Review - Early Dawn

Title: Early Dawn
Author: Catherine Anderson
Publishing Date: January 2010
Genre: Western
Rating: B
Sensuality: Warm
Book Disclosure: I borrowed a copy from my friend.

Early Dawn is book 10 in Catherine Anderson's Kendrick/Coulter/Harrigan series. This is my first in the series. I have only read Annie's Song by Anderson and I loved it. My friend had this book in her TBR pile and loaned it to me. It caught my eye because of the back cover. On it said that Eden Paxton was kidnapped and Matthew Coulter whose own wife was murdered at the hands of this terrible gang and he couldn't resist saving Eden. I was immediately hooked. I can't resist a kidnapping/rescue story.

I have to say that I thought that Early Dawn was a very solid story. Eden and Matthew are fully developed characters whose connection and love story develops very believably throughout the book. The things that Eden goes through are not for the faint of heart. Matthew's past is just as challenging. Both characters have a lot to overcome if they are going to get over their past and begin to love again.

There are times when I thought that the story dragged a bit. In the beginning it takes a while before Matthew and Eden meet. Eventually, though the fact that so much time is spent on Eden and Matthew developing their relationship and the fact that it moves slowly is a benefit to the story. It helps the believability factor considering all that they have been through.

There is a bit of sequel references. I don't feel that it detracted from Eden and Matthew's story. If anything it made me want to go back read about the other characters. I enjoyed this Western and feel that fans of Westerns will want to give this one a try.

Review - Annie’s Song

Title: Annie’s Song
Author: Catherine Anderson
Publishing Date: 1996
Genre: Western
Rating: A
Sensuality: Hot

Oh my goodness! This book was absolutely fantastic. I was completely touched and enthralled with Annie’s Song. I could not turn the pages fast enough with this amazing story.

Annie Tremble is thought of as the “local idiot”. When she was six years old she suffered a fever and was never the same after it. What people mistake for madness is actually a loss of hearing. Annie is out in the woods when a group of young men come across her. The leader of the group Douglas Montgomery is drunk at the time. He is a mean son of a bitch and he rapes her. One of men in the group rats out Douglas to his brother Alex. Alex is completely shocked and appalled at his brother’s despicable behavior and kicks his brother out of the house. Alex then proceeds to go to Annie’s father and make amends. It comes to light a few months later that Annie is pregnant. Alex decides that the right thing to do is for him to marry Annie and claim the child as his own.

This story is full of emotion. Annie is completely misunderstood by everyone. She is the epitome of loneliness, unable to communicate with others and shunned by society at large. The only interaction she has had with people in her life is her immediate family. Even her own mother, at times, comes across as cruel and ignorant of Annie’s needs. It’s not until halfway into the story that the reader is given a reason for this. All the characters are multifaceted. It would have been very easy to hate Annie’s mom, but she is a complicated woman who made mistakes. She is after all only human and did what she thought was best at the time. I felt compelled to forgive her right along with Alex.

Annie is very innocent and child-like. Anderson does a very good job of showing Annie’s evolution from a scared young girl to a mature woman who knows what she wants out of life. Annie’s changes stem from her involvement with Alex Montgomery. Alex is an absolutely amazing man. Oh, wow. I just loved him. At first he stumbles with Annie. He is not really sure how to deal with her or how to handle the situation he finds himself in. Slowly though, he begins to see that Annie is smart and understands cognitive reasoning. When he discovers that Annie is deaf, I was moved to tears. That was just an absolutely amazing scene in the book; one of many. Then what he does for her, well, I can’t tell you. You will have to read it for yourself. But trust me, he just blew me away.

This book was just freaking fabulous. The depth of emotion Anderson was able to convey was bone deep. I can’t say enough about this book. I don’t know why I haven’t ever read anything by Catherine Anderson before. I will definitely be remedying that situation.

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