Morning Light

Kendrick/Coulter/Harrigan #8

by Catherine Anderson

New York Times bestselling author Catherine Anderson presents the first novel in her contemporary romance series featuring the Harrigan Family...
Born with second sight, Loni MacEwen has vowed to ignore the visions that have brought her so much heartbreak. Then she meets Clint Harrigan--and realizes she has no choice but to warn the handsome cowboy that his son is in danger.
A hardworking, no-nonsense rancher, Clint doesn't believe the pretty stranger--especially since he doesn't even have a son. But then he sees the drama Loni predicted unfolding on the local news. An orphaned boy is lost in the dense Oregon wilderness, and according to Loni, only Clint can save him.
Loni and Clint forge into the woods to find the lost boy. As long nights follow exhausting days, their feelings grow stronger, and what began as a race against time becomes a shared journey of trust, understanding, and unexpected love...

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Fiction, Paranormal, Westerns, Western Romance

412 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 2, 2008

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
(1)romance author:
Adeline Catherine was born and raised in Grants Pass, Oregon, USA. She always yearned to be a writer like her mother. The morning that one of her professors asked if she could use samples of Catherine’s creative writing on an overhead projector to teach was a dream come true. In 1988, she sold her first book to Harlequin Intrigue and went on to write three more before she tried her hand at a single-title historical romance. Nine books later, she did her first single-title contemporary.

Catherine married Sidney D. Anderson, an industrial electrician and entrepreneur. They had two sons, Sidney D. Jr. and John G. In 2001 she and her husband purchased a central Oregon home located on a ridge with incredible mountain views and surrounded by forestland honeycombed with trails. It was her dream home, a wonderland in the winter and beyond beautiful in the summer. She named it Cinnamon Ridge after the huge ponderosa pines on the property, which sport bark the color of cinnamon.

Sadly, Catherine lost her husband to a long-term illness in 2014. She has kept Cinnamon Ridge as her primary residence but divides her time between there and her son John's farm, where she has the support of her loved ones and can enjoy his horses, cows, and raise her own chickens.

Catherine loves animals and birds, both wild and domestic. She presently has two Australian shepherds, six cats, and a very old canary. She is very family oriented as well. Her older son has lived in Japan, Australia, and now resides in New Zealand. Catherine and her stateside family will celebrate Christmas on the north island with Sidney, his wife Mary, and their two sons, Liam and Jonas.

Reviews

[jenjn79 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Catherine Anderson is one of my favorite authors and I usually love her books, but I have to admit that this one was a bit of a disappointment for me.

At the core, I liked the storyline - Loni, a clairvoyant, has a vision that a young boy is lost in the wilderness and only horseman Clint Harrigan will be able to save him. There's also the fact that the boy is Clint's biological son - which Clint doesn't know. After some disbelief on Clint's part, the two head out on horseback to rescue young Trevor.

I enjoyed that part of the book. It was a very low-intensity story, but it still kept me reading and wanting to see how things with the boy turned out.

But the rest of the parts of the book just didn't do much for me. The thing I disliked most was the heavy reliance on religion. Usually Anderson uses religion a little in all her books, but in this one, you couldn't go a page without reading God-this and God-that. It was just irritating - more so for me because I'm a true-blue atheist.

Plus, both main characters were Catholics. Clint is sort of a born-again virgin and Loni a true virgin. There's all kinds of talk about sex before marriage being a sin and all that. Throughout the book, there is only one sexual, intimate scene. Which is kinda boring. Maybe I wouldn't have minded it so much if it weren't for the fact that the last book, Sun Kissed, was the same way. Too much religion, not enough intimacy. So all that was a turn-off for me.

I also didn't really care for how sappy it got at times. All kinds of talk about "you're the one I waited for" and how perfect they are for each other and other sentiments like that. It made me roll my eyes.

I don't know, this book just didn't really seem like a Catherine Anderson book to me. Her stories are usually so emotionally charged, with relationships that suck you in and stick with you long after you finish the book. This one didn't have any of that for me. The characters were just kind of there and didn't stand out in any way. I can't see this as being a book that I'd want to reread.

And one last note - once again, I was disappointed by how much Anderson under-utilized past characters from this series. Samantha and Tucker (Sun Kissed) get small cameos just in the sense that they are part of Clint's family, and a couple other characters get negligible mentions. If it weren't for the fact that I knew this was part of set of connected books, just reading Morning Light wouldn't have clued me in. It's just disappointing to see much-loved characters left adrift once their books are done.

So yeah...by far not one of my favorite Anderson books. It's probably my least favorite out of all the books by her that I've read. But it wasn't horrible. It's probably worth reading for those who enjoy the Kendrick/Coulter/Harrigan books, or Anderson's books in general.

[Gemma · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay, first off, I want to state that I am a HUGE fan of Catherine Anderson. I count down the days until another of her books is released. I own every single thing she's ever written, and they are all treasured keepers. But this book is going right in my "trade for credit" box. I cannot believe that this is written by the same author who wrote the moving reads of Annie's Song, Comanche Moon, Seventh Heaven, Baby Love or Phantom Waltz, just to name a few.

People have complained about the heavy-handedness of the Christian (or more specifically Roman Catholic) element in this book. I thought that people were just being oversensitive, as many had said the same about Sun Kissed, and I hadn't agreed. But the religion in this book was so heavy-handed. I'm an actively practicing Roman Catholic, and even I found it horribly preachy and obnoxious. For instance, when the heroine tells the hero that she's a psychic, he says that it "goes against the tenents of his faith". Who talks like that? I've had to tell people that I don't believe in things before (and it's usually because of my faith), and I don't say it like that. What's wrong with saying "it goes against my beliefs" or "I'm not comfortable with that" or "I don't believe in that"?

I've read actual inspirational romances that didn't lay it on as thick as it was in this novel. I started skipping the religious tangents (and there were a lot of them) to try and get back to the story. If I wanted to read about the lives of the saints and what is in the Catechism, then I'd read an entirely different type of book.

I also felt that the romance aspect of this story was rushed. It was developing nicely, when out of nowhere the hero and heroine start talking about getting married. They haven't said "I love you" or anything; they've known each other for less than a week; they'd kissed once! I was left scratching my head, wondering where the heck it had come from. Attraction, sure. Talking about dating, of course. But marriage? After one kiss? What is this, the 1800s? It was as if the author had suddenly realized, "oops! I'm past page 200, better get these two engaged." Never mind if it completely derailed the flow to the story.

Another thing that really bothered me was how hypocritical the characters were about their faith. There was all this talk about being chaste, because of what their faith teaches them. They're both waiting until marriage to have sex (the hero had vowed to never again have sex "outside of the holy bonds of wedlock" to directly quote him), then next thing you know, they're going at it like rabbits. Okay...was the premarital sex put in just so this book wouldn't have an "inspirational romance" label slapped on it? It was completely out of character and very irritating. If your characters are going to be Bible thumpers, than at least make them act like it consistently.

The romance was then put on the back burner so that the author could focus on the suspense/paranormal aspects of the story. While I enjoyed the psychic element, I bought this book expecting a romance. Instead, I got a sermon and a suspense story with a relationship tacked on.

I'm only glad this wasn't the first novel of hers that I tried, or there would never have been another. She is no longer on my auto-buy list; I'm just mad that I can't get my money back. Who is this author, and what has she done with the talented Catherine Anderson? Try just about anything else by her, especially the ones I listed above. She can write FAR better than this. As for MORNING LIGHT, I recommend you save your money--borrow it from the library if you're still determined to read it.

[Miss Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

The latest in the series tells Clint Harrigan's story. We met him briefly in his sister Samantha's book, Sun Kissed. He came off as a hot head, but of course a gorgeous hothead, in that one so I was interested to learn more about him. Clint is contacted by psychic, Loni, who tells him his son is in danger. What? He doesn't have a son. They begin a wilderness hunt for the child and end up falling in love. I was a little disappointed that there was only the single love scene, but then the characters have very strong religous beliefs about sex before marriage.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wonderful book by Anderson and once again I am reminded of why she is one of my favorite authors! Everything about Loni MacEwen and Clint Harrington was absolutely adorable! The paranormal aspect added a twist that I really enjoyed!

Loni left her old life and moved to Crystal Falls where nobody knew of her psychic abilities. Ever since she was a little girl she’s had visions of a dreamy cowboy and would fantasize about him romantically. But now all grown up, and being unlucky in love, she’s put her fantasies behind her and has accepted that she’ll never find love because ever man she’s ever dated has run away after learning of her visions, which come and go with no control.

When she first runs into Clint she is so shocked to see her dream cowboy in real life. She sees a vision of Clint’s son, Trevor, who was in a rafting accident and the only person who can save Trevor’s life is Clint. Clint thinks Loni is crazy when she confronts him with her story because he doesn’t have a son but as soon as Clint sees the tragedy on the news he starts to believe Loni. They go on a long search through the wilderness looking for Trevor while Loni's visions help lead the way. Slowly but surely Clint gains complete faith in Loni and her psychic abilities. During their long journey Clint falls in love with Loni and is scared of all the new emotions he’s feeling. Being 37 years old, he’s never had such strong emotions for a woman. Loni feels the same way, as if she’s loved him her whole life. They were both destined to be together and Loni finally finds happiness with her dreamy cowboy!

I loved this book very much. Loni and Clint were so sweet to each other! During the entire journey Clint did not believe that Trevor was his son. But once they found Trevor and Clint took one look at his face he knew right then that Trevor was his boy. Trevor was injured and Clint would do anything to save his boy, even give him a blood transfusion. When Clint broke down in the hospital and started crying on Loni’s shoulders I got really teary eyed. You can’t help but love a big, strong man, with such a tender heart who is not ashamed to shed tears. Great Book!

[Paraphrodite · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars.

This is the story of the oldest Harrigan brothers, Clint. I liked the psychic elements. However, similar to the previous book Sun Kissed that featured the only Harrigan sister, Sam, there's a bit too much talk of religion and horses in this book for my taste. Hopefully this trend doesn't continue with the rest of the Harrigan brothers.

[ReadingWench · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me first say that I hate Inspirational or Religious books of any kind. They are always too preachy for me. I'm not the least bit religious.

I loved this book. I stayed up all night to the point of grabbing my magnifying glass once my eyes went all fuzzy. I loved the story line ! Some people have review they didn't like the aspect of the mom tuning in and spying on her daughter. Come on...what mother wouldn't like to peek into the life of her daughter?? I thought it was rather funny. Another review was it was too religious because he named all his horses bible names. Ok, no one complained when his sister named all hers after spices, what is the difference ?? None that I can see. It is awesome to have themes for names. One reviewer said something about Catherine trying to write paranormal romance and fails. Another book I don't like is paranormal. I've read some and they are over the top, at least the ones I read were. I like stories that are believable.

I think most of the reviews that are low due to the fact that no one seems to know a lot about what Catherine was writing about. Psychics, second sight. When someone knows little of something, they dismiss it, they fear it, they ignore it. I for one am GLAD Catherine wrote about such a subject. I have known a few people like she writes on both the catholic side and on the psychic side. How Catherine writes it in her book is how it goes. At times I thought I was reading exactly what a friend had told me happened to her. When someone find out you have a "gift" some friends, seems to just disappear from your life. Others treat you like a freak. Then anyone religious tells you its the work of Satan, and you should pray about it. They tell you they can't believe it because it is against their religion. They shun you. You try to deny who you are, why, to be... "normal", to fit into what others consider normal. You hide yourself. Even I, a non-religious person at all, can take away from Catherine's book. Except those around you, believe in yourself, except yourself, expand on your talents, and believe in what you believe in, not what someone else tells you to believe in.

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a bit of a mixed bag for me. There were things I liked about and things that made me uncomfortable. Before this I had never actually read any books in which one of the primary characters was a clairvoyant. Add to that, both the male and female protagonist were devoutly christian and you have a book which is a bit of a departure for me. I don't really know why but I was more able to deal with the clairvoyance than the religious overtones.

I think there was a little too much going on in this book. The primary story about a boy lost in the wilderness and a man and a woman packing in on horses to rescue him was solid. Catherine Anderson could have kept to that and had a very good book on her hands. As it is, all those other things end up detracting from the story (in my opinion).

[Julia B. · Rating 2 out of 5]

My first cowboy romance book!! Admittedly Westerns are not at all my thing, and the only reason I picked this up is because "cowboy" was the second last of the big romance categories I had yet to broach. But the female protagonist is a psychic! So I said this has to be my greatest chance to get that cowboy notch in my trashy romance belt.

The cowboy male lead was not for me at all at the start. Despite the exciting premise of a psychic vision pushing forward the plot, the book very quickly fell into the Hallmark-like quicksand of "country boy condescendingly informing city girl she doesn't know anything about the world." And it was sloooowwww. The only thing that kept me going was that I was listening to it on audiobook, mostly on long bus and plane rides, and it was a good companion for that.

But actually the cowboy grew on me a bit. Only a bit, but. I kind of started enjoying the earnestness of his interactions with our psychic lead, Loni. I feel like the intro tricked me into thinking this would be some rough-and-tumble, hard-drinking, country bastard, but actually Clint was quite gentle, chatty, and in touch with his feelings, and not just with Loni, but all around. With his family, with kids, with animals. I can see this being a problem for some who were wanting the gruff hero the book initially promised them, but for me it came as a very welcome shift in tone.

There were many times the conversations were very heavy-handed, though, to the point of being long and rambling. The Catholicism really whacks you in the face over and over and over again. Like we get it, they're devoted Catholics. Good for them. You don't have to remind me every 10 pages.

The in-your-face religious aspect didn't bother me as much as other readers because there were two things I found absolutely hilarious: 1) Clint insisting that Loni's clairvoyance goes "against his faith" for many chapters, until his stepmom finally points out there are about 5,000 Catholic saints who had visions of the future. I was literally sitting there thinking, this Catholic man doesn't believe in prophecies? He hasn't read the Bible? Or the Acta Sanctorum? He doesn't listen to the Pope? Lol. Anyways, Loni accepting that her visionary power is a gift from God allows her to finally make peace with it, and also happily makes her extremely beguine-coded. So of course I don't mind that.

2) Clint and Loni keep insisting they should not have sex before marriage because that is a sin and their priests would be very mad. They keep discussing, in depth, why premarital sex is objectively bad and horrible and irresponsible and a terrible idea all the way into a hot spring where they immediately have premarital sex. I laughed out loud when it happened because I couldn't believe they'd done that with both me and God as their witness, and then I started praying that the guy sat next to me on the plane couldn't hear anything from my AirPods. Hilariously, after this they spend the rest of the book insisting that they absolutely cannot have premarital sex again because then their priest will make them say double the Hail Marys and I guess God will be more upset the second time around? Like girl ... the deed's been done. Does it really matter anymore? Catholic guilt is wild.

So good for you, book, for defying my expectations. But I must also scold you for being about three times too long and having the worst-paced forest chase scene I have ever encountered in my entire life. It's almost impressive how much an urgent mission to save an orphaned child lost in the woods can drag.

[Linda Smatzny · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is set in Oregon and features Loni MacEwen and Clint Harrigan as the main characters. Loni has the second sight and sees Clint and knows he has to help find a missing child. The book was an easy read.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cute, sweet romance. A little different as Loni has visions. Loni and Clint work to save a boy who is lost in the woods. Perfect for readers who love gentle romances.

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Clint and Loni’s chemistry. The story involving Trevor’s rescue kept me on the edge of my seat.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome Book. Will be reading more by Her.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was sort of a mixed bag. I like that this one didn't rely on the usual cliches: a playboy cowboy who never wants to get married ever, the heroine needing to be rescued from an evil stalker ex, the hero teaching the heroine it's okay to trust men again. Instead, we have a woman whose gift of clairvoyance has been a curse rather than a blessing, and her Big Trauma was being unable to save a kidnapped child instead of a rape or a failed marriage. Loni was no Laura Townsend, but I liked her just fine, and Clint wasn't bad either. He could be a real ass sometimes and I liked that his last romance ended on friendly terms rather than his ex being a Bad Woman. And the wilderness adventure was pretty fun to read about.

However...the romance was a wee bit too rushed for me. I can forgive a fast romance, but there was way too much emphasis on Clint being Loni's "dream cowboy" whom she'd been seeing in her visions since childhood, how God apparently sent them to each other, that they were Destined To Be, yadda yadda yadda. Sorry, Catherine, that only works in shoujo anime! Still, it was a sweet romance for what it was, and at least they spent some time getting to know each other before rushing into Eternal Foreverness.

But of course, Loni tries to run away near the end. Thankfully this time it's not because of a contrived misunderstanding but because the media is going batshit crazy, but I wish they'd thought of the security idea before Loni felt the need to run away to protect Clint.

I'm glad Trevor survived, he was cute as far as little kids go, and the truth behind his relationship to Clint was handled...eh. Could've been worse. I liked reading about the Harrigans, and Loni's family was pretty colorful too. Deirdre was what initially drew me in, honestly, she was a fun character.

So overall, I did enjoy this book even if it was a little too sappy for my tastes.

[Hopelessly seeking Happily Ever Afters · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clint and Loni

*****SPOILER ALERT*****

'Morning Light' by Catherine Anderson, book 8 in the Kendrick/Coulter/Harrigan series. Audible Premium Plus borrow. Dual POV. The ebook sample includes a family tree. It's listed as 12 hours 18 minutes. I listened for 4 hours 55 minutes at speed 2.50. Narrator Julia Gibson sounds muffled but is easy to understand and has a nice pace. Content warnings: v¡rg¡n h; clairvoyants and psychic visions; drowning death of two adults; a child lost and alone in the wilderness for a few days; an injury with an axe; a field blood transfusion to save a child; hidden/surprise paternity; one of the H exes attempted su¡c¡de; H mom hemorrhaged to death moments before Samantha was born via emergency c-section, H blames himself; and lots of mentions of Catholicism.

Date: Epilogue in early October, nearly 4 months after the story is complete.
Location: Crystal Falls, OR; Seattle, WA

Loni Kendra MacEwen (31; aka Lonigans) is a slender, petite, v¡rg¡n who has dark brown curly hair and blue eyes. She has an eleven-month-old yellow Fila Brasileiro mastiff named Hannah. She is a gifted clairvoyant and got her degree online when her gift made attending classes impossible. She's afraid of heights, plants a tree after every vacation, is an interior decorator, and a Catholic. She just moved to Crystal Falls, OR, in an attempt to run from the notoriety she received surrounding Cheryl Blain's death. She sold her home in Seattle and is now opening her own interior design business. Two months before she meets Clint, she has a vision of his son lost and alone. She's had visions of Clint her entire life. Clinton James Harrigan (37, March birthday; aka Clint) is the oldest of five, a control freak, dips tobacco, a Catholic, has jet black hair, brown eyes, a cleft chin, is muscular but not as tall as Loni imagined. He received 200 acres from his father when he was 21. He named his property Circle H Ranch and now breeds and trains quarter horses. His mom died five days after his 7th birthday. She was 8 months pregnant for Samantha. She began hemorrhaging and asked Clint to run and get his dad for her. Clint was trying to grab his puppy and delayed getting his dad. As he and his dad entered their home, they found his mom seated in a chair surrounded by a puddle of her own blood. He apologized, but his dad said, "Sorry never fixed nothing." His mom died on the operating table, and Samantha was delivered via emergency c-section. Clint gave Tug, his puppy, away a week later as a self-inflicted punishment. He never apologized again. He's been celibate since his last friend with benefits attempted su¡c¡de. He is now a certified first responder. Loni's vision reveals he has an eight year son he knew nothing about and then helps find him in the nick of time. In the end, they are married, expecting a daughter, and working to get to know his son before he moves in with them.

Other characters: ●Diedre Lavena (aka Dee; Loni's older sister; 2nd grade teacher; virgin until marriage; husband: Michael; children: Kirk and Kennon; non-clairvoyant; smoker); Aislinn MacDuff (aka Gram; Loni's grandma; clairvoyant; Scottish); Annabel (Diedre and Loni's mom; clairvoyant; horticulturist; long distance cyclist); ? (Diedre and Loni's dad; banker; plays tennis); Cheryl Blain (abducted and held captive for six months; murdered 3 days after her parents went public with Loni's vision that she was still alive, she had only been dead 12 hours); Mr and Mrs John Blain (Cheryl's parents; Samantha's decorating client); ? (30ish; abducted and k¡lled Cheryl; blonde hair; blue eyes; insane; evil). ●Samantha (aka Sammy; Clint's sister/youngest sibling; owns Sage Creek Ranch; husband Tucker Coulter; her quarter horses were poisoned last year; her horses are all named after spices); Quincy (Clint's brother; health nut; owns the Lazy H Ranch); Parker (Clint's brother; owns the Rocking H Ranch); Zach (Clint's brother; owns the Crooked H Ranch); Frank Harrigan (Clint's dad; wealthy rancher; owned a 1200 acre parcel he separated into 6 equal parcels and gave each of each children 200 acres, keeping 200 for himself; he named his portion Bar H Ranch; widower with 5 children; plump, bottle dyed redhaired new wife: DeeDee, the former housekeeper); ? (Clint's mom; died while pregnant with Samantha); Grandma Stevenson (DeeDee's grandmother; clairvoyant; devout Catholic; deceased); ? (DeeDee's mom); ? (DeeDee's grandfather); Hugh Harrigan (Clint's uncle; state trooper; Frank's brother); Trevor (8; Clint and Sandra's son; stuffed animal: Boo; sleeps with a nightlight; jet black hair; brown eyes; dimpled chin); Sandra Michaels Styles (Trevor's mom; Clint's ex; honey brown hair; green eyes; husband: a Robert; drowned/deceased); Senator Robert Styles (wife: Sandra; "son:" Trevor; honest; sincere; drown/deceased); Hooter McElroy (56; Clint's ranch foreman; handlebar mustache; short; stocky; green eyes); ? (Robert's parents); Jacob and Sharon Michaels (Sandra's parents). ●Janet (woman Clint dated; post nasal drip); Fred (grocery store stock clerk); Scott Holmes, Grace, Peter, and Alex (reporters); ? (forest ranger); Daryl Armstrong (Clint's former high school friend; reporter); Bess (trooper dispatcher); Richard Conklin (Search coordinator; Crystal Falls Policeman; knows Hugh); Mrs Stone (Loni's kindergarten teacher; alcoholic; drunk driver; killed a little boy on her way to the store; served jail time); Mr ? (Loni's elementary school principal; abusive; hit his wife, she fell, hit her head on the hearth, broke her neck, and died; he went to jail after his children testified against him); ? (Clint's ex; divorced mother of 2 teenagers; overdosed after Clint broke things off with her; got counseling); Father Mike; Russ (Loni's first crush in college; red hair; blue eyes); Melinda (Clint's first crush; braids; braces). ●Animals: Nana (Trevor's St Brenard); Clint's horses: Melchizedek (7; sorel gelding), Hagar, Uriah (9; bay gelding, reddish brown with black main, tail, and lower legs), Dagan (flaxen chestnut gelding, reddish brown body with a blonde main and tail; named after the God of the Canaanites), Ezekiel (6: dun gelding), Malachi (flaxen chestnut), Bathsheba (11; buckskin), Delilah (14; sorrel), Jemima (7; roan), and Sapphira (blue roan; from Samantha's now deceased horse: Cilantro; named after a woman in the Bible who was executed by God for lying); Tug (Clint's dog when he was 7).

2 out of 5 on my spice scale.

1st listen 11-06-23

[Katherine 黄爱芬 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loni, seorang cenayang mengalami penglihatan tiba2 ttg koboi ganteng, Clint Harrigan yg akan menyelamatkan putra kandungnya yg selama ini tidak pernah diketahuinya.

Awalnya Clint menganggap Loni orang gila. Tetapi setelah mengetahui ttg kecelakaan tsb, Clint langsung menguber Loni dan membujuk Loni utk ikut serta dlm pencarian anak itu. Dlm pencarian tsb, Loni dan Clint saling curhat dan memutuskan saling jatuh cinta.

Walau secara tema seharusnya bisa diusung dgn lebih menarik, entah kenapa kesan yg saya dapatkan malah isinya cuma ttg kuda melulu, transfusi darah, kegalauan dan trauma Loni sbg cenayang yg diulang2 terus. Dan yg terparah, saya serasa baca buku Christian Catholic Fiction. Nama2 kuda yg diberikan dgn nama2 Alkitab membuat saya pening. Blm lagi ttg pengakuan dosa. OMG!!!!

Karakter hero dan heroine-nya, saya lihat datar2 saja, kurang tereksplorasi sisi emosionalnya dan sejujurnya saya jadi sulit menilai kepribadian mereka sebenarnya. Seperti di awal cerita dikatakan Clint sulit meminta maaf, di pertengahan Clint dgn mudahnya curhat kpd Loni asal muasal sifatnya tersebut, sehingga terkesan Clint tidak ada masalah dlm soal meminta maaf.

Tidak adanya konflik yg berarti dlm buku ini, tidak heran banyak yg bilang membosankan. Mau tidak mau saya harus setuju dgn opini yg mengatakan buku ini bikin bosan. Saya jg merasa terjemahannya kurang enak dibaca, sehingga mempengaruhi opini tsb.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was disappointing, compared to the other Catherine Andersno books I've read. Since this book featured a clairvoyant, I expected to like it quite a bit, because I am drawn to paranormal stories, but I just wasn't drawn into these characters or circumstances. Loni, the daughter and granddaughter of gifted seers, didn't seem believable to me. She shouldn't have been an untrained bundle of nerves with two living generations of clairvoyants behind her. I thought, perhaps, there wasn't a way to control her ability but as the book goes on, she gradually gets better at it through the help of Clint, who really didn't have any amazing pearls of wisdom. He did go on about religion a lot and I think the point was that she thought her gift was from the devil and fought it, but once again, this was something I had trouble believing to be true in an old and gifted family. Additionally, the religious overtones in this book were off the charts and made me feel uncomfortable. I complimented an earlier book in this series on being religious without coming across as preachy, but this one failed to meet the same ends for me.

For all those complaints, I can't go lower than three stars because the book is still better than at least half the junk romance novels out there. Plus, if you're reading this series, sooner or later you'll probably get to this one. Just don't start with it. :=)

[Cátia Santos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quando iniciei a leitura deste livro estava muito entusiasmada, pois era um livro de uma autora que criou histórias pelas quais tenho uma carinho muito especial.
E inicialmente estava a gostar muito e mesmo quando cheguei ao fim o saldo foi positivo, mas a história não me encheu as medidas.
A escrita continua, como sempre, cativante e envolvente e a autora mantêm a capacidade que têm de falar de sentimentos e emoções de uma forma que apela ao coração do leitor e faz com que fiquemos envolvidos com os personagens.
Mas houve aspectos que me chatearam e diminuíram o meu prazer ao ler este livro. Em primeiro lugar, a inclusão da religião e a fixação por esse assunto ao longo do livro. Não tenho nada contra em relação a livros que abordem esta temática, de facto li dois livros muito especiais este ano de uma autora que escreve literatura cristã. Mas esta série não era voltada para esse âmbito e assim parece ser algo "forçado".
Outro ponto que me desagradou foi a autora tentar justificar certas atitudes por personagens do livro, que para mim não tinham qualquer justificação.
Mas mesmo com os aspectos de que não gostei, o saldo ainda é positivo como já referido e vou continuar a acompanhar o trabalho desta autora, pois tenho a certeza que esta vai conseguir " arrebatar-me e fazer sonhar" de novo!

[Romancing the Book · Rating 5 out of 5]

Morning Light is the first in a new series featuring the Harrigan family that is slightly connected to her Coulter Family series (the Harrigan daughter married a Coulter son in the last Coulter book). Clint is approached by Loni with the news that his son is in danger, lost in the Oregon wilderness, and he is the only person who can save him. Problem is that he doesn’t have a son. He doesn’t want to believe the beautiful woman has the second sight because it goes against all his religious beliefs. Yet as he gets to know Loni while they search for his son, his mind is changed as he begins to see that her gift is from God and that she is his soul mate.

I’m a big fan of Ms. Anderson’s writing. Most of her books feature a character that is overcoming some sort of “disability”. The first one I ever read was Phantom Waltz and the heroine was wheelchair bound after a horse riding accident in her youth. That said, this one didn't feature a disability per-se, but Loni did have this "condition" that kept her isolated from most people. This was another winner by Catherine Anderson. I enjoyed the characters and the plot. I had to keep a box of tissues handy since it was a tear-jerker.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loni MacEwen was born with second sight but she had promised herself that she would not stir up the waters again with her visions after all the trouble she had in the past. That was until she saw Clint Harrigan's son in danger and he was the only one who could save him. Clint was not a stranger to her since she had dreamed about him since she was a child but she was definitely a stranger to him. First of all, he did not have a son, and second, his religion did not believe in visions.

This is a story of beliefs and exactly how God can use Loni to help save others. It is also a story of two people who had decided that marriage was not in the books for them but their journey to save Travis, brought them closer together. Clint had to see her visions differently and she had to accept her destiny.

It is a good book.

[Kendra · Rating 4 out of 5]

For this series, this isn't my favorite but it isn't the worst. One change I noticed was that there was a lot of biblical references and faith was a huge part of the relationship between the hero and heroine. This is a huge change from Anderson books that I have read. I am not a fan of christian romance but this was ok because it wasn't overtly religious. However, it was enough to distract me from the story. The second-sight portion of the book was pretty interesting and the search for the boy was well written. A good read but not my favorite.

[Laura · Rating 1 out of 5]

Author needs to pick a genre and stick to it

DNF @ 60%

This was a bizarre crossover between paranormal (clairvoyance), western (rancher hero), and religious (at least one mention of Catholicism on every page) genres. Listen, I’m Catholic too but the constant mentions of God/prayers/the rosary was just way too much for me. I don’t need the heroine mooning over the hero kneeling to say his goodnight prayers. The whole novel just felt way too forced. The dialogue, the plot. This book could have been interesting but, regrettably, turned out to be quite dull. What a shame.

[Heidi Smith · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had not wanted to read a book where the characters are repressed Catholics, and the only love scene was a "lapse in judgment." I don't read romances to hear about "your clairvoyance gift is from God" or "I vowed I'd wait until marriage for sex." The guy gave his horses Biblical names, for Pete's sake. I should have abandoned this book when his checklist for a woman included "strong faith in God." There was potential for steam, and the author just kept dumping cold water on the reader.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fairly enjoyable light read. I didn't like it as much as Catherine's other books. I found it a little preachy on a few topics. I think it is enough to show, rather than outright spell out the values etc. I think she overcooked it in this book, telling us and showing us. Showing is enough.

[Mafi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Não é dos meus favoritos, muito religioso para mim mas claro que a história é bonita e o toque paranormal deu um tom diferente à história da Lone do Clinton e do Trevor. Mesmo assim gostei ;)
Apesar de gostar da familia Harrigan, ja sinto saudades dos Coulters.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won't tell you about the book. It is one that you should read. Even though Loni is a clairvoyant, you feel like God is leading her with the help of her powers

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Usually I like Catherine Anderson's books, but that streak has ended.

Short version:

This book is teaming with Catholic teachings about sex before marriage being a sin and confession wiping away previous sins so long as you don't plan to become a repeat offender. Basically, a true virgin meets a born again virgin and they sin together then swear to never commit that particular sin again until they are married. Also, because they are so horny they decide within days that they are totally right for each other and will get married. They have the marriage talk about 3 days into it...not realistic at all.

Oh, and having the second sight "goes against the tenets of faith." So you know, there's that too.

The long version:

Loni MacEene was born with the 'second sight,' able to pick up memories from objects, dream about the future, and occasionally have flashes about people in trouble at random. So when she has a vision about a little boy lost in the forest with his faithful dog, Loni has to warn the handsome horseman Clint Harrigan that his son is in danger.

Clint Harrigan has been with many women and has decided to hold off of sex until he finds 'the one' he will marry. He even has a list of required characteristics, such as a sense of humor. But when the pretty stranger he bumped heads with in the grocery store tells him his son is in danger, he immediately thinks she's crazy. He doesn't have a son. But when things she said start showing up in the news, he decides to take a chance and go looking for the lost boy.

Clint hauls Loni into the bush with him to go looking and within a few days they are talking marriage...while looking for a lost little boy. Cause that makes sense. Dire situation, but HEY, plenty of time to get the love groove on. And to be perfectly honest, I did not like Clint.

Why? He's controlling. He's attracted to Loni because she's checking almost all of his pre-marriage check list for his future wife. He preaches the catholic faith sssooooo much, telling Loni in the beginning her abilities go against god, then changing his mind later in the book and again, justifying it with his religion. He slept with quite a few women and then decided that that's why he couldn't find a woman to be his wife, because he was giving pieces of himself away every time he slept with someone, so he's not going to do it anymore....then does it with Loni and they haven't even known each other a week. The only thing that redeemed him a bit in my eyes is how he treated Trevor.

Honestly, I did not like it. Catherine always has a bit of religion in her book and it's balanced, but this book is a religious dumping ground filled with contradictions. Clint is narrow minded and is looking for a woman who will be exactly what he wants her to be according to his list.

[Luli · Rating 1 out of 5]

Con todos mis respetos, doña Anderson, pero me deja usted absolutamente ojiplática.
Ya en anteriores novelas de esta serie advertí que estaba introduciendo ciertos elementos religiosos pero es que en esta novela se le ha ido la pinza.
Imaginaos al protagonista, un tío al que solo le faltan las pistolas para ser un rudo vaquero (el Stetson no lo quita ni cuando se acuesta) preparándose para dormir en el desierto, bajo las estrellas, pero antes dobla una rodilla y reza sus oraciones...
O mejor aún, imaginaos a toda la familia de este caballero (que son tropecientos) agarrados de las manos y rezando en un restaurante antes de que les sirvan la comida...
...o que los dos protagonistas debatan si confesarse porque se acostaron antes de casarse...
Tuve que asegurarme de que esta novela no había sido escrita en los años 40... y ya lo que me dejó patidifusa fue que el protagonista masque tabaco (eso sí, solo los viernes).
Dicho esto, creo que lo que menos importa es de qué va la novela.

[Andi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I bawled my way through all 7 books in the series prior to this one. I love Catherine Anderson’s books. However, this was like a totally different author wrote it.
1. I am firmly religious so seeing positive comments about God is always a bonus. In this book it feels like it was more of a Christian book rather than a regular romance. I am not a fan of all the sex they usually put in books so like I said I’m good with the positive parts. It just went overboard. Really overboard.
2. Trevor starts talking about Clint being his dad not long after both his parents died? Really? That in no way is even close to being realistic. It would take a year or more for this child to move on. It was so unrealistic that I started skipping pages to get to the end.
I love her books and her stories and I’m hoping the next book turns back into the stories I read before.

[Mixtly Lozano · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would first like to start that I got this book from a thrift shop and had never heard of the author before. This was also my first cowboy romance book, and to say that I fell in love with this book would be falling short. I have read this book at least 3 times, and I would read it a 4th if my TBR list wasn't the size of a mountain currently. Our MC is Loni, who has psychic abilities that are a generational gift passed down from her maternal side. She is someone who keeps her psychic abilities hidden, but at the sight of a child being in danger, she goes outside her comfort zone and goes after the only person who might be able to save the child. Like I stated before, this is one of my favorite books, and I would recommend it to anyone who likes grumpy x sunshine, cowboy romance, or psychics.

[~Nichole~ Sizzling Pages Romance Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another slow burn but amazing story with a hint of paranormal. Love that CA mixes faith and God into her romances. It's like now a days it's a bad word or people are ashamed but this reader unapologetically loves God and loves he created romance and writers.
Clint and Loni were made for each other. I loved seeing them slowly fall for each other.

So much family and friendship connections as usual. Just adore this authors work.

Safety (100% Safe) but other spoilerish info


Zero om or ow although the premise of the book is that Clint had an unknown 8 yr old boy that Loni has visions of. Ow died. He didn't love her but cared as a friend and parted ways as friends. She hid pregnancy