Reviewed by Marisa O’Neill
Publisher: Signet
3.75 Stars

I have read every single one of Catherine Anderson’s books. I love them.  I know it’s a bit scary when I start a review off with a justification, but just bear with me for a minute. Over the years Miss Anderson’s writing has changed a bit. Actually, not so much her writing – it’s as wonderful as ever. Good dialogue, strong characters, emotionally charged scenes, great romance, and a delightful mix of sweet and light combined with suspense and tension. But with the last 2 or 3 books there has been a lot more mention of God.  I don’t necessarily have a problem with God, it’s just that it wasn’t what I’d grown to expect from her. But people change. And if you’re an author, I’m sure your writing changes as you grow and experience life.  Her latest books are all stand alones but are connected through family. We had the terrific Coulter Family Novels and now and offshoot of the Coulter’s, the Harrigan Family Novels. Her latest release STAR BRIGHT features Parker Harrigan, and although it does mention God ( the Harrigan’s are Roman Catholics) his religion is woven into the fabric of his character and informs his decisions in an intelligent and emotional way. I felt that this book had finally come to a beautiful balance between the Catherine Anderson I’d read five years ago and the Catherine Anderson I’d read a year ago.

As I was reading STAR BRIGHT, it seemed very familiar to me. The book had this déjà vu quality about it.  I thought ‘have I read this before?’ As I continued reading it I had an ah ha moment and realized that some of the plot is much like the Julia Roberts movie “Sleeping With the Enemy”.  And it wasn’t but 30 pages later when I read this:

…Did you ever watch the movie Sleeping With the Enemy?
“The Julia Roberts film?” It hit Parker then. There’d always been something oddly familiar about Rainie, and now he saw it. Except for little differences in her features and eyes, she was almost an exact duplicate of the leading female character in that movie, right down to the flowing skirts, dainty tops, and quaint summer dresses. The wildly curly, sun-streaked hair. The funky white shoes she’d worn to that first interview. She’d mimicked that look. “I’ll be damned,” he whispered.
“That’s where we got the idea, from that movie,” she went on, her voice wobbling like an out-of-balance tire.

So now you know that Rainie Hall has faked her own death to run away from an abusive and murderous husband. She finds herself in Crystal Falls with no money and trying to start a new life, where she lands up working at Parker Harrigan’s ranch.  There are many ways that Rainie’s life and the book itself differ from the movie Sleeping With the Enemy and Andersen gives Rainie a rich and full bodied back story. Her fears and hesitations are based in her past traumas. Yet her new life is informed by the woman she dreamed she’d grow up to be before her parent’s death and before her marriage. Parker is the antithesis of her very evil husband.  He comes from a big and loving family, and Andersen hits all the right notes in making his family and their relationship to each other come alive. She’s so very good at this. Anderson is a master when it comes to creating family scenes that make you want to pull up a chair and invite yourself to dinner.

The scenes where Rainie and Parker are getting to know each other are sweet (and I mean that in the best possible way) and romantic.  She takes her time with these two, which only makes sense. Rainie has just fled for her life and her trust isn’t easily won. The ‘courtship’of these two is a gentle dance with a great deal of care taken in the ‘getting to know you’ phase. I appreciated that, and it made it all the more real for me.

There is suspense in this book, with an evil husband that is beyond redemption. The re-telling of Rainie’s abuse is often hard to read, but it is written with the distance that allows dignity and the knowledge that Rainie had the courage to finally take control of her life. She begins to really own the fact that warmth, friendship and love is something that she both deserves and has a right to.  Parker becomes her friend first, her confidant second and her lover third. In this way one can see the rightness of their coming together.

Anderson’s books are always, and I mean always, heartwarming. STAR BRIGHT was heartwarming, sweet, sensual and romantic.  I enjoyed spending time with Rainie, Parker and the Harrigan family. I’m hoping for more with this family and looking forward to the next one.