Title: New Leaf
Author: Catherine Anderson
Series: Mystic Creek #2
Charming, cozy, and heartwarming–the perfect book to read curled up by the fire
What a charming story! I was impressed. I can’t give a very authoritative review of her last book a year ago, Silver Thaw–the one that started this new series–but I remember thinking that the writing seemed a bit sloppy, just not as spectacular as I had come to expect from an author whose work I’ve collected for years. But not every book can be perfect, right? And New Leaf affirmed my faith in Anderson’s writing. I only wish it was longer!
After getting wrongly accused of child abuse by her nasty ex-husband and having her daughter taken away from her, Taffeta Brown moved to the quaint little town of Mystic Creek to build a new, solid, respectful reputation that she hoped would one day get her daughter back. She turned over a New Leaf, if you will. 😉 While running a little health store, she did her best to blend in and be unremarkable so that no one would recognize her as the woman who’d been convicted of child abuse a couple years ago and ruin her fresh start. Things were going smoothly until she had a little fun and caught the attention of Barney Sterling, who wasn’t just some guy–he was a town deputy, someone she very much did not want looking at her too closely. But after he’d realized she was drabbing herself down on purpose, he couldn’t keep his eyes off her, wanting to see the bright and exuberant woman hidden beneath the surface. Then the private investigator she had keeping tabs on her daughter gives her some very–and I mean VERY–disturbing news, and she knew she couldn’t wait any longer. She had to make moves to get Sarah back safely, and she had to move now. But she needed a powerful character witness in her corner…and who could be better than a devoted, loving husband who worked long and hard to uphold the law?
I can’t say this book was thrilling–it didn’t get my adrenaline spiking or my heart thudding, but I certainly felt just as frustrated as Taffy, of both the sluggish pace of the legal system and the sexual tension stretched taut between Barney and her. Nor was it particularly surprising–I was actually more surprised by what I didn’t see. For instance, we never met the ex-husband personally, only heard about him, and as I considered him one of the main antagonists, I thought it was an odd choice. Also, I would have gladly exchanged a couple dinner date scenes for a couple more scenes with Sarah, I felt a bit cheated on seeing her develop, but I understand the development of Taffy and Barney’s relationship was the primary plot. Although I suppose it could be argued that getting acquainted with Sarah was just as important for them. But regardless, I couldn’t put it down, and a more heartwarming book I haven’t read a while. Highly recommended 🙂 And how cute are the titles? Silver Thaw and New Leaf. The covers are pretty too. 🙂
