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Kendrick/Coulter/Harrigan #3
Sweet Nothings
Molly Wells is keeping a lot of secrets. Such as why she's stolen her ex-husband's expensive stallion and driven him hundreds of miles to the ranch of horse whisperer Jake Coulter. And why she's arrived with no job, no money, and an all-consuming fear. Molly may be willing to risk everything to save the stallion, but it's herself she really needs to save...
By making a place for Molly on his ranch, Jake suspects that he may be harboring a thief. But there's something about this courageous yet vulnerable woman that tugs on his heartstrings. He yearns to shower her with the greatest gifts he has to give--his home, his heart, and his life to share. But until she's strong enough to accept them, all he can offer is the patience to win her slowly, the strength to fight her enemies, and the promise to love her forever...
By making a place for Molly on his ranch, Jake suspects that he may be harboring a thief. But there's something about this courageous yet vulnerable woman that tugs on his heartstrings. He yearns to shower her with the greatest gifts he has to give--his home, his heart, and his life to share. But until she's strong enough to accept them, all he can offer is the patience to win her slowly, the strength to fight her enemies, and the promise to love her forever...
464 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2002
320 people are currently reading
1835 people want to read
About the author
Catherine Anderson
102 books2,969 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 191 reviews
April 29, 2020
Review April 2020: I don't know about everyone else but I have been struggling to read anything over the past month. I have a stack of books I checked out from the library before we closed, a few more on my Kindle and yet every book I pick up I end up putting down after a chapter or two. I just can't seem to connect to anyone/anything.
So I figured reading an old favorite I used to love as teenager would be a good choice. I did read this and manage to finish it (yay!) but unfortunately I don't think I like this book anymore and will probably be donating my copy to the local library once they start taking donations again. *sigh* It wasn't awful per say, there were some really sweet moments between Jake and Molly and as a reader I really do like Molly's strength and courage especially when it comes to her horse but there were just too many other things I didn't like that lowered my overall enjoyment.
Jake is too aggressive with Molly, he knows she has trust issues from her awful marriage and yet he keeps just forcing her into proximity with him even when he knows she is uncomfortable around him (but he loves her and he's a good guy so it's okay!). Molly is a bit too perfect, she is so pretty but doesn't know she is and wears awful clothes until she goes on a shopping spree! She loves dogs and dogs love her! She can't cook at the beginning of the story but by at the end she is feeding 11+ men with no problem! There was also a throwaway line to "countless Indian romances" that Molly used to read in college that all had a "beautiful, fair skinned heroine coming face-to-face with a dark and dangerous half-breed warrior" that didn't sit well with me (and yes I am aware that the author wrote this in 2002. Still doesn't mean I have to like it). Also the whole plot line with the psychotic ex-husband at the end was just a lot.
I apologize to younger me for no longer being a fan of this book but I think I'm over the whole strong-men-coming-in-to-rescue-the-adorable-damsel plot line. Or the fact that Jake didn't respect Molly's space even when she tells him time and time again she needs to make her own choices.
Original review January 2012:I liked this one so much, I stole it from my mom and have yet to give it back (or tell her I stole it). But Molly and Jake's story? PERFECT. I love that Molly is not a tiny, petite thing and the way Jake shows her she's beautiful, with her dimpled thighs and soft skin? GETS ME EVERY TIME.
Original reads May 2009 & February 2006
So I figured reading an old favorite I used to love as teenager would be a good choice. I did read this and manage to finish it (yay!) but unfortunately I don't think I like this book anymore and will probably be donating my copy to the local library once they start taking donations again. *sigh* It wasn't awful per say, there were some really sweet moments between Jake and Molly and as a reader I really do like Molly's strength and courage especially when it comes to her horse but there were just too many other things I didn't like that lowered my overall enjoyment.
Jake is too aggressive with Molly, he knows she has trust issues from her awful marriage and yet he keeps just forcing her into proximity with him even when he knows she is uncomfortable around him (but he loves her and he's a good guy so it's okay!). Molly is a bit too perfect, she is so pretty but doesn't know she is and wears awful clothes until she goes on a shopping spree! She loves dogs and dogs love her! She can't cook at the beginning of the story but by at the end she is feeding 11+ men with no problem! There was also a throwaway line to "countless Indian romances" that Molly used to read in college that all had a "beautiful, fair skinned heroine coming face-to-face with a dark and dangerous half-breed warrior" that didn't sit well with me (and yes I am aware that the author wrote this in 2002. Still doesn't mean I have to like it). Also the whole plot line with the psychotic ex-husband at the end was just a lot.
I apologize to younger me for no longer being a fan of this book but I think I'm over the whole strong-men-coming-in-to-rescue-the-adorable-damsel plot line. Or the fact that Jake didn't respect Molly's space even when she tells him time and time again she needs to make her own choices.
Original review January 2012:I liked this one so much, I stole it from my mom and have yet to give it back (or tell her I stole it). But Molly and Jake's story? PERFECT. I love that Molly is not a tiny, petite thing and the way Jake shows her she's beautiful, with her dimpled thighs and soft skin? GETS ME EVERY TIME.
Original reads May 2009 & February 2006
May 31, 2019
Re-read 3.5 stars
This is one of the better CA books - less OTT characters, not so "aww-shucks", the religious tone is dialled down, and while it goes a bit off the rails in the latter part with the crazy "villain" - the majority of the book is enjoyable.
Then again, any book that has animals in them - especially wounded ones getting help, earns an extra star from me.
I'd snuggle a cow.
(I also pretty much just cast Robert Redford in the role of Jake)
This is one of the better CA books - less OTT characters, not so "aww-shucks", the religious tone is dialled down, and while it goes a bit off the rails in the latter part with the crazy "villain" - the majority of the book is enjoyable.
Then again, any book that has animals in them - especially wounded ones getting help, earns an extra star from me.
I'd snuggle a cow.
(I also pretty much just cast Robert Redford in the role of Jake)
March 20, 2011
Again I was disappointed by this series...
When I started reading this book I thought it would be very different from the first 2 (which I didn't really like that much), but it wasn't, not at all. I mean, it was definitely a bit better than them but not much.
The book started out great. A girl appears at Jack's home; she seems totally lost and in desperate need of help. He realizes from the start she is definitely hiding things and lying to him but he can see the good in her and thinks she just needs help and is in some deep trouble. He helps her to get better and be able to believe in herself again. Over all, it was a sweet and cute little romance.
NOW MY PROBLEMS with it:
First, as it happened to me with the rest of the books in this series, I hated that the plot seemed forced and predictable. I was never really able to feel sorry for the heroine because the whole thing seemed like a huge telenovela. Way too dramatic. I like it when we read about heroes and heroines from a novel having some trouble and being able to solve it but when the problem is way too big and important an they are able to solve it too easy I'm just not able to enjoy it. It seemed lame and false how everything ended. I don't know, It started out great but by the end I just wanted it to end fast.
Second and most important, I was terribly annoyed by the heroine. You just can't live in the 21st century, be the daughter of a very rich businessman who loved you very much and took the time and trouble to educate you and end the way you did. I get you were an 18 year-old when you got married with an asshole, but did you have to stayed married with him for 10 years? Really, didn't you just noticed it was never going to work? It really had to take you 10 years to see he would never stop cheating on you and treating you like sh*t? I get that she was a huge catholic and all and wanted to respect the marital vows, but seriously 10 years of that should have been more than enough to realize it was not your fault and do something about it... but now she had to let it become even a worst situation.
last but not least... the hero was cute at the beginning but then it was just too perfect, really JUST TOO PERFECT. A guy kissing your cellulite and telling you is the best thing ever isn't hot for me. I like heroes who can be able to love a heroine without caring for her flaws but this was just too much. It felt forced.
I hate this thing I have about not being able to stop reading series after I started them. I have left some aside but because they were rated with less than 2 stars for me. S far this series is a 3 stars rating and I'll keep reading it but I definitely do NOT recommend it...
When I started reading this book I thought it would be very different from the first 2 (which I didn't really like that much), but it wasn't, not at all. I mean, it was definitely a bit better than them but not much.
The book started out great. A girl appears at Jack's home; she seems totally lost and in desperate need of help. He realizes from the start she is definitely hiding things and lying to him but he can see the good in her and thinks she just needs help and is in some deep trouble. He helps her to get better and be able to believe in herself again. Over all, it was a sweet and cute little romance.
NOW MY PROBLEMS with it:
First, as it happened to me with the rest of the books in this series, I hated that the plot seemed forced and predictable. I was never really able to feel sorry for the heroine because the whole thing seemed like a huge telenovela. Way too dramatic. I like it when we read about heroes and heroines from a novel having some trouble and being able to solve it but when the problem is way too big and important an they are able to solve it too easy I'm just not able to enjoy it. It seemed lame and false how everything ended. I don't know, It started out great but by the end I just wanted it to end fast.
Second and most important, I was terribly annoyed by the heroine. You just can't live in the 21st century, be the daughter of a very rich businessman who loved you very much and took the time and trouble to educate you and end the way you did. I get you were an 18 year-old when you got married with an asshole, but did you have to stayed married with him for 10 years? Really, didn't you just noticed it was never going to work? It really had to take you 10 years to see he would never stop cheating on you and treating you like sh*t? I get that she was a huge catholic and all and wanted to respect the marital vows, but seriously 10 years of that should have been more than enough to realize it was not your fault and do something about it... but now she had to let it become even a worst situation.
last but not least... the hero was cute at the beginning but then it was just too perfect, really JUST TOO PERFECT. A guy kissing your cellulite and telling you is the best thing ever isn't hot for me. I like heroes who can be able to love a heroine without caring for her flaws but this was just too much. It felt forced.
I hate this thing I have about not being able to stop reading series after I started them. I have left some aside but because they were rated with less than 2 stars for me. S far this series is a 3 stars rating and I'll keep reading it but I definitely do NOT recommend it...
March 21, 2008
A good book...not one of my favorites of the series, but good nonetheless.
Molly is such a tragic character, but not in the traditional way. Her emotionally abusive relationship completely destroyed her entire sense of self. Anderson did a nice job of showing that and using Jake to help her see who she really was. Jake and Molly don't have that explosive chemistry you sometimes see in books, but they work well together. The progression of the relationship is well-done.
The little bit of suspense involving the ex-husband is good addition. It adds a bit of a twist to the story.
I think my one overall complaint about the Coulter books, now that I've read all of them, is that Anderson does a poor job of bringing the other characters/events from previous books into the current stories. She gets by by only giving very small mentions. It's rather disappointing. Like in book one, you have the epic romance between Bethany and Ryan, where one aspect was whether or not Bethany would be able to carry a child to term. That issue is never really resolved. In Sweet Nothings, you're simply told that Bethany just gave birth, and she has only one direct scene in the entire book. It deserved more. And it would truly tie the books together if there was better continuity. Throughout the whole series, the books don't interrelate very well. That's about the only thing I think could have been done better.
Molly is such a tragic character, but not in the traditional way. Her emotionally abusive relationship completely destroyed her entire sense of self. Anderson did a nice job of showing that and using Jake to help her see who she really was. Jake and Molly don't have that explosive chemistry you sometimes see in books, but they work well together. The progression of the relationship is well-done.
The little bit of suspense involving the ex-husband is good addition. It adds a bit of a twist to the story.
I think my one overall complaint about the Coulter books, now that I've read all of them, is that Anderson does a poor job of bringing the other characters/events from previous books into the current stories. She gets by by only giving very small mentions. It's rather disappointing. Like in book one, you have the epic romance between Bethany and Ryan, where one aspect was whether or not Bethany would be able to carry a child to term. That issue is never really resolved. In Sweet Nothings, you're simply told that Bethany just gave birth, and she has only one direct scene in the entire book. It deserved more. And it would truly tie the books together if there was better continuity. Throughout the whole series, the books don't interrelate very well. That's about the only thing I think could have been done better.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 9, 2012
This was my favorite of the Kendrick Series. I absolutely loved Molly and Jake and watching her learn to trust and love again. Jake stands out as one of the most fantastic heroes ever written in a love story. He is kind, trustworthy and a gentleman above all else. Yet he is one tough dude that no one ever dare cross!
I highly recommend this series, and the good news is you don't have to necessarily read in sequence. Just dive in.
I highly recommend this series, and the good news is you don't have to necessarily read in sequence. Just dive in.
August 11, 2008
I found this to be a very emotional book. Molly escapes from her controling exhusband by stealing his horse and heading for The Horse Whisperer. She hopes Jake (The Whisperer) can help the horse heal emotionally and physically from abuse. Of course he falls for her and he ends up helping both woman and horse. I found Molly to be a little annoying at times. Jake, the handsome and ever patient cowboy just let's her behavior slide. Overall I was happy with the story.
January 5, 2025
4.0 stars
June 20, 2015
Not one of Anderson's better books. To break it down:
The Good:
1) Molly being plump and Jake finding it sexy. As a plump gal myself, I like the idea that a woman doesn't have to be built like a supermodel for a guy to find her attractive.
2) The scene where Molly picks out a whole new wardrobe. It was just really cute, and I loved seeing her take charge of her life even in such a small way.
3) Molly meeting Jake's family for the first time. Warm family scenes always make me smile.
4) The epilogue. After all Molly went through she deserved to be happy, and reunited with her mother.
5) The cooking scenes.
The Bad:
1) RODNEY. Never before have I so violently hated a character. Yeah, I know we were supposed to, but here's my stance on hateful villains: Either they need to be well-crafted enough that hating them means the author's doing their job, or they need to be so over-the-top-evil that it's funny. Rodney was neither. The narrative claimed he had charisma, but all I saw was a blatant smug snake who walked around loudly proclaiming how evil he was no matter how well he lied. Really, he did everything short of flat-out raping Molly in front of a crowd, throwing her in a gutter and pissing on her while calling her a dirty sewerwhore. I wish he'd gotten punished way worse than he did, and considering how badly Sunset and Jake kicked his butt that's saying a lot.
2) The overall plot. I know this is nothing new for Catherine, but this time it felt too much like a bad Lifetime Movie. No woman should have to go through that much abuse, and it felt like Catherine was piling on trauma after trauma, mostly Rodney related (verbal abuse is bad enough, but then he drugged her, tricked everyone into believing she was unstable, turned her own mother against her, stalked her, and then tried to KILL HER? Come on) but also her having to deal with the deaths of two people she loved. There's "suffering builds character" and then there's Deus Angst Machina, which this reeked of.
3) While I can understand Molly feeling bad about her figure after all the mean things Rodney said to her, you'd think after Jake and all the other men told her how pretty she was she'd start to realize Rodney was full of shit and maybe they were right. And while it's all well and good if she wants to eat health food, her approach to trying to get the men to eat healthier was just flat-out overzealous, with her "brown rice is better for you!" and "no one was going to drop dead of a heart attack on HER watch" in regards to the butter and feeding everyone skimpy lunches with fakey diet substitutes just because she thought she was too fat. There's encouraging better dietary habits and then there's just being whiny about it.
A minor nitpick: Catherine obviously did some major retconning with the ancestry. The grandfather's name was Matthew, obviously Matthew Coulter from "Early Dawn", but neither of his wives were named Hattie, which was the name on the watch Jake gave Molly. It's not a huge deal, but a little jarring to read nonetheless.
So yeah. This book wasn't bad, there are some parts I'd read again, but overall it just brought out the overcritical complainer in me.
The Good:
1) Molly being plump and Jake finding it sexy. As a plump gal myself, I like the idea that a woman doesn't have to be built like a supermodel for a guy to find her attractive.
2) The scene where Molly picks out a whole new wardrobe. It was just really cute, and I loved seeing her take charge of her life even in such a small way.
3) Molly meeting Jake's family for the first time. Warm family scenes always make me smile.
4) The epilogue. After all Molly went through she deserved to be happy, and reunited with her mother.
5) The cooking scenes.
The Bad:
1) RODNEY. Never before have I so violently hated a character. Yeah, I know we were supposed to, but here's my stance on hateful villains: Either they need to be well-crafted enough that hating them means the author's doing their job, or they need to be so over-the-top-evil that it's funny. Rodney was neither. The narrative claimed he had charisma, but all I saw was a blatant smug snake who walked around loudly proclaiming how evil he was no matter how well he lied. Really, he did everything short of flat-out raping Molly in front of a crowd, throwing her in a gutter and pissing on her while calling her a dirty sewerwhore. I wish he'd gotten punished way worse than he did, and considering how badly Sunset and Jake kicked his butt that's saying a lot.
2) The overall plot. I know this is nothing new for Catherine, but this time it felt too much like a bad Lifetime Movie. No woman should have to go through that much abuse, and it felt like Catherine was piling on trauma after trauma, mostly Rodney related (verbal abuse is bad enough, but then he drugged her, tricked everyone into believing she was unstable, turned her own mother against her, stalked her, and then tried to KILL HER? Come on) but also her having to deal with the deaths of two people she loved. There's "suffering builds character" and then there's Deus Angst Machina, which this reeked of.
3) While I can understand Molly feeling bad about her figure after all the mean things Rodney said to her, you'd think after Jake and all the other men told her how pretty she was she'd start to realize Rodney was full of shit and maybe they were right. And while it's all well and good if she wants to eat health food, her approach to trying to get the men to eat healthier was just flat-out overzealous, with her "brown rice is better for you!" and "no one was going to drop dead of a heart attack on HER watch" in regards to the butter and feeding everyone skimpy lunches with fakey diet substitutes just because she thought she was too fat. There's encouraging better dietary habits and then there's just being whiny about it.
A minor nitpick: Catherine obviously did some major retconning with the ancestry. The grandfather's name was Matthew, obviously Matthew Coulter from "Early Dawn", but neither of his wives were named Hattie, which was the name on the watch Jake gave Molly. It's not a huge deal, but a little jarring to read nonetheless.
So yeah. This book wasn't bad, there are some parts I'd read again, but overall it just brought out the overcritical complainer in me.
May 22, 2008
Though not Catherine Anderson's best novel that I've read to date, I thought that Sweet Nothings was still a good book. The first half of the story moves at a very languid pace as Molly goes through the process of recovering from her ex-husband's extreme verbal abuse and rediscovering herself, while building a relationship with Jake. I liked the way that the author mirrors Molly's recovery with that of the abused horse she rescued from her ex-husband's clutches, and how they become kindred spirits. I found myself wishing that Ms. Anderson had written more interactions between them and Jake. The second half of the story turns into a light suspense/thriller as the ex comes back to become a menacing presence in their lives. This part of the story was interesting, but in my opinion, a little too predictable. Unfortunately, I felt that the romance took a back seat to these two elements of the story. While there were some romantic moments, I just didn't feel like it was quite enough, and it didn't have the heart-stopping quality that can be found in some of Catherine Anderson's other works. In fact, readers who prefer books that are light on love scenes would probably enjoy this one. Aside from one brief lustful embrace early on, the hero and heroine don't even kiss again until 3/4 of the way through the story. I normally wouldn't care about the shortage of love scenes if the romance and sexual tension are good, but as I said I found this part to be a little lacking.
I would predict that some readers will probably find Molly's constant self-reproach annoying, and there will be others who will find her less-than-perfect body to be a refreshing change from the typical slender beauty. Neither of these things were really make-or-break for me personally. What I liked was how deeply nuanced the character is, challenging the reader to look well beneath the surface to truly understand her. I love stories that delve into the limitless depths of the human psyche, and if the reader takes the time to look carefully, this one certainly does that. Even though Molly wasn't the most memorable heroine I have ever read, this aspect alone made her fascinating to me. In my opinion though, Jake is the character who really made this book a good read. He is quite possibly the most perfect hero I've ever read. Jake exhibits more of a beta hero persona that always seems to be completely in tune with what Molly is feeling, but he also has a dash of the protectiveness, jealousy and confidence that alphas are usually known for. Even though I usually prefer my heroes to be a little more imperfect, I simply couldn't resist this gorgeous cowboy who not only reads, but willingly read a romance novel. Now that's pretty cool! In spite of it's weaknesses, Sweet Nothings was, in my opinion, a very readable book and a nice addition to the Kendrick/Coulter/Harrigan series which I look forward to continuing soon.
I would predict that some readers will probably find Molly's constant self-reproach annoying, and there will be others who will find her less-than-perfect body to be a refreshing change from the typical slender beauty. Neither of these things were really make-or-break for me personally. What I liked was how deeply nuanced the character is, challenging the reader to look well beneath the surface to truly understand her. I love stories that delve into the limitless depths of the human psyche, and if the reader takes the time to look carefully, this one certainly does that. Even though Molly wasn't the most memorable heroine I have ever read, this aspect alone made her fascinating to me. In my opinion though, Jake is the character who really made this book a good read. He is quite possibly the most perfect hero I've ever read. Jake exhibits more of a beta hero persona that always seems to be completely in tune with what Molly is feeling, but he also has a dash of the protectiveness, jealousy and confidence that alphas are usually known for. Even though I usually prefer my heroes to be a little more imperfect, I simply couldn't resist this gorgeous cowboy who not only reads, but willingly read a romance novel. Now that's pretty cool! In spite of it's weaknesses, Sweet Nothings was, in my opinion, a very readable book and a nice addition to the Kendrick/Coulter/Harrigan series which I look forward to continuing soon.
March 28, 2009
Molly has an abusive ex-husband who has drugged her and declared her incompetant. She takes his expensive stallion because of her ex husband's abusive ways with the horse. Jake is a horse whisperer and knows he is in ttrouble when he takes in Molly and the horse. Just a sweet story.
June 4, 2017
depois de já ter lido está saga tantas vezes, ainda me prende com o se fosse a primeira
April 7, 2022
Sweet romance...loving this series!
December 20, 2020
Sonora Sunset stole the show
The horse was absolutely the best thing about the book. I loved how he and Molly bonded and how they helped each other to recover. Jake was a great hero but I didn't understand why he loved her so much. I liked her but there were a couple of times I wanted to shake her over the way She treated this guy. He was perfect in every way. He loved her so much. And eventually she loved n m back but it was a long road. I was ready to give up at 22% but I hung on and it did get better. Her ex husband was awful. An evil man, who married her for money, cheated on her, abused his horse with a whip, most likely killed her Father, and had her institutionalized and was totally vile. But I loved Jake's family and He really did love her. So much. He was swoon worthy for sure. I love this author and even though it dragged a little at the beginning it did get better. The ending was perfect and the epilogue was very sweet. Want to read more about his family.
The horse was absolutely the best thing about the book. I loved how he and Molly bonded and how they helped each other to recover. Jake was a great hero but I didn't understand why he loved her so much. I liked her but there were a couple of times I wanted to shake her over the way She treated this guy. He was perfect in every way. He loved her so much. And eventually she loved n m back but it was a long road. I was ready to give up at 22% but I hung on and it did get better. Her ex husband was awful. An evil man, who married her for money, cheated on her, abused his horse with a whip, most likely killed her Father, and had her institutionalized and was totally vile. But I loved Jake's family and He really did love her. So much. He was swoon worthy for sure. I love this author and even though it dragged a little at the beginning it did get better. The ending was perfect and the epilogue was very sweet. Want to read more about his family.
August 29, 2018
Molly melarikan kuda balap milik mantan suaminya dan kabur ke peternakan Lazy J, milik Jake Coulter. Jake punya firasat sejak melihat Molly. Molly yang ketakutan, sangat kekurangan uang akhirnya menerima pekerjaan di tempat Jake sekaligus sbg bayaran utk perawatan Sunset, kuda balap yang mengalami trauma hebat luka cambukan.
Author memang jempolan dalam mengetengahkan heroine yang mengalami luka psikis akibat trauma kekerasan. Molly adalah korban stereotype istri yang terkena KDRT, walau lebih seringnya diserang secara mental daripada fisik. Molly menjadi sangat tidak percaya diri, paranoid dan nyaris terbunuh karena mantan suaminya yang sangat serakah masih terus merongrongnya utk mendapatkan tiap jengkal harta milik almarhum ayahnya.
Molly sangat beruntung bertemu dgn Jack yang luar biasa sangat penyabar, sangat tulus, dan terutama sangat mencintai Molly. Jake tidak pernah mempertanyakan dan meragukan psikis Molly. Dan saat semua orang mendesak utk menyerahkan Molly pada mantan suaminya yang jahat, Jake membela Molly mati-matian bahkan dengan berbohong. Jake tidak memaksakan hubungan seksual pada Molly, sangat mafhum Molly sangat terluka akibat pengalamannya dgn suaminya yang brengsek.
Kekurangan novel ini adalah plot cerita yang lamban dan banyak repetitifnya. Transformasi Molly dari seorang penakut menjadi pemberani dan lebih percaya diri bagus dan wajar scene-scenenya. Tetapi Molly yg pernah menjadi broker saham membuat saya bingung, karena rasanya sangat aneh seorang wanita putri seorang jutawan dan menjadi broker, berhasil dikikis harga dirinya sedemikian rupa hingga merasa dirinya tidak lebih baik dari onggokan kotoran.
Dan adegan klimaks juga mencengangkan saya. Adegan tsb membuktikan kekuatan ikatan antara seekor hewan dengan pemilik sejatinya. Walau didera sehebat apapun, hewan tidak akan melukai majikan yang baik, tetapi tidak segan-segan bisa membunuh majikan yang jahat. So, be careful to take care your pet!!!
Author memang jempolan dalam mengetengahkan heroine yang mengalami luka psikis akibat trauma kekerasan. Molly adalah korban stereotype istri yang terkena KDRT, walau lebih seringnya diserang secara mental daripada fisik. Molly menjadi sangat tidak percaya diri, paranoid dan nyaris terbunuh karena mantan suaminya yang sangat serakah masih terus merongrongnya utk mendapatkan tiap jengkal harta milik almarhum ayahnya.
Molly sangat beruntung bertemu dgn Jack yang luar biasa sangat penyabar, sangat tulus, dan terutama sangat mencintai Molly. Jake tidak pernah mempertanyakan dan meragukan psikis Molly. Dan saat semua orang mendesak utk menyerahkan Molly pada mantan suaminya yang jahat, Jake membela Molly mati-matian bahkan dengan berbohong. Jake tidak memaksakan hubungan seksual pada Molly, sangat mafhum Molly sangat terluka akibat pengalamannya dgn suaminya yang brengsek.
Kekurangan novel ini adalah plot cerita yang lamban dan banyak repetitifnya. Transformasi Molly dari seorang penakut menjadi pemberani dan lebih percaya diri bagus dan wajar scene-scenenya. Tetapi Molly yg pernah menjadi broker saham membuat saya bingung, karena rasanya sangat aneh seorang wanita putri seorang jutawan dan menjadi broker, berhasil dikikis harga dirinya sedemikian rupa hingga merasa dirinya tidak lebih baik dari onggokan kotoran.
Dan adegan klimaks juga mencengangkan saya. Adegan tsb membuktikan kekuatan ikatan antara seekor hewan dengan pemilik sejatinya. Walau didera sehebat apapun, hewan tidak akan melukai majikan yang baik, tetapi tidak segan-segan bisa membunuh majikan yang jahat. So, be careful to take care your pet!!!
April 6, 2016
Author: Catherine Anderson
First published: 2002
Length: 456 pages, 6687 kindle locations
Setting: Contemporary. Crystal Falls, Oregon.
Sex: Explicit. Reasonably frequent. Clothes tearing, against the wall.
Hero: Horse Whisperer / Rancher
Heroine: Divorced and hiding from ex.
Cheating: Molly’s ex cheated on her throughout the marriage.
Trigger: Molly suffered emotional abuse throughout her marriage.
Trigger: Animal (horse) physically abused.
Includes: Excerpt from Back in My Heart (renamed Always in My Heart).
I wasn’t that enamoured of the He-Man chest-beating autocratic Hero in Phantom Waltz , so I wasn’t sure what to make of Sweet Nothings.
I was pleasantly surprised.
Yes, the plot (as seems to be the case for many Anderson books) was rather contrived with lots of drama and easy fixes completely avoided by the MCs. Secondary characters who had potential to give more to the story were purely decoration.
But it was still an enjoyable story.
Kendrick/Coulter/Harrigan series:
Book 1 Baby Love - Rafe Kendrick and Maggie Stanley
Book 2 Phantom Waltz - Ryan Kendrick and Bethany
Book 3 Sweet Nothings - Jake Coulter and Molly Wells
Book 4 Blue Skies - Carly Adams and Hank Coulter
Book 5 Bright Eyes - Zeke Coulter and Natalie Patterson
Book 6 My Sunshine - Laura Townsend and Isaiah Coulter
Book 7 Sun Kissed - Samantha Harrigan and Tucker Coulter
Book 8 Morning Light - Loni MacEwan and Clint Harrigan
Book 9 Star Bright - Rainie Hall and Parker Harrigan
Book 10 Here to Stay - Mandy Pajeck and Zach Harrigan
Book 11 Perfect Timing - Caera O’Ceallaigh and Quincy Harrigan
References:
Author's website: http://www.catherineanderson.com/book...
(ISBN …)
-CR-
First published: 2002
Length: 456 pages, 6687 kindle locations
Setting: Contemporary. Crystal Falls, Oregon.
Sex: Explicit. Reasonably frequent. Clothes tearing, against the wall.
Hero: Horse Whisperer / Rancher
Heroine: Divorced and hiding from ex.
Cheating: Molly’s ex cheated on her throughout the marriage.
Trigger: Molly suffered emotional abuse throughout her marriage.
Trigger: Animal (horse) physically abused.
Includes: Excerpt from Back in My Heart (renamed Always in My Heart).
I wasn’t that enamoured of the He-Man chest-beating autocratic Hero in Phantom Waltz , so I wasn’t sure what to make of Sweet Nothings.
I was pleasantly surprised.
Yes, the plot (as seems to be the case for many Anderson books) was rather contrived with lots of drama and easy fixes completely avoided by the MCs. Secondary characters who had potential to give more to the story were purely decoration.
But it was still an enjoyable story.
Kendrick/Coulter/Harrigan series:
Book 1 Baby Love - Rafe Kendrick and Maggie Stanley
Book 2 Phantom Waltz - Ryan Kendrick and Bethany
Book 3 Sweet Nothings - Jake Coulter and Molly Wells
Book 4 Blue Skies - Carly Adams and Hank Coulter
Book 5 Bright Eyes - Zeke Coulter and Natalie Patterson
Book 6 My Sunshine - Laura Townsend and Isaiah Coulter
Book 7 Sun Kissed - Samantha Harrigan and Tucker Coulter
Book 8 Morning Light - Loni MacEwan and Clint Harrigan
Book 9 Star Bright - Rainie Hall and Parker Harrigan
Book 10 Here to Stay - Mandy Pajeck and Zach Harrigan
Book 11 Perfect Timing - Caera O’Ceallaigh and Quincy Harrigan
References:
Author's website: http://www.catherineanderson.com/book...
(ISBN …)
-CR-
August 6, 2009
I really liked this book! Catherine Anderson never disappoints! Molly spent 10 years married to a controlling and verbally abusive ex-husband. It left her with a low self esteem, lost and unaware of whom she is. Though she was accused of being mentally incompetent and had nobody to trust she was brave enough to steal her ex-husbands stallion, Sonora Sunset, to save his life! Determined to find the truth of her father’s murder, save Sunset and clear her name she finds herself in the arms of Jack Coulter! Jake loved Molly and her kind heart. It was the little things she did and the huge effort she made around the ranch that made him fall in love with her. He thought she was the prettiest woman he ever set his eyes on, always telling her so but Molly couldn’t see it. So verbally abused by her ex-husband all she saw was someone ugly and fat. With Jake’s encouraging words he was able to help boost her self esteem and help Molly open her eyes to see herself for who she truly is, a beautiful women with a kind heart.
It was so sad reading about Molly’s self esteem. She was always apologizing for things when she didn’t do anything wrong. I thought it was so cute how Jake couldn’t find it in his heart to tell her she needed to cook more food because her portions were too small for his hungry men. He was too scared that she’d take it the wrong way and it would hurt her feelings. I loved how he worked at boosting up Molly’s self esteem and how with his help Molly's ex-husband finally got what he deserved! Molly was finally able to put the past behind her and live a happy life with Jake. This was such a good book. Can’t wait to read about Hank!
It was so sad reading about Molly’s self esteem. She was always apologizing for things when she didn’t do anything wrong. I thought it was so cute how Jake couldn’t find it in his heart to tell her she needed to cook more food because her portions were too small for his hungry men. He was too scared that she’d take it the wrong way and it would hurt her feelings. I loved how he worked at boosting up Molly’s self esteem and how with his help Molly's ex-husband finally got what he deserved! Molly was finally able to put the past behind her and live a happy life with Jake. This was such a good book. Can’t wait to read about Hank!
February 7, 2016
Uma história lindíssima que daria a pontuação m��xima, se o início fosse um pouquinho mais original. Parecia que estava a ver outra vez o filme de Redford.
October 12, 2015
This is probably the BEST book in the series. Molly was emotionally damaged due to her ex-husband's treatment towards her. She slowly healed emotionally. I really liked that the author did not rush her emotional healing.
I also liked that the Molly was extremely good with cars, and that Jake's ranch hands both acknowledged that and treated her with respect. I am glad Catherine Anderson did that.
Jake was pretty sweet, considerate, and compassionate towards her throughout the book. He kept his distance from her until she was comfortable with him and encouraged her to feel worthy. He respected her and loved her very much.
Molly is a great, courageous, and emotionally strong person. I admired her soo much for that. However, if there was one character in the book I would admit to liking, it is her horse, Sunset Sorona. Sunset is the most loyal, beautiful, and possesses the kindest and biggest heart ever. What do I mean by that? Read the book to find out!
I also liked that the Molly was extremely good with cars, and that Jake's ranch hands both acknowledged that and treated her with respect. I am glad Catherine Anderson did that.
Jake was pretty sweet, considerate, and compassionate towards her throughout the book. He kept his distance from her until she was comfortable with him and encouraged her to feel worthy. He respected her and loved her very much.
Molly is a great, courageous, and emotionally strong person. I admired her soo much for that. However, if there was one character in the book I would admit to liking, it is her horse, Sunset Sorona. Sunset is the most loyal, beautiful, and possesses the kindest and biggest heart ever. What do I mean by that? Read the book to find out!
April 21, 2012
I enjoyed this one, even with Anderson's trademark "broken" heroine. I thought Molly wasn't so shattered that I couldn't relate to her.
This one has a soft spot in my heart for the sole fact that Jake (ahhhh, sweet beta Jake) read a romance novel because Molly said she liked them.
I give you a quote:
"He didn't want his wife to read historical romances because it might give her unrealistic expectations. [...] If I had been him, I would have been reading your books every time you laid them down to see how I could improve my skills and please you. Second warning of the night. I bought a couple."
"You bought a couple of what?"
"Historical romances. I'm three-quarters through the first one." He flashed her a slow grin. "All I can say is, I like the way your mind works."
This one has a soft spot in my heart for the sole fact that Jake (ahhhh, sweet beta Jake) read a romance novel because Molly said she liked them.
I give you a quote:
"He didn't want his wife to read historical romances because it might give her unrealistic expectations. [...] If I had been him, I would have been reading your books every time you laid them down to see how I could improve my skills and please you. Second warning of the night. I bought a couple."
"You bought a couple of what?"
"Historical romances. I'm three-quarters through the first one." He flashed her a slow grin. "All I can say is, I like the way your mind works."
June 7, 2021
I cannot believe this author disappointed me!!!
I don't like writing negative reviews but I'll say this, I get that this book was written back in the 2000s, BUT the representation of women was pretty bad ... like cringe-worthy bad.
With that said, will I read more books from this author-absolutely she has written some of my favorites. Annie's song, Phanthom Waltz, and The Sunshine amongst others!
I don't like writing negative reviews but I'll say this, I get that this book was written back in the 2000s, BUT the representation of women was pretty bad ... like cringe-worthy bad.
With that said, will I read more books from this author-absolutely she has written some of my favorites. Annie's song, Phanthom Waltz, and The Sunshine amongst others!
September 25, 2025
I enjoyed the development of Jake & Molly’s relationship. I liked that while Jake was a bit on the pushy side, when he sensed it was too much, he backed off. I really liked and felt for Molly’s character, she had been put through so much with really no one in her corner until Jake.
November 16, 2022
There were parts of this story I really enjoyed like Jake’s emotional rapport with abused animals as well as his gentle spirited treatment of Molly who has also been emotionally and physically abused. Having a plus sized heroine is always appealing and the extended Coulter family is heartwarming and supportive in their own right. These books were written in a time when women were the weaker sex and needed big strong men to rescue them and I understand that. Any one of the nasty things in Molly’s past would have been enough to make her a sympathetic character so I don’t understand why the author feels the need to pile on more and more outrageous traumatic events to tell a good story.
February 19, 2021
1 ⭐️ Like seemingly all of Anderson’s books (except Comanche Moon which will forever be one of my favorites), this book had a great premise but failed in it’s execution. Molly is on the run from her abusive ex-husband with the stunning but feral racehorse he beat and threatened to kill. She brings the stallion halfway across the country to horse trainer and rancher Jake to work on, with little plan for her own safety and well-being. Realizing she’s in some sort of trouble, Jake sets out to work with both the abused horse and the abused woman as well, offering her a job, a home, and safety until back on her feet. Sounds great, right? It certainly could have been.
I’m a sucker for animals in stories, for ranches, for women escaping bad situations. Unfortunately, I found both Jake and Molly to be obnoxious caricatures instead of realistic people. I applaud the author for going with a plumper heroine (although... it says she was once “rail thin” but that was thirty pounds ago. Rail thin + thirty pounds isn’t exactly morbidly obese here 🙄), but unfortunately that’s basically all Molly’s personality was : obsession over her weight, calorie counting, hating her hair, thinking she’s ugly and short. It got so old, so fast. On the one hand, it could have been heartbreaking to see the number her ex did on her self esteem, leaving her feeling unloved and unattractive. But no joke, it’s mentioned EVERY SINGLE PAGE how fat and gross and yada yada yada she is, it’s exhausting.
“As if Jake Coulter would ever even give her the time of day. What on earth was she thinking? She had pasty white skin, saggy boobs, a thick waist, cottage-cheese thighs, and so many dimples on her buttocks, they resembled oversize golf balls.”
On the flip side, during every single interaction, all Jake can think about is how “pleasingly plump” (🤮) he thinks she is, and how she is NOT his type but is somehow magically attracted to her anyway.
“He liked tall, leggy females with figures his mother likened to Barbie dolls, not short, sweetly plump women”
“Molly, with her big, vulnerable brown eyes, wasn't his type. She had hips.”
“Suddenly narrow-hipped, long-legged, big-busted women no longer seemed very appealing. He wanted short and soft”
“He'd never seen so many curves packed into sixty-three inches.”
On and on, ad naseum. It’s almost all he thinks about. He even compares her to his mother when stating she’s different from his type (ew).
“He only knew she reminded him of his mother in little ways. Jake loved his mother as much as the next guy. She was one of the dearest people on earth and still beautiful even in her late fifties. It was just one of those things that only men understood, he guessed. When it came to carnal pursuits, anything that put you in mind of your mom was to be avoided.
Molly definitely reminded Jake of Mary Coulter. They each had big, guileless eyes and smiles to light up a room. They also had similar builds, both of them short, curvaceous, and soft. They were the kind of women who were made to cuddle children close.
They were also the kind of women who bore lots of children because their husbands couldn't keep their hands off them.”
Note the subtle misogyny in that statement, that women who are short and soft are made to cuddle children and have lots of them because their husbands can’t keep their hands off, while insinuating his usual type isn’t. The book is full of that garbage. Jake is constantly stereotyping women into a box while insisting MoLlYs NoT LiKe OtHeR GirLs.
“Jake had known a lot of women who pretended to be sweet and caring, only to discover later that they were hell on wheels. With Molly, however, he didn't believe it was an act. As hokey as it sounded, even in his mind, she fairly glowed with goodness. You simply couldn't look at her and doubt that she had a kind heart.”
Even Molly joins in on it, deeming herself not like other girls (she can fix cars better than men! She wears baggy clothes and doesn’t do her nails! She doesn’t wear any makeup at all! She has zero experience with animals and yet they all just LOVE her despite her ignoring their obvious cues!) Shes also only 28 or 29 and seems to think that she’s almost past her prime and usefulness as a woman (cause women are only good for childbearing and being young, virgin brides, amiright?)
“She was almost thirty, and though that was still fairly young by many people's standards, she couldn't shake the feeling that time was running out.”
“But, damn it, before her ovaries became atrophied, she wanted someone besides her father to tell her she was beautiful and to give her flowers”
It would almost be forgivable if it was just Molly with this mindset, a testament to how warped she became in her previous relationship. Too bad everyone else in the book feels the same.
Jake also doesn’t just overstep, but practically pole vaults over boundary lines just 24 hours after they first meet, and with Molly giving zero indication of any interest in him.
“Being your boss and all, I promised myself not to do this. But, damn. Talk about hiding your light under a bushel. All that glorious hair, and you keep it in a braid? I could get drunk just looking at you."
Molly gave a nervous laugh.
Jake whistled softly. "Damn. I do have eyes in my head, and I realized you had fine features. But I had no idea you were so pretty."
Molly wondered if she'd fallen asleep on her feet and was having a crazy dream. "Um… what do you want, Mr. Coulter?”
This man is a total stranger, her boss, and holds literally her whole life in his hands - her employment, her home, her ability to feed herself, her horse’s life, her future as he knows she’s on the run, literally everything she has he has control over. Not only that, he recognizes that she’s badly damaged, timid, abused, afraid of men, doesn’t like to be touched, and just escaped her tormentor like YESTERDAY. And he still hits on her, makes remarks about her body quite a number of times, disables her car so she can’t leave and is trapped... Dude needs a beat down, not a happy ending. In a book this is apparently considered romantic, in real life it’s considered sexual harassment. Would it be less palatable if he wasn’t a “hot cowboy”?
That doesn’t even take into account the offputting way of speaking. It’s less “charming country” and more redneck-with-a-banjo, Deliverance style. It sounded false, like what someone who’d never actually been to the South thought the people might sound like - just full of ridiculous, one line “southernisms”. Some people won’t mind but (even though I’m southern!) it was a bit much for me.
“My Mandy has a perplexin' hitch in her get-along.”
“You look like you could chew bolts and spit out buckshot.”
“Well, I'm hungry enough to eat the south end of a northbound jackass”
“I can see your tail's tied in a knot about something.”
“Your legs reach from your ass to the ground, same as mine. I reckon that'll do.”
"You can't cuss a cat without getting hair between your teeth”
“I was afraid she'd try to skedaddle”
“you're one hell of a shade-tree grease monkey.”
I’m a sucker for animals in stories, for ranches, for women escaping bad situations. Unfortunately, I found both Jake and Molly to be obnoxious caricatures instead of realistic people. I applaud the author for going with a plumper heroine (although... it says she was once “rail thin” but that was thirty pounds ago. Rail thin + thirty pounds isn’t exactly morbidly obese here 🙄), but unfortunately that’s basically all Molly’s personality was : obsession over her weight, calorie counting, hating her hair, thinking she’s ugly and short. It got so old, so fast. On the one hand, it could have been heartbreaking to see the number her ex did on her self esteem, leaving her feeling unloved and unattractive. But no joke, it’s mentioned EVERY SINGLE PAGE how fat and gross and yada yada yada she is, it’s exhausting.
“As if Jake Coulter would ever even give her the time of day. What on earth was she thinking? She had pasty white skin, saggy boobs, a thick waist, cottage-cheese thighs, and so many dimples on her buttocks, they resembled oversize golf balls.”
On the flip side, during every single interaction, all Jake can think about is how “pleasingly plump” (🤮) he thinks she is, and how she is NOT his type but is somehow magically attracted to her anyway.
“He liked tall, leggy females with figures his mother likened to Barbie dolls, not short, sweetly plump women”
“Molly, with her big, vulnerable brown eyes, wasn't his type. She had hips.”
“Suddenly narrow-hipped, long-legged, big-busted women no longer seemed very appealing. He wanted short and soft”
“He'd never seen so many curves packed into sixty-three inches.”
On and on, ad naseum. It’s almost all he thinks about. He even compares her to his mother when stating she’s different from his type (ew).
“He only knew she reminded him of his mother in little ways. Jake loved his mother as much as the next guy. She was one of the dearest people on earth and still beautiful even in her late fifties. It was just one of those things that only men understood, he guessed. When it came to carnal pursuits, anything that put you in mind of your mom was to be avoided.
Molly definitely reminded Jake of Mary Coulter. They each had big, guileless eyes and smiles to light up a room. They also had similar builds, both of them short, curvaceous, and soft. They were the kind of women who were made to cuddle children close.
They were also the kind of women who bore lots of children because their husbands couldn't keep their hands off them.”
Note the subtle misogyny in that statement, that women who are short and soft are made to cuddle children and have lots of them because their husbands can’t keep their hands off, while insinuating his usual type isn’t. The book is full of that garbage. Jake is constantly stereotyping women into a box while insisting MoLlYs NoT LiKe OtHeR GirLs.
“Jake had known a lot of women who pretended to be sweet and caring, only to discover later that they were hell on wheels. With Molly, however, he didn't believe it was an act. As hokey as it sounded, even in his mind, she fairly glowed with goodness. You simply couldn't look at her and doubt that she had a kind heart.”
Even Molly joins in on it, deeming herself not like other girls (she can fix cars better than men! She wears baggy clothes and doesn’t do her nails! She doesn’t wear any makeup at all! She has zero experience with animals and yet they all just LOVE her despite her ignoring their obvious cues!) Shes also only 28 or 29 and seems to think that she’s almost past her prime and usefulness as a woman (cause women are only good for childbearing and being young, virgin brides, amiright?)
“She was almost thirty, and though that was still fairly young by many people's standards, she couldn't shake the feeling that time was running out.”
“But, damn it, before her ovaries became atrophied, she wanted someone besides her father to tell her she was beautiful and to give her flowers”
It would almost be forgivable if it was just Molly with this mindset, a testament to how warped she became in her previous relationship. Too bad everyone else in the book feels the same.
Jake also doesn’t just overstep, but practically pole vaults over boundary lines just 24 hours after they first meet, and with Molly giving zero indication of any interest in him.
“Being your boss and all, I promised myself not to do this. But, damn. Talk about hiding your light under a bushel. All that glorious hair, and you keep it in a braid? I could get drunk just looking at you."
Molly gave a nervous laugh.
Jake whistled softly. "Damn. I do have eyes in my head, and I realized you had fine features. But I had no idea you were so pretty."
Molly wondered if she'd fallen asleep on her feet and was having a crazy dream. "Um… what do you want, Mr. Coulter?”
This man is a total stranger, her boss, and holds literally her whole life in his hands - her employment, her home, her ability to feed herself, her horse’s life, her future as he knows she’s on the run, literally everything she has he has control over. Not only that, he recognizes that she’s badly damaged, timid, abused, afraid of men, doesn’t like to be touched, and just escaped her tormentor like YESTERDAY. And he still hits on her, makes remarks about her body quite a number of times, disables her car so she can’t leave and is trapped... Dude needs a beat down, not a happy ending. In a book this is apparently considered romantic, in real life it’s considered sexual harassment. Would it be less palatable if he wasn’t a “hot cowboy”?
That doesn’t even take into account the offputting way of speaking. It’s less “charming country” and more redneck-with-a-banjo, Deliverance style. It sounded false, like what someone who’d never actually been to the South thought the people might sound like - just full of ridiculous, one line “southernisms”. Some people won’t mind but (even though I’m southern!) it was a bit much for me.
“My Mandy has a perplexin' hitch in her get-along.”
“You look like you could chew bolts and spit out buckshot.”
“Well, I'm hungry enough to eat the south end of a northbound jackass”
“I can see your tail's tied in a knot about something.”
“Your legs reach from your ass to the ground, same as mine. I reckon that'll do.”
"You can't cuss a cat without getting hair between your teeth”
“I was afraid she'd try to skedaddle”
“you're one hell of a shade-tree grease monkey.”
December 9, 2015
I have the impression that this book has been sort of blown off as "another one of those." I guess it isn't super-original, but I thought it was a treat to read. Molly's evil husband verbally abused her and drugged her until he could have her declared mentally incompetent. After her release from the institution, she got a divorce. At the start of the novel, she has seven months to go of probation before she's considered mentally fit again. Despite really needing to convince people that she's sane, she ends up stealing her ex-husband's 65 thousand dollar race horse after her ex horribly whips it and threatens to shoot it. This brings her to Jake's ranch. Sensing she's in trouble, he agrees to help the horse for free and gives her a job as a housekeeper/cook.
There were some things I didn't like--Molly's first meal isn't a hit and it takes a long while for her to know what she's doing. Embarrassments like that are hard to get through when I'm reading a novel. I found Molly just a little too clueless. Sure, she's doing her best, but she's cooking for eleven men and yet she does stupid things like buy expensive health foods and no-calorie butter spray. It was just a little too dumb on her part to be funny for me as a reader. Also...Molly is a bit chubby/voluptuous, which Jake finds very attractive but is a huge source of insecurity for her. When they finally have sex, he goes nuts over her great body. The next morning, when he looks at her, he loves how soft she is. Fine. But when he finds a few squishy lumps of cellulite on her inner thighs and finds that charming...Ewwww, give me a break, that is not cute. That line nearly ruined the entire novel for me. I could more easily have believed Molly turning out to be a vampire halfway through the novel than any male, romance-novel hero or not, finding cellulite attractive. In five years, probably all I'll remember of this book is the cellulite scene. Not that having cellulite in real life is the end of the world! It's just one of those things that I don't feel belongs in a romance novel.
There were some things I didn't like--Molly's first meal isn't a hit and it takes a long while for her to know what she's doing. Embarrassments like that are hard to get through when I'm reading a novel. I found Molly just a little too clueless. Sure, she's doing her best, but she's cooking for eleven men and yet she does stupid things like buy expensive health foods and no-calorie butter spray. It was just a little too dumb on her part to be funny for me as a reader. Also...Molly is a bit chubby/voluptuous, which Jake finds very attractive but is a huge source of insecurity for her. When they finally have sex, he goes nuts over her great body. The next morning, when he looks at her, he loves how soft she is. Fine. But when he finds a few squishy lumps of cellulite on her inner thighs and finds that charming...Ewwww, give me a break, that is not cute. That line nearly ruined the entire novel for me. I could more easily have believed Molly turning out to be a vampire halfway through the novel than any male, romance-novel hero or not, finding cellulite attractive. In five years, probably all I'll remember of this book is the cellulite scene. Not that having cellulite in real life is the end of the world! It's just one of those things that I don't feel belongs in a romance novel.
October 11, 2013
Molly é uma mulher que vem de um casamento fracassado, um marido que a tratava como lixo e que até mesmo a levou a pensar que estava louca. Quando ela encontra Jake, após levar até ele um cavalo que o ex-marido espancava não acredita que alguém possa amá-la como é.
Mas Jake enxerga além dela, e sabe que ela precisa a confiar em si mesma e ter fé na humanidade.
O que prejudica Molly é sua completa insegurança, visto que o marido a tornou um mulher incapaz de se amar, de confiar. Seu medo de sofrer é tanto que se recusa a enxergar si própria como uma pessoa bonita de corpo e até mesmo de alma.
Catherine Anderson mostra Jake como típico mocinho, bonito, atencioso e companheiro e que de cara sabe o que quer e ele deseja Molly com todo ardor. Quando ele se aproxima mais um pouco, ela se afasta e se recusar a ver a verdade contida nos olhos dele.Mas para que essas duas pessoas entre num acordo, terão de percorrer um longo caminho até se ajustarem ao mundo e combaterem o inimigo que os rodeia.
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Molly is a woman who comes from a failed marriage , a husband who treated her like crap and even led him to think she was crazy . When she meets Jake , after taking him to a horse that beat her ex -husband does not believe that anyone could love her as is .
But Jake sees beyond it , and knows that she needs to trust yourself and have faith in humanity .
What hurts Molly is a complete uncertainty , since her husband became a woman unable to love, to trust . His fear of suffering is so much that refuses to see herself as a beautiful person , body and even soul.
Catherine Anderson shows Jake as typical good guy , handsome, thoughtful and companion and one that the knows what wants and he wants Molly with all the ardor . When he approaches a little more, she pulls away and refuse to see the truth in the eyes dele.Mas for these two people from an agreement , will go a long way to fit the world and fight the enemy that surrounds.
Mas Jake enxerga além dela, e sabe que ela precisa a confiar em si mesma e ter fé na humanidade.
O que prejudica Molly é sua completa insegurança, visto que o marido a tornou um mulher incapaz de se amar, de confiar. Seu medo de sofrer é tanto que se recusa a enxergar si própria como uma pessoa bonita de corpo e até mesmo de alma.
Catherine Anderson mostra Jake como típico mocinho, bonito, atencioso e companheiro e que de cara sabe o que quer e ele deseja Molly com todo ardor. Quando ele se aproxima mais um pouco, ela se afasta e se recusar a ver a verdade contida nos olhos dele.Mas para que essas duas pessoas entre num acordo, terão de percorrer um longo caminho até se ajustarem ao mundo e combaterem o inimigo que os rodeia.
*******
Molly is a woman who comes from a failed marriage , a husband who treated her like crap and even led him to think she was crazy . When she meets Jake , after taking him to a horse that beat her ex -husband does not believe that anyone could love her as is .
But Jake sees beyond it , and knows that she needs to trust yourself and have faith in humanity .
What hurts Molly is a complete uncertainty , since her husband became a woman unable to love, to trust . His fear of suffering is so much that refuses to see herself as a beautiful person , body and even soul.
Catherine Anderson shows Jake as typical good guy , handsome, thoughtful and companion and one that the knows what wants and he wants Molly with all the ardor . When he approaches a little more, she pulls away and refuse to see the truth in the eyes dele.Mas for these two people from an agreement , will go a long way to fit the world and fight the enemy that surrounds.
August 11, 2011
Still not quite a 5 star rating, but it did rock my socks in a way Phantom Waltz didn't. I loved the Kendrick men, but Jake was...wow. Definitely my kind of hero. Struggling, trying to make ends meet, a self-made man in every respect.
Molly made me cry a few times. I appreciated the fact that she was short, plump and had to learn who she is. The slow build up Molly and Jake's relationship, the struggle they each had with falling in love and working things out felt genuine and well paced.
There were several points in the story where I thought, "Wait, that was taken from Hamlet" or "Back up cowboy, that plot device was used in Baby Love". The heroine was once again on the run from a Bad Person, there was a lot of drama surrounding her past and of course she was in mortal danger before the book was over, but the repetition didn't bother me. While I would love to read a book by Anderson where there wasn't some grand conspiracy surrounding the heroine or her relationship with the hero, I'm still really enjoying the series. The key is to not read any of them back to back. I figure about one a month will be a good pace.
Molly made me cry a few times. I appreciated the fact that she was short, plump and had to learn who she is. The slow build up Molly and Jake's relationship, the struggle they each had with falling in love and working things out felt genuine and well paced.
There were several points in the story where I thought, "Wait, that was taken from Hamlet" or "Back up cowboy, that plot device was used in Baby Love". The heroine was once again on the run from a Bad Person, there was a lot of drama surrounding her past and of course she was in mortal danger before the book was over, but the repetition didn't bother me. While I would love to read a book by Anderson where there wasn't some grand conspiracy surrounding the heroine or her relationship with the hero, I'm still really enjoying the series. The key is to not read any of them back to back. I figure about one a month will be a good pace.
November 14, 2021
Wow! After a certain point, this book was impossible to put down, the suspense was so great. It had never entered my mind to wonder what it would be like to be wrongfully institutionalized and declared legally incompetent unless one were very, very old and one's relatives very, very greedy, but Molly's life gives a whole new dimension to panic and despair. By the end of the book, one hopes that good old Rodney dies in jail because he will get his revenge otherwise, and one worries that Sonora Sunset's trainer has met with something unfortunate since it's unlikely that he disappeared from a job he loved and so close to retirement and obviously, he had to have been forced to tell where Molly had gone, so things do not look good for him, but . . . we may never know. Ms. Anderson isn't telling. I loved watching Jake "gentle" and work with Molly just as he does Sonora Sunset. Unbelievably this book was also funny. It has it all. One of my favorites by Ms. Anderson.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 4, 2018
I have read too many CA books to count now. This book is very characteristic to the author. Molly is hiding from an abusive ex husband and runs straight into the arms of Jake. If you've ever read Anderson you know her H are faithful, loyal gentleman who do whatever it takes to keep their lady safe. Molly has a hard time trusting any man after her past and most of this book is about Jake worming his way into Molly's reluctant heart.
I think the book could have easily been shaved off with some of the filler fluff because it does get long winded. It is over 700 pages. While I did like the couple it just didn't seem to pack the punch that Silver Thaw did for me. I also enjoyed My Sunshine, Baby Love, Annie's Song, New Leaf, and Early Dawn . Soo many of her past books have reached out and touched me in different ways that she is an author I come back to again and again. She has got so many books to choose from that there is something for everyone. Enjoy!
I think the book could have easily been shaved off with some of the filler fluff because it does get long winded. It is over 700 pages. While I did like the couple it just didn't seem to pack the punch that Silver Thaw did for me. I also enjoyed My Sunshine, Baby Love, Annie's Song, New Leaf, and Early Dawn . Soo many of her past books have reached out and touched me in different ways that she is an author I come back to again and again. She has got so many books to choose from that there is something for everyone. Enjoy!
August 26, 2016
Gosh, can't count how many times my tears came out because of Jake sweetness
the way he treated 'broke Molly'
the way his heart hurt when he felt Molly pain, cried for her
this is my second book from Catherine Anderson, and I must give her a loud standing applause
for making such sweet and gentle hero, who stole my heart completely
“I think I fell in love with you the first time I saw you, Molly mine. And when I look at you, that’s all I’m ever going to see, the woman I love. It doesn’t matter if you’re perfect. To me, you will be, and that’s all that counts. It’ll be that way always. Even years from now, when you’re old and withered, I’ll see you with my heart, not my eyes. That’s just the way it is when you love someone. The imperfections don’t exist. If you see them at all, you think they’re beautiful.”
I love the ending, and still wish I'm taking a part too
when they kicked Molly Asshole ex-husband :p :)
the way he treated 'broke Molly'
the way his heart hurt when he felt Molly pain, cried for her
this is my second book from Catherine Anderson, and I must give her a loud standing applause
for making such sweet and gentle hero, who stole my heart completely
“I think I fell in love with you the first time I saw you, Molly mine. And when I look at you, that’s all I’m ever going to see, the woman I love. It doesn’t matter if you’re perfect. To me, you will be, and that’s all that counts. It’ll be that way always. Even years from now, when you’re old and withered, I’ll see you with my heart, not my eyes. That’s just the way it is when you love someone. The imperfections don’t exist. If you see them at all, you think they’re beautiful.”
I love the ending, and still wish I'm taking a part too
when they kicked Molly Asshole ex-husband :p :)
December 11, 2014
If you love beautiful contemporary romance novels, this series might be the right one for you. In the third installment of the Kendrick/Coulter/Harrigan series, Sweet Nothings.Catherine Anderson painted us a whole and touching romance about second chances. For Molly Wells, she was on the run with no job and little funds, when she did everything she could to save her horse, Sonora Sunset, from her demented ex-husband from killing it. That's when she took him to see Jake Coulter, a horse whisperer, to calm her horse. There was no way in hell he would return it to the owner who tormented it. But Jake knew there was something Molly wasn't telling him and believed her ex was the same one who damaged her horse. As the passion grew them closer and closer, they knew the danger of becoming at risk to a deranged monster to overcome the odds.
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