggling like mad, sighing as people fall in love and then flipping the pages to see what Sam and Maddie would do next in their war of words. I really enjoyed the new book from one of my favorite authors and you can see how much the author loves Montana in her sweeping and lush scenery. Ms. Anderson is a talented storyteller and one that you can’t help but fall in love with her characters even if you wanted to smack them silly in the beginning. The story flows swiftly and I found the setting to be equally important in this book as is the characters. The author does an amazing job in capturing the vastness that is Montana and how scenic it is. The characters fit within Rustlers’ Gulch and I loved meeting all of them. There is potential for spin-off books set in this sleepy town and I am really hoping the author delivers more stories set here.

It’s the characters that take center stage along side Montana in THE CHRISTMAS ROOM. They are diverse, strong yet vulnerable, intriguing and down right entertaining. I loved how the author keeps her readers entertained with the diverse cast of characters. You got cranky Sam and feisty Maddie butting heads at times for most of the book. Add in Sam’s daughter Kirstin and Maddie’s son, Cam and grandchild, Caleb, well let’s just say the fun goes up a notch and I couldn’t put the book down. I loved the family dynamics and the interactions between Sam and Maddie had me giggling even as I rooted for Maddie to give this crusty rancher a piece of her mind. Those scenes plus the ones where Cam and Kirstin were falling in love were the best parts of the book even though I have a soft spot for Caleb as he navigates living in a small town and feeling like a fish out of water. What I really enjoyed was the older people finding love even as they deal with issues with aging among others. I really loved how the author incorporated it within the story and made it a sub-story and tied it together with Cam and Kirstin’s romance. I really enjoyed meeting the residents of the small town and enjoyed finding out about them within the course of the book.

THE CHRISTMAS ROOM doesn’t have to be read around the holidays. Its perfect anytime to read-at the beach, rainy afternoon, etc. I love Ms. Anderson’s storytelling and look forward for more from her in the future. But really, can we get more books set in Rustlers’ Gulch in future books please?

This is an objective review and not an endorsement

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MULBERRY MOON by Catherine Anderson

A Mystic Creek Novel, Book 3
Penguin
January 3^rd, 2017
978-0-451-48802-2
Contemporary Romance
Mass Market Paperback
Reviewed by Dawn (love2read28@gmail.com)
Obtained by Publisher
3.5 hearts

 

Sissy Sue Bentley is determined to rise above her poor beginnings and make a life of her own in Mystic Creek. Running the local café, she works long hours and tries to keep her head above water even as she tries to avoid Ben Sterling, a man determined to woo Sissy. But when her chickens escape and Ben helps her round them up, Sissy sees a side of Ben that she thought was obsolete and rare in the male gender. Slowly, Ben starts to build trust with Sissy even as they begin to fall for one another. But when Sissy’s past comes to Mystic reek, she’ll have to figure out if being alone is better than letting yourself open up to a love worth healing even the smallest of cuts.

MULBERRY MOON is a sweet tale of two people who are determined to find that place in the world, be it in Mystic Creek or in their lives somehow. I love this author’s Mystic Creek series and MULBERRY MOON delivers a story that is tender, sweet and downright delightful. The story flows nicely, with some intriguing bits that had me flipping the pages to see what would happen next. It’s the characters that steal the show. We met Ben in the past two Mystic Creek books and I loved how sweet he is with Sissy. He is determined to woo this prickly woman and when things happen to help his cause, he grabs it with both hands. What proceeds is a sweet romance that left me in stiches at times and other times wiping a tear away from the sadness that Sissy tries to hide behind a steely façade. The characters are what truly makes this book so entertaining and enjoyable. They keep the story moving along as Sissy and Ben dance around their attraction as well slyly steal some of the show for themselves at times.

 

I adore Sissy and Ben together. The sparks fly right when they first meet up and from then on, it’s an entertaining read to see how these two fall for one another even as one person is determined to not risk it all. Ben is looking for that special someone, someone like his brothers have found. When he is intrigued by Sissy, well let’s just say he has his work cut out for him with this skittish and reluctant woman. But Sissy is just as determined and I love at how she tries to deny her attraction to Ben, even as he continues to show her that he means no harm nor does he pressure her in any way. These two just fit together. Ben steadily and completely chipped away Sissy’s armor in front of her heart even as she struggles to keep things casual and not give into temptation. The secondary characters keep the story moving along nicely and keep the reader entertained immensely. All the characters are multidimensional and have a depth that is nice to see in a book. It makes the story so much richer in my opinion.

 

MULBERRY MOON is a sweet and wonderful tale that will steal your heart and in the end, leave a smile on your face after the last page is read. I adore this author’s books and look forward to reading more in this series. I just wonder who will be next to fall in love in Mystic Creek. I hope we won’t have to wait long for the next book from this author.

 This is an objective review and not an endorsement