Review of New Leaf (Mystic Creek #2) by Catherine Anderson
New Leaf is the second book in the series Mystic Creek.
Taffeta Brown is starting over in Mystic Creek, Oregon, after a betrayal by her wealthy husband ended in a brutal divorce. Her dream is to regain custody of her daughter and build a new life for them. She runs a small supplements shop and lives in an efficiency apartment above her store.
Barney Sterling is a sheriff's deputy who was born and raised in the small town of Mystic Creek. He takes his job seriously and prides himself on being honorable. He longs for a family—a wife and kids to share his large restored farmhouse and small ranch.
Late one night, Barney is called out to Taffy's store because her neighbors are complaining of loud music. Barney finds Taffy dancing in her apartment, not in her usual frumpy, shapeless clothes, but a skimpy slip. He's instantly attracted to her and pursues her by bringing her coffee and pastries to share his breakfast with her each morning. After asking her out and getting turned down, he moves on.
Despite Taffy's long-held attraction for Barney, her focus is on keeping her nose clean so she can get her daughter back. Then Taffy gets a phone call that sends her into a panic. She believes her ex-husband is being neglectful of their daughter and leaving Sarah in the hands of rough people. Taffy is determined to regain custody and needs every bit of help she can get.
Taffy comes up with an outrageous proposition for Barney: marry immediately to show a stable home environment for Sarah, then once Taffy gets custody, they can divorce. Barney is thrown for a loop and is instantly upset by her request, no matter how attracted to her he is. Then he looks into the matter and her pleas take on a new light.
Perhaps, with Barney's help, Taffy can have the miracle of a lifetime.
I read this book straight through without stopping. I worried I'd be disappointed after how wonderful Silver Thaw was, but this one was even better.
Taffy was a meek, humble woman who had been beaten down by life. After a lonely, unhappy childhood, she gave up her dreams to marry into a rich family, sure it was for love. But her husband ignored her, only using her as a prop. After he falsely accused her of child abuse and had her convicted, she lost everything important to her. Her hurts ran deep, making her a more interesting character. She fought her desires out of fear of more hurt and tried to keep her nose down to pursue the only dream that mattered to her.
Barney came across as superficial at first when his attraction to Taffy began with seeing her shadow against the curtains in sultry dance moves and her changed in the privacy of her home from a woman in shapeless clothing and no makeup to a sexy slip and appealing makeup. While that was how it started, he pursued her honestly and sweetly, and when he fell for her, it was for the right reasons. He wasn't as layered and deep as Taffy, but his desire to do right by her, and consequently Sarah, was heartwarming. His attempts to make everything happy for Taffy again slowly expanded his character from the superficial man at the beginning to a wonderfully warm and caring lover and potential father.
There was a bit of a lull in the plot in the middle, but it never got boring for me. Their post-wedding courtship, or rather seduction attempts by Taffy, had me smiling and laughing. Barney's insistence on not taking advantage of Taffy's gratitude despite their mutual attraction had me wanting to shake him. I cheered when they finally came together and became a true married couple instead of a show for the public and the courts.
When Sarah finally made an appearance more than halfway through the book, I was shocked at the state of her and the damage done to her by her father's neglect. My heart broke for Taffy as I read her anger and sadness through her eyes. Barney's unconditional support was sweet, but he made some misguided attempts to help that were upsetting and frustrating. I delighted in both their efforts to win Sarah over and rebuild Taffy's relationship with her after two years apart.
For me, everything about the writing was smooth and polished. The descriptions were superb and the dialog smooth and realistic. I found no fault in the techniques, and it let me get completely absorbed in the story without distraction.
I didn't think I could like this book more than Silver Thaw, but it quickly won me over. Catherine Anderson is a winner.
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