My Sunshine

At first, I liked it ok. Laura was a likeable heroine, given my appreciated of the disabled theme. I even tried to overlook the Jesus-y-ness of it (I hate feeling preached at). But it just got too sappy. Too much "I saved myself for you," too much "you are my light, I love you" for pages and pages. I figured out the "mystery" immediately and just got annoyed with everyone for not piecing it together. Even the angst, which I usually LOVE, felt silly and overwrought. It was predictable and sugary. I'll definitely read Catherine Anderson again, but I just couldn't get into this book.

Let me start this off by saying that I really don't like books about people overcoming tragedies or handicaps. The characters in those books come off as incredibly saintly, showing how horrible the rest of us are in comparison, because even without terrible things to overcome, we're merely human.

Let me assure you, My Sunshine is not that kind of book. As in the other books by Catherine Anderson I've read (Only by Your Touch, Blue Skies, and Bright Eyes), the heroine of My Sunshine does indeed have a tragic handicap to overcome. But she's also very human, as are Catherine Anderson's other heroines. That makes all the difference.

Laura Townsend used to have everything going for her. She was intelligent, and had a brilliant career. Then a show more head injury resulted in aphasia, meaning the once articulate woman now has trouble saying words of more than two syllables, counting, and can read only the simplest things and only with great difficulty, actually much more than her doctors had expected from her, and accomplished after a great deal of determined work. Now the only job she can get is cleaning up in a veterinarian's office, and that only as a favor to veterinarian Isaiah Taylor's matchmaking mother and her friend.

My Sunshine explores this unusual handicap with warmth and sympathy, without ever descending into sappiness. Laura and Isaiah face problems both because of and unrelated to her disability.

I knew Catherine Anderson had pulled me in with her previous books, but I was still wary of this one--a brain-damaged heroine? I was expecting Forest Gump. I was wrong, and was very happy to be so. show less

This is an interesting read. It deals sensitively with a skull injury and actually has moments of the main character being very frustrated and coping as best she can without being smarmy about it.

Vet Isiah Coulter agrees to take on Laura Townsend as a kennel keeper as a favour to his mom. A car accident left her with aphasia, and occasionally she's trapped in a place where her intellect is let down by her brain. Before the accident she was on the fast track to a high-flying job but now she has to face up to the fact that kennel keeper may be as high as she can go. Underneath it all she's a lovely person and it's that that makes this a great story.

Yes sometimes she's a little too perfect, but it's those shining moments where you can see show more her frustration creap in that make this an interesting read. I enjoyed it. However I can see where some people would be annoyed that Catherine Anderson seems to be doing a "disability theme" and using it for a romance series. show less

At first, I liked it ok. Laura was a likeable heroine, given my appreciated of the disabled theme. I even tried to overlook the Jesus-y-ness of it (I hate feeling preached at). But it just got too sappy. Too much "I saved myself for you," too much "you are my light, I love you" for pages and pages. I figured out the "mystery" immediately and just got annoyed with everyone for not piecing it together. Even the angst, which I usually LOVE, felt silly and overwrought. It was predictable and sugary. I'll definitely read Catherine Anderson again, but I just couldn't get into this book.

This was my 2nd reading of My Sunshine. The character of Laura Townsend still elicits great sympathy from me. Catherine Anderson protrays a handicapped person with great understanding and insight. Brain-damaged, as an adult in the midst of a brillant career,Laura is left with halting speech extremely damaged self esteem and supports her self as a domestic worker/dog walker. Isiah Coulter,vet, is urged to hire her by his mother who is sympathic to Laura's plight. As Laura finds her way into the world of work again the reader is rooting for her to succeed.This story is written with compassion and understanding of those who struggle to fit in and make a life for themselves,against the odds.

Veterinarian Isaiah Coulter agrees to hire Laura Townsend as a kennel keeper at his clinic despite her disability, the result of brain damage she sustained after a diving accident five years earlier. They develop a close friendship, with both of them fighting deeper feelings. Slow moving in places, but interesting characters.

Five years ago, Laura Townsend's life was nearly destroyed when a head injury impaired her ability to use language and forced her to abandon a brilliant career. Her grandmother found out about a job opening at a veterinary clinic that would be perfect for Laura.

Isaiah hired Laura on the spot. She was kind, caring for animals, and had a wonderful smile. All the staff loves her when suddenly some things start going wrong and it looks like Laura is the reason.

As Isaiah & Laura spend more time together they begin to wish they could make a relationship work. As with all the books in this series, obstacles pop up but they work thru them.

This is book 6 of the Kendrick-Coulter series and another quick & enjoyable read.