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Mystic Creek #1
Silver Thaw
From the New York Times bestselling author of the Coulter and Harrigan Family novels comes a brand-new contemporary romance series about first love, second chances, and hope reborn.…
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.…
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.…
333 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 6, 2015
606 people are currently reading
2864 people want to read
About the author
Catherine Anderson
103 books2,963 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
(1)romance author:
Adeline Catherine was born and raised in Grants Pass, Oregon, USA. She always yearned to be a writer like her mother. The morning that one of her professors asked if she could use samples of Catherine’s creative writing on an overhead projector to teach was a dream come true. In 1988, she sold her first book to Harlequin Intrigue and went on to write three more before she tried her hand at a single-title historical romance. Nine books later, she did her first single-title contemporary.
Catherine married Sidney D. Anderson, an industrial electrician and entrepreneur. They had two sons, Sidney D. Jr. and John G. In 2001 she and her husband purchased a central Oregon home located on a ridge with incredible mountain views and surrounded by forestland honeycombed with trails. It was her dream home, a wonderland in the winter and beyond beautiful in the summer. She named it Cinnamon Ridge after the huge ponderosa pines on the property, which sport bark the color of cinnamon.
Sadly, Catherine lost her husband to a long-term illness in 2014. She has kept Cinnamon Ridge as her primary residence but divides her time between there and her son John's farm, where she has the support of her loved ones and can enjoy his horses, cows, and raise her own chickens.
Catherine loves animals and birds, both wild and domestic. She presently has two Australian shepherds, six cats, and a very old canary. She is very family oriented as well. Her older son has lived in Japan, Australia, and now resides in New Zealand. Catherine and her stateside family will celebrate Christmas on the north island with Sidney, his wife Mary, and their two sons, Liam and Jonas.
(1)romance author:
Adeline Catherine was born and raised in Grants Pass, Oregon, USA. She always yearned to be a writer like her mother. The morning that one of her professors asked if she could use samples of Catherine’s creative writing on an overhead projector to teach was a dream come true. In 1988, she sold her first book to Harlequin Intrigue and went on to write three more before she tried her hand at a single-title historical romance. Nine books later, she did her first single-title contemporary.
Catherine married Sidney D. Anderson, an industrial electrician and entrepreneur. They had two sons, Sidney D. Jr. and John G. In 2001 she and her husband purchased a central Oregon home located on a ridge with incredible mountain views and surrounded by forestland honeycombed with trails. It was her dream home, a wonderland in the winter and beyond beautiful in the summer. She named it Cinnamon Ridge after the huge ponderosa pines on the property, which sport bark the color of cinnamon.
Sadly, Catherine lost her husband to a long-term illness in 2014. She has kept Cinnamon Ridge as her primary residence but divides her time between there and her son John's farm, where she has the support of her loved ones and can enjoy his horses, cows, and raise her own chickens.
Catherine loves animals and birds, both wild and domestic. She presently has two Australian shepherds, six cats, and a very old canary. She is very family oriented as well. Her older son has lived in Japan, Australia, and now resides in New Zealand. Catherine and her stateside family will celebrate Christmas on the north island with Sidney, his wife Mary, and their two sons, Liam and Jonas.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 568 reviews
June 15, 2016
Discovered this author about 5 or 6 years ago when I got my Kindle. Loved her books. This one fell flat. I was bored out of my tree. She has a formula and while it may have worked in the past for me, not this time.
Great hero.
Heroine on the run from an abusive partner.
Child.
Just bored me to tears this time. Was skimming towards the end. And it all ended up so nice and peachy.
Sorry, cannot even conjure up the enthusiasm to do a proper review. Not sure if I will return to this author. We shall see.
Great hero.
Heroine on the run from an abusive partner.
Child.
Just bored me to tears this time. Was skimming towards the end. And it all ended up so nice and peachy.
Sorry, cannot even conjure up the enthusiasm to do a proper review. Not sure if I will return to this author. We shall see.
April 4, 2017
Check out all of my reviews at: http://www.avonnalovesgenres.com
SILVER THAW (Mystic Creek, #1) by bestselling author Catherine Anderson is the start of a new traditional contemporary romance series set in Mystic Creek, Oregon. This is an extremely well written story that has a hero that we all dream of meeting and a heroine with a small daughter who both need him desperately.
Jeb Sterling is a self-employed precision woodworker who finds messages scattered across his land on pink strips of paper. He becomes intrigued by the writer’s hopes and wishes for herself and her six year old daughter. When a severe ice storm hits, Jeb goes to check on his mysterious new neighbors and ends up rescuing Amanda Banning and her daughter. He finds himself drawn to this pair that are on the run and hiding from a physically abusive spouse and father.
Amanda and her daughter’s previous physical and psychological abuse is handled very convincingly by this author. Jeb is a strong hero to take on this pair and to deal with all the fallout to come. There are mild religious references, but only before meal prayers and the idea of praying for help. All Ms. Anderson’s books have very mild sexual scenes and focus more on the growing of the love between the H/h. The growth of the relationship in this book is the main focus. It is well plotted and realistic to the situation.
This romance is character driven and tells the tale of overcoming past adversity and starting over with the love and help of a strong hero and a caring community.
I am very much looking forward to reading the next book in this series.
SILVER THAW (Mystic Creek, #1) by bestselling author Catherine Anderson is the start of a new traditional contemporary romance series set in Mystic Creek, Oregon. This is an extremely well written story that has a hero that we all dream of meeting and a heroine with a small daughter who both need him desperately.
Jeb Sterling is a self-employed precision woodworker who finds messages scattered across his land on pink strips of paper. He becomes intrigued by the writer’s hopes and wishes for herself and her six year old daughter. When a severe ice storm hits, Jeb goes to check on his mysterious new neighbors and ends up rescuing Amanda Banning and her daughter. He finds himself drawn to this pair that are on the run and hiding from a physically abusive spouse and father.
Amanda and her daughter’s previous physical and psychological abuse is handled very convincingly by this author. Jeb is a strong hero to take on this pair and to deal with all the fallout to come. There are mild religious references, but only before meal prayers and the idea of praying for help. All Ms. Anderson’s books have very mild sexual scenes and focus more on the growing of the love between the H/h. The growth of the relationship in this book is the main focus. It is well plotted and realistic to the situation.
This romance is character driven and tells the tale of overcoming past adversity and starting over with the love and help of a strong hero and a caring community.
I am very much looking forward to reading the next book in this series.
January 12, 2015
Caffeinated Breakdown of Silver Thaw
World: Mystic Creek is the perfect rural town, with a mix of elderly, small businesses and ranches. It is a place where neighbor helps neighbor and families ties are strong. Anderson brought the snow, ice, old homes and ranch to life with her descriptive writing. The majority of tale takes place between November and the New Year.
Characters: Amanda Banning and her six-year-old daughter, Chloe, got to me. Amanda has moved to escape and protect the daughter she loves. Gads! Their story will grab your heartstrings and pull. They are dirt poor and without a car or support. Amanda writes her desires, fears, and thoughts on slips of paper. Each night she releases them into the wind. Despite their grim prospects Amanda is strong and is a character, you will rally behind. Jeb Sterling is a thirty-year-old carpenter who owns his own small ranch. He is quiet, independent and if he were honest with himself -lonely. I adored Jeb, he is the type of boy a mama can be proud of and a woman longs to call her own. *full swoon here ladies* The interaction between Jeb, Amanda and her daughter ranged from comical to “wipe a tear from your eye” and hug the book moments. Add in Jeb’s family and lord I was ready to pack my bags and ask them to adopt me. There are even some critters to make you laugh.
Plot: I loved the little handwritten messages and thought is was a clever little twist. Of course, we have a snowstorm and a few disasters to force our couple to interact. I love this troupe and Anderson kept it fresh and believable. While the road to our HEA was predictable, Anderson added twists, danger and delightful moments that kept me flipping the pages. I completely slipped into the story and read it almost in one sitting despite it being a full-length novel. Genuine and well crafted I could have read about them forever.
Romance: Slow burning for the most part and low on heat this romance is memorable in so many ways. First, both characters are delightfully fleshed out and likeable. We get laughter, delightful banter, and “oh be still my heart" moments. I had all the feels reading this and loved every dang one of them. Toss in some suspense, danger and a little character growth and I was melting.
Caffeinated Conclusion: Silver Thaw was such a wonderfully crafted tale with so many elements I enjoy in romantic tale. A slow-burning romance that gives you butterflies, fleshed out characters you adore, a small-town with all the trimmings and just the right touch of suspense to keep you flipping the pages to learn how it all works out.
Copy provided by publisher, full review at CaffeinatedThis review was originally posted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer
World: Mystic Creek is the perfect rural town, with a mix of elderly, small businesses and ranches. It is a place where neighbor helps neighbor and families ties are strong. Anderson brought the snow, ice, old homes and ranch to life with her descriptive writing. The majority of tale takes place between November and the New Year.
Characters: Amanda Banning and her six-year-old daughter, Chloe, got to me. Amanda has moved to escape and protect the daughter she loves. Gads! Their story will grab your heartstrings and pull. They are dirt poor and without a car or support. Amanda writes her desires, fears, and thoughts on slips of paper. Each night she releases them into the wind. Despite their grim prospects Amanda is strong and is a character, you will rally behind. Jeb Sterling is a thirty-year-old carpenter who owns his own small ranch. He is quiet, independent and if he were honest with himself -lonely. I adored Jeb, he is the type of boy a mama can be proud of and a woman longs to call her own. *full swoon here ladies* The interaction between Jeb, Amanda and her daughter ranged from comical to “wipe a tear from your eye” and hug the book moments. Add in Jeb’s family and lord I was ready to pack my bags and ask them to adopt me. There are even some critters to make you laugh.
Plot: I loved the little handwritten messages and thought is was a clever little twist. Of course, we have a snowstorm and a few disasters to force our couple to interact. I love this troupe and Anderson kept it fresh and believable. While the road to our HEA was predictable, Anderson added twists, danger and delightful moments that kept me flipping the pages. I completely slipped into the story and read it almost in one sitting despite it being a full-length novel. Genuine and well crafted I could have read about them forever.
Romance: Slow burning for the most part and low on heat this romance is memorable in so many ways. First, both characters are delightfully fleshed out and likeable. We get laughter, delightful banter, and “oh be still my heart" moments. I had all the feels reading this and loved every dang one of them. Toss in some suspense, danger and a little character growth and I was melting.
Caffeinated Conclusion: Silver Thaw was such a wonderfully crafted tale with so many elements I enjoy in romantic tale. A slow-burning romance that gives you butterflies, fleshed out characters you adore, a small-town with all the trimmings and just the right touch of suspense to keep you flipping the pages to learn how it all works out.
Copy provided by publisher, full review at CaffeinatedThis review was originally posted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer
January 3, 2016
3.5 Stars
Silver Thaw was a feel good, sweet romance sure to reaffirm beliefs in a happily-ever-after. The small town setting of Mystic Creek was a close-knit, loving community that made you feel warmth and a giving human spirit.
Amanda worked up the courage to leave her abusive husband, Mark, with her seven year-old daughter, Chloe in tow, but a brutal winter storm threatens her already precarious situation. Amanda barely scrapes by financially, living in a rickety rental house with no car, and very little winter clothes. She’s trying to keep her spirits up but her life just seems like one blow after another. As an exercise in therapy, Amanda writes notes on little pieces of pink paper and sends them off into the wind. These contain messages like:
I wish I could meet a man as kind and wonderful as the heroes in one of the romances I love to read, someone who’d be a fabulous father to my little girl and make both of us feel safe.
I wish I could find secondhand winter boots for my little girl. I can’t afford new ones, and my boss says we’ll soon have deep snow.
Amanda doesn’t realize that her messages are being captured and read by Jeb Sterling, her hunky neighbor. Jeb wonders at the author of these little pink papers, worries about someone who couldn’t afford a little girl’s winter boots especially with a storm coming. His protective instincts come roaring to life and Jeb resolves to find out who this woman is. When a storm comes and knocks out power to most of Mystic Creek, Jeb and others form parties to go out and assist any who are in need of help. When he stumbles upon Amanda and Chloe and sees exactly how dire their situation is, Jeb insists they come to his house for shelter.
Jeb was an answer to Amanda’s first note, a sincere and kind hearted man. She had major trust issues, which were understandable considering the horrors Mark had put Amanda and her daughter through! I shudder just thinking about it! She‘s scared to fall for another man and possible trap, but Jeb slowly chips away at those feelings by treating Amanda and Chloe with love and tenderness they desperately needed. He’s powerfully attracted to Amanda and senses she’s attracted to him, too, but wisely takes things slow and doesn’t push her.
Grabbing her tightly, Jeb cherished the brief moment of holding her. Oh, man, I’ve got it bad. If she can never love me back, I’ll have to accept it. But letting her go will half kill me.
Aww…Jeb!
As all the details come out about Amanda’s husband, Jeb realizes the danger they’re all in, because it’s obvious that Mark wouldn’t just allow her to leave and disappear without trying to find them. It was a tricky situation because Mark cleverly tried to use the laws to gain an advantage. I read some of this story with a feeling of dread over how this would play out and worried what Mark would try to get his way. Men like that don’t usually take rejection well. Thankfully, Amanda and Chloe had Jeb, and his family all pull together to help. Just being around Jeb and his family strengthened Amanda enough that she regained some of her confidence and was able to stand up for herself, too.
Catherine Anderson wrote a sweet, heartwarming romance filled with loving family and friends, sure to give you the warm and fuzzies by the end.
A copy was kindly provided by Signet in exchange for an honest review.
This review was also posted on The Readers Den.
January 29, 2017
2 Stars
I enjoyed the beginning of this book: secret messages on pink paper blowing in the breeze, a potential "stranded in a snowstorm" romance, and a beautiful Oregon setting. Unfortunately, my joy was short-lived. The story moved sooo slowly. I think at least a hundred pages could have been cut out. After the much anticipated showdown with the bad guy just past the halfway mark, it was just plain boring.
SILVER THAW was the first book I've read by Catherine Anderson. Is she a Christian Romance author? I would definitely put this book in the Christian Romance genre, though it wasn't tagged as such in the library.
I was hoping this book would be similar to Robyn Carr's Virgin River series, but it didn't even come close!! I'm giving it two stars, and my two stars = nah.
I enjoyed the beginning of this book: secret messages on pink paper blowing in the breeze, a potential "stranded in a snowstorm" romance, and a beautiful Oregon setting. Unfortunately, my joy was short-lived. The story moved sooo slowly. I think at least a hundred pages could have been cut out. After the much anticipated showdown with the bad guy just past the halfway mark, it was just plain boring.
SILVER THAW was the first book I've read by Catherine Anderson. Is she a Christian Romance author? I would definitely put this book in the Christian Romance genre, though it wasn't tagged as such in the library.
I was hoping this book would be similar to Robyn Carr's Virgin River series, but it didn't even come close!! I'm giving it two stars, and my two stars = nah.
October 13, 2020
What I liked most about this was the fairytale theme of it. I know some readers may want more realistic, but every once in a while I do love to read about a hero that comes in and saves the day. That's what you get with Jeb. He takes in a destitute mother, offers her shelter, the means to get away from her abusive husband, a job and woos her into falling in love with him. It's dreamy and unrealistic but it made me happy.
January 19, 2015
A MUST READ FOR 2015! I waited patiently and eagerly for Silver Thaw to come out and when I was finally able to get to the store to buy it I started it the same night. If you read nothing else or only one book for 2015, READ SILVER THAW! From the dedication to the end of the book you will find yourself running the gambit of emotions with this book. I know that 2014 was a difficult year for Catherine Anderson and bless her wonderful heart she found the strength and determination to write a wonderful story. Thank you Catherine! I will not write a review that tells the story line because honestly I do not like it when a review is written and retells the story I want to read. What I will tell you is that the characters are down to earth and real. I laughed a lot, cried some and found myself anxious in the drama not wanting to put it down although I had to. I loved her own plug of another loved book that she wrote that is one of my favorites to this day. Can you guess which one? I also liked how she kept her other series alive by the characters being real in this book as well. Well Done Catherine and Thank You!
May 16, 2015
Hmm, I normally love Catherine Anderson, but this book wasn't the best for me. It was almost like a Christian book I read not long ago, full of God this, God that and apart from the heroine's past, a life that is so incredibly perfect, a hero that is so perfect, a heroine who has been tortured for years and years who gets over it just like that when her perfect hero comes along, a child who is so perfect it almost made me wish I'd had children ... it was a bit too much. I loved her last book and gave it five stars, but this one was just too over the top perfect to even make it interesting to me. I skimmed quite a few bits of it hoping for a glimpse of the bad guy just to shake it up and make it more interesting. A rare miss for this author ... unless you like Christian books, then it should appeal.
June 27, 2022
*Review Up*
A typical Anderson book. I'm coming to accept that she likes to stick to a very specific stringent formula and plug it in every book. That’s ok but when the plot, characters, and dialogue are the same in every book? It takes the enjoyment out of it. This was pretty much a replica of Baby Love which is frustrating and disappointing because it’s not the only Anderson book with the same cut & paste treatment.
Let’s go down the checklist shall we:
Heroine has been horribly abused and scarred. ✓
Heroine is a frightened single mother on the run.✓
Heroine is terrified of men and detests sex.✓
Heroine is so sheltered and naive of the basic understanding of certain things. ✓
Hero is a rugged handsome lonely bachelor with a savior complex.✓
Hero immediately swoops in and wants to take care of everything for the distressed heroine.✓
Hero goes above and beyond realism and spends imaginary heaps of money to build heroine a safe haven.✓
Hero steps up to the plate of father figure to little girl very easily. ✓
I want some realism and diversity is all I'm saying. This started to remind me a lot of a Diana Palmer book, very formulaic, predictable and dated in some areas. There was also some sexist preachy undertones in here that made me fidget. I know Catherine Anderson has a lot more to offer as a writer, waaay more than these restricted watered down stories. Is her editor making her do this? I've been really hoping for another Annie's Song but alas no luck. That was pure raw magic. I want another jewel like that. Where is it? I feel like Anderson is a writer who would fit better in the Historical genre rather than Contemporary given some of the dated tropes she likes to use. I even kept catching some moments in here where the heroine’s dialogue sounded something out of a Regency novel. Example: "We musn’t do that." Eh. There are better examples but can't remember them off the top of my head. I have no problem reading about characters who are devoted to family, their faith and are more modest but in here it came off more preachy, cloying and suffocating rather than subtle and organic. And the conversations about G-d forgiving the abusive husband and him going to heaven was a little too much for me. It was exceedingly heavy handed in the end. But there were some things I liked and enjoyed.
What I liked:
The handwritten notes between Amanda and Jeb. I'm such a sucker for love letters & notes expressing feelings that are too vulnerable to be verbalized out loud. The strips of notes is how these two come together and they carry it on as a 'tradition' where they pass notes to each other. The hero tucks pieces of papers here and there for her to find and read. That melted my heart. I loved it. So simple yet so sweet.
Bozo, the mastiff. I love that dog and his interaction with Jeb and little Chloe. So adorable and hilarious. The scene where Jeb introduces him to the frightened little girl and her mom? Adorable and endearing.
Jeb and Chloe. I’ve never been a fan of insta-family scenarios. And here it was pretty much the same but *slightly* slower, the gradual build up of this little girl coming to trust Jeb and accept him was really nicely handled and sweet. The chicken coop scene was a standout moment.
What could have been better:
Besides what I mentioned above, this was in need of some editing. It’s a 400 page book where a good 100 pages could have been trimmed down. The pacing is very very slow and dragged out for unnecessary reasons IMO. I could understand from the relationship arc why given the heroine’s trauma and PTSD issues but a good 80% of the book is filled with daily ruminations and unnecessary excess info dumping about little details that adds nothing to the story. Like do I really need to know a mastiff’s eating regimen and pedigree? No. Some of the the things the author chose to focus on seemed very random and excess.
Amanda’s way of escaping her abusive husband was too easy and nonsensical. She managed to sign up for credit cards under both her name and her husband’s name without him knowing. She secretly made periodic withdrawals to add up for when she's ready run. She managed to do that over a few months yet Mark never found out about it until after she ran? Really??? How? What bank was she using that she got no payment notices? This escape plan had gaping holes given how restrictive, controlling and punishing her husband was. He watched her like a hawk and cut off all outside ties to her. No car, no phone, no internet, no money. She would try using a pay phone and he caught her. Yet he didn't find out about money withdrawals from a bank account? Come on. Didn't buy it. This easy trip up made no sense to me.
Jeb is a farmer/carpenter who isn’t rich as the author pointedly mentions a few times. Yet he has enough money to spend on thousand dollar hi-tech security system equipment for his house and his parents house, order anything and everything online for Amanda and Chloe, buy phones, laptops and help relocate Amanda’s mother and build an entire guest house wing for her to live in? Sure, ok. lol This guy was too perfect. He thinks of everything and does everything exactly right.
And I have a serious bone to pick with the heroine's mother’s reasoning for not intervening when she suspected her daughter was being abused by her husband. She apparently was scared to say something because she feared of what Amanda’s father would do to the guy and vice versa. -__- She feared for her own husband’s safety. Yes that's right. Her husband, not her daughter’s well being.
Lady are you facking serious?! I would give my hubby the bullets to the shotgun or drive there myself and bust down the damn door if my daughter was being abused. Like give me break with this trash. At least call the cops, do something instead of staying quiet and passively standing aside and letting it continue. I’m sorry but this lit me up like nothing else and was a really shitty poor line of reasoning to drive the story further along for why the heroine was abused and tortured for 6 years. You don’t do that to your own kids unless there is a justifiable reason, and it absolutely wasn’t here.
I have Coming up Roses on my shelf next, it’s not Contemporary but pretty much the same exact synopsis with an abused single mother on the run on the Oregon trail. As a reader I don’t recommend reading Catherine Anderson’s books back to back because the redundancy and similarities will wear you out IMO. But I still recommend her work because it gets to the human heart, and the overall theme in any Anderson book that grabs me always is hope, her stories inspire hope. I may come back to that book later on but for now, returning it to the library unread. Overall, not a bad read unless it's very familiar to you.
A typical Anderson book. I'm coming to accept that she likes to stick to a very specific stringent formula and plug it in every book. That’s ok but when the plot, characters, and dialogue are the same in every book? It takes the enjoyment out of it. This was pretty much a replica of Baby Love which is frustrating and disappointing because it’s not the only Anderson book with the same cut & paste treatment.
Let’s go down the checklist shall we:
Heroine has been horribly abused and scarred. ✓
Heroine is a frightened single mother on the run.✓
Heroine is terrified of men and detests sex.✓
Heroine is so sheltered and naive of the basic understanding of certain things. ✓
Hero is a rugged handsome lonely bachelor with a savior complex.✓
Hero immediately swoops in and wants to take care of everything for the distressed heroine.✓
Hero goes above and beyond realism and spends imaginary heaps of money to build heroine a safe haven.✓
Hero steps up to the plate of father figure to little girl very easily. ✓
I want some realism and diversity is all I'm saying. This started to remind me a lot of a Diana Palmer book, very formulaic, predictable and dated in some areas. There was also some sexist preachy undertones in here that made me fidget. I know Catherine Anderson has a lot more to offer as a writer, waaay more than these restricted watered down stories. Is her editor making her do this? I've been really hoping for another Annie's Song but alas no luck. That was pure raw magic. I want another jewel like that. Where is it? I feel like Anderson is a writer who would fit better in the Historical genre rather than Contemporary given some of the dated tropes she likes to use. I even kept catching some moments in here where the heroine’s dialogue sounded something out of a Regency novel. Example: "We musn’t do that." Eh. There are better examples but can't remember them off the top of my head. I have no problem reading about characters who are devoted to family, their faith and are more modest but in here it came off more preachy, cloying and suffocating rather than subtle and organic. And the conversations about G-d forgiving the abusive husband and him going to heaven was a little too much for me. It was exceedingly heavy handed in the end. But there were some things I liked and enjoyed.
What I liked:
The handwritten notes between Amanda and Jeb. I'm such a sucker for love letters & notes expressing feelings that are too vulnerable to be verbalized out loud. The strips of notes is how these two come together and they carry it on as a 'tradition' where they pass notes to each other. The hero tucks pieces of papers here and there for her to find and read. That melted my heart. I loved it. So simple yet so sweet.
Bozo, the mastiff. I love that dog and his interaction with Jeb and little Chloe. So adorable and hilarious. The scene where Jeb introduces him to the frightened little girl and her mom? Adorable and endearing.
Jeb and Chloe. I’ve never been a fan of insta-family scenarios. And here it was pretty much the same but *slightly* slower, the gradual build up of this little girl coming to trust Jeb and accept him was really nicely handled and sweet. The chicken coop scene was a standout moment.
What could have been better:
Besides what I mentioned above, this was in need of some editing. It’s a 400 page book where a good 100 pages could have been trimmed down. The pacing is very very slow and dragged out for unnecessary reasons IMO. I could understand from the relationship arc why given the heroine’s trauma and PTSD issues but a good 80% of the book is filled with daily ruminations and unnecessary excess info dumping about little details that adds nothing to the story. Like do I really need to know a mastiff’s eating regimen and pedigree? No. Some of the the things the author chose to focus on seemed very random and excess.
Amanda’s way of escaping her abusive husband was too easy and nonsensical. She managed to sign up for credit cards under both her name and her husband’s name without him knowing. She secretly made periodic withdrawals to add up for when she's ready run. She managed to do that over a few months yet Mark never found out about it until after she ran? Really??? How? What bank was she using that she got no payment notices? This escape plan had gaping holes given how restrictive, controlling and punishing her husband was. He watched her like a hawk and cut off all outside ties to her. No car, no phone, no internet, no money. She would try using a pay phone and he caught her. Yet he didn't find out about money withdrawals from a bank account? Come on. Didn't buy it. This easy trip up made no sense to me.
Jeb is a farmer/carpenter who isn’t rich as the author pointedly mentions a few times. Yet he has enough money to spend on thousand dollar hi-tech security system equipment for his house and his parents house, order anything and everything online for Amanda and Chloe, buy phones, laptops and help relocate Amanda’s mother and build an entire guest house wing for her to live in? Sure, ok. lol This guy was too perfect. He thinks of everything and does everything exactly right.
And I have a serious bone to pick with the heroine's mother’s reasoning for not intervening when she suspected her daughter was being abused by her husband. She apparently was scared to say something because she feared of what Amanda’s father would do to the guy and vice versa. -__- She feared for her own husband’s safety. Yes that's right. Her husband, not her daughter’s well being.
Lady are you facking serious?! I would give my hubby the bullets to the shotgun or drive there myself and bust down the damn door if my daughter was being abused. Like give me break with this trash. At least call the cops, do something instead of staying quiet and passively standing aside and letting it continue. I’m sorry but this lit me up like nothing else and was a really shitty poor line of reasoning to drive the story further along for why the heroine was abused and tortured for 6 years. You don’t do that to your own kids unless there is a justifiable reason, and it absolutely wasn’t here.
I have Coming up Roses on my shelf next, it’s not Contemporary but pretty much the same exact synopsis with an abused single mother on the run on the Oregon trail. As a reader I don’t recommend reading Catherine Anderson’s books back to back because the redundancy and similarities will wear you out IMO. But I still recommend her work because it gets to the human heart, and the overall theme in any Anderson book that grabs me always is hope, her stories inspire hope. I may come back to that book later on but for now, returning it to the library unread. Overall, not a bad read unless it's very familiar to you.
January 20, 2015
''SILVER THAW'....By Catherine Anderson is one FANTSTIC read, right from the first page. This is a terrific story of hope, determination, family, second chances and the power of love. Her words and characters go to the core of your heart., and remain there. Even the animals will find a spot there, too. It touches every single one of your emotions. It is an absolute wonderful escape into life in Mystic Creek. Where people who desperately need changes in their lives, meet, in a magical concept of expressing thoughts, dreams and wishes. With a ton of determination, the bonds of family and love, changes can be made. I never end one of her books without being reminded or learn a valuable life lesson, "SILVER THAW" is no exception. You want more, you don't want it to end. But the good news is, this is the first novel in the Mystic Creek series. I, one of many, will be so looking forward to more adventures in Mystic Creek with the Sterling family. BRAVO! To Catherine Anderson for creating a tremendous story, woven deep with hope, trust, compassion, community and triumph!
February 22, 2015
I've never been disappointed by a Catherine Anderson book! I'm guessing it's going to be a five star book!
April 30, 2023
I think this author might be one of the most secretly misogynistic that I’ve ever read. She pretends that her heroines are strong, but they really have no power until the heroes come along to fix things. She makes sure that each heroine has lived the most miserable existence possible before the start of the book. Her heroines are used, abused, raped, tortured, broke as a joke, hopeless, humiliated, shunned, and any other number of things. This has been the case for EVERY SINGLE BOOK of this author’s that I’ve read. And at this point, I can no longer excuse her writing choices as just choices she made to make the story more interesting. No, she loves to write a pathetic heroine who needs rescuing. Maybe the heroine acts strong, but it’s all false strength. She’s got no power to improve her life without the hero.
There’s also a huge double standard when it comes to each MC’s sexual history. The men are ofc allowed to do anything they want and be with anyone they want. Meanwhile, the heroine is a virgin, or has never enjoyed sex, or was a rape victim and fears it.
My buildup of anger towards this author didn’t start with this book. But this book finished it for me. Prior to this, I was reading historicals by this author and trying to justify my distaste for her double standards because “that’s how it was in the past”. But no more. This book has proven to me that CA has no regard for women, she’s a misogynist, and not even a cleverly disguised one.
There’s also a huge double standard when it comes to each MC’s sexual history. The men are ofc allowed to do anything they want and be with anyone they want. Meanwhile, the heroine is a virgin, or has never enjoyed sex, or was a rape victim and fears it.
My buildup of anger towards this author didn’t start with this book. But this book finished it for me. Prior to this, I was reading historicals by this author and trying to justify my distaste for her double standards because “that’s how it was in the past”. But no more. This book has proven to me that CA has no regard for women, she’s a misogynist, and not even a cleverly disguised one.
January 3, 2015
As only Catherine Anderson can do, she has penned another classic novel. Sure to have you on the edge of your seat and begging for more and more...... 5 stars!!!!As only Catherine Anderson can do, she has penned another classic novel.
In the mystical, silver thaw wonderland, floating through the wind on pieces of pink, love is found in Catherine Anderson's new Mystic Creek Series.
From the masterful author of the Kendrick/Coulter/Harrigan families, comes a new series with an extraordinary love story.
Silver Thaw is explosive and will leave you believing that first love, new beginnings, and protection of the ones you love, conquer everything in Oregon's silver thaw.
Sure to have you on the edge of your seat begging for more... 5 stars!!!!!!
In the mystical, silver thaw wonderland, floating through the wind on pieces of pink, love is found in Catherine Anderson's new Mystic Creek Series.
From the masterful author of the Kendrick/Coulter/Harrigan families, comes a new series with an extraordinary love story.
Silver Thaw is explosive and will leave you believing that first love, new beginnings, and protection of the ones you love, conquer everything in Oregon's silver thaw.
Sure to have you on the edge of your seat begging for more... 5 stars!!!!!!
December 28, 2014
Books with heroines on the run from abusive exes usually get an automatic add to my TBR and Silver Thaw was no exception. Unfortunately the story fell a little flat for me.
Amanda and her daughter, Chloe, are on the run from Amanda's abusive husband when they land themselves in Mystic Creek. Since their arrival in Mystic Creek, Amanda has been writing her hopes and prayers on pink slips of paper and sending them into the wind. Little does she know that Jeb has been finding them all over his land and has been hoping to meet the mystery writer for quite a while.
Amanda's struggling to make ends meet when an ice storm forces them out of their home and into Jeb's which is where the romance begins. While wary, Amanda knows it's safer to brave out the storm at Jeb's than in their ramshackle rental.
What starts out as a struggling friendship due to Amanda's wariness around men, soon develops into an amazing, soul-repairing relationship. Jeb is such an awesome guy, always doing what's best for Chloe and Amanda. But at times, I felt as if his love for Chloe overshadowed the love he feels for Amanda, which happens more often than not when kids are involved in the story.
Of course Amanda's husband, Mark, shows up and all sorts of drama ensues. Honestly though, I felt as if there was so much surrounding the fear of what would happen if Mark shows up that when he actually does come it was a little anti-climatic for my tastes.
Overall, Silver Thaw is a great contemporary romance about falling in love and second chances.
*Book kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.
Amanda and her daughter, Chloe, are on the run from Amanda's abusive husband when they land themselves in Mystic Creek. Since their arrival in Mystic Creek, Amanda has been writing her hopes and prayers on pink slips of paper and sending them into the wind. Little does she know that Jeb has been finding them all over his land and has been hoping to meet the mystery writer for quite a while.
Amanda's struggling to make ends meet when an ice storm forces them out of their home and into Jeb's which is where the romance begins. While wary, Amanda knows it's safer to brave out the storm at Jeb's than in their ramshackle rental.
What starts out as a struggling friendship due to Amanda's wariness around men, soon develops into an amazing, soul-repairing relationship. Jeb is such an awesome guy, always doing what's best for Chloe and Amanda. But at times, I felt as if his love for Chloe overshadowed the love he feels for Amanda, which happens more often than not when kids are involved in the story.
Of course Amanda's husband, Mark, shows up and all sorts of drama ensues. Honestly though, I felt as if there was so much surrounding the fear of what would happen if Mark shows up that when he actually does come it was a little anti-climatic for my tastes.
Overall, Silver Thaw is a great contemporary romance about falling in love and second chances.
*Book kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.
January 28, 2015
Another hit by Catherine Anderson.
It is so hard to write a review and not give away the story or something important about it. I am going to try by keeping it short and simple.
This is about a woman who believed in love, married and found herself tied to a monster. To make matters worse, she had a child. As a mother, she knew she had no choice but to make a plan and escape and that meant never contacting her mother or she would be putting her in danger too.
She suffered and her child suffered, as she waited until the right moment and then left. On the run, alone and facing an ominous winter storm, she meets a man who wants to help her and her daughter find a better life.
Together they take on a challenge to find freedom and love.
This drama will tie you up in knots, touch your heart, make you mad and even find a smile or two.
It is a great story of love and hope. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
It is so hard to write a review and not give away the story or something important about it. I am going to try by keeping it short and simple.
This is about a woman who believed in love, married and found herself tied to a monster. To make matters worse, she had a child. As a mother, she knew she had no choice but to make a plan and escape and that meant never contacting her mother or she would be putting her in danger too.
She suffered and her child suffered, as she waited until the right moment and then left. On the run, alone and facing an ominous winter storm, she meets a man who wants to help her and her daughter find a better life.
Together they take on a challenge to find freedom and love.
This drama will tie you up in knots, touch your heart, make you mad and even find a smile or two.
It is a great story of love and hope. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
February 7, 2017
Way too sickly sweet for my tastes. I should've known. I tend to shy away from small town series books with one of the following words in their series titles for a reason:
Cove
Harbor
Creek
Springs
Bay
Falls
These are my triggers for small town sweet romances I am pretty sure I won't like.
But, I let myself get lured into this one with the possibility that it was actually more suspense than contemporary romance.
The heroine and her daughter are on the run from an abusive ex. She had very little money is living in a rental that is just one step above a hovel with an absentee landlord. Oh yeah and a humdinger of an ice-storm is on its way. But she had a unique way with dealing with despair. She writes her thoughts on little pieces of paper and throws them to the wind.
I thought it was just a few random thoughts apparently not. Girlfriend must've written a novel on those little scraps of paper because they are littering the yard of the hero who becomes intrigued by the woman sounds very lonely. He really wants to find her.
I should've stopped there. I should've known. But I was dumb and hopeful.
It becomes a damsel in distress/Prince charming savior book with a side order of precociously perfect moppet child. With even a little inspie feel to it. They talked about God a little too much for my personal taste.
I started skimming to get to the part where the crazy ex would show up. He did, but even he was a let down, such a cartoon who was either epically brilliant or incredibly stupid, depending on how the plot needed him to be. And don't get me started on how the hero's entire family put their lives on hold to rally around this woman they barely met but knew immediately was the perfect woman for him.
Well, at least I finished it.
Cove
Harbor
Creek
Springs
Bay
Falls
These are my triggers for small town sweet romances I am pretty sure I won't like.
But, I let myself get lured into this one with the possibility that it was actually more suspense than contemporary romance.
The heroine and her daughter are on the run from an abusive ex. She had very little money is living in a rental that is just one step above a hovel with an absentee landlord. Oh yeah and a humdinger of an ice-storm is on its way. But she had a unique way with dealing with despair. She writes her thoughts on little pieces of paper and throws them to the wind.
I thought it was just a few random thoughts apparently not. Girlfriend must've written a novel on those little scraps of paper because they are littering the yard of the hero who becomes intrigued by the woman sounds very lonely. He really wants to find her.
I should've stopped there. I should've known. But I was dumb and hopeful.
It becomes a damsel in distress/Prince charming savior book with a side order of precociously perfect moppet child. With even a little inspie feel to it. They talked about God a little too much for my personal taste.
I started skimming to get to the part where the crazy ex would show up. He did, but even he was a let down, such a cartoon who was either epically brilliant or incredibly stupid, depending on how the plot needed him to be. And don't get me started on how the hero's entire family put their lives on hold to rally around this woman they barely met but knew immediately was the perfect woman for him.
Well, at least I finished it.
January 1, 2015
I can't wait for this new series! Catherine Anderson is a fantastic writer who draws you into every story!
I had an advanced copy of Silver Thaw. I received it 12/30 and finished it 12/31.
Catherine Anderson never fails to amaze me. When I read her books I always think her latest is her best. But this REALLY is her best. I loved it. Her main characters were perfect. The story line was amazing and best of all it is the first in a series. There even was a mention of a Harrigan which ties her books together.
Thank goodness that Catherine doesn't make her readers wait too long. The words and stories just flow out of her, making her a natural storyteller. She's the best!
I had an advanced copy of Silver Thaw. I received it 12/30 and finished it 12/31.
Catherine Anderson never fails to amaze me. When I read her books I always think her latest is her best. But this REALLY is her best. I loved it. Her main characters were perfect. The story line was amazing and best of all it is the first in a series. There even was a mention of a Harrigan which ties her books together.
Thank goodness that Catherine doesn't make her readers wait too long. The words and stories just flow out of her, making her a natural storyteller. She's the best!
July 16, 2015
I received a digital copy in exchange for an honest review from Berkley.
Silver Thaw is a great tale of overcoming your past and starting over in life. Catherine is always an author to go to when you need some small life affirming kind of read that touches your heart. She is fantastic writing heart warming with suspense and HEA tales that reach you on every level. I absolutely loved Silver Thaw, I can't wait to see what she has planned next.
Silver Thaw is a great tale of overcoming your past and starting over in life. Catherine is always an author to go to when you need some small life affirming kind of read that touches your heart. She is fantastic writing heart warming with suspense and HEA tales that reach you on every level. I absolutely loved Silver Thaw, I can't wait to see what she has planned next.
January 7, 2015
The characters were very milk soppy. No real advancement. It kind of read like an old Diana Palmer. I usually like Catherine Anderson I'm not sure what happened with this one.
February 10, 2015
4.5 stars
This book was so unbelievably sweet and just what I needed.
This book was so unbelievably sweet and just what I needed.
February 24, 2017
I’ve read several reviews over the Mystic Creek series, and I mostly read only very positive things about it. And since I love books about small towns, and life there, ‘Silver Thaw’ sounded like a book for me. When I saw ‘Silver Thaw’ on Audible, I decided listening this book on Audio would be perfect.
In ‘Silver Thaw’ we meet Amanda Banning and her young daughter Chloe. Amanda is trying to get by every single day. She has almost no money, only an old, cold and small home and she is on the run from her horrible husband. Amanda knows if her husband ever finds her, she and her daughter are in great danger.
Jeb Sterling has been living in Mystic Creek all his life. He has his own house, has livestock and money isn’t a problem. For weeks Jeb is finding little written notes by a woman in danger and he is more than intrigued by them. When a cold front hits Mystic Creek Jeb and other town members visit all houses to look if everybody is save. Soon Jeb finds Amanda and Chloe and they are definitely in need of help. And before Jeb’s knows it he finds himself being hooked by both woman and he desperate to help them. But Amanda doesn’t know if she can ever trust another man again.
From the very beginning I enjoyed listening to ‘Silver Thaw’. The narrator Kate Turnbull has a nice voice to listen to and Mystic Creek sounds like a perfect small town. Especially in the beginning I found Kate’s voice for the little girl Chloe very annoying, but I do find most young girls voices annoying so it seemed to fit. And half way through the book I didn’t notice as much anymore.
‘Silver Thaw’ was definitely a fun audiobook to listen too. But I did have a view problems with this book. For one it’s a very predictable story, which isn’t such a problem since most romance stories can be a little predictable. But some more unpredictability would have been nice.
The other thing that bothered me was Jep. His character was just a little unbelievable if you ask me. For example how did he get so rich? From the very first moment Jep pays a lot of money for Amanda and Chloe. And I do get that he wanted to take care of them, but he didn’t even know them for more than a day and he was giving out hundreds of dollars. I didn’t believe it!
And my last problem with this book was the whole ‘God’ bit. I’m not religious at all but I don’t mind reading a book about people who do. So I didn’t mind reading about the praying for dinner, and the god’s plan bit. But the whole part in the end of the story just made me angry. I can’t really explain it because I would spoil the story, but I got very frustrated about it. Without spoiling anything.. Having an abusive husband is bad enough, but suddenly wishing him the best is just wrong in my eyes. (And you really have to read this book to get what I’m saying!)
For the most part this was a nice book, but not really for me.
In ‘Silver Thaw’ we meet Amanda Banning and her young daughter Chloe. Amanda is trying to get by every single day. She has almost no money, only an old, cold and small home and she is on the run from her horrible husband. Amanda knows if her husband ever finds her, she and her daughter are in great danger.
Jeb Sterling has been living in Mystic Creek all his life. He has his own house, has livestock and money isn’t a problem. For weeks Jeb is finding little written notes by a woman in danger and he is more than intrigued by them. When a cold front hits Mystic Creek Jeb and other town members visit all houses to look if everybody is save. Soon Jeb finds Amanda and Chloe and they are definitely in need of help. And before Jeb’s knows it he finds himself being hooked by both woman and he desperate to help them. But Amanda doesn’t know if she can ever trust another man again.
From the very beginning I enjoyed listening to ‘Silver Thaw’. The narrator Kate Turnbull has a nice voice to listen to and Mystic Creek sounds like a perfect small town. Especially in the beginning I found Kate’s voice for the little girl Chloe very annoying, but I do find most young girls voices annoying so it seemed to fit. And half way through the book I didn’t notice as much anymore.
‘Silver Thaw’ was definitely a fun audiobook to listen too. But I did have a view problems with this book. For one it’s a very predictable story, which isn’t such a problem since most romance stories can be a little predictable. But some more unpredictability would have been nice.
The other thing that bothered me was Jep. His character was just a little unbelievable if you ask me. For example how did he get so rich? From the very first moment Jep pays a lot of money for Amanda and Chloe. And I do get that he wanted to take care of them, but he didn’t even know them for more than a day and he was giving out hundreds of dollars. I didn’t believe it!
And my last problem with this book was the whole ‘God’ bit. I’m not religious at all but I don’t mind reading a book about people who do. So I didn’t mind reading about the praying for dinner, and the god’s plan bit. But the whole part in the end of the story just made me angry. I can’t really explain it because I would spoil the story, but I got very frustrated about it. Without spoiling anything.. Having an abusive husband is bad enough, but suddenly wishing him the best is just wrong in my eyes. (And you really have to read this book to get what I’m saying!)
For the most part this was a nice book, but not really for me.
February 9, 2015
This is going to be a review like no other I have ever written. Instead of reviewing one book I am reviewing two, both by Catherine Anderson. One is her latest book, Silver Thaw, and the other is one of her older books, Star Bright. It just happened that I read them back to back and I have never been happier that I did. Mrs. Anderson is known for dealing with relevant social and domestic issues in her books, even her historical romances. These two books are no different. They both address the issue of severe domestic and spousal abuse, the kind that is taken to the extreme where the wife is completely subjugated to the husband for fear of her life. In Star Bright, it is only the wife but in Silver Thaw it is a wife with a child that she must protect because not only is the wife abused but so has the child. When I first started reading Silver Thaw after finishing Star Bright, I was amazed at the similarities in the stories and I must admit I wondered if Silver Thaw was going to be just a retelling of Star Bright in a different scenario. I am so glad I read beyond the first two pages. These two books could not be more different. Star Bright deals with a woman finding the light, the essence of herself, that can never be touched or put out, no matter how severe the abuse. And when given the chance, it will respark and rekindle to lead the woman to be herself again, full of confidence and self-worth. Silver Thaw on the other hand is about learning to live again, learning to trust, learning that everyone is not the same as the cruel; man she had the misfortune to marry. Mrs. Anderson takes both of these scenarios and handles them with the delicacy and strength they deserve. While I do not have an abusive husband, I grew up in an abusive household so I know first-hand what Mrs. Anderson was describing. To those who have never experienced this, it is hard to understand why a woman would stay in this type of environment. Read these two books and you will have a much better understanding of domestic abuse as it exists today. Mrs. Anderson obviously did her research for both of these books. Bravo to her and bravo to all the ladies who have had the courage to escape. God bless each and every one of you. If you are in these situations, please seek help.
January 23, 2015
This story started out with promise, a good flow, and growth but unfortunately 20% in and it took a turn for the dull side. Honestly it felt too convenient, too planned, and just overall flat. I didn't feel a plot arc, I knew what would happen on the next pages before I even turned them and that was disappointing. I understand this is a Contemporary Romance but even those need to have some sort of momentum and bumpy ride to the end. Everything that happened here, from the moment Jeb and Amanda met, was just too easy. For an abused and scarred woman, I expected more emotions and just didn't get that from her. Yes she's a protective mother but even in those moments she just caved a little too easily for me to feel compassion towards her and her situation. Jeb also started out with a good feeling but by the end I felt like he was too overbearing and far too controlling (in a non-abusive way) for the simple life situations at hand here.
There were too many instances where simple life moments took away from what the story should be about, feeling almost as if the author lost focus a little here and there or getting lost in details that didn't contribute to the plotline. This story could've been so much more than it is and I'm disappointed that I had to fight to stay engaged in this story. There were a few times I just wanted to abandon it but I kept holding out hope that some kind of dramatic climax would happen that would shake this story awake.
Sadly, I was wrong. :(
There were too many instances where simple life moments took away from what the story should be about, feeling almost as if the author lost focus a little here and there or getting lost in details that didn't contribute to the plotline. This story could've been so much more than it is and I'm disappointed that I had to fight to stay engaged in this story. There were a few times I just wanted to abandon it but I kept holding out hope that some kind of dramatic climax would happen that would shake this story awake.
Sadly, I was wrong. :(
November 3, 2018
I'm having a hard time stomaching the ending as well as the author's view on abuse. The heroine escaped an abusive relationship where her husband beats her and her child regularly, abuses them mind, body and soul, and then tries to kill her several times after she files for divorce. Spoiler. He dies. The author (through her characters) expresses that he's in Heaven because God in his goodness wouldn't bar a sick person from Heaven. That the abuser was born with something missing inside him and in Heaven he'll be whole and filled with love. The author also repeatedly expressed that law enforcement can't take victims at their word because "it happens all the time" that women will lie on their ex and accuse them of abuse for "revenge" for being "jilted." The media reports cases where a person pretends to be a victim for revenge. It happens. But I felt like Ms. Anderson was painting every victim as a potential liar. She was judgmental in her assessment and could leave readers with the impression that victims have to prove the abuse. Pictures or it didn't happen. Bad theology. Bad view of abuse
September 20, 2023
I enjoy the books by author Catherine Anderson. Silver Thaw is another winner.
The premise of this story centers on Amanda Banning and her six year old daughter. Having left her abusive husband she settles in Mystic Creek, Oregon for a fresh start. Barely making ends meet she writes her secret yearnings on pink slips of paper and sends them into the wind which helps her cling to the hope that things will get better. 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 and her daughter when a cold snap leaves them temporarily homeless. He was the type of man who once renounced love suddenly finds himself willing to do anything for Amanda and her little daughter.
I really liked the characters in this story and hope that Ms. Anderson continues this series with other members of Jeb's family. Very strong characters with a very compelling story. For the sensual level I would give it a 6. I highly recommend this book.
The premise of this story centers on Amanda Banning and her six year old daughter. Having left her abusive husband she settles in Mystic Creek, Oregon for a fresh start. Barely making ends meet she writes her secret yearnings on pink slips of paper and sends them into the wind which helps her cling to the hope that things will get better. 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 and her daughter when a cold snap leaves them temporarily homeless. He was the type of man who once renounced love suddenly finds himself willing to do anything for Amanda and her little daughter.
I really liked the characters in this story and hope that Ms. Anderson continues this series with other members of Jeb's family. Very strong characters with a very compelling story. For the sensual level I would give it a 6. I highly recommend this book.
January 25, 2015
It was a good read and I really liked Jeb, but I can't say this was different then a lot of the many small town romances that we are seeing flooding the reading market lately. Since this is a first book of the series, I am willing to give this next one a try. Jeb has several brothers for the set up. The smexy situations aren't real graphic so if someone is looking for a romance that is still good, but doesn't give us graphic goods then this might fit the bill. My thoughts and prayers go to CA and the recent loss of her husband.
Want to read
September 11, 2014Looking forward to this new series, Catherine Anderson is amazing!
March 11, 2016
Author: Catherine Anderson
First published: 2015
Length: 424 pages, 5640 kindle locations
Setting: Contemporary. Mystic Creek, Oregon.
Sex: Reasonably explicit. Infrequent.
Hero: Carpenter.
Heroine: Survivor of domestic abuse, mother of young daughter, works in school cafeteria.
Trigger: Domestic abuse. Discussed. Including abuse of child.
So much wrong. So, so much wrong.
Let’s start with the mediocre story-telling. Lots of tell rather than show. So much that we hit explanation overload when pages were spent on choosing a powerful/safe password. The narrative itself feels like it was written by a high school student with limited flow and very passive language. And it’s repetitive and dull. Boring.
Next I’ll mention the extraordinary (unbelievable) plot. Seriously? Not the dv itself (some women are forced to live in torturous dv situations) but rather the broken down home, fast Love, Saviour complex… It didn’t work. It certainly didn’t feel real.
How about that old chestnut “We believe you because we trust you but you have to know lots of claimed dv victims are pretending….”. Really? In a book that purports to empower survivors you’re going to toss that in, frequently? Because you’re pretty, because you seem honest, because we can see the proof (pictures) you provided, because your daughter doesn’t fear you… we believe you. But the next woman who wants our help better be prepared to jump through hoops!
And the sex. After 8 years of massive, scarring abuse, when she’s ready to have sex again (albeit a month or so after they meet *grimace*), she lurves it, immediately. No flashbacks. No ptsd. She loves sex and immediately insists on frequent bouts (three times the first night). He’s kissed her maybe three times, held her a couple more. But straight to active, frequent, abundant sex.
And finally, the frequent product placement that made me feel like I was reading an advertisement. Constant, blatant, advertisements for products (particularly apps) with ongoing discussion about how great! they are and useful! and cheap! Say what?
So, overall, a really bad book. It didn’t work. Which surprised me for such a popular and long standing author. My second book by her and I won’t be trying again.
Mystic Creek series:
Book 1 Silver Thaw - Amanda Banning and Jeb Sterling
Book 2 New Leaf - Taffeta Brown and Barney Sterling
References:
Author's website: http://www.catherineanderson.com/book...
(ISBN 9781101611227)
-CR-
First published: 2015
Length: 424 pages, 5640 kindle locations
Setting: Contemporary. Mystic Creek, Oregon.
Sex: Reasonably explicit. Infrequent.
Hero: Carpenter.
Heroine: Survivor of domestic abuse, mother of young daughter, works in school cafeteria.
Trigger: Domestic abuse. Discussed. Including abuse of child.
So much wrong. So, so much wrong.
Let’s start with the mediocre story-telling. Lots of tell rather than show. So much that we hit explanation overload when pages were spent on choosing a powerful/safe password. The narrative itself feels like it was written by a high school student with limited flow and very passive language. And it’s repetitive and dull. Boring.
Next I’ll mention the extraordinary (unbelievable) plot. Seriously? Not the dv itself (some women are forced to live in torturous dv situations) but rather the broken down home, fast Love, Saviour complex… It didn’t work. It certainly didn’t feel real.
How about that old chestnut “We believe you because we trust you but you have to know lots of claimed dv victims are pretending….”. Really? In a book that purports to empower survivors you’re going to toss that in, frequently? Because you’re pretty, because you seem honest, because we can see the proof (pictures) you provided, because your daughter doesn’t fear you… we believe you. But the next woman who wants our help better be prepared to jump through hoops!
And the sex. After 8 years of massive, scarring abuse, when she’s ready to have sex again (albeit a month or so after they meet *grimace*), she lurves it, immediately. No flashbacks. No ptsd. She loves sex and immediately insists on frequent bouts (three times the first night). He’s kissed her maybe three times, held her a couple more. But straight to active, frequent, abundant sex.
And finally, the frequent product placement that made me feel like I was reading an advertisement. Constant, blatant, advertisements for products (particularly apps) with ongoing discussion about how great! they are and useful! and cheap! Say what?
So, overall, a really bad book. It didn’t work. Which surprised me for such a popular and long standing author. My second book by her and I won’t be trying again.
Mystic Creek series:
Book 1 Silver Thaw - Amanda Banning and Jeb Sterling
Book 2 New Leaf - Taffeta Brown and Barney Sterling
References:
Author's website: http://www.catherineanderson.com/book...
(ISBN 9781101611227)
-CR-
March 5, 2015
Well, it turns out I was able to finish this one. It didn't disappear from my Kindle so I finished it last night.
This was a sweet love story, almost sickeningly sweet, even. Amanda, our heroine, is on the run from a very abusive ex-husband. She flees to the small Oregon town of Mystic River. In her loneliness she writes her thoughts and dreams on pink slips of paper and throws them into the wind. Many of these little notes land on our hero, Jeb's land. He finds Amanda and her daughter Chloe while out checking on neighbors after a huge snow storm. Their little rental is basically falling to pieces and he takes them to his place.
This begins a journey of the two falling in love with one another. Jeb has always wanted a woman to love and have babies with but Amanda is very gun-shy obviously. He woos her in little ways, including writing notes to her on her pink slips of paper.
All in all this was a nice read, however, at times it was almost too perfect. Jeb has the perfect family, perfect parents, etc. He was just a little too perfect for me. :) The steam level is pretty low in this book. I would say around 2 or 3 out of 10. There were also quite a few religious references in this book as well, which I know Anderson has written about in previous books. Just my thoughts on that matter.
A good book, a little too sweet for me but not a bad read altogether.
This was a sweet love story, almost sickeningly sweet, even. Amanda, our heroine, is on the run from a very abusive ex-husband. She flees to the small Oregon town of Mystic River. In her loneliness she writes her thoughts and dreams on pink slips of paper and throws them into the wind. Many of these little notes land on our hero, Jeb's land. He finds Amanda and her daughter Chloe while out checking on neighbors after a huge snow storm. Their little rental is basically falling to pieces and he takes them to his place.
This begins a journey of the two falling in love with one another. Jeb has always wanted a woman to love and have babies with but Amanda is very gun-shy obviously. He woos her in little ways, including writing notes to her on her pink slips of paper.
All in all this was a nice read, however, at times it was almost too perfect. Jeb has the perfect family, perfect parents, etc. He was just a little too perfect for me. :) The steam level is pretty low in this book. I would say around 2 or 3 out of 10. There were also quite a few religious references in this book as well, which I know Anderson has written about in previous books. Just my thoughts on that matter.
A good book, a little too sweet for me but not a bad read altogether.
December 26, 2017
If you are looking for a perfect hero than look no further. This book gave me every kind of sweet feeling. One thing I adore is a big tough guy falling for a child. When is a little sassy girl it's even better. Jeb really was the best kind of hero and I enjoyed everything about this white knight story.
Mandy and her daughter had the worst kind of history. But what a delightful story of healing and romance. Perfect in every way.
Mandy and her daughter had the worst kind of history. But what a delightful story of healing and romance. Perfect in every way.
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