REVIEW: Silver Thaw by Catherine Anderson

In Silver Thaw (Mystic Creek #1) by Catherine Anderson, Amanda has escaped her abusive husband after living in terror for years. She has landed in small town Mystic Creek, Oregon with her young daughter Chloe.

Scared, alone and broke, Amanda does the best she can. She escapes into books, sends her thoughts and wishes floating in the wind, and dreams of her own HEA even if she doesn’t really believe it will ever happen.

Mother Nature has a way of stepping in though, and a snow and ice storm sends Jeb Sterling to their small home to check on them. When Jeb sees the state of the home Amanda and Chloe are in, he knows he can’t leave them there. Amanda is very reluctant to leave with him…but she has no choice if she doesn’t want Chloe to freeze. Shelters are out because of her need to stay hidden, and Amanda soon finds herself and Chloe living temporarily in Jeb’s home. Jeb feels a pull towards Amanda from the moment he first finds her notes she’s thrown to the wind. When he finally meets her, the pull is even stronger. Attracted but ever the gentleman, Jeb moves slowly and cautiously with Amanda and Chloe. He might not know their full story at first, but he sees enough to know it’s not good.

Amanda never expected to feel attracted to another man like she does to Jeb. She’s not quite ready to trust again though, and is determined to take care of herself and Chloe on her own. The attraction and heat between Amanda and Jeb slowly simmers to the surface, and trust is slow to develop. When Amanda’s past comes back to haunt her she’ll have to decide if sometimes it’s ok to accept help, to lean on someone else…someone like Jeb. Can Jeb help Amanda and Chloe stay safe? Can Amanda have a second chance at love and life with Jeb, or has the past harmed her too deeply?

Silver Thaw is a smooth paced read in which Catherine explores all kinds of emotions, and deals with some sensitive subject matter. Catherine manages to do this in a way that draws you into Amanda and Jeb’s story, wanting to know more, wanting to see how it ends up, and feeling right along with them. I like how she wrote from both Amanda and Jeb’s point of view. This gives a well rounded feel to the over all plot. Amanda is strong, brave, determined and as a mother fierce. For all she’s been through, she is not broken. Catherine slowly gives us Amanda’s story and background, and this is the only thing that I felt could have happened quicker. I really liked Jeb. He is protective, caring, and patient. His relationship with his family is explored in Silver Thaw, and I liked how Catherine did this to give us a detailed look at his character. I really liked how Jeb was with Amanda and Chloe. He doesn’t rush either of them, and has a lot of insight into their characters without knowing the full story. This really shows maturity in a character that I like.

The slow build of the relationship and romance between Jeb and Amanda made complete sense with the plot, and made it all the more believable. The flow of their relationship fits well with the characters, and I liked the maturity that came along with them. They are open with each other and there is no angst that younger, less mature characters sometimes have.

I also liked the small town feel to Silver Thaw, especially at the point in time when the story takes place and everyone is pulling together. It made Mystic Creek real, and easy to picture in my mind (and feel the cold in my bones!).

I’d recommend Silver Thaw to contemporary romance readers who like to go deep into a novel that explores many emotions.

Book Info:

Published January 6th 2015 by Signet | (Mystic Creek #1)

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Coulter and Harrigan Family novels comes a brand-new contemporary romance series about first love, second chances, and hope reborn…

After years of living in fear of her husband, Amanda Banning has left him and moved to Mystic Creek, Oregon, for a fresh start. But she’s having a tough time providing for herself and her six-year-old daughter. Writing her secret yearnings on slips of paper and sending them into the wind helps her cling to the hope that things will get better…and that she can find happiness again.

Jeb Sterling has no idea that the handwritten messages he finds scattered across his land are the first hints that his life is about to change. Nor does he understand why he feels so compelled to help Amanda Banning and her daughter when a cold snap leaves them temporarily homeless. Maybe he’s inspired by Amanda’s courage or perhaps by her beautiful brown eyes. Either way, the man who once renounced love suddenly finds himself willing to do anything for the pair. Amanda seems to have given up on her dreams, but Jeb refuses to quit until he makes her every wish come true…