Full RTC

I teetered on 3 or 4 stars, but went with 4 because I liked that the hero was deaf. You don't see that very often and it was refreshing to see a hero like him. I don't know what it is about the Mystic Creek series (I don't remember which other ones I've read) but each book I've had a hard time getting into the story. This one was no different. I usually love Catherine Anderson's stories, but I'm just not a fan of the Mystic Creek series. Her writing is great, just not connecting with the story. This story bugged me because it focused on three different couples and I really just wanted to know (and see) more from Erin and Wyatt.

Good book. This continues the story of Wyatt and Erin that began in Strawberry Hill. It is full of deep emotions, self-discovery, and facing some hard decisions. Some lighter moments show the good side of living in a small town.

Erin is an attractive but intense deputy who seems to look at life as a competition that she has to win. There were many times in the first part of the book when I wanted to shake her and tell her to lighten up. But the more I learned of her past, the more I understood where she was coming from, and rooted for her to let go of her past. Erin moved from the city to the small town because her experiences there made her question her role as a cop. Unfortunately, though the pace is slower and the crime rate lower, she still questions her future. She also is attracted to her uncle's ranch foreman, Wyatt. However, nothing she does gets a similar response from him.

Wyatt is the ranch foreman. He has been deaf his whole life, but reads lips and has taught himself to speak almost as well as a hearing person. He's great with horses and has been known to gentle the most stubborn animals. He also watches out for his younger brother Kennedy, who works on the ranch part-time while he goes to college. Wyatt is attracted to Erin, but a life-altering event seven years earlier made him swear off women and relationships. Resisting Erin becomes more difficult the more often he is around her.

I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Wyatt and Erin. After a major misunderstanding brought on by well-meaning, but erroneous information from Kennedy, Erin and Wyatt agree to be friends. I liked seeing their friendship blossom once Erin gave up the constant come-ons. Wyatt's deafness allowed him to develop in other ways, and his empathy ratings are off the charts. I loved the way he saw Erin so clearly and tried to help her understand how her past still affects her life. When Erin hit a wall in her law enforcement career, causing her to reevaluate her life, Wyatt was there for her. At first, he wasn't too happy about her working for him on the ranch, as her proximity was a greater temptation. He also had to deal with her competitive nature, and find a way to get her past it. I loved the method he found, and how well it worked.

I ached for Erin almost as much as I wanted to smack her at times. Her entire life was spent trying to please her father. She went into law enforcement because of him. She has bottled up her emotions because of him. Her need to be better than everyone else is because of him. She is miserably unhappy as a cop but sticks it out because she doesn't want to disappoint him by quitting. That is until one heart-breaking event turns out to be the last straw and she turns in her badge. Her Uncle Slade gives her a job as a ranch hand and turns her over to Wyatt. Erin still can't let go of her need to be the fastest, smartest, best, and puts herself and others in danger because of it. Her stubbornness makes her ignore all attempts to help her, as she sees them as slurs on her capability. It takes nearly being fired for her to realize that she needs to change. I loved how Wyatt used an abused horse to get through to her.

Both Wyatt and Erin have let their pasts define their lives. I loved seeing the changes in Erin as she realizes how badly her parents' actions have affected her. Once that barrier is broken down, Erin finds it much easier to let go of her intense need to be the best. I loved her patience with the horse and how she sees parallels between them. The event in Wyatt's past that affected him so profoundly is heartbreaking. His reason for avoiding relationships is understandable and I ached for his belief that happiness is not in the cards for him. He has gone seven years successfully avoiding temptation, but Erin puts an end to that. She stirs him up, and resisting her becomes more difficult. A little matchmaking interference from Slade and Vicki throws Erin and Wyatt together in the wilderness, where there's no way to get away from each other. I loved seeing the sparks build between them. There's a slight hiccup when Erin confesses something to Wyatt, but Wyatt's anger is short-lived when Erin ends up in danger. It's an intense time but helps break down the final barriers between them.

There is a secondary romance going on between Erin's friend Julie and the pawnshop owner, Blackie. Julie has been interested in him for a long time, but he seems oblivious to it. She is surprised to discover that he is also interested, but is resistant because there is a twenty-year age difference between them. I enjoyed seeing their relationship grow. Blackie is young for his age, and a really sweet guy. He also becomes very protective of Julie. There is a fantastic section as he takes care of her when she goes down with a virus. There are some rough patches as they work their way through what each is looking for in a relationship, but it's easy to see that they belong together. Though they see their lives going down a particular path, it's always fun to see when Fate throws a bump in the road. This specific bump was a complete surprise and forced some self-examination on both their parts. The conclusion was not unexpected, and I look forward to seeing them in future books.

Wyatt's brother, Kennedy, has some page time of his own. He is a terrific young man, responsible, kind, and with a good head on his shoulders. I liked his dedication to his studies, and to the work he does on the ranch. On a rare trip into town, he rescued a young woman who was being threatened by her ex-boyfriend. Though she's only a senior in high school, Jen is just as focused as Kennedy, and they develop a friendship. Kennedy is a bit wary because he's older than she is. I liked their interactions as Kennedy frequents the hamburger drive-in where Jen works. It's Kennedy's friendship with her and knowing the type of person she is that makes him realize that something is very wrong when he arrives one evening and she isn't there. I ached for them both because of what happened. Kennedy's kindness and maturity are showcased in the following days and weeks, as he is there for Jen when she needs him. I hope that there will be more about them in future books.

There are also some fun moments with the ranch's rescue bear, Four-Toes. His story began in the previous book when he was rescued as a cub. His encounter with Jen is pretty funny and unexpectedly leads to a change for him, too.

I am a massive fan of this author and her books always go to the top of my reading list when a new one is brought out. This one did not disappoint, I like this author's writing because it's not all about the romance, there is a story to it and it builds slowly. Although this story in the description says it's about Erin and Whyatt it's actually also about Erin's best Friend Julie and the romance with the porn broker Blacky. the two romances interchange well and it's lovely to see the couples slowly finding themselves.

This book was a bummer. I’ve read and enjoyed the rest of the series (for the most part) so wanted to power through but it was a struggle.

Things I liked:
- differently abled hero
- heroine goes to therapy
- the animals (dog, horse, bears)
- MCs in their thirties

Things I did not like
- so many side plots and switching perspectives
- lots of unhealthy discussion of food and body dysmorphia, for male and female characters
- heroine’s parents are cartoon villains but we never see or hear from them
- heroine has been going to therapy for years but learns more in one session training a horse
- everyone is so damaged and self loathing
- unnecessary assault of a side character to set up a future damaged heroine??
- a lot of telling rather than showing in the characters development
- two characters who have a mature conversation about how they love their lives the way things are and don’t want kids get pregnant after one shot and a BC mix up and of course now they want to have multiple kids as soon as possible

Based on where we left the residents of Mystic Creek I’m assuming Wyatt’s brother Kennedy will get a book at some point with poor Jen. Not sure I’ll read on.

I think Wyatt is my favorite of all the Sterling men. His backstory is heartbreaking and only punctuated by his deafness. Erin is a spitfire for sure, though she took me longer to enjoy due to her need to ignore the “work smarter not harder” advice. I understood where she was coming from, but at times she still annoyed me. In the end though, it was her heart that won me over.

I have a feeling the next book will be about Jonas.

*Spoilers ahead* There were aspects that I would love to see other authors tackle, but this overall felt shallow, superficial, and like it was trying to be three books at once. It loses almost all stars for using rape as a plot device and a way for other characters to grow without giving due respect to the victims themselves. Not worth the read, and my last book by this author.