Review of Mulberry Moon (Mystic Creek #3) by Catherine Anderson
Mulberry Moon is the third book in the series Mystic Creek.
Ben Stirling is looking forward to settling down after a career on the rodeo circuit. He longs for a family on his ranch, but finding the right woman is elusive. The only woman to truly catch his attention seems to want nothing to do with him.
Sissy Sue Bentley owns the local cafe after inheriting it from her aunt. She has only had bad experiences with men, from her father to the worthless men she dated that only wanted one thing. Ben is interested, but Sissy doesn't trust his intentions. But then he's there when she needs help, and she's losing the fight to deny her attraction.
They dive deeper into each other until Sissy's past comes barrelling back into her life.
Trigger Warning: Attempted rape.
This book wasn't as good as the first two, but I still enjoyed it.
Ben was a bit of a perfect hero, something frowned upon but still happens and seems to happen a lot in Catherine Anderson's books. He also wasn't as deep of a character as I would have liked. There was detail to him but not layers. I liked him anyway and rooted for him to win over Sissy.
On the other hand, Sissy had layers and flaws. She had a tragic past that still affected her and her reaction to men interested in her. She longed for someone to love but didn't want that to be a man. The first thing she attached to made me laugh.
Mystic Creek as a setting was wonderfully built. The town, its businesses, and its residents were vivid and vibrant. I enjoyed reading about them. The only criticism I had of this was the character with the last name Black that she nicknamed "Blackie." Why would she think that was okay? And why didn't anyone say something about her choice? I know it's a play on his last name, but still. Not a good choice. Other than that, the setting was fantastic.
The descriptions were great, everything from the setting, to the action, and the people. It was all well-done. I enjoyed the pictures she painted and could envision the scenes as they happened.
Dialog was also wonderful. It delighted me to find little cheese, though there was some. It felt authentic for the characters and helped the story along. I enjoyed all the conversations as they furthered the story and revealed information about the characters. The first reveal of Sissy's tragic past happened in a conversation, not her thoughts. It happened in a way that was surprising, and I loved it.
All of this was in line with the two previous books. The piece that lacked for me was the story itself. I didn't feel it was as strong as Silver Thaw and New Leaf. The ending was a Chekov's gun in a way that I don't think she intended, and when it happened, I encountered a subject I didn't think I would in Catherine Anderson's books. Only the knowledge that it would end happily kept me reading. Other than that hot button topic for me, the book was very well-done.
Overall, the book was well-written, and I enjoyed Ben and Sissy's story.
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