The Christmas Room

Starred review from September 4, 2017
Anderson (the Mystic Creek series) strikes a vein of romance gold with this tender contemporary tale of two feuding Montana families, the McLendons and the Conachers. Crotchety rancher Sam Conacher refuses to let his 26-year-old daughter, Kirstin, consider any potential suitors. Embittered by the death of his wife, he’s determined not to let go of the last remaining person he loves. Reluctant to distress her father, Kirstin abides by the old man’s wishes even though it might cost her the love of her life, her neighbor Cam McLendon. But Cam refuses to be shut out, confronting Sam. Upshot: one bloody nose, one unrepentant father, one fuming daughter. There’s no bloodshed when Sam gets into fights with Cam’s widowed mother, Maddie, but those arguments are still explosive. Then a bull named Satan administers a harrowing reminder of human fragility, and a room bursting with Christmas love delivers peace and the promise of wedding bells. Readers seeking comfortable characters in a gently paced story will fall in love with Anderson’s tale of unexpected connections. Agent: Steve Axelrod, Axelrod Agency.

August 1, 2017

Rancher Sam Conacher is furious when he sees his grown daughter, Kirstin, in an embrace with Cameron McLendon. He storms over to the McLendons' home to give Cam a piece of his mind, but the verbal sparks fly when he encounters instead Cam's mystery-author mom, Maddie. In spite of himself, Sam can't help but admire her Irish sass. Nevertheless, the antagonism continues to simmer between them, and it isn't until a near-fatal accident brings them to their senses that they can begin to understand each other and take the first steps toward friendship--and explore what might lie beyond. Two independent and successful but inwardly lonely souls finally come to terms with their grief and risk love again in this family-centered story graced with laughter, plain-speaking, and majestic descriptions of modern-day Montana. VERDICT Poignant and tender, this earnest romance brings two couples together as they confront the difficult themes of illness and loss with insight and a dusting of holiday charm. Anderson (Mulberry Moon) lives in rural Oregon.

Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from September 1, 2017
It's love at first sight for fish and game biologist Cameron McLendon and rancher's daughter Kirstin Conacher. The problem is, since his wife's death, Kirstie's father, Sam, has become the meanest man in Bitterroot Valley. A powerful rancher and uberhovering parent, he goes after every man who dares to date Kirstie, spreading rumors to give them a bad reputation and even making them lose their jobs. To avoid Sam's vicious machinations, Cam and Kirstie meet in secret. But Bitterroot is a small town, and when Sam finds out about their clandestine meetings, he begins his campaign against Cam. Widowed Maddie McLendon, a popular mystery writer, will fight anyone who hurts her son, even if that person is rich and powerful. Soon neighbors Maddie and Sam are in full feud mode, and Cam and Kirstie are caught in the middle. The incredibly talented Anderson (Mulberry Moon, 2017) has created another tale with multidimensional characters so real they seem to pop off the pages as they cope with complicated issues and conflicts. As is the case with so many of her books, Anderson leaves the reader wishing the story would never end.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)