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Coulters Historical #3
Early Dawn
After breaking off their engagement, Eden Paxton's fiance spreads so many rumors about her that she is forced to leave San Francisco. Her pride bruised, an angry Eden heads for the wilds of Colorado to live with her half brothers. But murderous outlaws cut the trip short when they kidnap her, intending to sell her across the Mexican border.
Ever since a gang murdered his wife, Matthew Coulter cannot see a woman being mistreated without vowing to rescue her—and exacting vengeance against the evildoers. So when he spots Eden with the ruffians, Matthew takes fierce, focused action to save her.
As Eden and Matthew run for their lives, she recognizes a kind heart beneath Matthew's rugged exterior. But she wonders which will win out: his obsession with revenge—or their growing passion for each other.
Ever since a gang murdered his wife, Matthew Coulter cannot see a woman being mistreated without vowing to rescue her—and exacting vengeance against the evildoers. So when he spots Eden with the ruffians, Matthew takes fierce, focused action to save her.
As Eden and Matthew run for their lives, she recognizes a kind heart beneath Matthew's rugged exterior. But she wonders which will win out: his obsession with revenge—or their growing passion for each other.
417 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 29, 2009
118 people are currently reading
1265 people want to read
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 166 reviews
August 29, 2011
I
do
love Ms. Anderson’s storylines and have rated a lot of her books five stars; I have tagged and shelved her as an “auto-buy-author”. So, why only three stars?
I should tell you up front, I’m not a big fan of the rape theme; however, she’s one of the few authors who could (note use of past tense here) incorporate this horrible, devastating event into a beautiful story as she did in Annie's Song and Seventh Heaven. That said, sometimes she seems to do the rape, rape, rape theme too much (IMHO).
The Rocky Mountains
In this one the murderous outlaws capture the heroine and hold her hostage while they molest and abuse her for days on end. This goes on for a while, the hero is helpless to intervene, and it just got to be too much for me. While I liked some of the interactions between the hero and heroine, Matthew and Eden, and I like stories about trekking through the mountains*, there were parts that were just too boring even for me; I found myself skimming parts of a CA’s book for the first time ever. In addition, some parts were repetitive.
I liked Eden; though she had more than her share of Paxton stubbornness, she is not a whiner and she definitely is not a TSTL heroine. And Mathew Coulter is a perfect tormented hero. They become friends long before they become lovers. Their scenes together are quite lovely. Here is one that takes place soon after he recues her:
Over all, I was a bit disappointed; however, a three star rating is still good!
*Recommendations of excellent trekking through the mountain stories, by other authors, I’ve read this year:
I should tell you up front, I’m not a big fan of the rape theme; however, she’s one of the few authors who could (note use of past tense here) incorporate this horrible, devastating event into a beautiful story as she did in Annie's Song and Seventh Heaven. That said, sometimes she seems to do the rape, rape, rape theme too much (IMHO).
The Rocky Mountains
In this one the murderous outlaws capture the heroine and hold her hostage while they molest and abuse her for days on end. This goes on for a while, the hero is helpless to intervene, and it just got to be too much for me. While I liked some of the interactions between the hero and heroine, Matthew and Eden, and I like stories about trekking through the mountains*, there were parts that were just too boring even for me; I found myself skimming parts of a CA’s book for the first time ever. In addition, some parts were repetitive.
I liked Eden; though she had more than her share of Paxton stubbornness, she is not a whiner and she definitely is not a TSTL heroine. And Mathew Coulter is a perfect tormented hero. They become friends long before they become lovers. Their scenes together are quite lovely. Here is one that takes place soon after he recues her:
“Mr. Coulter!” she cried.In this story Ms. Anderson has backed off on becoming a bit preachy on the religious overtones she definitely had in Morning Light. Still, CA latest books seem to be going more and more toward “one-foot-on-the floor” love scenes. That is fine with me, as I sometimes read and enjoy (if they’re not unnecessarily moralistic) Harlequin’s Love Inspired romances that contain no mention of sex at all and are often about men or women of faith. While I sometimes like a little delay in the sexual culmination of an earlier declared love, this was a bit “too little too late”. Just because CA is headed toward PG-13, that doesn’t necessarily mean she has to let go of the S.T.E.A.M.; you can read love scenes from some of her earlier work, such as the delightful Simply Love , to know that.
He drew Smokey to a stop and whirled in the saddle to look at her. Eden was about to admonish him for his callous disregard of the beauty around them when she realized she was looking down the barrel of a Colt revolver. He’d drawn the weapon with such speed that she hadn’t seen his hand move.
“What?” he asked, scanning the trail behind her. “Did you see something?”
Eden moistened her lips and tried to swallow. Her throat had gone as dry as parchment paper. If he wanted to destroy every wildflower in his path, who was she to argue? Had she learned nothing during her time with the Sebastians? The trick to surviving was to do as she was told and keep her mouth shut.
“Nothing, I saw nothing,” she managed to push out weakly.
“Nothing? You scared the holy hell out of me.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you. It’s just –”
He holstered the weapon and reined Smoky around to face her. “Just what?”
Eden glanced at the clematis bells that his gelding’s back hooves were brutalizing. “Nothing. It was nothing.”
“You screamed my name. You must have had a reason.”
“I didn’t scream.” Why was it so infernally difficult for her to keep quiet? Joseph often said her tongue was tied in the middle and loose at both ends, and Eden couldn’t rightly argue the point. “I just want to warn you–” She broke off and tried to swallow again. “You, um, were about to let Smoky trample the clematis.”
“Trample the what?”
Eden inclined her head at the beautiful flowers behind him. “The sugarbowl clematis. They’re so beautiful, like little church bells, and you were about to ruin them.”
He glanced over his shoulder and stared at the flowers for a long, tension-packed moment. Then, meeting her gaze, he rubbed a callused hand over his face and blinked as if he hoped the picture might change once his vision came back into focus. “Are you saying that you screeched like that to save some flowers? Sweet Christ, lady, I could’ve shot you!”
Over all, I was a bit disappointed; however, a three star rating is still good!
*Recommendations of excellent trekking through the mountain stories, by other authors, I’ve read this year:
March 25, 2010
This story didn't have a whole heck of a lot going on, but I loved it anyway. The reason I enjoyed it? The hero and heroine, Matthew Coulter and Eden Paxton. Wonderful characters. Even though it took a long time for their romance to get physical, I enjoyed reading about their backstories and loved seeing their relationship evolve into what started out as mistrust, to a gradual friendship, and then to an intense desire and need and then a romantic love. Matthew and Eden were terrific characters--I especially enjoyed Eden's spunkiness and courage, and Matthew was one of those quiet heroes whose actions speak louder than words--although I must admit when Matthew did speak about his feelings for Eden, it brought some tears to my eyes. Catherine Anderson is a wonderful storyteller, and from the opening chapter I was glued to the story and couldn't wait to see what would happen next.
Basically the plot is this: In 1887 Matthew Coulter's whole happy world vanishes in the blink of an eye when a notorious gang of outlaws (the Sebastian brothers) attack him and his newly pregnant wife, shooting, pistol whipping and beating him into unconsciousness, and raping and murdering his wife. Matthew barely survives the attack, and vows to avenge his wife's murder. So he packs his bags and leaves his family's Oregon home, tracking the wily band of murderous thieves for three years with only his trusted horse and pack mule for companions. Matthew's life is empty, his heart broken, and his only goal in life is to wipe out the Sebastians or die trying.
Beautiful red-headed Eden Paxton is heading to Colorado to live with her half brothers after a broken engagement has her leaving San Francisco in disgrace. When her train is ambushed by the notorious Sebastian brothers and Eden sacrifices herself to save a small child, the Sebastians decide to kidnap her and sell her to an old Mexican across the border who will pay big money for her virgin body.
When Matthew's tracking of the Sebastians leads him to the scene of the abduction, he decides to set out to see if he can rescue the young woman from the band of low-lifes. He doubts he'll find her alive, but it's worth a shot. Days later he finally finds them abusing Eden (who is miraculously still alive) and though everything in his body tells him to shoot them all dead, he can't risk Eden getting caught in the cross-fire. So he devises a risky plan to save her, but this plan still leaves the Sebastians alive.
After the rescue of Eden, the plot is just basically what Matthew and Eden go through to get her safely to her brothers while trying to elude the Sebastians, who are hot on their trail, and dealing with all the hazards while trekking through the wilderness (snakes! a mountain lion attack!) Along the way Matthew deals with his feelings of guilt and unworthiness for not adequately protecting his wife, while Eden deals with her feelings of guilt for doing what she had to in order to survive. After a few days of mistrust by Eden, they settle into a friendship after Eden realizes that she can trust a man again, and Eden helps Matthew come to terms with his feelings of unworthiness for not being able to protect his wife. This friendship later develops into desire and need (on both sides), but Matthew is reluctant to go any further because of his vow to avenge his late wife's murder, and his new vow to avenge Eden's abuse. And what if he gives his heart to Eden, and something happens to her too? Can he get past that fear? Will Eden be able to convince Matthew that the time for vengeance should be over, and move on to a new life?
I know a lot of readers didn't enjoy this book because a lot of time (weeks) was spent on Eden and Matthew just trekking through the wilderness, often going in circles while trying to elude the Sebastians (who were one disgusting band of evilness). But I didn't mind this plot device. It gave Eden and Matthew time to get to know one another; they both opened up about themselves and revealed things that they never told anyone before. I think this time together made their eventual romance that much more believable and meaningful. I loved how plain spoken Eden was--she came right out and boldly told Matthew she had feelings for him. I loved how she told Matthew that it was okay that there could be room in his heart for a new love, and that his late wife would always hold a piece of his heart. I loved how she broke through all his defenses and got him to live again. And I especially loved that Eden was a woman who could handle herself--she was an expert markswoman who could handle a weapon, and singlehandedly saved Matthew from a snake attack and held her own in their ultimate faceoff against the Sebastians. Eden was one courageous, very likable, kickass heroine, and I was rooting for her all the way.
The love scenes? Well, it seemed like it took forever to get there, and they were sort of PG in nature, but I had no doubt that they were love scenes, and not sex scenes. There was nothing very explicit, and some were referred to rather than shown, but I enjoyed them anyway. Both Matthew and Eden had some very romantic things to say, which caused me to tear up a time or two. I loved them as a couple.
So fans of Catherine Anderson, IMO this was one of her better books, unless you're put off by the "eluding the bad guys" plot. I enjoyed it, and thought the pacing was pretty good and the romance was solid. There is a bit of violence that you have to deal with (the description of what happened to Matthew's wife Livvy was hard to read, as well as the Sebastians "playing" and near rape of Eden; the violent train attack) and I'm sure you'll want to see those despicable Sebastians get theirs. There was a nail biting climax (where Eden's brothers make an eleventh hour appearance), a HEA, and a nice little epilogue. I couldn't ask for much more--and now that I've rediscovered Catherine Anderson, I think I'll backtrack and read one of this book's predecessors, Keegan's Lady. If you like a quiet, tortured hero and a courageous, spunky heroine who find love and are willing to sacrifice themselves for that love, then you'll enjoy this book. 4 1/2 stars
Basically the plot is this: In 1887 Matthew Coulter's whole happy world vanishes in the blink of an eye when a notorious gang of outlaws (the Sebastian brothers) attack him and his newly pregnant wife, shooting, pistol whipping and beating him into unconsciousness, and raping and murdering his wife. Matthew barely survives the attack, and vows to avenge his wife's murder. So he packs his bags and leaves his family's Oregon home, tracking the wily band of murderous thieves for three years with only his trusted horse and pack mule for companions. Matthew's life is empty, his heart broken, and his only goal in life is to wipe out the Sebastians or die trying.
Beautiful red-headed Eden Paxton is heading to Colorado to live with her half brothers after a broken engagement has her leaving San Francisco in disgrace. When her train is ambushed by the notorious Sebastian brothers and Eden sacrifices herself to save a small child, the Sebastians decide to kidnap her and sell her to an old Mexican across the border who will pay big money for her virgin body.
When Matthew's tracking of the Sebastians leads him to the scene of the abduction, he decides to set out to see if he can rescue the young woman from the band of low-lifes. He doubts he'll find her alive, but it's worth a shot. Days later he finally finds them abusing Eden (who is miraculously still alive) and though everything in his body tells him to shoot them all dead, he can't risk Eden getting caught in the cross-fire. So he devises a risky plan to save her, but this plan still leaves the Sebastians alive.
After the rescue of Eden, the plot is just basically what Matthew and Eden go through to get her safely to her brothers while trying to elude the Sebastians, who are hot on their trail, and dealing with all the hazards while trekking through the wilderness (snakes! a mountain lion attack!) Along the way Matthew deals with his feelings of guilt and unworthiness for not adequately protecting his wife, while Eden deals with her feelings of guilt for doing what she had to in order to survive. After a few days of mistrust by Eden, they settle into a friendship after Eden realizes that she can trust a man again, and Eden helps Matthew come to terms with his feelings of unworthiness for not being able to protect his wife. This friendship later develops into desire and need (on both sides), but Matthew is reluctant to go any further because of his vow to avenge his late wife's murder, and his new vow to avenge Eden's abuse. And what if he gives his heart to Eden, and something happens to her too? Can he get past that fear? Will Eden be able to convince Matthew that the time for vengeance should be over, and move on to a new life?
I know a lot of readers didn't enjoy this book because a lot of time (weeks) was spent on Eden and Matthew just trekking through the wilderness, often going in circles while trying to elude the Sebastians (who were one disgusting band of evilness). But I didn't mind this plot device. It gave Eden and Matthew time to get to know one another; they both opened up about themselves and revealed things that they never told anyone before. I think this time together made their eventual romance that much more believable and meaningful. I loved how plain spoken Eden was--she came right out and boldly told Matthew she had feelings for him. I loved how she told Matthew that it was okay that there could be room in his heart for a new love, and that his late wife would always hold a piece of his heart. I loved how she broke through all his defenses and got him to live again. And I especially loved that Eden was a woman who could handle herself--she was an expert markswoman who could handle a weapon, and singlehandedly saved Matthew from a snake attack and held her own in their ultimate faceoff against the Sebastians. Eden was one courageous, very likable, kickass heroine, and I was rooting for her all the way.
The love scenes? Well, it seemed like it took forever to get there, and they were sort of PG in nature, but I had no doubt that they were love scenes, and not sex scenes. There was nothing very explicit, and some were referred to rather than shown, but I enjoyed them anyway. Both Matthew and Eden had some very romantic things to say, which caused me to tear up a time or two. I loved them as a couple.
So fans of Catherine Anderson, IMO this was one of her better books, unless you're put off by the "eluding the bad guys" plot. I enjoyed it, and thought the pacing was pretty good and the romance was solid. There is a bit of violence that you have to deal with (the description of what happened to Matthew's wife Livvy was hard to read, as well as the Sebastians "playing" and near rape of Eden; the violent train attack) and I'm sure you'll want to see those despicable Sebastians get theirs. There was a nail biting climax (where Eden's brothers make an eleventh hour appearance), a HEA, and a nice little epilogue. I couldn't ask for much more--and now that I've rediscovered Catherine Anderson, I think I'll backtrack and read one of this book's predecessors, Keegan's Lady. If you like a quiet, tortured hero and a courageous, spunky heroine who find love and are willing to sacrifice themselves for that love, then you'll enjoy this book. 4 1/2 stars
January 7, 2010
I had some wariness coming in to reading this book. I've read so many Catherine Anderson books that I've loved, but then some of the recent few have been so-so and including a lot of religion. So I wasn't sure what to expect of this book. But this ended up being a good one. I enjoyed it a lot, though the story wasn't perfect.
Series Note:
This book is connected to both other historicals by Anderson, and also her long-running contemporary series. The hero of this book is the ancestor of the contemporary Coulters. But I think this book could be read as a standalone. There are references to of Keegan's Lady and Summer Breeze that may make you want to go back and read their books, though.
Summary:
Eden Paxton suddenly finds herself at loose ends after her fiance dumps her and his family spreads vicious rumors about her. She and her mother are shunned from long-time friends. So they decide to travel to Colorado to live with her half-brothers. But on the way, the train is robbed and Eden is kidnapped by a nasty, vile gang who beats and abuses her.
Hot on their tails is Matthew Coulter. He's been chasing the Sebastian Gang ever since they killed his wife and nearly him as well. He intends to exact his revenge, but when he finds a woman in dire trouble, he can do nothing but save her. With few options after the rescue, the two are forced to roam the wilds of Colorado, hoping to avoid the Gang who wants Eden back and Matthew dead.
Along the way, the two develop a strong friendship. Eden is wary at first because of what she went through, but Matthew's kindness draws her. Unfortunately, Matthew has ghosts he has to lay to rest before he can give his heart to Eden. He's just not sure he can do it.
Review:
This book reminded me more of older Catherine Anderson books. I thought it had much more depth than some of her recent contemporaries. Maybe depth isn't the right word, but I just found this story so much more engaging than say Sun Kissed or Morning Light.
Eden and Matthew are both sort of classic Anderson characters. Both are battered emotionally and physically. Matthew's scars run deep while Eden's are new. They were two characters who seemed to fit very well together. I liked the way Anderson wrote their interactions...Matthew'd been on the trail so long he'd become sort of uncivilized, but he begins to change with Eden around. I just liked the way to two complemented each other.
For anyone looking for a passion-filled book...you won't find that here. The sexual relationship between the characters does not begin until late in the story...maybe around page 300 of 417 and the scenes are pretty PG/PG-13. So this is not a book to read for sex and steaminess.
And just a warning...the beginning of this book does involve some moderately descriptive sexual assault against the heroine. Just something to be aware of.
The one area I think this book could have been better was the plot. I liked the overall storyline, but the execution was a bit monotonous. Pretty much the entire book is Eden and Matthew roaming around the wilds of Colorado together. After a while, that got to be a little old. I didn't mind it too much...which is saying something considering how much I tend to dislike storylines where the H/H are lost in the wilderness...so it wasn't a big issue. But I do think the storyline could have had more variety.
And also...there were some issues with logic and realism. I shook my head at a few things. It seemed like the H/H did everything the difficult way just to keep the story going. They could have solved their problems a lot quicker, I think.
Still, I really enjoyed this story. I found it to be very readable and engaging. I was sucked into the story once I started and wanted to keep reading.
Series Note:
This book is connected to both other historicals by Anderson, and also her long-running contemporary series. The hero of this book is the ancestor of the contemporary Coulters. But I think this book could be read as a standalone. There are references to of Keegan's Lady and Summer Breeze that may make you want to go back and read their books, though.
Summary:
Eden Paxton suddenly finds herself at loose ends after her fiance dumps her and his family spreads vicious rumors about her. She and her mother are shunned from long-time friends. So they decide to travel to Colorado to live with her half-brothers. But on the way, the train is robbed and Eden is kidnapped by a nasty, vile gang who beats and abuses her.
Hot on their tails is Matthew Coulter. He's been chasing the Sebastian Gang ever since they killed his wife and nearly him as well. He intends to exact his revenge, but when he finds a woman in dire trouble, he can do nothing but save her. With few options after the rescue, the two are forced to roam the wilds of Colorado, hoping to avoid the Gang who wants Eden back and Matthew dead.
Along the way, the two develop a strong friendship. Eden is wary at first because of what she went through, but Matthew's kindness draws her. Unfortunately, Matthew has ghosts he has to lay to rest before he can give his heart to Eden. He's just not sure he can do it.
Review:
This book reminded me more of older Catherine Anderson books. I thought it had much more depth than some of her recent contemporaries. Maybe depth isn't the right word, but I just found this story so much more engaging than say Sun Kissed or Morning Light.
Eden and Matthew are both sort of classic Anderson characters. Both are battered emotionally and physically. Matthew's scars run deep while Eden's are new. They were two characters who seemed to fit very well together. I liked the way Anderson wrote their interactions...Matthew'd been on the trail so long he'd become sort of uncivilized, but he begins to change with Eden around. I just liked the way to two complemented each other.
For anyone looking for a passion-filled book...you won't find that here. The sexual relationship between the characters does not begin until late in the story...maybe around page 300 of 417 and the scenes are pretty PG/PG-13. So this is not a book to read for sex and steaminess.
And just a warning...the beginning of this book does involve some moderately descriptive sexual assault against the heroine. Just something to be aware of.
The one area I think this book could have been better was the plot. I liked the overall storyline, but the execution was a bit monotonous. Pretty much the entire book is Eden and Matthew roaming around the wilds of Colorado together. After a while, that got to be a little old. I didn't mind it too much...which is saying something considering how much I tend to dislike storylines where the H/H are lost in the wilderness...so it wasn't a big issue. But I do think the storyline could have had more variety.
And also...there were some issues with logic and realism. I shook my head at a few things. It seemed like the H/H did everything the difficult way just to keep the story going. They could have solved their problems a lot quicker, I think.
Still, I really enjoyed this story. I found it to be very readable and engaging. I was sucked into the story once I started and wanted to keep reading.
September 20, 2018
This was really not my kind of story. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't a genre that I prefer. This is and Old West historical fiction romance book. It starts out with Matthew coming to after being unconscious for 2 weeks following an attack on him and his wife by a gang of ruffians only to learn that his wife was brutally raped and murdered. He vows to seek revenge on the men that did this. Once he is well, he spends years hunting them down. In the meantime, the ruffians continue causing havok. During a train robbery they decide to take Eden hostage and have plans to sell her to someone in Mexico, but not before they have some "fun" with her. Matthew finally catches up to them while they are still holding her hostage and saves the day. The ruffians don't like losing their prize, so now they are hunting Matthew and Eden. The majority of the book is their journey after getting Eden away from the ruffians. It was a cute story and for someone that likes westerns and historical romance books, then I think they would very much enjoy this book.
December 9, 2015
Catherine Anderson is one my top favorite romance authors, but I just don't think she writes with the same passion that she used to. Compared to Comanche Moon, Comanche Heart, and Keegan's Lady, this book was pretty tepid. Eden is abducted by outlaws while on her way to join her brothers in Colorado. They abuse her but don't rape her, planning on selling her across the border. Matthew Coulter, whose wife was killed by the outlaws, has been hunting them for 3 years. He rescues Eden, temporarily sacrificing his revenge for her safety. While evading the outlaws and leading them in circles, the two become friends and start falling in love, but Matthew is reluctant to betray the memory of his wife.
I read it in one sitting, so I can't claim that it was terrible. Catherine Anderson is a beautiful writer. But there were just moments when I sort of rolled my eyes. Like Coulter's frequent internal monologue about whether or not Eden would recover and how some people never became "right" after such an experience. I guess compared to what Anderson's other heroines have lived through (Comanche Moon is the one that really comes to mind, and Keegan's Lady as well), Eden's "ordeal" sort of didn't seem that horrific. Anderson's writing has becoming increasingly Christian. I feel like she shied away from depicting things she was willing to face in her other novels. Eden was also stronger and more independent than her previous heroines. I like strong heroines--but at the same time I don't. Anderson's heroines are usually seriously messed up from all the abuse they've endured and really need the hero to be patient with them and coax them into opening up. I like that formula a lot and think Anderson is one of the best at it. So when you've got the strong-minded gun-slinging Eden bouncing back from her moderate-but-not-that-awful-trauma so fast, even though the story was decent and the leads had chemistry, it was kind of lacking and disappointing. Once in a while, I reread Keegan's Lady, Comanche Moon, Comanche Heart, Annie's Song, and a few other Anderson novels; there're some scenes that I really just think were terrific, like when Keegan goes home with Caitlin for the first time, or when Loretta warns Hunter about the snake. Early Dawn seriously didn't have a single scene I'd hunt for to reread. That's been true for the last few Anderson novels. Even if I read a book in one sitting, if it doesn't leave me with a single scene I'd want to revisit, it's sort of a bust for me.
I read it in one sitting, so I can't claim that it was terrible. Catherine Anderson is a beautiful writer. But there were just moments when I sort of rolled my eyes. Like Coulter's frequent internal monologue about whether or not Eden would recover and how some people never became "right" after such an experience. I guess compared to what Anderson's other heroines have lived through (Comanche Moon is the one that really comes to mind, and Keegan's Lady as well), Eden's "ordeal" sort of didn't seem that horrific. Anderson's writing has becoming increasingly Christian. I feel like she shied away from depicting things she was willing to face in her other novels. Eden was also stronger and more independent than her previous heroines. I like strong heroines--but at the same time I don't. Anderson's heroines are usually seriously messed up from all the abuse they've endured and really need the hero to be patient with them and coax them into opening up. I like that formula a lot and think Anderson is one of the best at it. So when you've got the strong-minded gun-slinging Eden bouncing back from her moderate-but-not-that-awful-trauma so fast, even though the story was decent and the leads had chemistry, it was kind of lacking and disappointing. Once in a while, I reread Keegan's Lady, Comanche Moon, Comanche Heart, Annie's Song, and a few other Anderson novels; there're some scenes that I really just think were terrific, like when Keegan goes home with Caitlin for the first time, or when Loretta warns Hunter about the snake. Early Dawn seriously didn't have a single scene I'd hunt for to reread. That's been true for the last few Anderson novels. Even if I read a book in one sitting, if it doesn't leave me with a single scene I'd want to revisit, it's sort of a bust for me.
March 20, 2015
My friend Rachel told me about this author and I got to tell you CA is amaaazing!! I started this book yesterday and I couldn't put it down, staying up until 3AM to finish. The Sebastian gang are a ruthless group of brothers who destroy everything in their path. Eden Dorelle Paxton is a brave young h who was jilted by a mamas boy. The rumors that were spread forced her and her mother to take a train to Denver. The train is ambushed and Eden is abducted by the gang.
Matthew James Coulter has been tracking the six brothers, after the death of his wife. The Sebastian gang took his everything three years ago but by some twist of fate they end up bringing his everything right back to him. He doesn't know it at first seeing first hand what the gang has put Eden through and all the memories it forces him to deal with. He is numb. I thought at first I would spend the book reading how he mourned over a woman long buried now. But it wasn't like that at all. He missed her sure, was saddened at how she left this world but it was more about him not being able to forgive himself.
What you get is this delightful, romantic story of healing and forgiving. Eden is one tough lady and her brothers taught her well. She does not bulk under what the Sebastian's put her through. I will say the first part of the book is difficult to read but the author is not graphic with her descriptions she leaves it to your imagination, which is probably worse. LOL. The two spend over a month together keeping the gang guessing where they are in the hope that they would cross paths with her brothers. This is when the author worked her magic and convinced this reader how these two grew in love.
Matthew says," You remember all those damned corners of the heart you told me about?"
A tiny frown pleated the flawless skin between her finely arched eyebrows. "Yes."
"Well, a pretty, little, redhead with a fiery temper and a sassy mouth sneaked past my guard with a pick and chisel."
There are no games or lies it is a couple who are trying to put their lives back together. The only sex elaborated on in this book is between the H/h and I have read more graphic so it is not over done. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves romance and rebirth. Enjoy!
Matthew James Coulter has been tracking the six brothers, after the death of his wife. The Sebastian gang took his everything three years ago but by some twist of fate they end up bringing his everything right back to him. He doesn't know it at first seeing first hand what the gang has put Eden through and all the memories it forces him to deal with. He is numb. I thought at first I would spend the book reading how he mourned over a woman long buried now. But it wasn't like that at all. He missed her sure, was saddened at how she left this world but it was more about him not being able to forgive himself.
What you get is this delightful, romantic story of healing and forgiving. Eden is one tough lady and her brothers taught her well. She does not bulk under what the Sebastian's put her through. I will say the first part of the book is difficult to read but the author is not graphic with her descriptions she leaves it to your imagination, which is probably worse. LOL. The two spend over a month together keeping the gang guessing where they are in the hope that they would cross paths with her brothers. This is when the author worked her magic and convinced this reader how these two grew in love.
Matthew says," You remember all those damned corners of the heart you told me about?"
A tiny frown pleated the flawless skin between her finely arched eyebrows. "Yes."
"Well, a pretty, little, redhead with a fiery temper and a sassy mouth sneaked past my guard with a pick and chisel."
There are no games or lies it is a couple who are trying to put their lives back together. The only sex elaborated on in this book is between the H/h and I have read more graphic so it is not over done. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves romance and rebirth. Enjoy!
June 7, 2013
Reviewed for THC Reviews
Early Dawn is another sweet, historical romance from Catherine Anderson that was nearly perfect in every way. The hero and heroine are very much the focus of the story with the secondary characters only coming into play during the first few chapters and the last few chapters. The rest of the time it's all about Matthew and Eden as they get acquainted and learn to trust each other while riding around the Colorado wilderness, trying to evade the bad guys. With only two characters in play for the bulk of the story, and with them, on the surface, just running in circles, it might seem that this would be a boring narrative, but in my opinion, Early Dawn was anything but. I'm still marveling at how she did it, but Ms. Anderson managed to turn this into a very engaging story. The threat from the villains, as well as wildlife, made for enough action and adventure to keep things moving along at a nice pace. This was combined with lots of wonderful getting-to-know-you moments for Matthew and Eden. They also share plenty of tender interactions before finally giving in to their growing feelings for one another. Everything just came together to create a very enjoyable read.
The story gets off to an intense start with Matthew regaining consciousness after sustaining grievous injuries when he and his wife were attacked by the notorious bandits known as the Sebastian gang. He finds out very quickly that his wife was brutally raped and murdered, then we fast-forward three years. During that entire time, Matthew has been relentlessly tracking the Sebastians, feeding an almost obsessive need for vengeance. Despite his deep desire to bring justice to his wife's killers, when Matthew discovers that they're holding another young woman hostage and abusing her, he puts his own desires on hold in order to rescue her. From the moment he made the decision to get Eden out of the Sebastians' clutches, he took on full responsibility for her protection which is a very admirable trait. After spending three years with mostly only his horse and pack mule for company, Matthew isn't much of a talker, but I have to give him credit for figuring out fairly quickly that Eden needed him to be a little more forthcoming in order to fully trust him. From there on out, he's completely open and honest with her, and it pays off in spades with her warming up to him pretty quickly after that. They form a deep friendship that slowly blossoms into love. I adored all the little things Matthew did to make Eden feel more safe and comfortable around him. He may be a man of few words, at least initially, but he knows how to speak volumes through his actions. Matthew is a thoroughly honorable gentleman who considers himself to be married to Eden from the first time he makes love to her. Deep down, Matthew was a sweet, peaceable guy who was driven by extraordinary circumstances to seek vigilante justice. On the outside, he's a little rough, but inside he has a tender heart that was badly broken by the loss of his first wife, a woman he loved very much. At first, he's afraid to love Eden. He doesn't view himself as a good husband after what happened with his wife, but Eden slowly convinces him otherwise.
Eden is a dichotomous young lady. She grew up with her older brother Ace teaching her how to handle a gun, ride a horse, and work with cattle, so she's not afraid of the outdoors or hard work. The last several years though, she's spent as a proper lady, attending a fancy girl's finishing school, and socializing in the drawing rooms of San Francisco society. Her fiancé broke off their engagement when his family discovered she was illegitimate, but rather than stopping there, they sullied her name in all the circles where she'd previously mingled. To escape the embarrassment, Eden and her mother decide to move to No Name, Colorado to be near her brothers, and it's on the train ride there that she is abducted by the Sebastian gang. Eden had a very level head, trying to collect all their valuables before the bandits got to them in hopes they'd just take their things and leave them alone. She also had spunk to throw herself between the gang and a crying child and his mother, trying to protect them even after having witnessed them killing at least three people. She fought her captors tooth and nail too until she was knocked unconscious. Every night when they made camp, the five Sebastian brothers passed her around, physically and sexually abusing her, but stopping just short of outright rape, because they were intending to sell her across the border in Mexico and needed to keep her virginity intact in order to get a good price. Throughout her ordeal, Eden managed to keep her head up quite admirably, although by the time Matthew rescues her a lot of the fight had understandably gone out of her. Still, after the rescue, she traveled without complaint in spite of suffering severe pain from broken ribs and initially being afraid of Matthew, not knowing what his intentions were. Gradually, she begins to see Matthew for the kindhearted person he is and grows to love him, not just as her heroic rescuer, but as a wonderful man who would give his life to keep her safe. When Matthew started falling for her too, he said a few rather harsh things to her out of fear, but Eden was intelligent and intuitive enough to realize that he was probably only saying them because his feelings for her scared him. She is extremely understanding and supportive of Matthew's love for his first wife too. She never tried to force him to forget the other woman, but instead encouraged him to make room for her in his heart as well. All in all, Eden was a wonderful well-rounded heroine who could be tough on the outside but had a heart of gold inside.
As I mentioned earlier, the secondary characters don't play big roles. The entire Sebastian gang were some of the most dastardly villains I've ever read in a romance. Their evil deeds fuel a large part of the story, but thankfully, they're only present for a relatively small part of it. All four of Eden's brothers are out looking for her too and eventually, catch up with her and Matthew. As the oldest, Ace (Keegan's Lady), leads the charge, but Joseph (Summer Breeze) is perhaps the most protective and the toughest nut to crack when it comes to Matthew presenting his case for loving Eden and wanting to marry her. David, who becomes the hero of Lucky Penny, the next book in the Keegan-Paxton series, and Esa have small roles, as does Ace's wife and Eden's half-sister, Caitlin. Overall, Early Dawn was a sweet story that I thoroughly enjoyed, the best in the series so far in my opinion, and it really has me looking forward to reading David's book soon.
Early Dawn is another sweet, historical romance from Catherine Anderson that was nearly perfect in every way. The hero and heroine are very much the focus of the story with the secondary characters only coming into play during the first few chapters and the last few chapters. The rest of the time it's all about Matthew and Eden as they get acquainted and learn to trust each other while riding around the Colorado wilderness, trying to evade the bad guys. With only two characters in play for the bulk of the story, and with them, on the surface, just running in circles, it might seem that this would be a boring narrative, but in my opinion, Early Dawn was anything but. I'm still marveling at how she did it, but Ms. Anderson managed to turn this into a very engaging story. The threat from the villains, as well as wildlife, made for enough action and adventure to keep things moving along at a nice pace. This was combined with lots of wonderful getting-to-know-you moments for Matthew and Eden. They also share plenty of tender interactions before finally giving in to their growing feelings for one another. Everything just came together to create a very enjoyable read.
The story gets off to an intense start with Matthew regaining consciousness after sustaining grievous injuries when he and his wife were attacked by the notorious bandits known as the Sebastian gang. He finds out very quickly that his wife was brutally raped and murdered, then we fast-forward three years. During that entire time, Matthew has been relentlessly tracking the Sebastians, feeding an almost obsessive need for vengeance. Despite his deep desire to bring justice to his wife's killers, when Matthew discovers that they're holding another young woman hostage and abusing her, he puts his own desires on hold in order to rescue her. From the moment he made the decision to get Eden out of the Sebastians' clutches, he took on full responsibility for her protection which is a very admirable trait. After spending three years with mostly only his horse and pack mule for company, Matthew isn't much of a talker, but I have to give him credit for figuring out fairly quickly that Eden needed him to be a little more forthcoming in order to fully trust him. From there on out, he's completely open and honest with her, and it pays off in spades with her warming up to him pretty quickly after that. They form a deep friendship that slowly blossoms into love. I adored all the little things Matthew did to make Eden feel more safe and comfortable around him. He may be a man of few words, at least initially, but he knows how to speak volumes through his actions. Matthew is a thoroughly honorable gentleman who considers himself to be married to Eden from the first time he makes love to her. Deep down, Matthew was a sweet, peaceable guy who was driven by extraordinary circumstances to seek vigilante justice. On the outside, he's a little rough, but inside he has a tender heart that was badly broken by the loss of his first wife, a woman he loved very much. At first, he's afraid to love Eden. He doesn't view himself as a good husband after what happened with his wife, but Eden slowly convinces him otherwise.
Eden is a dichotomous young lady. She grew up with her older brother Ace teaching her how to handle a gun, ride a horse, and work with cattle, so she's not afraid of the outdoors or hard work. The last several years though, she's spent as a proper lady, attending a fancy girl's finishing school, and socializing in the drawing rooms of San Francisco society. Her fiancé broke off their engagement when his family discovered she was illegitimate, but rather than stopping there, they sullied her name in all the circles where she'd previously mingled. To escape the embarrassment, Eden and her mother decide to move to No Name, Colorado to be near her brothers, and it's on the train ride there that she is abducted by the Sebastian gang. Eden had a very level head, trying to collect all their valuables before the bandits got to them in hopes they'd just take their things and leave them alone. She also had spunk to throw herself between the gang and a crying child and his mother, trying to protect them even after having witnessed them killing at least three people. She fought her captors tooth and nail too until she was knocked unconscious. Every night when they made camp, the five Sebastian brothers passed her around, physically and sexually abusing her, but stopping just short of outright rape, because they were intending to sell her across the border in Mexico and needed to keep her virginity intact in order to get a good price. Throughout her ordeal, Eden managed to keep her head up quite admirably, although by the time Matthew rescues her a lot of the fight had understandably gone out of her. Still, after the rescue, she traveled without complaint in spite of suffering severe pain from broken ribs and initially being afraid of Matthew, not knowing what his intentions were. Gradually, she begins to see Matthew for the kindhearted person he is and grows to love him, not just as her heroic rescuer, but as a wonderful man who would give his life to keep her safe. When Matthew started falling for her too, he said a few rather harsh things to her out of fear, but Eden was intelligent and intuitive enough to realize that he was probably only saying them because his feelings for her scared him. She is extremely understanding and supportive of Matthew's love for his first wife too. She never tried to force him to forget the other woman, but instead encouraged him to make room for her in his heart as well. All in all, Eden was a wonderful well-rounded heroine who could be tough on the outside but had a heart of gold inside.
As I mentioned earlier, the secondary characters don't play big roles. The entire Sebastian gang were some of the most dastardly villains I've ever read in a romance. Their evil deeds fuel a large part of the story, but thankfully, they're only present for a relatively small part of it. All four of Eden's brothers are out looking for her too and eventually, catch up with her and Matthew. As the oldest, Ace (Keegan's Lady), leads the charge, but Joseph (Summer Breeze) is perhaps the most protective and the toughest nut to crack when it comes to Matthew presenting his case for loving Eden and wanting to marry her. David, who becomes the hero of Lucky Penny, the next book in the Keegan-Paxton series, and Esa have small roles, as does Ace's wife and Eden's half-sister, Caitlin. Overall, Early Dawn was a sweet story that I thoroughly enjoyed, the best in the series so far in my opinion, and it really has me looking forward to reading David's book soon.
January 7, 2010
This story was okay in that it wasn't choppy or anything and the words flowed well etc. If it matters to you, the love scenes are very tame and the scenes where the girl is being abused by the bad guys are merely suggested and nothing is explicit at all. The loving each other part was okay but the story itself was lame plot wise. There will be a few SPOILERS below so don't continue if you don't want to know.
Some of the decisions the hero made didn't make much sense. He's been hot on the trail of these bad guys for 3 years but he stops to bury an old man then goes for the doctor after a train wreck when there was a whole train full of people who could have gone. The author makes a point of saying that the hero has buried all his emotions so it didn't really ring true that he didn't ignore all this and chase the bad guys as quick as he could. When he finally rescues the girl then goes back to scatter their horses he doesn't shoot one or two of the drunk guys while he can. We're told that he practices all the time with his gun but he can't shoot 5 sleeping drunks?
The worst part of the whole lame plot thing is that after he rescues the girl they spend 5 weeks wandering in circles trying to confuse the bad guys. The excuse is that the bad guys will catch them if he tries to make it to Denver. I'd think if he could hide from them for weeks while going in circles then he could hide her well enough on the trail to Denver, and I'd have had more respect for his character. A couple of close calls and a shoot out or two on the way would sure have livened this thing up. And the scene where she shoots 10s of snakes? Please. It seemed like a cartoon. Eventually, I just wanted the damn long camping trip to end. It wasn't plot it was just a bunch of words with no action. You know, I was going to go on with what else could have fixed the lame plot but I just can't care.
All that being said I do usually enjoy this author's work and will not hold this not so good one against her but will try the next one.
Some of the decisions the hero made didn't make much sense. He's been hot on the trail of these bad guys for 3 years but he stops to bury an old man then goes for the doctor after a train wreck when there was a whole train full of people who could have gone. The author makes a point of saying that the hero has buried all his emotions so it didn't really ring true that he didn't ignore all this and chase the bad guys as quick as he could. When he finally rescues the girl then goes back to scatter their horses he doesn't shoot one or two of the drunk guys while he can. We're told that he practices all the time with his gun but he can't shoot 5 sleeping drunks?
The worst part of the whole lame plot thing is that after he rescues the girl they spend 5 weeks wandering in circles trying to confuse the bad guys. The excuse is that the bad guys will catch them if he tries to make it to Denver. I'd think if he could hide from them for weeks while going in circles then he could hide her well enough on the trail to Denver, and I'd have had more respect for his character. A couple of close calls and a shoot out or two on the way would sure have livened this thing up. And the scene where she shoots 10s of snakes? Please. It seemed like a cartoon. Eventually, I just wanted the damn long camping trip to end. It wasn't plot it was just a bunch of words with no action. You know, I was going to go on with what else could have fixed the lame plot but I just can't care.
All that being said I do usually enjoy this author's work and will not hold this not so good one against her but will try the next one.
January 8, 2020
#TopFav loved it
Overall Audible rating
5 out of 5 starsPerformance 5 out of 5 starsStory 5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed: 01-06-20
The narrator did a fantastic job. Inflection, tone and emotion came through great. The different voices of the many different characters was amazing.
The trauma that both Matthew and Eden lived through was something out your worst nightmare.
The evil that exists in the world back then was portrayed in a terrifying way.
The Sebastian Brothers were evil personified.
Matthew had to show such bravery and perseverance. Eden lived through something that would normally break the strongest man. She had steel running through her veins.
I normally have a hard time with widower stories as I feel the hero doesn't let go and give the heroine a real chance to show their love is just as important. Matthew did struggle yet the way that these two fell into an amazing friendship first proved that love can bloom and grow anywhere.
That if you open a window in your heart, the light of love will fill all the cracks and spaces yet the people who live there aren't gone. They just live among the memories and in the new light of love.
This was beautiful, this was suspenseful and this was just everything I love in a romance.
Again Catherine Anderson proves she's a queen.
🌺 🌻 🌼 🌷
Overall Audible rating
5 out of 5 starsPerformance 5 out of 5 starsStory 5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed: 01-06-20
The narrator did a fantastic job. Inflection, tone and emotion came through great. The different voices of the many different characters was amazing.
The trauma that both Matthew and Eden lived through was something out your worst nightmare.
The evil that exists in the world back then was portrayed in a terrifying way.
The Sebastian Brothers were evil personified.
Matthew had to show such bravery and perseverance. Eden lived through something that would normally break the strongest man. She had steel running through her veins.
I normally have a hard time with widower stories as I feel the hero doesn't let go and give the heroine a real chance to show their love is just as important. Matthew did struggle yet the way that these two fell into an amazing friendship first proved that love can bloom and grow anywhere.
That if you open a window in your heart, the light of love will fill all the cracks and spaces yet the people who live there aren't gone. They just live among the memories and in the new light of love.
This was beautiful, this was suspenseful and this was just everything I love in a romance.
Again Catherine Anderson proves she's a queen.
🌺 🌻 🌼 🌷
September 23, 2011
I'm sad. Catherine Anderson has gone from "rush to the bookstore and buy it the day it gets out" to "wait to find it at the used book store" to "only buy it if I find it at the thrift store or library book sale". I used to buy her books and devour them in a day. Instead, I had to push myself to finish this one, and I end up skimming the last third of the book.
Felt like another re-run to me. And the constant going in circles for weeks on end drove me crazy. I wanted to hero and heroine to just go to a city and have the standoff already. I also felt the heroine got over her abuse a bit too easily. Anderson has handled to topic of sexual assault before, and better than this. Also, I wondered why the hero couldn't take on the bad guys while they were asleep / passed out from drinking too much. Even if he had to save the heroine, why not get her out safely and then shoot them all? The element of surprise should have give him enough of an edge to kill them all before they managed to kill him, especially if he was as good with a gun as he claimed to be.
What makes me really sad about this is that Catherine Anderson has written some of my desert island keepers. The only thing positive I have to say is that it wasn't preachy. This is going straight into my "return for trade" box.
Felt like another re-run to me. And the constant going in circles for weeks on end drove me crazy. I wanted to hero and heroine to just go to a city and have the standoff already. I also felt the heroine got over her abuse a bit too easily. Anderson has handled to topic of sexual assault before, and better than this. Also, I wondered why the hero couldn't take on the bad guys while they were asleep / passed out from drinking too much. Even if he had to save the heroine, why not get her out safely and then shoot them all? The element of surprise should have give him enough of an edge to kill them all before they managed to kill him, especially if he was as good with a gun as he claimed to be.
What makes me really sad about this is that Catherine Anderson has written some of my desert island keepers. The only thing positive I have to say is that it wasn't preachy. This is going straight into my "return for trade" box.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 7, 2020
Another very emotional CA book. There were a few repetitive things in this book that had been in the book before, summer breeze, which I found a bit frustrating. I think I liked this more than the previous book but not as much as the first.
May 1, 2010
Just didn't do much for me. I wasn't impressed at all. I've read better by Anderson. The plot I thought had potential but it just seemed to drag on way too long.
February 22, 2010
I love Catherine Anderson and I really enjoyed this book, but for me it's not up to par with the other books to this series.
September 30, 2017
Eden Paxton tidak menyangka dirinya akan diculik oleh Geng Sebastian yg keji. Setelah 5 hari disiksa mereka, Eden ditolong oleh seorang pria, Matthew Coulter. Dan selama perjalanan mereka yg menghindari Geng Sebastian, tumbuh bibit-bibit cinta. Namun ada halangan diantara mereka yaitu kenangan Matthew terhadap mantan istrinya, Olivia, yg dibunuh keji oleh Geng Sebastian. Dapatkah mereka menjalani kebahagiaan bersama tanpa masa lalu kelam membayangi mereka?
Separuh awal novel ini berjalan lambat dan membosankan bagi saya. Cara Matthew menempuh perjalanan bersama Eden nyaris mirip Musa menggiring bangsa Israel ke Tanah Perjanjian, bertele-tele dan berputar-putar di daerah itu-itu saja dan nyaris gak beranjak dari hutan ganas menyebalkan tsb. Karakter Matthew terlalu "manis" sbg pria normal makin membuat greget di novel ini makin pudar saja. Belum lagi kegalauan dan kekukuhan Matthew utk mengenang almarhumah istrinya. Saya pribadi agak sangsi bisa berjiwa seperti Eden yg merelakan memori mendiang istrinya masih bercokol di benak Matthew.
Eden sendiri juga digambarkan sbg wanita tegar yg bisa menjaga diri sendiri (Eden seorg wanita jago tembak), walau kadang citra Eden adalah gabungan wanita kuat sekaligus rapuh. Saya tidak masalah dgn sifat Eden yg impulsif dan pemarah, tapi saya kesal juga dgn petuah Ace Keegan bhw sbg wanita dewasa, Eden jangan mengebiri pria yg dicintainya, dgn cintanya. Well, ini mirip ajaran Yesus, jika kau ditampar pipi kiri maka berikanlah pipi kananmu. Sbg wanita, kita tidak "mengebiri" pria secara non harfiah, tapi memberikan arahan supaya pria tsb tidak melakukan hal-hal tolol yg akan disesali di kemudian hari.
Separuh awal novel ini berjalan lambat dan membosankan bagi saya. Cara Matthew menempuh perjalanan bersama Eden nyaris mirip Musa menggiring bangsa Israel ke Tanah Perjanjian, bertele-tele dan berputar-putar di daerah itu-itu saja dan nyaris gak beranjak dari hutan ganas menyebalkan tsb. Karakter Matthew terlalu "manis" sbg pria normal makin membuat greget di novel ini makin pudar saja. Belum lagi kegalauan dan kekukuhan Matthew utk mengenang almarhumah istrinya. Saya pribadi agak sangsi bisa berjiwa seperti Eden yg merelakan memori mendiang istrinya masih bercokol di benak Matthew.
Eden sendiri juga digambarkan sbg wanita tegar yg bisa menjaga diri sendiri (Eden seorg wanita jago tembak), walau kadang citra Eden adalah gabungan wanita kuat sekaligus rapuh. Saya tidak masalah dgn sifat Eden yg impulsif dan pemarah, tapi saya kesal juga dgn petuah Ace Keegan bhw sbg wanita dewasa, Eden jangan mengebiri pria yg dicintainya, dgn cintanya. Well, ini mirip ajaran Yesus, jika kau ditampar pipi kiri maka berikanlah pipi kananmu. Sbg wanita, kita tidak "mengebiri" pria secara non harfiah, tapi memberikan arahan supaya pria tsb tidak melakukan hal-hal tolol yg akan disesali di kemudian hari.
April 13, 2018
This story is an emotionally love story and I couldn't help but feel bad for both of them. This story tells about their journey of surviving in the middle of nowhere while running away from the Sebastian Brothers. The bond between them started to develop but not too fast n not too slow either. Just perfect. Why? This is not the typical love story when the girl was brutally raped or touched by someone, but after being saved by the hero, she felt safe around him. No!!!! It took more than a few chapters to make Eden trusted him and slowly, she let him helped her. I love it when Matthew realized he started to develop feelings for Eden but pushed it aside because he couldn't bear betraying his love for his first wife. While Eden, even though she knew Matthew still loves his wife, she respected it and tried so hard not to make it gone. She's not a selfish heroine who wants the hero all by herself n the way they respected each other is unspeakable. Love this story. 4.5/5 for me!
January 20, 2012
I wish it hadn't taken me so long to finish this book,it took me awhile to get into the story but it wasn't the books fault. I also wanted to note that I added this to my "rape" shelf even though the h wasn't raped. The h was used as the bad guys nightly entertainment but they stopped just shy of actually penetrating her because they wanted to sell her, with her virginity in tact,across the boarder. She still has had all of the emotional issues to.deal with through out the book.
Eden,(h) was on a train with her mother heading towords her brother Ace, and a new life. After her intended found out she was a bastard, he broke off their engagement and spread rumors about her,making it impossible for her and her mother to continue to live there. Along the way her train is held up and she is taken captive.
Mathew (h) has been on the Sabastian gangs trail ever since they attacked and killed his wife and leaving him for dead. After years of near misses he's finally close enough to end this. That was until he saw that they had a young woman with them and watched what they were doing to her. Now he has to save her and get her to saftey before he can return to his vengeance. He also has to find a way to keep Eden from getting under his skin,he swore over his dead wife's grave that he would live her forever and he would make those responsible for her death pay....and pay big. He has no time and nothing else to give to anyone or anything else.
Eden,(h) was on a train with her mother heading towords her brother Ace, and a new life. After her intended found out she was a bastard, he broke off their engagement and spread rumors about her,making it impossible for her and her mother to continue to live there. Along the way her train is held up and she is taken captive.
Mathew (h) has been on the Sabastian gangs trail ever since they attacked and killed his wife and leaving him for dead. After years of near misses he's finally close enough to end this. That was until he saw that they had a young woman with them and watched what they were doing to her. Now he has to save her and get her to saftey before he can return to his vengeance. He also has to find a way to keep Eden from getting under his skin,he swore over his dead wife's grave that he would live her forever and he would make those responsible for her death pay....and pay big. He has no time and nothing else to give to anyone or anything else.
March 26, 2011
I used to like Catherine Anderson when I was younger. Her blend of psychologically scarred, fiesty heroines and strong, gentle heros made her a comfort-read for me.
Now, though, I think the writing is too basic and simple. She doesn't really capture the true essence of a romance because... well, because the hero and heroine talk about every single silly issue that they have so that they are always perfectly understood, and so that they never have any conflict with each other. In a nutshell, what I didn't like about this book was that the characters were too perfect. Oh, she tried to make them flawed, both psychologically and personality-wise, but it just fell flat because their actions showed how loving/perfect they were. Eden and Matthew talked and became comfortable enough with each other - over a period of a few days - that it was as though they had been married for years. And they hammered out every. single. detail. that might have ever become a problem between them. And then Anderson spoon fed that mash to us as though we were newborns.
All right, so maybe I'm being a little harsh here, or maybe it was just this specific novel. I definitely do still want to read more of her books so I can try to recapture the feeling that I had when I was younger (and likely less cynical). But do romances really have to be this cheesy?
Now, though, I think the writing is too basic and simple. She doesn't really capture the true essence of a romance because... well, because the hero and heroine talk about every single silly issue that they have so that they are always perfectly understood, and so that they never have any conflict with each other. In a nutshell, what I didn't like about this book was that the characters were too perfect. Oh, she tried to make them flawed, both psychologically and personality-wise, but it just fell flat because their actions showed how loving/perfect they were. Eden and Matthew talked and became comfortable enough with each other - over a period of a few days - that it was as though they had been married for years. And they hammered out every. single. detail. that might have ever become a problem between them. And then Anderson spoon fed that mash to us as though we were newborns.
All right, so maybe I'm being a little harsh here, or maybe it was just this specific novel. I definitely do still want to read more of her books so I can try to recapture the feeling that I had when I was younger (and likely less cynical). But do romances really have to be this cheesy?
May 30, 2010
I like Western historical romances and good ones are hard to find. (On a side note - for that matter - I'm looking anxiously forward to L. Lael Miller writing another winner some time soon).
I've always enjoyed C. Anderson's books, but not lately.
However, with this one she has gone back - a bit - to the "freshness" of her earlier books. Overall this was a good classic Western story. No need to go looking too much for a sense of realism, it's lacking in that department, but then it's mainly a romance story and in that the author did ok. Simply put; I let the story & characters come to me and enjoyed it.
I've always enjoyed C. Anderson's books, but not lately.
However, with this one she has gone back - a bit - to the "freshness" of her earlier books. Overall this was a good classic Western story. No need to go looking too much for a sense of realism, it's lacking in that department, but then it's mainly a romance story and in that the author did ok. Simply put; I let the story & characters come to me and enjoyed it.
August 4, 2014
Really enjoyed this one! A different pace than the other books I've read by CA, but a sweet read nonetheless.. I liked the fact that Matthew didn't pressure Eden for anything and that she didn't fall in lust with him right away, which would have been too improbable give what she'd been through (it was still a little fast, IMO, but then again, it is fiction and they are travelling together!)..
Not my fave in the Coulter's Historicals (that would be Keegan's Lady), but a solid 4*!
Not my fave in the Coulter's Historicals (that would be Keegan's Lady), but a solid 4*!
February 8, 2010
This was a great book, I flew through it. I love everything Catherine Anderson has ever written and this book did not disapoint. I like that she has written some of her books in a series, when she writes a new one it is like visiting an old friend once again. I had to do nothing at home for a day and one half so that I could read this book from front to back, I don't do that often. You really must read her books if you have not read them before!
March 5, 2014
Confesso que li com um pé atrás, as descobrir que envolvia estupro. Mas esta é uma história de superação, onde Matthew e Eden Paxton, em que ambos fecham as portas para um passado de sofrimento. De certa forma, fala de milagres, dos presentes que Deus, às vezes nos envia e que quem os aceita, são felizardos.
July 11, 2014
Started out great and had a lot of potential. Unfortunately, it didn't quite live up to it. It got a little boring in places and it would have been nice to have a little more action going on. I'm torn between a 3 and 4 but decided to stick with a 3 due to the slow boring parts that had me skimming.
January 9, 2010
Not my favorite of Catherine Anderson's books. This book dragged for me. I didn't even find much entertainment in the relationship between Matthew and Eden. Overly long and drawn out.
October 7, 2020
This book is a wonderful book by Catherine Anderson.
Eden Paxton is onboard a train traveling with her mother Dory going home to No Name Colorado. After leaving San Francisco because of a broken engagement. Instead of Eden feeling heartbroken she's just angry. She couldn't believe how John couldn't stand up to his parent's when it came to her.
She wonders if she was ever really in love with him or if she was in love with the thought of being in love. While her and her mother are getting ready to go to the dining car after inviting a young mother and her child to go with them, the train comes to a jarring stop.
Next thing you know they are being boarded by outlaws and Eden is protecting the young mother and the child with her body because one of the robbers is going to kill them both because the child won't stop crying. Because of her defiance and her beautiful looks she is taken hostage. After the robbers have killed three people and taken all the possessions they drag Eden with them.
Matthew Coulter and his wife Olivia (Livvey) were picnicking on their property near the creek when the Sebastians the same outlaw group that has taken Eden come upon them. Matthew has no weapons nor do they have any valuables to give these men. They decide to Olivia instead, they beat Matthew so bad he's unable to help Livvey. He hears her begging and screaming for him to save her and then silence. After being asleep for days, Matthew wakes up to find out that his wife and unborn child have been killed by the Sebastians.
Matthew vows that he's going to hunt these men down and make them pay for what they have done to his wife and to what they have done to him. He always promised Olivia he would protect her, however that day he failed her in his mind. After chasing these men for three years he comes across the train and realizes he's never been closer to catching the Sebastians. He realizes they have just robbed the train and he's only a hour or two behind them.
Dory see's Matthew and begs him to find Eden, he is also told there's a man on board that needs a doctor and they ask him to go to the nearest town and fetch the law and a doctor. By the time Matthew can pursue the chase he's over eight hours behind them now. Matthew follow their trail and bides his time to go in and rescue Eden. These men torment her and do everything to her except rape her, for they plan on selling her in Mexico. Thus this is the beginning of Matthew and Eden's story. You will come to love these two, as much as I did. Love can trump anything that is thrown at you.
Eden Paxton is onboard a train traveling with her mother Dory going home to No Name Colorado. After leaving San Francisco because of a broken engagement. Instead of Eden feeling heartbroken she's just angry. She couldn't believe how John couldn't stand up to his parent's when it came to her.
She wonders if she was ever really in love with him or if she was in love with the thought of being in love. While her and her mother are getting ready to go to the dining car after inviting a young mother and her child to go with them, the train comes to a jarring stop.
Next thing you know they are being boarded by outlaws and Eden is protecting the young mother and the child with her body because one of the robbers is going to kill them both because the child won't stop crying. Because of her defiance and her beautiful looks she is taken hostage. After the robbers have killed three people and taken all the possessions they drag Eden with them.
Matthew Coulter and his wife Olivia (Livvey) were picnicking on their property near the creek when the Sebastians the same outlaw group that has taken Eden come upon them. Matthew has no weapons nor do they have any valuables to give these men. They decide to Olivia instead, they beat Matthew so bad he's unable to help Livvey. He hears her begging and screaming for him to save her and then silence. After being asleep for days, Matthew wakes up to find out that his wife and unborn child have been killed by the Sebastians.
Matthew vows that he's going to hunt these men down and make them pay for what they have done to his wife and to what they have done to him. He always promised Olivia he would protect her, however that day he failed her in his mind. After chasing these men for three years he comes across the train and realizes he's never been closer to catching the Sebastians. He realizes they have just robbed the train and he's only a hour or two behind them.
Dory see's Matthew and begs him to find Eden, he is also told there's a man on board that needs a doctor and they ask him to go to the nearest town and fetch the law and a doctor. By the time Matthew can pursue the chase he's over eight hours behind them now. Matthew follow their trail and bides his time to go in and rescue Eden. These men torment her and do everything to her except rape her, for they plan on selling her in Mexico. Thus this is the beginning of Matthew and Eden's story. You will come to love these two, as much as I did. Love can trump anything that is thrown at you.
June 25, 2018
Overall Response
This is one of those so-so kind of books. It's an interesting story with mostly engaging characters, but there are portions of the book that just seem to drag on forever, and there are some tropes that I'm not a huge fan of. The writing is fine. I think my general lack of love for this book is more that it failed to connect with me. It's one of those subjective things where I'm sure there are lot of people who would give this book a five-star rating because Catherine Anderson writes this genre very well.
Spoilers Ahead
This is definitely a trope issue for me. Eden is kidnapped and then sexually assaulted early in the book, and the author gives us not exactly a play by play, but just enough that I kind of look away. I'm not annoyed or put out that she's acknowledged the horrors that Eden experienced, but earlier this year I read a book that went into insane graphic detail about a character's brutal gang rape, and I think I'm just sort of sensitive to it right now. I don't remember that it bothered me as much the first time I read it.
The second issue I have is towards the end when Eden tells Matthew that she doesn't want him to go off hunting the Sebastians again. Matthew seems to understand, but he's going anyway, and it looks like a really good, crunchy conflict for them. And then Eden is read for filth by her brothers for having given the ultimatum. It just rubbed me the wrong way that Eden backed down, and I would have preferred they both stick to their guns. Maybe Eden could have found a way to communicate and written, and Matthew could have returned on his own, etc. I just didn't like that Eden's brothers cast her in the wrong -- she is not insane for wanting Matthew to choose her and their future, and that's how they make her feel.
I also think they dragged out the chase way too long. I didn't buy that the Sebastian gang would have kept hunting them or that Matthew couldn't have figured another way to get them to safety. I don't know how else it would have unfolded, but it was starting to inch towards boring as the characters did the same thing over and over again.
What I did like was how well Eden and Matthew were written. None of my issues with this book are with the characters or the romance, just the plot.
This is one of those so-so kind of books. It's an interesting story with mostly engaging characters, but there are portions of the book that just seem to drag on forever, and there are some tropes that I'm not a huge fan of. The writing is fine. I think my general lack of love for this book is more that it failed to connect with me. It's one of those subjective things where I'm sure there are lot of people who would give this book a five-star rating because Catherine Anderson writes this genre very well.
Spoilers Ahead
This is definitely a trope issue for me. Eden is kidnapped and then sexually assaulted early in the book, and the author gives us not exactly a play by play, but just enough that I kind of look away. I'm not annoyed or put out that she's acknowledged the horrors that Eden experienced, but earlier this year I read a book that went into insane graphic detail about a character's brutal gang rape, and I think I'm just sort of sensitive to it right now. I don't remember that it bothered me as much the first time I read it.
The second issue I have is towards the end when Eden tells Matthew that she doesn't want him to go off hunting the Sebastians again. Matthew seems to understand, but he's going anyway, and it looks like a really good, crunchy conflict for them. And then Eden is read for filth by her brothers for having given the ultimatum. It just rubbed me the wrong way that Eden backed down, and I would have preferred they both stick to their guns. Maybe Eden could have found a way to communicate and written, and Matthew could have returned on his own, etc. I just didn't like that Eden's brothers cast her in the wrong -- she is not insane for wanting Matthew to choose her and their future, and that's how they make her feel.
I also think they dragged out the chase way too long. I didn't buy that the Sebastian gang would have kept hunting them or that Matthew couldn't have figured another way to get them to safety. I don't know how else it would have unfolded, but it was starting to inch towards boring as the characters did the same thing over and over again.
What I did like was how well Eden and Matthew were written. None of my issues with this book are with the characters or the romance, just the plot.
January 31, 2018
...'Well, butter my a** and call me a biscuit!'... 'You get kind of dirty when trying to run polecats to ground.'...
These kinds of phrases are a representation of the type of dialogue that runs throughout this book. My family had quite a laugh one evening from a few of these...
The book started out with a bit of promise, but after the first 50 pages or so, I began to get frustrated with both of the main characters. I wondered why the hero sneaks into the drunk and sleeping villains' camp to rescue the heroine, and then when he sneaks back in to scatter their horses he shoots 3 shots INTO THE AIR to spook the horses instead of doing away with 3 of the 5 sleeping villains! They then proceed to "wander in circles" across the countryside for endless weeks to avoid getting caught... and they don't even "hook up" until the last 50 pages or so of the book. There is very little romance in this book, and I disagree with another reviewer... it is definitely not a tear-jerker, IMO. I think the book is too long, and it's very repetitive in the middle. It could easily have been 100 pages shorter.
I also found it very creepy that the heroine repeatedly insists on naming their baby after the hero's dead wife... so that they can "remember her"... eewww!
These kinds of phrases are a representation of the type of dialogue that runs throughout this book. My family had quite a laugh one evening from a few of these...
The book started out with a bit of promise, but after the first 50 pages or so, I began to get frustrated with both of the main characters. I wondered why the hero sneaks into the drunk and sleeping villains' camp to rescue the heroine, and then when he sneaks back in to scatter their horses he shoots 3 shots INTO THE AIR to spook the horses instead of doing away with 3 of the 5 sleeping villains! They then proceed to "wander in circles" across the countryside for endless weeks to avoid getting caught... and they don't even "hook up" until the last 50 pages or so of the book. There is very little romance in this book, and I disagree with another reviewer... it is definitely not a tear-jerker, IMO. I think the book is too long, and it's very repetitive in the middle. It could easily have been 100 pages shorter.
I also found it very creepy that the heroine repeatedly insists on naming their baby after the hero's dead wife... so that they can "remember her"... eewww!
December 1, 2020
In Catherine Anderson's Early Dawn, the 4th installment in the Coulters Historical romance series, this beautiful romance is so well-written and brought tears to my eyes. In the late 1880s, Matthew Coulter lost his wife and his unborn child, when he nearly lost his life from battling the Sebastian brothers. He vowed revenge for his late wife's death, no matter how long it would take. In 1890, Eden Saxton rides the train to No Name Colorado with her mother, escaping from a scandal on her lineage, and dealing with a broken engagement. Along the way, the train gets held up by the Sebastian gang and takes her for hostage... later, they would have their way with her and sell her over the border. Matthew Coulter comes to the train robbery and follows their path to the camp to rescue Eden. From there, they both escape them in the wild west and find a brewing connection together, both holding onto the past. During the past month or so, they dealt with dangers from the wilderness and surviving the elements, when a growing romance sparks between them that's hotter than a campfire. First later, then lovers, their passion heats up while Matthew's vow to seek revenge stands in the way for new romance. In the end, will they let go of the past or start living life for the future together?
September 16, 2020
A dnf at chapter 4. So far I'm 25% into the book and every chapter is about a woman being brutally gang raped, totured and killed ( first woman) or brutally sexually assaulted and abused but without actual penetration for days on end (second woman). They don't actually penetrate her because they're taking her down to Mexico to sell her to a brothel. Apparently brothel owners prefer virgins. Who knew they had such high standards. In fact who knew drunken murders and rapist would have such a keen business sense and self control they'd stop.
Frankly I have my suspicion. I think they want to keep her a virgin for the hero. Apparently hero's also prefer virgins. How fortunate for the heroine of this sordid little tale to wind up in a book where degradation, beatings and sexual abuse by five murdering degenerates were all that happened to her.
This writer is off my list. Obviously.
Frankly I have my suspicion. I think they want to keep her a virgin for the hero. Apparently hero's also prefer virgins. How fortunate for the heroine of this sordid little tale to wind up in a book where degradation, beatings and sexual abuse by five murdering degenerates were all that happened to her.
This writer is off my list. Obviously.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 5, 2018
After breaking off their engagement, Eden Paxton's fiance spreads so many rumors about her that she is forced to leave San Francisco. Her pride bruised, an angry Eden heads for the wilds of Colorado to live with her half brothers. But murderous outlaws cut the trip short when they kidnap her, intending to sell her across the Mexican border.Ever since a gang murdered his wife, Matthew Coulter cannot see a woman being mistreated without vowing to rescue her—and exacting vengeance against the evildoers. So when he spots Eden with the ruffians, Matthew takes fierce, focused action to save her.
As Eden and Matthew run for their lives, she recognizes a kind heart beneath Matthew's rugged exterior. But she wonders which will win out: his obsession with revenge—or their growing passion for each other.
As Eden and Matthew run for their lives, she recognizes a kind heart beneath Matthew's rugged exterior. But she wonders which will win out: his obsession with revenge—or their growing passion for each other.
September 25, 2019
This story was set in 1887 when the west was still young. It started in Oregon when Matthew and his wife went on a picnic and were ambushed by the Sebastian brothers, and they pistol whipped Matthew shot him and left him for dead and raped and killed his wife. When he awoke from the beating at his mother's house some three weeks later and found out what had happened he vowed to get revenge. Most of it took place in Colorado, after they had robbed a train, killed some of the passengers and kidnapped Eden. When Matthew tracked them to the train and learned what the robbers had done, he made it his job to find them and rescue Eden. He did, exactly, that but keeping them safe from these killers wasn't easy. The story tells of the hardships they endured and how everything turned out for the two of them. First trust, then friendship, and then love. A good little romance!
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