Strawberry Hill

One and a half stories in one story – the beginning of what is likely the next book, and the second chance story. I don’t know what purpose the half story serves here, with less time spent with their children, particularly the one that precipitated their ‘reunion’. Still, this is CA and it’s always entertaining – the bear, her temper, his willingness to address their past, and bring it to a tidy-ish end.

What fun!! Had a ball reading this. Great plot and subplots. Main plot was about an older couple finding love again through all the twists and turns of life. The younger couple had no resolution, so must be the next book.

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.

The only problem with this story is the practical jokes. One leads to a tent being burned down. While I found the jokes to be cute, this could lead to someone trying the joke on someone where harm could occur. Overall the plot is very entertaining, the characters are true to life and the descriptions are excellently written. The book also continues Ms. Anderson’s current series, Mystic Creek.

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).