REVIEW: My Way to You by Catherine Bybee

In My Way to You (Canyon Creek #1) by Catherine Bybee, Parker Sinclair’s family home in the canyons of Santa Clarita, California is all she and her younger brother and sister have left of their parents’ legacy. And boy has it been a tough couple of years since they died. As the oldest, she’s had to keep her siblings on the straight and narrow–not an easy feat considering Parker is only in her mid-twenties. They’re just barely holding it together when disaster strikes again, this time a wildfire that threatens their home and that of their neighbors. Not one to give in without a fight, Parker will do what it takes to keep her siblings and their home safe. She never expected that the fire was just the beginning of a long, arduous year filled with more and more problems to overcome.

The captain of the fire department she’d spoken with most of the morning stood looking at the flames. “You have a defendable house,” he told her.
“That doesn’t look like a fair fight,” she told him.

After the fire thankfully doesn’t destroy their home, Parker begins the clean up process. But she knows if there’s any rain in the future they’ll be looking at mudslides and flooding–something that would yet again threaten their property. Salvation comes in the form of a supervisor for the Public Works Department, Colin Hudson. Charming and handsome, Parker is instantly drawn to him in a way that she doesn’t need right now, with everything she’s currently battling. But Colin makes it clear that the attraction is mutual. And that he intends to be there for Parker and her siblings every step of the way. As they all fight against Mother Nature’s plans to destroy the homes in the canyon, Colin hopes the connection he’s forming with Parker is a lasting one built on trust and love.

‘He wasn’t ready to put labels and words to what they were doing, or the relationship they were embarking on, he didn’t want her believing she was feeling those things alone.’

My Way to You was equal parts heartrending and inspirational as we followed a brave young woman and her siblings through devastating loss and catastrophic destruction–only to watch them thrive while strengthening their bond as a family.

“I come with a lot of baggage.”
“I knew that going in, Parker… And you know what? It’s part of what I fell in love with. All the things that put you in my life, from your parents’ accident, to the fire and all this flooding, all of it paved my way to you.”

I am (as you may have noticed) a huge Catherine Bybee fan. And after watching the horrific sand fire and subsequent flooding she dealt with in her own personal life a couple of years ago, I had a feeling some of it would make its way into a future book. How could it not, right? Simply put, My Way to You was art imitating life. The details and level of emotions Bybee added to Parker’s fight for her home’s survival was so concise and convincing that I was completely immersed in each harrowing scene. From the sights, smells and sounds to overwhelming fear and sheer determination, Parker’s POV was crystal clear, thanks to Bybee’s first-hand experiences.

I have to be honest that I wasn’t sure if a romance would be overshadowed by the plight of everyone in the canyon, what with wildfires, flooding and mudslides to deal with. But seeing Parker–and even two other romances begin!–learn to slowly trust Colin while they helped each other through every new hardship thrown their way? I thought it was pretty incredible and heartwarming to see that spark of hope. It helped drive Parker to keep a positive attitude when most of us would have wanted to give up.

Parker was quite the badass heroine. Strong, extremely independent, courageous and a great role model to her siblings, she took on their care after their parents’ deaths and kept them all functioning somehow. Colin was a nice match up for Parker. Although he was also kind, brave and independent, he knew the benefits of taking help from others when offered, something he helped Parker (eventually) learn. Their romance was utterly sigh-worthy to me. Two wonderful people, great senses of humor, tons of passion. How could it not work out?

Some stories remain with you long after the last page is read. And some are so vividly written that you are drawn to the characters and their personal journeys from the start. My Way to You is an unforgettable book fueled by Catherine Bybee’s own life, along with the dynamic cast she created that will capture your heart.

Book Info:

Publication: Published March 10th 2020 | Montlake Romance | Canyon Creek #1

A woman’s journey through tragedy leads to the discovery of love in a novel about hope and survival by New York Times bestselling author Catherine Bybee.

When a wildfire nearly destroys Parker Sinclair’s family home, it’s just one more disaster to add to her mountain of stress. For the past two years, she has shouldered the responsibility of raising her younger brother and sister after their parents’ untimely deaths. Forced to leave college for a crappy job that barely pays the bills, Parker manages her family property, which consumes every aspect of her life. Now winter is coming and the forecast isn’t spreading sunshine on the dark cloud over her head. The last thing Parker needs is a mudslide destroying everything she has worked so hard to maintain.

Colin Hudson’s job as a public works supervisor is to protect Parker’s property and neighborhood from further damage. But it’s a little hard when the owner of the land is a control freak who tries to do everything herself. The hardworking, attractive young woman is far from the “hot mess” she claims to be. In fact, her tight grip of control is one of the things that attract him the most. It’s also the hardest to crack. Now Colin’s working overtime to help Parker open up her heart, trust him, and let him in.

As Parker and Colin work together to keep her home and neighborhood safe, they may be in for another disaster. Or they may just realize that sometimes it takes destruction to create something new.