Forever After

This book was okay. So far, it's my least favorite of Anderson's books. I just felt liked the story dragged on a bit too long.After surviving an abusive marriage, Merry is forced to take her daughter on the run to keep her away from her father-in-law. Merry moves in next to Heath, the local sheriff. She is wary of him, but soon learns to trust. Eventually, her former life catches up with her, and she and her daughter must run away again.***Something that bothered me:The word "rape" is very powerful, and it should not be used lightly. I don't like people using it to describe consensual sex. I feel like that desensitizes us to the enormity of its actual meaning. At one point in the story, Heath and Meredith are reunited, and he tells her show more that he is thinking about carrying her "to the nearest tree and raping her sweet ass." That line almost ruined the whole story for me. Merry had been abused and humiliated by her first husband. The fact that Anderson would have Heath use that phrase so lightly after pointing out the torture that Merry survived really bothers me. show less

I agree that this was my least favorite of Catherine Anderson's books. Merry is on the run from her cruel ex-father in law. She moves in next to Heath who is the county sherrif. Heath senses that she is hiding something but ultimately falls in love with Merrry's cute daughter and then Merry. I felt like the story was just a little bit far fetched. However, my main problem was that the story dragged on just to be finished up in basically one chapter. The ending was a little too easy and not at all believable. I love Catherine Anderson but I did not care for this book.

Great story, believable characters, especially cute Sammy. Wonderful dialogue between her and Heath.

From BackCover:
THE PROTECTOR

From the moment Heath Masters lays eyes on Meredith Kenyon, he knows there's something mysterious in this pretty woman's past. True, she seems like a good mother to her little daughter, but as local sheriff Heath has seen his share of liars....and Meredith is certainly hiding something. But though his romantic gestures are met with suspicion, Heath can't help but be drawn to his vulnerable new neighbor. He doesn't entirely trust her, but he sure does want to kiss her.

THE WOMAN ON THE RUN

About to lose her child in a devastating child custody case, Meredith transformed herself from urban widow to small town mom, escaping the clutches of her abusive late husband's manipulative father. Fleeing across America, show more she ran straight into the arms of the lonely lawman. Heath's persistence melts her misgivings, making her wonder if she could overcome her traumatic former life. But could his love protect her from her past--now and forever? show less

December 2005