Customer Reviews

Always in My Heart

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I absolutely love Catherine Anderson and although this will not be among my favorites of hers, it was still a good read, with strong characters. Tucker and Ellie Grant divorced after the death of their oldest son, whom each felt guilt and blame over the tragic accident that killed him. 3 years later, the two remaining sons, run away into the mountains refusing to come back until their parents get back together, forcing Tucker and Ellie to spend time together tracking the boys to the place where they used to camp as a family. All along the way, they fight their old feelings, and discover some unknown truths about each other and thier family.....This story has some highly emotional moments which is the strength of the book. Usually, I re-read all of Anderson's books at least once, but for some reason, this one didn't pack the punch for me that her other stories have in the past. Still a good read, and one that I would recommend.

I rarely review books, but could not let the opportunity pass to comment on "Always in My Heart". I read this book prior to reading any other reviews, and was surprised by the critical editorial review listed above.

This is an excellent book with very well developed characters. Yes, a lot of the book is discussing the emotions of the main charachters, but that is what sets this book apart from many others.

If you enjoy a book with more depth than "fluff", this is an excellent book to read. This was my first Catherine Anderson novel and since I have purchased several of her previous books.

Enjoy!

Ellie and Tucker Grant had a marriage made in Heaven. Both are each other's first love, having been together since they were teenagers, and marry soon after. But the devastating loss of their eldest son rips a barrier in their relationship, and in the end, Tucker leaves and they divorce. No longer able to deal with the memories, Ellie sells the family home and moves a few hours away, taking their two sons with her.

Three years later, while the boys are staying with their father, she gets a call from Tucker, and finds that the boys have run away to the mountains of Oregon and will only come back if the parents work out the kinks in their relationship so they can be a family again.

When each parent brings a "significant other," the boys resort to "Parent Trap" antics to get rid of the superfluous adults. Stuck alone, Ellie and Tucker must rely on each other to find their children and bring them back to safety without killing each other in the process. As they spend time together, they finally realize that the lack of communication after Sammy's death took its toll on the whole family, and they are being offered a second chance to be a family again.

While a great premise, the story is very slow, with far too many long passages of dialog between the parents. How many times can they have the same conversation? And the dialog does not ring true, particularly for Tucker - it is so syrupy, that it's hard to reconcile such a macho man making constant poetic declarations of love. It is fraught with emotion that will bring tears to your eyes, but could easily have been trimmed by about 150 pages and been more compact and believable.

Catherine Anderson writes wonderful romances that are always compelling. She does a lovely job of developing Ellie and Tucker both so that they are interesting and sympathetic characters. They've suffered a devastating loss in their married lives that neither realize is impacting themselves and their children. The guilt both feel about the incident make them think that divorce is the answer to the problem. In the end, their children join forces to bring their parents together.

This is a perfect beach read, it is a lovely story that ends on a perfect note.

Ellie and Tucker Grant have been divorced for three years, ever since the death of their oldest son Sammy. Now their two younger sons Kody and Zack have taken matters into their own hands, and have run away from home, leaving a letter to their parents informing them that they will not come back unless Ellie and Tucker reconcile, and end this insanity that started ever since Sammy's death. They want their home and their family back.

And so the journey starts into the mountains in Oregon, as Tucker tracks down his kids, with Ellie coming along to help in any way she can. The journey is adventurous, sometimes funny, sometimes suspenseful, sometimes heart wrenching, but most importantly it is a journey of the heart and soul, as both Ellie and Tucker come to terms with the past, the hurt, and their undying love for each other.

I loved this book. The issues were not dealt with superficially, as would be the case in some other books, but rather in a realistic and in depth manner. A poignant, moving, romantic, and adventurous read, as Tucker and Ellie find their way back to each other, and to their kids.

The journey of the heart and the soul.

Tucker and Ellie Grant were high school sweethearts who married and had three children. However, the death of one of their kids led to the destruction of the relationship between Tucker and Ellie though their split is amiable. However, their two surviving sons Zach and Kody believe that their parents still love each in spite of the evidence that both have moved on with their lives in different ways with both dating others. Zach and Kody decide that Tucker and Ellie need a catalyst to bring them together just as the tragedy tore them apart.

The younger generation Grants run off to the Baxter Wilderness Area where the family used to camp out in happier times, but not before informing their father that they will remain in the Oregon woods until Tucker and Ellie come back to one another. Accompanying Tucker and Ellie on their trek is their current significant others though neither are welcomed. Will a family formed out of love find its way back to each other or will this incident place the final exclamation point to what once was?

ALWAYS IN MY HEART is an emotional family saga that focuses on the aftermath of a tragic event on the survivors. The story line succeeds because the Grant quartet seem very real as each one internally accepts the blame for Sammy's accidental death. Fans of passionate relationship dramas will want to read Catherine Anderson's novel that emphasiszes the need to remain open with your loved ones if one is to begin to heal.

Harriet Klausner

After starting this book, I was almost positive that I wouldn't like it. The heroine, Ellie, seemed like a bitter ex-wife who was trying to play at being a martyr-mom. Everything she did was for her kids. She lived and breathed solely to be there for them and never thought of herself. Her whole life was for them and she was critical of her ex for not being as dedicated as she was. She apparently hadn't even been able to shave in two weeks because the time she'd waste on that was precious time she could have been spending on her kids. *excuse me while I take a moment to gag* Right then and there, it's a good bet that I'm already on the ex's side. I just met her and even I couldn't stand her!

But I soon saw that the author set her up like that very deliberately. This was a woman who had suffered in life and who was overcompensating for something quite tragic. She and her ex, Tucker, split up after the loss of one of their sons, and they both reacted to it in very different ways. Their changes in behavior were sad indications of the loss they had suffered and the emotional upheaval that it caused--and still continues to call. Not only did they lose a son, they lost each other. Their attitudes didn't always make them likable (mostly Ellie), but it did make their slow change feel more authentic for being so hard won.

Ellie and Tucker have both disliked each other since their divorce. They blame each other for certain things and they both suffer from feelings of guilt and inadequacy that they can't seem to deal with, beyond turning it into anger at each other. They've been divorced for three years and have avoided speaking to each other entirely for the last year. Their kids have become very unhappy and they can feel that the point of no return is coming. They decide to take drastic measures and run away.

Ellie and Tucker, along with their current love interests, mount a search for the kids, but at first they can't seem to do anything but fight and play the blame game. This made their relationship feel more real, but it's constant nature occasionally made me grit my teeth. Their journey to find their kids finally forced them into each other's company long enough to admit that they're not over each other. They finally had to deal with all the messed up emotions they've been hiding inside. It was a painful process, but it unfolded well.

One of the things that always makes me nervous about second-chance-romances is fearing that the author will take the characters too far. I love that trope, but I want to be able to feel good about them getting together. I need to believe that they can recover from the wrongs they have dealt each other. That means walking a fine line when writing their reasons for breaking up and the way they've treated each other since. I'm happy to say that Anderson nailed this. The reader could sympathize with both of them over their reasons for breaking up, but it was also apparent that they really belonged together. They needed time and distance to get over some genuinely heartbreaking things, but in the end the only one that made them truly happy was each other.

The book focuses around the search for their missing children and takes place over a relatively short period of time. The pacing was well done and I never felt like things were going too quickly to be believable. The only thing that bothered me, other than a few irritants now and again, was the fact that the kids ran away and put their parents through that and never really had any internalization of how wrong they were to behave that way. It's like the fact that Ellie and Tucker got back together cancelled out the punishment that I think they deserved. I think their complaints were completely valid, but that was a crappy thing of them to do.

I enjoyed this book, but I was disappointed in a few things. I didn't like that the boys weren't found till almost the very end. There really wasn't any kind of reunion because Tucker had to try and rescue one of his sons from a fall. I found it unrealistic that Tucker and Ellie were able to work through all their problems in just 2-3 days. And I hated the fact that these little brats got away with what they did. I understand they were going through some things too, but if they had been my boys I would have beaten their butts.

I'm very disappointed that I'm not able to get this title on my kindle!! I love all her books and have so looked foward to reading this one.

My suggestion is to plan a whole afternoon for this book, because you won't want to stop once you start. Divorced parents Ellie and Tucker Grant receive an ultimatum from their two runaway sons. Their chilling note reads: make up and get back together, or we're not coming home. Ellie and Tucker are horrified when they realize the boys have taken off into the Oregon wilderness, using skills Tucker has taught them. That's no consolation when they consider the dangers lurking in the wilds. Their eldest son Sammy died in a horrific accident and they don't want to lose their other two beloved boys. Of course Ellie and Tucker follow them, Tucker with his perky, jealous girlfriend, and Ellie with her soft, city-slicker boyfriend. But there is enforced time for Tucker and Ellie to think, to talk, to share, to cry together. All things they didn't do after Sammy died and their marriage broke down. Unfortunately the land isn't kind to them, and all sorts of dangers lie ahead before they can get safely home. Get your tissues and read, read, read. This is another weepy, honest, emotional and romantic Catherine Anderson winner.