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Seventh Heaven by Catherine Anderson
Ten years ago Joe Lakota had left behind his small Oregon town and the only woman he'd ever truly loved for the empty promises of the big city. Now he's returned, seeking to raise his young son with values you can only find at home, and longing to rekindle the passion he'd once had with beautiful Marilee Nelson. But Marilee isn't anything like the gentle yet self-assured girl he'd left behind. In her place is a woman tormented by a secret she refuses to share, even with Joe.
Marilee never wanted to see Joe again; their parting had been too painful. And though his strong arms and powerful body could protect her, she knew only too well the harm they could also bring. Her head tells her to resist Joe's persistent advances, her heart is telling her something very different. And then he makes her the sweetest proposition of all: become his wife and mother of his child. But how can she agree to a marriage, even in name only, when she can't stand to tell him the truth?
Marilee never wanted to see Joe again; their parting had been too painful. And though his strong arms and powerful body could protect her, she knew only too well the harm they could also bring. Her head tells her to resist Joe's persistent advances, her heart is telling her something very different. And then he makes her the sweetest proposition of all: become his wife and mother of his child. But how can she agree to a marriage, even in name only, when she can't stand to tell him the truth?
Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
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About the author
Catherine Anderson
102 books2,959 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
(1)romance author:
Adeline Catherine was born and raised in Grants Pass, Oregon, USA. She always yearned to be a writer like her mother. The morning that one of her professors asked if she could use samples of Catherine’s creative writing on an overhead projector to teach was a dream come true. In 1988, she sold her first book to Harlequin Intrigue and went on to write three more before she tried her hand at a single-title historical romance. Nine books later, she did her first single-title contemporary.
Catherine married Sidney D. Anderson, an industrial electrician and entrepreneur. They had two sons, Sidney D. Jr. and John G. In 2001 she and her husband purchased a central Oregon home located on a ridge with incredible mountain views and surrounded by forestland honeycombed with trails. It was her dream home, a wonderland in the winter and beyond beautiful in the summer. She named it Cinnamon Ridge after the huge ponderosa pines on the property, which sport bark the color of cinnamon.
Sadly, Catherine lost her husband to a long-term illness in 2014. She has kept Cinnamon Ridge as her primary residence but divides her time between there and her son John's farm, where she has the support of her loved ones and can enjoy his horses, cows, and raise her own chickens.
Catherine loves animals and birds, both wild and domestic. She presently has two Australian shepherds, six cats, and a very old canary. She is very family oriented as well. Her older son has lived in Japan, Australia, and now resides in New Zealand. Catherine and her stateside family will celebrate Christmas on the north island with Sidney, his wife Mary, and their two sons, Liam and Jonas.
(1)romance author:
Adeline Catherine was born and raised in Grants Pass, Oregon, USA. She always yearned to be a writer like her mother. The morning that one of her professors asked if she could use samples of Catherine’s creative writing on an overhead projector to teach was a dream come true. In 1988, she sold her first book to Harlequin Intrigue and went on to write three more before she tried her hand at a single-title historical romance. Nine books later, she did her first single-title contemporary.
Catherine married Sidney D. Anderson, an industrial electrician and entrepreneur. They had two sons, Sidney D. Jr. and John G. In 2001 she and her husband purchased a central Oregon home located on a ridge with incredible mountain views and surrounded by forestland honeycombed with trails. It was her dream home, a wonderland in the winter and beyond beautiful in the summer. She named it Cinnamon Ridge after the huge ponderosa pines on the property, which sport bark the color of cinnamon.
Sadly, Catherine lost her husband to a long-term illness in 2014. She has kept Cinnamon Ridge as her primary residence but divides her time between there and her son John's farm, where she has the support of her loved ones and can enjoy his horses, cows, and raise her own chickens.
Catherine loves animals and birds, both wild and domestic. She presently has two Australian shepherds, six cats, and a very old canary. She is very family oriented as well. Her older son has lived in Japan, Australia, and now resides in New Zealand. Catherine and her stateside family will celebrate Christmas on the north island with Sidney, his wife Mary, and their two sons, Liam and Jonas.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 131 reviews
November 25, 2009
Ten years ago Marilee Nelson and Joe Lakota were young, in love, and planning their life together. Everything was perfect, or so Joe thought until the unthinkable happened. Marilee broke off their engagement and told him never to contact her again.
Fast forward 10 years. Joe is a washed up professional football player with a 4 year old son to raise. With a nasty divorce that keeps him constantly in the media spotlight, Joe decides that the best place to raise his son is in his small Oregon home town. He moves back and one of his first orders of business is to look up his old flame Marilee.
I know that I can always count on Catherine Anderson to deliver a certain type of hero...kind, considerate, awesome to look at, and head over heels in love with the heroine. I certainly wasn't disappointed with Joe Lakota. Once Joe discovered what caused Marilee to break off their engagement all those years ago (which I won't spoil by revealing here), it became his mission to help her overcome her demons and to get the engagement ring that he had been carrying around for 10 years back on her finger. *sigh*
Marilee starts out as a somewhat weak heroine, but by the time you see the *real* reason she broke up with Joe, you have to admire her courage and see that she really did have good reasons for doing what she did.
This book gets 5 stars from me because I loved Joe, Marilee, and Zachary (Joe's little boy), and also because just when I thought I knew where this book was headed, Catherine Anderson managed to throw in a few surprises that I didn't see coming.
Fast forward 10 years. Joe is a washed up professional football player with a 4 year old son to raise. With a nasty divorce that keeps him constantly in the media spotlight, Joe decides that the best place to raise his son is in his small Oregon home town. He moves back and one of his first orders of business is to look up his old flame Marilee.
I know that I can always count on Catherine Anderson to deliver a certain type of hero...kind, considerate, awesome to look at, and head over heels in love with the heroine. I certainly wasn't disappointed with Joe Lakota. Once Joe discovered what caused Marilee to break off their engagement all those years ago (which I won't spoil by revealing here), it became his mission to help her overcome her demons and to get the engagement ring that he had been carrying around for 10 years back on her finger. *sigh*
Marilee starts out as a somewhat weak heroine, but by the time you see the *real* reason she broke up with Joe, you have to admire her courage and see that she really did have good reasons for doing what she did.
This book gets 5 stars from me because I loved Joe, Marilee, and Zachary (Joe's little boy), and also because just when I thought I knew where this book was headed, Catherine Anderson managed to throw in a few surprises that I didn't see coming.
September 5, 2011
I just can not seem to get over how mush they all suffered!
Even the kid!
But still, I think the heroine and her story broke my heart.
It just did.
I wanted to give it 5 stars, but because I cried my eyes out I have to take that one star out of there. It was too much anguish!
Even the kid!
But still, I think the heroine and her story broke my heart.
It just did.
I wanted to give it 5 stars, but because I cried my eyes out I have to take that one star out of there. It was too much anguish!
February 19, 2018
After a long custody battle with his ex-wife, former NFL Quarterback Joe Lakota just wants to take his four-year-old son, Zachary, to his hometown for some peace. Ten years ago Joe left home when the love of his life, Marilee Nelson, broke his heart. He plans on keeping his distance from her until he learns that people believe he is the one who broke off the relationship.
When Marilee heard Joe was back in town, she knew she had to prepare herself to see him. But she still isn't ready when he comes asking why she let people believe he left her. Joe also wants to know why she left college so abruptly. Marilee still loves him, but she isn't talking. She has carried a secret for the last ten years and isn't about to share it.
I wanted to like this book, but it just didn't work for me. Marilee drove me crazy telling Joe she couldn't see him, couldn't have a relationship with him, couldn't tell him her secret...then she would eventually do it ten pages later. Joe was a saint putting up with her problems and trying to get her to go to a therapist. He also had a son in therapy at the same time. I liked his relationship with his Zachary better than his relationship with Marilee. The story dragged on as a contemporary romance until the last 100 pages. At that point there was a mystery to solve. My rating: 2.5 Stars.
When Marilee heard Joe was back in town, she knew she had to prepare herself to see him. But she still isn't ready when he comes asking why she let people believe he left her. Joe also wants to know why she left college so abruptly. Marilee still loves him, but she isn't talking. She has carried a secret for the last ten years and isn't about to share it.
I wanted to like this book, but it just didn't work for me. Marilee drove me crazy telling Joe she couldn't see him, couldn't have a relationship with him, couldn't tell him her secret...then she would eventually do it ten pages later. Joe was a saint putting up with her problems and trying to get her to go to a therapist. He also had a son in therapy at the same time. I liked his relationship with his Zachary better than his relationship with Marilee. The story dragged on as a contemporary romance until the last 100 pages. At that point there was a mystery to solve. My rating: 2.5 Stars.
June 4, 2009
Reviewed for THC Reviews
After a string of so-so reads, one of my favorite authors, Catherine Anderson, finally came through for me with a book that not only had the emotional development that I had been craving, but also packed quite an emotional punch. Ms. Anderson is masterful at creating moving stories that deal realistically with various human traumas, and Seventh Heaven is no exception. In fact, I think it may be the most realistic of her books that I've read to date. In my opinion, this book probably comes about as close as an author can get in a less than 400-page novel, to a genuine and believable portrayal of a woman who has experienced the trauma that Marilee had, at least in her intensity of feelings and reactions. For ten years, Marilee dealt with these issues on her own, with absolutely no help, because she felt both shame and fear. What initially seemed like rather weak reasoning though, eventually became a very complex web of emotional twists and turn that made Mari's reticence in seeking help quite credible, and her entire story quite heartbreaking. Sensitive readers should know that these traumatic events are the driving force behind the plot, and in addition there are also some gut-wrenching scenes involving the abuse of Joe's young son, Zachary. Anyone who is looking for a light read definitely won't find it here, but those who want a good book that tugs on the heartstrings, should really like this one.
In addition to the realism, the characters were a large part of what made this story so wonderful for me. I absolutely couldn't help but love Joe, who was a near flawless hero. I loved all of his little “honey” and “sweetheart” endearments. He is kind, sensitive and extremely patient toward Mari with all her hang-ups. He is also incredibly intuitive of Mari's needs and what is going on inside her head. Joe is an amazing father to his son, Zachary, and a great football coach who was once a famous pro-football star. As if those things don't make him hot enough, he is a sexy half-Sioux Indian, and although his heritage doesn't play a big role in the story, I still can never seem to resist those multi-cultural relationships. While Joe may have a sensitive beta side, he is definitely an alpha, and has now become one of my favorite Catherine Anderson heroes I've read so far, even though I usually have more of a soft spot for her beta heroes. The only thing that could have made Joe better is if he had stayed and fought for his relationship with Mari all those years ago, instead of taking things at face value and leaving, but of course there wouldn't have been much of a story then. In spite of considering herself to be a coward, Marilee, to the contrary, is an incredibly strong woman to have gone through all she had by herself without completely loosing her mind. She did have a very bad case of PTSD, which was certainly not unexpected, and it took quite a while to work through that. She became a loving, protective mother to Zachary from the day she first met him, and longs to have children of her own. As I mentioned earlier, I had a few misgivings about some of her choices early in the story, but as it progressed, I felt like I completely understood her. The only thing that gave me pause was when Mari almost let her soulmate get away again, not once, but twice. At that point, I almost wanted to jump into the story and shake some sense into her, but luckily she came around so I didn't have to.;-) There was a fairly large cast of secondary characters what with Mari's family, Joe's mother, and a number of others, but for the most part they only inhabited the periphery of the story and didn't play large roles. The main exception to that would be Zachary. He was a very sweet, little boy who had been through quite an ordeal himself. Zachary and Mari end up helping to facilitate each other's healing processes to some degree, so that he is able to regain emotional stability too. Catherine Anderson also has a talent for writing memorable animal characters, and even Mari's cowardly hound dog, Boo, manages to find his backbone in the end. All in all, the book had a cast of really great characters, but the bulk of the story definitely belonged to Joe and Mari.
Early on, I had a hard time putting the book down because I was so engrossed in wanting to see how and when Joe and Marilee were finally going to work things out, but at some point the story started to drag a little for me. This is really my only complaint and the one thing that kept the book from earning keeper status from me. The story just naturally has a rather languid pace due to the subject matter, which was an understandable necessity in order to tell it in such a realistic way, but there is also a huge wall between the two main characters that made it difficult for me to really feel their reconnection on a deep level. I think this is mainly because it took more than 2/3 of the way into the story for Joe and Mari to even share a lip-lock. Up to that point, they touch each other sometimes, but not really on a regular basis, and when they do it's little more than chaste hugs and kisses on the forehead. Then everything breaks loose and comes together for them all at once which started to stretch the bounds of credibility at bit. Although I thought it was done better here, this is a device that Ms. Anderson also used in her book Keegan's Lady which didn't really work well for me there either. At this point, readers get the only full-blown love scene in the book. All the other intimate scenes are pretty subdued and little more than implied cut scenes. Even though I usually prefer my romances a bit steamier, I know that this is generally par for the course in a Catherine Anderson novel, so in and of itself that didn't really bother me. Unfortunately there is a fine line between maintaining realism and frustrating the reader because of the characters holding each other at arms length a bit too long, and I simply found myself wishing that there had been a little more of a passionate connection between Joe and Mari.
The final hundred pages or so of Seventh Heaven become a mild mystery/suspense story which oddly enough also mirrored Keegan's Lady in a way. When it got to this point, I felt certain I knew where everything was leading, but as it turned out, I was almost entirely wrong. I guess this would be a good testament to Ms. Anderson's ability to surprise me with a little twist. She also injected a fair bit of her trademark humor into the story which I always love, and it helped to lighten things up from time to time. For those who might be concerned, Marilee is a devout Catholic and discussions of her and her family's beliefs occur a number of times throughout the story. In my opinion, it was all pretty matter-of-fact, but I thought it worth mentioning for readers who are averse to religion in their romances. Overall, Seventh Heaven was a very good read for me, and a really sweet romance with lots of emotional intensity from an admired author who rarely lets me down.
After a string of so-so reads, one of my favorite authors, Catherine Anderson, finally came through for me with a book that not only had the emotional development that I had been craving, but also packed quite an emotional punch. Ms. Anderson is masterful at creating moving stories that deal realistically with various human traumas, and Seventh Heaven is no exception. In fact, I think it may be the most realistic of her books that I've read to date. In my opinion, this book probably comes about as close as an author can get in a less than 400-page novel, to a genuine and believable portrayal of a woman who has experienced the trauma that Marilee had, at least in her intensity of feelings and reactions. For ten years, Marilee dealt with these issues on her own, with absolutely no help, because she felt both shame and fear. What initially seemed like rather weak reasoning though, eventually became a very complex web of emotional twists and turn that made Mari's reticence in seeking help quite credible, and her entire story quite heartbreaking. Sensitive readers should know that these traumatic events are the driving force behind the plot, and in addition there are also some gut-wrenching scenes involving the abuse of Joe's young son, Zachary. Anyone who is looking for a light read definitely won't find it here, but those who want a good book that tugs on the heartstrings, should really like this one.
In addition to the realism, the characters were a large part of what made this story so wonderful for me. I absolutely couldn't help but love Joe, who was a near flawless hero. I loved all of his little “honey” and “sweetheart” endearments. He is kind, sensitive and extremely patient toward Mari with all her hang-ups. He is also incredibly intuitive of Mari's needs and what is going on inside her head. Joe is an amazing father to his son, Zachary, and a great football coach who was once a famous pro-football star. As if those things don't make him hot enough, he is a sexy half-Sioux Indian, and although his heritage doesn't play a big role in the story, I still can never seem to resist those multi-cultural relationships. While Joe may have a sensitive beta side, he is definitely an alpha, and has now become one of my favorite Catherine Anderson heroes I've read so far, even though I usually have more of a soft spot for her beta heroes. The only thing that could have made Joe better is if he had stayed and fought for his relationship with Mari all those years ago, instead of taking things at face value and leaving, but of course there wouldn't have been much of a story then. In spite of considering herself to be a coward, Marilee, to the contrary, is an incredibly strong woman to have gone through all she had by herself without completely loosing her mind. She did have a very bad case of PTSD, which was certainly not unexpected, and it took quite a while to work through that. She became a loving, protective mother to Zachary from the day she first met him, and longs to have children of her own. As I mentioned earlier, I had a few misgivings about some of her choices early in the story, but as it progressed, I felt like I completely understood her. The only thing that gave me pause was when Mari almost let her soulmate get away again, not once, but twice. At that point, I almost wanted to jump into the story and shake some sense into her, but luckily she came around so I didn't have to.;-) There was a fairly large cast of secondary characters what with Mari's family, Joe's mother, and a number of others, but for the most part they only inhabited the periphery of the story and didn't play large roles. The main exception to that would be Zachary. He was a very sweet, little boy who had been through quite an ordeal himself. Zachary and Mari end up helping to facilitate each other's healing processes to some degree, so that he is able to regain emotional stability too. Catherine Anderson also has a talent for writing memorable animal characters, and even Mari's cowardly hound dog, Boo, manages to find his backbone in the end. All in all, the book had a cast of really great characters, but the bulk of the story definitely belonged to Joe and Mari.
Early on, I had a hard time putting the book down because I was so engrossed in wanting to see how and when Joe and Marilee were finally going to work things out, but at some point the story started to drag a little for me. This is really my only complaint and the one thing that kept the book from earning keeper status from me. The story just naturally has a rather languid pace due to the subject matter, which was an understandable necessity in order to tell it in such a realistic way, but there is also a huge wall between the two main characters that made it difficult for me to really feel their reconnection on a deep level. I think this is mainly because it took more than 2/3 of the way into the story for Joe and Mari to even share a lip-lock. Up to that point, they touch each other sometimes, but not really on a regular basis, and when they do it's little more than chaste hugs and kisses on the forehead. Then everything breaks loose and comes together for them all at once which started to stretch the bounds of credibility at bit. Although I thought it was done better here, this is a device that Ms. Anderson also used in her book Keegan's Lady which didn't really work well for me there either. At this point, readers get the only full-blown love scene in the book. All the other intimate scenes are pretty subdued and little more than implied cut scenes. Even though I usually prefer my romances a bit steamier, I know that this is generally par for the course in a Catherine Anderson novel, so in and of itself that didn't really bother me. Unfortunately there is a fine line between maintaining realism and frustrating the reader because of the characters holding each other at arms length a bit too long, and I simply found myself wishing that there had been a little more of a passionate connection between Joe and Mari.
The final hundred pages or so of Seventh Heaven become a mild mystery/suspense story which oddly enough also mirrored Keegan's Lady in a way. When it got to this point, I felt certain I knew where everything was leading, but as it turned out, I was almost entirely wrong. I guess this would be a good testament to Ms. Anderson's ability to surprise me with a little twist. She also injected a fair bit of her trademark humor into the story which I always love, and it helped to lighten things up from time to time. For those who might be concerned, Marilee is a devout Catholic and discussions of her and her family's beliefs occur a number of times throughout the story. In my opinion, it was all pretty matter-of-fact, but I thought it worth mentioning for readers who are averse to religion in their romances. Overall, Seventh Heaven was a very good read for me, and a really sweet romance with lots of emotional intensity from an admired author who rarely lets me down.
September 8, 2017
Judging from the other reviews on here, I am in the minority with my rating but I did not like this book. It was too much angst, unnecessary sexytimes! that fixed everything and then a drama filled event spanning the last 50 pages that came out of nowhere. Just no. I ended up reading the whole book just to see how it would go down but the more I read the more ridiculous the plot lines got (All the people coming back suddenly from 10 years ago - what was that? And Valerie suddenly wanted custody of Zach and then that plot line was never brought up again). The worst part was, I actually liked Joe and Mari at the beginning of the book. Joe was great with his little son and I admired Marilee for how much strength she had living on her own (though why no one in her close family recognized the trauma and PTSD she had for the last ten years is beyond me). But then Joe got too alpha male, too pushy, too much for me and Marilee was suddenly "cured" by halfway through the book due to her marriage and the aforementioned sex with Joe and then all the crazy, ridiculous nonsense started happening and I was all no no no no. Nothing in this book really rang true. Do not recommend.
February 25, 2024
14 hours 31 minutes and 8 weeks later, and I finally finished this book😂😂😅
I wanted to throw in the towel at hour 9, but mama didn't raise no quitter, so I powered through. The last like 20-25% saved this from being a 2, but damn this was a long book where literally nothing happened until the last stretch.
I wanted to throw in the towel at hour 9, but mama didn't raise no quitter, so I powered through. The last like 20-25% saved this from being a 2, but damn this was a long book where literally nothing happened until the last stretch.
January 14, 2011
I'm finally done!!! Oh this book was so great...classic Catherine Anderson. OK, ok, enough gushing..
I can't really say too much or I'll give the whole thing away, but I loved this book and yet it was missing a vital piece of the puzzle, I thought. Let me just say that what I thought would be the climax wasn't, who I thought would be the antagonist wasn't, and how I thought it would go down didn't. In fact, one of the biggest obstacles in the book ended up being a byline at the end. And yet, I still loved this book.
The romance is never in question. Within the first chapter, he's confessed his love, she has returned it. The little boy loves her. They are working on a relationship. It isn't your typical romance at all.
What I really enjoyed about this book, as I do in all of her books, is that she really writes a true tragic hero/heroine. These aren't people who were abused as kids and now live in cynical lonely misery. These are people who have real, happens in everyday life problems. It could be recovering from a brain injury or blindness to deafness to recovering from a physical trauma. Catherine Anderson writes them all very well giving us a good glimpse of what it must truly be like to live with something like that everyday.
Seventh Heaven gives us not a "will they won't they" romance but a true to life, they really want to but here's some real problems they have to get passed. I love that her biggest obstacle isn't can they get passed themselves to be together. Joe & Marilee's problem is they want to be the best they can be for each other because their love is that big.
I know this review may not make much sense (I'm on cold medicine and I'm at work) but hopefully I've conveyed the gamut of emotion she made me run in this book. Just picturing some great, hulking man doing the things Joe did or said to make Marilee feel better brought tears to my eyes. And if you don't want to hug Zachary and punch out Valerie's lights then you aren't someone I'd like to hang out with very much!
I can't really say too much or I'll give the whole thing away, but I loved this book and yet it was missing a vital piece of the puzzle, I thought. Let me just say that what I thought would be the climax wasn't, who I thought would be the antagonist wasn't, and how I thought it would go down didn't. In fact, one of the biggest obstacles in the book ended up being a byline at the end. And yet, I still loved this book.
The romance is never in question. Within the first chapter, he's confessed his love, she has returned it. The little boy loves her. They are working on a relationship. It isn't your typical romance at all.
What I really enjoyed about this book, as I do in all of her books, is that she really writes a true tragic hero/heroine. These aren't people who were abused as kids and now live in cynical lonely misery. These are people who have real, happens in everyday life problems. It could be recovering from a brain injury or blindness to deafness to recovering from a physical trauma. Catherine Anderson writes them all very well giving us a good glimpse of what it must truly be like to live with something like that everyday.
Seventh Heaven gives us not a "will they won't they" romance but a true to life, they really want to but here's some real problems they have to get passed. I love that her biggest obstacle isn't can they get passed themselves to be together. Joe & Marilee's problem is they want to be the best they can be for each other because their love is that big.
I know this review may not make much sense (I'm on cold medicine and I'm at work) but hopefully I've conveyed the gamut of emotion she made me run in this book. Just picturing some great, hulking man doing the things Joe did or said to make Marilee feel better brought tears to my eyes. And if you don't want to hug Zachary and punch out Valerie's lights then you aren't someone I'd like to hang out with very much!
January 31, 2016
I was actually enjoying this book until the characters started to make no sense at all, frustrating me to no end.
I know what happened to Marilee was nothing short of traumatic and awful, but ten years passed her by without her actually trying to get decent help. She obviously could not overcome her demons by herself and some professional aid was needed.
I mean, she ruined her life trying to manage everything alone. She pushed everybody away and what she was doing was no life at all.
Also, I got pretty tired of her behaviour towards Joe. She knew him. He was a good man and the love of her life. Shouldn't she give him a chance without automatically expecting the worst?
And how she kept saying 'I'm sorry, Joe. I just can't do it.' to anything he asked of her, just to go running to him and say 'Well, I guess I can do it.' soon after that was just ridiculous and annoying.
Joe had his faults too. What kind of man has a kid with some woman other than the one he really loves and then gives the child the name he and the love of his life had planned to give to their first son?
Not cool. Talk about a low blow.
And let's not even talk about the heroine's mother praying for the soul of the man who basically destroyed her daughter after learning he was murdered.
Are you kidding me? I would spit on the corpse and dance the fandango over his grave. Good riddance!
Long story short, no one was making any sense and add that to the fact there were quite a few loose ends, which I don't like at all, so there isn't much of a surprise this book disappointed me.
April 25, 2010
This is a DNF- Did Not Finish, for me.
There is a precocious child. A football player with a self-taught PhD in body language. An abused woman who has lived with crippling anxiety for TEN YEARS, while fooling everyone and never, not once, considering therapy. It was well written enough not to make me spitting angry, but there was only so much I could take by the time the marriage of convenience-but-also-true-love came around.
There is a precocious child. A football player with a self-taught PhD in body language. An abused woman who has lived with crippling anxiety for TEN YEARS, while fooling everyone and never, not once, considering therapy. It was well written enough not to make me spitting angry, but there was only so much I could take by the time the marriage of convenience-but-also-true-love came around.
December 20, 2012
Re-read December 2012:
I love this book soooooo much! Catherine Anderson writes such beautiful characters. Joe is one of my all time favourite heros ever and I must say I absolutely love Mari too. There are authors out there who write a swoonworthy hero but their heroines are sometimes a little annoying or acerbic. This is not the case with Catherine Anderson. Her heroines are usually sweet and so loveable that you can't help but fall in love with them too.
*big happy mushy sigh*
5 big tearjerker stars
Orginal review August 2011:
I just love the way Catherine Anderson writes. I am usually guilty of skimming when I get bored but I have to say that she doesn't waste a single word and I never even nearly felt the need to skim or skip.
I really love how this book began. Instead of the usual pattern of re-united lovers stories, where it's almost halfway through the book before they get together and admit how they feel, this book jumps straight in at the interesting bit. I love how within the first couple of chapters Joe has already confessed his love and made it clear that he's not going anywhere. When I initially found out the reason for their split, I was a little worried that this would be main driver of the story and we would have chapter upon chapter of Joe being in the dark, so it was really very refreshing to have this dealt with early.
In all honesty I found both Mari and Zachary's stories very harrowing and it was quite uncomfortable reading. I felt angry on their behalf for the things they had both been through and how what happened to Mari changed the course of all their lives. My heart ached for all the time Mari and Joe had lost. But I think there's a really good lesson in this book that it's a total waste of energy to be angry about things you can't change. I'm glad they were all able to move on and heal and live the lives they all deserved.
The only problem I have with this book is that some of the characters were just so incredibly revolting that it upsets me to think things like this really do happen in real life. Without trying to sound too naive, I don't like to be reminded of how repulsive some human beings can be.
I now have to go and read something lighter hearted to cheer myself up a bit!
I love this book soooooo much! Catherine Anderson writes such beautiful characters. Joe is one of my all time favourite heros ever and I must say I absolutely love Mari too. There are authors out there who write a swoonworthy hero but their heroines are sometimes a little annoying or acerbic. This is not the case with Catherine Anderson. Her heroines are usually sweet and so loveable that you can't help but fall in love with them too.
*big happy mushy sigh*
5 big tearjerker stars
Orginal review August 2011:
I just love the way Catherine Anderson writes. I am usually guilty of skimming when I get bored but I have to say that she doesn't waste a single word and I never even nearly felt the need to skim or skip.
I really love how this book began. Instead of the usual pattern of re-united lovers stories, where it's almost halfway through the book before they get together and admit how they feel, this book jumps straight in at the interesting bit. I love how within the first couple of chapters Joe has already confessed his love and made it clear that he's not going anywhere. When I initially found out the reason for their split, I was a little worried that this would be main driver of the story and we would have chapter upon chapter of Joe being in the dark, so it was really very refreshing to have this dealt with early.
In all honesty I found both Mari and Zachary's stories very harrowing and it was quite uncomfortable reading. I felt angry on their behalf for the things they had both been through and how what happened to Mari changed the course of all their lives. My heart ached for all the time Mari and Joe had lost. But I think there's a really good lesson in this book that it's a total waste of energy to be angry about things you can't change. I'm glad they were all able to move on and heal and live the lives they all deserved.
The only problem I have with this book is that some of the characters were just so incredibly revolting that it upsets me to think things like this really do happen in real life. Without trying to sound too naive, I don't like to be reminded of how repulsive some human beings can be.
I now have to go and read something lighter hearted to cheer myself up a bit!
July 31, 2015
Contemporary Romance Refreshing
Wow, if you like your heroes steadfast and true, Joe Lakota is as steady as they come. How nice to read a romance novel with an emotionally mature hero. Joe's description of Mari perfectly sums up his integrity,
The novel is well written, the characters likeable, their plight heartbreaking. But through it all, Joe and Mari never doubt their love for each other. They never turn against each other. Nicely done.
Even though there are serious issues addressed in the novel, there is a sweet humor running throughout. Boo, the dog, steals the show early on. Poor Boo is scared of his own shadow, as Mari tells him:
Highly recommended, with one caveat, Mari is a devout Catholic with traditional Catholic values. If that would irritate you, you probably won't like this book.
Adult only. There are a couple of bad words, the name of the Lord is taken in vain once, and there are a couple of intimate scenes, with detail, easily skipped.
Wow, if you like your heroes steadfast and true, Joe Lakota is as steady as they come. How nice to read a romance novel with an emotionally mature hero. Joe's description of Mari perfectly sums up his integrity,
[She's] the kind of girl who filled a guy's head with thoughts of steamy sex and wedding bells because he knew damned well he couldn't have one without the other.My heart went out to both Mari and Joe. Their love story was hijacked, through no fault of their own, and now here they are ten years later, with the impossible task of putting their lives back together again.
The novel is well written, the characters likeable, their plight heartbreaking. But through it all, Joe and Mari never doubt their love for each other. They never turn against each other. Nicely done.
Even though there are serious issues addressed in the novel, there is a sweet humor running throughout. Boo, the dog, steals the show early on. Poor Boo is scared of his own shadow, as Mari tells him:
Don't look at me as if I'm a coward. You're the one who needs a Valium to get through an appointment with the vet.And to top it all off, we have the most lovable four year old ever, Zach is guaranteed to steal your heart.
Highly recommended, with one caveat, Mari is a devout Catholic with traditional Catholic values. If that would irritate you, you probably won't like this book.
Adult only. There are a couple of bad words, the name of the Lord is taken in vain once, and there are a couple of intimate scenes, with detail, easily skipped.
March 22, 2016
4.5 Stars. This was a really sweet read. Mari got on my nerves at first on why she seemed determined not to get well and didn't grab onto Joe for all she was worth. However, once we got the real horrible story of what happened to her at 18, then it become more than clear why she was the way she was. I am surprised she lasted as long as she did. Very serious subject matter that CA handled with deftly and with grace. I loved this couple and wish that the ending could have been drawn out more with just them being happy as a little family.
August 5, 2011
Acabei de ler este livro! Adorei...
Gostei imenso da escrita da autora, da forma como constrói as personagens e da beleza do romance... Fiquei agradavelmente surpreendida com aquela surpresa final que, a meu ver, serviu para dar dinamismo e interesse à história! Quando tudo parecia previsível a autora deu ali uma ligeira reviravolta!
Mais uma autora a seguir!
Gostei imenso da escrita da autora, da forma como constrói as personagens e da beleza do romance... Fiquei agradavelmente surpreendida com aquela surpresa final que, a meu ver, serviu para dar dinamismo e interesse à história! Quando tudo parecia previsível a autora deu ali uma ligeira reviravolta!
Mais uma autora a seguir!
August 8, 2020
There were so many things about this book I didn’t like we’ll just call it “not for me”. I’d like to just move on and pretend it didn’t happen.
October 15, 2009
Another book by Anderson that I just love! Ten years ago, without any explanation, Marilee Nelson broke off her engagement to Joe Lakota, so he left town to become a famous football player leaving Marilee alone to deal with her terrible secret…. A secret that left Marilee sick and withdrawn as she dealt with uncontrollable panic attacks. Now 10 years later Joe has come back into her life and the love they once had for one another is stronger than ever. Marilee falls in love with Zachary, Joe’s 4-year old boy, and as Joe discovers the truth of the past Marilee slowly heals. This book was pretty intense and very emotional. I found myself gasping with my hand at my mouth while reading some of the scenes but that’s very typical for Anderson books. It’s a very, very good book and probably one of my favorite Anderson books yet! Oh and I can't forget to mention Boo. I just loved that dog!
October 22, 2021
Vejam a minha opinião em vídeo, AQUI.
March 6, 2013
Well, "amazing" but be pushing it a bit, but I really liked this book. Maybe it was just cause I read the whole thing in a day, which made for a really fun day. Not productive, of course, but fun.
For the paperback romance genre, this book had a lot going for it. The 5 stars are within those parameters also....I am not comparing it to all books, just romance novels. As with all romance novels, you know what is going to happen, but Catherine Anderson takes a lot more time to get there. These characters are "real" people who have plenty of their own problems to overcome along the way. There were sad parts, but plenty of wit also. I laughed aloud, read some parts twice so I could giggle more, and enjoyed the story.
**SPOILER ALERT**
Don't read more unless you want lots of hints as to what's going on in the story....
Anger management, parenting, rape recovery, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, fighting other's battles child abuse, dealing with the inability to change the past and more, are all themes in the story. Of course, there is listening to your heart, also, but more depth than a lot of romance characters. When it comes to paperback romance novels, I am a big Catherine Anderson fan.
For the paperback romance genre, this book had a lot going for it. The 5 stars are within those parameters also....I am not comparing it to all books, just romance novels. As with all romance novels, you know what is going to happen, but Catherine Anderson takes a lot more time to get there. These characters are "real" people who have plenty of their own problems to overcome along the way. There were sad parts, but plenty of wit also. I laughed aloud, read some parts twice so I could giggle more, and enjoyed the story.
**SPOILER ALERT**
Don't read more unless you want lots of hints as to what's going on in the story....
Anger management, parenting, rape recovery, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, fighting other's battles child abuse, dealing with the inability to change the past and more, are all themes in the story. Of course, there is listening to your heart, also, but more depth than a lot of romance characters. When it comes to paperback romance novels, I am a big Catherine Anderson fan.
December 17, 2021
This book was so disturbing that I found myself shaking as parts of Marilee's history were revealed. I guess that means the writing was superb as usual. Joe's son and Marilee's dog were great additions to the story, but I wish the villains of the piece were introduced earlier and that there had been some additional interaction with Susan after she landed in the hospital. I felt as if the main villain just popped up out of nowhere at the end of the book, and there was little, if any, information on the other villains, un-named for the most part, but I would have liked some resolution or at least closure on them as well as Stan. I also would have liked to see Valerie arrested for child abuse. Definitely a scary book about issues that we wish did not happen in this world, but which are becoming more and more evident as newspapers report on them. Speaking of reporters, they were a third issue in this book. Appalling. And the police? Let's not go there. I hope this book took some liberties there to further the plot, and this portrayal is not what one would expect to see. Yes, a scary book in so many ways.
December 10, 2017
Wow, I had a full day due to the cold snap to read for the first time in so long. I managed to devour this amazing second chance love story and my heart is so full of every kind of beautiful emotion there is. Joe and Mari were destined to be. Circumstances that were tragic pushed Mari into lying to Joe and breaking his heart. He was young and moved away.. Tried to live his life without her unsuccessfully. One precious thing came out of their time apart, his beautiful son Zachary. Mari and Joe had so many dreams and hopes. It took time, patience and a whole lot of love to get them back to good. But oh what a beautiful journey it was.
I cried, laughed and just felt everything. Catherine has become hands down my favorite author in the last year.
Safety info.
Safe for me. I trusted my heart and this is the type of second chance I can deal with.
Joe never would have looked at another woman if Mari hadn't have lied to him. They both suffered but Joe made up for it all.
No ow in book. He's divorced when he moves home.
I cried, laughed and just felt everything. Catherine has become hands down my favorite author in the last year.
Safety info.
Safe for me. I trusted my heart and this is the type of second chance I can deal with.
Joe never would have looked at another woman if Mari hadn't have lied to him. They both suffered but Joe made up for it all.
No ow in book. He's divorced when he moves home.
July 16, 2012
This book was very different from the other books I have read in the Coulter/Harrigan series'. I am used to reading about honor bound cowboys who straighten out their wayward lives to learn to love again. This book was about an ex-football star who comes back to his hometown to escape the madness of life after his divorce. He brings along his adorable and timid 4 year old son, who wins over the heroine's heart after finding out that they are kindred spirits. I loved how Joe stood up for what he thought was right, and hated that Marilee didn't just tell him about her trauma so they could've avoided 10 years apart. Marilee was a little annoying because it seemed to me her paranoia was a little over the top. Joe was a saint for waiting for her to work through her issues. This was a good book, but I miss reading about cowboys and hope to read another one of Anderson's cowboy books soon!
January 2, 2013
This is the first book I ever read by this author. And I really liked it considering. The only thing I do have to say though, is why does the main guy always have tears in his eyes? I'm not trying to say that this topic isn't heart breaking, and I'm not trying to say that men shouldn't cry because that is not true. But no man cries as much as this woman says this guy did. Lastly, I think the author was a little bit too blasé about the rape, not in the consequences, but in the details.. I wish the author would have given more detail about what went on and how.
May 11, 2012
Seventh Heaven was more melodramatic than I was expecting. I thought Marilee and Joe were nice characters and they definitely needed to be with one another. Unfortunately, what had happened to Marilee when she was a teenager overshadowed the story for me. Marilee did find happiness and learned to live with her experiences and Joe did help her with that. I just wish that something horrendous had happened to each of the perpetrators.
March 23, 2013
Wonderful story from beginning to end. Grab a hot chocolate, a cozy blanket and a comfy couch and get ready for a great romance. I loved Joe and once you discover what happened to split Marilee from him years before you cheer him on as he pursues his one and only love. Catherine Anderson writes the best books!
March 24, 2016
I was disappointed by this book.. Marilee was just too much, too ugh!
October 12, 2012
If you like romance novels that deal with rape then you are in for a treat!
April 7, 2018
This book had a pretty good theme, and the characters were great, but....
Marilee is supposed to be a staunch Catholic. Apparently the author doesn't have a very clear idea of what that entails, because she does a lot of things that aren't really very Catholic, such as marrying a non Catholic, considering and IVF, and oh yes, marrying a divorced man.
Joe is a great guy, except for the part where he married the wrong woman on the rebound and couldn't be faithful to her in his mind, and didn't seem to want to work through the (admittedly many) problems in his first marriage.
Murder, secrets, abuse, love, and all that good stuff make for a good story with a huge let down on the characters' behavior.
Marilee is supposed to be a staunch Catholic. Apparently the author doesn't have a very clear idea of what that entails, because she does a lot of things that aren't really very Catholic, such as marrying a non Catholic, considering and IVF, and oh yes, marrying a divorced man.
Joe is a great guy, except for the part where he married the wrong woman on the rebound and couldn't be faithful to her in his mind, and didn't seem to want to work through the (admittedly many) problems in his first marriage.
Murder, secrets, abuse, love, and all that good stuff make for a good story with a huge let down on the characters' behavior.
September 2, 2024
Not my type of genre, but read it since it was left behind by a renter.
It was alright. The beginning was decent and the last 100 pages were actually interesting. To me, however, the rest of the book was seemingly one of the main characters, Marilee, telling herself she couldn’t do something and then going right and doing it.
Had the author cut down on some of that and detailed some more of the side stories (example: custody hearing) instead of giving them a one line conclusion in the epilogue, I’d have been more interested.
Overall, a quick read that passed the time. Not the worst book you’ll ever read. For fans of romance, you’d likely enjoy the book more than me. As someone who isn’t a romance reader, my review is biased.
It was alright. The beginning was decent and the last 100 pages were actually interesting. To me, however, the rest of the book was seemingly one of the main characters, Marilee, telling herself she couldn’t do something and then going right and doing it.
Had the author cut down on some of that and detailed some more of the side stories (example: custody hearing) instead of giving them a one line conclusion in the epilogue, I’d have been more interested.
Overall, a quick read that passed the time. Not the worst book you’ll ever read. For fans of romance, you’d likely enjoy the book more than me. As someone who isn’t a romance reader, my review is biased.
June 6, 2024
I love angsty stories but this one I just couldn't even care about. I find the hero a bit shallow. He kept saying he loved her, that she's practically the very air he breathed, but he didn't do anything to prove that love for a DECADE. He didn't even try to find out the truth about why the heroine was breaking up with him all of a sudden. Like, wouldn't you get suspicious, at least? But, no, it was 10 years and a kid with another woman first before he realized something. If he still had a career and didn't go through a messy divorce, I don't think he'll even return home. I just find his love lacking. The heroine deserved better in my opinion.
July 23, 2024
I keep going between 3 or 4 stars with this one.
Normally, I despise the trope of they love each other, he leaves and moves on, then comes back because he realizes he loves her. Oh and he has a kid now...... HOWEVER
The reasons for their break up make sense and so do their reactions. This one really hit me in the feels, and right when I wanted to be mad at Joe, I couldn't. I understand why he was hurt. Marilee was so sweet and needed a hug. The push/ pull was almost too much for me, but it worked out really well.
Such a good one from CA, but definitely might not be for everyone.
Normally, I despise the trope of they love each other, he leaves and moves on, then comes back because he realizes he loves her. Oh and he has a kid now...... HOWEVER
The reasons for their break up make sense and so do their reactions. This one really hit me in the feels, and right when I wanted to be mad at Joe, I couldn't. I understand why he was hurt. Marilee was so sweet and needed a hug. The push/ pull was almost too much for me, but it worked out really well.
Such a good one from CA, but definitely might not be for everyone.
July 7, 2025
This is a sweet romance, but sometimes hard to read. Anderson is never afraid to get into difficult subjects. I loved seeing Marilee and Joe get their second chance at happiness but first they had to find a way to get Marilee past her past and the horrible things she had lived through. Joe's son, Christopher was an absolute delight and helped Marilee to find love again, but he also had some really bad memories to overcome. But the three of them together make a great team and a joy to watch. This book was filled with hope and love--even through the sad and mad times.
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