Customer Reviews

My Sunshine (Coulter Family)

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Catherine Anderson is one author you won't forget and fans of this gifted author will welcome the return of her favorite family - the Coulters. In MY SUNSHINE, Anderson delivers an incredibly poignant contemporary bursting with her usual flare. This is one author who continues to push the romance genre forward by blending sweetness with remarkable insight.

Isaiah Coulter is the youngest Coulter -- successful, attractive, and very desirable. Isaiah has his life planned, and his planned life does not include a wife - at least not anytime soon! Veterinary medicine is a demanding field!

Laura Townsend is attractive and very lonely. Once Laura Townsend was an environmental scientist, today she is happy to be a kennel keeper at the Coulter Animal Clinic. Laura Townsend refuses to dwell on life's `what ifs' and instead lives each day within a sunny outlook.

Ms. Anderson develops a wonderful, warm romance for Isaiah and Laura. Isaiah realizes his life is empty and little Miss Sunshine is the antidote. Laura would love to be in Isaiah's life, but Laura is also a realist. She has aphasia, five years ago a diving accident damaged her brain's left lobe, and sadly Laura realizes she must deny Isaiah. What Isaiah needs is an accomplished woman, who can complete his potential, he must not settle for less.

MY SUNSHINE is an admirable read. Catherine Anderson writes with respect and shrewdness for the aphasia condition. Again I discovered Anderson can bring her reader a new understanding for a perplexing condition. Anderson's books are always worthy of notice and MY SUNSHINE is very noticeable. Grade: A-

This review is based on an Advanced Reading Copy.

Grace Atkinson, Ontario - Canada.

Last year I polled all my reading friends in November and had them email me the name of their favorite book for the year and their comments. I printed them all out and sent them with my Christmas cards to all my avid reader friends. They all loved the idea. When it came time to choose mine, I picked this one. I read it once and then a couple of months later read it again. I don't read weighty books, I read for light entertainment and so I don't ask a lot of a book. There have been some real disappointments even with my relaxed standards! And there have been some that I have really enjoyed, but this one stood out over all that I had gone through in 2005, probably close to 300 books.

I have enjoyed all of Ms. Anderson's books, some more than others, but all were worth the read, and this brothers series has been totally enjoyable. I am sure that critics are right that there are probably MORE obstacles than are presented, but this is fiction and I know that not every heroine in real life is drop dead gorgeous and not every dream man is perfect like these guys, I know I am not reading about real life and enjoy the fantasy. Why can't this also be a world where handicapped is not as hard as in real life? I think the idea of addressing it and giving people an opportunity to think about it spreads a little more compassion and understanding than we have right now. Every time I write a review after reading the nay sayers who have written before me I just want to point out its fiction!!! Perhaps these people who find these books wanting ought to begin shopping in higher literary planes and leave the simple stuff to us more simple readers???

I read this book in one setting! As always Catherine Anderson writes a great story.

I just recently started reading Catherine Anderson's contemporary romances (I love historical romances, never really was into modern romances, but Catherine's great writing "Keegan's lady", "Annie's Song", "Summer breeze", encouraged me to check out her contemporary love stories).

I must say that while I really like this book, it is not Catherine's best. The premise of the story is unique, and the storyline had so much promise, but the book was slow the first 200+ pages. And there was so much concentration of vet work. I mean sure, healing animals is important, but the way Isaiah's work was portrayed, it was blown out of proportion.

This book could have been shortened by at least a hundred pages. It takes Isaiah so long to realize that he loves Laura (it happens somewhere at 300+ pages). Had the story been shortened by at least a hundred pages, and had the romance started earlier, at least somewhere before 300+ pages, this would have been a great story.

Nonetheless this is a good and enjoyable read, the last hundred pages are wonderful, and five star worthy.

I started reading about the Coulter Family in late 04 because it was a romance involving horses (which is so rare to find.) As I read the story Bright Eyes I got so hooked that I had to continue reading the entire series. The one main thing I like about the series is that every woman in the story is not and I repeat NOT a barbie doll. Everytime I read a romance novel the woman is always a real life barbie doll. The women in this series all have something wrong, be it divorced with kids, a paraplegic, or have trouble speaking like myself, they're all average women. That in itself is hard to find.

Another thing I love about Anderson's books is that she writes so well that it litterally pulls you into the story to the point that you stop to go do something and you're shocked to find out that hours have passed since you picked up the book, it's amazing, you really do feel like your right there with the characters.

Reading Catherine's books have really reaffirmed my faith in love, being hurt everytime I've ever been in a relationship I can totally understand where her lady's are comming from. When I'm feeling down in that way all I have to do is pick up one of her books and when I'm done I realize I'm not alone. She's the perfect voice.

Five years ago, environmental research scientist Laura Townsend nearly lost her life in a swimming accident when she hit her head on a rock. She suffered aphasia, a form of brain damage that affects language. Since then she lives in Crystal Falls, Oregon off her disability check supplemented by odd jobs like walking dogs for people.

Veterinarian Isaiah Coulter cannot say no to his mother so when she asks him to hire Laura, he agrees to interview her. He realizes that she is ideal for the job so they agree to a trial period. As he observes her gentle healing touch that his clients seem to respond to, Isaiah falls in love; Laura reciprocates but believes he deserves a complete woman not someone who cannot remember how to say her name.

MY SUNSHINE is an enjoyable contemporary romance starring a unique protagonist who has retained her intelligence, but suffered brain damage that has impaired her verbal communication skills. The story line is superb when the plot concentrates on Laura's struggles on the job and in her changing relationship with her boss. However an unnecessary bizarre spin of suspense takes away from the fabulous prime theme of an inspirational person overcoming her impairment through encouragement, caring and love.

Harriet Klausner

5th book in the Coulter family series.

I actually read this book first over a year ago. It was one of the first few non-Nora Roberts romances I read. After reading Bright Eyes and Blue Skies, I figured I'd skim through it so I could catch some of the connections that I'd missed the first time around from not having read the preceding books. Instead, I pretty much ended up re-reading the entire book.

My Sunshine focuses on Isaiah Coulter, who runs a veterinary hospital with his twin brother Tucker. Mary, the Coulter family matriarch, convinces Isaiah to interview the granddaughter of a friend for a kennel keeper job. Five years earlier, Laura had been happy and successful, but then a freak accident when diving into a river causes permanent brain damage. As a result, she suffers from a condition known as aphasia which affects her ability to read, write, and speak. She has made great strides since her accident, and underneath it all she is still the intelligent woman she once was, but her condition is permanent. She will always have speech problems and have difficulty reading and writing. Because of this, she can no longer do most jobs and is forced to do more menial jobs. She loves animals though and Mary gets her an interview at the animal hospital. Isaiah is wary, having trouble believing a woman with brain damage could perform the necessary duties of a kennel keeper, but he is quickly surprised by her, and is immediately draw to her perseverance in the face of adversity, her cheerful attitude, love of animals, and her beauty. They develop of close friendship, with both of them fighting deeper feelings; Isaiah because he believes he is not ready for a serious relationship, and Laura because she believes he deserves someone better than her. Eventually, they give in to their feelings, but all is not well because someone has is it in for Laura.

My Sunshine is a wonderful romance. Anderson has a real knack for these kinds of stories. It's a real change of pace to read about characters with problems such as brain damage or blindness. It's nice to read a story that shows that just because tragedy has forever changed someone's life, they still can find happiness.

Laura and Isaiah are a great couple. There friendship is a great base for a romantic relationship. You're just really drawn to these characters throughout the story. The bit of suspense is a nice addition to the story. It's adds a little extra meat.

The first time I read this book, I liked it, but I didn't fully appreciate it. I was still pretty new to the overall romance genre, and was too focused on certain story aspects. But now that I've spent a year reading all different kinds of romances, I can look at this book more objectively. And I ended up liking it more. Definitely a great read in the romance/drama category.

I know that there have been some criticisms of this book, along with Blue Skies, and Phantom Waltz (the 1st Coulter story) about their realism in dealing with disabled characters, but the fact of the matter is, unless you suffer from the affliction yourself, you are going to have a hard time in making a book truly realistic. You can do all the research you want, but you're still going to miss somewhere. Maybe Anderson's books lack a little realism, maybe not, but for the average reader, everything works.

Rating: 4 / 5

Ok... looks like a rather bizarre theme that Catherine Anderson has going on. Her heroines have huge impediments to overcome - blindness, spinal cord damage and now brain damage! But I love a good struggle and I loved Laura in this book. She sees life differently since a diving accident deprived her of some intellectual abilities. Her mind is sound; just the interpretation of it is skewed. Although her view of the world is rather naïve and childlike - it is so enjoyable to watch her bring happiness to those around her. How could Isaiah (her boss), a well educated man, be so taken by her? But he is. Like other Anderson heroes, it is love at first sight - but he fights the attraction! After all, there is a written code about fraternizing with co-workers.

You will root for Laura in all the trials she endures. Getting the job in the veterinarian's office as a kennel worker was one big hurdle and keeping it another. She has made one mistake with the food; and yet another with leaving a kennel door open! But she insists to Isaiah that it wasn't her - and that she has an eerie feeling someone else is in the building when she works the night shift. Will he believe her? Is there someone sinister out to get Laura?

The romance and intimacy which you know will eventually occur is wonderful and sweet. But Laura will walk away from it all because Isaiah needs someone accomplished and charming; not someone "stupid" like her. How will it all work out in the end? I was captivated by all the main and secondary characters and the warm Coulter family. Of course I am endeavoring to obtain and read the entire series. I am reading it out of order but they appear to standalone quite well. Highly recommend!

This is the first book I have read from this author and now I want to read the whole series! I thought this book was very insightful into the life of someone was has had brain damage and the troubles they face everyday. The storyline was very believeable and I really enjoyed the characters. It's nice to have a storyline where the main characters don't immediately jump into bed. I really liked this book and hope you read it and enjoy it too!

Loved my sunshine. It runs along the same themes as her other books, so don't expect to be amazed with originality or by the small mystery/suspense part of the story. However, I love the way she has female characters who are flawed (not genius supermodels like in most romance novels) yet win out in the end. A great heartwarming read. I read it in one sitting. I will definitely reread this book.