very good read. Love the author, she never disappoints, another great book for the series love will always win

I received this for an honest review

This is a fun read and an enjoyable look at love in your 60's. Vicki is returning to Mystic Creek to set the record straight and earn some money as a camp cook. Slade and Vicki were an item until he circumstances drove them apart. This is book 5 in the Mystic Creek series and can be read as a stand alone. It was refreshing to see a couple in their 60's come together and put past differences behind them. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Sadly, I am breaking up with Ms. Anderson. She used to be a go to author for me, but after reading reviews from other readers I know this book isn't going to work for me. I HATE HATE HATE books with lack of communication and no real reason for the drama. To me it screams CONTRIVED. I HATE HATE HATE books where the heroine is just a bitch to be a bitch. These are two major pet peeves of mine and they are featured heavily through out this book. I am saving myself the time of reading a book I know will piss me right off and saving the author a bad review due to it being a personal issue.

Thanks for the chance but I won't be reading this or any future books from this author. The last few books just haven't been my cuppa.

Good book, but I found the blurb to be a bit misleading. Erin and Wyatt are part of this story, but not, in my opinion, the main story. Much more time is spent with Erin's Uncle Slade and Vickie Brown, the woman who broke his heart forty-one years earlier. I thought both stories were well done, with believable and relatable characters.

The story opened with a prologue about Slade and a bear cub. It was a good illustration of the type of men both Slade and Wyatt are. I loved their obvious concern for the bear cub and his future. There was also a brief mention of Slade's past relationship with Vickie, where he remembered a similar situation with her and a bear cub. Wyatt's disability is also explained. The prologue finished with the feeling that the bear cub, Four Toes, will be heard from again.

The next one we meet is Erin De Laney, Slade's niece and relative newcomer to the sheriff's department. She was a city cop, following in her father's footsteps until she burned out on the misery she had to deal with. She took the job with the sheriff's department as a way of staying in law enforcement but with a slower lifestyle. She also hoped to get to know her uncle better, but as the newbie in the department, she had little free time. She was frequently called in to deal with after-hours emergencies. She was currently assigned to a wilderness patrol, something she felt unprepared for but stepped up to the challenge. Her first encounter didn't go well, as she confronted a cowboy who appeared to blow off her attempts to stop him. It was a prime example of two stubborn people butting heads and not wanting to back down. Erin wanted to look like she knew what she was doing, and Wyatt didn't like to use his disability as an excuse. There were sharp words between them, especially when Wyatt found out who she was. But underneath the antagonism, there were also sparks of attraction.

Next up was the introduction to Vickie, Slade's former fiancée. After forty-one years, she never forgot Slade and her feelings for him. Her life hasn't been an easy one since she broke their engagement and left Mystic Creek. She discovered she was pregnant, tried multiple times to contact Slade and was ignored, and ended up marrying another man who promised to raise her child as his own. She had two more children with him, but he turned out to be an abusive drunk who she eventually left. She has continued to resent Slade's refusal to acknowledge their son all these years, especially now when Brody could really use the help a father could give. When she comes across the opportunity to be the camp cook for Slade's wilderness trips, she grabs it, planning to use the chance to confront him. There were things I liked about Vickie, but there were also things that irritated me. I loved the way that she had pulled herself up and found a way to provide for her son, and then her other children. She had the strength and courage to stand up to her husband, and then to make a new life without him when she had to. She was a hard worker, and I loved watching her at the camp as she brought order out of chaos. However, for a woman who had claimed to be so in love with Slade, and knows him so well, I could not understand how she could take the word of a jealous rival over Slade's. I also felt that the pranks she pulled on him at the camp were more suited to a ten-year-old boy than a sixty+-year-old woman.

That being said, I enjoyed the rekindling of the relationship between Vickie and Slade. It was clear from the start that their feelings for each other had never died. The biggest obstacle to their love was their unresolved past. Slade's shock at seeing Vickie as his new camp cook was real and he had mixed emotions. Initially, he was happy to see her, but her attitude toward him still hurt and angered him. I wasn't surprised that he wanted to protect himself by sending her away, but he was also realistic in that he needed her as a cook. Vickie also questioned herself but was determined to confront Slade about Brody. It was interesting to see the two of them dance around each other, reconnecting in some ways, yet just as far apart in others. Vickie persisted in holding onto her belief of Slade's wrongdoing all those years ago, which made me madder the longer it went on. I liked Slade's determination to find out exactly what happened. What he did with that information was terrific. I liked how he knew Vickie well enough that he understood how she needed to hear that information. I liked that they finally got past all of their issues and moved ahead together. The only disappointment I had was that, after all the buildup of Brody being Slade's son, we didn't get to see them meet.

In spite of the blurb giving the impression that this was Erin and Wyatt's story, there wasn't a whole lot about their relationship. After the antagonism of their first meeting, I liked seeing them move past it. Watching Wyatt in action gave Erin a better idea of the challenges he'd overcome. Wyatt began to see that Erin wasn't as uncaring of her uncle as he had thought. Both of them also have a bit of trouble with pride getting in the way of a relationship. Wyatt hates being pitied because of his deafness and has worked hard to make himself seem as "normal" as possible. Erin has had trouble with some previous relationships and is wary of risking herself again. She also has some pretty deep daddy issues, having spent her life trying to be the son that her father had wanted. I liked seeing Erin and Wyatt spend time together and get to know each other. But other than a brief mention in the epilogue, their relationship is left hanging. Hopefully, it will be continued in a later book.

The storyline about the bear, Four Toes, was both funny and heartbreaking. I ached for the poor little cub, injured and alone at the beginning. I also hurt for the soft-hearted ranchers who knew what they should do. Three years later, Four Toes' appearance at the camp was a disaster waiting to happen. His antics were amusing to me as a reader, but I would not have wanted to be there myself. I could fully understand the fear that both Vickie and Erin felt the first time they encountered him. Slade also knew that the sword hanging over his head was about to come down, and I ached for him because of it. I wondered what solution would be found, and liked its inclusion in the epilogue.

I have read 90% of Catherine Anderson's books. With this author you can't go wrong. Each book is always a hit, and highly recommended (at least by me). With this one is almost the same, except for few things that could be set up differently. Otherwise, ANOTHER HIT!

Overall this wasn't my favorite Catherine Anderson book. I like the premise of a "second chance" love, but this one flopped. The misunderstanding between Slade and Vickie causing them to miss out on love the first time is silly and unrealistic. Because of this "issue" I found myself not liking Vickie, therefore the story was lost on me. I would have enjoyed it more if their romance was the side romance and the novel focused more on Erin and Wyatt.

Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com

2.75 Hearts Ok I didn’t find my thrill… If you don’t get that reference you are too young! But the story was ok just not great. And here is why…

I expected one romance and ended up with another. Yes the younger romance was there but there is a “second chance at love” romance happening at the same time and more emphasis was spent on the latter.

Maybe I would have enjoyed it more if it was the story that I was expecting with the second chance being just a background story but I am not sure.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

ARC received for review

What is it lately with my favorite authors? This is the third one in a month. Y'all need to quit writing less than amazing books.

I thought this was Vickie and Slade's HEA which it is, but she keep going back to another couple and writing their story. Then it was Vickie and Slade. Then the other couple. It got to be dizzying after a while. I felt like Vickie and Slade's story could have been so much more. I would have loved more flashbacks to when they were younger. Plus the other couple didn't get an ending and not really even much of a start. There was almost no kissing and only vaguely mentioned sex scenes from younger days.

Overall, not one of Ms. Anderson's finest.

This is the fifth book in the Mystic Creek series. I enjoyed it but I've liked some of her other books better. I still feel like it's worth reading, I enjoy the second chance small town romance.

I was glad to see Slade finally have his story told. I loved how this book showed his caring and compassionate side with the sweet bear. As always I love the Oregon setting and liked the flow of the book. Vicki was not my favorite. I don't know quite what it was but I never warmed up to her character. If you are a fan of the series you will love Slade. I would recommend reading the other books in the series first to get background on Slade

A small-town second chance…

Slade gets his story! I was thrilled to start this story where Slade’s first, and only, love comes back into his life. He has been in the background throughout the Mystic Creek series and I wanted/needed him to be less lonely. He lived his whole life respectful of the animals that were his life, and friend to his neighbours and those who worked for him. Family was scarce though and he had a mysterious lost love…

A horrible misunderstanding/decision separated Slade and Vickie decades earlier and both had never fully recovered. Vickie had an opportunity to face their past, to face answers that were long overdue. Scared about the secrets she kept and the secrets Slade denied, they were going to figure it out one snarky, sassy, heart-wrenching scene at a time…

This author knows how to write family and drama in a balance that never feels overdone. While a bit quiet and drawn out at times, that didn’t take away from the intersecting plotlines and long-awaited revelations. And as always, family, friendship (of the two and four legged kind!) and found love made this a must read small-town romance.

3.5 Stars

Strawberry Hill is the first book by Catherine Anderson that I have read and is book 5 in the Mystic Creek series, this book can be read as a standalone. I was a bit confused about who exactly this story is about, the prologue begins with the origin story of an orphaned blonde black bear that is caught in a hunting trap.

Slade Wilder finds the bear and calls upon his fellow ranchers to help get the bear free. There are a few characters introduced in this prologue, and the story could really go any which way from here. The novel then starts with an exchange between Wyatt, a deaf rancher, and Erin, the county patrol officer which led me to believe that Strawberry Hill would be their story…..but it was not. The novel actually was about the rekindled romance between Slade and Vickie Brown, his ex-fiancée who he has not seen in forty years. Now that they were both in their 60s Vickie decided it was time to confront Slade about the past and get answers for all the questions that she has had.

Besides the initial confusion about whose story this is, overall I did enjoy this love story. It was different from the usual 20 to 30 something age group of heroes and heroines, and a first for me since I had before never read a novel about a couple in their 60s falling back in love. The side characters (including that little black bear) were also a great addition to the book, I am looking forward to one that actually does focus on Erin and Wyatt more. All of the characters are funny and strong in their own way, I never felt like anyone was carrying another person throughout the book which was great (I love strong and independent characters, especially women).

The reason I did not give this book a higher rating was that a lot of the premise of the book was very frustrating for me as a reader. Vickie and Slade essentially were apart for most of their lives due to miscommunication and a lack of communication. I couldn’t really understand how Vickie, who seems to be a confident and smart woman, did not just stand up and talk to Slade before running away. So much wasted time all because of one thing! I just couldn’t get over that, even though I did enjoy the story at the back of my mind I was just like “this could all have been prevented!” I also just did not really understand Vickie’s reasoning for staying away as long as she did. It just didn’t make sense to me with the way her character is described. I also did wish that more of the book was given to developing the ending a little bit more; Vickie finds out the truth and then the book essentially just ends. I would have preferred a little bit more information about the fallout of everything and maybe a little less of Wyatt and Erin since the story isn’t even about them really.

Overall, this book was a nice and easy read. I would recommend it and will likely keep my eye out for more novels by Catherine Anderson.

~ Harshita

An orphaned cub, a second chance for two people in their winter years, camp pranks, and a spanking new romance in a small Oregon mountain town had me settling in for a comfy read.

Strawberry Hill is book five in the Mystic Creek series, but it will work fine standalone or out of order since it introduces a new situation and mostly new players.

The story opens with a prologue about Slade Wilder finding a dead black bear buried under a recent rock slide and then shortly after coming across an orphaned baby blonde black bear cub. He knows the right thing is to leave it in the wild to fend for itself and tries, but then the little one follows him and him home to the ranch. It reminds him of the spirited young girl who would have adopted that cub and championed it in a heartbeat. She had his heart and they were getting married until she believed a lie and left his life forever. He remained alone after that and now looks at the years remaining of his life with no close family and no one to leave his beloved ranch.

Erin, Slade's niece figured out she wasn't cut out to be a big city cop in Seattle or the big city like her svelte stuffy mother and took a job as a county sheriff's deputy near her Uncle Slade's ranch. She wants to spend time with him and get to know him better. Only trouble is, she's the low person at the office and keeps getting called in off duty and handed assignments she has no idea what she's doing. She tries to bluff her way through an encounter with a man who turns out to be her uncle's foreman, Wyatt, and alienates him before sticking her boot firmly in her mouth striving to be the tough cop and the son her absent dad never had. It's only in the middle of another crisis she has no clue what to do that she realizes that her trying to prove herself all these years is a empty use of her life. Another encounter with Wyatt sets her feet firmly on the right path for the first time.

After 42 years, Vickie Brown is about to encounter the man who broke her heart when she accepts a job to be the camp cook for his Wilderness Adventures business. He swore he never cheated on her and now, face to face, he swore he never got her letters. But, Slade Wilder is a liar, right?

So, this book. I enjoyed parts of it, but other parts frustrated me or needed more development. The pace was good and the descriptions of world and characters was well-drawn. I love the world of the stories. The variety of personalities and situations are always welcome. The opening when Slade and his ranch are introduced with that rascally bear cub and the ranch hands all trying to help was fabulous. The opening scene where Erin really messes up with Wyatt in one big misunderstanding was a hoot. What a meet-cute! I found the dramatic first scene with Vickie compelling, too. I was very curious about what really happened between her and Slade since they both felt the other wronged them.
And, then I hit a snag when the truth came out.

Let me get into what stuck in my craw about this one.
For once, its not because of the baby the dad never knew about because Vickie wrote Slade four letters. She was destitute and far from home at the time. She's in the clear on that one.
But, here's the thing, she's out there pregnant and destitute because she believed the word of a conniving girl who Vicky knew wanted Slade rather than trusting him. He's never given her reason not to trust him and they have known each other all their lives, but inexplicably, she can't trust him nor did she try to see if others would back up his story. She just ran and stayed gone. And, hid her son Brody's paternity from Brody for over forty years because- and here we get into one of the things that drives me nuts about secret baby tropes- she made the decision that Slade shouldn't get the chance to meet Brody in case he rejected him to his face. At least it wasn't for a selfish reason, but still, she gave her son zero chances to know his dad.
Now, here they are again and Slade is still telling her over forty years later that he never cheated and he never got the letters. She's already established that he's an upstanding man and well respected and he's even shared his loneliness for family and wished he'd had a son. But no... she's still convinced he's a liar.
And, then when she starts pulling pranks at the campsite all with things that are aimed at Slade because she knows his fears and what will make him uncomfortable and annoy him as 'payback for rejecting Brody all those years ago', I just shook my head and shouted at my Kindle, "How old are you? Five?"
The final scene when she learns the truth from someone other than Slade, because yeah, can't trust him right? Again, I was asking myself how old was she because that scene degenerated into farce and never really cleared the air. Call me bloodthirsty, but I really wanted a big apology from her about calling him a liar, but especially after all the pranking and stubbornness.
Whew, sorry, had to purge that. I do know people act irrationally particularly if their heart and emotions are on the line and there is a point where they acknowledge that mistakes were made. I thought she had a tough row to hoe after she ran off and felt bad for all that happened, but I couldn't shut off that other side of my brain that felt that huge conflict didn't work based on their history and personalities.

Now, it was more than my frustration with Vickie. I did enjoy Erin and Wyatt's introduction and early days of their romance, but would rather their page time to have been devoted to a better detailed denouement for Slade and Vickie. So much was left glossed over or waved away with a few sentences in an epilogue. I really needed more after Vickie finally accepted the truth. She gets the truth, gets angry at the right person finally, and then it shifted to the epilogue in a blink. Things were brought up that I felt were never addressed and were either glossed over or left hanging.

(view spoiler)

So, bet you think I hated this one. I didn't. Actually, I liked it and was glad to have read it in spite of stuff I had issue with. I really hope she completes Wyatt and Erin's story now. The series is one I mostly enjoy and can recommend it to contemporary romance fans who enjoy small town settings and gently paced romance.

This book was only an OK read for me. The main couple (Slade and Vickie) never fully connected with me. Their story is a second chance at love for an older couple. My issues with them had to do with their actions. Unfortunately they both came across as so juvenile, that it drove me crazy. This is an author whose work I generally enjoy. Usually her books are full of charm, sweetness, a "down home" feel, poignant emotions and lovable, often mold breaking characters. Although you get the "down home" feel, a bit of charm and a touch of sweetness; the rest is nothing to write home about. There are much better books by this author ( I recommend any of the Kendrick/Coulter/Harrigan series, Keegan's Lady or my all time favorite Annie's Song).

Overall, I enjoyed the book. It's not to often you get a love story about a couple in their 60's. There was the back story to how Slade and Vickie began when they were younger, what caused them to split up and then what brought them back together. I also enjoyed the part a bear cub played in the book. He had a starring role as one of the side characters. I do tend to enjoy books with animals as part of the story. As a side bonus, there was a start to a new relationship with Erin and Wyatt. It sounds like they will get to finish their journey in the next book maybe?

Strawberry Hill was a really cute and endearing story about a couple that reunites in their sixties and a blonde black bear that just won't quit.

From the blurb, I thought this was Wyatt, deaf rancher, and Erin, newly appointed county patrol officer, story. Even though it starts with Wyatt and Erin, they become the back story and Vickie, a single mother of three now adults, and Slade, the ranch owner, who never Knew he had a son, reuniting.

I liked the characters and found the story quite enjoyable but was a bit thrown on who I should become invested in reading about which kept me from loving it.

I received this ARC copy of Strawberry Hill from Berkley Publishing Group. This is my honest and voluntary review. Strawberry Hill is set for publication December 31, 2018.

My Rating: 4 stars
Written by: Catherine Anderson
Print Length: 496 pages
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: December 31, 2018
Sold by: Penguin Group (USA) LLC
Genre: Romance | Women's Lit

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Strawberry-Hil...
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I don't even know where to begin with. Rarely have I read a book that made me think of every cliche about romance and made me feel like I'm stuck in a long episode of The Bold and the Beautiful.

Let me start by mentioning how antiquated and wooden this author's writing style is. The dialogues don't feel natural, the characters use weird sayings and phrases every couple of pages. It's like watching actors overacting.

" If nothing else, I’ll have a one-on-one talk with her and tell her how the cow ate the cabbage."

“Excuse me for a couple of minutes. I need to see a man about a dog.”

"I think it's time to get people in town behind us and become a squeaky wheel"

"I would have welcomed that boy with opened arms and slaughtered that fatted calf"

Who talks like that???


This book is about rancher Slade and the "love of his life" Vickie who never believed him when he told her he never cheated on her. The heroine chose to believe the woman who told her she had sex with her fiance. And when the hero said "I DID NOT HAVE SEX WITH THAT WOMAN" I had a flashback to the 90s when Bill Clinton said these exact words.
The old hero and heroine keep on saying how well they know each other but I just couldn't see it. Vickie didn't believe a word Slade said. Why did she want to marry him if she knew him so well and could actually believe that the man would cheat on her? It was infuriating.

In between we get some petty revenge pranks, the worst being the hero faking a heart attack. Seriously? It felt more like two kids in the sandbox throwing dirt at one another. And they are supposed to be the mature ones.

This book is written in four different POVs, the other two being about the rancher's deaf foreman and his niece. Unfortunately there seems to have been an error with the blurb because currently there are two up on Goodreads for this book, one of them being about those two. We are being teased with their blooming friendship but no HEA. My guess is that it's the synopsis for the next book. .

Then there are the really stupid lines which I couldn't help but laugh at, and I don't mean that in a haha-it's-so-funny way. It was downright ridiculous.

He’s your son, and if you try to deny that any longer, I’ll steal some of your DNA to prove it.”

The characters weren't exactly likable and Vickie was the worst of the bunch. Ignorant, aggressive, childish, annoying and self-righteous. She kept insisting how Slade was a bastard for not acknowledging his son although he said numerous times that HE DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT HIM. It was the same thing she did to him not believing that he hadn't cheated on her. And the ending? Oh, right, you didn't cheat, sorry, all good, you gonna marry me now or what?

This is one of the weirdest and worst books I've read in recent years (and those who know me know that I don't say something like this lightly) and I didn't even mention everything that was bothering me - it was almost 500 pages of inane prose and I have no idea why I didn't DNF. I don't care enough to continue with the deaf guy and his love interest. Unfortunately this author did nothing to encourage me to read another book by her.

I have enjoyed Catherine Anderson's books in the past and especially her realistic portrayal of physical limitations and disabilities. I have not read any of the earlier Mystic Creek books. I enjoyed Strawberry Hill but reading the blurb about the younger couple and then realizing the book was telling the story of two couples was jarring. The story of the younger couple in the first half of the book was classic Catherine Anderson, with unique challenges coming from fish-out-of-water Erin, the deputy from the city, and Wyatt, a deaf ranger. However, the second half of the novel was the older couple, Vicky and Slade, who had been childhood lovers and were separated due to mistaken assumptions and hard feelings. They had strong chemistry and their antics were quite funny but the separation felt contrived to me. Overall, an enjoyable book but not quite what I was expecting from the author.

Strawberry Hill by Catherine Anderson, a enjoyable book. Even though I hadn't read any of the Mystic Creek series I was still able to enjoy the storyline. Reading this book reminded me of the times long ago when I used to read this author's books and always enjoyed the characters and storyline. I look forward to reading more of her books.

3.5 Stars

Going in to Strawberry Hill I thought this was a romance between Erin, the new Mystic Creek Deputy and Wyatt, a ranch foreman who is deaf, because there are two book descriptions out there and the one originally read was about Erin and Wyatt. I didn’t realize this until I got to the epilogue and Erin and Wyatt hadn’t exchange as much as a kiss through the story, and I went onto Goodreads to investigate. I think I would’ve enjoyed this story more if I’d known this was Vicky and Slade’s romance going in. I wouldn’t have had expectations for Erin and Wyatt only to be disappointed.

I’ve featured the accurate book description for this story above, because this is mainly a romance between Vicky and Slade, a couple torn apart right before their wedding day some forty-years earlier. Now, in their 60’s Vicky feels it’s time to confront Slade about the past and she intends to make him own up to responsibilities she thinks he’s knowingly ignored all these years.

I had fun with all the characters, Vicky and Slade were very likable and hilarious at times, and I loved all of Erin and Wyatt’s interactions. Erin kind of made a fool of herself as a Deputy Sheriff when she doesn’t realize Wyatt is deaf. They’re both very much attracted, but Wyatt is hesitant for reasons I’m not yet sure of at this point. I was totally enamored with Wyatt and in awe of his abilities with horses and people even with his disability. It was almost uncanny. Erin and Wyatt had a lot of page time and I kept thinking they’d transition into more.

But I think the biggest hang-up for me here was the forty-years Vicky and Slade wasted being apart, mainly Vicky’s fault, in my opinion. Instead of hashing out an accusation, Vicky broke off their engagement and took off. Also, Vicky seemed to think the world of Slade but still wouldn’t take his word even when never wavered about his innocence all these years later. I was baffled by Vicky’s stubborn refusal to believe Slade when she supposedly had such a high opinion of him. It bothers me that they could’ve been happy together all those years, especially because neither healed or moved on after the breakup. When I finished, I just kept thinking about all that wasted time and it just made me sad.

Still, while I was reading, I wasn’t as stuck on these things, I was more in the moment, so I did enjoy the story as I was reading it. Vicky’s lack of confidence in Slade’s word was annoying, but they just seemed so meant-to-be every time they were together. They had an easy rapport, and their chemistry was impossible to ignore.

I really liked the little town of Mystic Creek Catherine Anderson created. It’s beautifully described, and the characters were both quirky and charming. The idea of a camp vacation with horses sounds like a lot of fun. The pine, moss, and starry nights came to life with Ms. Anderson’s writing.

While I think Vicky and Slade’s romance was bittersweet, even with the wonderful ending, I am totally looking forward to Erin and Wyatt’s romance which I hope is next!